Who should I choose?
Ash's gaze swept across the room, but luck wasn't on his side.
Class 1S had 51 students.
Which meant—when paired up, one person would be left out.
Most of the students had already partnered with their friends.
Ray was with Irvin.
Elysia had picked Grace.
Ethan was paired with Melissia.
Lyra had partnered with another girl.
Ash noticed the first pair and made a mental note. Ray and Irvin So they became friends. Nothing changed—that's good.
But he didn't have time to think about that.
Because—
He was the only one left without a partner.
His brows twitched.
Now what?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a deep voice cut through the air.
"There's one student left. Come here, I will be your training partner."
Ash's head snapped toward the voice.
Instructor Leonard.
The room fell into a brief silence.
Students exchanged glances, some whispering under their breath.
A Legendary Rank Hunter—stepping in as Ash's opponent?
Ash's lips twitched slightly.
"Yes, Teacher."
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
But inwardly—he saw this as an opportunity.
This is good.
As long as I don't augment my body with mana, sparring with him will be more beneficial than fighting any of these kids.
Ash took a deep breath and stepped onto the circular sparring platform, its shimmering mana barrier pulsing faintly around him.
The moment he stepped inside—
The air felt different.
Like stepping into the den of a predator.
Ash rolled his shoulders and exhaled slowly, shaking off the tension.
He had done this before.
Not in this world.
Not against a real Legendary Rank hunter.
But back in his previous life—
While playing the game, the graphics were so real that you could even use real-world fighting techniques.
And Ash had done just that.
He had learned Taekwondo, kickboxing, and other martial arts from the internet.
His techniques were crude—lacking proper refinement—but they were better than nothing.
Now, it was time to put them to the test.
Ash exhaled slowly, adjusting his stance. His muscles tensed, his weight evenly distributed between his feet.
Leonard, standing a few paces away, studied him with a neutral gaze.
"Begin," Leonard ordered.
Ash moved first, launching forward with a sharp jab. A sharp jab—fast, faster than most expected from someone of his rank.
But—
Leonard barely shifted.
Instead of dodging, he simply turned his body slightly, letting Ash's strike slide past him harmlessly.
"Hah! He missed completely."
"Did he really think that would work?"
Ash barely had time to process before Leonard's counterattack came.
A palm strike.
Ash twisted, narrowly avoiding a direct hit—but the sheer force of the air pressure alone made his stance waver.
"Too slow."
Leonard's cold voice cut through him.
Ash clenched his jaw. He steadied himself, adjusted his footing.
His mind analyzed. Speed isn't enough.
This time, he aimed lower. A sweeping kick to unbalance his opponent.
Leonard didn't move.
He simply lifted his leg slightly—just enough for the kick to miss—before slamming his foot down.
BOOM!!!
A gust of wind followed, the sheer force vibrating through the platform.
Ash's instincts screamed.
He rolled back, creating distance.
The class was silent for a moment before—
"Holy shit, did you see that?"
"Yeah, and he's still alive somehow."
A few students chuckled.
"Dude's just getting tossed around."
"But he's still standing," Grace muttered under her breath, arms crossed.
Elysia remained silent, her eyes sharp, fingers curling slightly at her sides.
Ethan leaned back, his expression unreadable, but his gaze followed Ash carefully.
Melissia pouted. "He's trying really hard," she murmured.
Lyra watched with an unreadable expression.
Ash didn't notice them, his whole focus was at the fight.
He moved again, this time with a feint—a flicker of movement to bait a reaction before delivering a real strike.
But before he could execute it,
Leonard caught his wrist.
Then—the world spun.
A sharp gasp rippled through the crowd as Ash's back slammed against the ground.
"Ouch…" Melissia winced.
"HAHA! Bro got folded!" a guy laughed.
But Ash wasn't done.
He exhaled sharply and moved.
Despite the ache in his body, he forced himself up, adjusting his stance.
Leonard straightened, watching him. "You rely too much on instinct," he said.
"Your foundation is weak. You hesitate before committing to an attack."
Ash clenched his fists.
He knew that already.
"But—" Leonard's eyes narrowed slightly. "For a mage, you are not bad"
Ash exhaled.
If I want to protect her, I need to move and get stronger.
The presence of Elysia/Nancy gave him a motivation that he was lacking,
Previously his only goal was to take the Runes and survive, but now that he had something or someone to protect,
His whole mindset changed,
Thus, he moved.
His body tensed, then burst into motion, closing the distance with sharp, precise footwork.
I am almost out of my stamina
Realizing that he wouldn't land a clean hit through brute force alone, Ash changed his approach.
Ray's eyes narrowed. He's still attacking?
Ash feinted a straight punch—then pivoted low, sweeping his leg toward Leonard's knee.
A smart move.
Even Lyra's gaze flickered in mild approval.
But—
Before the kick could connect—
A single push.
Not a strike. Not a punch. Just a simple push to Ash's chest.
Yet—
BOOM!
