Location: Hyodo Household
Time: 19:30
Third-Person Point of View
Issei could be seen arriving home when, suddenly, he was tackled by his mother, who was worried about how long he had taken.
"Ah! Mom, you're crushing me!"
It was only after several minutes that Miki finally let go of her son, only to notice his bandaged arms. This made her cry again and give him another crushing hug.
It took several minutes to calm her down and several more minutes to explain what had happened. By the end of the explanation, Miki seemed more at ease.
The concern in her eyes was evident, but so was her pride for her son.
After a long talk with his mother and enduring the teasing about his new friend, Issei went to his room and started reading the medical book his master had given him.
One hour later...
"Damn it, why did I choose Master Akisame as my first teacher? This is so hard!"
Issei was sitting on his bed with a medical book in hand.
"Though I can't complain, since after an hour of reading, my intelligence increased by one point. But come on, I signed up to learn martial arts, not this!"
He looked frustrated at having to read a medical book.
"According to Master Akisame, the mind and body must be in balance. But these books are difficult... Sigh... At least I'll be able to improve my intelligence a lot with this."
[Intelligence +1]
One Hour and Thirty Minutes Ago
"Alright, young Issei, now that you're part of Ryozanpaku, you must choose which of the masters present here you want to train with."
At this moment, all the Ryozanpaku masters could be seen looking at Issei with excitement in their eyes, but from Issei's perspective, they looked terrifying.
"I'm not going to train a weakling. Leave him with Akisame for a while. When he gets a better physique, then I'll consider training him."
Sakaki's harsh words made Issei feel dejected about his weakness.
"Come on, don't be so hard on the kid. He's still young and inexperienced. Give him some time to grow before judging him."
When Issei heard Master Ma's words, he felt a little better. But before he could thank him for the confidence he was placing in him, Kensei spoke again.
"But I do agree that Akisame should train him first. He's the kindest among us and will help improve his physique a lot."
With Kensei's words, the others considered the idea, and most of them agreed.
"I'm fine with training him first, but it would be good if the rest also trained him in the basics of their styles. It's better to build a solid foundation, and when he's ready, we can start serious training."
Akisame's suggestion made Shigure and Apachai, who also wanted to start Issei's training, agree as well.
"Alright, with everything settled, what do you think, young Issei? Do you agree with this training plan for you?"
With the elder's words, Issei looked at him and nodded in agreement. A moment later, he looked at Akisame and bowed as a sign of respect.
"I am in your care, Master!"
"I can't complain when I was planning to choose the only one who seemed somewhat sane compared to all the others."
"Hahaha... Very well, disciple. Although we could start with some light training now, your arms are injured, so for today, I'll give you some books to study."
"Eh? Why do I need books, Master? I thought I was going to learn martial arts."
Confusion was evident on Issei's face at his new master's words.
"Don't be foolish, disciple. A True martial artist must also train their mind. The body and mind must be in balance to become a good martial artist."
Rubbing his chin, Akisame looked at his disciple.
"Think of it this way, if your body fails, no matter how brilliant your mind is, you won't be able to do anything and will always be defeated. On the other hand, if your mind fails, no matter how well-trained your body is, you will be deceived and always fall into your enemies' traps. That is why the body and mind must be in balance."
"I understand, Master. Then I will train both my mind and body. But what exactly will I be learning?"
Curious about what he would be studying, Issei wanted to know how difficult it would be. Even though he didn't have to go to school, he would have to catch up once he returned, so he wanted to prepare himself.
"Good question. For now, you will learn the basics of medicine, specifically about the human body. Knowing your enemy's vital points and where they are weakest is important."
Although he was initially startled upon hearing that he had to study medicine, he calmed down when he realized it was only about the human body. However, little did he know, this was only the beginning of his hell.
Present Time
"Sigh..." Looking at the book he had to read, he wasn't even halfway through and had to reread many pages because he couldn't understand what they said.
"I need a break."
[Intelligence +1]
When he saw the system notification, he remembered that he still hadn't checked all of the system's functions.
"That's right, I received several notifications I haven't checked yet."
[Congratulations! You have created your first spell: [Basic Earth Reinforcement]. As a reward for creating your first spell, you have acquired the skill [Low-Level Spell Creation].]
