---
Ryu didn't become a warrior.
He didn't join a guild.
He didn't hunt monsters in dangerous forests or chase fame in bigger cities.
He just worked.
Now that he was a registered Amateur Class Mob, strong enough to carry double the weight of a normal man, people noticed.
And paid.
---
The Job
He hauled stone at the quarry.
He carried lumber up steep paths where carts couldn't go.
He moved crates, cleaned rubble, lifted broken carts out of ditches.
It was hard, heavy work.
But it was honest.
And unlike before, the coins came in steadily.
---
> Monthly Pay: 20 Silver Ounces
Enough to live comfortably in the Southern Continent.
Enough to buy proper food.
Enough to fix the roof.
Enough to buy Mina new shoes.
No luxury.
But no more moldy bread and leaking ceilings.
---
Mina Noticed
"You got stronger," she said one morning, watching him lift a crate with one hand.
"Just a little," he replied.
He didn't say he could now split logs with his fingers.
Didn't say he once carried a mule across a flooded trail to earn extra.
None of it mattered.
What mattered was Mina smiling after dinner.
What mattered was warm soup on the table.
---
Ryu didn't dream of the World Class.
Didn't count his strength against others.
He just worked.
Quietly.
Day after day.
And that, in Rainforest, made him rare.
---
To be continued...