Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

-Third-Person Perspective-

Ryu did not complain.
From the very first day, he accepted every grueling training session Gyes threw at him without protest. He ran endlessly, did push-ups in the mud, fought against opponents twice his size, and was even kicked into the river just to learn how to control his breathing under pressure.
Yet, what puzzled him was… he was the only one doing this voluntarily.
Unlike Gyes's own daughter—who was also supposed to be training—she spent more time avoiding practice than actually participating. The same could be said for the other branch family members expected to inherit the clan's legacy.
One was reckless and bold, while the other only cared about food.
They were Linia Dedoldia and Pursena Adoldia.
Two young beastmen notorious for their mischief in the Dedoldia village.
Linia was energetic, wild, and aggressive—always looking for ways to dodge training, preferring to play around or cause trouble instead.
Pursena, on the other hand, was more laid-back, lazy, and spent more time eating meat than wielding a weapon.
Both were the granddaughters of the village chief, possessing strong bloodlines and a supposed future as great warriors… if only they put in the effort.
But to Ryu, they were just extra trouble he didn't need.
"Ugh… I don't want to train today! It's too hot!" Linia whined, flopping onto the ground, her tail lazily swaying.
"Yeah, yeah… what's the point of training when we can just rely on our natural strength?" Pursena added, chewing on a large piece of meat, showing zero interest in picking up a sword.
In front of them, Gyes Dedoldia let out a long sigh.
"Children, if you keep this up, you won't be able to protect the village in the future," he said firmly, though his face showed he was already used to their behavior.
Meanwhile, Ryu stood silently beside them, expressionless.
He had already done dozens of push-ups and run around the village since dawn, yet these two hadn't even touched their weapons today.
Finally, Ryu let out a small scoff and turned to Gyes.
"If they don't want to train, I don't mind taking their place."
Gyes burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! This kid is more serious than both of you!" he said, slapping Ryu's shoulder with a hearty smack.
Linia and Pursena both snapped their heads up, glaring at Ryu.
"Hah? What did you just say, brat?" Linia jumped to her feet, eyes glinting with challenge.
Pursena swallowed her meat before chiming in, "Heh, you sure are full of yourself, Ryu. You think training this hard is worth it for us?"
Ryu remained silent, his cold gaze unfazed by their provocations.
"Full of myself?" he finally spoke. "I'm just stating the facts. If you don't want to train, then don't complain when others surpass you."
Silence.
Linia's face immediately turned red.
She wasn't the type to let herself be underestimated.
Pursena, too, stopped chewing, her expression shifting to slight annoyance.
But before they could say anything—
Gyes laughed again.
"Hah! Good! If you two aren't going to take training seriously, then accept this challenge!" he declared with a wide grin. "Ryu, how about you fight both of them? If they win, they get a day off from training. But if they lose… they'll have to train twice as hard!"
Ryu's eyes gleamed slightly before he nodded without hesitation.
"Fine."
Linia and Pursena exchanged glances—then grinned.
"Alright then, don't regret this, brat!" Linia smirked confidently.
Pursena stretched her arms above her head, yawning as if just waking up.
"Well, guess I'll fight. But if I win, I want more meat for dinner."
Ryu sighed internally.
'These two… they really don't take anything seriously.'
But… perhaps this was a good opportunity.
He would teach them that the world was not as soft as they thought.
The moment Gyes gave the signal, Linia dashed forward with incredible speed.
As a beastman, agility was her greatest advantage.
However, to Ryu—who had faced far faster and deadlier opponents in his past life—her movements were far too predictable.
He slightly shifted his body to the left, and—
"Hah!?"
Linia lost her balance, missing her target completely and running past Ryu before she could stop herself.
But before Ryu could strike—
"Gotcha!"
Pursena lunged at him from behind!
However—
"Too slow."
Ryu sidestepped, his movements flawless, and without hesitation, kicked Pursena's leg out from under her—sending her crashing to the ground.
"Ugh… this sucks," she groaned.
Linia quickly scrambled back up, furious, her eyes burning with determination.
"I'm not done yet!"
She charged again, this time with her claws bared.
But Ryu remained calm.
'Footwork is too open. Shoulder muscles are too tense. Attack is too obvious.'
Just before she reached him, Ryu crouched low, kicking the back of her knee, then swiftly rotated his body—using a simple grappling technique to slam her into the ground.
BAM!
Linia hit the dirt hard.
She struggled to get up, but before she could, Ryu was already on top of her, pinning her down effortlessly.
"Game over," he said flatly.
Silence.
Gyes nodded in approval.
Pursena, still sitting on the ground, shrugged and went back to eating.
Meanwhile, Linia thrashed in frustration.
"Oi! Let me go! You annoying brat!"
Ryu released her and stood up, looking at them both with an unreadable expression.
"You don't take training seriously. And this is the result."
Linia groaned in frustration, while Pursena just sighed in resignation.
Gyes, on the other hand, roared with laughter.
"Hahaha! Well done, Ryu! Looks like you'll be the one teaching these two some discipline."
Ryu said nothing.
But deep inside, he knew one thing…
Starting today, they wouldn't underestimate him anymore.

