Chapter 10: Breaking Boundaries

The morning sun painted the land in gold, its warmth spreading across the busy town. Birds sang cheerfully, their songs blending with the sounds of the world waking up. Farmers, fresh from their early work, returned from the fields, their faces filled with both sweat and contentment. The market came to life as merchants set up their stalls and customers gathered.

It was a scene of peace, of everyday life. But within the walls of House No. 07, things were very, very different.

From outside, sharp grunts and pained groans echoed, mixed with the occasional roar of flames. Passersby glanced nervously at the house, their faces showing concern and curiosity, but none dared to approach. This was the home of Ethan, the man who had openly defied Victor.

Rumors spread quickly. Did Victor's men come for revenge? Was Ethan paying the price for his defiance? Whispers and rumours drifted through the streets, but no one had the courage to find out for themselves.

If they had, however, they would have seen an entirely different scene.

Inside the house, Adrian and Elise dashed across the courtyard, their bodies soaked in sweat, breaths coming in ragged gasps. They looked as if they had just emerged from a fierce storm, their clothes clinging to their skin. Every step was a struggle, their muscles screaming for rest, but they couldn't slow down, let alone stop. They did not dare to.

The moment their pace began to slow down, a burst of flames roared to life behind them, the heat forcing them to push forward with every last ounce of strength they had left.

In the middle of the chaos stood Ethan, solid and unwavering like a pillar. With thick logs and broken trees on his shoulders, he moved with calm control, dropping into deep squats with precision. His eyes, sharp and focused, followed every move Adrian and Elise made, watching them closely like a teacher waiting for the right moment to act.

This was no attack from Victor's men.

This was training.

To understand how things had come to this, we must go back to the break of dawn, when the day's challenges had only just begun.

As the first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, Ethan wasted no time. With Adrian now joining them, there was only one thing on his mind—training.

He stood in front of his two recruits, Elise and Adrian, his posture strong, his expression unreadable.

"Get ready," he said firmly. "Training starts soon."

Excitement sparked in their eyes. This was it. This was the moment they had been waiting for. The first step toward shedding their weakness and becoming stronger, better.

Without hesitation, the two hurried to change into training gear ( which is just another set of clothes than their regular ones) before heading to the courtyard. Ethan was already there, standing tall, his presence radiating authority. He looked at them the way a strict drill instructor sizes up new recruits and gauges their potential before shaping them into something better.

Finally he spoke.

"You're about to train under me," he announced, his tone calm. "It won't be easy. There will be moments when you'll feel like you're about to collapse, maybe even die. But if you push through, you'll come out stronger—far stronger than you are now."

His sharp gaze flicked, making sure they understood. "That being said, don't be reckless. Strength means nothing if you break yourself in the process. Rest is a necessity, not a luxury."

Adrian smirked, crossing his arms. "Damn, listen to you. You sound like a full-on drill sergeant now."

"That's right, Officer Ethan," Elise added, flashing a teasing grin. "Go easy on us, will you?"

Ethan let out a quiet chuckle, a smirk forming on his lips. Neither of them noticed the way his expression darkened slightly.

"So, I take it you're ready?" he asked, a glint of something dangerous in his eyes.

"Born ready," they answered in unison.

"Good." His smirk widened. "Then let's start with a light jog."

Adrian and Elise stretched their legs, shaking out their limbs, getting ready to run.

"A thousand laps around the courtyard should do."

"All righ—wait, WHAT?!"

"A THOUSAND LAPS?!!"

Present Time:

The sun was now high in the sky, shining down on two thoroughly exhausted figures.

Adrian and Elise were still running.

Sweat poured down their faces, their legs burned with each step, and their lungs felt like they were being squeezed. Every time they slowed, a burst of flames roared behind them, forcing them to pick up the pace.

"Dude... how much longer until we can stop running?" Adrian panted, barely managing to keep moving.

Ethan, still doing deep squats while holding massive logs over his shoulders, answered without missing a beat.

"As long as it takes to finish 1,000 laps," he said casually. "We've got one of the biggest gardens in the city. It would be a waste not to take advantage of it."

"I'm dying, brother," Elise groaned. "How about a little rest? You did say to prioritize safety."

"I said to prioritize safety, not comfort," Ethan corrected, lowering into another squat with perfect form. "I warned you this would be tough."

"Yeah, but you conveniently forgot to mention that we'd be running like madmen while dodging the flames you throw at us," Adrian shot back, narrowly avoiding another burst of flames. "And why aren't you running?! You didn't even do the 1,000 laps yourself. Why are we suffering?"

