Lei stood firm in the center of the Loki Familia's training grounds. Bete stepped forward, cracking his knuckles, a sharp-toothed grin tugging at the edge of his lips.
"Hah? They really want me to test the new guy?" he scoffed, eyes flashing with a mixture of mockery and something more dangerous—anticipation. "Try not to die too fast, brat."
Surrounded by a few curious Familia members—Tiona leaning on her greatsword, Tione crossing her arms, Riveria observing with a hand on her chin, and Loki barely containing her glee—Lei adjusted his stance.
Loki chuckled from the sidelines. "Don't kill him, Bete. Just see what he can do."
Bete moved
Fast—faster than Lei could react with his body or follow with his eyes.
But he had been watching Bete all the while, His Marauder instincts—the subtle touch of a pickpocket's perception—had noted Bete's movement before he moved, left foot forward. Shift weight. Twitch of the right hand, then strike.
Lei didn't try to dodge completely. He leaned to the side to avoid the full force, taking a grazing blow to the shoulder. Pain bloomed, but he kept his footing.
Bete raised an eyebrow. "Didn't think you'd see that one."
As Bete circled, Lei slowed his breathing. He wasn't going to land a hit. But he could survive. That would be enough.
From his Seer path came a sense of danger—more like inution than true foresight. Which foot Bete would step with. When his muscles would tense.
Every move was a guess—based purely on gut feeling. The kind only a diviner with nerves of steel could make.
Bete's grin turned sharp. "Try this."
A sudden feint—then a low sweeping kick.
Lei stumbled—but used the moment to roll, intentionally falling and cushioning the hit. Embarrassing? Maybe. But it avoided injury.
He stood, breathing hard, brushing dust off.
Riveria raised a brow. "Although bete is holding back but Lei survived till now without fighting back."
Lei reached into his coat and tossed a small, rusted coin onto the ground, one he got from Raul last night to test his divination.
Bete blinked. "What's this, a bribe?"
"No," Lei said simply, watching the coin spin before stopping. "I flipped it before the fight. If it lands tails it means I won't survive a single exchange and I walk away."
It had landed head.
"Just wanted to see if the odds would shift," Lei said, eyes steady.
That got a laugh from Finn. "He's stalling while learning. Diviner's logic."
Bete didn't land a clean blow in the next attack either as Lei dodged clumsily but smartly. He never attacked. Just endured and observed.
Then Riveria called the match.
"You're a damn slippery rat."said Bete as he scoffed, despite holding back, not hitting three times in a row made him annoyed.
"But not a dead one," Lei replied mildly.
Loki laughed, clapping. "He's got guts. I like him!"
Tione gave a nod. "Not a warrior, but he knows how to live."
Lei didn't win. He didn't even fight.
But he survived. And in a Familia that prized strength, that alone made him interesting.
As the crowd dispersed, Finn approached Lei.
"You didn't attack once."
Lei shook his head. "There was no point. I'm not strong. Not yet. But understanding him? That'll matter later."
Finn gave a thoughtful nod. "You're not a fighter. You're a planner. A predictor. And in a dungeon, that's more valuable than bravado."
After the spar, the executives gathered briefly to discuss Lei's place in the Familia.
"His instincts are sharp," Gareth grunted. "But his body's paper-thin."
Finn tapped a finger against the table. "That's fixable as he levels up . For now he's not meant to be a frontline damage-dealer anyway. With proper conditioning and training, he could become the brain of a squad—or the one who keeps formation stable, with his unusual intuition from his skills he could be like joker , an unexpected variable"
"You don't intend to let him join the first team right now, right?" Said Gareth as he looked towards finn.
"No, we will wait till he reaches level 3 at least ,before that he isn't even a supporter but there's nothing wrong with training him early, with his weird skills I have a feeling that when he develops he will become an important core of the team , for now I intend to test the limits of his divination abilities, if the results are good then it would be interesting to have his opinion on next expedition " said finn looking thoughtful.
Loki leaned back in her chair, grin sharp. "oh?,Then he needs someone who doesn't go easy."
All eyes turned to Riveria.
The elven princess closed her eyes with a sigh. "You're asking me to babysit."
Finn chuckled. "We're asking you to refine a diamond in the rough."
Riveria opened her eyes. "Fine. But he better survive it."
He glanced at Riveria. "Put him through mental drills. Observation tests. See what else he can do."
Riveria, cool as ever, responded, "We'll start tomorrow."
Lei arrived early next day as he was already informed about his training, dressed in light training gear. The courtyard was still foggy, but someone was already waiting.
Riveria stood near the center, hair braided, staff in hand—not for battle, but for discipline.
"I expect punctuality, consistency, and obedience," she said without turning. "You're not here to impress. You're here to improve."
Lei nodded. "Understood."
A few Familia members passed by, giving him sympathetic glances.
"Tch, poor guy. Riveria's training is hell."
"She once made Raul run laps while reciting spell formulas backwards."
"Wait till he sees her mental conditioning drills. My guy's gonna cry."
Lei heard it all. But he didn't flinch.
Despite his lack of stats, Lei needed to build a foundation. Riveria didn't believe in pampering to her even as a mage one needs to be physically good to not become a standing Target. Concurrent chanting is a basic requirement for top mages.
