Why? Because this — this suffocating feeling, this torture — this weakness — was the very thing I came here to break through.
It's the whole reason I joined the expedition guild.
I've got two goals here — both equally important.
First: to get stronger. As strong as I was in my past life. I can't stay in this flimsy body forever, not when I know what true strength feels like.
Second: to earn the expeditioner license. That's the key. With that license, traveling becomes easy.
Expeditioners are trained to keep monster populations in check.
Towns and cities welcome you, offer you cheaper goods, better rooms, safer routes. You get to enjoy the reputation — and the benefits that come with it.
Both goals are absolutely essential if I'm going to live the pleasure-filled life I've planned for myself.
One of comfort, food, freedom — and women.
And that's why I'm pushing so hard…
And also why I'm trying to make a good impression on Garron.
If the instructor sees I'm someone with ambition and grit… he might just remember that later. And the right impression at the right time could save me a lot of trouble.
Getting expeditioner license is totally depends on the evaluation of the instructors after all.
***
Just as Kael expected, Instructor Garron had been observing him closely.
The moment the run began, Kael was the first to move, maintaining a steady pace even after others chose to sprint ahead of him.
That caught Garron's eye—not the speed, but the composure.
So that's the third kid with an awakened ability, huh…
Garron's gaze swept over the group, recognizing the progressively interesting lineup before him.
The first one who stood out was the girl—Zara.
He already knew her profile from the registration records. She possessed a Tier 2 physical enhancement ability – Reinforcement Aura.
A perfect fit for a front-line vanguard, capable of holding formation and soaking damage with amplified strength.
He had read that her father, a village hunter, was the one who encouraged her to apply for training.
Good foundation.
Next was the black-haired boy: Aurius.
A Tier 1 ability awakener, wielding something called Thunder Pulse.
The ability description hinted at electrical energy coursing through muscle tissues, improving physical output.
Potential—high.
The kid had good form, too.
Garron would keep an eye on him.
And finally, him—Kael.
A Tier 1 awakener, with a unique-sounding ability named Instinctive Devourer.
According to registration report, he could consume monster meat to restore stamina and increase strength.
That one line alone made Garron pause.
There are very few details about this ability, he noted.
He found himself filing it away as "unusual." A stomach-based enhancer…?
Could it work as a sustained growth ability? He doubted it.
Monster meat contained wild Essentia—unrefined, aggressive nature energy.
If not filtered properly through internal cultivation pathways, it could do more harm than good.
Even rupture the body's Essentia circulation routes if mishandled.
Another thing—that boy, Kael, didn't seem to emit any Essentia at all.
His presence was… still. Silent.
Does he not cultivate? Or is he just that naturally suppressed?
It would be a lie to say Garron wasn't curious. Even with skepticism on the potential of Kael's ability, he made a mental note.
It looked like the boy Kael had even less Essentia than an average child who hadn't awakened an ability.
That alone was concerning.
With such a low Essentia reserve, even consuming the flesh of a low-tier monster—usually brimming with wild Essentia—could overwhelm his system.
A misstep would mean disaster: damaging his Essentia circuits before they'd even properly formed.
But at least the kid isn't a reckless fool, Garron thought as he watched Kael's unhurried movements. He seems... calculating. Decisive even.
As if sensing the scrutiny, Kael's gaze met Garron's for a moment.
It wasn't bold, nor afraid. Just observant.
The boy understood something most kids his age didn't bother to—that being watched was as valuable as watching.
Garron allowed a small smile as he turned away, giving his attention to the rest of the trainees—kids who hadn't awakened any abilities at all.
He wasn't just here to polish the gifted; his job was to turn every single one of them into someone capable of surviving.
He took a deep breath, steadying his focus.
Then, he closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, a transformation had taken place.
His irises had turned into deep, gleaming gold—like a hawk staring down from the highest sky.
Hawkeye Cognition – Tier 2.
When activated, his brain released a refined form of Essentia that surged along his optic nerves, transforming his eyes and filter of reality itself.
His vision no longer stopped at the surface. Every shift, every breath, every flex of muscle fiber was highlighted to him in sharp clarity.
Sweat beading at the back of a boy's neck.
Another one's slightly off-balance boots, foreshadowing a future stumble.
The subtle tightening in another's jaw as fatigue began sinking in.
Even the most seasoned warrior could not hide from Hawkeye Cognition.
Good. I need to know their limits… so I can destroy them. Only then can he rebuild them into something greater.
****
When the run neared the half-hour mark, the field transformed into a battlefield of exhaustion.
The black-haired boy—Aurius—who had started strong, now ran a few feet ahead of me.
His breath came in heavy, ragged gasps.
His once-stable gait faltered; each step looked like a negotiation between his will and his trembling legs.
Sweat drenched him, matting his hair to his forehead.
I wasn't in a much better state.
Neither was Zara.
But the three of us—the only ones with awakened abilities—still pushed forward, one tired foot after another.
Even the kids who just awakened the ability would experience a significant boost in their physical abilities, almost on par with adults.
I noticed some gains too after munching on monster meat yesterday.
Still, despite that, here we are in this situation now.
The rest of the kids?
They had slowed to a crawl.
Some clutched their sides.
Others just kept walking with glassy-eyed determination, fighting the urge to collapse right where they stood.
Instructor Garron didn't move.
Not a word.
Just unblinking golden eyes, watching everything.
Waiting us to reach our absolute limit.
"*Pant*... How much... *huff*... longer *pant* do we have to—"
I threw a quick look at Zara.
She was keeping pace right beside me, her expression twisted between anger and grit.
"*Pant* Just... *huff* run... as long as you... can..." I said immediately cutting her off.
"Don't talk now... messes with *huff* your breathing..."
Gritting her teeth, she powered through another lap.
I did too.
But the 10th lap was where the real limit slammed into me.
My legs—numb at first—now screamed with every step. My calves burned like molten iron, and my lungs felt like they'd collapsed into themselves.
No matter how I drew in air, it never felt like enough.
I'm going to pass out...
My vision darkened at the corners. The world tilted.
And then—a warmth.
A slow, soothing wave that rolled through my limbs, from my chest out to my fingertips and toes.
My broken breathing calmed—like a hand had gently pressed against the panic.
My form—sloppy a second ago—straightened.
My footfalls stabilized within just a few steps.
And then, the realization hit.
'My fat... it's burning!'
The hunger—the one that had gone silent after I ate monster meat last night—was awakening. Deep inside me, something stirred... and devoured the fat with a ruthless efficiency.
My chubby frame—which had weighed me down—began to visibly shrink with each step.
Zara's eyes widened.
Aurius nearly stumbled watching me.
Even the instructor raised an eyebrow.
Their shock was well-founded.