Chapter 3: Strengthening

After his first meeting with Takagi, Lucas started seeing her more often around school. Takagi wasn't the type to easily get along with others, but Lucas, with his laid-back and humorous personality, slowly began to catch her attention.

Days passed, and without realizing it, their interactions became more frequent—whether in the library while Takagi was reading strategy books, in the cafeteria when Lucas casually interrupted her conversations, or even in class when Lucas asked ridiculous questions just to see her reaction.

At first, Takagi thought Lucas was just another foolish student who liked to joke around, but over time, she realized that behind his relaxed demeanor, Lucas had a sharp mind.

---

One Day in the Library

Lucas sat across from Takagi, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at her.

"What are you looking at?" Takagi asked without lifting her eyes from the book.

"You."

Takagi sighed, closed her book, and looked at him with a blank expression. "Why?"

Lucas smiled. "I'm curious. Why do you like reading war strategy books?"

Takagi crossed her arms. "Because strategy is important. In life, the strong are not just those with muscles but also those with brains."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "That's true. If the world suddenly collapsed, people with intelligence and survival knowledge would have the advantage."

Takagi narrowed her eyes. "You're talking as if the world is about to end."

Lucas chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe one day, we'll have to fight for survival against something unexpected."

Takagi scoffed. "If that happens, I won't die easily."

Lucas smiled in satisfaction. Good, this girl has a strong survival mindset. When the zombie apocalypse comes, she'll definitely make it.

Meanwhile, Lucas continued to push his training further. Now, he wasn't just focusing on physical fitness and martial arts—he was also experimenting with his own body.

Every time he pushed past his limits, his body recovered faster and felt even stronger. If he trained his speed, his reflexes improved. If he trained his strength, his muscles developed more efficiently.

Until one day, he noticed something truly strange.

While running through a forest near the school, he slipped and fell off a small cliff. A fall from that height should have caused serious injuries, but… his body only felt pain for a few seconds before everything returned to normal.

Lucas froze.

"My body's recovery... this isn't normal."

He decided to test it further. He deliberately overworked his arm muscles with weight training until they felt like they were about to tear. Yet, the next day, not only had his muscles fully recovered, but they also felt even stronger than before.

Lucas grinned.

"So, is this my limit? Or can I evolve even further?"

He began pushing himself to the absolute brink. What was once just physical training had now become an evolution experiment.

And the more he developed, the more he realized—this body… was not an ordinary human body.

As time passed, Lucas and Takagi's relationship naturally deepened. Takagi no longer saw Lucas as just a class clown, but as someone she could have serious discussions with.

Lucas often challenged her in strategic debates, something that not many people could do.

One afternoon, they sat together on the school rooftop, enjoying the cool breeze.

"You're weird," Takagi suddenly said.

Lucas turned to her with a playful smirk. "Why? Because I'm too handsome?"

Takagi scoffed. "Not that, idiot. You're always acting carefree, but I feel like you're hiding something."

Lucas paused for a moment before smiling. "Everyone has secrets, Takagi. That includes you."

Takagi stared at him for a second before giving a small smirk. "Touche."

Lucas gazed up at the sky. In one year, this world will change…

And when that day came, he would be ready.