"Wow…"
Marius let out a low whistle. That kind of savage track record wasn't something you saw every day.
"Give me his current location."
"Of course."
Not long after, Marius stepped out of the Granger home with a slip of paper bearing an address—and turned down Hermione's request to come along.
He had his reasons. The truth was, his decision to train in hand-to-hand combat wasn't some random whim. The system had once explained to him that among the three foundational sources of power in this world—Body, Magic, and Mind—it was the physical body that wizards had developed the least.
But Marius Cloud was no ordinary wizard. With the Archmage System, he was uniquely capable of evolving his physical form far beyond the human norm.
"Wizards who know martial arts? No one can stop that combo!"
Marius whistled cheerfully, strolling through the streets as he made his way into London University.
Using the address on the note, he found himself standing inside a gym equipped with a real fighting ring. Several students training nearby turned their heads in surprise when they saw a boy no older than ten walk in alone.
Ignoring their looks, Marius approached a broad-shouldered man sitting beside the ring, casually sipping water.
"You must be Harker Parros," Marius said plainly.
The man lazily put down his water bottle and smirked. "That's right. Harker Parros. What do you want, kid?"
"I want you to teach me everything you know about close combat and martial arts—as fast as possible," Marius stated bluntly. "And don't worry about payment."
As he spoke, he flipped out a Deep Blue Credit Card, tossing it lightly in his hand.
Harker had just opened his mouth to laugh, but when his eyes landed on the card, he nearly spat out his water.
That card—he recognized it immediately. It was a Standard Chartered Elite Investment Card. Just holding one meant the owner had at least £100,000 in investment capital. Minimum.
"You little brat… sneaking out of the house with your parents' card?" Harker said, trying to suppress a chuckle. "Go home before you get hurt, kid. Leave the gym to the grown-ups."
But Marius remained calm.
"Mr. Parros, this card is under my own name. You don't have to worry about compensation. I believe the Royal Club has already contacted you. Or do you think they don't carry enough weight to vouch for me?"
Harker's eyes widened.
"You… you're the client they called me about earlier? The 'esteemed member' was you?!"
Just a short while ago, someone from that legendary, near-mythical Royal Club had called him, offering a substantial advance to guarantee training services.
"Even if it is you," Harker muttered, "I don't have much to teach someone like you. Everything I know is made for killing. You're just a kid with a tiny frame and no muscle. You're not even through puberty. I could sit here and let you punch me ten times and I wouldn't even blink."
"Is that so?" Marius raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a mischievous smile. "Then let's test that. If you truly don't flinch, you can keep everything on this card. But if you do, then you'll train me seriously. Sound fair?"
To Harker, that offer was nothing short of a golden goose. This kid barely looked ten. What power could he possibly have?
"Fine by me," Harker smirked. "Hit me. Let's get this over with."
"Don't mind if I do."
Still smiling, Marius clenched his fist—and slammed it directly into Harker's nose.
"PFFFT—!!"
A gusher of blood spurted out instantly. Harker clutched his face in disbelief. "What the hell—?!"
That punch didn't feel like it came from a child. It was like getting clocked by a full-grown man at peak condition.
Before he could recover, the second punch came crashing into his jaw, rattling his teeth.
Same pressure. Same force. Same pain. The kid was going in for a third one, and Harker finally raised his hands in surrender.
"Stop! Stop! I yield! I yield, damn it!"
"So you accept my terms?" Marius asked, still beaming.
"…Yeah, yeah. A deal's a deal."
Harker rubbed his swelling face with a grimace. What kind of freak was this kid?!
There was no way someone so young should hit that hard. Was his entire skeleton made of iron?
"What's your name, kid?"
"Marius Cloud. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Parros."
They shook hands. Harker immediately noted the unnatural firmness in the boy's grip. No wonder he'd lost that bet. Marius wasn't just strong—he was something else entirely.
"All right," Harker sighed. "Let's not waste time. Lesson one starts now."
Once he committed, Harker didn't hold back. His joking demeanor vanished, replaced by the serious, disciplined tone of a hardened soldier. He walked Marius through every fundamental of unarmed combat.
The days flew by.
Over the next couple weeks, Marius devoured Harker's teachings with terrifying speed. His progress was so fast it made Harker feel like he was watching someone swallow oceans whole.
But that wasn't the most terrifying thing.
It was Marius's recovery speed.
No matter how brutal the training or how badly bruised and battered he looked at the end of the day, by the next morning, every scratch, bruise, and strain was completely gone.
Harker began to seriously wonder if Marius was part of some classified super-soldier program. What he didn't know, of course, was that Marius's Level 1 Mutant Ability: Regeneration was hard at work behind the scenes.
Eventually, the first of September approached.
Originally, the Grangers had planned to accompany both Marius and Hermione to King's Cross Station, but Marius had one final stop to make before returning to the magical world.
He had to go back—
To Diagon Alley.
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T/N:
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