Ash skidded backward, heels digging into the platform.
"Holy shit—"
"The strength difference is insane."
Ash groaned but pushed himself up again.
The fight continued.
Leonard analyzed every move, countered every attack, and shut him down with minimal effort.
But he wasn't just crushing him—he was teaching him.
"You dance too much. Every wasted step is another second closer to death."
"Your weight distribution is off."
"That kick was useless with your guard open."
Correction came with pain.
Each strike.
Each throw.
Each deflection.
But Ash absorbed it all.
After fusing with the Rune of Knowledge, he had become immune to fear, and his photographic memory recorded every mistake in perfect detail, allowing him to correct himself instantly.
And he didn't make the same mistakes again.
He gritted his teeth, his breath ragged.
If I can't move, I can't protect her. If I can't protect her, then what the hell am I even fighting for?
He wasn't just fighting for himself anymore.
And Leonard noticed.
Even as his body trembled. Even as sweat dripped from his face.
He forced himself to stand.
"Not bad," Leonard finally said, turning to address the rest of the class.
"This is what happens when technique is unrefined. Strength means nothing if you don't know how to use it."
His gaze swept across the students.
"Most of you have the same problem. Learn from this."
Ash exhaled sharply.
It wasn't a loss.
For him,
It was real progress.
Leonard voice carried effortlessly across the arena.
"Strength alone doesn't win battles."
"Speed alone doesn't win battles."
"And technique alone?" He glanced at Ash, then back to the students. "It means nothing if you can't adapt to your opponent."
He stepped back, allowing Ash to stand straight again.
"Your movements are good, but predictable."
"You use techniques you learned from somewhere else. But have you ever truly fought against someone above your level?"
Ash exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow.
"…No."
Leonard nodded.
"Then let's change that."
He turned to the rest of the students.
"All of you—pay attention."
"Today's sparring session isn't just about seeing your strength."
"It's about understanding why you win. And why you lose."
His gaze swept across the class.
"You won't always be fighting people at your level."
"You will face monsters stronger than you. Hunters faster than you. And enemies that don't follow your rules."
"If you can't think under pressure—"
His voice dropped slightly, and the room felt colder.
"—you'll die."
A quiet silence settled over the students.
And then—
"Start fighting."
Leonard's deep voice echoed through the training hall.
The students, still distracted by Ash's brutal one-sided beat down, hesitated.
"What are you all waiting for?"
The class snapped out of their daze and quickly begin their spars.
Leonard, however, turned his sharp gaze back to Ash.
"Rest for a while," he ordered. "Once you're recovered, we'll begin again."
Ash, still breathing heavily, clenched his fists and shook his head.
"I'm fine. Let's fight."
His body, however, betrayed him.
His knees buckled slightly as he forced himself upright, sweat dripping into his eyes, blurring Leonard's form.
Leonard's gaze flickered as he said,
"Rest. Otherwise, you won't learn anything."
Ash exhaled harshly, frustration burning in his chest. But he didn't argue. With a reluctant nod, he sat down where he was, his muscles screaming in relief.
And for the next two hours—
The class fought.
They learned.
They struggled.
By the end of it, everyone was exhausted. Some were even injured.
As the session ended, students packed their things and slowly dragged themselves toward the exit.
Ash followed suit, though every movement sent sharp jolts of pain through his muscles.
Leonard had controlled his strength, ensuring Ash only suffered minor swelling instead of serious wounds.
Still—his body ached all over.
His fingers twitched slightly—his body wasn't used to this level of strain. His vision blurred at the edges, but he exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay steady.
The whispers never stopped.
"Man, he really got tossed around."
"Seriously. What's an F-rank doing in this class?"
No one dared to question his place in Class 1S openly. Not after Elva's warning.
But mocking him?
That, they could do freely.
Leonard watched Ash's retreating form. He had fought longer than any of the others, taken more hits, yet refused to back down. Even now, his posture remained straight, his head high.
This kid...
There was something different about him.
A quiet exhale left Leonard's lips, but he said nothing more.
Ding!
A notification flashed on Ash's watch as he left the training room. His body, still trembling from overuse, felt sluggish, his bruises throbbing with every step.
He nearly ignored the message —until he caught the sender's name.
**
Sender: Melissia Ravenscroft
Content: Text File (Item List)
**
A small smirk tugged at his lips.
Even through the aching muscles, his mind sharpened.
After making bet with her earlier, he had taken her number—and now, she had delivered the List of items.
"Let's go rest a little while checking the list."
With that, he made his way toward his dorm, his mind already planning his next move.
***
A/N: Hey, dear readers! Sooo... some of you might've stumbled upon my Patreon page (or maybe even ran into it headfirst 👀).
Since it's my first time setting one up, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Any feedback? Suggestions? A secret treasure map? (Okay, maybe not that last one... unless?) But seriously, if there's anything you'd like me to add or change, let me know! Let's make it a place that's worth your support and filled with goodies you'll enjoy!