After seeing Yao Lao lying unconscious in the infirmary, his loyal followers stormed toward the cafeteria, burning with the need for revenge. They'd sworn an oath: the moment they spotted that "twig," they'd beat him into the ground. How dare he humiliate their respected patron?
When they spotted Mu Lan walking with Beng Zeng, they struck without warning.
But Mu Lan sensed the ambush before it began. He sidestepped the first swing, then retaliated instantly.
There were four of them—all bigger, all confident they could crush the scrawny kid in seconds. They'd assumed Yao Lao's loss was a fluke, a stroke of bad luck.
They were wrong.
Mu Lan lashed out with a single kick—and one of them flew backward, crashing into a table just like Yao Lao had.
The others froze. Then, panic set in. They rushed to their fallen comrade, eyes wide with disbelief.
This kid is strong… Too strong. I don't want to believe he beat our boss—but right now, we can't do a thing. Where the hell did he come from? How is he this powerful? We need to train—fast. Or we'll become the whole school's joke.
One of them turned and shouted, voice shaking with rage:
"This isn't over, runt! We'll teach you your place—soon!"
Mu Lan didn't flinch. "By all means—come back. But next time, challenge me properly. No more cowardly ambushes."
Beng stared at him, stunned.
"Mu… how did you know they were coming? I was right beside you, and I didn't sense a thing!"
Mu Lan smiled faintly. "You'll learn, Beng. With time, everything matures."
Beng looked at him, thoughtful.
"You've changed so much in just three days. The old Mu is gone… and honestly? I like this new you even more."
"Change is usually for the better," Mu Lan said. "And I'm not just changing myself—I'm changing you too."
"Yeah," Beng chuckled. "The old 'chubby kid' is gone for good. Anyway—let's eat."
They grabbed their trays in the cafeteria. Mu Lan piled his high—far more than usual. Students watched in confusion: How can someone so thin eat like that?
Today, all eyes were on the duo.
The "twig" who'd toppled Yao Lao.
And the "fat sack" beside him—who now moved with surprising strength.
If he keeps eating like this, he won't be a twig for long—he'll be a log!
And that "fat sack"? His rolls look like they've turned to muscle…
No one could predict what these two would look like in a month.
In just three days, they'd transformed beyond recognition.
In thirty? They might be unrecognizable.
After lunch, they attended their afternoon class: Biology.
Thanks to the school's advanced VR system, they could explore the inner and outer anatomy of living creatures in stunning detail. Frogs, snakes, even human organs—everything was rendered in immersive 3D.
Time flew. They didn't even notice the bell ring.
"Mu," Beng laughed as they walked home, "remember when that frog jumped onto your shoulder? It looked like it was begging you to save it!"
"And what about the snake?" Mu Lan grinned. "It coiled around the teacher's legs and tripped her!"
"That was a total disaster!" Beng howled. "But honestly? I love biology now. It's actually fun."
They reached home, changed into training clothes, and headed straight to the backyard.
Not a single day of training would be skipped—not even one.
For three hours, they drilled together. Every block, every strike, every footwork pattern—refined through repetition.
To Beng, sparring with Mu Lan felt like fighting a master. And that was exactly what he needed. With every session, he grew stronger—and so did his best friend.
After their workout, they showered, grabbed a quick snack, and sat down to plan their next move in Defying the God.
"So, Mu—what are we doing in-game today?"
Mu Lan leaned back, thoughtful.
"We're not leveling up yet. Being Level 0 is a rare advantage. No death penalty. No risk. We need to use this window to craft legendary gear—the best possible equipment—before we hit Level 1."
Beng frowned. "But if we don't level up… how do we get stronger? How do we even progress?"
Mu Lan's eyes gleamed.
"Trust me. Sometimes, the smartest move is to stand still… so you can leap farther later."