Inside the infirmary, Aetin leaned against the head of the bed, carefully organizing the magic cards he currently possessed in his mind.
Although the pile of skills he drew at Seres’ house earlier had rather confusing names—like
[Phase Charge],
[Storm Gathering],
[Wither],
[Detached],
[Breath Regulation],
and even a fierce-sounding one called
[Dragon Impact]—
the skill names always seemed like the system was hinting at something, quite perplexing in meaning.
Still, their effects were pretty good, and they would definitely come in handy during real combat.
Now, Aetin’s “deck” had expanded significantly, and his overall strength had seen a noticeable improvement.
He just wanted to find a suitable opportunity to thoroughly experiment with different combinations of these magic cards, to see how they could be linked smoothly and unleash their full power.
So… does he really have to train with Seres?
As soon as the thought surfaced, Aetin recalled the serious expression Seres wore when she said she wanted to “give him extra lessons.”
Better not.
He shook his head, dismissing the idea.
These magic cards’ effects were too tricky, defying the world’s common sense and hard to explain.
It was best not to let anyone in this world know about the system and card drawing to avoid unnecessary complications.
Aetin glanced out the window at the sun dipping westward, then at the magic clock on the wall, realizing school was almost over.
Stretching, he got off the bed, swiftly put on his uniform jacket hanging nearby, and prepared to head home.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
Just then, the system, which had been quietly on standby, suddenly emitted a sharp, urgent alarm—it was an emergency mission alert!
Ruby, who had been dozing off, was startled awake and fluttered her small wings, holding up the suddenly popped-up system mission panel in front of Aetin.
Focusing, Aetin saw that this mission interface was completely different from those he’d seen before—the task border was a dazzling gold, radiating a noble and mysterious glow.
The mission objective boldly read:
[Urgent Rescue: Seres]!
And the reward made Aetin’s pupils shrink—the reward was:
[Reward: Choose any Gold Quality prize (Category options: Magic Card / Magic Item Card / Weapon Card)]!
Gold quality selectable?
Was this the delayed Starter Reward finally being issued?
Wait, what the heck is “Rescue Seres”?!
Could it be… Seres is in danger?!
Suddenly, a delicate Messenger Bird made of magical energy flew in through the window.
It hovered before Aetin, flapping its wings, opening and closing its beak, from which came Rufus’s hateful and menacing voice.
“Transfer student Aetin… hmph hmph, if you want to save your little lover Seres, then obediently follow the Messenger Bird’s guidance and come alone to the remote forest behind the academy. I’m here… waiting for you…”
Aetin’s eyes sharpened, cold as ice.
Rufus really was a relentless pest.
He had originally thought that after Rufus publicly used large-scale destructive magic in the academy—causing chaos and panic—he’d at least be caught by the disciplinary committee and locked in Detention for some time, maybe even face harsher punishment.
Yet unexpectedly, the forces backing Rufus or his own privileges had gotten him released so quickly?
Given Rufus’s vengeful nature, retaliation was inevitable; Aetin had anticipated this.
But Rufus’s swift and brazen actions caught him off guard.
No time to waste, Aetin immediately followed the incessantly circling, urging Messenger Bird, heading swiftly toward the remote forest behind the academy.
In a clearing deep in the forest, he saw something unusual—the air ahead twisted like water ripples, an invisible wall shimmering faintly.
The Messenger Bird flew to the wall, which immediately cracked open a narrow slit just wide enough for one person to pass through.
Behind the crack was a dense, unyielding purple magical glow.
Aetin gritted his teeth, knowing this had to be a deadly trap, but for Seres’s sake, he resolutely followed the Messenger Bird inside.
“Aetin!”
As soon as he stepped into this sealed barrier constructed of strange purple magic, Aetin heard Seres’s urgent, tearful call.
He turned toward the voice and saw Seres trapped inside a huge purple, translucent protective dome shaped like an inverted bowl.
