Though initially afraid, Alexander soon calmed down—or rather, he forced himself to do so.

The first reason for his fear was obvious: the inherent trepidation of a freshman facing seniors. Ragging had mostly been eradicated, but the emphasis on "mostly" was not lost on him.

The other reason was equally clear. Not every student at the university was there with pure intentions. To be frank, "pure" wasn't the right term. It was more accurate to say that not all students came to study. Without the watchful eyes of their parents, it didn't take much for some to lose their way.

Judging by Taker's political background and his intentions, it wasn't hard to figure out what kind of seniors these were. The most pressing concern, however, was Alexander's uncertainty about his ability to fight these guys as he was. He might be overthinking it, but there was no way he could equate fighting a beast with fighting a real human being.

Besides, the almost-killing blow Taker had delivered at the last moment of their fight was still fresh in his mind.

“Hi, can you help me create the agility meridian next?” Alexander asked the voice.

Though confident in his strength, Alexander knew that when it came to fighting humans, strength alone will not be enough. After all no matter how much force is in your punches, it doesn't matter, if it does not connect. Humans are intelligent and nimble creatures, and he might have to fight multiple opponents, not to mention they might receive some extra benefits from taker.

When he thought about all of this, the fear was palpable. It wasn’t that he considered giving up the feud and begging Taker for forgiveness, but he refused to return to his former self. He could feel it— a small but potentially raising momentum building within him. Deep down, in the core of his being, there was no will to bend the knee. His defiance wasn’t just aimed at Taker or the pressures of the university; it was a rebellion against the systems of the society, the word and its very laws. It was as if deep inside he just wanted to fight, to rebel, or conquer. Be it his fears or his opponents.

What was the worst that could happen if he lost? He’d get banged up badly. So be it; that was better than bending the knee. Winning would be ideal, but if not, so be it. They wouldn’t go as far as to kill him. With these thoughts, his fear subsided a bit.

"No, that would not be possible," his ancestor answered. But Alexander wasn't particularly disappointed; he had already anticipated this. If it were that easy, why would his ancestors not already help him forming it? After all, if the goal was to focus solely on strength, it had been overdone to the point where his other attributes were nearly, scratch that, truly neglected.

It seemed he would have to tough it out after all.

"Don't worry, you are more than powerful enough to fight those pesky things," his ancestor assured him in a nearly mocking tone, as if Alexander's concerns were absurd.

"And even if those puny things somehow manage to overpower you, just follow my instructions. But by that point you are better off just giving up on cultivation all together." After a pause, he added, "And don't forget, running away shamelessly is always an option. Ha, ha, ha."

"Not funny," Alexander replied, though plans were already forming in his mind.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Hey, like constitution, can I upgrade my agility with effort?" Alexander asked, watching the buildings pass by through the bus window.

As he took off his shoes upon entering his home, he realized why his plan wasn't quite feasible. of course, after a lengthy back and forth between him and his ancestor and thinking the whole way.

He pulled the quilt over himself and decided to sleep a bit early, intending to start work even earlier the next day.

In theory, it wasn't fundamentally impossible. With constant practice, he could definitely improve his agility. But both he and his ancestor doubted it was a worthwhile investment given the limited time.

There was a slim chance that all his efforts so far would push him forward, possibly granting him a point in agility after some practice, in this limited time. However, it was highly unlikely, and Alexander doubted a single point in agility would make much difference anyway.

So, By the time he truly tried to sleep, the idea of raising his agility had been thrown far out the window. It was not a possibility.

As planned, he woke up early in the morning and made his way to the university. As one of the seven metropolises of the world, the city never truly slept, but the difference in population density this early on the road was still noticeable. Relatively speaking, of course.

Unable to increase his agility, he devised a new plan. This plan required him to wake up early, aiming to complete his punishment as soon as possible for the day.

It didn't take long for him to reach his destination. Stepping out of the taxi, he looked at a familiar place: the market.

This plan of his undoubtedly will burn a hole in his pocket, but what could he do? Decapitating a cow and running was not something he was planning on repeating. His plan was neither complex nor impressive. In truth, it was a plan a simpleton could come up with, but considering all his points were in strength, he wondered if that was truly not so?.

A chuckle escaped his lips. Since agility was off the table, Alexander decided to update his strength. Even if not by much, just one level would suffice. A sane person might question the value of a single level, but in Alexander’s mind, it was better than nothing.

Though there was a significant chance he might not gain any points in agility after practicing, he was guarantied to gain at least three points in strength after leveling up.

To execute his plan, he needed to find a shabby, declining beef shop in a remote location that was barely functioning.

After almost another shared ride on a small vehicle that more looked like a thick metal sheet on an engine, a spatiality of the mall. He went deep in the market.

Though it cost him some money, it didn't bother him much, considering it would have taken him three hours to traverse the area on foot.

Though it took some time, in this constantly declining economy, it was not hard to find. It was a shabby, almost dirty-looking shop—well, more accurately, a 3 by 5 foot stall with no shutter or counter and many uncleaned dried-up blood marks.

Two people manned the shop. Both were dressed in clothes made of poor materials, stained with patches of dried blood. most likely their work attire.

One of them was a middle-aged man, likely the owner, and the other, a younger individual, probably his assistant or apprentice. Beside them were three cows, presumably ready for slaughter.

He chuckled at the thought. There was no way he was going to repeat his previous stunt. Although the location was perfect, he had another plan.

This plan would cost him some precious money, but he believed it to be the best option. Besides, he intended to get his money’s worth.

Inhaling deeply and exhaled slowly as he started approaching the younger man among the two. At least, he tried to appear calm. But halfway through, he changed his mind and turned toward the older man instead.

‘Here’s the money, now teach me,’ Alexander wanted to blurt out and get it over with as he locked eyes with the older man. But he held himself back with all his might.

“Can I help you?” the man asked, a mixture of confusion and expectation in his voice. Most likely the man thought Alexander might be a customer.

Alexander stood there for a few more moments, mostly to calm down and arrange his words at the last possible moment.

“Yes,” he began, pausing briefly. “Well, actually, you can.”

“The thing is, I want to learn how to decapitate cows,” Alexander said in a calm tone, though his heart leapt to his throat when he saw a frown appear on the older man’s face

"Of course, I'm willing to pay. All you have to do is give me the opportunity to slay the creatures. If I make any mistakes, you can point them out. Essentially, I just need the chance to practice. In return, I'll pay you 1500 du for five days." Alexander quickly added.

Alexander panicked even more when, midway through his pitch, the older man's frown deepened. He swallowed hard.

"Why do you want to learn this?" the older man asked.

Alexander gulped again, his mind racing as he searched for an answer.

"I... I....I want to impress someone," he blurted out, his calm façade shattering.

The momentary silence that followed plunged Alexander into even deeper panic, blinding him to the shocked look on the shopkeeper's face. He was just about to turn and flee when—

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..."

Two sets of laughter echoed through.