"Hmm..."
Alex Lionhart repeatedly cast glances back, his focus fragmented by a vexing mystery.
'Why? How in the world is that guy still running?!'
Klaus Lionhart. The audacious youth who had recently defied the head of the house was now defying the laws of exhaustion. He might be lagging, but there he was, maintaining a relentless pace that endured until the race's final stretch.
'He shouldn't have the physical capacity for this right now...'
Alex was intimately familiar with Klaus's condition. Born with dark anomalies in his mana circuit, Klaus faced not only the burden of compromised physical abilities but also the hindrance of slowed growth. Just a month ago, Klaus had appeared more pitiful—short in stature, exhibiting no discernible signs of training. As an Apostle, Alex couldn't wrap his head around how Klaus, whom he presumed had become an Apostle just a month earlier, displayed stamina comparable to his own, despite the typically accelerated growth that accompanied Apostle status. While being an Apostle facilitated faster-than-normal growth, sustained training was still essential for optimal stat improvement. Klaus, however, seemed to defy these norms, running with an air of calm as if the race had just begun.
'And those flanking me are equally vexing.'
Both Nicholas, the red-haired boy who matched his pace, and Klaus, who seemed inexhaustible, were getting under his skin.
'Fine. I'll demonstrate the glaring disparity between us.'
Determined to dishearten both Nicholas and Klaus, Alex thrust himself forward with a powerful kick against the ground.
Swoosh!
Harnessing his aura, he intensified the muscles in his thighs and calves. Hurtling at a speed that threatened tunnel vision, he stole a glance backward.
'Those brats?!'
To his chagrin, neither Nicholas, whom he regarded as a rival, nor Klaus betrayed any sign of distress.
Running steadfastly at their own tempo, they seemed to be telegraphing their indifference to him. It kindled a smoldering ire within Alex.
"Tsk!"
Alex clicked his tongue and surged forward with even greater intensity. He had long surpassed Nicholas, his former running companion, and left Klaus trailing far behind.
Yet, the speeds of Nicholas and Klaus remained unaltered. It was as though they were nonchalantly signaling that they paid no heed to him.
'Kuh!'
Realizing that he was being ignored by those he considered beneath him, a seething undercurrent of anger surged within Alex.
'Let's see how long you can keep up that act.'
* * *
Klaus couldn't help but grin, his breaths coming out in hearty exhales.
'Power keeps flowing in.'
His stamina pool continued to replenish, and though drenched in sweat like the majority still on the run, Klaus wore a calm expression that set him apart.
{That's cheating, you know?} Greed's voice carried a hint of exasperation.
'Says who? With her keen senses, I'm sure that Instructor Erina already noticed that I'm using magic to invigorate my body,' Klaus replied.
{You using magic isn't supposed to be a secret?} Greed's curiosity shone through.
'I never said that it was a secret. It's just that if nobody asks, I have no reason to tell them that I can use magic, not even my parents.'
{Hmm, I see.}
'The other instructor seemed to not have noticed. Her being blind makes her very sensitive to mana flow, and ordinary people will not be able to tell if I use magic or not.'
{What if she reveals to everyone that you can use magic?}
'Well, will she be able to prove it? Even the great 'You' can't tell how I use magic,' Klaus replied, a touch of sarcasm in his tone.
{You are right. If the great ME can't tell how you use magic, nobody on planet Xyros can.} Greed's tone was filled with arrogance.
Klaus looked ahead, breathing calmly. The collaterals and the recommended children, still running at full speed, were undeniably exceptionally talented. However, Nicholas and Alex were different; they had maintained a steady pace from the beginning.
Just as he thought that they weren't called geniuses for nothing, Alex suddenly sped up. He ran past Nicholas, who had just caught up, and regained his position as the front runner.
"Eh?"
"Alex?"
"Run! Don't fall behind!"
The collaterals and recommended children, witnessing his acceleration, forcibly increased their speed.
"Hmph!"
As if challenging them to catch up, Alex glanced back at Nicholas and Klaus.
{What are you doing right now? Are you going to do nothing when you are provoked? Catch up to him and crush those eyes. This is what the Lionharts that I know would do.} Greed's words carried a provocative tone, but Klaus didn't react.
'This isn't a competition.'
The run was a test to demonstrate stamina and willpower, not a competition. And there was one more person who understood that fact.
Nicholas Davoss.
The red-haired boy running in second place maintained his pace as if he didn't have a speck of interest in Alex.
'He's actually one step ahead of him.'
Although Klaus initially thought they were similar, it appeared that Nicholas was mentally superior to Alex.
Alex pretended to be an adult, but his actions were those of his age. If he were to enter the battlefield as he was, he would likely meet a swift demise.
'That's not something I should care about.'
Klaus continued running in the gymnasium, following Nicholas's back instead of Alex's.
"Kl... Klaus?"
"How...?"
"He... he was still running?"
The collaterals who exhausted themselves trying to catch up with Alex now fell behind. Those who had mocked Klaus before the exam had started.
"Huff, huff! Wh... what did you do?"
"Kuh, there's no way..."
As Klaus ran past them, the collaterals, panting heavily, slowed their steps and sank onto the ground.
'All barks and no strength to back it up,' Klaus thought as he regarded them as nothing more than a pile of trash.
It was a fact that those who couldn't stop talking were often worth little. Since Klaus wasn't interested in them, to begin with, he forgot about them and continued running.
***
And just like that, five hours had passed since they began running, and out of the four hundred and one trainees, only four were still running...