"This… this is incredible," Shin thought, his stomach growling at the sight of the banquet hall's grand display of food.

"Ah, hey! Where do we line up?" Shin stammered, unable to contain his excitement.

"There," Rayden pointed toward a long line, amused by Shin's reaction. "He seems really excited," Rayden thought to himself as they quickly walked over and joined the line.

"I can't wait!" Shin said, practically bouncing in place.

"Have you never seen anything like this before?" Rayden asked, curious.

"Ah, yeah… we barely had any meat back where I’m from," Shin replied, making up a quick lie.

"I see. That must’ve been tough," Rayden said with a sympathetic nod.

"Hm, that’s a good lie," Shin thought, relieved.

After a few minutes, it was finally their turn. A stern-looking cook glanced at them from behind the counter.

"What do you want?" she asked, her tone brisk.

"I’ll have everything on the menu!" Shin exclaimed happily, his eyes shining with excitement.

The cook paused, giving him a serious look.

"Are you Sir Bajar's transferred student?" she asked.

"Yes, ma’am!" Shin replied proudly.

"I see. My name’s Hilda. I’ll get your tray," she said, her voice softening slightly.

"Thank you, Cook Hilda!" Shin said with a bright grin.

Rayden watched the exchange with surprise. "Wow, Sir Bajar really is a big deal. I heard he’s the head instructor, but this is crazy," he thought.

After a while, Hilda returned with Shin’s tray, piled high with different meats, fruits, and vegetables.

"Wow, I can barely lift this!" Shin thought as he carefully balanced the tray.

"I’ll go find us some seats!" Shin called to Rayden, who nodded as he waited for his own food.

As Shin walked past the other students, their eyes followed him, and whispers filled the hall.

"Wow, being transferred by Sir Bajar must be nice."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Dang, he gets to eat all kinds of meat!"

Shin heard the murmurs and smirked to himself. That’s right, "get jealous, you fuckers," he thought, enjoying the attention.

He found an empty table and set his tray down with a satisfied sigh. "I should wait for Rayden," he thought, resisting the urge to dig in right away.

A few minutes later, Rayden arrived with his food. Shin waved him over.

"Oh, there you are!" Rayden said, sitting down across from him.

Without wasting a second, Shin began devouring his food, grabbing two different types of meat in both hands and biting into them like a starving beast.

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"Wow, he sure eats a lot," Rayden thought, watching in awe.

Shin paused for a moment and looked at him. "Do you want some? You look pretty feminine with your frame."

Rayden blushed. "Wh-what?! I don’t need it!" he stammered, embarrassed.

"Okay then," Shin said with a shrug, returning to his feast.

"Haha, how can I call him feminine when I’m skinny as hell myself? He’s also a little taller than me," Shin thought with a small chuckle.

Rayden finished his meal quickly and glanced at the large clock mounted on the banquet hall ceiling. "Hm, we still have 30 minutes" left, he thought.

"Hey, Shin," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I’m going to take a nap. Wake me up when you’re done eating."

"O-okay!" Shin replied, already halfway through a bowl of fruit.

After fifteen minutes, Shin finally finished eating and gently shook Rayden awake.

“Hey, I’m done eating,” Shin said.

Rayden sat up, glancing at the massive clock in the banquet hall. “Oh, alright,” he said, noticing they still had fifteen minutes before their next class. “I’m going outside for some fresh air. You could hit the restroom or just let your food settle,” he added as he headed toward the door.

“Okay,” Shin replied, watching him leave.

Five minutes passed. Shin leaned back and sighed. I should probably head to the restroom now, he thought, quickly getting up and rushing toward the bathroom. After taking care of business, he stepped out, feeling refreshed.

Shin left the banquet hall and spotted Rayden standing near the entrance. “Hey, Rayden! Let’s go!”

Rayden turned and smiled. “Oh, yeah. Did you let it all out?” he asked casually.

“Y-Yeah, haha...” Shin replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck as they started walking together.

While they made their way, Shin asked, “By the way, what class are we heading to next? I thought there were only two classes.”

“Oh, we’re going to martial arts class. It’s where we learn the kingdom’s martial arts—or academy martial arts, as some call it. You’ll pick it up eventually, but since you joined late, we’re already past the basics,” Rayden explained.

“I see… That’s kind of weird, though,” Shin replied, a curious tone in his voice. “Learning the same moves for two years?”

“Yeah, it is,” Rayden said with a shrug. “They’ve never taught us anything advanced in the two years I’ve been here. Anyway, we’d better hurry up! We don’t want to be late!”

