When I opened my eyes, the first thing I felt was pain.

  A dull ache spread throughout my entire body, as if every bone had once been shattered and then forcibly put back together. Even breathing felt heavy.

  For a few moments, I simply stared at the ceiling above my bed, trying to remember what had happened.

  The arena.

  The duel.

  Martin.

  Absolute Slash.

  The memories returned all at once. I tried to move my hand slightly. Pain immediately shot through my muscles.

  “Ugh…”

  A small groan escaped my mouth.

  “You’re finally awake.”

  The voice didn’t come from inside my head. It came from the side of the room.

  I slowly turned my head.

  Sitting beside the bed was a young maid in a simple black-and-white uniform. Her brown hair was tied into a neat ponytail, though a few loose strands had fallen over her face.

  Dark circles were visible under her eyes. She looked like she hadn’t slept properly for days. The moment she saw me move, relief flooded her expression.

  “Y-Young Master Cleo…!” she said, quickly standing up.

  Her voice trembled slightly.

  “You’re really awake…!”

  I blinked slowly.

  “Melinda…”

  She immediately nodded.

  “Yes, Young Master.”

  Her hands clenched the edge of her apron as if she was trying to control her emotions.

  “You’ve been unconscious for three days,” she said softly. “Lady Amelia ordered me to stay here and watch over you.”

  Her eyes lowered slightly.

  “But even if she didn’t… I would have stayed anyway.”

  She let out a small breath, as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders.

  “I was worried something terrible might happen to you.”

  I stared at her for a moment before shifting slightly in bed.

  Pain immediately flared through my body again.

  “Ugh…”

  Melinda quickly stepped closer.

  “Please don’t move too much, Young Master!” she said hurriedly. “The healer said your body was severely exhausted. Your mana channels were almost completely drained.”

  I slowly leaned back against the pillow.

  Three days.

  So Cleo wasn’t exaggerating.

  Before I could say anything else, the calm voice finally echoed inside my mind.

  “You pushed this body too far,” Cleo said casually. “Its mana and stamina were almost completely depleted.”

  I let out a quiet sigh.

  “How long was I unconscious?”

  “Three days,” Cleo repeated.

  My eyes drifted back toward the ceiling. That final attack had truly pushed this body beyond its limits.

  If I had tried to use one more technique from that skill…

  There was a real chance I would never have woken up again. Beside the bed, Melinda was still watching me carefully, as if afraid I might suddenly collapse again.

  “Should I call Lady Amelia?” she asked gently.

  “She’s been coming here every few hours to check on you.”

  I turned my head slightly toward her.

  “Yeah,” I said quietly.

  “Please call her.”

  Melinda nodded quickly.

  “Yes, Young Master.”

  Then she hurried toward the door, clearly unable to hide the relief in her steps.

  Suddenly, the door to the room burst open.

  A woman rushed in with a face full of worry. Her long brown hair was slightly messy, as if she had run here without even stopping to fix it.

  Her eyes widened the moment she saw that I was awake.

  “Cleo!”

  She hurried to my bedside and immediately grabbed my hand. Her hands were trembling.

  “You’re awake…!”

  Her voice shook, almost as if she couldn’t believe it. I looked at her for a moment. Cleo’s memories surfaced in my mind.

  Amelia.

  His mother.

  A concubine of the Valerius family. A woman with neither power nor status in this mansion. That was why Cleo had always been looked down upon as a bastard child.

  “I’m fine,” I said quietly.

  Tears instantly filled her eyes.

  “You suddenly collapsed after the duel…” she said in a trembling voice. “You scared me so much.”

  She lowered her head slightly.

  “I saw everything in the arena… when your sword cut off Martin’s arm.”

  Her grip on my hand tightened.

  “I thought something terrible had happened to you.”

  I stayed silent for a moment before saying simply,

  “I won.”

  She lifted her head and looked at me.

  “Yes… I know,” she replied softly. “The entire mansion is talking about it.”

