Once Leo realized that he wasn’t as weak as he had assumed, his breathing began to stabilize, and his heart rate gradually eased.

    It was strange—how a psychological shift could have such a tangible effect on his body, as the difference between forcing himself to endure through sheer willpower and knowing, deep in his bones, that he could endure was staggering.

    His muscles were still burning. His lungs still strained for air. His legs still felt the weight of the vest pressing down on them with every step.

    But suddenly, it felt... manageable.

    The despair that had been creeping in—the idea that he was barely hanging on while Su Yang ran circles around him—was gone.

    Because now, he knew.

    He was fast.

    He was strong.

    He was built for this.

    And that made all the difference.

    As he pushed forward, his strides evened out, and his pace became smoother.

    Meanwhile, Su Yang, who had been casually observing Leo’s struggle from the corner of his eye, narrowed his gaze slightly.

    The shift was subtle—but he noticed it instantly.

    Leo had gone from running on the edge of collapse to finding his rhythm.

    Su Yang had never seen anything like that happen before, so he was baffled to see Leo find a second wind so late into the run.

    It was fascinating to watch.

    "Well, well," Su Yang muttered under his breath, lips curving upward. "So you do have some iron in you, Skyshard..."

    Rather than feeling threatened, Su Yang felt excited.

    He had been waiting for Leo to stop enduring and start owning it.

    Now?

    It was time to see how far he could push him.

    "Hey, Skyshard," Su Yang called out, his tone light, teasing.

    "You’re looking a little too comfortable back there. What do you say we pick up the pace?" He said, as without waiting for a reply, Su Yang accelerated.

    ********

    Leo, caught slightly off guard by Su Yang’s sudden burst of speed, instinctively matched him.

    His legs burned, his breath came harder—but his pride refused to let Su Yang leave him behind.

    They shot past Mu Shen, who let out an exaggerated groan.

    "Of course you two psychos would do this," he grumbled. "Just kill me already and get it over with..."

    But neither Leo nor Su Yang paid him any mind.

    The other students, still struggling through their laps, could only watch as the two front-runners began pulling away from the pack.

    "Look at them go..."

    And then, there were his eyes.

    Or rather, the lack of them.

    His pupils had completely disappeared, leaving behind nothing but rolled-back, ghostly white eyes that stared into the abyss.

    He wasn’t conscious.

    That much was obvious.

    But somehow, impossibly, he was still running.

    A fresh shiver crawled up Su Yang’s spine as he clenched his fists. He had never seen anything like this before.

    "Professor," he breathed, his voice lower now, carrying the weight of something close to horror. "He’s not awake, but he’s still running."

    Marvin’s frown deepened.

    Leo’s form was still perfect, his strides still fluid, his balance unwavering.

    But there was no recognition in his movements. No control.

    As if his body had simply refused to stop.

    Marvin cursed under his breath, his instincts kicking in.

    "Skyshard!" he barked.

    No response.

    Leo’s legs kept moving, his breath ragged but steady, his body acting purely on something beyond awareness.

    "SKYSHARD!" Marvin shouted again, louder this time, his voice carrying authority.

    But there was no response again.

    "Shit," Marvin muttered, as he moved in quickly to stop Leo from harming himself anymore.

    This wasn’t him passing out from just exhaustion.

    This wasn’t him still running from just determination.

    This was something else.

    Su Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hands still trembling slightly.

    He parted his lips as if to say something, but swallowed it down instantly.

    For the first time since stepping foot into Rodova, he felt it.

    Something beyond competition.

    Something beyond talent.

    Something unnatural.

    As for the first time in his life, he developed genuine feelings of respect for a colleague.

    "What the hell is wrong with this guy?" He said, his eyes wide, as no matter how much he searched within himself, he could not think of a scenario where he would continue running even after he had passed out.

    Not even if his life were on the line.