The normal walking speed of an average person is about 5 kilometers per hour. Meanwhile, the distance from the starting point to the grove ahead is roughly 15 kilometers.
At a normal walking pace, reaching the destination before 7 PM, around when the sky darkens, should be achievable.
However, Law's current walking speed was even slower than trudging through deep snow, and is roughly only a third of an average walking pace. In other words, if he does not improve his speed, it would take him 9 hours to reach the grove.
Biscuit's requirement was to arrive before nightfall, which meant that unless he increased his speed, he wouldn't make it in time.
Watching Law struggle to move forward, Biscuit's expression remained indifferent. She and Sanbica accompanied him at his slow pace for thirty minutes, covering only about 1 kilometer.
'It is indeed a forced Zetsu. But it is best this way. Otherwise, given Law's current condition, he will definitely use Aura subconsciously to assist his body.' Biscuit could not see any Aura overflowing from Law. It was an extremely perfect Zetsu!
For a Nen User like Law who relies heavily on Aura, training in Zetsu state usually led to failure once the training became too difficult, as they would instinctively activate Aura to ease the burden.
When dependency is deeply ingrained, it's not something that can be suppressed by sheer willpower alone. For example, Law, who is now struggling, has to grit his teeth and move forward with every step he takes, enduring pain he has never experienced before. However, he always maintains Zetsu state.
This was a good thing, as it can let the training plan achieve maximum efficiency,
His body felt incredibly heavy, as if he were carrying several hundred kilograms of stone. Each step into the muddy ground felt like his feet were glued down, requiring all his strength to lift them.
Every step felt like a final sprint, yet he could only advance by 0.75 meters. The overwhelming disparity gnawed away at his determination like a relentless parasite.
'My legs are already starting to ache. Without the enhancement of Aura, the fatigue is setting in way too fast."
Law gritted his teeth and forced himself not to think about how far the destination was. Instead, he focused on every step he took. No matter how difficult it was, he couldn't slow down. Instead, he needed to gradually increase his speed.
An hour quickly passed, and Law had only covered 2 kilometers, and he was still about 13 kilometers away from his destination.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, rolling down his face and fell onto the muddy ground.
"You have two hours left, but you've only completed one-seventh of the distance. If you don't speed up, you won't make it before nightfall." Biscuit said as she checked her pocket watch.
Then, she calmly announced the consequences of failing, "If you can't reach your destination on time, you'll have to do 500 push-ups the moment you get there without resting."
If he exceeded the time limit... he'd have to perform 500 push-ups with his nearly exhausted body, while still carrying the heavy weights!
This statement added even more mental weight onto Law.
'I have to speed up!'
Law gritted his teeth, abandoned his previous steady rhythm and pushed himself to the limit, no longer caring about the consequences.
Seeing Law using all his strength without reservation, Biscuit delivered another blow and said calmly: "If you collapse here, I won't stick around."
Sanbica frowned slightly when she heard that. She could only look at Law, whose body was soaked with sweat, breathing rapidly and heavily, and taking each step forward with difficulty.
Law heard what Biscuit said, but he did not respond, as he couldn't afford to waste even the smallest amount of energy on talking.
'Physical fitness consists of agility, strength, flexibility, endurance, and the five senses of the body, while mental strength consists of willpower, adaptability, judgment, and creativity. If the two are connected, then willpower influences endurance.'
'Even though it's a forced Zetsu state, it still helps accelerate physical recovery. Without this effect, you would've hit your limit within an hour.'
'As long as your willpower doesn't give out, my body will naturally respond. In a disadvantageous battle, if the will breaks before the body, there's no chance of victory.'
'If you fall here, then that's all you're worth.'
Biscuit thought to herself. The last sentence she said to Law was not a joke. If Law couldn't withstand the initial challenge, then what right did he have to train with her for a whole year?
Law had no idea what Biscuit was thinking. At this moment, Law was experiencing both physical and mental torment, dragging himself forward step by step.
Time passed bit by bit, and the sky darkened, leaving only the fading twilight. At this moment, Law was still about halfway from his destination.
Trapped in the mud, he lifted his foot and took a step forward, only to sink back into the mire, over and over again. This mechanical repetition continued relentlessly, and he remained in a state of perfect Zetsu throughout.
Thick, murky mud covered Law from head to toe, even clinging to his face and hair, making him look utterly miserable. This was the toughest training he had ever undergone, and only by enduring it could he progress to the next stage.
After walking slowly with Law for three hours, Sanbica finally realized how grueling Law's training for the next year would be. Because this was only the first day!
The sky had completely darkened, yet Law had only covered half the distance, which meant that once he arrived, he would still have to complete 500 push-ups before he could rest.
As the night deepened, Law did not disappoint Biscuit. Four more hours passed, and he finally crossed the muddy terrain and reached the grove.
The moment he arrived at the destination, Law's knees buckled and he was about to fall to the ground as if seeking relief.
Seeing this, Sanbica's first instinct was to call out and stop him, because the moment he lay down, it would signify the collapse of his willpower, making it nearly impossible to get back up again.
However, she didn't get the chance to speak, as Biscuit reached out and covered her mouth.
Law's body tilted forward at a 45-degree angle, but at the last moment, he planted his foot firmly and steadied himself.
His chest heaved like a bellows, his eyelids drooped heavily, and his lungs burned with exhaustion, but he knew he still had to complete 500 push-ups.
His legs were numb and trembling uncontrollably. Fortunately, what he needs to do is push-ups instead of squats, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to do even one.
"Five hundred..."
Law slowly lay down on the ground and began his first push-up.
Before he came here, Law relied almost entirely on his legs, but now, he has to rely on his arms to do push-ups.
'Hold on... tense my will once again!'
At this moment, Law finally realized the difficult process of pushing his body to its absolute limits.
This was the same arduous path Biscuit had walked step by step. Even Atomu must have gone through unimaginable hard training to achieve his current physique.
And now, Law was taking his first step down the same path, which is also his first step toward mastering Shingen-ryu!
Seeing that Law started doing push-ups without needing any reminders, Biscuit smiled silently. Both the process and the result satisfied her. However, this was merely the bare minimum.
Law completed the 500 push-ups without pause. The moment his will relaxed, he collapsed onto the ground and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
Seeing that Law seemed to have fainted, Sanbica quickly rushed over to check on him. After confirming it was just extreme exhaustion, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"There's still room for improvement, but it's a passing grade."
Biscuit walked to the side, raised her hand and extended her index finger. Then, she opened her Aura Nodes and released a surge of Aura. From this aura, a youthful beauty dressed in a short-skirted uniform slowly emerged.
At this time, it is her Nen Beast's turn to take the stage.