Their training started at eight in the morning, and they started running at 8:24.
Since then, they have not stopped running, not because they enjoyed running or any of that, but due to the punishment they received when they did.
Koharu gasped for air as she ran. "Just how long do we need to do this!" She asked, not wanting to stop; behind her was Mei, taking a large gasp for air, while Mio was in the front, sweating heavily.
"You two! Don't stop, no matter what," Mio encouraged the two, but deep inside, she wanted to give up already. This is inhumane, she said in her head; she thought the three of them would be inside a library or classroom reading magic books that allow them to understand magic.
But here they are now, running for their life to avoid the punishment.
"Congratulations everyone!" The instructor yelled out in the sky, wings made out of water flapping behind him.
"Every single one of you is now level 2! Just continue running, and you'll eventually reach level 3, and then you can stop and rest."
As the words of the instructor stopped, Yuki fell, and everyone looked at him with pity and sorry in their eyes. "Please!" He asked, "Five minutes, I just need five minutes of rest, and I can continue!" He begged and screamed.
But the instructor only looked at him with discuss on his face, "Who told you to stop running?" He said, creating a ten-meter pillar of water on top of Yuki's head.
Yuki looked at the giant pillar above him and laughed only. The pillar falls on him, burying him into the ground and soiling the ground area.
He screamed to the heavyweight of the pillar as if he were being grounded by an elephant foot; as he screamed out from the pain, the rest did as well.
But not with encouragement or anything but cursing him and yelling at him for ruining the ground floor.
"Yuki! Why did you stop? Now the ground making us sink! Do you want us to be punished as well!" Ren roared out, while the rest complained to him too.
"Asshole!!!. All and every single one of you! Not one told me to get up," Yuki screamed as he stood up from the ground and then continued to run again.
Running past Press, he looked at him with terror in his eyes. "Why would you guys curse me like that?" he said on the verge of tears.
Nagi looked at him for a moment before answering, "I didn't say anything to you. Mio, Ren, and Ritsu are the ones who cursed at you! Besides, the two of us are comrades in arms," he said, tapping Yuki's shoulder.
"Right..., you're the first victim of this?" Yuki said then leaving Nagi behind him.
Nagi looked at him, completely disappointed, for reminding him of it; seeing Yuki run off, he thought, "Why did I say that?" Increasing his speed.
••••
Back to a couple of hours ago.
"Start running!!!!" As these words were shouted out, everyone did so.
Although they didn't want to, everyone didn't say a thing and listened to the instructor's words. A couple of minutes after they started running, Nagi looked at the sky and thought, "I'm sweating a lot! I never really ran this much before," looking at the others passed over him.
After a couple more minutes, he couldn't take it anymore; he stopped running and looked at the sky once more. Instead, the endless blue sky met his eyes, and what he saw was a giant pillar of water above him; a few drops fell onto his face, and wiping them out, he heard the instructor's voice. "Who told you to stop?"
Hearing this Nagi wanted to run away, but he couldn't, not with the magic on his foot that won't let him move from his position."What's this?" He asked his voice so small from the fear of the incoming event before him.
"Punishment!" The instructor said, his voice sounding like the devil itself, "I'm pretty sure I didn't tell anyone to stop?" With those words said, he dropped the pillar into him.
Everyone looked at the horrors before them. And what they meet if they stopped running, watching Nagi get drowned by the instructor's magic, everyone realized this was no longer a normal exercise; this was a life and death situation already.
As they started to pray and say goodbye to Nagi, he suddenly rose from the ground, gasping for air. "Don't worry, heroes... this much won't kill any of you at all. At best, I can use this attack more than five times into each and every single one of you before you guys pass out from exhaustion." Everyone flinched in fear hearing this, yet didn't stop.
He paused for a moment, then continued, "All of you got blessed, right? That blessing of yours increased all your overall stats, so every single one of you should have more than thirty points in stamina stat."
He didn't have to continue his words; everyone understood what was happening, so they ran and ran and did not stop.
