December.
The temperature in Ring City dropped again.
Fuzzy shoes and long pants were pulled from closets. Pedestrians on the street bundled up in thick down jackets.
Gusts of air kicked up by passing vehicles turned into a frigid wind, making the commuters waiting at the platform shiver and pull their collars tight.
In stark contrast, however, was the concrete training ground just a wall away.
Nearly a hundred regular trainees, clad only in thin jackets and long-sleeved shirts, flipped tires with flushed faces and sprinted laps around the track.
The formal disciples inside the training hall were even more dedicated.
While practicing their stances, most of them were soaked in sweat, their training uniforms drenched. White vapor rose from their heads like mist.
The windows on both sides had fogged over with a hazy layer of condensation.
"Have you heard? They say Senior Brother Shen broke through to the Professional Level. Is it true?"