[Basic Earth Reinforcement (Active) Lv1: Strengthens your body with the earth's energy, enhancing your physical attacks and granting you greater physical defense.
-Increases physical attack by 20 points.
-Increases physical defense by 20 points.
-Duration: 1 minute.
-Cost: 20 MP.]
[Low-Level Spell Creation (Active) Lv1: A basic skill for any great mage, allowing you to create spells more easily.
-Chance of creating a spell: 1%.
-Cost: Depends on the spell being created.]
[Your effort and bravery in saving Miu have earned you slight respect from all the Ryozanpaku masters.]
[Miu Furinji +10 Affection]
[Akisame Koetsuji +5 Affection]
[Apachai Hopachai +5 Affection]
[Hayato Furinji +5 Affection]
[Kensei Ma +5 Affection]
[Shigure Kosaka +5 Affection]
[Shio Sakaki +5 Affection]
[New Quest: The Path of a Martial Artist – Part One]
[Description: You have chosen the path of a martial artist. Now, as the first disciple of Ryozanpaku, you will be trained by some of the strongest masters in the world. Meet your masters' expectations and become the strongest martial artist.]
-Complete the initial one-month training.
-All your physical stats must reach 50 points or more.
-Master the techniques taught to you to an acceptable degree over the next month.
[Reward: 20,000 EXP – Increased reputation and affection with Ryozanpaku members – Martial skill improvement.]
When he finished reading the notifications, he became very excited. Knowing that he now had a spell to practice with not only made him happy but also allowed him to improve the magical side of his abilities with what he had acquired this time.
However, when he read his new mission, he realized why he could only see the names of his masters. At first, he hadn't noticed due to everything that had been happening, but once he calmed down and was treated by his beautiful master, he realized that he actually couldn't see the title or level of any of his masters—including Miu.
Knowing that his new masters were so strong that he couldn't even see their level or title made him feel depressed for a moment, but now he was starting to desire to catch up to Miu and surpass her someday. After all, he needed a goal to focus on or at least that's what he had seen in many anime and manga.
Remembering that he needed to check the rest of his system's functions, he decided to concentrate and stop getting distracted.
[Relationships: Here, you can see the level of affection your acquaintances have for you. When you reach a certain affection level, you will receive a reward.]
Gorou Hyodo Affection (100/100) +500 EXP. Loves you. He is your father—did you expect otherwise?
Miki Hyodo Affection (100/100) +500 EXP. Loves you. She is your mother, of course, she loves you no matter what you do.
Miu Furinji Affection (10/100) Acquaintances. She feels grateful for your help and hopes to become friends.
Akisame Koetsuji Affection (5/100) Acquaintances. Has a slight respect for you after you helped Miu.
Apachai Hopachai Affection (5/100) Acquaintances. Has a slight respect for you after you helped Miu.
Hayato Furinji Affection (5/100) Acquaintances. Has a slight respect for you after you helped his granddaughter.
Kensei Ma Affection (5/100) Acquaintances. Has a slight respect for you after you helped Miu.
Shigure Kosaka Affection (5/100) Acquaintances. Has a slight respect for you after you helped Miu.
Shio Sakaki Affection (5/100) Acquaintances. Has a slight respect for you after you helped Miu.
Kuoh Academy Students Reputation (-50/100) Hated. You are hated by most of your classmates, especially the girls. They might try to hit you just to see you.
Kuoh Academy Student Council Reputation (-10/100) Dislike. They dislike your perverted actions but do not hate you. They feel guilty for not being able to prevent you from getting beaten so badly.
Occult Research Club Reputation (0/100) Neutral. Most of its members do not care about your actions and are indifferent toward you. However, you have recently caught the attention of one of its members.
Ragnarok Reputation (-1/100) Dislike. After defeating a group of their members, you are now on their radar. They are curious about your strength and may seek you out soon.
[Missions: Here, you can see your active and completed missions.]
[Main Mission: Defeat Cronos' Troops 1] (Incomplete)
[Mission: The Path of a Martial Artist – Part One] (Incomplete)
When he saw his relationships, he felt very happy to know that his parents loved him despite everything he had done since enrolling in his new academy. Seeing that Miu wanted to be friends with him made him even happier.
