Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 596 - 585: Hellish Training (4)

As the saying goes, one rises as the other falls. Just as Tang Xiaoquan was paying the price for his mistaken assessment of the situation, Wang Qiang, who had been at the back of the line, gradually caught up after painfully adjusting his pace over a few hundred meters.

The morning temperature was cold, and the wind was chilling. Yet everyone running was drenched in sweat, as if they had just come out of a sauna.

"Only 500 meters left!" Old Xu's words struck everyone's heads like a giant hammer. Already exhausted, everyone summoned their last ounce of strength.

Tang Xiaoquan trudged forward with difficulty, feeling as if his legs were filled with lead. His throat was so dry it felt like it might ignite.

The others weren't doing any better, and even the usually calm Hu Xiaodong was starting to breathe erratically.

"Hang in there, hang in there, we're almost at the finish line!"

At this moment, Old Xu unexpectedly encouraged everyone for the first time. Seeing Tang Xiaoquan, barely able to stand and moving forward by sheer willpower, Old Xu was moved. He almost told him to rest then and there, but reason triumphed over emotion.

After all, if they were fleeing from zombies, would the monsters give Tang Xiaoquan a chance? The answer was obviously no.

If he let his sentimentality get the better of him now, it might cost someone their life in a real situation next time.

Old Xu wouldn't and couldn't allow his negligence or mistakes to cause injuries or deaths among the team members again.

He kept loudly reminding by the side:

"Xiaoquan! Keep it up! The finish line is ahead, grit your teeth, adjust your breathing, remember the technique I taught you!"

Tang Xiaoquan's ears were intermittently ringing— a sign of exhaustion— so he couldn't clearly hear what Old Xu was saying, only catching the words "technique" now and then.

"Inhale for three steps, exhale for three steps."

He struggled to recall these eight words in his mind. By now, having slowed from a run to a walk, Tang Xiaoquan had no better way to boost himself.

Being not strong enough, he could only give it his all as his last resort. He began gathering strength and adjusting his breathing. At present, in his world, there were no other opponents, only himself. As long as he conquered himself, he would be today's victor.

The technique consisted of only eight words. It seemed simple, but applying it in practice was extremely difficult, especially when even breathing was hard.

Yet, with tenacious willpower and a refusal to concede, Tang Xiaoquan managed to do it. As he grew more familiar with the technique, he suddenly felt that his whole body was not as uncomfortable and stiff anymore, and his originally heavy steps started to become more regular.

Old Xu watched with delight from the side, his lips curling into a slight smile. With his experience, he knew the youngster had initially mastered the technique of breathing during long runs, and from his sudden change in stride, it wasn't hard to deduce that he had broken through his physical limits.

Old Xu believed that as long as he continued training in the coming days, consolidating what he had learned, the young man would permanently overcome this barrier, significantly boosting his stamina.

The villa gate was just within reach. Wang Qiang already saw the hope of victory. Just 100 meters more, and he would escape the fate of being punished by finishing second to last.

"Keep going, keep going!" On lookout, Lei Tong and Hua Biao had long seen the figures of the running group through binoculars.

Particularly from where Wang Zhongyu was in second place, everyone was dripping with sweat and exhausted. Their bedraggled state made them recall the pain and hardship of their own training back then.

So as the group neared the villa, Lei Tong and Hua Biao couldn't help but shout to encourage them.

"Come on, Xiaoquan, overtake him! Keep going!"

Wang Qiang's mind was already in a haze, and the excited cheers from upstairs only confused him more: "What the heck! Are they ignoring my existence?"

Tang Xiaoquan continued to run silently forward. Though still out of breath, he felt noticeably more comfortable than before.

Finally, everyone successfully crossed the finish line. Wang Qiang collapsed forward, and Old Xu, as if anticipating this, caught him firmly.

Almost at the same time, the early arriving Hu Xiaodong also held up the equally powerless Tang Xiaoquan and softly congratulated him:

"Xiaoquan, congrats, at the last moment you overtook Wang Qiang!"

To this, Tang Xiaoquan showed no sign of joy. He no longer had the energy to care whether he was the last or not; for him, just reaching the finish line was a victory.

Wang Qiang looked incredulously at Wang Xinquan being helped. He couldn't imagine that the other had surpassed him just as he was about to step past the villa gate.

His head felt like there were countless little stars spinning, causing constant dizziness.

"All of you, attention!"

As soon as Old Xu spoke, everyone present tensed up, and a wave of helplessness surged from within.

No way, there's not going to be more exercises after this, is there? This kind of training is practically killing people.

"You all performed decently today. I know you're all very tired, but resting now would worsen the discomfort."

Hu Xiaodong and Wang Zhongyu, having experienced this before, strongly agreed with Old Xu. They knew well the dangers of resting immediately after exercise, especially after intense exertion. A sudden rest could risk heart overload and cause sudden cardiac death.

The two of them exchanged glances, each supporting their partner and began to walk slowly around the courtyard. Old Xu also helped Bi Dahu off the ground and into a walk.

After about five minutes, everyone's breathing gradually returned to normal, their faces paling from the initial flush to normal. Seeing everyone adjust well, Old Xu spoke again:

"Alright, today's training is over. Tomorrow morning at 6, we continue. Now go wash up, dismissed!"

Relieved, all the survivors exhaled deeply upon hearing the word "dismissed."

To avoid Old Xu changing his mind, the survivors promptly headed towards the villa.

Especially Wang Qiang, but before he could take two steps, Old Xu's voice called him from behind:

"Hey, Qiang, where are you going?"

"Damn it!" Wang Qiang begrudgingly turned around, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Uh, I'm all sticky and stinky, I'm going to take a shower."

"A shower? Don't rush. How about doing push-ups first, then showering together? That way you won't waste the energy of washing twice. Come on, the last place earns you 50!"(To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)