Chapter 193
Training
After what felt like an eternity spent scrubbing floors and wiping down stalls, the group finally made it back to the dorms. Their shoulders were slumped and their legs were aching with clothes clinging slightly with the scent of disinfectant still lingering.
No one said anything as they entered their room—there was no energy left for complaints.
Reuel dropped face-first onto his bed with a groan. "This sucks balls… How is my reputation supposed to survive if I get caught washing toilets?"
His voice was muffled by the pillow, but the frustration could be heard clearly.
None of the others had the strength to respond. Henry flopped back against the wall, letting out a long exhale, while Yohan sank to the floor beside his bed, his eyes half-closed. They each gave a tired nod or vague grunt of agreement, but that was all they could manage.
It was no mystery why they were exhausted. Their bodies had been pushed by the sudden competition, and their minds weren't far behind by the pressure and stress.
And now, as if that wasn't enough, they had spent the last few hours bent over toilets.
IAM sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor in silence. His body was tired, but his mind wouldn't rest.
The punishment wasn't just humiliating—it was beginning to interfere with his entire routine. It was eating into his life more than he'd expected. At first, he'd thought it would be something annoying, maybe inconvenient. But now, he was starting to see how it would affect every part of his day in the future.
Every morning started early. Lessons dragged on until late in the afternoon, packed with lectures and theories. In between were short breaks.
After the day's end—after the classes and the constant push to stay ahead—they were required to report for punishment. it was non-negotiable. Every evening, they'd be assigned their task. Sometimes it was cleaning bathrooms. Other times, sweeping stairwells, scrubbing walls, or dealing with whatever unpleasant chore the council felt like handing down that day.
And the worst part was there was no set duration. It could take two hours, or it could take four. It all depended on how messy the job was.
Only after completing the task were they dismissed. At that point, they were technically free to return to the dorm or go wherever they wanted. But by then, the sky had already darkened and their limbs felt like stone, and all the motivation would had been wrung out of them.
For IAM, by the time he got back, there was barely any time left in the day to do the things that actually mattered. He couldn't stop by the library. He couldn't train with Kassara at the grounds— And the training sessions he'd wanted to begin with Henry? There might not be any energy left in either of them to even consider it.
IAM leaned back on his bed, his arms crossed over his chest, staring up at the ceiling. He was starting to feel the nagging feeling that every spare moment he had was now being taken from him. Time he could've used to train, to research, to figure out what came next… was now being spent with a mop in hand and rubber gloves on.
These weren't optional things—they were important, necessary steps in helping IAM progress. Visiting the library meant research, building his understanding of his path and history. Training with KASSARA wasn't just target practice; it was about gaining familiarity, control, and learning how to rely on it under pressure.
But with each passing day, time would kept slipping through his fingers. Lessons filled the daylight hours, and punishment devoured what remained. Schoolwork would start to pile up too—and IAM would quickly running out of space to fit everything in.
There was only one option left.
He'd have to let go of sleep.
It wasn't ideal, but it was the only place where he had any flexibility. If he cut back on rest, maybe he could start buying back some of the time he was losing. It wasn't sustainable, but it didn't have to be.
Besides, ascenders were different.
As they grew stronger, their bodies changed. The demands of normal life—things like food, water, even sleep—slowly began to lose their grip. High-level ascenders could go days without rest, functioning at full strength with barely more than an hour of shut-eye.
IAM wasn't anywhere near that level. But if he wanted to get there… maybe this was where it started.
As an experienced-level ascender, IAM could survive on just a few hours of sleep each day for an extended period. His body could handle it—at least for now. It was a known trait of ascenders at his level: the further one progressed, the less reliant they became on basic human needs. Still, it wasn't something to rely on forever. Even ascenders needed proper rest from time to time or the body would begin to wear down.
But he didn't have the luxury of balance.
If he wanted to keep up—he would have to push everything into the night. It was the only window left to him. He was willing to make that sacrifice. The only question now was whether Henry would be willing to do the same.
IAM looked up at Henry from where he sat and studied his face for a moment, trying to gauge where he stood. Henry caught the look and gave him a quick, easy smile.
Taking that as his cue, IAM began to explain. He laid it out plainly: the time constraints, the punishment schedule, the lack of freedom in the day. And most importantly, the only real solution—training at night, pushing through with what little time they had left.
Henry didn't interrupt. He just stood there, with his arms crossed, nodding occasionally to show he was following along. His expression didn't change much, which made it hard to tell what he was thinking. IAM kept going anyway.
When he was done, there was a short pause. Then Henry reached up and ran a hand along his chin, with a thoughtful expression.
"I have no problem at all with that, actually," he said.
IAM let out a quiet breath. That was a relief. More than that, it was good. It meant they could move forward without delay.
Henry smirked a little and leaned forward. "In fact," he said, stretching his arms, "we can start now, if you want."