The gym, as Mr. Clement had called it, was rather massive acres of land secured behind the palace grounds.
In the far horizon, only visible when Damien scrunched his eyes, was a large mountain that curved around the land like a wall, seemingly stretching into the city Clement had told him was called Fangpeak.
"This is my family's gym," the Queen's husband notified Damien, clutching his waist.
Damien breathed in the fresh air, letting the breeze brush across his face. The serene sound of trees rustling in the wind was rather quite relaxing, a feeling Damien didn't know he needed until now. A lot had happened in just one morning, and now here he was, standing next to a Vampire as they readied themselves for training.
'If I went back in time and told my past self he'd be chilling with a Vampire king in the future, he'd laugh at me,' Damien thought to himself, glancing at his surroundings.
He and the King were standing on what looked like an inflatable tent placed on top of concrete ground—a slab that was rounded with a pointed gem placed in the middle of the sphere. Whatever its use was, Damien had no idea.
"It looks peaceful out here," he commented the land, much to Clement's delight.
Just then, the sound of boots hitting the hard ground echoed from behind them, and the two men turned around. Joining them was Eden, dressed in a tight black body glove with elbow-high matching gloves.
Damien swallowed. She looked badass, even better than his sister had in her jumpsuit two weeks ago.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Eden apologized, stretching herself. "What's on today's menu?"
Damien shook his head. He turned his attention to Clement, waiting for instructions from his new mentor.
"Eden, you're doing stretches today."
With a snap of his fingers, two women dressed in white flurry dresses and poised like ballerinas appeared in thin air behind the Vampire. They both had their hair tied up in buns, their heads bowed just enough to hide their faces from Damien.
"Roger that," Eden nodded firmly.
The two ballerinas finally raised their heads and walked on their toes towards the princess gracefully, passing by Damien with nods that made his cheeks heat up. He felt like a country boy who had just visited the city. Everyone in Gibbous was pretty or handsome, the ones he had met for now at least.
"As for you, this will be your plan for today. I'll be joining you in every session, so there's no way to cheat your way out of this."
Rummaging in the pockets of his shorts, Clement handed Damien a paper that he gladly accepted. He flipped it open, hands trembling as he wondered what kind of training his Highness had set for him.
However, when he finally saw the program, his racing heart came to a halt.
"That's all?" He asked, glancing at the man before him.
Written on the paper was a rather disappointing training plan:
Press-ups: 100
Sit-ups: 100
Squats: 100
Running: 10km
Aside from the running, the rest of the plan was rather boring. Ahara made him do that most of the time at the gym, and he used gym equipment at that.
"Oh, are you underestimating my expertise because I'm a rank similar to your sisters?"
Damien froze. He hadn't meant to insult the King at all, just wanted to express how his exercise program was a bit average for him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"Bah! I was just joking with you," Clement laughed at the boy. "However, no matter how boring that program looks, I'm sure you'll find it difficult. I heard you used Primal Ascension during your battle two weeks ago against the rogues."
Damien slowly nodded, surprised that he knew about it. Then again, he was the Vampire King.
"I must say, that's another record breaker for Gibbous, although I'm sure the ministry covered the news up pretty well. It would kill the hero's spirit to know a kid who knows nothing about Gibbous defeated their skills on a whim. Then again, you're the Numen's son..."
Shaking his head as if to bring himself back to reality, Clement turned to Damien, his expression serious.
"Look here, my boy, Primal Ascension, when done carelessly and without guidance, kills Gibbits. I don't know how you were able to survive; it's a miracle on its own, but your muscles aren't yet back to normal. You might be able to walk thanks to the powerful doctors at the private hospital, but your muscles aren't yet fully healed."
"That's why I suggest you take it easy. If you're able to finish this entire program today without stopping, then I'll increase the intensity the next time we train."
Damien paused for a moment, taking in Clement's words. He had no reason to lie to him about his muscles being weak. Everything he said had to be true.
"Okay. I'll do my best," the boy replied, folding the paper and tucking it stealthily in the pocket of the small shorts Clement had given him since his clothes were drying somewhere in the palace.
