Hearing the instructor's final announcement, Valdis finally understood why everyone had warned him to prepare appropriately for the training regimen.
"Seeing the looks on your faces, it seems you guys don't like the way I structured the training course," the instructor said with a grin on his face.
The majority of the trainees nodded their heads in approval, and for a while, the instructor looked at the trainees without saying a word before finally speaking.
"Unfortunately, I can't alter the training course now, but I can make participating worth your while," he said
The trainees stared at him skeptically, not knowing exactly what he was getting at, but Valdis, who had been watching the drama unfold, suddenly had a bad feeling.
"I'll grant special rewards to those who finish in the top three, and I can assure you that the rewards will be worth it."
His words caught the attention of everyone in the training field. They all knew the instructors were extremely powerful individuals, and even the treasures they considered trash would be extremely valuable to them.
After a moment of silence, most of the trainees nodded, accepting his terms, and seeing this, the instructor smiled and continued speaking.
"Each of those backpacks you're wearing has a special rune inscription which will aid us in this training. As you've already noticed, the backpacks have slightly increased your current weight, but that's just the beginning. Once you set foot on that mountain, the rune in the backpack will immediately connect to the massive array in the mountain, and at that point, each of those backpacks will weigh two hundred and fifty kilograms."
"So, you're trying to tell me that we are going to be carrying something as heavy as that while we complete the trials?" a girl in the crowd asked.
"Yes, but if you think the trial is too cruel, you can leave, but know that once you do that, you will be immediately sent out of the training grounds and will be prohibited from ever returning," the instructor said with a smile on his face.
His words were like a bucket of cold water poured on their heads. They had been so relaxed due to the carefree attitude of the instructor that they forgot that this was the Ebonhart initiate training that people who had graduated from it still dreaded.
It was at that point that it finally dawned on them that there was no way back from here. Here, you either keep pushing forward, or you will be thrown out.
"Wait, but you gave him a backpack which was different from the one you gave the rest of us. Was there a reason for that?" the boy with the purple hair asked
"Well, I said the reason before I gave the bag to him, did you not hear?" the instructor said
Hearing the instructor's question, everyone frowned as they didn't remember what the instructor had said, and seeing this reaction, the instructor said
"Since you all weren't paying attention, I'll say it again. The backpacks I gave you for this exercise will be of no use to him, because putting a two-hundred-and-fifty-kilogram weight on him would be meaningless, as he would barely feel it, so I gave him a different backpack which would suit him."
The boy with the purple hair frowned and turned towards Valdis, looking at him suspiciously.
He had no thought that the instructor favored the unknown boy because he knew that the instructors were under the supervision of the guardians themselves, which meant that even the duke himself could not take action against them directly.
But a question lingered in his head for a while before he asked
"How much weight does it add to him?"
"Six hundred kilograms," the instructor replied
Hearing the amount, the boy and everyone else looked at Valdis with shock, knowing it meant only one thing.
"He's the one you said was at the peak of the body refining realm," another person asked.
The instructor only nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, little one, he's the monster in your midst."
Hearing his verbal confirmation, everyone looked at Valdis in a new light as they wondered how a genius of such caliber would be unknown to the rest of them.
"Since we've got that out of the way, let's begin the trials," the instructor said
Immediately he was done speaking, he snapped his fingers, and all the trainees vanished from the field, reappearing before a giant mountain. Surrounding the mountain was a large forest that stretched a mile in every direction
'Spatial transfer, so he's mastered spatial laws to the point he can instantly transport fifty people over a long distance. That also means he's at the seventh level of the law manifestation realm at the very least, Valdis taught.
"The instructor turned to them with a smile and said, "This will be the site of your physical training for the few years you will be here. I'll always be the one who brings you here, and the only one who can. This is the major reason you should always be on time because if you arrive late, you will be left behind."
After saying that, he paused for a moment before he continued, "And if you are left behind, you will be severely punished as the Ebonharts don't waste time and resources training useless individuals. If you arrive late three times, you will be sent out of the initial training permanently."
