---
A week after settling in Fleedorb, Ryu stood before the grand iron gates of a large facility. Ornate patterns were etched into the dark steel, and a glowing emblem hovered just above the archway—a golden triangle with three intersecting circles. Beneath it, carved into silver stone, was the name of the school:
Von Advocate al Mi
—"The School for the Gifted and Bound"—
Ryu blinked. He wasn't used to buildings this polished.
Mina tugged on his sleeve. She wore a neat uniform now—gray and navy, trimmed with the school's gold. "Are you sure we should be here, Ryu?" she asked nervously.
Ryu nodded. "We're Mob. They accept all stages, even outsiders."
Indeed, Von Advocate al Mi was one of the few schools in the Eastern Continent open to all Mobs regardless of origin. The fee was steep, but Ryu had the money, and they both passed the entry assessment without issue. Mina's talents hadn't awakened, but her score in the spiritual compatibility test was high enough to warrant special beginner classes.
Ryu, on the other hand, surprised the instructors.
He was a Stage 4 Mob, physically powerful, but with no internal foundation—a rarity in Fleedorb, where even young Mobs trained inner circulation from the start.
"Fascinating," one instructor had said, circling him like a curious scholar. "His energy spirals outward rather than folding in. A Southern-style fighter… rare specimen indeed."
Despite his awkward introduction, Ryu was assigned to Class B-2, a group made up of intermediate-level Mobs, mostly Stage 3 and 4.
Day one started with a sparring session.
Most students used internal boosts to flash around, redirect force, and manipulate flow. Ryu stood still—like a boulder in a storm.
When his opponent dashed forward with precision and elegance, Ryu responded with one step and one strike.
It ended instantly.
He didn't win with technique—he won with raw overwhelming force.
The instructor frowned but nodded.
"He needs polish… but the talent is there."
---
Later that day, Ryu met up with Mina in the school garden. She was beaming.
"I met a girl from the Central Continent!" she said excitedly. "And a teacher said I have good focus!"
"That's good," Ryu replied, sitting on the edge of a fountain. His muscles ached slightly from holding back.
Mina plopped down beside him. "Are you going to be okay? Everyone here trains different from you."
"I know," he said. "But I'm here to learn, not to show off."
For the first time, he wasn't just surviving.
He was part of something.
A place where strength wasn't rare—it was expected. And that excited him in ways he didn't understand yet.
Ryu closed his eyes and whispered to himself:
"Let's see how far I can go."
--
To be continued..