The next morning, Steve Miller was already up, sitting at the breakfast table...
Steam rose from a bamboo steamer filled with soft buns... A plate of fried strips sat beside it, along with warm soy milk... Simple, but familiar and comforting...
Ryan came downstairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes... It was Saturday... No school today... His time was his own...
After breakfast, he grabbed his bag and headed out... Steve exhaled in relief, calling after his wife...
"Pick up some Star Beast meat later... Since Ryan is training now, it will help his body recover..."
---
At the Evergreen Martial Arts Academy, Ryan arrived earlier than most... The lobby was nearly empty except for a handful of students... Those rare types who worked harder than anyone else...
They noticed the new face... Surprise softened into approving nods as they watched his focus... To them, he was one of their kind...
Ryan felt the same... He was working harder than he ever had... But with so few people this early, there were not many bubbles dropping...
So he greeted the students politely... And if he bent down to scoop up a few orbs along the way, well... That was just coincidence... Totally...
"Basic Fist Technique plus six... Strength plus four... Speed plus three... Basic Sword Skill plus four..."
Ryan's eyes gleamed... He closed them, letting his body relax as the data surged into him... Then his eyes snapped open, fixing on the strength measuring machine in the corner...
He stepped forward, planted his feet, and drove his fist into it...
Bam...
The numbers climbed before stopping at one hundred forty-three kilograms...
Last night, his strength had been one hundred thirty-five... He had gained eight more points in just hours... The machine's result matched his internal panel exactly...
He had started at only fifty... Now he had reached the upper limit of an ordinary human...
"I am not unworthy anymore..." he whispered to himself...
He moved to the speed tester, a treadmill-like device with rotating wheels beneath it... Ryan began with a jog, then ramped up until he hit his peak, the machine whirring frantically under his feet...
When he stepped off, the display flashed... twelve point seven meters per second...
Ryan stared in shock... "That is the speed of an Olympic one-hundred-meter champion... And that is just a martial student... How terrifying must a full warrior be..."
Next came the body composition analyzer... A machine straight out of a science-fiction movie... He stepped inside, pressed start, and a light scanned him from head to toe...
Not wanting to draw too much attention, Ryan slipped out quietly and entered the weapons hall...
The place was filled with racks of blades, spears, maces, and all manner of training weapons... He stopped before the sword cabinet, his gaze landing on a sleek black training blade from the Dark Shadow Series...
It was completely black, flexible but heavy, with the same weight and size as a real sword... No runic engravings though... A real one cost millions... This dummy was barely worth one hundred dollars...
Ryan gripped it... The balance felt perfect in his hand...
A man's instinct for weapons... It was real... In his past life, in a world of science without martial arts, he had never held one... Now, with a sword in hand, a primal hunger stirred deep inside him...
He had already picked up some basic sword techniques... So he found an open space and began to practice...
Shhhk... Shhhk... Shhhk...
The blade cut the air, every arc sharp and dangerous... Even a glancing strike would leave a deep wound...
Another student glanced his way, sizing him up... After a moment, the boy shook his head and muttered... "Rookie..."
A few more whispers followed...
"Not bad, but quality beats quantity..."
"New guy looks hardworking... but kind of dumb..."
Ryan did not notice... He only knew that with every swing, his movements grew sharper, his understanding of swordplay deeper...
That was when he realized someone else had been watching...
A tall, muscular man stood with arms crossed, silent... He had been there for a while...
"Holy crap, sir, you scared me..." Ryan said, lowering his sword...
It was the same instructor from yesterday... The one who had drilled the bizarre radio exercise into him... Now he was staring, making Ryan's scalp prickle...
"Young man..." the instructor said finally... "I have been watching you... Your fistwork is not bad..." He gave Ryan a thumbs-up...
"Thanks, sir... I am Ryan..."
The man chuckled... "No need for sir... Call me Senior Brother Peng..."
"Senior Brother Peng..." Ryan repeated naturally... Then tilted his head... "You always train this early..."
Peng nodded... "I do not have much talent... I am already past twenty-five, and still only an advanced-stage martial follower... For me, hard work is the only path left..."
Ryan went quiet... He respected that, even as he thought to himself... Lucky for me, I can just shear the wool from everyone else...
And as training intensified, that was exactly what he did... One by one, more students entered the hall... With every strike, every sprint, every move, bubbles rained down...
Soon, the entire floor shimmered with them... And Ryan dived right in...
I want wool... I will harvest every last bit... he sang silently in his head, careful not to voice it aloud... Otherwise, someone might actually hit him...
Bubbles collected...
"Strength plus two... Speed plus six..."
"Basic Fist Skill plus two..."
"Intelligence plus one... Endurance plus three..."
By noon, the hall was packed... More effort, more bubbles...
By nightfall, Ryan had ascended... His stats and skills had climbed so far that he was now a mid-stage martial follower... His strength, speed, and endurance all matched the level... His fist, sword, and footwork skills had reached Small Achievement...
In martial skill progression, the levels were... Initial Understanding... Proficiency... Small Achievement... Great Achievement... Perfection...
Now his techniques were twice as strong as before... He had even picked up Basic Blade Skill, which had already reached Proficiency...
As the day ended, Ryan returned the practice sword to its rack... The hall was nearly empty as he walked toward the parking lot...
He pulled up his attribute panel...
Attributes...
Intelligence... twenty-eight...
Endurance... fifty-two...
Strength... four hundred fifty-five...
Speed... one hundred eighty-five...
Fighting Techniques...
Basic Fist Skill... Small Achievement...
Basic Footwork... Small Achievement...
Basic Sword Skill... Small Achievement...
Basic Blade Skill... Proficiency...
Ryan grinned... "Hell of a day's progress..."
---
When he got home, the smell hit him immediately... Rich, savory, mouthwatering... His mother, Ria, was cooking in the kitchen, the aroma of roasted meat filling the house...
"Mom, what are you making... Smells amazing..."
"Your dad ordered Star Beast meat just for you..."
Ryan's eyes widened... "Seriously... Dad actually spent money..."
Star Beasts... Creatures mutated by universal force... Their meat was incredibly nutritious... And incredibly expensive...
He spotted the braised meat on the table and could not resist... He snatched a piece, popped it in his mouth, and closed his eyes in bliss...
"Mom... you are a legend... This is divine..."
"You greedy ghost... Do not come into my kitchen all sweaty and stinking... Go shower..." Ria laughed, shooing him out...
Meanwhile, Steve sat quietly, reflecting... Most of his friends bragged about their kids becoming mid-level or advanced martial students... He never had that chance...
Despite being a CEO worth millions, his son had always been aimless, careless... Now, finally, Ryan was changing... Finally, there was pride...
If Ryan reached advanced level one day, Steve could hold his head high among his peers...
"It was great today..." Ryan said between bites... "One of my seniors at the academy even told me I had talent..."
He did not mention becoming mid-stage... Dropping that news might just knock his parents out cold...
"That is good, son... That is very good..." Steve's eyes softened with pride... "We are not rich compared to some, but you will never lack resources... Work hard... That is all we ask..."
Ryan nodded... Resources were not a problem for him... Other people's resources could become his...
"Eat more, son..." Steve urged... "You must be tired after working so hard all day..."
Ryan smiled, digging into the Star Beast meat... The taste of victory was sweeter than ever...