Bang!
With a muffled crack, the man screamed and dropped to the ground.
The crowd froze in shock. By the time they reacted, Lock was already moving—fists striking out with speed and precision, dropping one opponent after another like a tiger tearing through a flock of sheep.
"Get him!" someone shouted.
The others finally snapped out of their daze and surged forward. Fists and kicks flew, but against Lock's frame they barely made an impression. Pain, yes—but nothing that could slow him down.
Ellis and the others hesitated on the sidelines, swallowing hard. Jonah, broad-shouldered and stubborn, was the first to grit his teeth and step forward.
"Lock, I'll back you up!" he roared, charging in.
Ellis exchanged a glance with the others. They knew they'd be flattened, but pride wouldn't let them stand idle. Even if they lost, they couldn't show weakness on their first day.
The scuffle spread into full-blown chaos.
Recruits who weren't involved kept their distance, watching in disbelief as Lock plowed through opponents with brutal efficiency.
"Thank god I didn't listen to Green," one muttered nervously. "That guy's insane."
"Two hundred against six—how the hell does it look like he's winning?"
"Stop staring! Somebody call the instructor before this gets out of control!"
Lock didn't hear a word of it. He had been bottling up his frustration for days, and now, with this mob coming straight at him, he had the perfect outlet. They wanted a fight—fine. He would give them one.
The truth was, most of his so-called allies were already down. Ellis and the others were flattened in minutes. Only Jonah still stood beside him, swaying from exhaustion.
Lock, however, was a different beast altogether. His stamina held, his strength unrelenting. Blows rained against him but bounced off like drops of water against stone. Among untrained recruits, he was untouchable.
Bang!
Another fist connected, and another body hit the dirt. Lock straightened, breathing steady, eyes hard. Around him, more than twenty recruits lay groaning on the ground, clutching ribs and jaws, unable to rise.
The leader, Green, had collapsed earlier. Whether Lock had put him down or his own allies had trampled him, no one could tell.
The rest hesitated. They outnumbered him easily, but none wanted to be the next fool charging into his fists. No one liked being the sacrifice.
Jonah staggered to Lock's side, chest heaving. "Cowards," he spat at the crowd, though the glare in his eyes was nowhere near as intimidating as Lock's silence.
Lock flexed his hand, ready to walk away—then a familiar chime rang in his head.
Ding. The host has defeated twenty-six opponents with bare hands. Achievement [Ten Enemies] complete. Reward: +1 Physical Strength, +1 Endurance.
The rush of power was immediate. Before he could process it fully, another prompt followed:
Ding. Advanced mission unlocked: [Fifty Enemies]. Objective—defeat fifty opponents. Reward: +2 Physical Strength, +2 Endurance.
Lock's lips twitched. Fifty, huh?
His eyes swept the crowd. He no longer saw recruits—he saw targets. Experience. A chance to grow stronger.
He lunged forward.
"Run!" someone screamed.
Panic erupted. Recruits scattered in every direction, scrambling to escape as Lock pursued, each movement predatory and relentless. To them, he wasn't human anymore—he was a monster let loose.
The square became a bizarre scene: one man charging forward, dozens fleeing like sheep before a wolf.
When Erwin finally arrived, alerted by the frantic reports, he stood for a long moment watching the chaos with an amused smile tugging at his lips.
"I underestimated him," Erwin muttered. "Looks like we've got a real troublemaker on our hands. Well then… Levi can deal with him."