155. SKY Physical Test (2)
Throughout the journey.
Rachel could not contain her amazement.
'HunGyo.'
At just how absurdly that E-rank summon was conducting the training....
And on top of that—
"Do you follow that training every single day too?"
She was also astonished by Baek Jinwoo.
Having already finished one round of physical training, he was now doing handstand push-ups balanced on a single thumb.
He even looked relaxed while doing it.
'Is that even a movement a human being can do?'
He said it was for building core muscles....
But considering human muscle structure and weight distribution, balancing the entire body on a single thumb made no sense.
'Even ergonomically, it doesn't!'
A thumb was never designed to support that much weight in the first place.
If that was possible, then...
He had transcended humanity!
It meant he was already no longer human and had surpassed those limits.
And do you know what was even more shocking?
—Uheooooong!
—Krrralalalalala...
—…..!
White Tiger, Yellow Dragon, and even the Archmage were all following HunGyo with satisfied expressions.
Those proud S-rank summons, no less.
"How is something like this even possible?"
Rachel asked, sounding utterly unable to believe it.
"You should consider yourself lucky. HunGyo doesn't normally teach just anyone...but since you're an ally, you're getting special treatment."
Originally, this was a benefit given only to guild members....
In truth, Baek Jinwoo owed her one.
Back during the league, she had accepted that absurd one-on-one duel proposal on the condition of an alliance.
To answer trust with trust!
That was Baek Jinwoo's creed.
"Now that your body's more or less recovered, it's about time you started too."
"...Me too? That insane training?"
"Yeah, the physical training and the breathing technique too. HunGyo will teach you the method that suits you best."
"..."
She fell silent for a moment.
Now she felt like she finally understood.
Why South Korea's rankers had risen from a low level to world-class in an instant.
'So it was all thanks to HunGyo.'
At the same time, she instinctively realized that an opportunity had come to her as well.
Maybe not to the level of God Ji-nu, but it was the perfect chance to widen the gap even further between herself and the current Five Emperors!
"Okay."
She had already made up her mind to do whatever Baek Jinwoo told her to do.
To break that resolve already, when she had done nothing yet, was unthinkable.
"Let's do it together."
They had now crossed the mountain range.
After crossing one river and going a little farther, they would arrive at Lumentia, the Holy Kingdom.
Since there was no knowing what might happen then, Rachel intended to build up as much strength as possible too.
* * *
"Huff, huff!"
In the end, one of the participants collapsed onto the ground in utter exhaustion.
His face had gone pale, and his whole body was drenched in sweat.
He was so worn out that even saliva trailed from his mouth.
"I quit! I quit! I can't do this anymore! Haa, hack!"
He cried desperately.
'I can't do this anymore!'
His chest was pounding so hard it felt ready to burst, and his legs were so numb they would not move.
It made him wonder how the others were still enduring it.
Extreme fatigue had piled up throughout his entire body. Every breath felt like his lungs were being torn apart.
"Haaak, hak!"
At that moment, Gi Jaehyuk and Kang Jihoe quickly ran over.
"You did great. You really did great!"
"Here, let me bring you some cold water!"
A stainless tumbler filled to the brim with icy water was brought over, looking refreshingly cool.
The participant gulped it down as if possessed.
'Ah, ahh...I want....'
'I want to drink too.'
The interns still running swallowed hard as they watched the scene.
Was that what water from an oasis discovered in the desert looked like?
Or was that what a soul rescued from hell looked like?
'I want to be saved too…'
'I want to escape this pain!'
Gi Jaehyuk further coaxed and tempted the participants with those feelings.
"Honestly, quitting now might be the better choice. It's only day one out of the week. Running is the most basic of basics. It'll get even more painful later, you know?"
"That's right, that's right! You've worked hard! Practice a bit more, then try again in the third class!"
At the two rankers' comforting words, the participant lowered his head as if frustrated.
But no tears came.
Instead, relief began to well up inside him.
'This is just the basics? It gets even harder later?'
Yeah.
Maybe it would be better to quit now.
Third class?
Yeah, right!
The national team was for people who actually deserved it!
The participant, who had immediately admitted his own limits, nodded his head.
"Haaak, hak. Y-yes... Hoo, hooee!"
* * *
The first physical training session.
Twenty people were eliminated that day alone.
The number remaining was 80.
"Still, that's impressive, isn't it? They ran for five hours straight without rest, and they endured it."
"Well, we handpicked them carefully, so of course. They probably prepared a lot for stamina too."
The judging committee meeting room.
The guild members talked about this class of applicants.
Everyone looked to be in decent condition.
Especially—
"That woman, Seo Yiyoon or whatever her name was.... She came in first, right?"
"Yes, I heard she majored in ballet at Korea University... her stamina is incredible."
Age: 28.
Hong Ari had already marked her down as a key figure.
Since her movements were precise and delicate, it would be good if her control matched that as well....
That was something to watch more in the future.
"Everyone, great work today."
Clap!
Hong Ari brought the meeting to a short close with a single clap.
"As you all know, tomorrow's physical training will be even more intense than the first day. We need to compress them further."
"What was tomorrow again? Hill running?"
Hwang Juwon said as he rolled his shoulders as though his body felt stiff.
Come to think of it, even he, a man in his fifties, had run without sweating a single drop.
That was how much the guild members' level had risen.
Of course, that was thanks to the breathing technique, but they would only be able to learn that once they truly joined the guild.
"Yes, it's the Geomdansan hill run."
They would be running up and down a mountain with a 30-degree incline for four full hours.
