Leon quickly changed his clothes and dashed out of the hotel, knowing Alfred was already waiting for him. He had a Muay Thai training session scheduled for the evening.
For this session, Leon had purposely booked a flexible slot, as his unpredictable schedule often revolved around the time he spent immersed in his virtual game world. Even though this arrangement cost him more, it was well worth it, as it allowed him to maintain his diverse training routines without any constraints.
Arriving promptly at the Martial Arts Center, Leon met up with his Muay Thai trainer, who greeted him with a broad smile.
“Are you ready, Leon? Hahaha… I heard you just logged out of the game, huh? Saw you on TV earlier,” the trainer remarked.
Leon simply grinned in response. “I’ve only got two hours for this, sir. I hope I can make the most of it.”
“Hahaha, two hours is plenty for a session like this, Leon. You might just pass out after that long, but let’s see your fierce determination, Leon. Hahaha,” the trainer said enthusiastically. Without wasting any time, Leon removed his t-shirt, pulled on his training shorts, and strapped on his boxing gloves. He began with a warm-up, running on the treadmill at an increasingly faster pace. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could feel the cells in his body jolting awake after being dormant for hours inside the capsule device.
“Let’s go, Leon… push harder, push harder!” The trainer encouraged him.
Leon quickened his pace, feeling the sweat begin to seep through his body.
He continued his workout by targeting his core strength, performing sit-ups repeatedly while the trainer’s fists pounded against his abdomen. “Hold it, Leon, hold it.”
This was an incredibly grueling exercise, yet he forced himself to endure. Despite feeling as if his body might break from the strain, Leon pushed through, determined to get accustomed to the rigorous routine.
The training session pressed on with a round of skipping rope. Leon truly pushed himself to his limits, driven by his resolve. The trainer watched him with a grin, impressed by Leon’s relentless effort.
“You sure are pushing yourself hard, huh… I want to see just how far you can go, Leon!” the trainer said, his voice filled with a stern challenge.
“I’ll survive and fight!” Leon responded.
“Hahaha, I love that spirit,” the trainer replied, clearly enjoying Leon’s grit.
The session continued, transitioning to punching and kicking drills. The trainer wore protective gear and held kick pads, while Leon launched a relentless series of punches and kicks with intense vigor.
He could feel his body urging him to stop, almost as if it were trying to shut down from the exertion. But Leon knew he had to push past his limits. He couldn’t see any other way to grow stronger than to push himself through such taxing routines.
“Come on Leon, push it, push it! I know you can!” The trainer’s words spurred him on.
Leon had committed to spending two hours training, but time seemed to stretch endlessly, each second dragging by with the intensity of the program. He felt his vision start to blur with exhaustion.
“I won’t let you give up, Leon… push harder! Push harder, Leon!” the trainer urged.
Leon continued kicking and punching, his effort punctuated by grunts and shouts with every strike.
“Where’s the strength, Leon? Hit harder, hit harder, kick harder!” the trainer commanded firmly.
With each punch, Leon felt his body teeter on the brink of collapse. One last kick sent him sprawling backward from his own force. He lay on the floor, gasping for breath, his body seemingly unable to rise again.
The trainer stood over him with a grin. “Leon?” he called, extending a hand.
Leon grasped his trainer’s hand and pulled himself back to his feet. Despite the dizziness and the sweat pouring off him, he forced a smile onto his face.
“Leon?”
“I’m not going to stop until I pass out, sir,” Leon replied with a defiant grin.
“Hahaha… don’t just talk big, Leon! Show it to me!” The trainer challenged, and the session continued.
Ultimately, Leon couldn’t complete his two-hour goal, collapsing twenty minutes short. He lay sprawled on the floor, while the trainer laughed and sat beside him.
“Nice effort, Leon… take your break. This is just the beginning; you still have plenty of time.”
Leon sat up, still weak and breathless. “Thanks, sir.”
The trainer gestured towards the entrance. “Your girlfriend is waiting for you.”
Leon turned and saw Freya waving at him.
“Hey, Mr. Fighter, I’ve come to pick you up,” she said, giggling.
The trainer grinned and patted Leon on the shoulder. “Go on, talk to her. We’ll meet again next time.”
With the trainer’s help, Leon managed to stand. A few minutes later, he left the training center, utterly exhausted but filled with a sense of accomplishment.
In the car, Leon sat slouched, teetering on the edge of consciousness from the exhaustion coursing through his body. He found a strange comfort in the soothing music and the sound of Freya’s laughter mocking his hard work.
“What drives you to push yourself so hard, you training maniac? Look at you-do you think you can just bounce back with a quick recovery drink?” she teased.
“I want to do more… achieve more…” he murmured softly.
“Take it easy, Mr. Gentleman,” she said. “You still have to log back into the game after this. Are you sure you’re not going to drop dead on me?”
Leon opened his eyes, took a sip of water from his bottle, and smiled again. Despite his exhaustion, his blood was pumping, and a warm sensation spread through his body thanks to the intense workout. He was fatigued but found a certain joy in the feeling.
“Just a little more time and I’ll complete the hammer. Freya, I’m confident it will be of the
highest possible grade,” he said, his voice filled with excitement.
Freya smiled and sped up the car slightly. “You better treat me to dinner tomorrow for picking
you up from the training center.”
“You could just say you want a dinner date with me, no need for excuses.”
“Shut up, or I’ll punch you, and you won’t be able to fight back!” she said firmly, then burst
into giggles.
***
Nearly fifty hours had passed, and several blacksmiths had already completed their masterpieces, striving to secure the top five ranking positions. The temporary champions waited anxiously, their breaths held in anticipation of the remaining participants’
completions.
Everyone else watched with impatience, their eyes glued to the slowly ticking clock, knowing
there was still one person yet to finish his craft.
“Ah, Broken? Again?”
“Why does he always cause such a commotion?”
“I think the competition’s over already. We can declare the winner of the first round and stop waiting for one person to finish their project,” another suggested.
“I agree,” snorted another smith. “There’s no point in waiting around when we already know who the victor is. This is a complete waste of our time and energy. I’m exhausted and just want to go home, take a break, and get some rest.”
“Yes,” several others chimed in. “We are the top five blacksmiths in this competition. It’s impossible for anyone to surpass us now.”
As the group grumbled and voiced their grievances, they were reminded that they still had to wait at least two more hours until the official time limit expired or until Broken finished his
crafting.
Elincia’s face was etched with worry as she turned to Maylock. “He will finish his item crafting
on time, won’t he?”
Maylock sighed deeply, crossing his arms. “If I were in his position,” he said, shaking his
head, “I might have given up already. This is beyond anything I predicted; the risk he’s taking is too high. Who knows what will happen, though?”
Goldrich shrugged his shoulders. “This is Broken we’re talking about,” he said confidently. “I think he’ll be able to achieve something that will shock us all.”
Skywarden scoffed. “You must be dreaming, Goldrich!” he spat, shaking his head. “He’ll
surely fail this time.”
“Even if he does fail,” Jovina added, “I still admire him for having the courage to take on such
a challenge. Crafting an item as complex as this within such a limited time? He’s amazing!
Hahaha.”
Ivana and Freya exchanged nervous glances from where they sat, both silently hoping for the best outcome that day.