The Monster King's Legacy

The next day, as the morning sun cast its golden rays over the monster capital, illuminating its bustling streets and sprawling infrastructure. Lance, seated in his council chamber, was in the middle of reviewing reports when Aelyndra entered, her stride as confident as ever.

"Did you forget something, Lance?" she teased, her voice carrying a playful edge.

Lance raised an eyebrow, setting down the parchment in his hand. "Forget something?"

"The elite troops," Aelyndra replied, crossing her arms. "You promised to train them yourself. They've been waiting for weeks, especially as you went and disappeared."

Lance exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Right. I did say that, didn't I?"

"You did," she confirmed, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "And they've been getting restless. Time to show them why you're their king. Honestly, I can't handle those muscle heads at all." She complained with a sigh.

Listening to her complains, Lance couldn't help but laugh a bit. "We're you finally preparing to travel the world to improve your knowledge on magic?" He said. He had been wondering about this, after all, it had been Aelyndra's motivation to increase her strength to gain her human form.

Aelyndra sighed as she drew a seat for herself. "Don't even mention it. I guess you didn't even notice, right? I did commence my journey when I said I would."

"Then?" Lance asked, intrigued.

"There was nothing to learn, instead, I ended up imparting my own knowledge instead." Aelyndra said with a faint frustrated expression on her face.

Lance couldn't help but laugh at her after hearing this. "Elder Naerys did warn you of this disappointment. Perhaps, you should have taken her more seriously."

"She plays too much to be taken seriously… how would I have known? Whatever, now, my next step is searching for ancient knowledge, perhaps that will help. You should get going too."

"I should."

Lance made his way to the training grounds, where the elite troops were gathered in neat rows. Comprised of dragon-blessed goblins, ogres, orcs, and beastkin, there were also a few demons who even though didn't possess the blessing, showed extraordinary adaptability and growth potential. The soldiers stood tall and ready, their discipline evident. Their eyes gleamed with excitement and nervousness as Lance approached, his commanding presence silencing the murmurs. Today was supposed to be another regular training, but it appeared it'd be different.

Lance looked around and saw their excited and expectant expressions, a little smile appearing on his lips.

"Today," Lance began, his voice firm but not harsh, "we start a new chapter in your training. You've been selected for this elite unit because you've proven yourselves capable, but that's not enough. Strength isn't just about power, it's about endurance, resolve, and pushing beyond your limits."

The troops straightened, their attention unwavering. There was no need to try to scare them with speech, that would be insulting to such warriors.

"For our first session," Lance continued, gesturing toward the horizon, "we're running. All the way from here to that mountain." He pointed to a distant peak that barely seemed visible in the morning light.

A ripple of uncertainty passed through the ranks as they couldn't understand if their Lord was playing a joke on them. After all, Lance was known to be a very kind ruler of his people… there was no way he was serious, right? But no one spoke up… they dared not.

Without missing a beat, "you have until sundown," Lance declared. "Those who reach the top before dark will continue training with me. Those who don't…" He paused, letting his words sink in. "You'll return to your regular units. This isn't about punishment, it's about proving you have what it takes to stand among the best. After all, this should be easiest obstacle from here on out." He said.

His words shook the troops before him, but instead of remaining in that shaken state, they all grew even more convicted.

The troops set off at Lance's command, sprinting out of the capital and into the open fields. At first, the pace was steady, the soldiers moving as a cohesive unit, but that lasted for only so long. As the sun climbed higher and the terrain grew rougher, cracks began to show.

Those who possessed smaller and lighter physique relied on agility and speed, weaving through rocky paths with relative ease. As for those with bigger physiques, though not all, struggled to maintain their stamina, their heavy frames weighing them down as the distance wore on. Of course, there were exceptions in both cases, but not so much.

As the sun began its descent, the peak of the mountain loomed closer. The path had become treacherous, with steep inclines and loose rocks testing the soldiers' endurance and willpower.

One by one, the 'strongest' among them reached the summit, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.

By the time the last soldier stumbled onto the peak, the sky had turned a deep shade of orange, signaling the end of the day as nigh crept in.

Lance stood at the summit, his arms crossed as he surveyed the group. His expression was unreadable, making the soldiers shift nervously under his gaze.

"To those of you who made it," he began, his voice steady, "congratulations. You've proven you have the endurance and determination to push through hardship. This is just the beginning of your training, but you've earned your place here."

A ripple of relief passed through the soldiers who had succeeded, their tired faces lighting up with pride.

Lance turned to the remaining soldiers who had failed to reach the summit in time. "As for those of you who didn't make it, this doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're not ready. Return to your original units, train harder, and perhaps we'll see each other again in the future."

The dismissed soldiers bowed their heads, their disappointment clear, but they accepted his judgment without complaint.

As the successful elite troops began descending the mountain under the fading light, Lance stayed behind, watching them with some sense of satisfaction.

Aelyndra came up to him, surprisingly present. "I wondered how you'd go about it… guess I could never have thought of such a method. You didn't go easy on them," she remarked, her tone laced with approval and a little teasing.

"Really, it's such a fundamental method, though. They need to be prepared for anything," Lance replied. "We can't afford to have weak links."

Aelyndra smirked. "You sound more and more like my mother."

Lance chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't one, though."