وقف ستيفن أمام الطلاب العشرين المجتمعين أمامه وتحدث بصوت بارد يمكن للجميع سماعه.
"أي شخص لا يرغب في التدريب، فليغادر الآن."
سمع مايلز وبقية الطلاب ما قاله ستيفن، وظهر بعض التردد على وجوههم.
اعتقد بعض الطلاب أن هذا سيكون مضيعة للوقت، بينما شعر آخرون بالحيرة. فقد رأوا أن التدريب على يد هذا الطالب، الذي لا يعرفون عنه شيئًا سوى اسمه، قد يكون مضيعة للوقت. لكنهم اعتقدوا أيضًا أنه إذا استطاع السيطرة على الكلب المجنون وديفيد فابيان، فربما يمتلك بعض المهارة، أو ربما يكون ببساطة أفضل في التدريس.
أما بالنسبة للفتيات، فيبدو أنهن لم يسمعن ما قاله ستيفن ولم يكن لديهن أي نية لمغادرة المقر الرئيسي.
حسناً، يبدو أن انتباههم كان منصباً على وجه ستيفن.
نظر ماكس بهدوء إلى ستيفن. لم يكن ينوي المغادرة. شعر ماكس أن كلمات ستيفن وناثان السابقة قد أثرت فيه بطريقة ما، وشعر غريزيًا أن أفضل مكان له الآن هو بجانبهما لأنهما أشعلا شيئًا ما في قلبه.
.....
في النهاية، لم يغادر أحد المقر الرئيسي.
نظر ستيفن إليهم للحظة، ثم وقع نظره على ناثان وتحدث.
"ناثان، سأبدأ بك."
رفع ناثان حاجبيه ثم ابتسم.
"نعم، سيدي~"
عبس ستيفن عند سماعه كلمة "رئيس"، لكنه تجاهلها وتحدث إلى ناثان.
"لنقاتل باستخدام القوة البدنية فقط."
نظر الطلاب إلى ستيفن باستغراب. لقد تلقوا دروسًا في القوة البدنية سابقًا، فلماذا أراد أن يبدأ بها؟ ومن أين له كل هذه القوة والشجاعة ليقاتل ناثان؟ هل فقد عقله؟!
كان ديفيد أيضاً أحد المتفرجين. لم يرغب في التدخل في الوقت الحالي، لذا ترك الأمور تسير بشكل طبيعي.
أومأ ناثان برأسه ووقف أمام ستيفن.
"تمام."
أومأ ستيفن برأسه إلى ناثان ثم تحدث.
"أنت تهاجم أولاً."
ابتسم ناثان بمرح، ثم اندفع فجأة نحو ستيفن بسرعة عالية ووجه لكمة قوية إلى وجه ستيفن.
نظر ستيفن إلى حركة ناثان، التي بدت بطيئة بالنسبة له، بتعبير هادئ.
عندما اقتربت قبضة ناثان من وجه ستيفن، لم يرمش ستيفن وهو يرى القبضة تقترب، لكن تركيزه كان منصباً على كل حركة طفيفة قام بها ناثان بجسده.
لاحظ ستيفن حركة كتف ناثان، التي بدت وكأنها تتحرك للخلف قليلاً، ولاحظ أيضاً حركة خصر ناثان للأعلى قليلاً. استنتج ستيفن بسهولة خطوة ناثان التالية.
سحب ناثان قبضته بسرعة، مدركًا أن مثل هذه اللكمة الضعيفة لن تصيب ستيفن، لذلك في اللحظة الأخيرة، غيّر هجومه ورفع ساقه اليمنى ليضرب بطن ستيفن.
لكن ستيفن تراجع للخلف، ثم حرك يده وأمسك ساق ناثان من الركبة. وسحبها للأمام، مما تسبب في فقدان ناثان لتوازنه.
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.
بمجرد أن غادر، نهض ناثان من الأرض ونظر إلى الطلاب بابتسامة.
"كل من يُطرد من عصابة "محطمو العظام" سيصبح عدوًا مشتركًا لأعضاء "محطمو العظام".
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
كاد الطلاب أن يبكوا بعد سماع هذا، إذ شعروا وكأنهم محاصرون في مكان معزول حيث سيُقتل أي شخص يهرب.
من ذا الذي يرغب في أن يصبح عدواً لديفيد فابيان وناثان أندرسون؟ فقط المجنون.