  She took a deep breath before suddenly hugging me tightly.

  “What matters is that you’re safe.”

  I didn’t immediately return the hug. But something felt strange inside my chest. Maybe it was the lingering emotions Cleo had left behind in this body.

  A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. A servant stood there with a formal posture.

  “Young Master Cleo.”

  His expression was stiff.

  “The Patriarch summons you.”

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  The room instantly fell silent.

  Amelia’s face turned pale.

  “The Patriarch…?” she whispered.

  In the Valerius family, being summoned by the Patriarch was not something trivial. Especially after what had happened in the arena.

  “I understand,” I replied calmly.

  The servant nodded and left.

  Amelia looked at me with worry.

  “Be careful, Cleo,” she said softly.

  I slowly got out of bed. My body still hurt, but at least I could walk.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  The main hall of the Valerius family was enormous. Tall stone pillars stood on both sides of the room, while a long red carpet stretched across the polished floor. Several members of the Valerius family had already gathered when I entered the hall.

  The moment I stepped inside, many eyes turned toward me.

  Some looked surprised.

  Some looked cold.

  And others clearly looked at me with hostility.

  I ignored them all and continued walking forward.

  At the end of the hall sat a middle-aged man whose aura alone felt oppressive.

  Magnus Valerius.

  The fifth Patriarch of the Valerius family. The man who had expanded the family’s power until it became one of the greatest forces in the kingdom. His gaze was sharp as he looked at me. For several moments, he simply observed me in silence.

  As if trying to see something hidden inside me.

  Finally, he spoke.

  “Cleo Valerius.”

  “Yes, Patriarch.”

  I bowed my head slightly.

  “I witnessed your duel against Martin in the arena.”

  The room fell silent. His eyes narrowed slightly.

  “Cutting off someone’s arm with a wooden sword is not something ordinary.”

  He leaned forward slightly.

  “What technique did you use?”

  Everyone in the room waited for my answer.

  “It’s the power of my skill,” I replied calmly.

  “Anime Knowledge.”

  Several people immediately frowned.

  That skill name had long been known within the Valerius family… as a useless ability.

  The Patriarch looked at me for several seconds. His gaze felt like it was piercing straight into my soul.

  As if he was searching for signs of forbidden magic… or even demonic influence. But after a moment, he leaned back in his chair.

  “Interesting.”

  “A skill once considered useless… yet capable of producing power like that.”

  The room fell silent again. Everyone waited for his decision. Finally, the Patriarch spoke once more.

  “Starting tomorrow…”

  He paused for a moment.

  “You will join the training of the Valerius children.”

  Whispers of shock immediately spread throughout the hall.

  A bastard child being allowed to join the main family’s training was something extremely rare. But the Patriarch did not care about their reactions at all.

  “You will train alongside the other children.”

  His gaze remained fixed on me.

  “Show me whether your power was merely luck… or something worth cultivating.”

  I lowered my head.

  “Yes, Patriarch.”

  “You may leave.”

  I turned and walked out of the hall.

  Behind me, several family members clearly disliked the decision. But a single glance from the Patriarch immediately silenced them all.

  “This is my decision.”

  No one dared to argue further.

  Meanwhile, in the medical wing of the Valerius mansion. Martin woke up in unbearable pain. The first thing he noticed was the sharp smell of medicine filling the room. An unfamiliar white ceiling hovered above him.

  His body felt heavy, as if it had been destroyed and forced back together. He tried to move. That was when he realized something was wrong.

  His left hand…

  He couldn’t feel it.

  Martin slowly turned his head. What he saw was only thick bandages wrapped around his shoulder.

  No hand.

  No lower arm.

  Just empty space.

  Several seconds passed before the reality truly struck him.

  “Wh… where is my hand…?”

  His voice was hoarse.

  The door opened. An old man in white robes entered the room. He was the main healer of the Valerius family. Behind him stood a pale-faced woman.

