Chapter 186: First Week
The following days passed as one continuous flow of effort, sweat, and discipline.
Time seemed to have lost its usual meaning, each day blending into the next in an unbroken sequence of challenges and progress. The sun rose and set, meals came and went, but for Lukas, everything revolved around training.
On the morning after his first bath with the Physical Enhancement Lotion, Lukas woke even before the first rays of sunlight passed through his window.
The room was still immersed in the bluish twilight of dawn, just bright enough for him to distinguish the outlines of the familiar furniture.
He slowly opened his eyes, his consciousness returning in gentle waves.
By instinct, he moved his arms and legs, testing his body as he had done every morning since beginning his training.
He blinked a few times in surprise.
The pain from the previous day had practically disappeared. There was still a slight fatigue hidden within his muscles, a lingering sensation of having been thoroughly used, but it was nothing compared to what he had felt after returning from the clearing the day before. The painful stiffness was gone, along with the feeling that his limbs were bound by invisible chains.
"It really works..." he murmured, a smile forming on his lips as he felt the lightness in his body.
He immediately got out of bed, his movements fluid and agile. He put on a simple set of training clothes, the same ones he had worn the previous day, now washed and dried overnight. He splashed cold water on his face, feeling the refreshing shock against his skin, then hurried downstairs.
As usual, Clavor was already waiting near the mansion’s entrance. His arms were crossed over his chest, his posture impeccable, his observant eyes fixed on the door. He looked as though he had been standing there for hours, patiently waiting.
As soon as he saw his son, a small smile appeared on his face, the same smile Lukas had already learned to recognize as a sign of approval.
"Today will be harder." Clavor’s voice was calm but carried a note of warning.
Lukas simply nodded, his violet eyes shining with determination.
"I’m ready."
The two of them headed once again toward the clearing, crossing the forest in silence. The path had already become familiar to Lukas, every bend, every tree, every stone on the ground. He already knew where to step to avoid treacherous roots, where the ground was firmer, and where the sunlight filtered through the leaves.
And it truly was harder.
The exercises that had been performed using only his own body weight on the first day had changed completely. Clavor tied a large stone to Lukas’s back before the squats, the thick rope pressing against his shoulders as the weight settled firmly against him.
"Movement is still more important than strength." Clavor repeated his favorite lesson.
"It doesn’t matter how much weight you’re carrying. If your movement is wrong, you’re only training yourself to make mistakes."
Lukas took a deep breath, feeling the extra weight press against his spine.
He lowered himself slowly, controlling every inch of the movement. His knees bent, his hips shifted backward, and his spine remained straight. The weight pulled downward, trying to throw him off balance.
He stood back up, the muscles in his legs burning intensely.
Then he repeated it again.
With each repetition, his legs burned even more, lactic acid building within his muscles like liquid fire. He counted silently in his mind, focusing on every movement and every breath.
Then came the running. This time, he didn’t run freely across the clearing, enjoying the wind against his face. He carried a thick log resting across his shoulders, its rough surface pressing against his skin. The weight made his legs tremble, every step becoming a battle against gravity and exhaustion.
But he kept going.
When the runs were over, the push-ups began. Clavor made him continue until he could no longer lift himself, his arms trembling violently beneath his own weight. Lukas clenched his teeth, forcing out every repetition, feeling his chest and triceps burn in protest.
And when his arms finally gave out, when his elbows bent and he could no longer push himself up...
Clavor simply said calmly,
"Two more."
Lukas gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing with effort.
And he did them.
He always did.
By the end of the training session, he could barely keep his arms raised. They hung limply at his sides, heavy as lead, every movement requiring monumental effort.
...
That afternoon, the enormous stone bathtub was already waiting for him once again. Steam rose from its heated surface, creating a gentle mist throughout the stone chamber.
Clavor poured another dose of the Physical Enhancement Lotion, the dark red liquid spreading through the water like ink across a painting.
The water turned reddish, almost ruby-colored.
Lukas stepped in without hesitation, submerging his exhausted body into the comforting warmth.
This time, he already knew what was coming. The burning sensation, the searing pain, the feeling of a thousand needles piercing his muscles.
Even so, the sensation arrived with even greater intensity than it had the previous day. His muscles felt as though they were on fire from within, as if flames themselves were burning through every fiber. He frowned, his eyes narrowing against the pain, but he did not make a sound.
He took a deep breath, focusing on his breathing, allowing the sensation to pass.
He waited.
Fifteen minutes later, the entire sensation was replaced by the same pleasant relief as the day before. The pain faded, the inflammation subsided, and his muscles relaxed as though an invisible masseuse had tended to them.
When he stepped out of the tub, his body was still tired. The deep exhaustion remained, rooted in his bones. But he felt much lighter, more flexible, and far more ready to recover.
That night, he slept deeply without dreaming, his body finally surrendering to the rest it so desperately needed.
...
On the third day, Clavor completely changed the training.
"Strength alone isn’t enough," he said as they walked, leading Lukas to a different part of the forest.
"A warrior needs balance, coordination, and agility. Strength without control is nothing but destruction."
He brought Lukas to a series of logs scattered among the trees, their thick, uneven trunks forming a treacherous path.
"Balance."
Lukas spent the entire morning jumping from one log to another, his feet searching for stable footing while his arms moved to maintain his balance. At first, he fell countless times, his feet slipping on the damp bark, his body toppling to either side. He slipped, lost his balance, and fell onto the grass and dry leaves.
But Clavor merely corrected him calmly, his voice patient and steady.
"Look ahead. Your body follows your eyes."
"Use your arms. They’re your natural balancers."
"Control your breathing. A calm body is a balanced body."
Soon afterward came the trees. Lukas had to climb them while carrying small stones tied around his waist, the weights pulling him downward as he gripped the rough bark.
Then he learned to jump from branch to branch, to fall, and to roll across the ground while fully absorbing the impact. Every fall was a lesson, and every impact an opportunity to learn how to distribute force.
At first, everything felt complicated, his movements awkward and hesitant. But as he repeated them over and over, his body began to learn on its own. His muscles remembered, his reflexes improved, and his coordination steadily became better.
At the end of that day, the Physical Enhancement Lotion once again did its work. The pain diminished, his muscles relaxed, and his body seemed to recover far more quickly than it should have.