Thanks to the King's extremely large shirt that was big enough to cover his butt, no one had noticed how tight the shorts were clinging on to him like a second skin.
"Great. First, we do the press-ups here."
"Now?" Damien asked.
"Hmm."
Without any objection, the boy bent himself on the tent and began his training. Clement joined in, too, doing the counting for both of them.
*****
It was exactly 12PM on the small round clock placed above the pointed center that Damien finally did his 100th squat. The last of his body stretching exercises, he was a bit annoyed at how powerless he now felt.
Like Clement had warned, his body was beginning to feel the effects of the strenuous activity. Maybe it was the sun assisting in his becoming weaker, but his legs and arm muscles felt a bit sorer than usual. On normal occasions, he'd be asking Ahara if he could try out a new exercise by now.
However, today he already wanted to quit the session.
But with Clement's eyes glued on him as if he was waiting patiently for the boy to give up on his own, Damien couldn't bring himself to stop. He didn't have anything to prove to the man, but he still wanted to either way.
"What's next? I'm done with the squats," he notified his mentor.
"So I noticed," Clement replied with a grin. "I must hand it to you, you're one persistent little man. And your body..." he whistled approvingly. "If we had randomly met somewhere and you told me you were sixteen, I wouldn't believe you."
Damien's cheeks burned. He looked away from the Vampire, at the road that led deep into the woods.
'All that's left is the marathon.'
"Yes, the ten-kilometer run is your last test for the day," Clement patted his back, answering his unsaid words.
"Show me how much more persistent you can get, and if you manage to make it back here within 2hrs, I'll recommend you at Gibforge academy myself. That's another way to get enrolled at the prestigious school without needing to do all those bloody tests they require of every new student."
Damien's heart leapt joyfully in his chest. A way to get enrolled easily at Gibforge?
'Sign me up for it!'
"How do I know I've reached the ten kilometers?" He asked the man standing beside him, determination filling his voice.
Clement pointed behind them. "They will be our guides."
Damien wasn't shocked when he saw two guards appear all of a sudden behind him. He, too, had moved at such flashy speeds when he had been possessed by the gem. That's exactly why he wanted to attend a school that would train him to become like them. More power meant more aura. And more aura meant more skills.
He wanted to be exactly like those flashy guards, no, even better. He wanted to surpass them and become exactly like his father, probably even better, too.
"Two of them have already led the way and a stationed on the five kilometer mark down the road," the King pointed at the road they were both facing.
"We run from here to where they're stationed, then we turn and run back here at the palace. A solid ten kilometers without any distractions in the way. Make it in two hours and I'll recommend you to Gibforge. Make it in one, ha! I'll grant you one wish."
Another thud sent waves of blood reaching everywhere in Damien's body. One wish, he said. The first person that came to his mind was Ahara. If he used that wish to satisfy her powerful need to meet the Vampire Queen, wouldn't she be delighted?
"Fine by me. I just hope you won't go back on your promise about granting me one wish."
"Mmm, aiming for the moon already? Make sure you don't forget that the sky has stars whilst you're at it," Clement mocked, tilting his head to the side as he glanced below at the boy.
"That's why I'm aiming for the moon," Damien gazed at the ever stretching road before him, ignoring the King's taunt as he bent himself just enough to take off at great speeds. "I can always land on them if I fail to reach it."
A chuckle came from where the King was positioning himself for take off, and with a rather challenging spirit, he replied:
"Then make sure you catch the moon at all costs. Planning to fail is a loser's way of doing things. Winners never stop aiming for the moon, no matter how far it is. That's just the way of life in Gibbous. You'll soon find out once you meet with young Gibbits like you who share an ambition far greater than yours."
With a villainous smirk as his last statement to Damien, the Vampire sprinted out of sight in a flash, leaving dust in his trail as the only sign to show he had been standing next to Damien.
"You better start running now unless you want to return here by noon," one of the two guards who had been left behind with Damien warned, jumping as if to pump his jogging spirit.
"I'll be your guide."
"Hmm," Damien nodded at him, and with a rather flashy dash, he too followed behind the King.