  The Fourth Concubine.

  Alice Valerius, Martin’s mother.

  “Martin!” she rushed forward. “You’re awake!”

  But Martin ignored her. His eyes were locked on the old healer.

  “Where is my hand?” he asked again.

  The room fell silent. The old healer sighed before speaking.

  “We tried to reattach it.”

  Martin’s heart started beating faster.

  “But the wound… was too clean.”

  He looked at the bandage on Martin’s shoulder.

  “The attack that severed it contained energy that destroyed the mana networks around the wound.”

  The healer paused.

  “Even with the best healing magic of the Valerius family… we cannot reconnect it.”

  Martin’s world collapsed.

  “Can’t…?”

  He was one of the best swordsmen of his generation. One of the candidates to inherit Valerius. His entire life had been built around the sword.

  And now…

  “Impossible…”

  His breathing became heavy.

  “Impossible!”

  He swept everything off the bedside table with his right hand. Medicine bottles and metal bowls crashed onto the floor.

  “I WAS SUPPOSED TO WIN!”

  His face twisted with rage.

  “HE’S JUST A BASTARD!”

  The room grew tense. Martin’s mother tried to calm him.

  “Martin, calm down—”

  “SHUT UP!”

  Martin stared toward the door with red eyes. Only one face filled his mind.

  Cleo Valerius.

  That bastard.

  The child who should never have had the right to stand in the same arena as him. Yet with a single strike…

  He had lost everything.

  His sword.

  His honor.

  His future.

  His fingers clenched the bedsheet tightly.

  “I will kill him…”

  His voice was quiet.

  Almost like a whisper.

  “Cleo Valerius…”

  His gaze filled with cold hatred.

  “I’ll make you pay for everything.”

  No one in the room realized that at that moment… something far darker had begun to grow inside Martin’s heart.

  The next morning, the Valerius training grounds were filled with noble children.

  The sound of wooden swords clashing echoed across the field. When I stepped into the training area, several conversations immediately stopped. Many of them stared at me.

  Whispers spread through the crowd.

  “That’s him…”

  “The one who cut off Martin’s arm.”

  “He was just lucky.”

  A silver-haired boy stepped forward.

  “Cleo Valerius.”

  He raised his wooden sword.

  “Theo Valerius.”

  A faint smile appeared on his face.

  “One of the best swordsmen of our generation.”

  He spun his wooden sword casually.

  “I want to see the technique that defeated Martin.”

  “That technique isn’t meant for sparring,” I replied.

  Before Theo could respond, a woman’s voice came from behind.

  “If you want to try it… then just spar.”

  Everyone immediately turned. A tall woman with short red hair stood there.

  Helena Valerius.

  A former knight of the Valerius family. A woman famous for her brutal training methods. Some students were even more afraid of her than the Patriarch.

  She smiled faintly.

  “On your first day, you’ve already made the entire training ground noisy.”

  Her eyes focused on me.

  “Interesting.”

  I sighed.

  “Fine.”

  The other children quickly stepped back, forming a circle. I picked up a wooden sword. That was when Cleo spoke inside my mind.

  “Looks like you’re not very lucky.”

  “Stop joking,” I replied mentally. “Do you know Theo’s skill?”

  “No.”

  I almost choked.

  “Huh?!”

  “For eleven years I lived in a room,” Cleo said casually. “I don’t know much about them.”

  I fell silent.

  But Cleo continued.

  “However, while you were unconscious, I found several anime techniques that suit your current body.”

  My eyebrow raised.

  “Seriously?”

  “The first one…”

  His voice sounded relaxed.

  “Ignite Eyes.”

  Information immediately appeared in my mind.

  Anime Knowledge: Ignite Eyes

  Ability to read the opponent’s movements with precision.

  Mana Consumption: 1 mana per minute.

  “And the second one?” I asked mentally.

  Cleo sounded slightly proud.