But when he saw the second-to-last entry in his relationships, he was confused. He knew the club well and that it was formed by the most famous people on campus, but he had never interacted with them.
He wondered which of its members might be curious about him. However, when more than half of the members were among the most beautiful and famous girls in school, he didn't mind too much. He just hoped it wasn't Kiba Yuuto.
"And who is Ragnarok? The only ones I fought were those guys... Sigh So those guys were part of some group, and now I'm on their radar... Great, just what I needed..." Annoyed, he decided to continue studying while repeatedly activating his only spell until he ran out of mana.
[Intelligence +1]
[Basic Earth Reinforcement Lv1 leveled up x2]
[Basic Earth Reinforcement Lv3]
The Next Day
Location: Ryozanpaku
Time: 08:00
"Well, this is a surprise. You recovered very quickly." Akisame was currently examining Issei's arms for any damage, but he didn't find the slightest trace of injury.
"Well, that only makes it better for training..." A sinister glint appeared in Akisame's eyes, scaring Issei and making him start regretting wanting to train at this dojo.
And his fears were not unfounded—he was now undergoing one of Akisame's training routines.
He was squatting on a rectangular wooden plank, holding two medium-sized water-filled vases. On both, the words "No pain, no gain" were written in Japanese kanji.
None of this would be too strange if not for the fact that his feet were tied to the wooden plank, and beneath him was a lit incense stick. If he failed to maintain his posture, he would burn his butt. If that wasn't enough, the two small blades tied to his arms were the final straw.
He had to keep his arms extended to his sides at shoulder height while holding the water-filled vases, all while in an uncomfortable pose. If he failed to maintain his posture, he would burn his butt and his sides would be pierced by the blades.
"Master, how much longer do I have to stay like this?!?" Upon hearing his question, Akisame looked at him with a small smile forming on his face.
"Until your arms and legs can't take it anymore. Without pain, you won't overcome your weakness." When Issei heard what his master said, he wanted to kill him right then and there.
But he couldn't let himself get distracted, as his butt was burned by the incense. This made him quickly return to the correct posture and continue enduring. He lost track of time he could only hope that this would be worth it.
After who knows how long, his master finally freed him from his torture/training and allowed him to rest for a few minutes.
'Ugh, why am I doing training that puts my life at risk?' Although he wanted to complain, he couldn't, as his master immediately took him to the next training.
Several wooden poles were stuck into the ground, and he had to walk through the entire path of poles while maintaining an uncomfortable posture, all while his master hit his head with a thin bamboo stick.
He managed to dodge the stick a few times, but his master seemed to enjoy torturing him, and every time he showed any improvement in dodging, the speed and strength of the strikes increased.
This continued for the next 20 minutes before moving on to the last training session before he could finally eat something.
A large wheel was tied to his waist while his master sat on it. He had to run while pulling his master to a store kilometers away to buy the necessary ingredients for the meal ingredients he would have to cook since none of his masters knew how to cook.
According to them, it was always Miu who cooked, as the other masters were terrible in the kitchen.
One might think that this last training wasn't as bad compared to everything else he had done so far, but they would be mistaken.
Not only did he have to run while pulling his master on a wheel, but his master also had a whip, which he used to hit him every time he slowed down. So by the time he reached the store, he collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.
At that moment, his master got off the wheel. "Well done, my disciple. Rest until I return with the groceries." Without waiting for Issei's response, he simply entered the store.
As for Issei, well, let's just say an old man would have looked energetic next to him. He was completely exhausted, struggling to breathe, and incredibly thirsty.
'Ugh... Gasp... Gasp... At least this damn training is making my stats skyrocket.' His Vitality, Strength, and Dexterity had all increased by 3 full points, and by the time he returned to the dojo, he hoped his Strength and Vitality would go up another point.
"All right, Issei, let's head back to Ryozanpaku. Everyone must be hungry, so it's best to get back early so you can start cooking right away." Hearing his master's words made Issei want to die right then and there.
But unfortunately for him, his master didn't allow that and forced him to run immediately. It was a long, painful, and exhausting journey back for Issei.
When they finally arrived at Ryozanpaku, Issei collapsed in front of the doors, unable to move a single muscle.
