We all went into the large cabin. The first floor was almost exclusively reserved for a cafeteria. Something I wouldn't be using much.

The second floor was surprisingly open. It had a middle common area, and close by was a nurse's office, which I guess is where Octavia is staying.

After exploring the grounds of our new home for the week, me and the other trainees went to our rooms. They looked to be separate rooms with 2 beds in each.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned to see who it was, I saw Casimir standing there.

"Hey Gen! Wanna be roommates?" He asked me, I didn't know anyone else and he seemed like a nice enough guy, so I agreed.

"Sure, I was just about to head in for the night." I told him. He nodded and followed me to our room.

We just choose the first empty room we come across. The beds are on opposite sides of the room from each other, with a small desk at the foot of each bed.

We turned off the light and went to sleep, or, Casimir did. I just laid in bed, pondering about what my life in this place had been like so far.

Not amazing... It feels like I'm getting beat up every other day. But I've met some interesting people I would've never had the chance to, had I stuck with my normal life.

I also can't tell if the training I've been doing for the past few days has been helping. I still feel the same, if just a little better at martial arts.

But, if anything would help me get my mana under control, it'd be this place.

When the sun rose, Its light shone right into our eyes, signaling me and Casimir to get out of bed. As we did, a signal was sounding outside, wondering what it was, we went out to see

Everyone else had done the same, so we were all outside looking for the source of the siren. Then we saw the captain, standing on top of a small stage, looking down over us. After a while, the crowd quieted down, and she began to speak.

"Alright everyone! Today we will be doing a baseline fitness assessment! First up is pushups, so everyone on the ground! I will yell out when to go up and down! When you are unable to continue on-time, you are out! It is your responsibility to keep count of how many you've done!" She yelled out, afterwards, everyone, me included, got onto the ground and into a pushup postition.

"Up! Down! Up! Down!" The captain began yelling out the commands. After ten, people began to drop out.

Nearing twenty-five, there was only ten of us left. People were starting to struggle, but I felt like I could keep going as long as I needed.

Thirty-seven, only four of us left.

Fifty-four, it was down to me and Casimir. I could tell he was stronger than most other demons, but this is pretty impressive.

I could hear others beginning to talk about us, I wonder if I should just give up, it might be troublesome if too much attention is drawn to me...

"Gen!" I could hear the captain yell out. I stop and look up.

"T- That'll be enough for now. Good Job." She said.

When I looked around, I could see everyone staring at me, a mix of shock and amazement on their faces.

"Dude, how did you do that? It didn't even look like you were struggling..." Casimir asked me.

"Wait what? I must've zoned out... How many did I do?" I asked, thinking I got lost in thought.

"Really? Dude... You did one hundred and thirteen... I stopped around seventy." He informed me.

Crap... I was so caught up in my thoughts of trying not to stick out, I just got in a flow state and kept going...

"I didn't realize, sorry..." I told him.

"Don't apologize to me, just know people are gonna be watching you now." Casimir warned me.

I really didn't know I could do that many... But, I guess I haven't tried conventional muscle training since I got that mana... I didn't realize it made this big of a difference. Before I could say anything else, the captain began to speak again.

"Next up is sit-ups! Get with someone to hold your feet down, this is your own pace, but you need to do as many as possible in two minutes, when your two minutes are up, you'll switch with your partner, understood?!" She told us, it was a given I'd partner with Casimir. We just gave each other a glance and nodded.

Since I had already gone overboard with the pushups, there wasn't much of a reason to not see what my max was in the sit-ups either.

"Begin!" The captain yelled out.

Casimir went first, he was really fast. He didn't slow down even when time was almost up.

"What was my score?" He asked.

"You did eighty-two." I told him. He had a proud look on his face, which was well earned.

"Switch, and... Begin!" The captain yelled out again.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

I began to do sit-ups as fast as I could.

I hadn't realized until now and the pushups but, my body feels really light... I'm barely straining to sit up, even after a minute has passed.

Though, I still need to breathe, so I'm rapidly panting throughout the process, even if I don't get tired.

"Time!" The captain yelled.

"How many?" I ask Casimir, still breathing heavily.

"I don't know how but, you did one hundred and forty." He told me, with disbelief in his voice.

I guess the muscle memory from those years of working out was still with me...

"Finally, we will be doing a running test! You will be running around the entire perimeter of the training grounds twice! Your time will be recorded and set as you finish the second lap! Ready, Begin!" The captain explained the rules and started the final test.

The training grounds were big, but not an impossible size to run in a fast time.

As we began to race, I immediately could tell I wouldn't win. The elves among the trainees were much faster than anyone else.

But, among the everyone else, me and Casimir were the fastest by far. Casimir is actually just as fast as me.

I pushed as hard as I could, yet I could constantly see him right next to me.

The elves were finished by the time we finished our first lap, but even so far into the race, Casimir and I were still neck and neck.

I was actually starting to feel my breath run short as the final lap was nearing its end.

Right when we were about to finish the race, Casimir managed to push out ahead of me, just enough to get the fastest time among the non-elf trainees.

When we passed the finish line, we both collapsed to the ground and began to breathe heavily.

