*beep* *beep*
The sharp sound of the alarm echoed through the room. Nova rolled over subconsciously, burying his face deeper into the pillow, trying to escape the noise.
*beep* *beep*
It continued restlessly.
With a quiet groan, his eyes fluttered open.
"Ugh… morning already?" he muttered as the alarm dragged him from the last threads of sleep.
He reached out blindly and silenced it. For a moment, he just sat there, blinking away the haze. Then he rubbed his eyes and slowly pushed himself to sit. A tired yawn escaped his lips as he stood, stretching his stiff body until his joints gave small, satisfying pops.
Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, warm and golden, spilling across his face. A gentle breeze followed, carrying the faint scent of nature, fresh grass and distant earth making the air feel crisp and alive.
For a brief second, the world felt peaceful.
He staggered into the bathroom. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he threw on a pair of sweatpants and headed downstairs.
"Good morning, Uncle Noah," Nova greeted as he stepped into the living room.
"Morning, Nova," Noah replied calmly. "Grab your bottle. We're heading out."
Nova didn't ask questions, his tall slim frame moved towards the kitchen. He grabbed the bottle from the kitchen counter and followed Noah outside. The two descended the long mountain staircase of seven hundred steps carved into the cliffside.
When they reached the last step, Noah stopped and turned to him. "I prepared a training plan for the three weeks before the Awakening Day," he said. "Starting today… you will follow it."
Nova blinked, "A training plan…?"
He knew the Awakening Day was in two weeks and some few days away. It was a day that could change his entire life. If he awakened the Mark, his future would be limitless. If he failed, he would remain ordinary forever.
Though training doesn't determine whether you can awaken the mark or not, it was still essential. That was why the prelims was held every year, it was like a training program set to test the strength and endurance of a person and the top ten people would be allowed to visit the God's Ruins.
"What kind of training?" Nova asked subconsciously.
Noah stared at him for a few seconds and responded, "All kinds."
"…Ehh?"
"From today onward, mornings are for running. Afternoons for combat. Nights for meditation." After a short pause he continued, "And today… you begin with a twenty-kilometer run."
Nova's jaw dropped. He stared at his uncle, thinking he had heard wrong. But seeing Noah's expressionless face, he knew he was cooked. He could run five to ten kilometers thanks to his previous training, but twenty was a little too much for him.
Just as Nova opened his mouth to say something, Noah cut him off. "Start running."
Without another word, he turned around and jogged away in the opposite direction. Nova stared at the empty road for a moment before forcing his legs to move.
He knew Noah wasn't punishing him. This was for his own good. This was because no one knew where one would be teleported to when the went to the God's Ruin that's why the top ten candidates that one the prelims are allowed to enter. This was to reduce casualties.
Through his research online and from the academy, he learnt that some people were teleported to safe areas, while others weren't so lucky and appeared directly in dangerous zones.
Nova had asked Noah countless times about the worlds of the floors in the God's Ruins, but Noah never answered. Later, he discovered the truth — the MPU strictly controlled all information about the Ruins and only provided it to those with a Channeler's Mark.
That made him more determined.
Because without the Channeler's Mark... he would never be allowed to pass through the portal. Scholars had studied the Ruins for decades but still didn't understand why only people with the Channeler's Mark could pass through the portal.
By the time Nova finished running, his legs were trembling. He looked up and saw Noah descending the long staircase.
"It seems he is going out," Nova thought.
"Breakfast is in the dining room. Bathe and go eat," Noah said, walking past him.
"Where are you going...?" Nova asked subconsciously.
"Shopping," Noah replied plainly and left.
Nova watched him leave, then sank onto the steps. He tilted his head back and drained the rest of his water bottle, breathing slowly until the shaking eased.
Eventually, he forced himself upright and climbed the endless staircase. After bathing and eating the food Noah prepared, he called Grey, and they chatted for some hours.
Afternoon settled in quietly as Nova made his way to the training room. The door opened with a low hiss as he approached. He stepped inside and paused.
Noah was already there.
"When did he come back?" Nova wondered as he walked in. Then his gaze shifted. "Wait... what is that?"
Noah wasn't alone.
Standing beside him was a six-foot-seven, bulky, well-built combat frame. The overhead lights reflected off its sleek armor, gliding across layers of synthetic fiber and polished plating that shimmered in a cold silver hue. It stood motionless, silent and imposing, like a dormant weapon waiting to be awakened.
He quietly made his way to the other side of the room where the weapons lay. He grabbed a sword and walked to the center of the room where Noah and the combat bot stood.
"Uncle Noah, is that another combat bot?" Nova asked. He couldn't understand why Noah would buy another combat robot despite already having one.
"This is not a combat bot," Noah said calmly, his hands busy on a pad that seemed to be the settings panel of the bot in front of him. "It's a training bot."
"... Why?" Nova asked, looking confused. Noah was his mentor, so why would he need a training bot? Unless...
"I'm not going to be around for a while..." Noah responded, his hands still busy on the pad. "I bought this so you wouldn't slack off in your training."
"Ehh... me? I wouldn't slack off," Nova said confidently.
Noah finally looked up. Just one stern glance. Nova's confidence evaporated. He cleared his throat and shifted his gaze away, gripping the sword a little tighter.
The training bot's optics flickered to life. And suddenly, Nova had the feeling that twenty kilometers run might have been the easiest part of his day.