Al jogged at a moderate pace. He had to run 20 miles to make up for Matthew, who was now gone. Surprisingly, he discovered that running with the armor wasn't as burdensome anymore. It felt as if he was not wearing any armor whatsoever. At least, that is how he felt in the first few miles.
After an hour and fifty minutes of continuous jogging, Al found himself moving at a sluggish pace. He decided to gulp down the last remnants of Ever-life water from his canteen, but it no longer affected him. It hardly quenched his thirst.
Motivated by the sight of Louise and Yusuf on the training fields, Al summoned the strength to increase his pace slightly. The figures drew closer.
Al's armor clanged louder than ever with each step, weighing him down and inviting him to succumb to gravity. Finally, he managed to slap Yusuf's palm, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.
Gasping for breath, Al crawled to the grassy field and sat down to initiate the spearmint breathing technique, desperately trying to recover. Meanwhile, Yusuf propelled himself forward with astonishing speed, disappearing from Al's and Louise's fields of vision. It was the Final Lap.
After ten grueling minutes, Al noticed Louise staring at him. He got up and moved, making his way toward a remote section of the grassy field, away from Louise's watchful gaze. He settled down once more, resuming his rhythmic breathing exercise.
After closing his eyes, he found himself unexpectedly interrupted by Louise, who had approached him. Her curiosity had reached a breaking point, and she could no longer suppress her questions. "What were Romann and Matthew talking about? And why did you run on his behalf?" she asked, her impatience growing.
Al, however, offered a dismissive response. "I don't know. Go ask them," causing Louise's usually pale complexion to flush with a vibrant shade of red. She had expected such a response from him, yet it still ignited a spark of fury within her.
Just as Louise was about to turn and walk away, Al's voice reached her ears once more. "Actually, I wouldn't mind telling you, but I have a condition. Teach me a breathing technique," he proposed, a mischievous glimmer apparent beneath his helmet.
Louise scoffed, rolling her eyes in disbelief. "Nice try! It's too bad for you; I don't know such techniques. So, forget it," she retorted, ready to resume her departure.
However, Al's following words halted her in her tracks. "Wait, you don't know any breathing techniques despite having awakened your will?" he remarked, his voice laced with intrigue.
Louise paused, turning back to face him. "I guess I know one—the basic sustenance breathing technique. But I lack any specialized techniques like Jin," she admitted, her tone tinged with resignation.
Al's helmet hid his grin as he said, "That's perfectly fine. I'll take it. In exchange, I will tell you everything that happened." He proposed his offer, hanging in the air.
Louise pondered the situation for a brief moment, realizing that the sustenance breathing technique is the most basic technique. Almost everyone who cultivated Will knew about it, and Al would likely discover it eventually.
"Alright, I'll tell you all about the sustenance breathing technique. In return, you'll shed light on everything that unfolded." Louis settled herself down and explained the sustenance breathing technique to Al, delving into its intricacies. She had eloquently described it as a two-fold breathing method. Al absorbed the information, finding it easy to commit to memory.
As their conversation progressed, Cesar arrived, followed shortly by Jin. Even Ellie arrived early. They all wanted to see what time Yusuf got on his final lap.
Once Al and Louise finished speaking, she retreated to a solitary spot, her gaze lingering on him with an intriguing mix of curiosity. This sudden shift between Louise and Al piqued Ellie's curiosity.
Although great for recovering stamina and endurance, the spearmint breathing technique still left Al feeling hungry. Hopefully, that would change with the Sustenance breathing technique.
Just as Al began to synchronize his breaths accordingly, Ellie softly spoke. "No way! He did it in 31 minutes! Ten miles in 31 minutes, each mile under 4 minutes!" The words hung in the air, accompanied by another voice that chimed in. "31 minutes is impressive, but I got this." Cesar confidently said as he walked toward the track.
"31 minutes and 54 seconds!" Jin announced, and in an instant, Yusuf's hand connected with Cesar's palm. A gust of wind swept through the area as Cesar took off running.
