THE MAN WITH THE SSS RANK ABILITIES

Chapter 8: A-Rank Training—The Beating of a Lifetime

********************************************

Leo woke up to pain.

His entire body ached from yesterday’s abuse—his ribs sore, his stomach empty, his face swollen from the endless beatings. His fingers trembled as he pushed himself up from the cold ground outside the academy halls.

It had rained the night before, and his clothes were still soaked, his body freezing. He clenched his jaw, suppressing the shivers.

But there was no time to rest.

The academy didn’t care if he was suffering.

F-Ranks had no rights, no privileges.

Leo had to attend combat class—even if he was nothing more than a moving target for the real warriors.

The A-Ranks and B-Ranks trained separately from the weaker students, their sessions far more brutal and ruthless. Normally, F-Ranks weren’t even allowed near them.

But Leo?

He wasn’t just allowed—he was forced.

Word had spread about the academy’s “new policy.”

F-Ranks weren’t just useless—they were practice dummies for the strong.

And Leo was the weakest of them all.

The combat instructor, a strict S-Rank warrior named Instructor Vale, smirked when he saw Leo enter the training hall.

The entire class turned toward him, sneering, whispering. Some laughed outright.

“Ah,” Vale said mockingly, his voice loud enough for all the students to hear. “Our F-Rank disappointment has arrived.”

Laughter erupted across the room.

Ethan, standing among the A-Ranks, smirked. Sophia was next to him, rolling her eyes in disgust.

“This is a waste of time,” one of the A-Rank students sneered. “Why is a failure like him in this class?”

Instructor Vale grinned. “Because even the weakest dog has its uses.”

Then, he turned to the rest of the class.

“Today, we’ll be focusing on combat endurance.” He gestured toward Leo. “And what better way to train than by using a real, moving target?”

The students cheered.

Leo’s stomach sank.

He knew what this meant.

They came at him without mercy.

The first strike was a punch to his gut, knocking the air from his lungs.

Leo doubled over—but before he could even breathe, a knee smashed into his face, sending him sprawling across the floor.

He coughed, clutching his stomach. His vision blurred. But they weren’t finished.

An A-Rank student stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.

“Get up,” he sneered. “Or are you already done?”

Leo forced himself onto his hands and knees.

The student grinned—then delivered a brutal kick to Leo’s ribs, launching him across the training hall.

A sharp crack echoed. Something broke.

Leo gasped, rolling over in agony.

The A-Rank laughed, shaking his head.

“Pathetic.”

For the next thirty minutes, the torment continued.

Leo was:

Punched in the face.

Kicked in the ribs.

Thrown against the wall.

Stepped on as if he were insect beneath their boots.

Every time he collapsed, they forced him to stand.

They laughed. Mocked him. Spit on him.

Even some of the instructors did nothing—some even smiled.

Leo tasted blood in his mouth.

His body screamed for mercy—but mercy didn’t exist for someone like him.

Ethan Steps In

Ethan yawned as he stepped forward.

“I’m getting bored,” he said lazily. “Let’s finish this.”

The crowd parted, letting him through.

Leo barely had time to react before—

CRACK!

Ethan’s fist slammed into his jaw.

Leo’s head snapped back as he was sent flying.

His body skidded across the floor.

He tried to move—

A boot crashed onto his chest.

Ethan stood over him, grinning.

“Not dead yet?” he asked, pressing down harder.

Leo choked, his ribs creaking under the pressure.

Ethan leaned in.

“You should’ve left this academy when you had the chance,” he whispered.

Then—

A fist drove into Leo’s stomach like a hammer.

The impact lifted him off the ground.A sickening crack echoed through the hall. Leo’s body hit the floor motionless.

The Room Falls Silent. For a moment, no one moved.

Even the instructor hesitated.

Leo wasn’t breathing.

His eyes were lifeless.

One of the B-Rank students swallowed. “D-Did he just—?”

Sophia gasped. “He’s dead?”

The instructors rushed forward, checking his pulse. Nothing. No heartbeat. No movement.

No breath.

Ethan simply smirked.

“Well,” he said coldly. “Looks like the F-Rank finally learned his place.”

And Then?

Darkness.

Leo drifted through an endless void.

Weightless. Empty. Forgotten.

He had no strength left. No power. No future.

Was this it?

Was this how he died?

But then—

A pulse. A shockwave of power.

Something deep within him awoke.

[ SSS-Rank Ability Activated. ]

Leo gasped. His fingers twitched. His heart started beating again. His body began to change. And in that moment—

Leo opened his eyes.