The main thing I was thinking of while I struggled to my feet, was what exactly he did to me. One moment I was standing there, everything was fine, and then boom, it suddenly felt like the entire world was crashing down on my shoulders.

No…not just my shoulders my entire body felt like it was being crushed.

I barely lasted a few seconds before I was forced to my knees and then the pressure immediately disappeared. I’m not even a regular person anymore, I’m in the first stage of Body Tempering now and a lot stronger than before, yet I was still crushed to my knees.

I don’t know or understand what happened, but the Outpost Leader doesn’t seem like he wants to tell me exactly how he did what he did. Is it some type of gravity machine maybe? But I don’t see anything like that out here. Matter fact since I’ve been at this Outpost, I haven’t seen any sort of machinery.

I guess it could all just be hidden somewhere and Greja snapping her fingers to show the shop screen is just some slight of hand trick to hide when she pushes a button? Or is it actually snap activated…this is not the time to be thinking about this, but I can’t help it. Where is all this pressure coming from? Maybe it’s a cultivation thing? Qi perhaps? Yeah I can somehow see that being a possibility.

I don’t know all there is to know about Qi, but this is a new reality I’m in, who knows all that Qi can do? I wonder if he’ll explain it to me if I ask. Maybe after. Anyway. Something that bothered me was the fact he called me weak…for some reason that bothers me. I don’t claim to be strong, nor was I some bodybuilder obsessed with muscles before all of this, but that bothers me. Weak. I don’t like being associated with that word. Something I really wouldn’t have thought before the Tutorial.

Something within is definitely changing and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I think it has something to do with this whole Infernal thing, but I can’t say for sure.

Anyway.

It took me more than I liked to, but I finally made it back to my feet. The Outpost Leader stared at me for some time, and then finally spoke.

“Again.”

And then the pressure descended upon me once more.

And again, to my knees I fell.

“Get up.”

I listened and did my best to once more struggle to my feet with my spear still firmly in my hand and sweat covering every inch of my body.

“Again.”

The pressure made its presence known to me once more.

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And once more I went to my knees, gasping for every breath I take.

I did not have time to truly cope with the pain, and the pressure or even to come to terms with my situation, for the Outpost Leader did not wait for me.

“Get up.”

This time it took a lot longer for me to rise to my feet, but I did it. The Outpost Leader watched on, as my knees wobbled, as my head hung low while I grit my teeth to push myself harder, but eventually I did it.

While the rest of my body ached and screamed and threatened to give up on me, my grip around my spear never once loosened, and if there was one thing I won’t give up on, it was the grip on my spear.

“Again”

The words rang once more in my head.

Again, and again and again, did I rise up to my feet, each time slower than the last, only to be pressured to my knees each time. Yet I did not give up. Nor did my spear ever leave my grasp.

I am not sure how many times we have done this, nor am I sure how much time has passed, but my body could no longer move. No matter how much I asked to do so, it didn’t stir, it didn’t twitch, I simply laid there on the training grounds, with cloudy eyes, a broken body and ever firm grip on a random wooden spear.

“Good enough for now. Drink this.”

Placed in front of me, was one of the stamina potions he had me buy. I stared at it for the most part, simply because I still could not move. The Outpost Leader didn’t seem to care one bit, as he just kind of stood there watching me.

It took a couple minutes, but eventually I recovered enough to finally let go of the spear and weakly grab the stamina potion. I brought it to my lips and downed it in one go. It tasted like…nothing. Disappointing.

Anyway, after drinking it, nothing really happened, and I was beginning to feel like I’ve been scammed with a tasteless energy drink. Then before I knew it, I could feel something running through my body. It felt invigorating. Like a shot of electricity was coursing through my blood, traveling to every part of my body slowly forcing all parts of me to wake up.

My muscles began to come to life once more and it wasn’t long after that I was back on my feet once more.

My body still ached all over, but I now felt strong enough to continue this strange training.

“Stamina potions do not heal your wounds. They are a means of temporarily supplying your body with more energy, thus allowing you to push yourself past your limits. They are good tools to aid in training, or in a situation where you cannot afford to run out of energy. But do know they are nothing more than a crutch and not something to rely on. Overuse can and will cause more harm to your body and potential. We will only make use of such potions for the first three days of training. After that I will expect you to train under your own power, with no artificial help. Be prepared.”

I nodded to show that I understood, but what he said definitely caused me to look at the now empty bottle in my hand a little differently. For a second there I was ready to go buy a lot more of these little things due to how effective it felt, but the Outpost Leader’s comments gave me pause. The only thing I need to be relying on in the first place is myself, and the only crutch I need is my spear.

But looking back on it, I suppose the 25 copper was worth it. Although there are drawbacks, the potion was truly effective. I still don’t like the shop though.

“Alright, that is enough time for rest. Let us continue your training. Get in position.”

And that is how my day of repeatedly standing up, only to fall to my knees over and over again went. By the time we were done the sun was setting and the effects of the potion were beginning to wear off rapidly. Thankfully my house was next to the training grounds, so I was able to lug myself over, but I barely made it through the door before I collapsed into a heap. Letting the sweet embrace of sleep welcome me with open arms.