Chapter 90: A Little Challenge

Later, they both left the school compound through the school gate with Hermione’s assistance and validation, having made sure they were allowed to leave for their planned outing.

The morning weather was moderate and cool, with a gentle breeze passing through the surroundings and keeping the temperature comfortable. It was the kind of weather that made outdoor exercise feel less exhausting, especially for a long-distance jog.

The sky above them was clear, with soft sunlight spreading across the road and giving the morning a bright but peaceful appearance. The school gradually disappeared behind them as they followed the route toward the gym, leaving the familiar buildings and grounds behind.

Along the way as they walked, Hermione glanced at Mark with an expression that immediately suggested a thought had just appeared in her mind. Her eyes shifted toward him for a moment before she looked ahead again, as though she was considering whether to reveal the idea. Mark noticed the change in her expression and raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Hmm, let’s make this trek interesting, shall we? How about we both jog as a start to our exercise to the gym while trying to surpass each other in pace and endurance? We’re just over 10 kilometers from our destination, so that should do."

Hermione’s suggestion carried a playful challenge beneath her calm voice. She wasn’t simply proposing a way to reach the gym. She was clearly trying to turn the journey itself into the first part of their workout. The distance ahead of them was considerable, and the thought of running the entire way made the challenge much more demanding than an ordinary warm-up.

"Sounds like a great idea that favors myself. Ten kilometers isn’t even a glance worth it. You sure you don’t want to back out before you’re humiliated by my super leg capacity? Wouldn’t want to mess up a dweeb like you," Mark teased with a little smirk.

He straightened himself slightly as he spoke, already carrying himself like someone who had won the challenge before it had even begun. His confidence was obvious in the way he stood and in the slight upward curve of his lips. He seemed almost eager to prove that his physical training had prepared him for exactly this kind of situation.

Hermione just chuckled slightly at his daring confidence while eyeing him with playful mockery. She didn’t appear intimidated in the slightest. Instead, she seemed almost amused by how quickly Mark had convinced himself that victory was already his.

"Always remember never to estimate someone by the start of a challenge but from the end. You look like the one who would just fall from the very start. You give that impression."

Mark’s smirk faltered for a moment.

"Okay, my bad. But there’s something called belief, the belief in your potential over others. Since childhood, this principle has held me up, even when I first entered Amstral High without powers. That’s why I’ll test that belief for this challenge."

His voice became slightly more serious toward the end. Beneath the teasing, the statement was something he genuinely believed. His time before gaining powers had taught him to rely on whatever physical ability and determination he could develop himself. He had never wanted the absence of supernatural abilities to become an excuse for giving up.

Hermione nodded with approval.

"I love your commitment. It has helped me a lot as well since childhood. One of mine was prediction trials because I always tried to guess the results of whatever I did. If it didn’t seem favorable, then I would readjust. And that’s why I’m sort of certain about the result of this challenge."

Her explanation made Mark glance at her with renewed interest. It sounded like a simple habit, but there was something distinctly Hermione about it. She seemed to approach even ordinary situations by observing, calculating, and preparing herself for different outcomes. Whether she was studying, training, or simply dealing with another person, she rarely seemed to act without first considering what might happen next.

"We’ll see about that by the end, like you said," Mark replied with a challenging tone.

They both inhaled deeply before proceeding. At first, they moved into a steady jog rather than immediately pushing themselves into a sprint. Their footsteps settled into a consistent rhythm against the pavement as they gradually increased their pace. The first stretch of the journey was meant to reel up their stamina and allow their bodies to adjust to the challenge instead of wasting all their energy within the opening minutes.

The cool morning air brushed against their faces as they continued down the road. Their footsteps came and went in a steady pattern, accompanied by the occasional sound of passing vehicles and distant city activity. The road ahead stretched toward the horizon, with buildings, signs, trees, and other structures gradually becoming part of the scenery as they moved farther away from the school.

Mark shut his eyes briefly before inhaling deeply several times. He felt the surge of energy flowing through his body like paths of water spreading through a dry surface. The sensation mostly revived his leg muscles, which had been seasoned and trained through his previous consistent morning routine. His muscles were already accustomed to repeated physical exertion, even if endurance had remained one of his greatest weaknesses. This was the result of his hard work and commitment toward his manual exercises, and he intended for all of it to pay off during the challenge.

