A burly man with enormous muscles stood on the walkway leading to the house. He wore green military fatigues from head to toe, and a deep scar ran across one of his cheeks. His eyes carried an intimidating intensity as he stood with his arms folded across his chest. When he saw Dumi approaching, a faint smile appeared on his face. He stepped forward and extended his hand.
"My friend! Long time no see." His thick Slavic accent made every word sound deep and heavily accented. He peered over Dumi's shoulder. "Is this the boy?"
Winston tensed and stepped forward, extending his hand. "Hello. I'm Winston."
The moment their hands met, Winston nearly winced. The man's grip was unbelievably strong. His fingers felt as though they were crushing Winston's hand.
Don't scream. Don't scream.
Winston forced himself to endure the handshake. He wanted to appear strong in front of his new coach. Once Boris finally released his hand, Winston immediately slipped both hands into his pockets.
"Easy now, Boris," Dumi said with a chuckle. "This is your physical coach, Boris. He's ex-military. Boris, this is my first student—the kid I was telling you about."
Boris examined Winston from head to toe before folding his arms across his chest again. "At least he's not a pipsqueak. He's got some muscle on him." He gestured toward the house. "Welcome to my humble abode."
Winston adjusted the sports bag on his shoulder and looked around the property. His eyes widened, the yard was enormous. To the left was a vast open field filled with equipment that looked as though it belonged on a military training ground. Ropes, obstacles, weighted objects, and various other pieces of equipment were scattered across the area. To the right was a smaller field filled with rows of homegrown vegetables.
Considering how remote this place is, I'm not surprised.
As Dumi and Boris caught up on each other's lives, they walked along the long path toward the house. Winston glanced behind him and noticed that Dumi had parked near the entrance.
Why didn't he just drive closer to the house?
After several minutes, they finally reached the residence. The front of the house was surrounded by carefully maintained gardens, and two German Shepherds rested near the entrance. Winston had expected the inside of the house to match Boris's intimidating appearance.
He was wrong. The property was surprisingly well maintained. Boris turned toward Dumi and held up a bottle of cognac with a faint smile. Dumi simply nodded. The two continued reminiscing about their past as they entered the house.
Winston placed his sports bag on a brown leather sofa positioned along the right side of the living room before stepping back outside. He leaned against the concrete balcony. A moment later, one of the German Shepherds brushed against his leg.
Winston flinched. The dog looked up at him before wagging its tail. "You're friendly, aren't you?"
Winston crouched down and ran his hand along the dog's body. The dog's tail wagged even faster. He noticed a tag hanging from its collar. "Anna... That's a beautiful name." Winston smiled. "So you're a girl?"
Anna suddenly nudged against his leg. Winston stood up—and immediately stepped on a squeaky ball.
Squeak!
He picked it up, Anna's ears perked up. "Fetch."
Winston threw the ball down the long, rough walkway. Anna immediately sprinted after it.
"Kid! C'mon inside!" Dumi called from the house. Winston laughed before going inside.
The moment he returned to the living room, Winston noticed the half-empty bottle of cognac sitting on a wooden military-style chest that served as a lounge table. Boris gestured toward the brown leather couch.
"Sit."
Winston sat down. Boris took the seat opposite him before leaning forward. "I've got four days with this lad." He glanced at Dumi. "Four days?"
Boris's expression hardened. "And you want me to train him using veteran-level methods in only four days?" His gaze shifted toward Winston.
"This kid may look weak, but trust me—he has endurance. Besides, he's the one who chose this kind of training. If he quits, he could lose his spot on the team." Dumi folded his arms. "We're working with borrowed time. That's why I need your veteran training."
Boris turned toward Winston. His thick accent made his next words sound even more intimidating. "Kid, you sure? This veteran training is hard. Brutal, even. It has crippled soldiers back at my old military base."
Winston swallowed. "Yes, sir. I can handle it."
Boris stared at him for several seconds, then he chuckled. "Good."
He stood and walked toward the corner of the room. There, he reached behind a wooden cabinet and pulled a hidden lever.
Click.
A section of the wall shifted. A hidden door slowly opened. A wave of freezing white vapor spilled into the room. Winston's entire body stiffened. The cold reached him even from several meters away, sending a shiver down his spine.
Boris grinned. "Okay, my friend. First training." He pointed toward the hidden passage. "You survive minus ten degrees Celsius for the entire day."
