*”14:18…
14:17…”*
Jasper pushed himself up off the track.
Legs still like jelly, but the 15-minute break was running.
A vending machine flickered into existence beside the lane.
*”Welcome, sir.
How may I serve you today?”* it said in a flat AI voice.
Jasper’s stomach growled.
He scrolled.
Meatball sandwich.
His finger hovered.
Leon’s hand shot out.
“Uh uh. I wouldn’t choose that if I was you.”
Jasper blinked.
“Why?”
“Greasy food makes you slow,” Leon said.
“Salad’s better. You don’t want her catching up to you now. Do you?”
Jasper glanced over.
The monster was at the 5-foot line.
She saw him looking.
Waved.
Blew him a kiss.
He turned back fast.
Chicken salad.
Granola bars.
Energy bars.
Energy drink.
Water bottle.
He added it all to the cart.
“Your total, sir: 17 silver dollars.”_
Jasper patted his pockets.
Empty.
He looked at Leon.
“Master Leon… I don’t have any money.”
Leon facepalmed.
“Right. I forgot. You wouldn’t know the currency here, would you? My bad, Jasper.”
He held up a hand.
“Quick lesson. The currency here is similar to what you have on Earth, but it has more of a medieval take. Instead of paper money, pennies, and coins, they use copper dollars, silver dollars, gold dollars, and platinum dollars. It’s simple. 10 copper = 1 silver. 5 silver = 1 gold. 4 gold = 1 platinum. That’s it.”
Leon pulled out a _platinum coin_ and tapped the machine.
_”Payment received: 1 platinum.
Change due: 3 silver.”_
The machine clinked, dropped 3 silver coins into Leon’s palm, and then dropped the food.
Jasper sat on the lane edge and ate.
Salad down.
Energy bars gone.
Energy drink chugged.
Water bottle half empty.
*”12:00…”*
Leon held out the second blue pill.
“Last one. Take it. Break ends in 12.”
Jasper took it.
Swallowed it dry.
The monster hadn’t moved from the 5-foot line.
She was watching every bite.
“Big appetite for a man who doesn’t want nine children,” she said, sweet and smug.
Jasper didn’t answer.
He just sat there, letting the blue pill kick in.
*”11:00…”*
His legs stopped shaking.
His lungs opened up.
*”10:30…
10:29…”*
Leon checked the timer, then checked Jasper.
“You good?”
Jasper nodded.
“Yeah. I’m good.”
The monster smiled wider.
“Good. Because I’m ready when you are, baby.”
*”10:00…”*
*Continuing from “9 minutes left” on Mile 35 break → into the run:*
*”9:00…
8:59…”*
Jasper was already on his feet.
No waiting.
“You’re not taking the full break?” Leon asked, eyebrow up.
Jasper shook his head.
The monster at the 5-foot line tilted her head.
“Already done eating, baby? We just started talking.”
Jasper ignored her.
He stepped back to his mark.
Leon sighed.
“Fine. But after you finish all 140 miles, you owe me 100 sit-ups. 1000 push-ups. Then we do it again tomorrow.”
Jasper froze.
“Wait… again? For ten days straight?”
“Yep,” Leon said.
“Ten days of discipline. Five-day break after. Then meditation, etcetera, etcetera.”
Jasper groaned.
“Are you trying to kill me?”
Leon smirked.
“If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead. Now. You ready?”
Jasper exhaled.
“Yes.”
*DING.*
*”Break ended early.
Mile 36 begins now.”*
He took off.
*Mile 36…
37…
38…
39…
40…*
The blue pill was still hot in his chest.
His legs weren’t jelly anymore.
They were pistons.
The monster didn’t chase right away.
She watched him go, then started jogging behind him, easy.
Leon was timing it.
“He’s moving a lot faster,” he muttered.
“Five miles down already. That’s faster than the first set.”
Jasper didn’t hear him.
He was in the zone.
Miles blurred.
41…
42…
43…
44…
45.
*5 miles cleared in under 9 minutes.*
The monster finally picked up pace.
“Okay baby, I see you,” she called from behind.
“But you still owe me nine children if I catch you.”
Jasper didn’t answer.
He just ran harder.
*”Mile 46…
47…
48…49….50″*
Jasper didn’t slow.
The blue pill was still burning in his chest, but it didn’t hurt now.
It felt like fuel.
The monster was behind him, jogging easy.
“Running from me already, baby?”
He didn’t answer.
He just kept stacking miles.
*Mile “(51… 52… 53… 54…* *”55…”*
The second his foot hit the 55 marker, his body flickered.
A faint red glow crawled up his skin.
Thin at first, like heat haze.
Leon saw it from the sideline.
“Huh.”
Jasper didn’t notice.
He couldn’t feel it yet.
Only a slight _gasp_ in his lungs, like something unlocked.
*”56…
57…
58…
59…”*
The glow got brighter with every step.
Not fire.
Not sweat.
Something deeper.
*”60…”*
It hit like a door opening in his ribs.
Jasper stumbled half a step, then straightened.
His eyes went wide.
His body felt… lighter.
Like the track wasn’t pulling at him anymore.
***_
*”Breakthrough detected.
Rat Stage Level 1 → Rat Stage Level 2.”*[System]
He blinked.
“What—”
He didn’t finish.
Because the moment it landed, his speed doubled.
*Mile 61…
62…
63…
64…
65…*
The monster’s easy jog turned into a real run.
“Oh? There it is.” Her grin sharpened.
“You finally felt it.”
*Mile 66…
67…
68…
69…*
Jasper was flying now.
No burn.
No jelly.
The air felt thin.
The ground felt far.
*”70…”*
*DING.*
_***
*”Congratulations, Marathon Runner Crimson.
You have reached the halfway mark.”*
*”Would you like to continue, or would you like to take a break?
You have one minute to decide.”*[System]
Jasper skidded to a stop.
Chest heaving, but not broken.
He looked down at his hands.
They weren’t shaking.
The monster stopped at the 5-foot line again.
Sweat on her brow this time.
“Well, well. Level 2 already.” She licked her lips.
“This is getting fun.”
Leon checked his watch.
“One minute, Jasper. Break or push?”
*”70…
Decision: Continue.”*
Jasper wiped his mouth.
“I think I can push it. I’m not gonna take the break. I believe I can get through this.”
Leon smiled.
Pulled out another blue pill and tossed it.
“Take this.”
Jasper caught it.
“But Master Leon, I feel energized already.”
“Oh trust me kid,” Leon said, that grin spreading.
“You’re gonna need it. If you felt like you’ve been on easy mode… now you go on hard mode.”
Jasper stared.
“Master Leon, you’re doing that evil grin again.”
Leon’s eyes didn’t blink.
“I told you, Jasper. This isn’t an evil grin. It’s discipline.”
The monster laughed from the 5-foot line.
“Oh darling… you’ve been on easy mode this entire time.” She licked her voluptuous lips.
Her form shifted.
The older seductive look melted away.
Now she looked Jasper’s age.
Same height.
Leaner body.
Beautiful face.
Still dangerous.
*”What happens next now?”* Jasper asked, backing up.
Leon’s voice went flat.
“What happens next is you will avoid attacks while you’re running. Try not to get hurt.”
The monster grinned.
“Don’t worry baby. I’ll take it easy on you. Because this will be our first time.”