On top of that, obstacles had been set up all over the slope.
"We'll be running with them too, so make sure you all get plenty of sleep."
* * *
SKY spared no expense in giving the remaining 80 applicants the best treatment.
Top-grade medical staff and healers restored their muscles, and a premium massage service was added to loosen their stiffened muscles.
The meals were flawless as well.
"Wow, if you join SKY, do you get to eat food like this every day?"
"...At this level, it could seriously aim for three Michelin stars."
"Ahh, it just melts in your mouth."
A full table of delicacies from mountain and sea, rich in nutrients, was laid out before them.
Recovery of vitality!
Through a collaboration between Grotelling (A-rank) and the chefs, fresh seafood, meat, and all kinds of nourishing dishes were provided.
Their lodging was the same.
They were provided with the finest premium apartments inside Yoobaek City, so that said it all.
"There's a reason SKY can't help but become elite."
"It feels like all the hardship from earlier is being rewarded."
"I'm glad I didn't give up."
The participants relieved the fatigue of the journey while preparing for the second round of physical training the next day.
They felt both anticipation and tension.
Today had already felt like they were going to die, so how hard would tomorrow be?
Still, they could not complain.
After all, every guild member was enduring that ordeal under conditions even harsher than theirs.
Just by getting in, they could become stronger!
Rather, the participants became certain of that.
* * *
The next day.
The sun rose.
"This mission is hill ascents and descents. Same as yesterday. If you want to give up, you may do so at any time."
Along with Hong Ari's voice!
Bang!
The starting pistol rang out.
"Ajajajajaja!"
"Let's gooooo!"
With battle cries, the participants charged up the hill.
And the guild members?
It was the same for them today as well.
Two tires each attached!
That day, another 5 people were eliminated.
Third day.
The physical training kept growing more intense.
This time it was circuit training!
It was a training method that strengthened not only stamina but full-body muscular power as well, and it almost resembled a merciless military drill.
Squats, burpees, push-ups, planks, and more.
Under Hong Ari's commands, they had to perform each posture exactly right...
If they failed, they were hounded until they shouted that they quit.
That day, 10 more people were eliminated.
Fourth day.
The remaining 65 players ran the track again.
But there was one difference.
They too had two tires attached!
Naturally, the guild members not only had tires, but also 20-kilogram sandbags strapped to both legs.
'Is this even possible?'
'No, they should at least be giving the muscles time to grow....'
More and more participants began to feel dissatisfied, but what choice did they have?
If they were told to do it, they had to do it!
Still.
It seemed only the real elites remained now.
That day, only 1 person was eliminated.
To be honest, this was the point where the feeling of not wanting to give up after coming this far took strong hold.
Fifth day.
It was hill climbing again, but this time they had tires attached like on the fourth day.
Strengthening lower-body muscles and building endurance under continuous physical exhaustion!
Of course, cardiopulmonary endurance was also required.
The participants were gradually becoming afraid.
That was because they had grown quite close to the guild members while training with them....
And because the guild members always said the same thing.
"You're starting to get the hang of it, right? But for us, this is basically just playing around."
"The real devil in this training ground is someone else. Once you join, you'll face that terrifying being every single day."
".....HunGyo. Ugh, just thinking about it already makes my whole body ache. Did you see that? I only thought about it just now and my hair's already standing on end."
"Haha, you can't even whine in front of HunGyo. It's like a ghost that can tell at a glance exactly how much stamina you have left and how much more you can do."
HunGyo.
Its infamy seemed to be considerable.
'My god.'
'So HunGyo was that kind of existence?'
'.....It's Baek Jinwoo's summon.'
But it did not really hit home yet.
Because they had not experienced it themselves.
That day, for the first time, there were no eliminations.
Sixth day.
The time for the final physical training had come.
Today's training was a comprehensive extreme course.
Running, hill climbing, circuit training!
The three of them continued endlessly, and it truly felt like there was no end.
"It will continue until eliminations occur. Only 50 people! Only 50 may proceed to the next stage."
Hong Ari declared coldly.
Her words signaled the start of true competition.
The intensity rose more and more brutally, and the hellish time continued.
In the end, before even 5 hours had passed, 14 people were eliminated.
Those 14 had no choice but to lower their heads and taste the bitterness of elimination, while the remaining 50, relieved, finally reached the end of the physical training.
"Huff, huff!"
None of them, collapsed and gasping for breath, could believe their own achievement.
'I survived.'
'It was a nightmare...'
'Not even North Korean special agents would've had it this rough.'
Their bodies were exhausted, but joy and a sense of accomplishment drenched their entire beings.
Then Hong Ari stepped before them.
A faint smile appeared on her usually stern face.
"Congratulations. You have passed the first gate."
But unlike her smile, her next words were cold and sharp.
"But this is only the beginning. During the remaining three weeks, you will undergo even more tests and extreme training. Tomorrow, you will be given a full day of rest, so rest freely and think carefully. Whether this road is truly the one you want to walk."
It was a kind of warning.
SKY was a group that aimed to go beyond being national representatives and become the best in the world.
Getting in there was never easy.
Talent was necessary, and so was the effort to match it.
The will and tenacity to endure all of it were necessary as well.
Yet her warning did not make them want to give up. Instead, it lit a fire in the participants' hearts.
'No matter what...'
'I'll get in here even if it kills me.'
'I've come this far, so I'm going to make it no matter what!'
However, there were still 50 people left.
The gates of SKY were still incredibly, impossibly narrow.