Head Instructor Turan got out of bed as the cave lights came on, signaling that it was morning. He washed his hands and face and changed his clothes, then left his room. He put on his own suit from the protective clothing closet located at the cave exit and walked away from this death trap that was slowly killing him.
…
In the first days of his arrival in orbit around the black hole, all of Head Instructor Turan's mana had been stripped from him by the mana-blocking stones placed on the cave floor. He struggled for the first few days, but then he adapted to a life without mana. He was happy and at peace, but this careless, indifferent attitude changed after a fortnight.
That morning, as he was washing his face, he noticed three or four gray hairs in the hair above his right ear. Where did that come from? Sure, he was old enough, but not enough to make his hair turn gray. He immediately plucked out his gray hair and regained his former peace.
The next morning, he was faced with gray hairs again. This time, they were almost twice the more of the ones he'd had the day before. Yesterday, he'd pulled out all his gray hairs. He got rid of them, but they were back in the same place, and this time, even more. Because he pulled his hair? Why did these white hairs occur back again and become more numerous? He didn't know, but he was afraid to pull his hair again and left it as it was.
TThe next morning, his white hair had increased considerably. Nearly a third of the hair above his right ear was pure white. It was as if someone had quietly come up to him while he slept and painted part of the hair above his right ear white with a paintbrush. Pulling at his hair didn't change anything.
If this continued, all his hair would be pure white within a month. His body trembled, and the fear of aging sank into his heart. "It's too early, too early. How can my hair turn white so early? I'm not that old," he said, and ran out of the bathroom to dial for Ms. Esin.
When the conversation ended, it wasn't easy for his to face the truth he learned from Ms. Esin. He sat down, thought for a while about what to do, and then stood up, having made his decision. He left his room, walking with angry and quick steps.
As he headed toward the cave exit, he stomped hard on the jade stones laid on the ground, as if kicking them. These stones were the real culprits that turned his hair white. It wasn't enough that they had stripped his body of its mana; now they wanted to take his life too.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late. He quickened his pace to follow Ms. Esin's suggestion. He would replenish his mana and return to his former healthy self. He moved quickly, swiftly put on his protective robe, and then exited the cave.
From now on, he would leave the cave every morning and evening and allow the mana his heart generated for him to circulate through his body. This would revitalize his tired cells. While this was not a complete solution for a healthy life, it was certain that it would minimize the effects of aging.
…
Mana is not a force or substance lying idle in a person's body. It is a blessing that permeates every part of the body, from its organs and veins to the smallest cell within, without discrimination. It is a gift.
Mana is like a saint within the body. It is sublime, reigning supreme over the body in all its glory, a king whose rule and authority are firm. Under its rule, there can be no irregularities, errors, weakness, or laziness in the body.
When the power of manabegins to circulate within the body, that body will no longer be subject to microbial diseases. It will become more resistant to the cold of winter and the heat of summer. Its physical strength will increase. Because the cells will always maintain their health and vitality, the body's lifespan will be extended.
…
Head Instructor Turan sat on a rock a short distance from the cave, waiting for his mana to replenish. As the mana that emerged with each beat of his heart slowly began to spread through his body, his aging cells were rejuvenated and began to work rapidly once more.
Hours later, his mana was fully replenished. Yet he still looked toward the cave with fear. He knew that once he entered the cave, his mana would be taken from him again, and he would lose all the power and vitality he had gathered in his cells. Old age was inevitably waiting for Turan inside the cave, and there was no escape for Turan.
"I wish I had never come here," he said, but this choice was not in his hands. This was a task he never wanted. He had been here for five months because he couldn't disobey Dean Noyan's orders. Time seemed to stand still, but this situation would soon change. Because the students' three-month virtual training was about to end.
Currently, only one student remained in virtual training. The others had completed their virtual training and returned to the academy. Once Demir finished his training and left, there would be no need for Head Instructor Turan to stay here anymore. He would return home, to his academy where he was strong and powerful, and be free of this asteroid that was slowly draining his life.
But now, he had to check on what his last student in virtual training was doing. He got up from where he was sitting and walked calmly toward the cave.
…
Eiderd was the first to complete the virtual training task. That was five days ago. The virtual training system terminated the training when it confirmed that Eiderd had met the set criteria. As the system shut down, the lights of the virtual room went out with it, and then Eiderd collapsed to the floor and fell into a deep sleep.
A while later, when the room lights came back on, Eiderd opened his eyes as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep. As his memories of his experiences flooded his mind, he felt as if he had just experienced a long dream. And he couldn't help but murmur about his strange dream.