His movements were fluid and rapid, carrying him far into the distance in no time. Al resumed the sustenance breathing technique.
Meanwhile, the others congratulated Yusuf, although it was clear that they all wished to surpass him.
In their gathered state, Romann emerged, catching their attention. He had approached from the direction of Del Santos Collective. Unnoticed by everyone, especially Al, who was engrossed in his breathing technique.
Romann spoke up. "My test is nearing its conclusion. At this point, Yusuf is leading the race to obtain the Ever-life stone. However, any one of you can still claim victory. If you're curious about the stone's effectiveness, look at Al over there," Romann continued, gesturing toward Al and the canteen he held.
Romann's words provoked puzzled expressions from the group. "Is that why you lied and implied you had peed in your canteen!?" Yusuf blurted out, his voice laden with disbelief. Now, all eyes were fixed on Al and his canteen.
Romann's casual response added fuel to the confusion. "Was I not supposed to say that? Oh well." Romann retorted nonchalantly.
Despite Al's initial anger, he found relief in Romann's reaction. "Yeah, I do have an Ever-life stone, and yes, it did provide some assistance. However, it's a pity that the stone's effectiveness diminishes rather quickly," Al responded, his voice tinged with disappointment.
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Romann fixated his gaze silently on Al while the rest of the group engaged in a discussion sparked by Al's revelation.
Romann's voice boomed, cutting through the chatter with clarity. "It no longer affects you because you have used it all up. And since it's no longer useful to you, I think you should give it to one of your teammates," he declared. The group's attention swiftly turned to Al, awaiting his response.
Considering Romann's suggestion, Al swiftly replied, "Actually, that's not a bad idea. If anyone is interested, the starting price for the stone is 250 merits."
Romann concealed his discontent with the price mentioned as the group murmured skeptically. Louise couldn't help but snort in disbelief. "Yeah, right. I've visited the Del Santos Collective and seen Ever-life stones for around 150 merits. You're just trying to rip us off, " she said.
Yusuf appeared interested, but Jin interjected swiftly. "Agreed, 200 seems rather excessive. Besides, most of its usefulness has already diminished. How about 100 merits?" he proposed.
Al shook his helmet in refusal before asserting, "I happen to know for a fact that this is the last one available, and it won't be restocked anytime soon. It's 200 or nothing! No one is forcing any of you to make a purchase."
Jin clenched his teeth and turned away, followed by the rest of the group, except for Yusuf, who hesitated momentarily before deeming the price too steep.
Romann's left ear twitched, drawing his attention. "Interesting. The training has triggered a breakthrough. Cesar is about to finish in 25 minutes." Romann whispered to himself.
After a few moments, a figure emerged, sprinting toward them with remarkable speed. It was Cesar, his strides elongated, effortlessly maintaining a moderate jogging pace. He was cutting through the air.
Jin hurriedly positioned himself, anticipating Cesar's arrival.
With incredible speed, Cesar approached, giving Jin no time to hesitate. "25 minutes!" Ellie exclaimed, announcing Cesar's impressive time.
After finishing, Cesar made his way over to the group, gasping for breath. "I told you I would beat him," he declared, his words interspersed with heavy breaths.
Amidst the excitement and commotion, Yusuf seized the opportunity. Realizing that his chances of winning the Ever-life stone were slim, he quietly approached Al and discreetly gave him the 200 merits in exchange for his Ever-life stone.
Romann gave a disapproving gaze towards Al's direction; however, he didn't intervene.
"I suppose that leaves only Matthew to begin showing signs of awakening his Will," Cesar remarked, scanning the surroundings for the absent blonde boy. Curiosity sparked among the others, and their attention turned towards the topic.
"Matthew is on his way back to his father. He was sent here prematurely. Individuals often come back a few years later. Don't worry about him. That's all you need to know," Romann left the group surprised.
Louis looked at Al with a persistent curiosity, which didn't escape Ellie's observant eye. Ellie began piecing together fragments of what might have transpired.
After another 29 minutes, Jin completed his lap, surprisingly surpassing Yusuf but falling short of Cesar's time.