Running laps with weighted packs.
Stretch and flexibility drills.
Reaction training: catching pebbles mid-air with both hands, blindfolded to train his unusual intuition.
Basic calisthenics focused on control, not brute strength.
"You don't need to be fast or strong," Riveria instructed. "You need to move when it matters. Control your body first. Power comes later."
Riveria recognized mind as greatest weapon, hence after physical training came mental drills
Observation Puzzles: Spot the differences between near-identical scenes under time pressure.
Memory Recitation: She'd flash a full-page battle formation and ask him to redraw it from memory.
Prediction Exercises: She'd reenact hypothetical monster behavior and ask what would happen next, and to Lei these mental drills were actually much more relaxing than physical training.
Then came Combat Theory & Tactical Foundations (Afternoon – 1 hour)
Since fighting wasn't Lei's strength, Riveria focused on teaching him how to survive and support,reading formations, identifying threats and weak points, understanding when to engage—and more importantly, when to retreat.
Riveria explained calmly but never repeated herself. If Lei missed a point, he had to find the answer himself, after that was Riveria gave him a quiet spot and told him to practice his divinations—not to ask the future, but to refine his intuition.
"Your instincts are your edge," she said. "Sharpen them until they're like mine with mana. Subtle, but decisive.
In the evening in a large, well-lit hall buzzed with laughter, clattering utensils, and the rich scent of roasted meat and stew. Long wooden tables were packed with Familia members—warriors, mages, support team—all chattering and enjoying a well-earned meal after a day's grind.
Lei entered quietly, body still aching from Riveria's brutal regimen. He barely managed to hold his tray steady when he heard a voice call out.
"Oi, newbie! Over here!"
Raul waved him down, flanked by a lively bunch including Alicia, Anakitty, Cruz, and Narvi.
Lei blinked. "I thought I was supposed to sit with Reveria-san and the others?"
Raul grinned. "Nah, she ditched dinner today. Said training you made her head hurt. That makes you our guest now."
Alicia patted the spot between her and Anakitty. "Come on, sit! We don't bite… hard."
Anakitty raised an eyebrow. "Speak for yourself."
Lei chuckled and took his seat. Immediately, bowls were pushed his way—extra meat, bread, a sweet roll.
"You guys treat all rookies like this?" he asked.
"Only the ones with tragic eyes and mysterious backstories," Cruz replied, mock-serious.
Narvi leaned over. "So what is your backstory? Runaway prince? Secret love child of a goddess?"
Lei raised an eyebrow. "Gift shop clerk with sleep issues(which was technically true as he did owned a gift shop in his old world)"
Everyone laughed,Raul leaned forward with a sly grin. "So, Lei, since you're one of us now… important question—who do you think's the prettiest girl in the Familia?"
Lei blinked. "That's a dangerous question."
Raul wagged his spoon like a sage. "Ah, but a rite of passage nonetheless."
Before Lei could answer, Raul stage-whispered: "I mean, there's Ais, obviously. Blonde sword princess? Ice-cold beauty. Very stabby. Or... Riveria. Tall, powerful, strict... terrifying in a hot way."
Across the table, Lefiya nearly choked on her drink. She turned to Raul, red-faced and fuming. "Wh-what kind of indecent—Raul!"
Raul winked. "What? Just appreciating our seniors."
Lei gave Lefiya a quick glance, then smiled. "I'm more afraid of them than anything. Not really the 'crush-on-your-instructor' type."
Anakitty grinned. "Smart man. Still has self-preservation instincts."
Alicia nudged Lei. "Alright, fine—not the top brass. What about us normal folk, huh?"
Lei raised both hands in surrender. "You're all very lovely. Honestly, I just want to survive Riveria's drills."
Just then—
"Survive mama~?"
A voice purred right behind Lefiya.
"Eep!" Lefiya shrieked as a pair of familiar hands glomped her from behind.
"L-L-L-Lady Loki?!"
Loki grinned as she casually wrapped her arms around the flustered elf, squeezing in inappropriate places while Lefiya flailed in protest.
"Ufufufu~ My lovely Lefiya's growing more womanly every day~"
"P-please let go!!"
Then Loki's eyes snapped toward Lei, still smiling—but her gaze sharp as daggers.
"And you, newbie. Eyes off. All the girls in this Familia… belong to me. Got that?"
Lei stared.
Then leaned toward Raul and whispered, "So do I have to fight her for dating rights?"
Raul nearly spat out his soup laughing.
That Night, back in the room, Lei collapsed onto his bed, body aching everywhere.
His hands were blistered. His legs trembled.
But his mind?
Sharper than ever.
"I'm not strong yet," he whispered to himself, eyes staring at the ceiling. "But I will be. Bit by bit."
Narvi wiped tears from her eyes. "I give you two weeks of dating before she sneaks into your room."
Cruz nodded solemnly. "too much, more like few hours at best if Lefiya's around."
Lefiya was hiding under the table.
Alicia gave Lei a toast with her mug. "You're fitting in nicely."
Lei raised his own. "You guys are crazy."
Raul grinned. "Welcome to the Familia."
As laughter echoed around the table and the smell of roasted meat hung in the air, Lei realized something quietly:
This feels… like home.