"Now, everyone, stand in your positions!" Ajay’s voice cracked like a whip across the training hall. His tone carried no warmth, only a sharp command that made even Hazzy stiffen as though an iron chain had wrapped around his body.
The guildmaster was gone—Maya had left to et soone important—and the burden of instruction fell entirely on Ajay. If Maya’s training was strict, Ajay’s was rciless.
"Pick up your weapons," he ordered. "And forget what you think you know. From this mont, I am not your friend, not your senior—I am the wall that will either break you or sharpen you."
The hall fell silent.
AK tightened his grip on the training sword Maya had given him earlier. Inwardly, he scoffed. I was once an SSS-rank hunter. What could Ajay possibly teach ? These drills are child’s play. But... this body is still weak. Too weak. And Maya can’t always be there to heal . If RED slumbers for a month again, who will patch up? Who will save then? I have to build my endurance, my foundation, even if it ans lowering myself to these petty lessons.
Ajay began pacing like a predator, his footsteps echoing.
"Hazzy! You swing your sword like a butcher chopping at. Do it again!"
CLANG—Hazzy’s blade t the training dummy, sparks flying. Ajay clicked his tongue.
"Pathetic. Do it again. If you can’t carve through a dummy, how will you cut through a living monster that wants to eat your guts?"
Hazzy gritted his teeth, sweat dripping, and swung again, harder this ti.
Ajay didn’t even watch. His gaze had already shifted.
"Phaphy! You’re over-chanting. Magic doesn’t need poetry—it needs precision. Cut the fluff. One syllable too long, and your head will be rolling before your spell leaves your tongue. Again!"
Phaphy bit his lip, raising his staff. Mana surged, this ti forming a sharp lance of light that cracked against the barrier Ajay had set up.
"Better," Ajay said flatly. "But if that were , you’d still be dead."
Phaphy groaned. "Cruel bastard..." he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Ajay’s eyes glinted dangerously.
"Nothing, sir!"
The others tried not to laugh.
"AK," Ajay barked.
AK raised his sword instinctively.
"You think you know how to fight? You don’t. You know how to win. That’s different. Show your stance."
AK stepped forward, planting his feet as he always had, blade poised for a forward strike.
Ajay smirked. "Too open."
He lunged without warning.
Steel flashed—Ajay’s sword knocked AK’s weapon aside, and with his free hand he jabbed the hilt against AK’s ribs. Pain exploded through his chest and forced him a step back.
"See? You win fights because of instinct. But instinct alone won’t save you when your body fails. Fix your stance. Wider. Lower. Again!"
AK clenched his jaw and obeyed, sweat already prickling at his temples.
The training dragged on. Ajay’s thods were cruel: endless sword drills until their arms shook, pushups with weighted vests until their chests burned, squats until their legs quivered like jelly. For the mages, he demanded rapid spell-casting under pressure, forcing them to chant while he hurled pebbles and insults at them to break their focus.
An hour passed. Then two. By the ti the sun dipped toward the horizon, every one of them was soaked in sweat, lungs heaving, bodies trembling.
Yet Ajay never stopped.
"You call yourselves hunters? You’d die against goblins at this rate. Again! Swing, cast, move—your enemies will not wait for you to catch your breath!"
Hazzy collapsed onto one knee. "This... isn’t training... this is torture!"
Ajay’s boot slamd into the floor beside him, narrowly missing his hand. "Good! If you think this is torture, then maybe you’ll survive when the dungeon shows you real torture."
Ash muttered, "He’s insane..."
Phaphy croaked, "No, he’s worse than insane..."
Aisha, usually soft-spoken, whispered, "He’s... terrifying."
AK said nothing. He simply kept moving, kept swinging. His body scread, but his mind was calm. Endure. Endure. Endure. Every drop of pain is a seed for strength. Every breath of agony is a step closer to survival. If Maya can stand at the top, so can I.
Finally, after what felt like eternity, Ajay barked, "Enough! That’s it for today."
Everyone collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. Relief flooded their faces as they lay sprawled on the floor, gasping.
Hazzy groaned, "Finally... I thought I was gonna die..."
Ash rolled onto his back. "Don’t... don’t thank him. Don’t even say it was good training..."
Ajay, arms folded, smirked down at them. "Oh, don’t worry. Today was the warm-up. Tomorrow, the real training begins."
The group froze.
Hazzy whimpered, "This... was just the warm-up?"
Phaphy covered his face. "I’m not coming tomorrow. No way."
Ajay’s smirk widened. "Don’t worry about that. I’ll send a guild car to pick you up. No excuses."
They all groaned in unison.
AK, however, wasn’t paying attention. His eyes kept darting toward the door Maya had left through earlier. She said she’d be back soon... so why hasn’t she returned? His chest tightened, a strange unease crawling inside him.
Hazzy noticed his distracted expression and nudged him with an elbow. "I know who you’re thinking about."
AK snapped his gaze to him. "What?"
Ash grinned slyly. "It’s not anyone else. It’s—"
Phaphy quickly cut him off. "Stop it. Let’s just go ho before Ajay decides to train us again."
Aisha nodded gently. "Phaphy is right. Let’s go."
Ajay’s voice bood again before they could move. "No one leaves hungry. You’ll eat in the cafeteria first. Then the guild cars will drop you ho."