This forced Akisame to carry him to the kitchen, where he left him with all the ingredients. "Wait here, my young student. I have something that will give you the energy you need." As he left, Shigure suddenly dropped from the ceiling, looking at Issei with curiosity.
"Are... you okay?" At Shigure's calm question, Issei looked at her as if begging for her to end his suffering.
"Mmm... You look exhausted... Wait, let me get you some water." Grabbing a bottle of cold water, Shigure helped him sit up and drink from it.
And like a man in the middle of a desert who had found an oasis, he started drinking the water desperately, quenching his thirst.
Once he had recovered a little, Issei looked at his master and hugged her tightly while thanking her.
"Thank you... Thank you... I thought I was going to die of dehydration. You're the best, Shigure-sensei!!"
At Issei's sudden hug and gratitude, Shigure didn't know how to react. She simply returned the hug while gently patting his head.
"It's okay... I am your master. I have to help you..." She wasn't sure why, but being acknowledged as a master and receiving praise made her feel a slight warmth in her chest. It was difficult for her to understand emotions, and she often struggled to express herself, but with her new student, she felt more comfortable.
After a few more minutes of hugging, they had to separate—though Issei didn't want to move his face away from those majestic breasts. However, seeing Shigure's small, beautiful smile was enough to silence his complaints.
Not long after, Akisame returned with a small bottle that seemed to contain some kind of medicine.
"Ah, Shigure, just in time. Could you help Issei with the cooking, please? And this is for you, my young student. This will give you the energy you need to cook all this."
When Issei saw the large amount of ingredients in front of him, he was terrified, realizing just how much food he would have to make.
'Is this what Miu does every day?' He was amazed at how Miu managed to cook such a large amount of food daily.
Not wanting to waste any more time, he took the medicine his master gave him and suddenly felt as if his energy had returned.
[You consumed a "Stamina Potion." Your fatigue is reduced by 25 points, and you feel full of energy.]
When he saw the notification, he was amazed—not just by the potion's effect but because he had just consumed his first potion. Now he knew for sure that his masters were not normal. If everything he had experienced so far wasn't a clear enough sign, this was a sign even a blind man couldn't miss.
Looking at Shigure, he wondered what to do next. "Hey, Shigure-sensei, does Miu-chan have a cookbook around here to help us with the cooking?"
At his question, Shigure nodded and searched for something on the shelf above the counter.
Grabbing a book, she handed it to Issei and waited for him to tell her what to do next.
When he received the book from Shigure, he started reading it and noticed several pages marked with days of the week. Assuming Miu had marked the recipes she planned to make that day, he carefully reviewed the book and, after a few minutes, began cooking alongside Shigure.
While he handled the fire and helped chop some ingredients, it was Shigure who mainly took care of cutting everything.
It took them three hours to cook all the food. Though he wasn't very skilled at cooking, at least nothing burned, and everything looked decent. Even though he wasn't a great cook, his effort seemed to have granted him a new skill and a point in Dexterity.
[To everyone's surprise, you have a talent for cooking—who would have thought? You move like a real chef in the kitchen. Although you're still a novice, your potential is clear. You have acquired the skill [Cooking]. Keep practicing and become the best chef in the world!]
[Cooking (Passive) Lv3: You are a novice chef, but your talent in the kitchen is evident. While your dishes won't be the most delicious, at least you won't ruin them, and they taste decent for a beginner.
-Improves the quality of your meals by 3%
-Enhances the flavor of your meals by 3%
-Increases cooking speed by 3%]
He felt a little better knowing he now had a skill that would help him improve his cooking 'Maybe with this skill, I can win over a girl.'
"Issei-kun, let's serve the food," Shigure lightly tapped Issei's shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts, and the two of them quickly carried the food to the dining room, where all the masters were already waiting.
"I hope you didn't burn anything, brat." Sakaki's grumpy voice almost made Issei curse him, but he managed to stay calm and just ignored him while serving the food on the table.
The moment he sat down, everyone gave thanks for the meal and started eating like wild animals who hadn't had food in weeks.
'Shit! At this rate, they won't leave me anything!!' Realizing the situation, Issei began eating as fast as he could, struggling to prevent his masters from stealing food off his plate.