"What a strange dream that was. Me and the military? That only happens in dreams. Hahaha..." The moment he stood up and saw the tiny virtual assistant in front of him, it didn't take long for him to realize that the experience he'd just had wasn't a dream, but a life lived in virtual education.
- Congratulations on successfully completing the training. We hope your experience impacts you for the better and adds even a little happiness to your life. Goodbye, until we meet again…
- (Eiderd was furious as the virtual assistant spun around and disappeared.) DAMN IN! You bastards… How can you do this to a king? Every day, I peeled potatoes and cleaned toilets. I can't even count how many beatings I took...
You call this training? I will make you pay for this evil you've done to me. I will definitely find you, catch you, and make the rest of your life a living hell…
He clenched his fists in anger, but there was nothing he could do. He took a few deep breaths, calming his anger a little. He was calmer now. When he finally realized that standing in the empty room wasn't doing him any good, he asked, "How can you do this to me?" He muttered, heading towards the exit. Then he passed through the portal and returned to the academy.
…
After Tauriel and her students won the royal archery competition, the mission was complete. It was a surprising victory. No one expected such a result from a newly appointed teacher. But she and her students succeeded. When all the conditions were met, Tauriel also left the virtual training.
…
As for Durualp… This boy is an interesting character. Although he studied under a learned master to hone his fighting skills, he couldn't help but lazying. He avoided opponents stronger than himself whenever possible, but whenever he found a weaker opponent, he would beat them.
He usually tried to overcome the challenges he faced with his intelligence. But one day, when he encountered people as intelligent as himself, but blunt and dangerous, things took a turn for the worse. When he was killed in a secluded corner, no one was left to remember him.
Unable to reach the fighting level he had set for himself, Durualp's virtual training was cut short by his sudden death, and he was forced back to the academy.
…
The moment Head Instructor Turan entered the cave, the jade on the floor began to do its job, drawing all the mana from Turan's body towards itself. His suddenly lost mana instantly weakened his body. He had been perfectly healthy just a minute ago, but now he felt very old.
This daily ritual of rejuvenation and aging was a tiring process for Head Instructor Turan. But soon, he would break free from this vicious cycle and regain his healthy, vibrant, and strong body.
A faint smile crossed his face as he quickly moved forward, removing his protective suit and placing it in the closet. Then, taking a copy of Demir's daily video recording from Demir virtual room, he went to his own room. He sat at his desk, opened the video recording, and began watching it.
...
Demir and Yaver arrived at the northern border town, and on their first night in town, they were attacked by their enemies. Yaver was captured, while Demir managed to escape. "No matter how difficult your situation is, you must find a way out. Well done," he said, praising Demir, and watched the hotel room raid again.
Then Demir's lies in the bookstore caught his attention. "This kid is a very good liar. He can lie without thinking and he can connect every detail. He's good at hiding from his surroundings," he said, praising Demir once again. Then he thought back to the first program he had prepared for him.
The virtual training he had prepared for Demir focused on killing without mercy and developing his fighting style. It wasn't a detailed plan at all. But somehow, things changed, and the virtual AI system created a new story for Demir.
It seems Demir gained a lot from this training the AI system had prepared for him. He improved himself and learned to react instantly, without hesitation, to situations. It seems the AI system gave Demir what he needed.
Head Instructor Turan decided to create more comprehensive content for the students' next virtual training session, similar to the AI system's story, and continued watching Demir's video recording.
He suddenly stood up when he watched the scene where Demir killed nine people after rescuing Berfin. What kind of attack was this? He couldn't believe his eyes. This attack was too fast to be real. He rewound the video recording and watched it again. Then he watched it again.
He had no idea how Demir was moving so fast. He slowed the recording down considerably and watched it again. Now, while Demir was moving at a normal pace, the others seemed frozen. Demir circled each enemy one by one, slicing their necks and neutralizing them.
Head Instructor Turan paused the video recording and walked around it for a while, pondering Demir's speed. When he finally reached his own conclusion, he began talking to himself.
- As a reflex reaction, the body can move very quickly. As a result of years of training, it is normal for the body to react very quickly for attack or defense purposes. But this reflex reaction is a one-way movement.
(He turned his head and looked at the video recording he had paused.) What Demir did was a complex attack. One that followed another. An attack that changed according to the enemy's position and movement... In the end... These attacks cannot be considered reflexes...
Head Instructor Turan's astonishment grew as he thought about it. Finally, when he sent Demir's video recording to Dean Noyan, he realized he would have to explain how Demir was able to attack so quickly, so he took the video recording with him and hurried to the engineers' room...