Chapter 14: The Contest

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Morning, Kane Estate

Upon waking, Lis stretched vigorously as he climbed out of bed, his joints cracking softly.

Last night, he had shared a few drinks with Mora; the gentle intoxication was pleasant. Without meditating afterward, he had fallen straight asleep.

The fatigue from days of intense training seemed to have vanished, leaving him feeling refreshed.

Today’s breakfast was vegetable and cheese pancakes accompanied by blueberry oatmeal porridge—Joyce must have known he ate well last night and had instructed the kitchen to prepare something light and refreshing.

“Master Lis, here are today’s letters. One is an official correspondence from the Fis Royal Academy of Magic; it might be important.”

As always, Joyce stood by Lis’s side, handing him the mail.

“A letter from school? What could it be about?” Lis wondered, scrutinizing the neat envelope. He couldn’t recall any pressing matters from the academy that would warrant a letter.

The Fis Royal Academy of Magic, named after the kingdom itself, was undoubtedly the finest magical institution in the realm.

Lis had enrolled at age ten. The academy did not follow a fixed curriculum but embraced a philosophy of free development. Students who enrolled the same year were considered peers, much like university electives in his previous life, allowing them to audit courses of interest. The only requirement for graduation was to reach the level of Intermediate Mage.

Thus, it was not uncommon to see children of ten sitting alongside middle-aged adults in the same classroom.

However, Lis had not been to school in months. What could be the matter at this point?

Opening the letter, he saw the elegant, official handwriting. It contained no urgent news, merely an invitation to visit the academy’s Fifth Magic Workshop.

He knew of the Fifth Workshop well. The academy housed many magic workshops, but only the top ten were coveted, boasting the finest resources. The Fifth Workshop ranked high, just behind the ones reserved for the dean and vice dean.

Still, why invite him for a tour without prior application?

Well, he could visit out of curiosity—maybe they had some advanced experimental apparatus or novel research projects.

Lis quickly finished the last pancake, suddenly craving the pancakes from his past life. Once his current concerns were settled, he would study those recipes thoroughly.

The morning training passed swiftly, yet Lis was puzzled by a change in his accompanying guards.

Disen remained unchanged—respectful and patient as always.

But Welf, the captain of his guards, was different. Where once he had shown pride and restraint, his demeanor now mirrored Disen’s exactly. Lis even sensed a faint trace of... fear in Welf’s eyes.

Lis had no idea how much damage his steward had inflicted on Welf’s young spirit the night before, instead assuming Welf had suddenly realized the wisdom and charm of his viscount master.

Just joking. Lis remained curious but Welf refused to explain, especially with Bill nearby, nursing a black eye and claiming he had fallen out of bed while sleeping...

It was a good opportunity, though. Lis took the chance to ask Welf about several martial training techniques that interested him—skills like taunting, blocking, and some practical enhancement combat arts such as Minor All-Attribute Boost and Danger Awareness.

Incidentally, during these days of practice, Lis noticed his game system still allowed him to scout enemy information, much like in his previous life’s games. Unfortunately, Welf’s level was so high that only scant details were revealed.

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[Based on your level, you have obtained the following information:]
Name: Welf
Race: Human
Level: 102
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Health Points: ???
Mana Points: ???
Primary Class: Shield Warrior
Secondary Class: Treasure Hunter
Talent: Rock (Golden Tier Talent: When using a shield, gain 30% increased block effect, 30% boost to strength attribute)
Attributes: ???
Danger Level: Extremely lethal!
Evaluation: It’s 30/70—he lands three punches, you land seven!
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It seemed Welf had only recently advanced to Golden Warrior rank, but he still had a good handle on himself.

Though Lis had gained considerable experience points from meditation, spending them all on leveling up would only raise him about three levels—barely any significant change.

Clearly, the fastest way to level up was still by hunting monsters and completing quests.

Lis found himself nostalgic for the exhausting grind of his past life.

Despite the comfort and ease of noble life now, complete with fragrant little maids, he still craved the excitement and surprises of adventure.

Being a homebody? Not for now!

Once he mastered the “Master of All Weapons” talent, he could begin executing his plans.

Though he had sparred with his guards, most of his time was spent learning martial techniques and improving proficiency. A proper duel had yet to occur.

With that thought, after a brief rest, Lis turned to Disen and said:

“Disen, come on, let’s spar and test my strength.”

Disen hesitated briefly but agreed. He wasn’t worried about losing, just pondering how much strength to use.

Should he hold back and let the young master win?

Lis saw the conflicted look on Disen’s face and knew what he was thinking.

“I can use magic, you know. It wouldn’t look good if you lose as an Intermediate Warrior.”

Upon hearing this, Disen’s expression grew serious; he drew his sword and assumed a defensive stance, waiting for Lis to make the first move.

He had never faced a mage in combat before. Among all supernatural professions, mages were the hardest to enter.

At the Bronze and Silver stages, warriors vastly outnumbered mages. Disen had only ever witnessed mage talents in the form of magical strikes during monster hunts but had no experience fighting a true mage.

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[Ding~]
[Limited Challenge Mission Activated]
[Objective: Defeat Silver Warrior Disen]
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[Reward: Depends on mission completion]
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Oh? A limited mission triggered. All the more reason to win!

Ready and waiting, Disen watched as Lis gripped his long sword and began chanting magic.

Though he lacked a wand, sacrificing the usual power and casting aids, Lis still smoothly released his spells.

“Minor Deflection Field.”
“Spirit Armor.”
“Magic Aura.”
“Blessing: Precise Strike.”
“Toughness of the Bear, Grace of the Cat, Strength of the Ox, Cunning of the Fox, Wisdom of the Owl.”
...

Without concern for their immediate effect, Lis stacked all the buffs he could muster, enveloping himself in a radiant aura of shifting magical lights.

Disen said nothing, silently waiting for Lis to finish casting, but his expression shifted as Lis’s actions continued.

Lis raised his sword and murmured, a white glow symbolizing martial skill flickering across his body.

“Martial Skill: Minor All-Attribute Boost.”
“Martial Skill: Enhanced Resistance.”
“Martial Skill: Danger Awareness.”

Warrior defensive and enhancement skills were scarce, but combined with Lis’s magic and martial arts, he felt a hollow sensation as much of his mana was drained.

His current mana pool was limited, and he lacked magical equipment or accessories to supplement it.

Disen trembled slightly, seeing young master Lis practically shielded to the maximum.

He hadn’t expected Lis to learn and wield martial skills so swiftly in just a few days—it was terrifying.

Disen knew some special classes could wield two basic classes’ abilities simultaneously, like Spellblade, who combined magic and martial arts. But those were reserved for the truly gifted; most could not learn skills outside their primary class.

Could young master Lis possess such top-tier talent?

Disen dared not slack off. Abandoning his plan to forgo martial skills, he also buffed himself with enhancement spells.

“Here I come!”

Lis flashed forward, charging at Disen.