Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 723: Forest

Asher rose with a yawn as the system woke him, informing him that it was time for training. To Asher’s surprise, the system had not done anything cheeky like waking him up an hour past 4:20 a.m., but he did not let his guard down. Instead, he simply reminded Virelass to remain vigilant, as the system might still be playing both of them after all. Virelass merely hummed in acknowledgment at his request and said nothing more, her presence calm and observant as always.

Today, there was going to be a change in training. The previous night, Instructor Mira had informed them that physical conditioning training would be put on hold, as they would be diving into another type of training under a different Instructor. Asher made his way into the bathroom as he prepared for the day, changing his clothes, washing his face, and brushing up before stepping out. He waited until the exact time before activating his Position Marker ability, vanishing instantly from his room without a trace.

Asher usually appeared at exactly 4:59 a.m., barely a minute before training began, but nobody said anything. As long as he was on time, no one cared about the timing of his arrival.

Asher glanced around, and as expected, he was the last to arrive. The moment a minute passed, another Instructor appeared, this time, a male. He floated above them without uttering a word, and with a simple wave of his hand, every single student was forcefully teleported without resistance.

Asher felt the ground solidify beneath his feet, his body snapping into place in less than a second as he quickly took in his surroundings. Towering trees surrounded him, their height so immense that even the tallest skyscrapers on Earth would seem insignificant in comparison. Despite the temptation, Asher did not activate his Omni Perception. Although he easily could, he chose not to. To him, it was better to maximize his gains from training by relying solely on his base senses, which, even then, were already too good in their own right.

After observing their new environment, the students’ attention shifted upward toward the Instructor, who floated calmly as though giving them time to adjust.

After a brief pause, he began to speak.

"My name is Instructor Sane, and my training is simple. I will be guiding you through speed training, helping you enhance things such as reaction time, reflexes, perception, instantaneous responses, and also increasing your pain threshold," he said, his voice low and calm, vastly different from Instructor Mira’s tone, which always carried a subtle yet unmistakable indifference, as though she found the act of training them beneath her interest.

At the Instructor’s words, everyone turned their gaze toward the forest before them, which was shrouded in darkness, barely illuminated by faint strands of moonlight filtering through the dense canopy. They did not need to be told what awaited them within. Instinct alone was enough to tell them that whatever lay inside was dangerous, and more importantly, capable of injuring them. Some of the students subconsciously swallowed, recalling the hellish training under Instructor Mira. From that alone, they could only assume this would be yet another brutal session bordering on death.

Instructor Sane observed their expressions and simply smiled, shaking his head lightly before speaking again.

"Don’t worry. There is no need to fear. My training is relatively easy compared to Mira’s," he said in a reassuring tone.

At those words, many students released a breath they did not realize they had been holding. However, not all reacted. For some, whether the Instructor offered reassurance or not made no difference. A training session was still a training session, and nothing about that fact changed.

With that, Instructor Sane waved his hand, and various bracelets descended from the sky, five landing neatly in front of each student as he controlled their movement with precise Astea manipulation.

"These are weight bracelets. Fasten four to your limbs, and the fifth one to your waist," Instructor Sane instructed calmly.

Asher examined the bracelets in his hand. Though they felt weightless, he already understood their purpose. Without complaint, he followed the instructions immediately, fastening them into place with efficiency.

As for the other students, their expressions practically begged for mercy as they equipped the restraints. After all, they were still wearing their training jumpsuits, which already imposed additional weight on their bodies. Now, even more weight was being added to their wrists, ankles, and center of gravity, making their situation even more difficult.

Instructor Sane snapped his fingers, and instantly, the students felt the difference. It was not overwhelming to the point where they collapsed or fell, but the restriction was undeniable, pressing down on their movements and subtly limiting their speed.

Instructor Sane then pointed toward the forest behind him as he spoke once more.

"For now, the objective is simple, reach the other end of the forest. And although I do not need to say it, I will anyway, the use of abilities and Astra energy is forbidden. Based on the type of training I mentioned earlier, I am sure some of you already have an idea of what to expect, so try not to get injured more than necessary," his voice remained composed, steady, and composed.

Since the Instructor appeared approachable and far more relaxed than Mira, one student dared to raise a hand to ask a question.

"You may speak," Instructor Sane said, still suspended in midair.

"Instructor Sane, what should we expect?" the student asked with clear curiosity.

"The usual," Instructor Sane replied without hesitation.

Hearing his answer, the student was left speechless. Not just her, even the others shared the same confusion, as none of them had any idea what "the usual" truly meant. However, none of them pressed further. If Instructor Sane chose to answer that way, then it meant they would have to experience it firsthand.

"And I do not need to remind you that this is a running course. I do not want to see anyone walking, jogging, or moving sluggishly. You may run at full speed if you wish, or not, but I will not tolerate anyone moving at a snail’s pace," Instructor Sane added firmly.

Everyone nodded, understanding his words clearly. In truth, none of them intended to run at full speed anyway. If they completed the course too quickly, they would simply be made to start over again. Besides, the forest was vast enough to accommodate all of them from different entry points, ensuring they would not interfere with one another mid-run.

"You may begin," Instructor Sane instructed.

At his command, the students immediately pushed off the ground, sprinting forward into the forest with powerful strides. Despite the additional weights suppressing their speed, they still moved far faster than any unawakened human ever could without effort, their figures vanishing into the darkness as the next phase of their training began.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: I released six Chapters today, so please do your best to read them all and not close the page after reading this Chapter. Also, at the end of the last Chapter, help me tell the rich super-gift spenders a big thank you, as because of them, these bulk Chapters are being pumped out by this humble slaving author.