SSS Cultivation: I Can Conquer Earth's Rank System
Chapter 57: A Week (Monday)

Chapter 57: A Week (Monday)

Leo woke up to the tone of his alarm clock by his bedside. Sluggishly, he dragged himself up with a gentle reminder that it’s Monday. Mondays always suck.

He didn’t know what other dorms feel like, but he know for sure that the VIP dorm room was quiet. Too quiet. His body ached in places he didn’t even know could ache. He blinked against the soft sunlight filtering in through the tall windows, trying to make sense of the knot in his stomach.

Today was the start of The Quirk Control classes, Beast weapon classes, and Combat classes. He’s opted in his mind to start with Combat classes. No Quirk, no fake quirk, no problem, it seems.

The academy has granted each freshman the permission to pick each classes anyone wants to stat with first. The three classes must be completed before the second year, but the order of attendance can be flexed. "Who knows? I might have discovered my quirk before I register for the other two classes."

He sat up slowly, rubbing his face. His bed was comfortable...almost too much so. The room was clean and spacious, decorated with polished wood furniture and shelves that remained mostly empty except for a few books and a pen case he kept close. The room was big enough for two beds but Leo was grateful the academy didn’t think it right to do so. How could he have survived if Jade slept in the same room with him?

It was always strange, waking up here. Like stepping into a world that wasn’t meant for him. A world of ranks, power, influence...and quirks. The best students were here. And Leo was among them, wearing the mask of someone he wasn’t.

He stood, stretching out his arms and rolling his shoulders. His muscles has since recovered from the last fight with Jade, thanks to Jose. He couldn’t risk a visit to Miss Charlotte again.

He glanced at his wrist, checking the time. Just enough to shower and grab a quick breakfast at the cafeteria before heading to the south wing. He checked his watch and saw the amount of units he has left. He has saved up enough units, 42. Why he isn’t spending them, he has no idea. There was no one to send him units from home like the other students. 10 units a day from the school was only enough to eat three comfortable meals at the Cafeteria in a day. And since Lunch wasn’t a big deal to Leo, he never bothered to spend all the 10 units in a day.

After a quick brush up, he rushed down to the Cafeteria.

Leo didn’t expect much from breakfast, and that’s exactly what he got. He sat at an isolated table in the dining hall, eating toast and eggs while avoiding every gaze. Conversations buzzed around him. A few students were already talking about what kind of weapons might be introduced later in the semester. Some joked about beating their future partners into the ground. Others are planning to force a pair, giving the teachers no option to separate them. Leo just kept his head down.

He didn’t see Rosa. He didn’t see Lam. He didn’t see Jade. He didn’t see Sil. He didn’t see Hunter Man. He didn’t see Miss Charlotte. Oh, Leo felt his day blessed and peaceful already.

Once he was done, he made the walk with his like-minded fellows to the combat hall, a massive dome-like building built into the far side of the campus, the South Wing. The sky overhead was pale blue, the wind soft, and the campus grounds already full of students moving between buildings.

The Combat Hall loomed ahead, wide and heavy, its entrance flanked by reinforced doors. As he stepped inside, the cool air hit him first, followed by the sounds. Footsteps echoed across the polished stone floor. A few students were already warming up, their movements sharp and fast.

Leo scanned the room. The hall was built like a training dojo and an arena merged into one. High ceilings, sand-brown mats on the floor, pillars lining the sides, and racks of training weapons and gears locked away behind glass cases.

He kept to himself, finding a spot near the wall to stretch. All around him, students were already picking out their sparring partners, whispering about who they wanted to test themselves against. Many still wished the teacher won’t have a solid say in their choice of partners.

Leo didn’t bother. He knew how this went. The ranked kids picked each other. The stronger ones grouped up early. And the ones like him—quiet, unknown—usually got left behind. Only the lazy and the bullies pick people like him. "I really can’t get over this New Earth, ugh."

The door to the hall opened again, and everything went quiet.

The combat teacher, Fong Yuk walked in with calm, measured steps. His uniform was plain but spotless. He had short black hair, neat as always, and sharp and a little saggy eyes that scanned the students like they were pages in a book he’d already read twice or thrice or a thousand times.

He stopped at the center of the hall, hands clasped behind his back. His feet were bare.

"No quirks allowed," he said, no greeting or introduction. "Not today. Not in this class."

Silence...

"Out there, quirks are tools. But here, your body is your weapon. If you can’t fight without your power, you won’t survive long with it either."

Leo, together with the other students seemed lost, but no one dared say anything. Fong Yuk doesn’t seem to be the friendly type, it seems.

Leo straightened, already feeling the shift in atmosphere. Fong Yuk wasn’t yelling, but his words carried weight even when it’s not really understandable. Everyone paid attention.

"We start with the basics. Three stances. Master them, or you’ll fall over before your first punch."

A boy interrupted. "Erm, I’m sorry to interrupt. But you haven’t introduced yourself yet. My dad said a good relationship between a master and a student will always bring the best out of both parties."

Fong Yuk gazed at the boy for a while before saying, "how I wish I met your dad a while ago. I’d have kicked his nuts and he wouldn’t have given birth to one who cuts his supposed master off."

Everyone laughed. Even grim Leo.

Fong Yuk stepped onto the mat and demonstrated the first stance. Legs shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms raised, elbows tucked in close.

"This is Rooted Balance. You keep your center of gravity here. Strong foundation, ready to move or defend."

The students followed along, adjusting their stances.

"Next, Defensive Brace." He moved into the second form. "Elbows tight. Guard your ribs. Chin down. Eyes forward."