"Yeah!" Elise added, barely sidestepping another flame. "I thought we'd be training with our abilities. Maybe even learning some world-class techniques after seeing how you fought in the market. Why are we still running?"

Ethan let out a breath, resting the log against his shoulders as he stared at them.

"If you paid attention to that fight," he said, "you should already know why I'm focusing on physical training first."

He paused, letting that sink in before continuing.

"I was able to beat those two without using my ability. Do you know why? Because their bodies weren't ready for battle. They had powers, but they couldn't use them properly. They relied too much on their abilities without strengthening the foundation that carries them—their own bodies."

He threw another burst of flames their way, making them jump in panic.

"Besides," he added, "do you really think it's safe to train with abilities here? The courtyard may be big, but it's not indestructible. You'd wreck the entire place. Especially you, Elise."

Elise stiffened, but said nothing.

"But you are using your ability." Adrian chipped in huffing.

"Because I have better control over my abilities." Ethan replied doing yet another perfect deep squat. "Besides, I only have a C-rank ability. It won't do much harm even if I can't control it. But your abilities are far above mine. So I can't do the same with you."

"So don't even think about using abilities for now," Ethan continued. "Focus on strengthening your body first. Everything else comes later."

The complaints continued—grumbling, groaning, endless muttering about how tough and unfair this was. But neither of them stopped. Not for a single moment.

Because deep down, they knew the truth.

They were weak. Far too weak for this accursed world.

And if they wanted to change that, they had to be willing to step out of their comfort zone. Be broken apart to be pieced together.

As Ethan powered through his workout, a rare, fleeting smile crossed his face. For a moment, he was lost in his thoughts, drifting back to the past—until a familiar voice pulled him back to the present.

"Now that's what I call Spartan training," Mary remarked, emerging from the usual white mist. Though her tone was neutral, a hint of anger still lingered in her expression.

"Mary," Ethan muttered, stopping mid-motion.

"It's fine. Speak in your mind. We wouldn't want them getting suspicious, would we?" she said, her annoyance still evident.

"I'm sorry, Mary. Truly," Ethan said in his thoughts. "I don't know why I acted like that… why I was so pushy.. "

"No, it's fine. You had every right to be concerned—it is your life, after all. Besides, the repair of your soul is likely to blame. You're still adjusting. That's why your emotions are all over the place." she replied.

"No," Ethan countered, resuming his squats, though his form wasn't as precise as before. "I should've handled it differently. You were the one who brought me back. In a way… I owe this life to you."

Mary smirked. "My, my. Are you trying to flirt with me? 'I owe this life to you'—such a romantic line. Too bad, I am way out of your league, And besides I already told you that it was my grandmother that brought you back, I am just here as a sort of caretaker for you. So do try not to fall in love with me please. You do not fit my taste." she teased, her irritation finally dissipating.

Ethan let out a quiet chuckle but didn't take the bait. He knew better than to engage in her playful jabs.

Mary's smirk lingered as she studied him. "But I have to say, I'm surprised. I expected you to dive straight into training your ability, maybe even use the system. I thought you were starving for power."

"I am," Ethan admitted. "But Power without control or responsibility is just chaos in disguise. If I can't wield it properly, it'll only slow me down. Worse, it'll make me arrogant. And arrogance alone can only take you so far before crumbling everything."

"You've really thought this through," Mary said, her voice carrying a mix of respect and amusement. "I'll give you credit for keeping them from using their powers. Smart move."

She crossed her arms, glancing toward the courtyard where Adrian and Elise struggled through their grueling laps.

"If they activated their abilities now… well, let's just say one wrong move and this whole place would be reduced to rubble in seconds," she continued as she views their Status Window. "Worse, with their current stats, they'd probably destroy themselves before they even realized what was happening."

Her words lingered in the air, a quiet warning wrapped in casual observation.

"Yeah." was the short answer Ethan gave her as he did another perfect squat.

{

 Status Screen

Name : Elise

Title : None

 Stats

Strength : 10

Speed : 13

Stamina : 15

Vitality : 16

Intelligence : 32

Dexterity : 10

Status Effects :Exhausted

 Ability

 Innate Ability

Frost Dominion / Rank S / Proficiency 1%

–Grants control over ice, allowing the user to create and manipulate frozen constructs, summon blizzards, and freeze opponents at will.

Acquired Ability: None.