Winston's eyes widened. "Minus ten?"
"Of course, you are allowed five-minute breaks." Boris held up two fingers. "Two breaks. That's all."
Winston stared into the freezing chamber. What the hell? He stepped closer. The temperature dropped with every step. His breath became visible almost immediately. He inhaled and exhaled rapidly, preparing himself.
I thought he was going to put me through some basic military exercises. He took another step. Not freeze me to death.
Winston gritted his teeth and descended the wooden stairs. Surprisingly, they weren't slippery despite the freezing temperature. When he reached the bottom, he looked around. The entire room was filled with thick white vapor. Large pieces of meat hung from hooks along the walls.
Oh... I guess he keeps his meat down here too. Before Winston could think any further, the heavy door slammed shut behind him.
BANG!
Winston immediately crouched down, wrapping his arms around himself as violent shivers coursed through his body. Outside the door, he heard Boris's heavy boots moving across the floor.
How is this supposed to help my physical training? His teeth began chattering. It's freezing in here.
Winston took a shaky breath. I'll wait another ten or twenty minutes before taking my first five-minute break.
The freezing chamber was only the first stage of Boris's veteran-style physical training. The extreme cold was intended to test Winston's ability to endure discomfort while also aiding muscle recovery after the intense training he had been undergoing. More importantly, Dumi wanted to see how Winston's body responded to prolonged physical stress.
Dumi had been carefully monitoring Winston's training for weeks. He had noticed something concerning. Winston rarely rested. Even when Dumi ordered him to stop, Winston often continued training on his own.
The Core might have been restoring his energy, but Dumi didn't know exactly what effect that constant recovery was having on Winston's body. So this training served another purpose. It was a test. Dumi wanted to understand Winston's limits before pushing him any further. And Boris's brutal methods were the perfect way to find them.
After about five minutes, the door creaked open. Dumi and Boris looked toward Winston, who stood there shivering and breathing warm air into his cupped hands.
Boris raised his whisky glass. "I am surprised you lasted that long in there."
Despite the cold, Winston managed a grin. "Wasn't... that bad." His teeth chattered as he spoke.
Another German Shepherd brushed against his leg. Winston crouched down and checked the dog's tag.
"Ivan." He stroked the dog's back, and the German Shepherd's tail began wagging. For a moment, Winston's thoughts drifted away from the freezing chamber and back home.
I wonder what Mom, Dad, and Anita are doing right now. Judging by the time, he imagined his mother preparing dinner while his father got ready for work.
And Anita... Winston frowned. Anita. She's probably on the phone with her friend. Or maybe she's in my room bouncing on my bed again. The thought almost made him laugh. Ivan suddenly licked his hand. Winston blinked before smiling.
"Hey."
He rubbed the dog's head before slowly standing. The warmth returning to his body reminded him that he couldn't afford to lose focus.
Stay focused. He took several slow breaths, allowing himself to regain control. Then—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Winston turned toward the military-style chest that served as a lounge table. Boris reached over and silenced the alarm. "Break time."
He disappeared into another room. A few moments later, he returned carrying a large tray. On it sat a steaming pot surrounded by three plates. A rich aroma immediately filled the room.
Boris smiled. "Beef Stroganov. Traditional dish from my country."
Winston's stomach growled. He didn't wait for another invitation.
"Thank you!"
He rushed toward the table. Boris chuckled as he served Winston first. Winston immediately grabbed his spoon. He shoveled the steaming beef into his mouth.
"Hot!"
He hurriedly fanned his mouth with one hand, but that didn't stop him from taking another bite. Boris stared at him in amusement. "Slow down, kid."
Winston ignored him. Five spoonfuls later, his plate was empty. He leaned back and exhaled. "That was good."
Boris tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Okay, kid. You can proceed with the training."
Winston's expression changed immediately. He stood, Already?
Still feeling the warmth from the meal spreading through his body, he walked toward the hidden door. Boris opened it. A blast of freezing air rushed into the room. Winston shivered. The warmth from the food suddenly seemed much less significant.
Here we go again.
He stepped into the chamber. The cold immediately wrapped around his body. This time, however, he didn't hesitate. Winston descended the wooden stairs, grabbed the door, and pulled it shut behind him.
BANG!
Darkness and freezing white vapor surrounded him once again. He clenched his fists. I can do this. And then the training continued.