Caius had no idea that his offhand remarks would actually lead a spoiled, arrogant rich brat to a sudden moment of clarity.

  All he wanted was less trouble. He simply didn’t have the time to play games with these snot-nosed kids.

  Activating the Teleportation Magic Array Plate, he returned to Ocean City.

  It was already evening.

  Caius had several things to prepare.

  First, the sword for Little Swan.

  Second, the business event scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

  Third, the official issuance of the external placement slots from Hydis Magic Academy three days later.

  The first task was more urgent—he had to get it done within a few days. He didn’t want to keep Little Swan waiting.

  And that light armor he mentioned before? He wasn’t just talking big.

  Caius knew the crisis at the Bloody Lands was only a matter of time. If the forces of Grilla City and the surrounding areas could contain it, great. If not, then a brutal war was inevitable.

  So, it was time to gear up.

  Little Swan’s gear, the Catgirl’s gear, and his own—he needed to start work on all of it.

  He had the materials. He could forge them all together when the time came.

  As for the business event two days from now—he’d play it by ear.

  The placement slots being officially issued three days from now? That was already settled.

  His own slot was secured.

  The Catgirl’s slot would be handled by Yvlan. Most likely, there wouldn’t be any issues. But if something unexpected did happen, he’d deal with it then.

  Still, the formal issuance meant that he would officially become a member of Hydis Magic Academy.

  That called for a bit of ceremony.

  What kind of ceremony?

  Caius figured, at the very least, it should involve a candlelit dinner with his beautiful Instructor.

  He’d been looking forward to that candlelit dinner for a long time now.

  He’d find a chance to get closer to Instructor Holan.

  Who knows? Maybe after dinner, something even more delightful would happen.

  Heh heh~

  Afterward, Caius took the Catgirl to visit the Orphanage. The old building had already been torn down. Calling it a renovation would be generous—it was more like a complete rebuild.

  Grandma Lunla and the little girls were living in a rented house for now. Thanks to Caius, their meals had greatly improved. It was visibly obvious: the girls looked much healthier than they did when he first met them.

  Caius told Grandma Lunla that Belle was doing well at school. She smiled, visibly relieved.

  After chatting for a while, Caius and the Catgirl said their goodbyes and returned to Hailan No. 11.

  As soon as he stepped in, Yvlan didn’t even need Caius to say a word—she was already preparing a loving dinner for him. The mercenaries looked on with envy, teasing and making suggestive comments.

  Yvlan blushed, brandishing her frying pan in mock anger. The grown men yelped and scrambled away, ducking and dodging in a chaotic mess. The whole Mercenary Tavern turned into a scene of utter mayhem.

  Caius laughed heartily, eating his delicious dinner while enjoying the lively atmosphere. He liked this kind of environment.

  After the meal, Caius planned to return to his room and start drafting the design for Little Swan’s rapier.

  With his exceptional control over his muscular strength, drawing was child’s play. He already had the design in mind—it would only take minutes.

  But just as he was about to head back, Yvlan stopped him.

  Caius thought the Boss Lady might finally be bold enough to make a move on him tonight—but instead, she pulled out a task sheet.

  Caius raised a brow and took the paper.

  Yvlan said, “That mysterious client came by again. Just like last time, they insisted it had to be you. Will you take it?”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Caius’s expression turned a bit strange.

  Well, damn. Got addicted to getting beaten, huh?

  Still, it worked out. He’d just bought a skirt, and his pockets were running dry again.

  So he smiled and nodded. “Of course I’ll take it. Probably still not satisfied from last time and wants another round.”

  “You sure it’s okay?” Yvlan looked a bit worried.

  “Relax.” Caius gave a confident nod.

  He told the Catgirl to go rest, then headed out again toward the redfruit grove.

  Before long, he arrived.

  This time, the man in black didn’t keep him waiting. Caius had just gotten there when the figure appeared before him.

  Caius immediately grinned. “Uncle Mack, we meet again~”

  “Same deal this time? Three hundred thousand, including healing?”

  Uncle Mack didn’t reply. With a wave of his hand, a pile of money appeared in front of Caius.

  Caius’s eyes lit up. Prepayment before the beating today? Not bad~

  He cheerfully stashed bag after bag of coin into his Spatial Ring.

  But as he kept counting, his smile gradually stiffened.

  “Uncle Mack… It’s supposed to be three hundred thousand… Why are you giving me five hundred thousand?”

  Mack sneered coldly, his voice tinged with frost. “No special reason. I might just hit a bit harder this time.”

  Caius: “…”

  “Just saying up front, don’t hit the face—Whoa, crap!”

  BOOM!!!

  This time, Caius flew back several hundred meters. His chest throbbed with pain, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he spat it out.

  At least two ribs were broken from that hit!

  Caius struggled to his feet, only to find Mack looming before him. A brutal knee to the gut sent him doubling over, his dinner threatening to make a reappearance.