"*huff* *huff* Wasn't... Sure if... I'd win..." Casimir said weakly.

" Don't... *huff* Don't think it'll happen again..." I said, smirking at him.

I got up first, then helped him up. After the rest of the trainees finished racing. The captain began to speak again.

"The baseline fitness assessment has concluded! Some of you did decent, most of you did horribly! I don't care whichever category you fall under, I expect significant improvements from all of you by the time we leave here!" She went on to explain what we're doing next.

"The rest of today and tomorrow will be monitored strength training! I want all of you to show your gratitude towards our resident blacksmith, Grav! He supplied us with uniform metal weights to use!" The captain told us. I guess that's why Grav was asked to come.

After the captain finished her speech, we all began our strength training. I opted to stick to body weight exercises.

By only using my body to workout and having to balance it, I'm able to better understand the mechanics behind the combat techniques I've been learning. I think Casimir picked up on this, as he began to do body weight exercises too.

We all continued to train until nightfall, where we were corralled back into our rooms.

Despite all the exercising I did today, I didn't feel the slightest bit sore, or tired.

It was already near midnight... I could probably sneak out to train more if I'm quiet...

I carefully got out of bed and left my room, Casimir was already out cold.

When I got to the common area, I tried my best to not make any noise as I went down the stairs. But as I went down the first step, it made a creaking noise, this made Octavia, who was in the nurse's office near the stairs look out and see me.

We stared at each other, but before I could say anything, she just smiled and went back inside her office. Using the chance, I hurried down the stairs and out of the building.

For the next seven or eight hours, I was free to train how I pleased. I hadn't actually thought this far though...

I then heard the distant splashing of water. When I went to investigate, I was surprised by a large forest pond, with a waterfall pouring into it. When I touched the water, I was surprised.

It was freezing cold, I honestly didn't know how it wasn't ice yet. I didn't question it for long before an idea struck me.

If I stayed in the water long enough, It'd force my mana to heal my hypothermia.

…Or it wouldn't and I'd freeze to death...

Well, fortune favors the bold...

Steeling my nerves, I undressed and quickly submerged myself in the water. Immediately, I felt the need to exhale and gasp for air. But I managed to calm myself, and eventually the shock left my body.

The cold however, persisted. In fact, it was becoming unbearable, I could feel my muscles stiffen and I began to lose control of my body...

Just as the temperature reached an absolute lowest, and my skin began to turn blue, I felt a warm sensation pulse throughout my body. As soon as it arrived, my skin was back to normal, and I couldn't even feel the cold.

If anything, the water had actually gotten warmer around me...

Not just warmer, it was hot... It was extremely hot...

The water began to boil around me, causing me to feel extreme pain. But again, the mana healed me, cooling me down. But this just caused the water to become freezing again.

The water was reacting to the mana healing me, causing it to copy the characteristics of the primal mana. The rapid switching between freezing and boiling continued...

My body was becoming tempered thanks to the extreme temperatures. I could feel my tolerance to the temperatures slowly increase.

Occasionally I'd come up for air, but the mana also lowered the rate oxygen passed through my blood. Which, while not practical in combat, allowed me to stay submerged for longer while being perfectly still.

Eventually I could see the light from the sun rise above the trees. This was my signal to stop for tonight and join the others for day training.

Today's training was rather boring, but that didn't stop me from making the most of the time. Casimir joined me today too, together we were able to push each other further than if we trained alone.

Once again, night fell upon the training grounds, signaling the end of day two for most, but it was the green light for my personal training. Following my footsteps, I found the waterfall and pond again, but when I stuck my hand in, I was surprised.

It was still cold, but I couldn't feel the crazy temperature from yesterday, and my hand wasn't getting frostbitten either. I guess the training I had done yesterday was more helpful than I realized.

But now I was out of a plan for tonight...

I leaned up against a large tree to think. despite making such a difference in my temperature resistance, I still can't feel my mana at all... I wonder if I'm doing this wrong...

Let's see... I've done body weight training, I fought against multiple people, and I've learned almost all the techniques the captain gave me...

But, now that I think about it... I've never used those techniques on anything. I've only done a shadow boxing type of solo training. When I tried to use them on the captain, she effortlessly dodged all of them.

I wonder If there was something around I could use...

When I thought of this, I stopped leaning and turned around, looking up at the massive tree.

"Huh... That could work..." I say to myself.

"What could work?" I hear from behind me. On guard, I quickly turn to see who it was.

To my surprise, it was Casimir. I guess he had followed me.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask him.

"I could ask you the same thing." He responded. Fair.

"I don't get tired very easily, so I just thought, why not keep training?" I explain to him.

"Oh, well... We start independent training tomorrow, so wouldn't it be better to just be fully rested for that?" He asks.

"I... Yeah, I guess so. Alright let's head back then." I tell him. He nods and begins to walk back, I follow closely behind.

As we're walking I hear something from behind us.

A low... roaring noise... barely audible, but it was there...

I could also tell it was far away, and it sounded similar to rolling thunder, only more... Organic...

"Did you hear that?" I ask Casimir.

"Hear what?" He asks back.

"Never mind... Let's just hurry back." I tell him.

On that strange note, we picked up the pace and went back to the cabin.