Shin nodded as they picked up the pace. "Hmm… could it be that only the teachers know the advanced techniques? Or maybe the basic techniques are the only ones that exist?" Shin wondered, his mind deep in thought. "Or… what if they want us to master the basics completely first? Based on what I saw yesterday, the academy’s martial arts seem to rely heavily on the body. Teaching advanced techniques without preparation might break or even kill someone."

Rayden noticed Shin’s distant expression. “Hey, are you thinking about something?” he asked.

“Ah, no. I just remembered something,” Shin replied quickly, shaking off his thoughts.

“Oh, I see. Well, let’s go!” Rayden said, grabbing Shin’s hand and pulling him along as they rushed toward the martial arts hall.

They finally arrived at the martial arts hall. Shin looked around, scanning the place. The large room was already packed with students, many warming up for practice. The energy in the hall was palpable, as if everyone was preparing for something intense.

After a moment, the sound of heavy boots echoed through the hall. A tall, muscular man with a scar running down his left eye entered, his presence commanding immediate attention. He shouted, “EVERYONE, TO YOUR PLACES!”

The students instantly scrambled into position, forming neat rows. “Hey, Shin, follow me!” Rayden said as he guided Shin into the line. “Stand next to me and just mimic what I do!”

Shin nodded and quickly took his place beside Rayden.

The teacher’s voice thundered again. “STANCE!”

At once, the students bent their knees slightly, lowering their bodies into a solid stance. Their legs were firmly grounded, and their fists clenched tightly at their hips. Shin followed along, observing the movements carefully.

This stance… it’s similar to karate, Shin thought, his body adjusting to the unfamiliar pose.

“RIGHT!” the teacher roared.

As one, the students launched their right fists forward in a powerful punch. Shin mimicked the move, but he was immediately overwhelmed. He could feel the sheer force emanating from the collective strikes around him.

"Wh-what the hell is this energy?" Shin thought, his eyes widening in shock.

“LEFT!” the teacher barked.

The students’ left fists struck forward in unison, and once again, Shin felt the immense energy radiating from the synchronized punches.

“Wow…” Shin muttered under his breath, his excitement growing.

The routine continued for twenty minutes straight, each punch executed with precision and intensity. Shin’s breathing grew heavier, sweat dripping down his face.

"How long are they going to keep this up?" he wondered, struggling to maintain his posture.

Rayden glanced at Shin out of the corner of his eye. "He’s starting to tire out… but he’ll get used to it," Rayden thought.

Shin gritted his teeth, refusing to collapse. "Somehow, my body’s holding out… I’m not used to this, but I’m not breaking either."

He stole a glance at Rayden, who was still punching with steady determination. A pang of guilt hit Shin. "Rayden is incredible… and I called his body feminine earlier. I’m such an ass."

“SECOND FORM!” the teacher shouted.

The students immediately shifted into a new stance, their bodies angled sideways. Their left arms extended slightly forward while their right arms stayed back. Their knees remained bent, but their posture seemed more relaxed yet ready for action.

“Hold it, Shin! We’re almost done!” Rayden encouraged, noticing Shin’s struggle.

Shin nodded, forcing a smile through the sweat dripping from his brow.

“STRIKE!” the teacher commanded.

The students moved fluidly, launching their left fists first and following up with their right in a seamless combination. Shin could tell the strikes were faster, but they lacked the overwhelming energy of the first form.

"This form… it’s focused on precision and speed. The kingdom’s martial art is a hybrid of power and technique," Shin thought, his mind racing as he adapted to the moves.

For another ten minutes, they repeated the strikes in perfect rhythm. Then, the teacher’s voice rang out again. “EAST!”

The students turned sharply to face the eastern side of the hall, shifting into yet another stance. This time, their arms were lowered, as if leaving their bodies unguarded.

“STRIKE!”

With a burst of motion, the students kicked forward, their legs slicing through the air. One foot supported their entire weight while the other delivered a powerful, precise strike.

Shin executed the kick, his leg stretching high into the air. Once again, he felt the immense energy surging through the move.

"It’s powerful, yet fast… another hybrid technique?" Shin thought. Despite his lack of experience with regular exercise or martial arts back on Earth, his body seemed to move naturally. His leg stretched effortlessly, reaching a full extension.

"What the hell? How am I this flexible?" he wondered, a grin forming on his face. "Am I really a hero?"

As he kicked again, his excitement grew. His eyes began to shimmer faintly, a colorless aura flowing around them.