Why is it always running? As Hadrian had put it, this was supposedly the conditioning before the 'real' training. "Your endurance is worse than a child's." He told me that as he ordered me to run thirty laps around a section of the forest.

Beyond the portal was a training area to the south of the encampment. Occasionally, an elven druid or archer would patrol the area, keeping it safe. However, sightings of the elves supposed to be training here were rare. My training times were deliberately set to be opposite theirs. Occasionally, when one of them was training late or doing extra for punishment, I'd run by them.

The training area was more than just a simple track. It had its additions. Trees obstructed the path, dryads fired arrows at me, and nature spells were cast. This was just "phase one," whatever that meant.

To push me, Hadrian would sometimes chase me at a speed slightly faster than my own. If my body didn't push its limits when he did this, he'd catch me, assign extra training, and a few more bruises would join the ones already on my body.

It'll toughen you up," he would say. The rate at which a human could naturally improve their endurance was astounding. Add in aura, my rate of improvement, movement speed, and even energy efficiency all increased. These Dryads were getting annoying, plucking their bows at me irregularly. If not for the exceptional hearing that aura gave me, I would have been hit by many more shots. That's not to say I avoided them all, but I dodged far more than an untrained person typically manages.

If an arrow did manage to land a hit, I was forced to keep going unless it took me down. The arrows were always blunt and power-controlled, so I was mostly left with a nasty bruise. However, the more skilled sharpshooters would hit me in just the right or wrong spot, and I'd be taken to the elven druid encampment for healing. Sometimes, other humans were there, and they would also heal me. Their power felt different from that of the elves, yet strangely similar, being aura, of course, but applied differently. None of them used mana, either. I hadn't seen a single mage.

Turns out, what Hadrian said was true. This place was the gathering of all those like me on this continent – if they survived the journey here. Once past Velexa, my journey hadn't been too bad, but the creatures deeper within the forest were awakened beings or even more dangerous. Many who ventured deep into the forest never came back. Eventually, Verdenia came by and explained the path to power for elves. They drew their strength from nature, which was everywhere but most potent in places like the Naien Forest. That was why elves often lived near and sometimes oversaw natural wonders within the forest.

Shortly after healing, I would be back on my feet and on to another round of running. If I completed my daily quota of laps, the next part of my training would be what Hadrian called "pressure training." He'd have me do a specific physical exercise for the day. If he thought the practice was too easy, he would emanate a pressure like Elnara's, though not as strong. This tested my mental strength and increased the gravity around me.

While undergoing these intense training sessions, I noticed a few things besides the noticeable improvements in my stamina, strength, and speed. Firstly, my aura was increasing, albeit slowly. As a result, my recovery rate improved, and my senses sharpened a bit more.

Secondly, I observed a pattern. For whatever reason, Hadrian wouldn't let me train at night, nor would he allow me to start before the sun was truly up - not even at sunrise, but about half an hour afterward. It was too consistent to be a mere coincidence. Even if Hadrian decided to punish me during training for some reason, he never extended the session past sunset. Thinking about it, I realized the most extended session lasted from about half an hour before sunset to half an hour after sunrise.

Another aspect of this training was that I was prohibited from actively using my aura to heal or enhance my abilities and was only allowed to let it passively restore me. After several weeks of this, the frustration grew to be too much. I tried to ask a seemingly friendly human girl in the druid encampment about this rule placed on me, making sure Hadrian was out of earshot. Why was I still banned from actively using aura? All she did was smile, assuring me that Sourcer Hadrian had his reasons.

Unfortunately, Hadrian was just behind me, as if he possessed the ability to teleport. I should have kept my mouth shut. "Young fools never learn," he muttered, his face devoid of emotion. Even the aura within me seemed to slow as if it was warning, "You'll regret that."

Indeed, regret quickly came to me. Hadrian brought me to a new part of the training area after the druid encampment healed me. This location was much higher, with more hills and what appeared to be an abundance of dryads and other beings of nature. The tree I leaned against, to rest against, suddenly revealed itself as an Ent or a Treant – I couldn't tell the difference yet. Regardless, it seemed most trees here were not ordinary. Wooden eyes emerged from the bark, and the tree would shake when I leaned against it. It seemed that even the trees had become my enemy. What was next– the daylight?

