Chapter 85

Little Price truly felt the words that Teacher Selu had just spoken. They were not a threat but a plain statement of fact, without any exaggeration. Little Price had never walked such a long distance, let alone run it. Although casting a divine spell every three laps was manageable, the vast distance was almost an impossible task for him.

Most of the young acolytes were like Little Price, having no confidence at all in completing the task. Dwight's provocation further highlighted their concerns, and almost all the young acolyte students looked at each other with unease. Only Tireda and the girl in red remained as usual, showing no fear of this harsh physical training.

Tireda, though he had chosen the acolyte path, showed no worry at all, his expression calm as if he were listening to Teacher Selu attentively. However, a hint of satisfaction appeared at the corner of his mouth, unnoticed by everyone, as he glanced at Jiang Junming with the corner of his eye.

Idria, like Tireda, maintained a calm demeanor, whispering something to the muscular boy beside her, as if they were friends teasing each other. The boy standing beside her just smiled foolishly.

"Petar, can you keep up?" Idria asked.

"Thirty laps should be fine, but casting a divine spell every three laps might be a challenge," the muscular boy, Petar, beside Idria, answered honestly.

Regarding Idria's question, Petar, the muscular boy, responded calmly. He neither showed arrogance because of his good physical condition, nor fear of casting a divine spell every three laps. This boy seemed to have a confidence that surpassed his age, like a large rock, showing no emotional fluctuations no matter what he faced.

Teacher Selu paused for a few seconds, observing the young boys' reactions. Seeing the cavalier expressions of the knight students and some even provoking the acolyte students, he said, "None of you should be smug. I've lived for over seventy years and have been teaching at the Church Academy for more than a decade. I've rarely seen anyone who doesn't end up crying after their first physical training class."

Jiang Junming was surprised by Teacher Selu's words. Teacher Selu looked to be around forty, but his words suggested he was over seventy? Jiang Junming looked at him again, but no matter how he looked, he couldn't see any signs of Teacher Selu being over seventy. Despite some signs of aging, he still looked like a robust middle-aged man. His voice didn't sound old either, lacking any signs of senility.

"Now, everyone, pay attention, start running!" Teacher Selu said loudly, with a tone of enthusiasm. His graying hair moved, like spears and swords, exuding a sense of iron and blood. It was as if he were leading his knights and acolytes into battle, leaving no room for doubt.

"Right now, immediately! Any bastard who doesn't move will get a kick in the ass from me," Teacher Selu said loudly.

Although it was a joke, none of the young boys doubted its truth. The knight students started running with vigor, followed by the acolyte students.

The line of over a hundred young boys running around the square quickly stretched out, with the muscular knight students leading the way and the acolyte students trailing behind. Some of the weaker students were already lagging at the back. After just one lap, several acolyte students were already struggling.

This run was a torture for some of the extremely weak noble boys.

Teacher Selu watched the young students pass by after their first lap with a cold expression. He didn't encourage the energetic knight students, as if he didn't even see them. When the lagging acolyte students, stumbling, reached him, Teacher Selu shouted, "You bunch of good-for-nothings, you can't even last one lap? Run faster, don't think about walking to complete it, I'm watching you! The Church Academy needs acolytes and knights, not useless people who can't even run!"

The few acolyte students at the back involuntarily quickened their pace. The intense exercise had already drained the air from their lungs, making it extremely difficult to catch their breath. Their faces were flushed, and they were using all their strength to breathe. But the tired bodies couldn't quickly absorb the oxygen from the air and deliver it to the necessary organs and muscles. No matter how hard they tried, it seemed futile. After just one lap, these few students were on the verge of collapsing.

"Faster, faster!" Teacher Selu roared, showing no mercy. His deep and stern voice was like a whip, continuously lashing the lagging students.

The knight students, strong like calves, found the first lap almost effortless. Some even had the energy to turn their heads and look at the struggling acolyte students, watching them being scolded by Teacher Selu, and they whispered to each other, then laughed.

Tireda, Idria, and Petar were in the middle of the crowd, running neither fast nor slow. Tireda's expression was relaxed, clearly conserving his strength and not wanting to rush to the front at the beginning. Occasionally, he would glance at Jiang Junming with the corner of his eye, noticing that Jiang Junming was lagging behind, though not exhausted, but not at ease. His thin body didn't seem capable of running thirty laps, and the slight smile on Tireda's lips grew more pronounced.

Idria and Petar ran side by side, Idria's red clothes standing out like a blooming flower in the crowd. Clearly, they, like Tireda, were not using their full strength. Petar didn't rush to the front to compete with the knight students but followed Idria at a steady pace, breathing evenly, in sync with his running rhythm, showing that he was accustomed to such physical training.

Jiang Junming was in the middle to the back of the crowd. After 800 meters, Jiang Junming started to feel something.

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