They groaned, but their stomachs betrayed them. So they followed Ajay to the guild cafeteria.
The cafeteria was massive, filled with hunters in uniforms, the sll of sizzling at and spices wafting through the air.
Hazzy’s eyes widened. "I didn’t know guilds had cafeterias like this..."
Ash stuffed a skewer into his mouth. "And the food is amazing!"
Phaphy moaned with delight. "I could live here forever..."
Ajay chuckled. "This guild has everything—a cafeteria, a VR combat room, even ga parlors to sharpen hunters through simulations. And more importantly, fifty A-rank hunters belong here. The fifty strongest in Bihar."
The group fell silent, shocked.
AK, however, simply sipped his soup. I already knew this... from the erased tiline.
After the al, Ajay escorted them to waiting guild cars. One by one, they were dropped ho, until only AK remained. His house was the farthest.
By the ti he stepped inside, night had fallen. He bathed quickly, collapsed on his bed, and opened his phone.
The guild WhatsApp group was buzzing.
[Hazzy]: Broooo today was crazy. Ajay’s a demon.
[Ash]: I still can’t feel my arms
[Phaphy]: My legs are jelly... send healer pls.
[Aisha]: It was harsh... but good. I think we’ll grow stronger.
[Hazzy]: And the cafeteria food!! Don’t forget that. Best curry I’ve ever had.
[Ash]: True , I’m joining the guild just for the food.
[Phaphy]: Sa. Screw training, feed .
[AK]: ...You guys sound like idiots.
[Hazzy]: Don’t act cool, AK. I saw you blushing when Maya talked to you. 👀
[Ash]: Ooooooohhhhhh~
[Phaphy]: Our AK got caught red-handed.
[Aisha]: ...
AK threw his phone on the bed, his ears burning.
But the laughter faded quickly as another mory resurfaced: while everyone was eating, he had noticed Maya in her cabin, talking to soone. Soone important. Only he and Ajay had noticed. But AK hadn’t dared to ask. Who was she eting? Why didn’t she return to training?
That single question gnawed at him, twisting his thoughts in knots.
Finally, he shook his head. "No... enough overthinking."
Lying back, he whispered, "Status window."
The screen appeared before his eyes.
[ PLAYER STATUS ]
Na: AK (Reincarnation of RED)
Level: 18
HP: 950/950
MP: 900/900
Title: Reincarnation of the Weakest Primordial Being Who Was Once the Strongest (RED)
Class: UNKNOWN
Stats:
Strength: 29
Agility: 29 1
Endurance: 27 1
Intelligence: 27
Dexterity: 27
Perception: 27 2
Luck: 23
Vitality: 27
Charm: 30
Resistance: 27
AK’s eyes widened. "What...? My Agility, Endurance, and Perception increased?!"
He grinned, excitent bubbling in his chest. But why didn’t I get any notification?
The thought bothered him for a mont, but then he laughed softly. "Forget it. Growth is growth."
Closing his eyes, he placed his hands on the War Dragon God Egg. As always, he poured all his mana into it. His vision blurred, exhaustion crashing over him like a wave.
The last thing he rembered before collapsing into unconsciousness was a faint warmth pulsing from the egg—like a heartbeat, strong and steady.
The night embraced him, and the story moved one step closer to the storm that awaited.
The next morning, AK woke up early, washed up, and carefully got ready. He adjusted his hair, slipped into fresh clothes, and sat on the edge of his bed, waiting. A few minutes passed in silence before his phone suddenly buzzed.
It was Hazzy.
"Co out, we’re waiting for you," Hazzy’s voice ca through the speaker.
AK frowned in confusion. Waiting? Outside? He hurried to the window, pulled the curtain aside, and froze. Parked right in front of his house was a sleek black car marked with the Hunter Guild’s emblem—the sa guild Maya led.
His lips curled into a smirk. So they really ca for , huh?
Without wasting ti, he reached for a bottle of cool perfu, sprayed it lightly on himself, and admired the subtle fragrance. Then he grabbed his keys, locked the door behind him, and strode toward the car with calculated calmness.
When he opened the back door, his eyes widened slightly. Inside sat Hazzy, Ash, Phaphy, and even Aisha—his whole White Tiger guild. But the real surprise was at the front: Ajay, the ever-strict trainer, was behind the wheel.
AK gave a soft chuckle, masking his astonishnt, and leaned forward slightly. "Morning, everyone," he greeted, his voice calm yet carrying a trace of confidence.
Hazzy rolled his eyes. "You took your sweet ti."
Phaphy smirked. "He probably spent half an hour choosing which perfu makes him look cooler."
Ash laughed under his breath, while Aisha looked out the window to hide her smile.
Ajay, keeping his focus on the road, finally spoke in his stern, commanding tone. "Seatbelts on. We have a long day ahead, and I won’t tolerate any nonsense in the car."
Everyone fell quiet imdiately, fastening their belts. AK, however, leaned back into the seat with a mischievous grin. His heart was steady, but his thoughts were racing. So Maya really sent her own guild car... and Ajay himself ca to fetch us. She’s serious about this training.
The car pulled away from the curb, the morning sun glinting off its glossy surface, carrying them all toward another day of relentless trials inside the Hunter Guild.
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