I'm Hungry

On the training ground, Kraun felt his legs growing heavier and heavier. His breathing became increasingly ragged.

His vision blurred, and it felt as if a ball of fire had been stuffed into his chest. His throat was like a pot boiled dry, endlessly billowing smoke. Sweat drenched his entire body, and the Sand Vest rubbed against his skin. A searing pain kept flaring across his wrists, legs, and back.

I can't go on. I can't run at all anymore. That's enough training for today. A voice urging him to give up rang again and again in Kraun's mind.

"Run! Keep running! Once your body reaches its limit, every second you hold on is progress."

"Don't you want to become a Transcendentalist? Your chance is right in front of you. Hang in there!"

"I'll tell you the truth: the world's spiritual energy is becoming more active, and paranormal events will become more frequent. You don't want to be left with nothing to do but shut your eyes and pray when danger comes, do you?"

"Give it everything you've got—every ounce of your will and determination!"

Nick held a bullwhip, looking like a cold, merciless machine. Whenever Kraun slowed even slightly, he would snap the whip at him.

His gaze was icy, but deep in his eyes burned a fierce heat.

The young man before him had surprised him yet again.

Carrying the heavy Sand Vest, he had already run more than seventy laps.

Though Nick had said one hundred laps, that was the minimum required for someone to reach the stamina threshold for advancement to Transcendence.

An ordinary person couldn't meet that standard without three to five years of training.

On his very first attempt at this kind of training, Kraun had run seventy-four laps and still hadn't collapsed.

Nick felt that failing to thoroughly push and temper such a gifted young man would be a disservice to himself!

Kraun knew his stamina was already spent. Right now, he was running on nothing but a will as strong as steel.

His legs had gone numb, and the flow of blood brought with it a burning sensation.

Crack! Another lash struck Klaan. This time, he could no longer speed up.

His body's exhaustion had reached its limit. Unless he recovered his strength, he would be unable to run in just a few minutes.

But how could anyone recover their strength while running?

Wait. The Visualization Method only requires me to visualize Divine Will. Strictly speaking, it doesn't require any particular posture. If I can use the Visualization Method while running, wouldn't that solve my stamina problem?

A wild idea came to Kraun, and he immediately put it to the test.

Before, he had always closed his eyes when visualizing.

First, he needed to overcome that habit and visualize with his eyes open.

His gaze gradually unfocused. With his body so utterly exhausted, it was surprisingly easy.

The moon began to appear before him, but as his body ran on, it was like a stone dropped into water. The moon's reflection shattered into fragments.

Gathering his thoughts, Kraun continued visualizing. He tried to make the moon move with him, keeping it still relative to his body.

Once, twice—he kept trying.

Nick had counted eighty laps. The person on the training ground was no longer running, but slowly walking while making the motions of running.

His whip had stopped swinging, because at this point it could no longer stimulate Kraun's potential.

The Father knew Kraun was close to complete exhaustion. The fact that he was still running was entirely thanks to a will worthy of admiration.

He watched in silence, wanting to see where Kraun's limit lay and just how much more he could surprise him.

Kraun had forgotten he was still running. His body simply moved forward mechanically.

He forgot his exhaustion. He forgot the passage of time.

The Bright Moon Silent Illumination filled his body before entering the space between his brows. It passed through the Mud Pill Palace to the Danzhong Acupoint, then shone through his internal organs like a red sun in his heart. Finally, the red sun sank into his dantian, radiated through his body, and spread outward through his pores.

In Nick's eyes, it was as if parched plants had been blessed with a timely downpour. Kraun's body brimmed with vigor once more, and his pace actually began to quicken. Though he didn't return to his original speed, the change itself seemed incredible.

One lap, then two—the young man was running again.

A powerful wave of hunger broke Kraun's concentration. His stomach rumbled like a drum.

Now he felt as if his front and back were pressed together. His stomach ached faintly, and panic stirred in his heart.

Kraun stopped in front of the Father and stared straight at him. "I'm hungry!"

The Father laughed heartily. "I already told the kitchen to get started. You can eat now."

On his very first day of training, he had run a full ninety-two laps. This Acolyte had excellent endurance; he only needed to build up his strength as well to meet the requirements for advancement.

Nick was confident that in a year—no, perhaps with six months of training—he could raise Kraun to the level required for Transcendence.

The church's small dining room.

Kraun ate in small bites, even taking the time to chew each mouthful thoroughly, yet he ate incredibly fast—and a great deal.

Nick watched the stack of bowls and plates on the table grow higher and higher, secretly pleased.

The more energy one expended, the greater one's appetite. In a sense, the strongest person on the Path of the Knight was the one who could eat the most.

"Father, the herbs are ready."

A slender nun approached, carrying a large enamel bowl in one hand and a clay jar in the other.

Nick nodded slightly and smiled at the nun. "Thank you, Avina. Just put them on the table."

The nun set everything down and turned to leave.

Kraun tilted his head, watching the nun's swaying figure as she walked away. He couldn't help feeling a little distracted.

As the nun walked farther away, Nick gave a quiet "Ahem" and chided him with a smile. "Stop staring! Once you become a Transcendentalist, you'll find you have more options."

The Father stood and patted him on the shoulder. "Keep it up, young man. I have high hopes for you. Drink the medicinal broth; apply the ointment externally. I'll copy the prescription for you tonight. The church doesn't have many herbs in reserve, so you'll have to prepare it yourself from now on."

With his hands clasped behind his back, Nick left. "Don't eat too much! You have two hours to rest at noon. This afternoon, you'll learn swordsmanship. Be at the training ground before two."

Kraun ate until he was stuffed to the gills, and by then he couldn't drink the medicinal broth.

He picked up the bowl of medicine, took the jar, and returned to the room assigned to him.

He pushed open the door, taking in the whole room at a glance.

It was sparsely furnished: a table, a chair, and a narrow wooden bed.

A lamp and a kettle sat on the table.

The furniture was all unfinished wood, not even coated with a layer of varnish.

Kraun opened the jar and saw that it was full of dark red ointment. He smelled it and immediately identified several of the herbs.

There was gorse and Blood-Activating Herb. This ointment should have some of the effects of Tiger Bone Ointment: promoting blood circulation, relieving pain, and increasing the muscles' tolerance.

After rubbing the ointment onto his sore muscles, Kraun sat on the bed. He didn't sit cross-legged; he simply straightened his back, closed his eyes, formed the Golden Light Seal with his hands, and began to visualize.

Although he had already learned to visualize with his eyes open and while moving, he felt that his Visualization was far less effective than when he was in a normal state.

He had eaten so much on purpose. Visualizing the Golden Light Incantation took quite a bit of energy, so this was a good way to aid digestion.