}

{

 Status Screen

Name : Adrian

Title : None

 Stats

Strength :17

Speed : 23

Stamina : 20

Vitality : 16

Intelligence : 35

Dexterity : 22

Status Effects: Exhausted / Agitated

 Ability

 Innate Ability

Primal Shift / Rank S / Proficiency 15%

–Transforms the user into a beast, enhancing strength, speed, and senses for heightened combat and survival. 

 Acquired Ability

Urban Instinct / Rank E/ Passive Proficiency 100%

Heightens awareness in urban environments, allowing detection of hidden threats and opportunities.

Silent Movement / Rank D/ Passive Proficiency 100%

Reduces noise and footprints when moving, making the user nearly undetectable when sneaking through the streets.

Quick Reflexes / Rank D/ Passive Proficiency 100%

Enhances the user's ability to dodge or avoid attacks.

Alleyway Acrobat / Rank D/ Passive Proficiency 100%

Enhances agility, allowing for seamless parkour and fluid movement through urban obstacles.

} 

"But I have to say, I'm impressed with their abilities—even if their stats are trash. I should have chosen one of them instead of you, it seems," Mary teased with a playful smirk.

Ethan laughed. "Too bad. You're stuck with me."

Mary glanced back at the status window, then fell silent for a moment. After a brief pause, Ethan, mid-squat, asked, "Anything wrong?"

Mary's smile shifted into something sharper, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Well, you told Elise to be extra careful, but honestly, that Arian boy is the one who really stands out. If he loses control, hardly anyone can rein him in. A 'Monster,' if you want to put it bluntly."

Ethan stopped and considered her words, shaking his head as he replied thoughtfully, "You can figure all that out from the status board? I didn't expect you to know so much about combat. You have my apologies."

Mary rolled her eyes lightly. "Oh please, you always overestimate me. I can see all of that because I've got the final model of the system, while you're stuck with the basic one. But don't worry—if you complete enough missions, you'll upgrade too. Granted, it might take about 150 years."

Ethan shot her a look that said, "Are you serious?" and then chuckled, "I'll be dead by then."

"Well, that's too bad," Mary giggled before asking, "So, any special reason you didn't warn Adrian?"

Ethan stopped mid-set. "Adrian's abilities need specific conditions to kick in fully. That's why I warned Elise more. She doesn't quite understand her powers yet. As for Adrian..." Ethan glanced over at Adrian, who was still sprinting ahead, focused on his goal. "He's already had enough run-ins with his power going haywire. No need to remind him."

Mary's lips curled into a small, amused smile. "You really do care about them, don't you, Host?"

Ethan's gaze softened, and his voice grew quieter. "In a world like this, they're all I've got left—my only family. Of course I care about them." He said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, but there was a slight edge of sadness in his voice.

A silence fell between them as Ethan continued his grueling workout, occasionally launching small bursts of flame at Adrian and Elise, while Mary floated lazily above, watching with mild boredom.

After some time, Mary mused, "This is all fine and dandy, but when are you going to actually use the system? I even removed the initial requirements for your first skill steal."

Ethan eyed her suspiciously. "You? Are you sure it wasn't your grandmother or someone else in your family who did it—and you're just taking the credit like before?"

Mary laughed, shaking her head. "It was just a slip of the tongue. But that's not the point. When are you going to use it? Don't tell me you're going to leave me hanging like last time!"

"Hahaha, don't worry," Ethan replied, still grinning. "According to my memories, I'll have to wait about a month and a half for the ability I'm choosing. Until then, I'll work on raising my stats and sorting out this money problem."

"That long?" Mary asked, her tone laced with impatience.

Mary crossed her arms and sighed. "Fine, I can wait. But I won't be around much until then," she said, turning away as her misty form began to fade. "Don't disappoint me, Host. Or next time, I'll be really mad." With that, she vanished once again.

Ethan let out a long exhale and thought, "She really does whatever she wants, doesn't she? It's like a tornado passing by."

Then, as if on cue, Mary's voice echoed, "I heard that." Ethan just smiled and kept training.

After a while, he finally called out, "Alright, that's enough!"

Both Adrian and Elise collapsed onto the ground, their faces buried in the dirt, completely drained. Their bodies had given up long ago—what had kept them going was pure determination.

"How long do we have to keep doing this?" Adrian groaned, barely lifting his head from the ground.

Ethan's tone was flat as he replied, "For the rest of your lives."

In the bright sunlight, Ethan's silhouette looked less like that of a caring mentor and more like a looming demon. At that moment, Adrian and Elise truly understood—this brutal training wasn't just for today. It was their new reality.