Steven stood in front of the twenty students gathered before him and spoke in a cold voice that everyone could hear.
"Anyone who doesn't want to train, leave now."
Miles and the rest of the students heard what Steven said, and some hesitation appeared on their faces.
Some students thought that this would only be a waste of time, while others felt conflicted. They believed that training under this student, about whom they knew nothing except his name, might be a waste of time. But they also thought that if he could keep the crazy dog and David Fabian under his control, then perhaps he had some skill, or maybe he was simply better at teaching.
As for the girls, it seemed they hadn't heard what Steven said and had no intention of leaving the headquarters.
Well, it seemed their attention was focused on Steven's face.
(The writer: /Damn themmmm, leave my son alooone 😾 I think I'm going to become sexist against women, tsk tsk.)
Max looked calmly at Steven. He had no intention of leaving. Max thought that Steven and Nathan's previous words had affected him somehow, and instinctively felt that the best place for him right now was beside them because they ignited something within his heart.
.....
In the end, no one left the headquarters.
Steven looked at them for a moment, then his gaze fell on Nathan and he spoke.
"Nathan, I'll start with you."
Nathan raised his eyebrows and then smiled.
"Yes, boss~"
Steven frowned at the word "boss," but ignored it and spoke to Nathan.
"Let's fight using only physical strength."
The students looked at Steven strangely. They had already taken physical strength lessons previously, so why did he want to start with that? And where did he get the strength and courage to fight Nathan? Had he lost his mind?!
David was also one of the spectators. He didn't want to interfere for now, so he simply let things proceed naturally.
Nathan nodded and stood in front of Steven.
"Okay."
Steven nodded at Nathan and then spoke.
"You attack first."
Nathan smiled playfully, then suddenly charged toward Steven at high speed and threw his fist toward Steven's face.
Steven looked at Nathan's movement, which seemed slow to him, with a calm expression.
As Nathan's fist approached Steven's face, Steven didn't blink as it came closer, but his focus was on every slight movement Nathan made with his body.
Steven noticed the movement of Nathan's shoulder, which seemed to subtly move backward, and noticed Nathan's waist moving slightly upward. He easily figured out Nathan's next move.
Nathan quickly pulled back his fist, knowing that such a weak punch wouldn't hit Steven, so at the last moment, he changed his attack and raised his right leg to strike Steven's stomach.
But Steven stepped backward, then moved his hand and grabbed Nathan's leg by the knee. He pulled it forward, causing Nathan to lose his balance.
Steven took advantage of Nathan's loss of balance and threw a punch toward Nathan's face, striking him and causing him to fall onto his back on the ground.
Nathan stared at the ceiling above him in astonishment, then felt something warm running down his mouth.
Nathan raised his hand and touched the warm substance, only to find that it was blood coming from his nose.
Nathan laughed in amusement and sat up, then looked at Steven.
"Don't tell me you're going to train us like this?"
"I feel like you just wanted to hit me."
Steven looked calmly at Nathan.
'Well, perhaps that's true.'
All the students present looked at Steven in astonishment. They still hadn't processed what they had just seen.
How could a lower-ranked student defeat a student several ranks above him with only two moves?!
Steven spoke in a calm voice that everyone could hear.
"Raising your leg in front of your enemy is a big mistake. It's like creating a weak point for yourself."
"It's better to kick someone from behind or from below."
Nathan thought for a moment, then nodded.
Steven spoke.
"Now let's begin the first step of training."
"Everyone, run around the hall twenty laps."
Everyone's mouths fell open in shock, and they looked at Steven as if saying, *Are you kidding?!*
The hall was one thousand square meters, and running around it was extremely exhausting, especially for these students, most of whom clearly skipped physical training and relied entirely on their mana skills without putting in any physical effort.
Nathan looked at Steven in protest.
"Wait, why is this considered the first training? Then what about me fighting you just now?!"
"I thought we were going to start with a duel between us."
Steven looked coldly at Nathan and spoke.
"Didn't you want me to train you?"
"Then just do what I say."
Nathan looked at Steven and felt that he might have made the biggest mistake of his life. He couldn't help but smile stiffly.
'He deliberately hit me and didn't do it for training purposes...'
Steven had initially thought that since he was going to train the students, he should first give them a simple introduction about himself.
So he showed a little of his skill by fighting the strongest person here, so that these students wouldn't underestimate him or even try to disrespect him.
Steven had decided that in the combat test that would begin in a few days, he would raise his rank to twentieth among the students.
But now... he had to act like a true leader of this small gang.
And to begin with that, he first had to show his strength and earn respect for himself.
Steven looked coldly at the students.
"Start."
Some hesitation appeared on the students' faces. Only Max looked calmly at Steven, then clenched his fist and began jogging, becoming the first person to do so.
The students looked at him, then looked at each other before beginning to jog after him.
Steven nodded in relief when everyone started running, then turned his gaze toward Nathan.
Nathan looked at him, then couldn't help but shrug, stand up, and begin jogging with them.
There was still one person who hadn't started jogging, so Steven directed his gaze toward the boy with the arrogant expression sitting in a noble posture on the chair.
He looked like someone of high status looking down at them from one of those seats reserved for important figures watching a performance.
Steven didn't care about David's arrogant appearance, as he had become accustomed to seeing it over the past few days. Although this appearance disappeared whenever Nathan provoked David, leaving behind nothing but anger, despite that... David would remain a noble and pampered person from a wealthy class.
David frowned at Steven's gaze and looked at him.
"What?"
Steven raised an eyebrow and gestured for David to jog as well.
David looked at the students jogging, then looked back at Steven.
"What do you want?"
Steven looked at him for a moment, then sighed and spoke.
"Jog too."
An expression of disgust appeared on David's face.
"Me?!!"
Steven nodded patiently.
When David saw Steven's nod, he gave him a look that said, *Are you serious?* Then he turned his face away from Steven, ignoring him.
Steven calmly looked at David, then an idea came to him.
Steven turned his head away from David and muttered loudly enough for David to hear.
"If I tell old Carlos that his grandson refuses to train, he'll be sa—"
Before Steven could finish his words, he heard someone grit his teeth, stand up quickly, and begin jogging.
Steven smiled slightly upon seeing this.
....
After making them complete the twenty laps, Steven also made them do some other exercises, causing them to lose their breath and concentration from exhaustion.
The best among them was David in the physical exercises, followed by Max, then Nathan and Miles, and after them a girl named Luana. As for the rest... they could be considered extremely ordinary. They didn't seem like Awakened individuals at all.
But with a few days of training, they would improve further, and afterward Steven would give them some advice suited to their skills.
Everyone was lying on the ground from exhaustion, even Nathan and David.
Four hours had passed, but they had been hell for the students lying on the ground.
Steven looked at them as if he were the Grim Reaper who would take their souls, then spoke to them.
"If you don't show up for training tomorrow..."
"You will be kicked out of the gang."
The students lying on the ground froze, breathing heavily upon hearing this.
Some of them had wanted to run away after these exercises, so it was nice that they would only be expelled if they didn't show up for training tomorrow.
Steven turned around, left them, and walked out.
As soon as he left, Nathan got up from the ground and looked at the students with a smile.
"Whoever gets kicked out of the Bone Breakers gang will become a common enemy of the members of the Bone Breakers."
"...."
"...."
"...."
"...."
The students almost cried after hearing this, as they felt like they had been trapped in an isolated place where anyone who escaped would be killed.
Who would want to become the enemy of David Fabian and Nathan Anderson? Only a madman.