  “A very ridiculous skill… but extremely useful.”

  “It’s called…”

  I looked at Theo in front of me.

  My mana was around 20.

  If I used Ignite Eyes for five minutes… I would still have enough mana for one final trick.

  Helena raised her hand.

  “Begin.”

  Theo immediately attacked. His wooden sword cut through the air.

  I activated the skill instantly.

  Anime Knowledge: Ignite Eyes

  The world seemed to slow down. Theo’s previously fast movements became much clearer.

  I could see the direction of his swing. I could see the movement of his shoulders. I could even predict his footwork. I stepped to the side.

  His sword missed my shoulder by only a few centimeters. Theo looked slightly surprised. Then he smiled.

  “Oh?”

  His sword attacked again.

  I dodged.

  Again.

  And again.

  And again.

  Every strike felt like slow motion to my eyes. Some students at the edge of the field began whispering.

  “Why can’t Theo hit him?”

  “Is he reading Theo’s movements?”

  Theo suddenly stopped attacking. His smile turned more serious.

  “Interesting.”

  Wind began to swirl around his body. Dry leaves on the ground lifted into the air.

  Helena raised an eyebrow slightly.

  “Wind Manipulation Skill.”

  Theo lifted his sword.

  “Now we get serious.”

  Wind wrapped around his legs.

  His body suddenly moved much faster.

  Damn.

  Theo’s speed had nearly doubled. His sword appeared from my left.

  I blocked it.

  The impact traveled through my arm. Theo didn’t stop. The second strike came. Then the third. Then the fourth. I stepped back several times. My mana kept decreasing.

  1 minute passed.

  Mana remaining: 19.

  Theo continued attacking without pause.

  2 minutes passed.

  Mana remaining: 18.

  Sweat began forming on my forehead.

  Ignite Eyes helped… but this body was still that of an eleven-year-old.

  I couldn’t keep defending forever. Theo suddenly jumped back. Wind gathered around his sword.

  He raised it high.

  “The next technique…”

  The wind began to spin wildly.

  “…will end this.”

  The students watching grew tense.

  This was it.

  My chance. I immediately ran toward him. Theo looked shocked.

  “You’re charging in?!”

  He swung his sword. At the same moment, I activated the second skill.

  Anime Knowledge: Slipped

  My remaining mana dropped.

  Mana remaining: 13.

  Theo’s foot suddenly slipped.

  “—Huh?!”

  His body lost balance. His wind attack missed. I immediately stepped into his range. My wooden sword stopped right at his neck. The training circle fell silent.

  “…”

  Theo stared at the sword at his neck.

  Several seconds passed.

  Then he burst out laughing.

  “HAHAHAHA!”

  He raised both hands.

  “I surrender.”

  The entire training ground went silent.

  Theo Valerius. The best swordsman of their generation.

  Defeated.

  Theo looked at me with shining eyes.

  “That was incredible.”

  “I don’t even know what skill you used.”

  He extended his hand.

  “I acknowledge you, Cleo.”

  “Spar with me again someday.”

  I shook his hand.

  At the edge of the arena, Helena Valerius smiled. But it wasn’t an ordinary smile. It was the smile of someone who had just found a new toy.

  She looked me up and down.

  “Cleo Valerius…”

  Her voice was quiet.

  “Starting tomorrow…”

  Her smile widened.

  “I will train you personally.”

  Several students instantly turned pale.

  One of them whispered,

  “He’s finished…”

  “No one survives Helena’s training…”

  I looked at Helena. For the first time since coming to this world…

  I felt a little afraid.

  Then Cleo’s voice echoed in my mind again.

  “Ryu.”

  “What?”

  “I have bad news.”

  I sighed.

  “What is it now?”

  Cleo replied casually.

  “Helena Valerius…”

  “She’s one of the strongest people in this family.”

  I looked at the woman again. Her smile was still there. A smile that said one thing.

  Tomorrow…

  I’m going to hell.