###

From that day forward, Ryu became known by all the children of the Great Forest of Milis.

But that didn't mean he had friends.

In fact, it was quite the opposite.

The other children kept their distance.

Not because they hated him—no, it wasn't like that.

But because they didn't know how to interact with someone like him.

Someone so serious, so focused, and so different from them.

But that was fine.

From the beginning, Ryu's goal was never to make friends.

His goal was to become strong.

Not just in the ordinary sense.

Not just to survive.

But to surpass his past self.

And for that—he had to master Touki as quickly as possible.

According to Gyes, mastering Touki was a long journey.

A process that required years of intense physical and mental training, strict discipline, and deep understanding of one's body and energy.

Most warriors took years just to awaken a fraction of it.

But Ryu didn't have that kind of time.

He was certain he could unlock it faster—if he used a different approach.

"Their training system relies too much on instinct and battle experience…" he thought. "But what if I apply methods from my old world?"

If this world had Touki, then in the concepts of his previous world, it was similar to controlling one's bodily energy through breathing techniques and muscle manipulation.

In his past life, elite warriors and soldiers used various techniques to control their body's energy:

✔ Tummo Breathing – A breathing technique that increased body heat and stamina.

✔ Qi Manipulation – Controlling internal energy flow to enhance physical power.

✔ Adrenaline Control – Activating the body's reflexes to boost reaction speed and movement.

If he could combine these principles with his understanding of Touki, then maybe—just maybe—he could activate it far sooner than the usual methods.

And tonight—

He would put his theory to the test.

Touki Experiment: A Different Technique

That night, Ryu slipped out of the village and entered the forest.

The cold wind whispered through the trees, the rustling leaves creating a rhythm of nature. But Ryu remained unshaken.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes, and began to focus.

Step One: Controlling the Breath

He started with slow, deep breathing, inhaling through his nose and exhaling steadily through his mouth.

"Calm the body. Focus the mind. Feel the flow of energy within…"

After a few minutes, his body felt lighter.

Step Two: Awakening Internal Energy

He concentrated on feeling every part of his body—the rhythmic beating of his heart, the steady flow of blood in his veins.

"If Touki is energy that can be strengthened through will and training, then I must first find it within myself."

And then—

He felt it.

A faint vibration, barely noticeable, but it was there.

Not mana.

Not mere physical strength.

But something deeper.

"This is it…"

Step Three: Activating It

In his old world, the human body had a Fight or Flight response—where in extreme danger, it could enter a state of hyper-focus.

Normally, this state could only be triggered in life-threatening situations.

But what if—

What if he could activate it at will?

He began to control his heartbeat, quickening and slowing it through precise breathing patterns.

"Engage the core muscles. Focus the energy on a single point."

And then—

"…!"

His eyes snapped open.

A faint, invisible force began to wrap around his body.

Not much.

Not stable.

But it was there.

He could feel his body becoming lighter, his mind sharper, his strength slightly increased.

He had done it… even if only a little.

But before he could fully analyze the effect—

"Oi, kid. What the hell are you doing out here alone at night?"

A deep voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

Ryu's body tensed instantly.

His Touki-enhanced eyes flicked toward the source of the voice.

And there—

Stood Gyes Dedoldia.

His expression a mix of shock and curiosity.

Ryu swallowed.

Damn.

He'd been caught.