Chapter 19: Hellish Training 2
Ank POV
I cursed myself.
Why… Why did I ever ask that old man for help?
His training wasn't training, it was torture.
Day after day, I was dragged to the edge of death, forced to break bones, spill blood, and then heal just so he could push me further.
When I first asked him out, I was desperate. I thought he would help me climb back quickly, help me rise again, tell me more about this planet, help me so I can find a way to complete quests, maybe teach me some powerful spells.
But reality was cruel.
The system blocked me from using any spells that were outside of the system.
And the biggest hypocrisy was this: I could not even use the spells given by the system as quest rewards, because I had once used forbidden spells.
I was very frustrated.
I diverted my attention from quests; first I want to reach 30, then I start completing quests, so I told the system to immediately inform me if there were any quests with less than two months left before expiration.
I didn't want to miss any quests and wanted to completely focus on finding a way to complete them.
First came some power that helped me survive and then quests. I also had to calculate that I had less than 2000 days before I die.
So I asked the old man to train me for 1 year only and gave me all details about how I will survive on this planet.
The old man accepted easily but he gave me the condition that first I had to complete his training before he tells me about this planet.
I also accepted, without power knowledge about this planet was useless.
Six months had passed,
Six months of cursing.
Six months of dragging myself through mud, through exhaustion, through pain that broke
both body and soul.
And yet…
And yet, somewhere along the way, something shifted.
I started liking it.
I slowly started liking his training.
The scars became badges. The endless drills, the bone-snapping exercises, the old man's merciless strikes—they awakened something inside me.
I remembered what it meant to struggle.
I remembered how hard I had once fought for my former glory.
I was lying on his bed now, staring at the ceiling.
I ignored all the quests the system gave me for six months, many more quests had come but I ignored all of them.
My only focus was to complete the "Reach Level 30" quest.
By doing this, I would receive an unknown reward.
From deep inside, a feeling told me to complete this quest first.
I had a strong sense that this mission would benefit me greatly and it also aligned with my idea to reach level thirty first.
How many times have I done this?
How many times have I opened my eyes to
this same cracked ceiling?
Three hundred? Five hundred?
Who cares?
I chuckled weakly.
There were only two things I liked in this world anymore. First, staring at this damn ceiling. Second, sleeping.
This was all the result of old man training. Without notice I was starting to change and I liked this changing except for illogical thoughts that came to my mind whenever I was free.
Why I started liking sleeping? Because of my rapid recovery, I consumed a lot of stamina, so I had to sleep regularly.
And why did I like the ceiling? Because it reminded me of my first day on this planet, of how I was struggling, and of what I could not do in the future.
Far, far from Duskwild, another story was unfolding.
On a planet named New Order, a massive monster invasion was taking place.
Capital City – Throne Room
The emperor of the New Order sat on his throne and gave orders to the army.
He was seventy years old. Yet he looked no older than forty, his face unlined, his body unbent. But the weight in his eyes… that was the gaze of a man who had carried nations.
The atmosphere in the throne room was suffocating. Ministers ran back and forth, messengers carried reports drenched in blood, generals knelt waiting for orders.
The emperor raised his hand.
"Send the air force for reinforcement. Crush the monsters before they breach another district. Ready all shipments. Food, medicine—everything we can spare. Dispatch them immediately to the citizens. And form a special unit… a rescue force. Survivors must be found and protected at all costs."
His voice was calm, but every word carried the edge of desperation.
The invasion had started only two weeks ago.
But already, the empire was drowning.
The emperor was now tense.
New Order had once been a planet of democracy. That democracy rotted into chaos. Civil war spread. Millions died. The conflict lasted ten long years until, finally, the emperor's grandfather unified the lands with power and sword, building the empire that now stood.
And now… it was collapsing.
The emperor clenched his fists so tightly his nails cut into his skin.
"Quickly! Call SHO!"
One of the ministers flinched. "S-sir… there is no response yet."
"Keep calling!" the emperor roared.
The minister bowed low and ran, trembling.
SHO.
The last hope.
If SHO refused their request… if they did not come… then New Order was doomed.
They had only forty months of supplies left to hold the monsters at bay. After that… extinction.
The emperor's heart was pounding. His empire was built on blood, on sacrifice, on the ashes of countless dead. Was it all going to end here?
At last, the minister returned. His voice shook, but his words rang loud.
"Your Majesty! SHO… SHO will arrive in twelve months!"
The throne room fell silent.
Twelve months.
The emperor's face went pale.
That was far too long.
But it was still hope.
He slammed his fist onto the armrest. "Assemble the commanders! Every division, every battalion!"
He immediately ordered all the commanders to assemble and take every necessary step to survive this calamity.
He turned to the three young figures standing behind him—his two sons and his daughter.
"You will take command. You will stand with the people. You will bleed with them if you must. For twelve months, you must carry this empire on your backs. Do you understand?"
The two princes nodded sharply. The princess bowed deeply.
The emperor exhaled.
They had twelve months.
Twelve months to survive hell.
Twelve months until salvation—or annihilation.
They had to survive this calamity for twelve months.
What could they do now?