Chapter 51: Training
"Is this a joke? Because if it is, it is not funny. Such basic things cannot be considered training." She was thinking of leaving, but something told her to stay. She knew how powerful he was, so there had to be a reason for this training.
"Basic, huh? You remind me of someone so much, she had the same cocky attitude as you... She lasted ten minutes before quitting. I wonder how long you will last. Try and keep up."
He began to demonstrate the squat. But it was not a typical squat—he lowered himself into a deep squat position and held it there, his body steady like a statue. His knees did not waver, his back stayed straight, and his balance was impeccable.
"Alright," he said, his voice calm, "this is called a static hold squat. You hold this position for as long as possible. And if you think that is too easy..." He picked up a nearby flower pot made out of stone with one hand, casually setting it on his shoulders. "You can add weight to make it more fun. Let us see if your pride can handle this."
Jia’s tail flicked in irritation as she watched. "That is it? You just... stay still? Sounds boring."
"Boring, huh?" He asked, his tone teasing her as sweat already started to bead on his forehead as the strain began to set in. "Funny how the simplest things can make you feel muscles you did not even know existed. But hey, if you are too scared to try, I will not judge."
As expected, she fell for his taunts. "Scared? Tch!" She lowered herself into the squat position. Her movements were sharp, her balance perfect—at first. But within moments, her thighs started to burn, and her pride began to clash with the growing ache in her legs.
’What the hell? I did squats before, so why am I struggling? Is it perhaps because we are not moving?’
"Feeling it yet?" He teased, adjusting the weight on his shoulder as if it weighed nothing. "Do not lock your knees, keep the tension in your muscles. Oh, and breathe—it helps keep you from falling over."
Jia gritted her teeth, determined not to show any weakness. "This... is nothing!" she growled. But her tail betrayed her, twitching wildly as her body fought to maintain the position.
’Haha, she has no idea what is coming. I will let her tire out a bit before moving on.’
They held their positions for about six minutes. Jia was on the verge of falling, her whole body trembling.
"What is wrong? I thought this was nothing?" His words were like adding salt to a fresh wound. It was harder than she expected, but her pride was still too much for her to admit that.
"H-Hmph, this is nothing, human. I can do this all day... I am not tired or anything, but how long do we have to stay like this?" With each passing moment, her legs felt like they would break, and the ground beneath her was covered in sweat.
Telling her that they would move on to the next training would have been easy, but where was the fun in that? "Well, since you said it is nothing... I am thinking two to three hours."
"What?! I mean, oh, that is not a problem at all, yeah, I can do this all day." Deep inside, she was crying and cursing him out.
"Hahaha, your pride is something, I cannot tell if that is a good or bad thing... I am leaning more to the bad side, though, it will get you hurt one day. Anyway, let us move on to the next step. Now that we have warmed up, it is time for those 500 squats to properly begin."
Jia’s jaw nearly dropped. "What?! That was the warm-up?" she exclaimed, her legs trembling so much she could barely keep standing.
"Of course. Did you think that was it? Did you forget me mentioning 500 squats?"
’Dammit, this human is going to kill me... should I just back out... but that would look bad, I cannot let the queen’s reputation be dirtied. I am a captain, I should do my best to uphold that.’ Her eyes sparked with determination, which Vell found amusing, seeing her suddenly so serious.
"Let us start, human. I am going to crush this training of yours."
’Oh, would you look at her, all pumped up, huh... but I am sorry to say, that will not help you.’ His expression was that of someone up to no good.
"Alright, since you are so eager, let me explain. We are doing slow jumping squats—and you are only allowed to breathe after every 50. Oh, and do not forget to hold your form perfect—one misstep and we restart the count."
"Breathe after 50?" she repeated, her eyes wide. "You are insane!"
"Maybe, but it works. Slow down, control your movements, and focus. If you rush, your legs will give out before you hit halfway. This is a training designed to help you learn to control your breathing in tense situations, but also... well, maybe I should let you experience it yourself."
He crouched into a squat, lowering himself slowly until his thighs were parallel to the floor. His descent was smooth and deliberate, the strain clear in his posture. Then, with equal precision, he pushed off the ground, leaping no more than a foot into the air. His landing was just as controlled, sinking immediately back into another slow descent.
She watched him, her jaw tightening as she realized this was not just about strength—it was about control, discipline, and endurance. The kind of thing she hated admitting she might lack. But she was already in too deep to back out now.
’Does not look too hard, surely I can do this.’ She thought, dropping into a squat. She mirrored his movements. At first, her pride pushed her forward, her movements crisp and controlled, mimicking his form perfectly. She even managed to keep pace for the first twenty jumps. But by the thirtieth squat, her thighs burned like fire, and her balance began to waver.
"You are breaking form," he pointed out casually, not even out of breath. His jumps were smooth, his landings precise, as if mocking her struggle. "We are at 37. One more slip, and we start over."
She gritted her teeth, annoyed at how much harder this was than expected, but she was determined not to give him the satisfaction of giving up. "I am fine! Let us continue."
Each descent felt like her legs were made of lead, and the thought of holding her breath for another thirteen squats made her dizzy. Her pride clashed violently with her screaming muscles.
By squat 49, her vision blurred slightly, and she stumbled on the landing, her knees buckling for a fraction of a second.
"Oops," he said, his grin widening. "You slipped. So close too."
"W-what? No, I did not!" she shot back, her voice shaking as much as her legs.
He straightened up and stretched casually, as if to drive the point home. "Rules are rules. Back to zero."
"Are you kidding me!?" she yelled, nearly losing her balance again in her outrage. "You—!"
"Hey," he interrupted, his tone serious for once, "this is not just about squats or strength. You think battles are won by raw power alone? You are a captain, are not you? What happens when you are outnumbered, exhausted, and one mistake means your whole team falls apart?"
She froze, his words cutting through her frustration.
"This is about control," his eyes were sharp, his power lightly emitting from his body. "Control over your body. Control over your mind. And yeah, control over that big mouth of yours." He was no longer smiling. This was serious, his words were harsh, but his message lingered. "Now, let us start again. Or you can quit, does not really matter to me."
She clenched her fists, every muscle in her body screaming in protest. She hated to admit it, but his words struck a nerve. ’Shit. Has my way of living been a lie? My queen has always taught us that power is everything, we have won many battles thanks to her, but now this human appears out of nowhere and tells me that our ways are wrong?’
She was caught in a strange spot. Were his words right? Or should she continue with her old ways?
’No, that cannot be right. Our strength has always been our pride, our foundation. Power is what keeps us safe, what keeps us standing above the rest. And yet... why does what he says make so much sense?’ His words kept replaying in her mind.
She thought back to past battles, moments where sheer strength had carried her through—but also moments where a single lapse in focus had nearly cost her everything. Suddenly, it all began to make sense why she was simply a captain despite the years that had passed.
She was simply not good enough.
Her tail flicked as frustration bubbled inside her. ’Was I lucky?’ she wondered, her pride fighting every inch of that thought. ’Have I been surviving on brute force and luck, instead of real control?’
She glanced at Vell, who stood relaxed, waiting for her decision. His expression was unreadable now—no teasing grin, no mocking glint in his eye. Just quiet, unyielding patience.
The weight of the moment sank in. ’He is not here to humiliate me. He is trying to teach me something... something that might keep me alive... Yeah, I should put aside my pride, just this once.’
With a deep breath, she made her choice. "Let us go again," she said, her voice steadier than before. "I am not quitting, not now, not ever!"
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Good choice, let us go again then."