Adrian walked to the center of his room and placed a dead rodent on the floor.

He stepped back until there was enough distance between himself and the small, still body, then turned to face it.

Across the room, Liora stood with a plate of food balanced in one hand, watching him with mild curiosity as she ate.

Adrian drew a slow breath, then stretched his hand forward.

’Gluttony.’

The moment the thought formed, a vast, churning mass of dark mist erupted from his palm, swallowing the rodent whole before retracting back into his hand like smoke drawn through a crack.

The force of it sent him sliding back half a step, and in its wake, a sudden surge of new power rippled through him, settling into his limbs like something that had always been meant to be there.

[You have devoured a squirrel.]

[A new trait skill has been obtained.]

[Glider: While airborne or at elevation, you may sustain controlled movement in any direction you choose.]

Adrian stared at the notification with a flat expression.

’I suppose that was to be expected. And yet, on top of that, I now somehow understand the full mechanics of how a squirrel moves through the world.

This skill is truly something else. Possibly more useful, in the right circumstances, than even the Sage class.’

He paused and looked down at his open palm.

’That said, if I intend to beat that brat, the ability to glide is not going to be enough on its own.’

It had been a full day since Victor Gremont issued his challenge, and in that short span of time, word had already spread to every corner of both counties.

People were talking.

The kind of talking that carried the sharp, giddy energy of spectators who had already made up their minds about the outcome.

A twelve-year-old against a man nearly twice his age. As far as most were concerned, the battle was already decided.

That said, spectacles drew crowds, and crowds meant coin. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

People from both counties would come to watch, and where people gathered, bets were placed.

The odds, naturally, would be stacked against him by a considerable margin.

Which suited Adrian perfectly.

If he could find a way to place money on himself without drawing suspicion, it would go a long way toward addressing one of the more pressing problems facing the Vane household treasury.

He glanced toward Liora.

’I am going to need someone with a head for finances eventually. Someone who can manage that kind of thing properly.’

His eyes settled on her for a moment as she spooned another bite into her mouth and smiled at him without a trace of concern.

’This one is far from that.’

Without another word, Adrian walked to the bed and lowered himself onto his back, staring upward at the glowing screen hovering above him.

[A new quest.]

[Name: Fight for Honour.

Description: Victor Gremont has dared to challenge the Great Sage to open combat. See to it that he regrets the decision. This may also be the opportunity you have been waiting for.

Reward: A chance at a new summon card.]

Adrian exhaled slowly through his nose.

’The system flagged this the moment the maid came running. Honestly, I had not expected anything like this to happen so soon.’

His original plan had been simpler.

Address the county’s most visible failures, establish job opportunities for the people, build something small but tangible enough to earn a measure of trust.

Something quiet, and deliberate, and his.

This was none of those things.

And yet, if he managed to pull it off, the impact would dwarf anything he could have achieved by the slower route.

The risk was real.

A loss here would not simply be a setback. It would be a statement.

From the other side of the bed, Liora placed one knee on the mattress and leaned in close.

"My lord, I have a question."

"Yes. I intend to fight myself. I will not have someone else do that for me."

Liora pulled back slightly, her expression shifting into a pout.

He had known exactly what she was going to say before she opened her mouth.

"I may not look it, but I do have some combat experience. What if I—"

"You, Liora, are my ace. And I have no intention of playing that hand until you have grown into the full potential I have already mapped out for you."

The pout deepened. She stood from the bed and crossed her arms.

"I am training, exactly as you said." A quiet sigh left her. "How do you plan to handle this, then?"

Adrian closed his eyes.

"Go all out, I suppose. I am ready."

He sat up abruptly.

"There are a few things I need you to gather for me."

...

The days that followed were put entirely to use.

Adrian devoured nearly everything he could identify as having practical combat value, absorbing the traits and instincts of creatures and elements alike in a relentless cycle of gain and recovery.

Fighting itself was not unfamiliar to him.

In his previous life, he had learned to defend himself out of necessity, navigating neighborhoods where knowing how to take a hit was simply part of surviving.

But raw physical instinct without magical backing would not carry him far enough against someone like Victor.

What he needed was the system, and everything it could offer before the day arrived.

By the time the eve of the duel came, the exhaustion was visible in every line of his posture.

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled up his current status without enthusiasm.

[Skills: Fire Magic, Water Magic, Air Magic, Body Enhancement Magic, Instant Heal, King’s Symbol, Speed Gain.]

[System Points: 340.

Class: SSS+ Great Sage.

Caster Rank: First Circle.]

He looked it over in silence.

He could

have pushed further.

There were still things left to devour, still potential gains he had left on the table.

But every absorption beyond a certain threshold had cost him an entire day of incapacitation, his mana depleted to the point where he could barely sit upright.

The exchange rate scaled with the power of whatever he took in, and he had already pushed that ceiling more than once.

’These skills will have to be enough. The problem is I still know nothing about Victor’s actual abilities.’

He paused on that thought for a moment.

’I could spend the system points on a class scroll to get a read on him. But those run about five thousand SP, and I am nowhere near that figure.’

Bam.

He fell back against the mattress.

’The fact that Mother has not said a single word about the duel tells me she is holding her breath and waiting for the result. Fine. She will not have to wait long.’

A quiet scoff left him.

’As if I would lose to someone like him.’