This wasn’t the application of mana, but rather his physical capability as a trainer and prepared gym-goer from his previous days as a combat learner. He had acquired and understood the principles of regulating and adjusting his body system when it came to physicality and movement. He knew how to control his breathing, distribute his energy, adjust his pace, and recognize the early signs of fatigue. Those abilities were evidence of the control he had developed over his own energy distribution.

Back when he was still a mundane human without any powers, he had learned how to utilize calories and energy through techniques similar to the principles of mana consumption and harnessing used by summoners. He had later adapted that understanding to his physical capacity through enhanced metabolism, controlled breathing, and improved bodily reactions as a result of his training lessons. It wasn’t supernatural power that pushed his body forward. It was the product of repeated effort, discipline, and his understanding of how his body responded to exertion.

Still, Mark knew that Hermione would obviously be far greater than him when it came to techniques, skills, and overall capacity. She had been trained as a summoner since childhood and was also a member of one of the great clans in the region. She would have gone through better and more advanced lessons and training than he had, giving her an obvious advantage in power and ability. Her physical preparation would likely have been considerably better as well, placing her among those with impressive natural talent in sports and other physical activities.

But as he had said, he had belief in his own resolve over others, including her.

And he intended to prove it.

The gym would be the place where he could demonstrate the results of everything he had learned. This simple jog was only the beginning. If he couldn’t even keep up with Hermione on the way there, then he would have a lot to reconsider about his current physical condition.

Moving forward at a steady pace, Mark inhaled slowly as he gradually caught up with Hermione, who was already more than fifty meters ahead of him. Her lead had developed surprisingly quickly. She maintained her jogging rhythm without showing any obvious sign of slowing down, her steps landing with a consistent pattern as her body moved naturally with each stride.

Mark narrowed his eyes.

He increased his pace.

For a while, they continued with a proper jogging motion, their legs repeatedly extending and pulling back beneath them. Their arms moved naturally with their strides, helping them maintain balance and momentum. The surrounding scenery seemed to shift faster as they increased their pace, while the cool morning air gradually became warmer against their skin.

At one point, Mark began to feel a pumping strain throughout his muscles. It wasn’t unbearable yet, but he could already sense the beginning of fatigue. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of the setback he had always faced with endurance.

Stamina had been one of the most difficult physical factors for him to improve and bring under control.

Hermione, however, didn’t seem tired in the slightest.

Her pace remained steady and natural, almost as though the distance ahead of them meant nothing. Her breathing remained controlled, and her body movement never ceased for even a moment. A thin layer of sweat had begun to form across her skin from the exercise, catching the morning light whenever she passed through brighter patches of sunlight.

Mark gritted his teeth as he pushed forward to match her pace. He refused to fall behind, and he certainly didn’t want to surrender before they even reached the gym.

But Hermione was simply too good when it came to stamina.

It was a direct counter to one of his greatest weaknesses.

She gradually outpaced him by several steps, leaving him slightly behind. From his position, he could see the rhythmic movement of her legs and the way her athletic body maintained its momentum without hesitation. His attention lingered for a moment on the movement of her body as she ran ahead, but he quickly reminded himself of the reason he was there.

He had a goal.

He wanted to surpass her in this endurance challenge, and he wasn’t willing to lose like a child.

The distance continued to disappear beneath their feet.

Later, after they had been running for some time, Mark began experiencing a growing strain in his muscles. The sensation became more pronounced with every step. His thighs felt heavier, his breathing became more demanding, and the strength that had felt abundant at the beginning of the journey slowly began to drain away.

However, he resisted.

He kept moving forward.

His movements became tighter as the stress built throughout his body. He tried to regulate his breathing and maintain his pace, refusing to let the discomfort control him. Every step became a small test of his determination.

Before he could move much farther, his body finally reached its limit.

His legs suddenly locked up with a tight, painful freeze, causing his forward momentum to collapse. He stumbled and fell forward from the force of his jog, sliding briefly over his stomach against the ground.

A heavy huff escaped his lips.

For several seconds, Mark remained there, breathing heavily while the exhaustion settled over him. He slowly lifted his head and looked upward.

That was when he noticed the building only a short distance away.

A large sign displaying the name of the gym stood prominently above the entrance.

They had finally arrived.

Hermione stood near the entrance with an amused but disappointed expression on her face, her arms folded comfortably across her chest. She had apparently stopped and waited for him rather than immediately entering.

She stared at him for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

"Always a doofus for not living up to your words of belief," she teased with a smirk.