Dawn broke like a whisper across Elaris. A low fog blanketed the forest, quiet and cold. Kai was still asleep, curled beside the fire.
Then came the kick.
"Wake up, Spell-less!"
Kai jolted upward like he'd been struck by lightning. "Huh?! What time is it?"
Sir 8 stood over him, shirtless, barefoot, and already sweating. His body, lean and coiled like a jungle cat, shimmered with dew.
"It's now o'clock, my favorite time," he said, stretching his arms behind his back. "You've rested enough. Time to train like a real animal."
The Trial Begins
Sir 8 led Kai to an open field surrounded by jagged rocks and crooked trees. A lone boulder sat in the middle, cracked and heavy.
"First rule of power," Sir 8 began, pacing like a commander. "Stamina is king. You can punch like a god, but if you're wheezing after three swings? You're meat."
He jabbed his stick into the ground.
"Second rule—explosiveness. Not speed. Not strength. Explosiveness. Real fighters are like bombs. Calm one moment, eruption the next. That's how you destroy a man before he even realizes he's in a fight."
Kai stretched his legs, then rotated his shoulders.
"So… we're doing punches or…?"
"No," Sir 8 said. "We're doing the Great 6. The same workout I used when I was your age. It'll break your soul into puzzle pieces."
Kai cracked his knuckles. "Let's go."
The Great 6:
One Mile Sprint. Uphill. Barefoot.—Sir 8 shouted, "This teaches your feet to talk to the earth."
Push-ups with Boulders on Your Back.—Sir 8 piled small rocks on Kai's spine. "Stability is king. You don't just lift—you lock."
Tree Trunk Twists.—Kai spun with a thick log in his hands. "Core power = punch power," Sir 8 said, tapping his own obliques. "This is how you throw someone across a battlefield."
Explosive Jumps onto Broken Logs.—Sir 8 made him leap from uneven stumps. "Your knees are your springs. Every jump is a war drum."
Strike Chains – 100 Reps, Each Side.—Kai practiced left-right elbow–knee–staff strike patterns in fluid combos. "You don't memorize forms. You become them."
Stillness.—"Hold this stance for 10 minutes. Legs bent. Arms extended. Back straight." Sir 8's tone turned razor-sharp. "Stillness builds your fire. You shake? That's the weakness boiling off."
Four Days Later…
Kai was a monster. His lungs expanded like bellows. His legs moved like thunder. His abs looked carved. He could sprint, roll, vault, flip, and hit like a spring-loaded predator. And the best part?
He loved it.
Sir 8 leaned against a tree, chewing a reed. "Hate to say it… but you're a stud, Spell-less."
Kai grinned through a soaked shirt. "I told you, I was built for this."
"No," Sir 8 replied calmly. "You built yourself for this. You're turning your body into a weapon. That's the first step. The real ones master form before they master magic."
Kai sat in the grass, panting. "You talk like you used to be someone."
Sir 8's eyes sharpened. "I was someone they feared. Someone they couldn't outrun."
He crouched in front of Kai.
"You wanna know why stamina matters?"Kai nodded.
Sir 8 pointed to his heart. "Because the body is a coward. It always wants to stop. But if your heart leads, you can make it obey. And once you can fight while exhausted, you become lethal. Because that's when most people break."
Kai sat quietly, letting it sink in.
Final Scene: Midnight Walk
That night, Kai stood on a high ridge overlooking the valley, shirt off, breath fogging the cold air. He shadowboxed, imagining enemies, beasts, even himself.
Sir 8 stood behind him silently, arms folded.
"You don't have K.I.," he said softly. "But you've got something better right now."
"What?"
"A body that listens. A mind that adapts. And a hunger."
Kai lowered his arms, chest heaving.
"I want to be strong. But not just to fight."
Sir 8 raised a brow.
"I want to matter," Kai said. "To protect people. To change things."
Sir 8 stared at him for a long moment. Then, for once, he nodded without sarcasm.
"Then you're already further than most."
4o