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"This is the beginning of your second phase, my young idiot," Hadrian declared, refusing to use my actual name. Just then, Verdenia appeared as if from thin air. How was she able to do that? The essence of nature appears bent to her will, hiding her until she reveals herself. Before I could give it any more thought, she took over the explanation where Hadrian left off.

"Normally, you would've remained in phase one for a few more weeks, just for safety's sake. However, since you seem to have enough energy to ask questions, Hadrian believes he hasn't pushed you hard enough."

"What are you doing here, Verdenia?" I asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Well, can't a contractor come to give her valiant bound some support while he trains for her?" she retorted with a smirk that was almost too enchanting to find irritating. Almost.

For her? I thought. She did her near-mind reading again. "Yes, for me." She smiled so beautifully; I almost wasn't annoyed anymore. Her words reminded me of the bond formed through the contract. But how did that work? The whole thing felt one-sided, especially since I couldn't feel her thoughts as she could mine.

This still rubbed me the wrong way, and my trust in her was low. Even I was stupidly attracted to her. What was her real agenda? She didn't have to play that trick on me after all. There was no need for her to have deceived me like she did. She and Hadrian claimed it was a test, but I seriously doubted everyone some of their freedom as I had. Nearly all the humans here were completely free.

Before I could gather my thoughts, Verdenia said, "I'm also going to be your training partner." My eyes widened upon hearing that. The blood in my veins told me this wasn't a good thing. Judging by Hadrian, with his grin, my blood was likely correct.

"Up until now, you've only been doing conditioning work to prepare for the portal transfer training," she continued, her gaze intense. "And that's because you're just too weak, Falond. Incredibly so, in fact. You've caused immense damage to your body by forcing mana inside. It's a wonder you've managed to survive this long alone. While mana doesn't stay within you, the damage it does during your rituals remains."

Then, as if trying to cushion the blow of her words or to fan the flames, she added, "After all, my bound partner must be strong enough to protect his helpless lady, don't you think?" When I didn't respond, she sharpened her tone. "You'll never regain your freedom like this, Falond."

Her eyes, a captivating emerald green, held a predatory glint. They seemed to say I was her prey, destined to be eaten, trapped in her web with no chance of escape. This was not a comforting thought, but it was a wake-up call. I had to find a way out. I couldn't let myself become prey to anyone, least of all her.

With that, a wooden sword appeared in her hand, and she launched another at me squarely. Startled, I caught it with difficulty. Before I could get into any stance, she rushed at me. She was aiming for my knees. The blow was barely deflected, ruining my posture. Her next swing connected seamlessly at the center of my chest as if in a dance. There was little holding back from Verdenia, less than Hadrian did. My entire body was flung back. Anger flashed in my eyes again. That wasn't good; as hard as it was, I had to control my emotions.

The constant feeling of always being trampled on, getting thrashed in any fight, was getting old, fast. I've been honing my skills longer than you've existed, Falond," she stated flatly. "There's no use in getting angry at me, be angry at yourself. You are the one who chose to remain weak, which, in this realm, is a sin. Your family was no different towards you."

That low blow just got me even angrier.

Not letting me re-adjust, she rushed towards me again. I could tell she was going slower than her actual speed, for my sake, but she was still crazy fast. I was too upset to react quickly, and before I knew it, her wooden sword was at my neck. She had me pinned, her blade against my neck, and I could tell another bruise was coming. I almost sighed in resignation.

Weirdly, Verdenia looked more upset than me, even though I was beaten up. She told me to get up, and I didn't dare argue. I held my sword tighter, focused, and stood up straight. She seemed surprised by my intense look and even blushed a little. What was she thinking?

I got distracted by her blushing, and she swung at my knee. Damn, it was too easy to misdirect my attention. I tried to block, but my sword broke under her strike due to the angle. Even though I was defenseless, she kept going. I did my best to dodge and parry with what was left of my sword.

The days passed with her battering me and teaching me how to block, stand, and anticipate her attacks. Learn to use more than just my vision. That crazy lady told me even to hear how her muscles contracted. She must've felt my confusion because she just told me that people with good enough senses could do it quickly. Hadrian said we were done for the day just as the sun was setting. Verdenia winked at me and said, "See you tomorrow, my bound." Just three steps later, she disappeared into the forest again.

This went on for two weeks. Every day, I was coming here, getting beaten up, learning to fight back. Then, one day, as we were leaving, Hadrian turned to me.

"You're staying in the forest tonight."

He left, leaving me alone in the middle of the forest with no further explanation, as always. What was I supposed to do now?