Author's Note:
I've made a minor formatting change—dialogue will now appear in italics instead of bold. Thank you all for reading this far! I truly appreciate every single one of you in the audience.
Starting now, I'll update twice daily until I reach Chapter 100. If you notice any grammar, spelling, or pacing errors, please don't hesitate to point them out. I still have room to grow, but I'm improving gradually.
Your feedback means everything to me. Let's keep building this world together. Enjoy the chapter!
******************************************************************
"NinJutsu: Level One."
"Lesson: TaiJutsu."
The User must complete a daily workout routine. Each completed workout grants 1 point toward developing a fighting style. One hundred points are required to unlock the next combat lesson."
"Workout: 500 pushups, 500 squats, 500 sit-ups, 5 miles."
Erie stared blankly at the system interface. His eyes traced the numbers repeatedly, hoping he'd misread something. "I need a hundred points just for the next lesson?" he muttered.
The absurd requirements echoed in his mind like a cruel joke—500 of each? At first, he thought it had to be a mistake. But deep down, he knew better. "Extreme dedication... maybe that's the point."
"Well," he exhaled, shoulders slumping, "it's not just training. It's a lifestyle, isn't it?"
Still trying to find a loophole, he glanced toward the window where the early morning light crept in.
"My morning workouts may count toward it. Does it run too? We usually hit three miles a day…"
It was worth checking. After all, he had already begun shaping his body with discipline and pain.
After morning workouts, Erie checked his system to see if the TaiJutsu exercises had been updated. Luckily, they had; he now had 300 pushups, 250 squats, 300 sit-ups, and 3 miles left to complete.
"I can knock out the rest with Lilly," he whispered, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah… we'll finish it together."
For the entire week, Erie continued his morning workouts, combat lessons, lecture lessons, and working out with Lilly; this would be the case for the rest of the school year.
Erie, Gene, and Jake finally decided to sign up for the tournament that the fourth-year students were organizing.
But when Erie suggested inviting Lilly to join their team, Jake's expression shifted. He didn't argue, but the silence spoke volumes. He wasn't thrilled by the idea.
Still, he didn't protest—because Alex had already refused to join them.
Without their strongest pick, they had little choice. And Jake followed along despite the flicker of hesitation in his eyes, keeping whatever thoughts he had buried behind that quiet stare.
After registering, they were informed that the tournament would begin after the academy's second official outing. The staff wanted to ensure every team had time to develop teamwork and cohesion before throwing them into a full-scale competition.
Erie still wasn't sure what they meant by "outing." It sounded like a glorified field trip—maybe a day hike with some drills or a team-building exercise—nothing worth worrying about.
After registering, the group slipped back into their usual rhythm: training, lectures, and more training. The days passed in a blur of sweat, bruises, and quiet determination.
But then, one morning during breakfast, something changed.
A soft chime echoed from every first-year's watch at once. Erie glanced down, puzzled.
"This is… different."
Curious, he tapped the glowing alert and watched as a new message opened on his screen.
Dear First-Year Students,
After thorough discussions, evaluations, and testing across the entire first-year group, the academy staff has reached a decision. You are hereby approved to proceed with your first official outing. After breakfast, please report to your homeroom class instead of attending your scheduled combat training session. Additional details will be provided there.
Note: Certain students will be individually selected for further questioning and evaluation. I appreciate your cooperation.'
A moment later, the cafeteria buzzed with rising chatter. Forks paused mid-air, conversations sparked across tables, and eyes flicked toward glowing watches.
Whispers turned into speculation.
"What kind of outing is this?"
"Did they say questioning?"
"You think it's another ranking test?"
Then, the bell rang—sharp and final—cutting through the noise like a blade.
It was time to report to homeroom.
During homeroom, the students gathered individually, filling the seats; the teacher stood firm with his hands folded behind his back. After all the students settled in class, he perched his glasses on his nose.
He waited for the students to settle in before speaking. The atmosphere was tense for Erie because he had an idea of the questioning. Jake and Gene sat next to Erie, and Lilly sat behind them. They all looked at Erie, and they could feel his nerves shaking.
"Hey," Gene finally said, "I don't think you'll be in trouble, Erie; if they call you, just remain calm."
The teacher finally walked into the middle of the classroom, paced back and forth, and began speaking.
"Staff have agreed to speed up sending the students to their first outing," he said sternly.
"Now, these settings are our top priority," the instructor began, his tone sharp and focused. "They're where the academy harvests most of its beast cores."
He tapped a button on his desk.
A holographic screen shimmered to life before the class, casting a pale glow across the room.
On it, a creature appeared—wolf-like in form but far from ordinary. Its fur was pristine, unnaturally white, glowing faintly under the projection's light. Sharp blue eyes glared through the display, locked in a predatory stare. Sparks of electric-blue energy crackled along its limbs, dancing across its body like living lightning.
Then it bared its fangs— A low growl rumbled from the speakers as the beast crouched into a hunting stance, its breath surging with electricity.
"Now This!" He said, pointing at the giant creature in the middle of the hologram. "This is called a Storm Fang, a C-ranked beast. Don't worry about the description because this is just one of many."
He then paused and looked around the classroom to see if any students had questions. No one raised their hands, so he continued.
"Your first outing would be on a planet called Luminara, " he continued. During our last exploration, we noted that most beasts are "D and Double D ranked beasts." He paused and scanned the classroom.
"But due to rising casualties and increasing elemental variations among the wildlife... we are now required to inform you of the beasts that roam this planet in advance."
He then closed the screen, and the lights flashed back on. The students did not even know the lights were off; they were too engulfed in the information the teacher gave.
"It appears to me that no one has any questions; you may proceed to your combat classes and continue your day." After the alarm sounded, the students rushed to their following combat classes to start training. Students are more focused now, especially after the announcement of a planet outing.
Not much detail was given, but it was enough for Erie to understand what an outing means now. This was their first outing coming up; the teachers were going to announce the exact day, but Erie didn't know when.
"I need to reach level 10 as soon as I can." Erie couldn't help but think.
Erie slipped into the classroom just as the final bell rang, their breath slightly uneven, their shirt clinging to their back from the morning workout. He was the last to arrive.
At the front of the room stood Gojo, smiling as always, his presence as effortless as ever. He wore a round pair of glasses, the lenses catching the classroom light with a soft glint.
It was apparent he didn't need them—No, he wore them purely for style.
There was something almost playful about how he stood there, hands casually tucked into his coat pockets, like he was about to tell a joke… or drop a revelation that would shake the entire room.
"Erie, since you were the last to arrive!" Gojo said, smiling. You now have 100 pushups!" Erie was shocked to hear the punishment, but he didn't mind. He only needed 100 more to complete his pushups for the day.
"Great! Now it's time for our next sparing lesson!" He yelled. "But this time, you will all pick your opponents! You will spar each of them for 2 minutes! And after the bell, you move on to the next. This will help you all build stamina and adjust to a new opponent on the fly!"
The students began to scatter around after his announcement, and Lilly began to walk towards Erie.
"Ready to work on your 20-step combo?" Lilly asked Erie.
But a moment later, Gojo stood between Lilly and Erie.
"Forgive me, Lilly, but you and your boyfriend can spar later." He smiled and turned around to face Erie.
"But he's not my boyfriend," Lilly said as she was pushed back.
Gojo stepped forward and faced Erie, his usual smile sharpening into something more focused. He raised a fist, his stance relaxed, but there was something dangerous in its ease.
"Let's see how you can fare against your teacher, so no holding back."