After their brutal post-mortem review, the team started training at 5 AM sharp—no excuses, no complaints. They spent an entire week putting their bodies through hell. Running until their lungs screamed for mercy, climbing until their fingers bled, lifting weights so heavy they could feel their ancestors judging them. But despite the suffering, one thing became shockingly clear.
Yulli. Was. Thriving.
He wasn't just keeping up—he was outperforming the others in endurance, reaction time, and sheer consistency. While Bruce and Lawlet were collapsing onto the dirt like dying fish, Yulli was still standing, albeit drenched in sweat.
Julius smirked, arms crossed as he observed the group. "Once again, Yulli is showing the most improvement. Impressive."
Bruce, who was flat on the ground and contemplating his entire existence, suddenly pointed an accusing finger at Yulli.
"HUH?! HOW?!" he yelled, eyes bulging. "How is this markless brat excelling over us?! We have marks! We should be better!"
Yulli wiped sweat from his brow, laughing awkwardly. "Uh… beginner's luck?"
"BULLSH—"
"Maybe it's because his body is under some kind of restriction?" Remi interjected, arms crossed as she observed Yulli with curiosity.
Julius grinned. "Bingo."
Bruce blinked. "Huh? Ret-stric-restricon- what?"
Remi sighed dramatically before straightening up, suddenly adopting a teacher-like tone. "This is a known fact—everyone is born with mana. However, there are cases where not everyone is the same, and sometimes defects or restrictions occur."
Bruce stared blankly.
Remi groaned and tapped her own chest. "Let me make it simple for you. I have extraordinary mana control, and I can apply buffs to my allies regardless of their blood type. But when it comes to physical enhancement, I can't use it to strengthen myself."
Bruce squinted. "So… you suck at it?"
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Remi's face turned red.
Julius chuckled. "But she's right in a way. Every ability comes with a price. In Yulli's case, his restriction prevents him from using mana entirely, but in return, his body is stronger than normal. It adapts and strengthens faster to compensate for what he lacks."
Bruce crossed his arms, frowning. "So, you're saying this little shrimp has been handicapped by the universe but got some weird compensation buff?"
Julius shrugged. "That's one way to put it."
Yulli scratched the back of his head. "So basically, I'm stuck like this?"
"yeah," Julius said casually.
Bruce grumbled under his breath. "Man, if I had that kind of buff, I'd be unstoppable…"
Lawlet wiped the sweat from his face, panting. "If that's the case, we'll just have to make sure we keep up."
Julius clapped his hands together. "Exactly! So, stop whining and get back to training. Tomorrow's another brutal day, and I expect everyone to improve, not just Yulli."
Bruce groaned. "Man… I hate this already."
After barely surviving the week-long torture that Julius had the nerve to call "training," the team finally had something to look forward to—dinner at Gonseng.
The restaurant was a well-known hunter spot, famous for its high-quality meat and ridiculous portion sizes. It was the kind of place people only ate at if they were celebrating a hard-fought victory. Or, in their case, celebrating the fact that they weren't dead.
Julius stretched as they entered, cracking his neck. "Dinner's on me, so order whatever you want!"
Bruce's eyes widened as if he had just ascended to godhood. "Seriously?! You're so cool, Julius! I take back what I said about you looking like a sadistic and unhinged lunatic!"
Julius blinked. "…I was unaware you said that in the first place."
Bruce took a second to process his own words. "Oh. Well, uh—"
Julius dramatically clutched his chest. "No, no, it's fine. I'll just pretend that didn't deeply wound me."
Yulli, who had been looking over the menu with mild panic, cleared his throat. "Um… are you sure about this, Julius? This place looks… expensive."
Julius waved him off. "Don't worry about it. You guys earned this."
Yulli hesitated. "…It's just that I've never eaten luxury food before."
"Oh, right. You did live in the slums, didn't you?" Julius said, flipping through the menu before settling on something. "Here. Try this. Trust me, it's good."
Yulli glanced at the dish name, then back at Julius. "I don't know what half of these words mean."
"You'll like it."
"…Will I?"
Before Julius could reassure him further, a horrifying sight entered his vision.
Bruce, with the unholy enthusiasm of a man who had been starved for weeks, ordered a buffet.
Not a single plate. Not a small meal. A full-course, multi-round, high-stakes buffet.
Julius stared at the stack of plates piling in front of Bruce, his initial confidence in this decision rapidly deteriorating.
"Thank you, Julius!" Bruce cackled like a madman, already shoveling food into his mouth with the energy of a wild beast. "I shall now devour everything in sight!"
Julius watched as Bruce inhaled food like a vacuum cleaner and slowly came to a horrifying realization.
"…Kids these days sure eat a lot," he murmured, a single tear of regret forming in his soul.