Leo copied the stance, his thighs already beginning to burn.

"Last, the Forward Lunge. This is where your strikes come from. One step forward, lean into the hit, stay grounded."

They moved through the stances several times. Fong Yuk walked between them, adjusting arms, fixing posture, correcting foot placement. When he got to Leo, he gave him a brief glance but said nothing. That was better than being noticed for the wrong reasons.

After about thirty minutes, Fong Yuk clapped his hands once.

"I can see that many of you will give me more wrinkles by the time we’re done. Not to bother much, I’ll wear them like a badge... alright, pair up, you bags. We’ll test your movement. One on defense, one on attack. Light contact. No actual hits yet. I repeat, no actual hits yet! If you have that bullying spirit in you, oh, I’ll make you eat all my belts, I promise."

Almost immediately, the students began forming pairs. Leo looked around, but no one approached him. Everyone was already paired up. Again. Just as he expected.

He stood alone as the rest of the class found spots on the mat. Fong Yuk looked around and spotted him.

"You don’t have a partner, Mr. Black?"

Leo shook his head. "No, sir. I’m Leo sir, not Black," he said wondering if Fong Yuk called him that because of his hair colour or for some jokes only he understands.

Fong Yuk was about to respond when the door swung open again.

Rosa walked in, breathless but confident. Her deep brown, sandy hair was tied into a tight ponytail, and her eyes were already scanning the class. Murmurs flew. Of course, it’s the Morningbolt girl again.

"Am I too late?" she asked, walking forward without waiting for a response.

Fong Yuk checked his tablet briefly. "You weren’t on the initial list."

"I got clearance this morning," Rosa said smoothly. "I want to join combat class. Thought it might be fun."

Leo felt a drop of sweat roll down his back. "Of course, you want to joint combat class. Like we didn’t know why."

Fong Yuk nodded. "You’ll partner with Leo."

Rosa smiled in a "mission accomplished" type of way.

Leo stepped forward. "Sir, if I could request—"

"No requests. You fight who you’re given," Fong Yuk cut in.

Rosa smirked as she took her spot across from Leo. "Looks like we’re partners. Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle."

"I’d prefer serious," Leo replied quietly.

"Oh, good. I was hoping you’d say that."

"Oh, you stubborn fly."

The drill began...

They moved slowly at first—Leo trying to keep form, Rosa pressing forward with confident feints and probing jabs. Even without using quirks, Rosa was fast. Her footwork was precise, her stance solid. She wasn’t here to play around.

"Switch!" Fong Yuk called.

Leo took the offensive this time, launching forward in a mock attack. Rosa blocked smoothly and stepped into his space, turning his momentum against him. He nearly stumbled.

"You’re too stiff," she whispered, not mockingly, but like a tip.

"Trying not to mess up. And worry about yourself," Leo muttered back.

Across the room, Peter Payne stood near the edge of the mats, arms folded. His face twisted into a sly grin. He hadn’t picked a partner at first, but eventually, he joined up with a quiet student and barely did anything.

Still, his eyes stayed on Leo. He’s about to throw the first jab at Leo. This is the time to let Leo know he has something no one else must hear about.

"Don’t push too hard, Leo," Peter Payne called out. "Wouldn’t want your... little tricks to short-circuit."

Leo flinched slightly.

Rosa turned, eyes narrowing. "What does that even mean? You got a problem?"

Peter smirked. "Just cheering on my favourite fighter."

"You can leave the commentary outside, Payne," Fong Yuk snapped. "One more word and you’re on floor duty. Get back to defense, you dufus."

Peter shrugged. "Fine, fine. Just watching the show."

Rosa leaned closer to Leo. "What’s his problem?"

"Dunno."

They continued the drills for another half hour, testing out movement combinations and switching roles. Rosa didn’t let up. Every mistake Leo made, she caught. Every weak step, she punished with a soft nudge or a sweep that nearly knocked him down.

By the time Fong Yuk called an end to class, Leo’s arms were numb and his legs sore. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to catch his breath.

"Class dismissed. Stretch before you leave," Fong Yuk said, walking off without further ceremony.

Leo grabbed a towel and wiped his face. Rosa was still standing nearby, tying her jacket around her waist.

"You did okay," she said.

"You didn’t go easy."

"You wouldn’t want me to, right?"

"Why did you join?"

Rosa rolled her eyes. "Because I love combat classes."

"Hmm," was all Leo said. Everything within him was telling him she joined because he joined. But why must he try to get a confession out of her? And what if she really joined because she loved the class? He was just going to play it safe with her henceforth, since he can’t really get rid of her. A memory of his fight with Jade popped up again and he shrank inside.

Peter was at the exit, leaning against the wall.

"Good fight, Leo," he said. "Hope you’re just as tough when the real game starts."

Leo said nothing. Everyone knew Peter Payne to be a complete idiot, so Leo didn’t bother himself much. But still, he wondered why he suddenly started showing interest in him. They’ve never spoken or had an encounter. Also, he wondered what he meant by "little trick"..."short-circuit"...

But Rosa stepped between them.

"You done talking?" she asked.

Peter smirked. "For now."

He walked away, still smiling.

**********

Back in his dorm, Leo dropped onto his bed and exhaled. Every part of his body was sore. But somewhere in the exhaustion, he felt something else—relief. No quirks. No lasers. Just him. And he didn’t lose.

As he closed his eyes, his watch buzzed.

[Friday. 9 PM. The building behind the east wall.]

– Hunter Man.

Leo’s stomach turned. So much for peace.

He stared at the message for a long while.

"Guess I won’t be seeing the outside world until I graduate," he muttered.

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