Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey

The boy fell with a small thud and breathed heavily. He was scared out of his wit when he fall and thought today he will meet the maker today.

'Even this one has trapped too. Aren't the academies instructors love setting up traps?' Lucas thought, a wry smile tugging at his lips. He was relieved that the academy's safety measures were in place, ensuring that no one would get seriously injured, but it didn't make the challenge any less daunting.

Lucas continued his ascent, taking extra care to avoid any suspicious-looking rocks or crevices. Each handhold was a calculated decision, every step a testament to his determination. He finally reached the top of the ridge, pulling himself over the edge with a grunt. His muscles burned, but he felt a surge of accomplishment.

Taking a brief moment to survey his surroundings, Lucas saw the next challenge: the slope with boulders waiting to be carried.

Each boulder weigh about 100kg.

His hands and feet were already sore from climbing still he have to bear with it.

Lucas went near the boulder. Placing his palm on it, he tried to push the boulder with all its strength.

With a rumble, the boulder shaped rock started moving. Now all he had to do was push the boulder up the slope. The difficulty of doing this is, if you stop applying force a second, the boulder will push you down against the hill and the boulder may roll over you.

Climbing along with the boulder was both times consuming and exhausting. Lucas didn't even know whether he had enough stamina to push it to the top.

Lucas had to concentrate so that he might not lose focus, as the slightest loss of concentration will result in boulder rolling down.

If he could use mana then he could have pushed the boulder up without using full strength but without mana, his current strength was severely limited. Lucas gritted his teeth, channeling every ounce of his remaining strength into pushing the boulder up the slope. He felt every muscle in his body strain as he heaved the massive rock upward.

Step by agonizing step, he made his way up the incline. The boulder felt like a relentless weight pressing down on him, testing his endurance and resolve. He kept his eyes focused on the ground in front of him, refusing to look up and see how much further he had to go.

His breaths came in ragged gasps, his heart pounding in his chest. The forest and the ridge had already taken a significant toll on his energy reserves, but he knew giving up was not an option. The thought of failing this challenge and disappointing himself drove him forward.

Every time he felt his strength waning, Lucas took a moment to steady himself, careful not to let the boulder slip. He dug his feet into the ground, using the friction to maintain his grip and prevent the boulder from rolling back.

All of his muscles especially his legs and shoulders were feeling sore at the moment and clear beads of sweat rolled down from his face while his entire clothes were drenched in sweat as if he has just taken a shower. His legs were already trembling to maintain his standing.

Lucas could see the students grinding their teeth to push the boulders. This is undoubtedly the most difficult part of the course.

Pushing his back against the boulders Lucas turned back to stare at the bottom of the mountain and the forest below it.

'The view from the top was quite nice.'Lucas mumbled.

From the top, the forest was quite distant and the big trees now looked like small shrubs.

After a few moments of catching his breath, Lucas began to push the boulder gritting his teeth. He tried to squeeze every drop of strength he has within his body.

At this point, he had already reached near the top but he still had a bit more to go. The final stretch seemed like the hardest part, each step feeling like an insurmountable task. Lucas's vision blurred slightly from the exertion, but he refused to let that deter him. He could see the top, just a few more meters.

"Come on, Lucas," he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart and the sound of his labored breathing. "Just a little more."

The pain in his muscles was almost unbearable, but he channeled his focus into his goal. He could hear the groans and grunts of his fellow cadets, some already at the top cheering on those still struggling. The support gave him a renewed sense of determination.

With one final push, Lucas summoned every last bit of strength he had. The boulder moved, inch by inch, until finally, with a last mighty effort, he shoved it over the top. The boulder settled into place, and Lucas collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Ray, the instructor, nodding with approval. "Well done, Darkheart. You've shown remarkable perseverance."

Lucas managed a tired smile, his body trembling from the effort. "Thank you, sir."

Ray stood up and addressed the cadets who had made it this far. "This exercise is designed to push you beyond your limits. Remember, the strength of a hero is not just in their power, but in their will and determination. You've all done well."

As Lucas caught his breath, he felt a sense of pride wash over him. Despite the grueling challenge, he had made it. He glanced around at his fellow cadets, all of them exhausted but sharing the same sense of accomplishment.

"Alright, everyone," Ray continued. "Take a moment to rest and hydrate. The next phase of training will begin shortly."

Lucas lay back on the ground, staring up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The grueling tasks of the day had left him drained, but he felt more determined than ever. This was just one of many challenges he would face, and each one would make him stronger.

"Hey, Lucas," a familiar voice called out. He turned to see Evelyn, her face flushed from exertion but wearing a proud smile. "You made it. I knew you would."

Lucas chuckled, wincing slightly at the soreness in his muscles. "Thanks, Evelyn. You too. That was tough."

Evelyn nodded, sitting down beside him. "Yeah, but we did it. And we'll keep doing it, no matter what they throw at us."

Lucas looked around at the other cadets, all of them sharing the same sense of camaraderie and determination. "Yeah," he agreed. "We will."

After the short conversation both Evelyn and Lucas fell in silence, both of them were enjoying the view from the top.

But soon they had to get up after all there still some more challenges left and break they had taken was quite short.

***

Lucas arrived at the other side of the mountain top and looked down at the foggy view.

He couldn't see the bottom of the mountain as it looked very deep.

There were ropes tied to a small metal bar which was are dug deep into the hard rocks of the mountain cliff.

These ropes far extended into the distance leading to the top of another mountain 5o to 60 feet away.

Some might have thought of leaping to another side of the mountain directly instead of going through all the pain but seeing the bottomless pit they have to swallow their courage to take the shortcut of crossing the mountain.

They are not even sure they can leap over to the other side with their power being sealed.

Lucas arrived at the front of the lines and looked ahead. He couldn't see anyone on the rope he chose as there were only a few of the students were managed to reach this far while many are still climbing.

On the other side, some students can be seen bending down as they reached out for the rope and

held onto the rope and gripping it they tried to test its strength before moving.

Some of them kicked off their shoes to get a better grip and then started to make their way across the rope.

Lucas took a deep breath, steadying himself. The challenge ahead seemed daunting, but he knew that he had come too far to back down now. He gripped the rope tightly, feeling its rough texture against his palms.

With a determined push, Lucas swung out over the abyss, his body hanging precariously as he began to move hand over hand along the rope. Each pull strained his already exhausted muscles, but he kept a steady pace, focusing on his grip and footing. Below him, the fog obscured the bottom, adding an eerie sense of endless depth to the challenge.

The rope swayed slightly with each movement, but Lucas's intense concentration kept him balanced. He could hear the faint encouragements from his fellow cadets, their voices a mix of support and shared struggle. The camaraderie helped him push through the pain, one handhold at a time.

Halfway across, Lucas paused to catch his breath. His muscles screamed for relief, but he knew that stopping for too long could lead to disaster.