Nagi was not the only victim of the punishment; others also experienced the punishment he had gone through, and these two are Ritsu and Yuki.
Ritsu stopped running between eleven and mid-day. Then followed up with Yuki at one in the afternoon, and later on around three.
Even after the sky turned orange, they did not stop running, not until they heard it from him.
Even after the darkness covered the entire sky, they did not stop, and finally, after running for an entire day, they stopped.
The time was already 11:32. It took them an entire day to reach level three by simply running without stopping.
Everyone lay down on the ground exhausted; they wanted to stand and go inside but couldn't even if they wanted to.
After a moment, they heard someone clapping, there instructor they had, and two other priestesses were waiting for them, carrying something with them.
"Congrats everyone on reaching level 3 in one day." The instructor said with a smile; unlike his devil-like voice before, he sounded like an angel now. "Everyone stand up!" He shouted and so everyone did.
Looking at the two priestesses carrying something behind them, they wondered what it would be. Before they could even whisper with each other, they were told to line up and receive a reward for today's activity.
•••••
Everyone was delighted after receiving their rewards.
The girls thanked the members of the temple warmly, while the boys had a bit of complaint and tried to fight when receiving theirs.
The girls received their very own wands and cloaks. The wand they received increased their mana by 20 points in total, mana control by 30%, mana regeneration increased by 40%and one spell along with their corresponding elements.
Their cloak gives them an additional 10+ in defense, 8+ in Agility, 15+ in stamina, and a bound item skill [ Turtle Home ] that will activate when they receive an attack higher than their vitality and defense.
With an enchantment that increased their attack power by 50% in total for one hour when the bound skill is activated. Finally, it reduced fall damage by 20%.
While the boys are forced to choose one of the two options, one is a weapon of their own or armor. When this was shown to them, they rebelled for a moment, saying it was not fair that the girls received two rewards per each of their own. While they are forced to choose only one from the two options.
The instructor yelled at them to be grateful that they were getting a magic item that increased one of their stats by 10+ above when asked why the girls could have two items.
The instructor only answered with a stern look and said, "Privilege," and continued saying that this world gives "Female" an advantage in many things, such as experience drops from slain monsters, an item dropped chance, skill awakening, skills points per level up and higher stats increased per level up.
Hearing this, the three only rebels more, saying they should get three items then, but the instructor annoyed by their complaints, drop three pillars per each on them, then punches them across their face and forces them to choose, what they want in ten seconds or they will not receive one and won't get a chance to ever again.
With those words, the four rushed to get the items that had the highest stats increased by more than 15+. With so the items that the four have chosen are:
Goggles that allow one to see from 1500 meters with the best clear image, increased perception stats by 20+, and accuracy increased by 10%. With the ability to changed its look to an earring.
A bracelet crafted from a mimic corpse that allows one to store 10-13 blade weapons within it and summon it instantly, unlike the [ Item box ] that needed to summon first before storing or taking something from it. But not having any stats increased ay all.
A Spear head made from the beak immortal bird, that said to have ability to changed into many form, having the most relaxing voice in existence, along with the most beautiful singing voice. It is said it to have the ability to make those who hear it's singing, fall asleep and be petrified or if your lucky enough, get healed by its singing.
It can change its length, weight and size, according to it's user. Giving additional stats increased, 15+ in Stamina, 22+ in Dexterity, 11 in Perception. And finally improving stamina recovery by 13%.
And finally the last but not the least, should be. A shield, a small one arm shield that increased affection from non hostile creatures by 50%, while giving additional stats increased, 19+ in Defence, 14+ in Stamina, 7+ in endurance. And finally increasing stamina recovery by 13%.
After receiving their rewards everyone looked at their status window and saw they have reached level 3 already, seeing this Nagi asked the instructor, if everyone in this world can level up like this.
The instructor hesitated for a moment before answering "No" and explain that this is something they learn later on. Hearing this all ten of them went inside and call off the night.
Chapter 4 end.