The Awakening Of The Shadows
Chapter 41: Spanking Session

Chapter 41: Spanking Session

Lian had barely recovered from the fight against that shadow monster, yet he already felt the weight of his new routine. His body ached from head to toe, every muscle burning as if it had been pushed to its absolute limit. Even while still recovering, he had to participate in training. He hadn’t slept well, every time he closed his eyes, he relived the blows, the insults, and the crushing exhaustion from the previous day’s training.

But it didn’t matter. There was no room for weakness here.

When the sun had barely risen over the horizon, Lian got out of bed in the recruits’ barracks and got ready. The place was old, with hard mattresses and metal walls that creaked at the slightest breeze. The Red Hollow base offered no luxuries to anyone.

As soon as he stepped outside, the cold morning air hit his sweaty skin. The training grounds were already active, soldiers were running, lifting weights, and practicing hand-to-hand combat. He saw some of the men who had mocked him the night before, but none of them paid him any attention now. He was still nothing to them.

"You look like a piece of shit."

The bored voice came from a corner of the yard. Lian turned and saw Viktor leaning against one of the wooden training posts. The man had a relaxed posture, but his eyes were sharp as blades. He held a metal canteen, drinking calmly while analyzing Lian.

"I already feel like shit," Lian muttered, rubbing his sore neck.

Viktor chuckled. "Good. That means the training is working." He tossed the canteen aside and pushed off the post, walking toward Lian. "Alright, kid. Today, you’re training with me."

Lian nodded. "Understood. I’m ready."

Viktor gave a small smile, but it wasn’t a happy one, there was something almost cruel in it. "Good to know you’re ready," Viktor replied, rolling his shoulders to loosen his muscles. "But unlike those guys, I won’t go easy on you. My job isn’t to make you stronger. My job is to teach you how to survive."

Lian didn’t respond. He just nodded and followed Viktor to a more isolated section of the training grounds. It was an area filled with large rocks and cut tree trunks, with deep scratch marks on the ground. It looked less like a training field and more like an improvised arena.

"First rule," Viktor began, crossing his arms. "If you can’t control your body, you don’t deserve to control your power. Today, no weapons, no shadows, just you and your limits."

Lian had already expected this.

"Understood."

"Good. Now, run."

Lian blinked, confused. "What?"

"You heard me. Run. And don’t ask ’how much’ because the answer is until I get tired of watching you run." Viktor grinned, almost sadistically. "If you can’t do it, go back to the barracks. Because if you can’t even handle this, you’re not worth my time."

Lian gritted his teeth and started running.

The first few minutes were easy. His body was still sore from the day before, but he had enough endurance to keep up.

The problem came later.

Gradually, Viktor increased the difficulty. First, he made Lian run with weighted clothing. Then, he had him dodge projectiles Viktor threw at him while jumping over logs and climbing rocks. Lian stumbled more than once, landing face-first in the mud, forcing himself up before Viktor could say anything.

But the worst part came when Viktor started chasing him.

"If I catch you, you start over from zero," Viktor warned before taking off after him.

Lian ran as fast as he could. Every time he felt Viktor closing in, he threw his body to the side, dodging. But Viktor wasn’t just fast, he was relentless and terrifying.

When Lian finally fell, rolling across the dusty ground, Viktor stopped beside him and raised an eyebrow.

"You really are a piece of shit. Now get up, rookie!"

Lian spat out dust and pushed himself up, feeling a sharp pain in his leg. "Again?"

Viktor laughed. "Until you don’t need to run anymore."

Lian didn’t have time to respond. Viktor moved and attacked with his bare hands, and Lian knew that Viktor’s fists could hurt more than any soldier’s sword.

What followed was less of a training session and more of a massacre.

Viktor didn’t hold back. His strikes were direct, fast, and brutal. He wasn’t trying to teach Lian with words or explanation, he was teaching him through pain.

Lian tried to dodge, tried to defend, tried to attack. But every attempt was crushed by Viktor’s superior experience.

When he attempted to punch Viktor, he got a kick to the stomach in return. When he tried to dodge, Viktor grabbed his arm and slammed him into the ground.

"Tsk." Viktor clicked his tongue in disapproval. "You only react. You don’t anticipate. If I were a monster, your head would already be gone."

Lian lay on the ground, struggling to catch his breath. But he didn’t give up.

He got up and attacked again.

Viktor smirked, as if enjoying his persistence.

Minutes passed. Then hours. The training was pure hell. Every mistake sent Lian crashing to the ground. Every success only made Viktor increase the intensity.

His body was in shambles when he finally dropped to his knees, too exhausted to continue. His exhaustion was so great that his body refused to move.

Viktor crossed his arms, looking down at him. "Now that’s more like it," he said, finally sounding satisfied. "Now you look like someone who’s actually learning how to fight."

Lian looked up at him, panting. "You... have a strange way of teaching."

Viktor grinned. "If you want to survive life-or-death situations, you need to go through them. That’s how we survive here. We never know what kind of monster will come out of those damned portals."

He turned and started walking away. "You can rest. But tomorrow... it’ll be worse." Viktor had a wicked smile on his face.

Lian let out a dry laugh, collapsing onto his back. He was completely destroyed.

But for the first time since he arrived...

He felt like he was truly learning.