  What followed was a brutal beating—blow after blow that left Caius completely defenseless.

  And though Mack had clearly promised not to hit his face, whether intentional or not, strikes still found their way there every now and then.

  Caius burned with frustration. He wanted to fight back, but to someone like Mack, his retaliation was barely worth noticing.

  It wasn’t a matter of lacking technique—it was a complete domination in raw power.

  The gap between them was simply too vast. Caius's counterattacks were feeble and short-lived. All he could do was endure and try to protect himself as best he could.

  He could sense a kind of fury in Mack’s attacks, as if he were venting some deep-seated resentment.

  Caius couldn’t help but wonder—had Mack gotten into trouble somewhere and was now taking it out on him?

  What the hell was this situation?

  Still, for five hundred thousand, Caius endured.

  There was no killing intent, after all. Mack wasn’t going to actually beat him to death.

  That night was especially difficult for Caius.

  By the time the sky began to lighten, his entire body was battered and bruised.

  An average person would’ve died from such a beating.

  But Caius’s physicality was anything but average—he could still hang on.

  Last time, he'd at least been able to get up and move around afterward. This time, all he could do was lie there.

  Who knew how many bones had broken?

  His ribs alone felt like at least ten of them were fractured. Every movement sent waves of pain through him.

  “You’re one tough bastard, aren’t you?” Mack squatted down beside him, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips under his hood.

  Damn, it felt so good to beat this kid!

  So tough—it gave every punch a satisfying impact. Each strike landed with full resistance—it was addictive!

  He wasn’t allowed to interfere with the young miss’s training or act without reason, but venting a bit on this kid every now and then? That wasn’t so bad~

  Mack felt like he’d discovered a new hobby.

  “Cough, cough… That’s because… I’m the best damn…” Caius managed to grin, spitting out two more mouthfuls of blood.

  “...punching bag in all of Ocean City.”

  Mack looked at him, a trace of admiration in his eyes.

  Still joking in a state like this? Damn impressive.

  “You’ve got an exceptional body,” Mack said, reaching out to squeeze Caius’s muscles, making him wince and grimace in pain.

  “I’ve seen very few people in your rank with a physical build like yours.”

  “This kind of body could compare to a juvenile dragon.”

  Mack added that last part thoughtfully.

  Caius's eyes lit up. “So… you’re saying I could take on a juvenile dragon?”

  “You could,” Mack nodded, affirming his words. “But it’d likely end in mutual destruction.”

  “What if… I could use Magic?” Caius asked, gritting through the pain.

  Mack fell silent.

  He had just remembered—Caius wanted to learn Magic.

  Hilda was in Hydis, so naturally, Caius would be there too. And everything that happened to him within Hydis was visible to Mack.

  Caius had such an impressive body already—if he could also wield Magic, he really might be unbeatable among his peers.

  This kid had real potential.

  In terms of raw talent, he might even surpass the young miss.

  The pity was… he had no background strong enough to support that talent.

  Whether his gifts would ever be fully realized—or be cut short before they bloomed—remained to be seen.

  Thinking that, Mack stood up and tossed a vial of top-grade healing potion to Caius.

  “Magic is a great thing,” Mack said. “But chasing it too obsessively can lead to losing yourself.”

  “Just because you master Magic doesn’t mean you’ll be stronger than the you who relies on physicality alone.”

  “And if I don’t lose myself?” Caius asked.

  “Heh. No use talking about it now. Learn to wield it first,” Mack replied, turning away without another word.

  But just before he left, Caius noticed him flick a finger.

  A single gold coin fell and landed beside him.

  Caius slowly raised his arm and downed the top-grade healing potion.

  The effects were indeed excellent. Even with injuries this severe, he was able to move again shortly afterward. But the damage had been too much this time—one potion could only bring him to about 70-80% recovery. His newly mended bones still ached with every breath.

  It would probably take another two days of rest to fully recover.

  The good news? His magic condensation had reached 20%—a six percent jump.

  If he got beaten like this every night, he could probably break through in just over half a month.

  Of course, that was unlikely. It cost 300 to 500 thousand per session—who had that kind of money to burn every day just to beat him up?

  Then he picked up the gold coin.

  He noticed it was different from normal ones.

  Typical gold coins were [Hepos Coins], issued by the Hepos Empire, stamped with its insignia.

  But this one bore the image of a sword, and on the reverse side, a majestic estate.

  What kind of coin was this?

  Caius was a bit puzzled, but he knew Uncle Mack wouldn't have left it behind for no reason. So, he carefully stored it away, separating it from the other gold coins.

  Then he gritted his teeth, sucked in a sharp breath, and stretched his aching body before heading in the direction of Ocean City.

  “Ugh, my chest…”

  “Why the hell did that old bastard go for my chest specifically…”

  “Pretty sure he cracked half my ribs…”

  “Don’t tell me he’s jealous my pecs are bigger…”

  “Damn… this cursed charm of mine…”