I'm Hungry

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

His vision blurred, his chest felt as if it were stuffed with burning coals, and his throat felt like a pot that had boiled dry, constantly emitting smoke. His entire body was drenched in sweat; the sand vest chafed against his skin, and a searing, stinging pain radiated incessantly from his wrists, legs, and spine.

I can't do it anymore, I can't run at all, a voice of surrender echoed repeatedly in Kraun's mind. Let's just stop the training here for today.

"Run! Keep running! Every second you persist after your body hits its limit is progress."

"Don't you want to become a transcendent? The opportunity is right in front of you—hold on!"

"I'll tell you the truth: the world's spirituality is becoming increasingly active, and supernatural incidents will only grow more frequent. You don't want to be left with nothing to do but close your eyes and pray when danger arrives, do you?"

"Bring out every ounce of your spirit and will!"

Nick held a leather whip, acting like a cold, heartless machine. Every time Kraun's speed slowed even slightly, he would lash out with the whip.

His gaze was icy, yet deep within his eyes lay a burning intensity.

The young man before him had surprised him once again.

Wearing a heavy sand vest, he had already run over 70 laps.

Although he had demanded 100 laps, that was merely the minimum physical requirement to reach the standard for advancing to a transcendent.

An ordinary person could never achieve this without three to five years of training.

In his very first attempt at this training, Kraun had run 74 laps and had yet to collapse.

He felt that if he didn't properly squeeze and polish a talent with such potential, he would be doing himself a disservice!

Kraun understood that his stamina was actually exhausted; he was now running entirely on a will as unyielding as steel.

His legs were numb, and the circulation of his blood brought a sensation of scorching heat.

Crack! Kraun took another lash of the whip. This time, he was unable to accelerate again.

His physical exhaustion had reached its limit; unless he could recover his stamina, he would be unable to run for more than a few more minutes.

But how could one recover stamina while running?

Wait, he thought, the Visualization Method only requires visualizing the Divine Will; strictly speaking, there are no requirements for posture. If I could perform the Visualization Method while running, wouldn't that solve the stamina issue?

A wild, imaginative idea appeared in Kraun's mind, and he immediately began to experiment.

In the past, he had always visualized with his eyes closed.

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

The focus in his eyes gradually faded; under the extreme exhaustion of his body, this was actually easier to achieve.

The Bright Moon began to emerge before his eyes, but as his body ran, it was like a stone thrown into water, causing the reflected moon to shatter into pieces.

Gathering his thoughts, Kraun continued to visualize. He let the Bright Moon move in sync with his motion, maintaining a relative stillness between the two.

Once, twice—he tried again and again.

Nick had counted 80 laps. The person on the training ground was no longer running; he was merely going through the motions of running while walking slowly.

He no longer swung his whip, as it was now completely useless for stimulating the other's potential.

The priest understood that the boy was nearing the end of his rope; that he was still moving was entirely due to an admirable and awe-inspiring will.

He watched quietly, wanting to see where the boy's limit truly lay and how much more of a surprise he could provide.

Kraun had forgotten that he was still running; his body moved forward purely out of mechanical habit.

He forgot his fatigue; he forgot the passage of time.

The Bright Moon Silent Illumination descended upon his body and entered his brow, passing through the Mud Pill Palace to the Danzhong Acupoint. Then, like a red sun, it shone through his internal organs from his heart, before finally settling into his Dantian, radiating throughout his entire body and out through his pores.

In Nick's eyes, it was as if parched vegetation had finally received a life-giving rain. Kraun's body regained its vitality, and his speed actually began to increase. Although he didn't return to his initial pace, the entire sight seemed incredible.

One lap, two laps—the man was running again.

A fierce sense of hunger interrupted Kraun's state; he felt his stomach rumbling like a beating drum.

At this moment, he felt as if his front was pressed against his back, his stomach ached faintly, and he felt lightheaded.

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

The priest laughed heartily: "I've already instructed the kitchen; you can start eating now."

Ninety-two laps in his first training session—such an attendant had excellent endurance. He only needed to build up his strength to reach the standard for advancement.

He was confident that in a year—no, perhaps in half a year of training—he could elevate him to the level of a transcendent.

In the church's small dining room.

Kraun ate in small bites, or one might say he was chewing slowly and carefully, yet he ate very quickly and in large quantities.

Nick watched the bowls and plates piling up on the table, feeling a secret joy in his heart.

The more energy one consumed, the greater their appetite would be. In a sense, the strongest on the Path of the Knight were those who could eat the most.

"Father, the herbal medicine is ready."

A slender nun walked over, carrying a large enamel bowl in one hand and a clay pot in the other.

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

The nun placed the items on the table, turned, and walked away.

Kraun tilted his head, watching the nun's swaying silhouette, and couldn't help but feel a ripple of excitement in his heart.

As the nun gradually moved further away, Nick let out a hum and scolded him with a laugh, "Stop staring! Once you become an extraordinary, you'll find that you have many more choices."

The priest stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "Keep at it, lad. I believe in you. Take the medicinal soup orally and apply the ointment externally. I'll transcribe the prescription for you tonight; the church doesn't have many herbs in stock, so you'll have to prepare them yourself from now on."

With his hands behind his back, Nick walked away. "Don't eat too much! You have a two-hour break at noon, and you need to learn swordsmanship in the afternoon. Assemble at the training ground before two o'clock."

Kraun had eaten until he was completely stuffed, and he couldn't drink the medicinal soup at the moment.

He picked up the medicine bowl and carried the ointment jar back to the room assigned to him.

Pushing the door open, everything came into view at a glance.

The furnishings inside were simple: a table, a chair, and a narrow wooden bed.

On the table sat an oil lamp and a water pitcher.

These pieces of furniture were made of raw wood and hadn't even been coated with a layer of varnish.

Opening the ointment jar, Kraun saw that it was filled with a blackish-red paste. He took a sniff and immediately identified several of the herbs within.

It contained Gorse and Blood-Activating Herb; this ointment should have some of the effects of Tiger Bone Ointment, promoting blood circulation, relieving pain, and enhancing muscle endurance.

Applying the ointment to his aching muscles, Kraun sat on the bed. He didn't sit cross-legged but kept his body straight, 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 in motion, he felt that the efficiency of such visualization was significantly lower than in a normal state.

There was a purpose to why he had eaten so much; the visualization of the Golden Light Incantation consumed a considerable amount of calories, which just happened to help with digestion.