Training in Progress

Fat Boss's Three Delicacies Ramen really did taste good—at least, the flavor of this shop's noodles was enough to keep Yang Xiao coming back. He decided he'd visit again next time.

After finishing the juice Fat Boss had given him, Yang Xiao got up to pay. The bowl of noodles cost five hundred Island Nation Currency, which was about thirty Huaxia dollars.

Eating ramen in the Island Nation was actually quite a luxury. Five hundred Island Nation Currency was considered cheap; some places charged up to a thousand for a single bowl. For Yang Xiao right now, that was undoubtedly extravagant.

Still, he could afford five hundred Island Nation Currency for ramen. Of course, compared to a bowl from Mou Lan Ramen back in Huaxia, this price was definitely on the high side.

"Take care, young man! Come again!" Fat Boss waved at Yang Xiao, who smiled back and said he'd be back.

After eating, Yang Xiao felt a warmth spread through his body. In these early April days, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, their petals often scattered across the ground—beautiful, yet tinged with a sense of regret.

Watching the cherry blossom petals drift down from the sky, Yang Xiao's gaze grew distant. "Who knows? Maybe this world will change because of us."

By "us," he meant the other three transmigrators and himself. Perhaps the storyline would shift because of the four of them, and everything would follow suit.

What Yang Xiao needed to secure was this: before the other three transmigrators could alter the plot, he had to raise his strength to a level where he could dominate them. That way, he could protect his own piece of peace.

If they didn't know their place—if he gave them an inch and they took a mile—then Yang Xiao wouldn't tolerate it. He wasn't someone who feared trouble, nor was he the type to swallow his pride.

Treat me with respect, and I'll return it tenfold. Push me an inch, and I'll trample you a mile.

"Who are 'us' that you're talking about?"

A somewhat familiar voice rang out. Yang Xiao turned around and found someone who seemed almost like a fantasy, an unreal person, standing before him.

Yaoyorozu Momo. This Hero Class A beauty was said to be on par with Torhu Hagakure in looks, a top-tier presence in the class.

What puzzled Yang Xiao was why Yaoyorozu Momo was here, and why she'd strike up a conversation.

After all, Yaoyorozu Momo could be a bit cold sometimes, and she generally didn't talk to strangers. At least for now, they were strangers. Even though Yang Xiao wasn't bad-looking, he didn't think he was attractive enough to catch her interest.

"Nothing much... Where are you headed?" Yang Xiao smiled slightly, revealing a row of clean white teeth.

Seeing that Yang Xiao wasn't willing to share, Yaoyorozu Momo lost interest. She'd happened to pass by and noticed him staring at the sky, muttering to himself in a way that seemed intriguing, so she'd asked. Since he didn't want to elaborate, she let it go.

Yang Xiao didn't mind when she just smiled and walked away. Meeting a future Hero Class A classmate here was amusing enough.

He wondered what kind of story he'd have with the Hero Class A students. For now, though, what he needed to do was level up his Quirk; otherwise, he wouldn't even pass the entrance exam.

Only by standing out could he get into Hero Class A. Yang Xiao shook himself off and crossed the street. Tonight, he'd shower and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, he'd head to Seaside Park to train his Quirk.

The next morning, before the sun had even risen, Yang Xiao had already finished breakfast and set off. His destination was Seaside Park.

Parts of Seaside Park's coastline had been piled with garbage for years. A lot of trash was washed ashore by the currents, and illegal dumping was rampant there. Local residents never went near the place.

So training his Quirk there wouldn't draw attention—unless someone was deliberately spying on him.

By the time Yang Xiao reached Seaside Park, the sun was rising over the horizon. A golden blaze of light was blindingly bright, draping the earth in a warm coat.

Under the sunlight, Yang Xiao started warming up. His physique was only average among ordinary people—he could do a bit over thirty push-ups in one go, forty squats without issue, at most six pull-ups (standard form), and his long-distance endurance barely passed.

So his first goal was to build endurance, physical strength, and flexibility. Only when these three conditions reached a certain level could he start training his Quirk.

Izuku Midoriya had started the same way. His body was at the bottom among his peers. All Might's One For All required a strong physique to bear, and Midoriya's body didn't meet the standard at all. His starting point was about the same as Yang Xiao's.

The only difference was that Yang Xiao's physical fitness was a bit better than Midoriya's—but only a bit.

"One... two... three..." Yang Xiao counted his push-ups, sweating and gritting his teeth as he pushed through. What he needed was strength, not muscle.

If he wanted to build muscle, that would be a different training method—done in sets, twelve push-ups per set, five sets total, with one to two minutes of rest in between. That kind of structured training was more reliable for muscle gain.

But if he just wanted to increase raw power, then going all out until exhaustion was the way to go. That would build strength fast. The same logic applied to squats and pull-ups.

After doing thirty-five push-ups in one go, Yang Xiao lay on the sand, gasping for air. That was his limit—today's limit, at least.

After resting a bit, he started on squats and pull-ups. There were no pull-up bars at Seaside Park, but the nearby trash piles had plenty of iron rods and brackets. Yang Xiao used those to train.

Half a month later, Yang Xiao could do seventy push-ups in one go—that was without the boost from his Holy Light Quirk. With it, he could manage a hundred and forty without issue. Holy Light was a form of energy that could enhance his body.

For squats, he could do a hundred and twenty in one go. Pull-ups were tougher; so far, he could only manage twelve standard reps.

That same day, the Sludge Incident hit the news. Yang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief that the four transmigrators hadn't altered the course of events. Katsuki Bakugo was caught by the Sludge Villain and nearly assimilated. Izuku Midoriya charged out desperately to save him but was stopped.

In the end, All Might stepped in and rescued Bakugo. The Sludge Villain was brought to justice.

Everything was progressing according to the original plot. Yang Xiao had no urge to go to the scene of the Sludge Incident. His strength right now was pathetic—going there would only make him a burden. Plus, he didn't want to draw attention. If the other three transmigrators found out where he was, it would be nothing but trouble.

During his weak period, he had to keep a low profile. Building power in the shadows was the smart move. He didn't need to be outstanding—at least, not yet.

After the Sludge Incident, All Might's power took a massive nosedive. That led to his twilight meeting with Izuku Midoriya, who moved him so much that All Might agreed to pass on One For All.

Inheriting One For All wasn't easy. It required a powerful physique. All Might's brutal training regimen for Midoriya began, and everything fell into place.

Even though Yang Xiao trained in the same area as All Might and Midoriya, the three never crossed paths. Seaside Park was huge, with plenty of garbage piles scattered around. Yang Xiao was just training next to one of them.