Arthur didn't even look up at him; his voice came out flat. "You really pissed off the West High Crew, Ryan."

Ryan looked at Arthur, slightly nervous. "Yeah... it seems like that."

Arthur gave a faint smirk, still staring at the front of the room. "Well, if Kai made a move, then it actually is serious. He's the second in command of the West High Crew."

Ryan leaned forward slightly. "Then what should we do now?"

Arthur finally turned his head towards him, gaze fixed onto Ryan's eyes, calm. "Now? We will prepare for our fight with them. Kai's appearance means this won't end with just a simple talk. This will definitely be a full-on war. If we don't get stronger, we'll be crushed before we even see the real enemy."

Ryan looked at Arthur in confusion, sweat dripping off his forehead. "You mean, I have to train, right?"

Arthur gave a small smirk as he said. "Yes, aren't you the one who made a crew? So, if the crew head is down, then there's no chance the crew will win the fight."

Ryan felt a cold shiver crawl down his spine. He gulped hard as he looked in the eyes of Arthur.

Arthur looked him in the eye. "You're the leader. That means they'll come to hunt you, and if you fall, then we all will. Keep these words in your mind; I don't like to repeat twice."

"Leader?" Ryan said softly as he looked down towards his hands; he didn't feel like one yet.

But the seriousness in Arthur's tone left no room for further argument.

"I'll get stronger," Ryan said, voice filled with motivation. "I'll do whatever it takes to win."

Arthur gave a simple nod, satisfied. "Good. Then, your training starts today."

Just then the sudden pop-up of the next quest appeared in front of his eyes. The system's panel was slowly hovering, flickering a bit with blue shimmers.

[DING!]

[New Quest: Get Stronger]

[Time Limit: 10 Days]

[Objective: Reach B-rank in all stats.]

[Reward: ???]

Ryan's eyes widened. "Ten days? To hit B-rank in everything?"

[System Message: Host, this is difficult but not impossible. Focus on progress, not panic. I will guide you.]

Ryan rubbed his temple with his palms. 'Ten days...' He couldn't even reach rank C in this little time. This was like climbing a mountain without any solid equipment.

When the school bell rang, he walked home with the sun low behind him, his shadow stretching long across the pathway.

The city around him buzzed with cars, random voices, and the faint beat of music coming from the clubs—but his mind didn't pay any attention to it; it was completely focused.

He was thinking about the work Arthur gave him, he was thinking about Maya's courage, he was thinking about Daniel, who helped him and told him the information about the West High Club, and he was thinking about the safety of the people around him.

All of them had stepped into this because of him. He couldn't just let them down; he had to get better to match their expectations of him.

That night, he sat on his bed—legs crossed. The glowing blue light of the system was shimmering in front of him; the panel had the training plan described on it.

[Train with Arthur—daily.]

[Fix stamina and balance.]

[Learn to counter properly.]

[No skipping meals.]

[No excuses.]

He looked at the list for a really long time before he let out a small chuckle. "Ten days, huh?" He muttered under his breath. "Let's see how much I can push myself."

The next morning, the gym smelled like sweat and dust. Arthur was already there, hands wrapped, leaning against the wall with his usual unreadable face.

Maya jogged in soon after, ponytail bouncing, her energy sharp and bright even in the early light.

Arthur looked at Ryan as he tossed a towel to him. "You're late."

Ryan caught it with his right hand as a smirk curled up on his lips. "Still, I'm here, aren't I? Now let's start."

"Then start." Arthur didn't waste any time. The drills began fast—punching pads, ducking, weaving, and running laps between sets. Every second counted. Ryan's lungs burned, his arms ached, but he kept going. Maya trained beside him, her kicks echoing like cracks of thunder against the bag.

Hours passed in the blink of an eye; sweat rolled down Ryan's back, dripping onto the mat.

"Again," Arthur ordered.

Ryan threw another jab, which was followed by a cross, then repeated. His muscles screamed at him to stop, but Arthur didn't let him.

By the end of the session, Ryan collapsed against the wall, panting. Maya dropped beside him, equally exhausted but grinning.

"You're keeping up with me better than I thought, Ryan," she said.

"Thanks..." Ryan wheezed as his voice came low. "I just have to push; I can't show any weakness."

Arthur tossed them both water bottles. "You're improving," he said simply. "But that's not enough; the enemies are strong, and they will not care even if you get injured."

Ryan looked up at him. "It just means that we have to push harder, so I'll push harder."

Arthur's lips curved in the smallest, rarest smile. "Good."

That night, Ryan lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. His arms ached, his legs felt like stone, but a strange feeling sat in his chest—something he hadn't felt in years.

Hope.

It wasn't loud or proud. Just steady. Quiet.

The system chimed softly in the back of his mind.[Progress: Strength—B+ | Endurance—B- | Speed—B]

It wasn't much. But it was something.

He closed his eyes and whispered, "Ten days. I'll make it happen."

The next morning, he woke up early, pulled on his hoodie, and left for another round of training.

As the sun rose over the school's rooftop, painting the sky in orange light, Ryan's fists hit the pads again and again, each one stronger than the last.

He didn't notice it, but Arthur did. And behind that calm stare of Arthur Kane, the strongest man in the boxing club, there was the faintest flicker of respect.

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