Night passed as Aster quickly slumbered off, exhausted from the events of today. Johan merely observed his surroundings, just like when he was in Aster's bedroom during his first night in this world.
It was truly a sight to behold. Compared to the concrete and metal metropolis he lived and operated in, the serene beauty of the nature which surrounded him was a change he welcomed greatly.
The sound of running water emitted by the river only added to this enchanting and beautiful atmosphere.
'Nature sure can be pretty.'
At the crack of dawn, Aster was already awake. The fire which burned dimly had long gone out. The boy began stretching his body, stiff from his slumber on the hard ground. A pile of leaves served to be his makeshift bed.
'Well then, are you ready?' Johan asks.
"Ready as I can be," Aster sluggishly responds, letting out a yawn.
'Great. I was thinking last night and thought that staying at this camp rather than moving would be better for your training. After all, it would be safer to scout this area out a get a feel for it rather than to head into unknown territory everyday.' The man explains, to which Aster thought it was logical.
I mean it's not like Aster was exactly excited with having to walk so much everyday just to change locations. However, this thought would soon be quite foolish.
"So, what should I start with?" The boy questions, to which he instantly felt his intuition tell him something was seriously wrong.
'Well, since it's your first day we'll keep it light. Take a light jog for an hour around the river bed. After that I'll have you run up and down the area an additional 15 times before taking a break for lunch.'
Aster's face paled at this statement. "Do I really have to do this?"
'You need to lose weight. Cardio is the most efficient way to do it.'
By the time Aster finished his jogging warmup, he was already dying. Large beads of sweat dripped down his face, his entire body a fat, wet, pudgy mess. He collapsed onto ground, panting desperately for air.
"This is torture!" Aster exclaims, barely able to talk. "I feel like I'm gonna throw up!"
"We have some work to do, if you can't handle this, a bear might come and eat you before you can do any prophecy changing,'
Slowly, Aster shakily gets up before dragging his legs over to the river. He plunges his face into the water, taking massive gulps.
After quenching his thirst, the boy does begin running back and forth. Johan set 1 lap to be about 500 meters total, so the boy would be running a grand total of 7500 meters today, or over 4.5 miles.
For someone who had rarely exercised in years, Aster wasn't sure he could make it through this.
It took most of the afternoon, but Aster finally finished as the sun began to set. While he did his best to keep pace during the entire workout, the run became more of a walk towards the end.
There were many times where Aster had to stop and catch his breath, but he somehow persisted with the screams of Johan keeping him motivated.
After arriving back at the camp, Aster's legs completely gave out as the boy collapsed. His body was completely drenched, with his clothing and skin covered in dirt and grime.
"That might just have been the hardest day of my life." Aster groans, every limb of his body sore and in pain.
'At least it'll get easier,' Johan replies. 'Now then, I'll tell you a routine of stretches. It is integral you follow this to prevent injury and your muscles from tightening up.'
The man was right. A week went by, and Aster followed this exact training regime. He had lost at minimum 30 pounds of weight during this time, albeit he had to endure muscle cramps, aches, and all around physical agony.
Even with disciplined stretching and absorbing essence to speed up the recovery of his muscles, Aster was still in constant pain. This was the price he paid for letting his body get so out of shape.
Aster had been living off river water and wild berries throughout this week, and his stomach growled, yearning for the gourmet meals it was accustomed to back in the capital.
The jogs that used to burn so much energy became easier and less strenuous, the runs themselves no longer taking the entire day.
'As much whining and complaining you did, I must say the results have surprised me,' Johan states, satisfied with the swift progress that has happened in only a mere week.
"When I'm training this hard and barely have anything to eat, I hope the results are this good," Aster pants, still tired from finishing his workout.
'We should continue this workout plan for a few more days, then we start to train for strength, speed, and athleticism,'
Aster lets out a deep sigh in response. He was not looking forward to even more physical training.
After finishing his post-workout stretches, Aster finished the last of the fruits he had stored at camp.
"I'm not sure if I can live off food like this any longer..." Aster complains, his stomach growling in agreement.
Just as the boy finished his rant, another growl could be heard. However, this time the growl did not come from Aster's body.
Scanning the premises, Johan spots an animal stalking the area.
'Seems like we've had our first encounter with a monster...' The man deduces. Aster proceeds to turn his head and lock eyes with the beast.
It was a bear-like creature with dark blue fur. The beast stood on all four legs, its red pupils staring directly at Aster.
Moments pass as neither moves an inch. An audible noise can be heard coming from the mouth of the bear, its sharp, serrated teeth now visible.
In an instant, the bear digs its claws into the ground and launches its body towards Aster. The boy has no time to react.
However, as the monster makes his attack, an ominous but now familiar purple glow surrounds Aster's body.