His words made everyone swallow hard, as they knew he wasn't joking.
Some of them might have come from prestigious and powerful houses within the Ebonhart duchy or had parents who served as generals or had high positions in the Ebonhart's administrative department, but they knew that all their parents' influence before an initiate instructor was useless, as even the duke himself had little say in their affairs.
This meant that it was impossible to bribe or persuade them. As for threatening them, that was an extremely foolish idea, not because they were backed by the guardians but because their personal strength was extremely frightening.
"Any questions?" the instructor asked, noticing the silence
At that moment, one of the twins then asked, "What will happen if we fail the trial?"
"If you fail this trial, nothing will happen as it's your first, but if you fail the same trial five times, you will be sent out as well. Although the Ebonhart values hard work, you still need to be talented."
"Can someone die during these trials?" a girl with blond hair asked. She was also part of the last five to pick a backpack.
"No, I won't let any of you die during these trials or any others you might face, but that doesn't mean I'll save you when you're in danger. My job is to make sure you are alive at the end of each session, as for your physical state, that's none of my concern," the instructor said
His words made some of them sigh in relief, and some frown as they knew even if they were beaten half dead, as long as they had breath and weren't in life-threatening danger, he wouldn't save them.
"Now, we are done with the questions. Let me explain how the trials will go," the instructor said
Hearing this, everyone calmed down and listened.
"You will all be transported to different parts of the forest, from where you will all make your way to the mountain at the center. While in the forest, your bodies will weigh half of what they are supposed to, and you will pull that weight around as you move through the forest till you get to the mountain, which you will have to ascend till you reach the peak," he said
After speaking, he turned and looked at each one of them, his gaze lingering on Valdis for a while before saying, "Since we are done, I'll send you into the forest."
As soon as he was done speaking, he raised his right hand, but as he was about to snap his fingers, he paused and said
"I almost forgot, you all have to complete this trial before noon."
Everyone's eyes widened in shock, but as they were about to voice their opinions, he snapped his fingers, and everyone vanished, instantly transported into the forest.
The instructor stood alone in silence, looking at the forest in the distance, but that peace lasted for a moment before he took a deep breath and said, "How long do you plan on hiding?"
After he spoke, no one replied to him, and the field was quiet for a while as though he had just spoken to the wind.
The instructor didn't disturb, but after a while he sighed and turned his head in a particular direction without saying a word and without warning something shot towards that specific direction with extreme speed, but before it reach the spot he was staring at a fair hand suddenly appeared and erected a blue barrier which the object collided with mid flight raising a cloud of dust.
After that soft laughter rang out from behind the barrier, "Alaric, you barbarian, that's no way to treat a lady. The duchess was right, the Ebonhart men are all brutes."
The instructor, whose name appeared to be Alaric, looked undisturbed by her words and just continued to stare at the dust cloud, which had started to recede with a deadpan expression.
And soon it was gone, revealing a beautiful woman with red hair wearing a pristine white gown. She had a smile on her face as she stared at Alaric, but after a while, she sighed.
"You're no fun, Alaric. Work on it, or you will leave this world alone," she said
"Even if that's true, I don't think it should be you giving me that advice, Merissa, as you are in the situation I am."
Merissa smiled and said nothing as she walked towards him and asked
"Did you discover anything about the newest member of the Ebonhart House?" she asked
Alaric turned to her and replied, "He's a complete monster, a monster greater than his brother, and just like his siblings has a calm and calculating mind unlike that of a regular Ebonhart."
Merissa's eyes widened in shock, hearing this, as she couldn't believe her ears. If it hadn't been Alaric telling her all this, she would have immediately thought it was a lie.
She had seen and trained Malrik, and just like Alaric, she knew what sort of monster that boy was, but saying that his younger brother wasn't just equal but better than him shocked her greatly.
After taking a deep breath, she said, "It seems this batch is going to be interesting. It's been far too long since we got someone from the main house," she said with a smile