Chapter 20: No Pain, No Gain. Literally. 

"Uncle, I'll go tomorrow and volunteer!"

Titus blurted out his intentions to Uncle Brown. After the announcement was made, Titus dragged Uncle Brown into the tent.

"It's too dangerous..."

"I know but—we can get crystals, we can increase our strength!"

"Indeed, it is a good idea but it is too risky. Not only there's danger from the monster's but there's also the eyes of other people. If you're caught using that power... You might get taken into a lab/prison and get interrogated."

"Uncle, this is an opportunity to acquire more strength. Yes, the risk level is high and I might even die, but the pay off will be huge! And also how am I supposed to protect Lee if 'I'm weak'?"

"Lee..."

"Uncle, you did ask me to protect him but how could 'we' protect Lee if we lack power?"

"..."

*Sigh*

"Fine! But promise me one thing. If the situation looks bleak and it gets dire, run! Save yourself! We'll be awaiting your return. You're like my... son now so don't push yourself too hard. Leave it to the government if all fails."

"Un."

Titus played the Lee card in order to fully convince Uncle Brown. Plus, he wasn't lying in the first place. Just that in his case, it was not only for Lee but also for Uncle Brown. He was willing to bear the responsibility of their safety as long as he won't have to go back to being alone. 

...

During the night, about 9 pm, Titus quietly slipped out of the tent and went out for a jog. He knew going there and fighting was dangerous, so he dared not be careless and made preparations.

He wasn't just 'jogging' but also trying to meditate at the same time. Yes, the five minutes daily limit was already used up in the morning but precisely because it was used up that he planned to use it now while jogging.

When they first discovered that there was a limit, it was because it started hurting. He didn't think too much about it but in desperation he came up with an idea to research it on his own. So he tried it now. As he was meditating, pain immediately came surging like a wave inside him. However he bore through it and tried his best to take note of the changes in his body.

His body was still absorbing mana but it was very slow. And it also wasn't really absorbing but rather it felt like it was severely straining his muscles! He immediately stopped jogging and meditating to catch some breath. He then meditated again, but this time, he was only standing still. The absorption was even slower compared to when he was jogging. This meant that this effect was similar to a normal meditation but in a negative way. 

As he was contemplating, his eyes suddenly brightened as he thought of an idea! The muscles  could become stronger because of the mana's nourishment. In which, it could reinforce the muscle as it healed. Meaning if he used normal meditation to heal the damage of post-limit meditation, his body would get stronger faster! And in turn, it would also increase his capacity to absorb mana! The only problem with this method was that it was very painful. It was like stubbing your toe but you could feel it all over your body, wave after wave and it would get stronger as time passed by. 

Seeing the result of this little night journey of his bore more fruit than he had expected, he was eager to implement it in the morning. However, even though he wasn't afraid of the pain, his body wouldn't listen to him at the moment. He wanted to go back to the tent and sleep but the aching pain stopped his body from moving. He sighed and resigned himself, it seemed that he would have to wait here for quite some time. Alas, it was better to do this just before it hit 24 hours from the last meditation, so that he could immediately use normal meditation once it is refreshed. 

Morning came and after eating breakfast, Titus bid farewell with renewed vigour. His method worked but he dared not share it with Uncle Brown nor Lee. He wanted to keep it for himself since this was just akin to torturing yourself, he didn't want to see either one of them in any pain. He would reveal it only when it's absolutely necessary.

When he arrived at the registration where the recruitment for civil soldiers was being held. Only few people could be seen, dispersed sparsely in the open field. Though it was understandable since nobody wanted to risk dying. As for the reward, Titus didn't check yet, obtaining the crystals was already a reward in itself. But there was no harm in redeeming the given reward after the operation was done.

From the looks of the people, Titus summed up the type of people present. One was full of hatred, presented in their eyes while the other was, they were just lost. They didn't have anything now and didn't really have a direction, they are lost hence they came here. Of course, what was similar about these two types of people was the fact that they've lost some and/or all of their family, companion, etc. because of the monsters. One could clearly see it.

Not long after, a truck came with weapons in tow. Soldiers were lined up while their captain called the attention of the people. 

"To those who came for the recruitment, please line up there and get your names registered! Do it neatly and as fast as possible. However once you signed your name on there—there is no turning back! So if you don't want to die, get out of here. This is not a place where you should be."

Titus naturally lined up along with the others. Some of the people who looked lost hesitated and backed out while the rest got in line. The same could be said for the vengeful people, some snapped out of their hatred and immediately backed out while the others were set on their revenge. In order to blend in, Titus became one with the vengeful people, showing hatred in his eyes.

"Alright, we will leave immediately! The waves are getting fiercer and fiercer so be prepared! It's too late to turn back at this point, so own up to your decision. You'll get your reward once you survive. Rest assured that if you do meet your unfortunate end there, we will treat you with fairness even in death and send your rewards to your friends, relatives, etc. if you have one. But if you have none, you will be given military honor and we will glorify your name. This is the military's code of conduct. So I hope that you respect us as well. I know that some of you came for revenge but please remember to always follow orders and not be brash, this is for your own good, and it's more likely that you'll survive if you do so! This is an emergency situation so strict regulations on recruitment are waived for now, but I do hope that you'll still honor it."

"Am I understood?!"

"Sir! Yes sir!"

All were empowered by the captain's aura. His speech made the people's blood boil that even the hatred they had was temporarily forgotten and in the eyes of some, Titus could see them regaining lost spirit.

Proofread by: @lynn