---
Eight months had passed since Ryu and Mina joined Von Advocate al Mi, and in that time, their lives had changed more than either of them had expected.
Ryu, once a rugged external-type fighter from the humble villages of the Rainforest, now stood as one of the top students in the elite halls of Fleedorb's finest Mob academy.
And behind that transformation was one person:
Instructor Zacov.
A tall, sharp-eyed man with ash-gray hair tied into a low ponytail, Zacov was well-known across the Eastern Continent as a former Regional Class Mob—retired early after a grievous injury. But what made Zacov feared and respected was not his past glory, but his ability to teach.
He saw something in Ryu others didn't.
"This one's raw," he had said during their first lesson, studying Ryu's aura. "But that rawness is potential waiting to be shaped."
Unlike other instructors who dismissed Ryu's external foundation as crude, Zacov pushed him further—helping Ryu blend his wild, outward energy with precise internal flow.
"Control your breath. Don't force the energy—let it spiral into the meridians."
Ryu didn't get it at first. Internal energy was different. It was patient. It didn't explode—it resonated.
But through brutal training, meditations, daily sparring, and dozens of failures, Ryu learned to quiet his heart… to draw the energy in… to harmonize strength with stillness.
And slowly—month by month—he began to evolve.
By the eighth month, Ryu was no longer just a powerful external brute.
He could weave energy through his muscles, amplify his strikes with precision, and defend against techniques that once overwhelmed him. His classmates noticed the shift.
He wasn't just strong anymore.
He was refined.
---
Class B-2 Ranking List
— Mob School Monthly Internal Assessment
1. Reina Avaleon – Daughter of a Central Nobility Mob Family. Internal genius.
2. Tovar Exlen – Fastest energy controller in the class. Expert at soft counters.
3. Ryu (No Surname) – Best physical capability, rapid improvement, energy synchronization.
4. Hain Delbrik – Elemental Focus. Above-average internal mastery.
5. Nima Rozein – Strong spirit control. Struggles physically.
---
Ryu wasn't from nobility. He had no background, no family name, and no elemental inheritance.
But he stood toe-to-toe with the continent's elites.
He was now ranked 3rd overall in Class B-2, and 1st in physical capability, having surpassed everyone in strength, durability, and raw speed.
It wasn't because he chased rank.
He just trained harder than anyone.
Sometimes Zacov would stand quietly near the back of the training hall, watching Ryu repeat drills long after others had left.
"That boy…" Zacov muttered once, "has the instincts of a warrior forged in survival."
---
Meanwhile…
Mina was also growing.
Though she hadn't awakened, her spirit sense was among the best in her beginner class. She studied spirit tuning and healing techniques, and some instructors were starting to believe her awakening might come soon.
"Your brother's getting stronger," a girl said to her once. "Isn't it scary?"
Mina only smiled. "No. He's always been strong. People are just seeing it now."
---
One evening, Ryu sat by the school's open training ground, looking up at the stars. His knuckles were bruised, and sweat clung to his shirt.
Zacov approached, arms folded.
"You've come far, Ryu."
"Still not enough," Ryu replied. "Reina and Tovar use their energy like it's part of them. Mine still… feels forced sometimes."
Zacov chuckled. "You've only been training internally for eight months. You caught up with nobles who've been doing it since they could walk."
Ryu didn't respond.
Zacov studied him for a moment, then asked, "Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"
Ryu thought about Mina… about the Rainforest… about his father who died as a mere Amateur Class Mob… and about everything they never had.
"I don't want to waste this chance," he finally said.
Zacov nodded slowly. "Then don't. But remember—power isn't everything. It's only useful when you understand why you hold it."
Ryu stared quietly at the horizon.
He didn't have a dream.
But he had someone to protect. And for him, that was enough.
---
To be continued.