Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

"You don't need to train here! If we go to Gaiabrand and fight some monsters, you'll level up much faster. Doing burpees won't make you stronger…"

Ristarte sighed, exasperated. She had initially thought herself lucky for summoning Han Yu, who seemed like the most outstanding hero among all candidates. But now, despite his obvious strength, something felt… off.

While exercises like running could indeed increase experience points, reaching the next level this way would usually require thousands of repetitions. Using such methods to level up would take an eternity.

Just as Ristarte was about to urge Han Yu to leave for the continent, he summoned his status screen again and held it up for her to see. The displayed stats made her jaw drop.

"You… you leveled up four times just by doing a few dozen burpees?!"

Han Yu was now Level 5, and his stats had increased significantly. Ristarte was utterly speechless.

Normally, reaching Level 5 would require grinding for three days and nights in a beginner area without rest. Yet Han Yu had achieved it with a simple exercise routine. It defied all logic.

Han Yu gave Ristarte a nonchalant glance and then began rapidly performing side-to-side shuffles—at an astonishing speed. In mere seconds, he had turned into a blur.

Watching this display, Ristarte felt her entire worldview shatter.

"What kind of monster is this? How can someone level up just by doing these simple exercises? I've never seen anything like this before… Still, at least this proves he's genuinely powerful. And his body…"

Suddenly, Ristarte felt a warm sensation under her nose. A small trickle of blood began to leak out.

When Han Yu had been wearing his shirt, his physique wasn't obvious. But now, with his shirt off, his body revealed a perfectly sculpted musculature. His muscles were neither overly bulky nor underdeveloped—they were in flawless proportion to his height and weight. Every line of his body exuded strength and precision.

Ristarte felt her heart racing uncontrollably. What's wrong with me? Pull yourself together, girl! she thought.

"While we're taking a break, why don't you tell me more about Gaiabrand?" Han Yu said, his voice calm but slightly breathless.

That faint breathlessness hit Ristarte like an arrow to the heart.

"Uh… uh… G-Gaiabrand is… um, a very big world…"

Ristarte stumbled over her words, her mind completely blank.

"Obviously, it's a big world. I'm asking about the Demon King!"

Without pausing his squats, Han Yu's voice carried a hint of irritation. His jumping squats were so forceful that it seemed like he was trying to punch through the ceiling with each leap.

Gathering her wits, Ristarte explained, "Gaiabrand was originally divided into the Human Realm and the Demon Realm. The two sides lived in relative peace until about a century ago when the Demon King's army suddenly grew in power. The Demon King led his forces to invade the human territories, destroying many cities. The only remaining safe havens are the Rozgar Empire and a few scattered villages."

Han Yu nodded slightly while continuing his exercises. "Got it. If there's nothing else, you can leave now. I need to continue training."

"Ah… okay. If you need me, use this doll to call me."

Ristarte reached into an inappropriate location on her outfit and pulled out a miniature doll of herself. She placed it on a nearby table and, with one last glance at Han Yu's physique, slowly backed out of the room.

Outside the door, Ristarte stomped her foot in frustration. "I'm a goddess, okay? Don't think that just because you're handsome and have an incredible body, you can act all aloof! I'm beautiful too! My body is flawless! If you keep ignoring me, I'll… I'll…"

But before she could finish her rant, she froze in place.

Through the crack of the door, she saw Han Yu starting a set of one-armed push-ups at an impossible speed.

"This hero… is he even human?!" Ristarte muttered, clutching her chest as her cheeks flushed bright red.

The door behind him suddenly burst open. Han Yu grabbed Ristarte by the back of her collar and tossed her out without hesitation. After dusting off his hands, he gazed into the distance.

"Phew, what a weirdo goddess. If this were some H-game, maybe her antics would be amusing, but I have a mission to complete. This task should earn me a massive amount of upgrade points. If she keeps distracting me, it'll be a huge loss."

Muttering to himself, Han Yu returned to his room and resumed his training.

Of course, Han Yu wasn't actually planning to max out his level through these exercises. All these warm-ups were simply preparation for the mission ahead. A normal person might just stretch their neck and wrists a bit, but Han Yu had taken his warm-up routine to an absurd extreme.

"The best thing about the general store system is that it always delivers. With all this preparation, the upgrade points I earn will definitely be astronomical!"

A sly grin crept across Han Yu's face. If Ristarte had seen that expression, she would have shivered—it was downright mischievous.

Back at her own place, Ristarte placed the communication doll on her table and flopped into a chair, resting her head on the desk.

"Hmph, I've seen countless men before. They all act tough, pretending they're not interested in me by distracting themselves with silly exercises. I know his type—I guarantee he'll contact me within half an hour."

Half an hour later, the communication doll remained lifeless.

Ristarte gritted her teeth. "Fine, at most three hours!"

But three hours later, the doll still hadn't activated. Her face was filled with disbelief. "He still hasn't called me? Could it be… he wasn't pretending?"

Days passed—five to be exact. Ristarte tossed and turned on her bed, her expression growing increasingly twisted with impatience. Just when she was about to lose her mind, the communication doll finally lit up.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she leaped from the bed, immediately answering the call.

She tried to act nonchalant. "What is it? Are you ready already?"

On the other end, Han Yu's deep, calm voice resonated, causing her heart to flutter involuntarily. "Oh, I see. You think this was quick? Then I'll just continue…"

"No, no, not quick! I'm coming over right now! Stop exercising this instant!"

Ristarte couldn't hold back any longer. She shouted at the doll and then bolted out the door, sprinting toward Han Yu's residence.

When she burst through the door, she was greeted by the sight of Han Yu stepping out of the bathroom, shirtless, droplets of water glistening as they slid down his perfectly sculpted muscles. Her nose immediately started bleeding again.

"Miss Goddess, I'm begging you. Even though this is technically your house, I'm still a man. Could you at least knock before barging in?"

Han Yu, towel in hand, continued drying his hair with a helpless expression.

"Hmph, what's the big deal? You're a man, so what? I'm a goddess! It's not like you're losing out on anything by being seen by me."

Ristarte puffed out her chest and spoke boldly, but internally…

"Oh yes, jackpot! If only the divine realm had more men of this caliber… what a blessed sight!"

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