"Hey, Henning… tomorrow the Earth is going to expand. Shouldn't they at least give us one day of rest?" Mya groaned as she leaned against the rough bark of a tree, her entire body trembling from exhaustion. Sweat soaked her training clothes, and her fingers still twitched from drawing the bowstring thousands of times throughout the day. Ever since joining the Crimson Sun Guild, she had discovered that the romantic fantasy she once imagined about ancient clans and legendary archers had been nothing more than a childish illusion. The reality was pain, exhaustion, bruises, and waking up before sunrise every single day. Right now she did not even have the energy to complain properly anymore. She simply wanted to collapse into her hammock and sleep for three days straight.
"I agree," Henning muttered from the ground beside her. He was sprawled out on the grass in full ranger gear, staring lifelessly at the evening sky as though his soul had already left his body. "If I knew the training would be this insane, I never would've signed up." The thick leather armor dug into his shoulders, while the cloak trapped heat like an oven. According to the instructors, they needed to become accustomed to wearing equipment under all conditions because real combat would not wait for them to feel comfortable. Henning personally believed the Sonnebergs simply enjoyed torturing people. That explanation honestly made more sense to him.
"Seriously," Mya said while rubbing her aching arms. "I thought they were just exceptional archers. I didn't expect them to force us to learn an entire lifestyle." During the past two weeks, the recruits had been subjected to brutal endurance training every morning to strengthen muscles and improve body control. According to the Sonnebergs, stats granted by the System and the body itself were two separate things. A weak body with high stats was still weak. Because of that belief, they were forced to run through forests carrying heavy packs, climb hills until their legs shook, and practice movement drills endlessly until every motion became instinctive.
The afternoons were not any easier either. Instead of resting, they were dragged into classrooms where elders lectured them about scouting routes, woodland survival, patrol formations, mapping terrain, and identifying dangerous monsters by environmental signs alone. Mya initially believed ranger training would mostly involve shooting arrows dramatically through the air. Instead, she now spent half her time memorizing animal tracks and learning how wind direction affected scent detection. By the evening they practiced archery until their fingers bled, and only after that were they allowed to sleep. Even then, "sleep" meant climbing into hammocks stretched between trees because the guild had refused to build proper accommodations.
The first night had nearly caused a rebellion among the recruits. People shouted about human rights, basic comfort, and unacceptable living standards. The Sonnebergs had calmly listened before informing everyone that construction materials and manpower were currently more valuable elsewhere. If they disliked the hammocks, they were free to sleep on the ground. After hearing that, most people shut up immediately. Exhaustion did the rest. Now the recruits collapsed into their hammocks every night without enough energy left to complain.
"But why are they suddenly obsessed with hiding and camouflage training?" Henning asked tiredly. "It's not like we're anywhere near competent enough to scout monsters." He rolled onto his side and looked at Mya with dull eyes. "I can barely hit a target five meters away." That statement was unfortunately true. The Sonnebergs had completely rejected the System-assisted archery style most people naturally developed. According to them, the System's guidance created predictable archers suited for sports and competitions, not warfare. They forced the recruits to relearn everything from scratch, including how to stand, breathe, draw, and release.
Mya groaned loudly. "I swear they're doing this just to crush our confidence. We can't even master the basics, and now they're throwing survival tests at us." She suddenly sat upright with an angry expression. "And this is all because of that idiot Lukas." Murderous intent practically radiated from her voice. Hearing his name instantly made Henning sigh in defeat.
"Yeah," he muttered. "I talked with one of the younger instructors. Apparently if Lukas had kept his mouth shut and stopped insulting the teachers, we would've started with easier training first." Henning rubbed his face in frustration. "Instead, they decided to 'adjust our education standards.'"
Mya's eye twitched violently. "I'm going to kill him."
To understand why the recruits hated Lukas Richmond so much, one had to return to the very first day of training. That evening all the successful candidates gathered on the massive archery field behind the villa after signing their confidentiality agreements. The atmosphere had been filled with excitement back then. Everyone imagined themselves becoming legendary rangers or elite warriors. None of them understood the nightmare waiting ahead.
Karl Sonneberg stood before the crowd with his hands behind his back while the evening wind rustled his cloak. "Good," he said calmly. "I'm glad to see you all healthy and motivated. Now we need to discuss your future roles within the guild." His voice was warm, almost grandfatherly, which immediately relaxed the crowd. "As many of you already know, not everyone here has received the same contract."
The peaceful atmosphere exploded instantly.
"What do you mean not everyone?!"
"That's unfair!"
"Why were some people chosen over others?"
Karl patiently waited for the uproar to die down before continuing. "The loyalty contracts cost one hundred points each. They are extremely expensive. At the moment, we only possess two thousand of them, so naturally we prioritized the candidates with the greatest potential." Though his tone remained gentle, his words caused obvious dissatisfaction among the recruits. Many people looked at the chosen candidates with jealousy.
"Don't worry," Karl added calmly. "Everyone present will eventually earn the opportunity to sign one." So until then, you will have different training schedules. Please place people with loyalty contracts on the left side and people without on the right side, so we can explain everything in one go, without confusion, said Karl.
Afterward Rik Sonneberg stepped forward to explain the training schedule. The moment he described waking up at four in the morning and training until late evening, complaints immediately spread through the crowd. Most recruits came from modern backgrounds where convenience and comfort dominated everyday life. The idea of medieval-style discipline sounded ridiculous to them.
Then Lukas Richmond opened his mouth.
"Oh please," he scoffed loudly. "How hard can archery possibly be? Why should we wake up before sunrise for something this simple?"
The entire field became quiet.
Rik slowly smiled, though there was absolutely no warmth in it. "And who might you be?"
"I'm Lukas Richmond," the young man declared arrogantly. "I hunted deer in America with a bow. I mastered it in days. You people are acting like this is some divine art."
Many recruits nodded in agreement. After all, modern compound bows and System assistance allowed ordinary people to become decent hunters fairly quickly. To them, the Sonnebergs seemed overly dramatic.
Even Mya remembered feeling uncertain at the time.
Only later did she realize Henning had gone pale the moment Lukas started speaking.
"Interesting," Rik said pleasantly. "So you believe our training is unnecessary?"
"Completely," Lukas replied with a smug grin. "Honestly, if you're still practicing at your age, maybe you're just not talented."
For a brief second, absolute silence covered the field.
Then Rik started laughing.
"Wonderful," he said with genuine joy shining in his eyes. "I'm truly happy to hear everyone's honest opinions." He slowly looked across the recruits who had agreed with Lukas earlier. "I have a proposal for you. Do you want to hear it, to which Henning nearly fainted when he saw the smile on Rik's face.