Like a couple, they completed their new morning routine: brushing their teeth, eating a light breakfast, and dressing together.
Despite not quite becoming comfortable with each other's sexual gazes, Ryuji appeared to become used to her perverted side quickly. Ryuji found it easier to ignore his impulses and desires thanks to her showing her slovenly sides so often.
Once they had prepared, the time remained a little too early, with the chickens and roosters croaking towards the sun.
However, they made the best impression and waited in the training field first in their basic leather and padded armour for training.
***
"Haa... Ha..."
Like the day before, his body felt more energised the more effort he spent.
He felt his legs and arms filled with power. Their training started with twenty-five hundred-metre laps around the training yard, carrying their gear and weapons.
"Fu.... fu...!"
The woman running beside him was a rather shocking person.
Yumiko's face looked serene, with barely a bead of sweat as she ran with a beautiful posture.
In fact, Ryuji felt a little jealous. The searing sun made his body ooze sweat while the colossal stone axe on his back weighed at least twenty kilograms, over ten times a regular axe from his past world.
'Well, it's probably to deal with more damage to monsters. I don't understand how the world works, but even the animals in this world must be tougher.'
"Fu.... fu...! Straighten your back and take more deep breaths quickly. Make them all equal in size and form a rhythm."
It felt like she might have some serious training as an athlete when he listened to her advice and watched her actions.
'She knows how to run with the best posture...'
"Understood... Ha.... ha... ha...!"
'This is the only time she feels like an adult woman!'
Because he exerted so much effort and forced his body to change his poor running posture, Ryuji felt pain in his lower back. However, Yumiko used her tail to slap his back, fixing his posture and running pace.
She even adjusted the length he stretched for each stride, which added to the sudden change in his breathing.
Ryuji felt a sudden burst of energy. He was no longer forced to focus on himself and could see the world around him while running!
'Even this training yard had such beauty?' Ryuji thought, looking at the beautiful mountains in the distance as he and Yumiko increased speed and settled in the top ten of the class.
Much to the dismay of many of their classmates, who already found him unsightly for having such a beautiful woman like Yumiko by his side.
****
"Good work, Heroes. Take a ten-minute break and rejoice! Because today you have special training!"
Knight Alan seemed amused by the ten students at the back who collapsed, including the weaver and cook from Ryuji's party.
"Hmmm, what do you think will happen?" Erika Tendo asked, shaking her tied-up blonde hair from side to side. She was wearing a white squire's shirt, black pants, and a sword at her waist, and she was drinking a large mug of water.
"I wonder, maybe they will have us fight each other?" Kenta Suzuki, the Judo captain, answered while dripping with sweat.
"Hey, look at that shameless delinquent sitting with that fox." Fuuka Suzuhara frowned as she pointed at how Yumiko was helping massage and stretch Ryuji's shoulders and back, likely to help him recover from the new running posture.
"Hmmm... But that fox seemed to be useful during training. She used her tail to fix his posture, and his breathing seemed to improve." Erika added, her eyes staying on Ryuji's exposed muscular chest for several minutes before turning away.
From the moment she saw him, Erika felt attracted to him. This didn't go unnoticed by A-Rank Hero Haruki Tanaka.
"Heh, a mere C-Rank Hero, what can he do but swing that huge, useless body around?"
****
"Ignore them, Ryuji. I know you can do great things, okay?"
Their conversation seemed to be spoken louder than usual as the males increased the insults towards Ryuji and made comments about Yumiko being a filthy beast whore and other words.
"Ah, it's my class. The moment my rage builds, it's like my power grows too much, and I cannot control it well at the current level. I can't believe they would be so foul just because of the knights and their prejudice..."
"Well, they are just jealous of you. Even with those scary eyes like a rapist, you are at least an eight out of ten, fufu. Let's relax and prepare."
"Thank you..."
'These eyes are scary like a rapist... Haha, thanks for being honest, Yumiko. It doesn't hurt when it's said to my face.'
"If you like--"
Before Yumiko could finish her sentence, Allan returned with several knights who began instantly calling group numbers...
"Group one and two, come with me."
"Group three and four, come here."
Not long passed before everyone stood in the dirty training yard, all wondering what was happening when all the knights took out a strange stone.
The one with the Rank A group was bright white, while the one given to lower-class groups became duller with each Rank down...
'The one given to me is cloudy grey with black specs... It was the same as the ones given to Rank-D parties.'
"Is it because my group has two non-combatants and a beastman?"
Ryuji's group looked nervous; the cute Yomi Akari held a small weaver needle and trembled beside her; at least Kurosaki Ryo had a meat cleaver to protect himself...
But that chubby body still out of breath from the run was worrying.
"You two, don't worry. I will protect you both."
Ryuji wasn't a hero, but knowing their lives could be in danger.
He didn't want these two to panic and die. Deep down, he remembered his friend Alex's words, which said crafting skills were decisive in the middle and late stages of games.
"Eh?"
The small Akari blushed, her small almond eyes visible as she looked at Ryuji through her bangs.
His handsome face, when looking away, was rather soothing as she showed a slight smile and nodded. "Mmm..."
"Ryo, I won't force you to fight until you're ready, but in return, make our party tasty food in the future, right? Haha."
As he approached Ryo, he patted the sweaty boy's shoulder but greeted him with a wide smile.
However, his eyes...
The terrifying eyes of his fathers caused Ryo to tremble like a pig caught by a wolf and pinned down, ready to be slaughtered.
"A....A... Alright...."
'Sorry, Ryo... I'll work on making my gaze a little softer.'
"Prepare yourself, for this is just a taste of the future you will face. We will summon you back to this spot in twelve hours. The bags given to you hold rations and items based on rank to help you survive."
Ryuji held two bags for him and Yumiko, while the others had smaller, more spaced bags.
"Avarcje!"
Immediately after, the words spoken by all the knights were in sync. Ryuji's world distorted, and he suddenly felt sick as the surroundings changed from the bright training ground to a dark, disgusting cave with the thick scent of copper and mould.
He could hear several sounds as his eyes tried to adjust to the darkness. Their path was lit by a few small blue rocks that shone in this dark, dreary cave.
Behind him, the chubby boy vomited.
"Ueeeeeh! W-What Happened!? Did I die!?"
While the girl was no better, Yumiko leaned forward and grasped Ryuji's hand tightly. She looked pale for a moment before her eyes narrowed, and she seemed to have recovered.
Her eyes flickered around like her ears as she suddenly shouted.
"Ryuji! There are three bad guys! They are green and small! They have clubs and wear rancid clothes!"
This was the first meeting Ryuji had with monsters. In a dark, claustrophobic cave with limited vision and three non-combatants...
He was alone.
Ryuji thought he might feel anxious or nervous.
However...
The only feeling he felt caused him confusion.
'Why is my blood pumping and my heart filled with such euphoria!?'
Ryuji's mind and body howled as he grabbed his enormous axe.
He could see red outlines around the monsters as if they were small humanoids painted in blood.
Their scent and movements only made him want to hunt them...