'How…how long have I been running…'
This fleeting thought had been repeating in Torvyn's mind for a long time now.
As the sun shone harshly upon his figure, he wondered what sins he had committed in his past lives to be subjected to this torture.
He and the other kids had been running for a long time now, and the sun had also risen high above, indicating that it was afternoon.
He swallowed a mouth full of saliva down his parched throat as he looked at the front,
'But still, those guys are just built different'
He thought as he looked at the four kids in front of all who were running. These were none other than the four he had previously mentioned to Sundrin,
'But….'
He turned his head and saw a boy with pitch black hair flowing down his shoulders running along with the four kids,
'Why is he also with them!?'
He screamed in his mind as he looked at Sundrin.
Indeed, ever since the run had begun the four kids were at the front, which was not a surprise to anybody but when Sundrin had overtaken all of them and arrived beside the four, not to mention the kids, even the third elder's eyes twitched a bit in surprise.
Everyone thought that he would soon tire himself out and fall behind, but it had been a long time since the start, and he had yet to slow down even a little; in fact, he had even started overtaking the four,
"That's enough for now, you can stop."
The third elder's voice which had never been more pleasing to the ears of the kids, echoed out as they came to a halt.
They were exhausted, to say the least, even exhaling caused the inside of their throats to feel like they had swallowed a thousand needles, and as their hearts' beating grew rapidly, they flopped down on the ground one by one.
The third elder started walking towards them slowly as he checked on each of the kids' expressions.
For the most part, almost all of them were lying down on the ground covered in sweat and breathing heavily, but the four who had the greatest potential, although tired, could go on for a few more rounds,
'That isn't unexpected since they have top experts as their direct relatives who can train them.'
As this thought entered his mind, he looked to the side of the four. There stood a young boy straight as a pole. Although he was also covered in sweat, his breathing was regulated,
'But….. this, is unexpected'
Survath thought this with a subtly amused smile, but his usual expressionless face soon replaced it,
"Now that you have finished your running, we can move on to the next exercise"
The pale expression of the kids, who were already exhausted to the brim paled even further as if they had seen a ghost.
The next exercise on the menu was lifting rocks with one hand and then lowering it, Survath explained that this would strengthen their arms and that they would do this every day, with the rocks getting heavier by the day.
After that they performed many more exercises, some were for the arms, some for the legs and some for the torso, but no matter what, it was clear as day that the big four existed on a totally different level as theye exceled in all the aspects of stamina and endurance.
But the third elder was surprised by Sundrin, as no matter what exercise he did, his breathing would become steady in just a few minutes of rest after the exercise.
One shouldn't ignore this as a useless fact; only after much training can one control his or her breathing to this extent,
'The boy's a natural-born fighter'
That was the only conclusion he could draw from his observations, although there had been kids like this before they all came from privileged backgrounds, and if Sundrin could compete with these 'talents' without any help….
'Then what can he achieve if given the right guidance?'
This thought entered the third elder's mind as he dazed out a bit, but he quickly shook himself out of it,
'I will think about this later.'
"Ok, now that you all have finished your training, it's time to start the breathing exercise. Sit down"
He said this as he himself settled down on the ground while the kids who were sprawled around the place slowly got up and sat down near the third elder,
"Kill…. Me"
Torvyn said through his dry lips as he tried to get up but failed miserably.
"Hey there, buddy, let me help you there."
Sundrin said with a smile as he extended a hand towards him, and after a while Torvyn took it, finally getting up as he sat down beside him,
"Sundrin, if I die here, please tell my mother and father that I died valiantly in battle."
Sundrin could only smile wryly at Torvyn's antics as he focused on the third elder.
By now, most of them had gotten up and seated themselves, so Survath finally opened his mouth to speak again,
"Straighten your backs and sit in lotus position, then breathe in the same way I am showing."
All the kids followed the orders even though their bodies were screaming for rest.
Survath closed his eyes and started breathing in a peculiar way, sometimes he would take a long breath in and sometimes he would inhale in short bursts, then he would exhale slowly or sometimes quickly.
As the kids watched this scene, they tried to imitate the style as much as possible.
But still, it was much harder than expected, and sometimes, some kids would even cough out after choking on their own breath.
Survath continued for a while before opening his eyes and seeing the state of the kids.
His eyes wandered around, inspecting the kids.
Thalvior, Surakar, Helisra, and Solenya were also struggling, but they had been practicing this since an early age, being taught by their relatives so they were way ahead of others.
This was another perk enjoyed by the kids who came from prominent backgrounds, although the less prominent figures could teach their children they were not that knowledgeable about the breathing technique and how to correct the flaws if the children made any.
So they refrained from teaching their children about the breathing technique as they didn't want the foundations of their children to be ruined,
'It can't be helped.'
The third elder thought with a sigh as his eyes wandered again, and this time, it landed on Sundrin.
Right now, Sundrin was just sitting there with a contemplative look on his face, he looked like he was really trying to focus.
Survath frowned, wondering what this kid was doing.
Suddenly, Sundrin closed his eyes and then started breathing in a strange manner.
The third elder's eyes widened as his body shook a bit,
'Impossible!'
He shouted in his mind, seeing the kid imitating him perfectly. His breathing was a bit strained and rough as he had never done it before, but he had most definitely memorized the breathing pattern completely.
Survath quickly tried to calm down. Although it was rare for a person to have such a sharp memory at such a young age, it was still plausible,
'But, the fact is that he not only possesses a sharp memory but his comprehensive skills are just as amazing. If that were not enough he has the body of a perfect natural-born fighter'
Looking intently at Sundrin for a while, Survath finally turned away his gaze.
When the lessons finally ended, the evening sun dyed in orange had started to hide beneath the horizon, indicating that dusk had come,
"That will be all for today. From today onwards, we are going to do these exercises every day. You will receive two days of rest after every five days and are allowed to do anything during those two days as long as you follow the rules."
"Today, you didn't get a break in between as this was your first day, but from tomorrow onwards, you may make some lunch in the public kitchen by yourself and bring it here. I will allow you a break during the afternoon when you can eat."
"You all are dismissed."
Having said that, Survath sat down and closed his eyes again.
The students were too tired to say anything. Thankfully, their parents had given them some food that would last them a week or so, thus, they could rest today without worrying about food.
All of them started walking back to their quarters with exhausted steps.
As they walked away, Survath's eyes opened again, and he looked at Sundrin's departing back, who was walking alongside Torvyn.
A contemplative look appeared on his face before he let out a sigh and closed his eyes yet again to meditate.