My lungs were on fire. Each breath felt like inhaling molten glass, but I couldn't afford to stop. Not now.
I channeled a thin stream of essence through my body, careful to keep it subtle enough that I didn't run out of essence. The dark energy flowed through my ridians, strengthening my muscles just enough to keep moving. It was a risk to use my essence like this since it still carried a bit of demonic energy but that would not be noticeable if I control the amount I used.
Too much would be obvious, too little would leave crawling up the mountain.
The key was in the breathing.
Short, controlled breaths synchronized with each step. Inhale for three steps, hold for two, exhale for four. The rhythm helped maintain a steady flow of essence throughout my body.
I'd discovered early in the climb that distributing the essence evenly was crucial.
Focusing too much on my legs left my arms weak and shaking when I needed them for climbing. Too much in my core ant my extremities would start failing. It was like juggling water between cups - keep it moving, keep it balanced.
The kusarigama at my sides had beco more than just physical weights. Each step required a micro-adjustnt of essence to compensate for their movent. When the chains swung one way, I had to shift my energy flow to maintain balance.
It was exhausting, but the weapons were inadvertently teaching finer essence control.
My ridians burned with the constant flow of power.
This kind of sustained essence manipulation was different from the burst techniques I'd practiced before. It required precision, endurance, and above all, control. One slip in concentration could send the dark energy surging through my system, leaving telltale signs of enhancent.
I focused on cycling the essence through specific patterns. From my core to my legs during each step up, redirecting it to my arms when I needed to pull myself over obstacles. The technique wasn't perfect - I could feel areas where the energy flow stuttered or clumped - but it was keeping moving.
The darkness had gradually given way to the first hints of dawn, allowing to see just how far I'd climbed.
The academy below looked like a collection of toy buildings, the training grounds where we'd started barely visible in the distance. The sight nearly broke my concentration, my essence flow faltering for a mont before I regained control.
The air was getting thinner at this altitude, making my careful breathing pattern even more critical. I adjusted my essence circulation to compensate, using the dark energy to help my body process what little oxygen was available. It was a technique I'd read about but never had to use until now.
Each step beca a deliberate cycle - gather essence in my core while inhaling, distribute it through my limbs as I moved, recycle it back during the exhale. The pattern wasn't elegant, but it was sustainable. Just enough to keep my muscles functioning without leaving obvious traces of enhancent.
The kusarigama's chains jingled with each movent, their rhythm matching my breathing and essence flow. In an odd way, they'd beco part of my technique - their weight and motion helping maintain a consistent pace up the mountain's punishing slope.
I could feel my essence reserves depleting slowly but steadily. Like a battery draining, each cycle took a little more effort than the last. But I couldn't stop. The summit had to be close, and showing weakness now wasn't an option.
The thin mountain air carried the first rays of sunlight/
When I finally crested what turned out to be the actual peak, I nearly collapsed from exhaustion. That's when I heard voices - familiar voices, chatting casually as if this was nothing more than a morning stroll.
"Well, look who made it!" Derek's booming voice carried across the summit. He was sitting on a rock, looking frustratingly fresh and energetic. The other seniors were scattered around him, so stretching, others taking drinks from their water flasks.
I wanted to respond, but breathing seed like a more important priority at the mont. My legs shook as I took a few stumbling steps forward, finally dropping to sit on the nearest flat surface I could find.
"Not bad, newbie," Jin nodded approvingly. "Most first-years don't make it past the halfway point on their first try. At least, not in one piece." Discover exclusive tales on mvl
Kris checked her watch and raised her eyebrows. "Actually, pretty impressive timing. You got here just in ti to see us finish our second round."
'Huh?'
My head snapped up so fast it hurt.
"Second... round?" The words ca out as more of a wheeze than actual speech.
"Oh yeah," Vyse grinned, not even trying to hide her amusent.
"We've been up and down twice already. Got to stay in shape, you know? Professor Vale doesn't believe in rest days."
I looked back down the mountain, trying to process the idea of doing this run multiple tis. The very thought made my muscles threaten to go on strike.
"How... how do you even..." I couldn't finish the sentence, but they seed to understand.
"Practice," Derek shrugged. "Lots and lots of practice. And the constant threat of Professor Vale's 'special training' if we slack off."
"Speaking of the devil," Jin muttered barely audible words, straightening up suddenly.
Professor Vale appeared at the summit as if he'd been there all along. His expression was as unreadable as ever as he surveyed our group, his eyes lingering on my exhausted form for a mont longer than the others.
I braced myself for criticism, for so comnt about my slow pace or poor performance. But he simply nodded once, seemingly satisfied with whatever he'd observed.
"Enough for today," he announced, his voice carrying the sa authority it had hours ago at the base of the mountain. Then his eyes fixed directly on . "Be ready tomorrow."
Before I could process those ominous words, I felt a sudden surge of essence around . The air grew thick and heavy, pressing in from all sides. My stomach lurched as reality seed to bend and twist.
Then everything went black.
When my vision cleared, I found myself standing back in the academy's training grounds. The mountain lood behind , its peak now clearly visible in the growing morning light - a silent reminder of what I'd just endured.
My legs nearly gave out as the teleportation's effects wore off.
Forceful teleportation - I'd heard of it, but experiencing it was sothing else entirely. It was said to be an extrely advanced technique, requiring precise control and massive amounts of essence.
The fact that Professor Vale could casually teleport soone down an entire mountain spoke volus about his true capabilities.
I checked my watch, trying to orient myself after the disorienting experience. 4:30 AM - still thirty minutes before Professor Valerius's training session was scheduled to begin.
My body felt like one massive bruise, and my stomach was reminding rather insistently that I hadn't eaten since dinner the night before. The dual kusarigama hung heavily at my sides, the chains still occasionally catching on my clothes as if to remind of their presence.
The academy's cafeteria wouldn't be open yet, but the kitchen would be.
There would lot of vegetables and spices required for cooking too. If I hurried, I could grab a quick snack and maybe even rest for a few minutes before facing whatever training plans Professor Valerius had in store.
As I made my way to the kitchen, my mind wandered back to the mountain.
The seniors had run it twice in the ti it took to complete one ascent. Was that the level I needed to reach? The thought was both daunting and oddly motivating.
My muscles protested every step, but there was also a strange sense of accomplishnt. I'd made it to the top. Maybe not as quickly or gracefully as the seniors, but I'd done it. No essence enhancent, no shortcuts, just pure determination and whatever strength I could muster.
Tomorrow would bring another climb, and probably more challenges after that. But for now, I had thirty minutes to recover, refuel, and prepare myself for whatever ca next.
One thing was becoming very clear - if this was just the first morning of Professor Vale's training, I was in for a very interesting sester.
At least I'd learned one valuable lesson - maybe bringing the kusarigama tomorrow wasn't the best idea. Though knowing Professor Vale, he'd probably make carry sothing even heavier if I showed up without them.
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