'These damn bastards!! I already have to cook, and now they want to steal my food too?! I swear, one day, I'll beat them all up!!'
After several chaotic minutes, everyone finished eating, looking satisfied—except for Issei, who was still hungry.
'Damn it, I barely got to eat anything! These demon masters…' But before he could keep cursing them, Akisame spoke.
"Well, now that you're done eating, let's continue with the next part of your training."
Without giving him a chance to protest, Akisame dragged Issei back into training, making him go through several life-threatening or extremely painful exercises. But of course, that wasn't all.
He also trained with Kensei, who forced him into an extremely uncomfortable posture while walking.
"A Chinese martial artist needs powerful legs, and with those noodle legs of yours, you won't get anywhere."
That was his entire training with Kensei.
On the other hand, when it was Sakaki's turn, he tied Issei's legs to a pair of wooden planks and made him walk on his hands while holding the planks to set the pace. And by "pace" he meant running, forcing Issei to move his hands as fast as possible to avoid smashing his face into the ground.
"Do you know why legs are three times stronger than arms? Because you use them to walk most of your life! So train those skinny arms and start walking with them! Hahaha!"
After that, it was time to train with Shigure—though more than training, it was a demonstration of her skills.
For the next few minutes, he had to hold different poses with apples placed on his body while Shigure sliced them in half.
Terrifying, absolutely terrifying, but after the first few minutes, thanks to his skill, he managed to stay calm. And while he didn't train much, he did get to see those magnificent breasts bounce.
'Thank you, God!! This is the best break I could've asked for!'
And finally, it was time for Apachai's training. That's when he felt true terror.
Watching Apachai break stones with his bare fists was terrifying enough. But having to dodge and defend himself against those missile-like punches was something else entirely.
With the other masters watching, it became clear that training with Apachai was putting his life in real danger.
At first, Apachai's punches were slow and easy to dodge. But suddenly, his speed exploded, and only thanks to that strange voice in his head was Issei able to evade the monstrous strike.
Unfortunately, the boulder behind him wasn't as lucky—it shattered into pieces.
"Haaa!! Apachai is excited now!!"
Then, a powerful punch sent Issei flying. This time, not even that mysterious voice could help him—Apachai was simply too fast.
After surviving with just one point of health left, the training session finally ended, leading to an intense study session with Akisame.
By the time his studies were over, Issei was sprawled out in the living room, completely exhausted both physically and mentally.
But at least he was receiving a lap pillow from Shigure. It was the most comfortable and relaxing thing he had ever felt. Now he understood why people said it was like being in heaven it was simply magical.
As he rested, he decided to check his stat gains
[Through great effort and intense training, you have gained a total of 5 Vitality, points 6 Strength, points 6 Dexterity, points 3 Intelligence]
[Congratulations! You have completed your first training at Ryozanpaku! You have earned the title "First Disciple of Ryozanpaku."]
[First Disciple of Ryozanpaku: You are the first disciple of Ryozanpaku, a place where the world's greatest masters gather and train. As a disciple of these masters, you will gain great renown among those who recognize this—but you will also become a target for your masters' enemies. Reputation Gain: +20 with those who know your masters, -20 with their enemies. Training under your master now makes it easier to improve your stats and skills.]
[Status]
Name: Hyoudou Issei
Class: The Player
Level: 2
Title: Pervert of Kuoh Academy - First Disciple of Ryozanpaku
Race: Human-???
Age: 17
Life Level: 3
Danger Level: Low-Class [1 - 50]
HP: 390/390
MP: 450/450
Vitality: 8
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 8
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 2
Luck: 13
Charisma: 11
Stat Points: 0
Skill Points: 2
Money: 5,000 yen
[You have gained +5 Affection with Shigure.]
When he saw his stats, he smiled slightly. He knew he didn't have incredible numbers, but he felt proud of his progress and improvements.
"I'm back!!"
Not long after Miu shouted, she entered the living room and saw Issei and Shigure together. This made her feel slightly jealous.
"Shigure!! What are you doing with Issei?!"
Before Issei could react, he suddenly became a human rope as Miu and Shigure began competing in a tug-of-war with him.
'God, it's me again… please save meee!!'
And so, Issei's first day of training came to an end—but this was only the beginning of his hell.