Villani had heard the rumors—not just Nash singing Lance's praises, but the entire Kansas City Chiefs organization calling Lance the "Training Maniac."
So, if it were only about perseverance, Lance wouldn't be called a maniac.
Clearly, Lance had his own iron will.
After five consecutive days of training, the team finally welcomed a rest day—a rare break, because it was the offseason and because high-intensity training requires proper relaxation and recovery. That's the only way to improve efficiency.
But on this rest day, Lance didn't hit the pause button—
Kelce and the others took a private yacht out to sea. It was either a party, a date, or a party with a date. But Jason and Hopkins were the exceptions. The two of them collapsed on beach chairs, not wanting to move a muscle. Rumor had it that even their three daily meals were delivered to their beds.
Everyone was enjoying their rest day in their own way.
But Lance? He neither partied nor joined the "living dead."
Because Lance knew, a "rest day" is a deceptive concept. Consistency is the key to fitness, and routine is essential. If you interrupt that rhythm and hit the pause button, it breaks your momentum, and laziness will quickly creep in. Even if it's just one day off, getting back into the swing of things becomes twice, three times, or even ten times harder. Most people just give up. Even if they don't, pushing through feels like torture.
Worse than hell.
So even on a rest day, Lance couldn't fully relax.
So, what did Lance choose to do?
Yoga.
Relaxing, yes. He definitely needed to relax—not just his muscles, but his nerves too. He had to shake off the stress of high-intensity training and fully unwind; at the same time, he had to keep his body moving rhythmically, so it wouldn't shut down entirely.
In the morning, Lance started with a massage. With the hands of a professional, his muscles were carefully loosened.
Then, he did yoga.
In the afternoon, it was a pool party, followed by more yoga to wrap up the day.
The schedule for his "rest day" was still packed, even though Lance insisted it was all just light and relaxing, with no heavy lifting. But Villani was astonished—
It was like discovering a hidden gem.
Now, Villani finally understood why Nash spoke so highly of Lance.
If Lance was a treasure chest, then Mahomes was a surprise package.
On the rest day, Mahomes didn't join the party either.
After five days of training, Mahomes felt both pressure and motivation.
He was still a backup quarterback. If he wanted to become the starter, if he wanted to stand side by side with Lance, if he wanted to take the field and go head-to-head with the league's best, he still had a lot of work to do. The offseason was his chance.
Moreover, in Watt's training camp, only Lance and Mahomes were first-year players. If they didn't push themselves, who would?
So—
Mahomes chose to stay and follow Lance's routine.
Villani was amazed, like he'd discovered a new world—
Of course, Mahomes' training load and intensity weren't as extreme as Lance's, given their different positions. But still, it was remarkable—Mahomes was a quarterback.
Villani had never seen a quarterback train his body so relentlessly. Even Newton, Wilson, and Watson—known for their running ability—didn't work out like this.
It was fresh, and it was exciting.
Naturally, Villani started to take a greater interest in Mahomes.
A running back and a quarterback—now that was an interesting duo.
The short rest day flashed by, barely long enough to catch a breath, and training resumed.
Finally, Hopkins woke up from his deep sleep.
He had slept for two straight nights and an entire day, utterly exhausted, but now he was recharged.
Stretching his limbs, his bones crackled and popped like firecrackers.
He was ready.
Hopkins knew the logic: after a short rest, the rhythm is disrupted, and the psychological gap makes it even harder to get back into training. Some people find it too painful to restart and end up quitting.
Hopkins thought, maybe that shiny, empty vase of a rookie—Lance—would be the first to drop out. All that "Training Maniac" talk was just smoke and mirrors, a PR trick cooked up by the Chiefs and fanned by Goodell.
But what if Lance hadn't quit?
Heh, that would be even better.
He was fully recharged now. Today, he was going to dominate. He'd make that little Crimson Tide rookie see what real strength was—
Hopkins knew his success in the league wasn't handed to him; it wasn't built on rookie hype or the protection of some token Asian narrative. His accomplishments were real.
He glanced at the clock: 4:20 AM.
Perfect. By the time he got to the training center, it would be 4:30. He could join Watt for warm-ups and wait for the others to arrive.
Imagining Lance stumbling into the training ground like a stray dog, exhausted and disheveled, made Hopkins want to laugh.
He actually hoped Lance hadn't quit. That way, he could thoroughly humiliate him today.
Thinking about it warmed his heart and made him smile.
Hopkins cheerfully got ready, ignoring the lingering muscle soreness. He even picked out a neon yellow shirt and a high-crowned cap, making sure he looked sharp before heading out.
Whistling and humming, he strolled into the training center—only to be stunned.
Step by step. Step by step.
Lance and Watt were already there, doing lunges with dumbbells in their hands.
Not only were their movements precise and steady, but their pace was consistent.
Both were already drenched in sweat. Just from their condition, it was clear they had been training for a while. They didn't even notice Hopkins' arrival; they were completely absorbed in their workout.
Hopkins froze.
Just moments ago, he had been rehearsing how he would greet Lance when he arrived. But this…
Something wasn't right.
Hopkins' mind went blank, unable to process what he was seeing.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
"Hey, DeAndre, good morning. You're a bit earlier than last week," Watt greeted him while wiping his sweat, smiling warmly.
Hopkins was dumbstruck, glancing back and forth between Watt and Lance.
Watt noticed his reaction.
"Ah, Lance?"
"He's been here for a while. To be exact, he got here ten minutes before I did. When I arrived, he was already warming up. At this rate, he's going to be the one waking us up next time."
"Haha."
Hopkins: … That's not funny, okay?
And then, the final blow—
Villani and the other trainers started arriving as well. They had to be there a bit earlier to set things up, and what they saw left them speechless.
Villani joked, "JJ, I thought training started at five. Are you setting up a pre-training camp now? If so, we'll have to charge extra."
The other trainers joined in the laughter.
Watt shook his head, "I didn't call Lance. He got here even earlier than me."
The smile froze on Hopkins' face, leaving only the wind blowing through the empty spaces of his mind.
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Powerstones?
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