Now, it was Ellie's turn to run. As time passed, Romann sat in a trance-like state, deep in meditation.
Soon, everyone finished their laps. No one was able to beat Cesar. Al intended to let Cesar win, so he patiently awaited his turn. However, as Louise embarked on her lap, Romann's eyes opened; he appeared to have made some choice.
"This is a competition, Al. Remove that armor and truly compete. It's the least you can do for Matthew," Romann instructed.
"What the hell did you do to our little bro?" Yusuf exclaimed, his concern palpable.
Al ignored the responses. He knew deep down that Romann was right. He had been impulsive and reckless in his words with Matthew, and now he was paying the price. "Romann is right. I shouldn't have been so harsh on the kid." Al's mind became flooded with reflections on his actions.
Romann sensed the wavering and fluctuations of Al's awakening Will. Although suspicious of Al's true intentions, guiding his students meant reinforcing and fortifying their Will, which necessitated understanding their hearts and the reasons behind their actions.
As Al smirked and removed his armor, his original plan to cooperate with Cesar slowly shifted. Piece by piece, he shed his armor until he stood in his medical robe, readying himself for the competition.
Al appeared to control his weight effortlessly with graceful hops and warm-up exercises. Whispers spread among the group.
Al turned to face everyone. "Let's make one thing clear! Even without the Ever-life stone, none of you ever stood a chance." he proclaimed, his voice filled with confidence. As Louise approached the finish line, Al continued, "What I'm about to demonstrate is the difference between you and me."
Yusuf couldn't help but interject, "Boo! You sound like a villain." Jin nodded in agreement while Cesar shook his head. Louise slapped Al's palm and completed her lap. She had come in at 32 minutes.
"Stop wasting time and start running, Al! What the hell are you doing?" Cesar shouted, urging him forward. Al finished his speech and waved to Louise to join the group.
Louise, breathing heavily, joined the group, and Al explained, "I want all of you to be here so there won't be any confusion about who's number one."
He turned around, slowly reaching the running field, aware that time was ticking. Taking a stance, he prepared himself.
'Boom!' Al's take-off displayed explosiveness that left even larger indents than Louis had created. He moved like lightning, disappearing before the others could react. Shock and astonishment overwhelmed them. However, Yusuf frowned, asserting, "He gained that power from the Ever-life stone."
Cesar's expression turned serious as he shook his head. "You're wrong. The truth is, the first time we met, Al and I got into a fight. His strength and speed far surpassed mine. I had no chance except for the element of surprise."
The group quietly waited for Al's return. To their astonishment, Al had completed 10 miles in just 19 minutes, running each mile in less than two minutes.
Romann used a spell, allowing him to communicate with Al silently. His lips moved, but no audible words were spoken. However, Al could hear Romann's message: "Don't forget you have to run twice to make up for Matthew."
Upon hearing Romann's reminder, an ugly frown appeared on Al's face. Nevertheless, he continued running, leaving the rest of the group speechless as they witnessed his speed.
Once Al was out of sight, Romann retrieved his Ever-life stone and turned to Cesar. "Here, congratulations. Cesar, you have won this competition," Romann said, offering the stone to Cesar.
Cesar's face was confused as he replied, "You can't be serious." Ellie chimed in, echoing the sentiment, "Yeah, we all just saw Al take first place."
Romann quickly corrected her, stating, "No, he still needs to finish the miles for Matthew. So, Cesar, take it." Reluctantly, Cesar accepted the Ever-life stone, still perplexed by the turn of events.
Romann let out a long yawn, signaling the conclusion of their introductory training. "Alright, that concludes our training for now. Our next meeting will be in 12 hours at the 15th Blood Rings Alchemical Institute. See you there, and please make sure everyone shows up. The six of you will form a phantom ring for this short training," Romann announced before leaving.
As the others dispersed, Cesar remained behind, patiently waiting for Al. He stared at the Ever-life stone in his possession, contemplating the unexpected outcome and wondering what Al's reaction would be.