Seres pounded hard on the inner wall of the dome, her face full of anxiety and worry, shouting loudly.
From nearby came Rufus’s cruel and triumphant sneer.
“Heh heh… You’re somewhat of a man, transfer student, really daring to come alone to your death.”
Aetin ignored Rufus’s provocation at first and hurried to the dome’s front, carefully examining Seres inside.
He confirmed she was only frightened but unharmed, which eased his mind somewhat.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
He smiled reassuringly through the dome, his tone calm and without a trace of nervousness.
“I’m sorry… Aetin… I’ve caused you trouble again… I shouldn’t have taken that shortcut…”
Tears welled in Seres’s eyes as she spoke, her voice choked with sadness and worry.
Her hands pressed against the dome’s surface, overlapping with Aetin’s palms on the other side.
“What nonsense are you talking? Didn’t I already say, no matter what happens, as long as you need me, I’ll come save you.”
Aetin shook his head, still smiling warmly, his voice firm.
It’s never you who’s wrong—it’s this world.
After speaking, he took a deep breath, turned around, and coldly locked eyes with Rufus standing not far off, who looked confident in victory.
Aetin’s tone carried unmistakable sarcasm.
“You really are ‘persistent,’ Senior Rufus. Looks like the old saying’s right: when a dog’s cornered, it really will jump over the wall.”
“You ruined everything I had! Today, I’ll destroy you all completely!”
Rufus snorted coldly, his facial muscles twisted with extreme hatred, making him look grotesquely terrifying.
He licked his lips in a perverse way, his eyes flashing with madness.
“I’ll beat you, this annoying waste, down to your last breath… then, right before your eyes, I’ll ‘enjoy’ Seres’s enticing body! I want you to watch in endless despair, pain, helplessness, and hatred—and then die miserably! That’s the fate of anyone who crosses me!”
“Tch, that’s some standard villainous twisted taste. But—”
Faced with Rufus’s vicious threats, Aetin merely sneered disdainfully.
Then his gaze sharpened instantly, and his aura surged dramatically.
“If you think you can do that, then bring it on and try!”
Rufus, completely enraged by the provocation, let out a wild roar and immediately unleashed all his magical power.
Crimson flames erupted from his body again, swiftly forming that intimidating fiery armor, covering him head to toe.
His right hand condensed a blazing flaming greatsword, the intense heat distorting the surrounding air.
Aetin, however, calmly summoned from System Space his seemingly ordinary long sword and took up a standard combat stance.
“Aetin! You must be careful! This guy’s completely insane! His power is dangerous!”
From inside the protective dome, Seres watched anxiously, her hands gripping the dome’s wall tightly as she shouted warnings.
“I’m fine, trust me.”
Aetin glanced back, sending Seres an unwavering, reassuring look across the distance.
With no one else around to test his sword on, he decided to use this guy to gauge his current strength.
“Prepare to die…”
Rufus snarled eagerly, dragging his huge fiery sword, ready to charge.
Yet Aetin suddenly raised one hand, making a “hold on” gesture, interrupting him.
“Not so fast, Senior Rufus. Wait a moment, give me a little time to prepare.”
“Haha! You want to beg for mercy now that it’s come to this? Do you think I’d give you the chance?”
Rufus laughed loudly, as if hearing the biggest joke in the world.
“Snap!”
Aetin’s face still wore that inscrutable smile.
Without a word, he snapped his fingers crisply.
With the snap, a soft, pure light briefly enveloped him, accompanied by a strange sound effect as if a skill was activating—like he’d instantly gained a Buff.
“Snap!”
“Snap!”
“Snap!”
To the shock of both Rufus and Seres, Aetin began snapping his fingers rhythmically and repeatedly.
Each snap was accompanied by different colored lights flickering across his body.
[Deadly Rhythm]
[Conqueror]
[Fleet Footwork]
[Press the Attack]
[Bone Plating]
[Second Wind]
[Demolition]…
Wait, what’s Demolition?!
No no no, not now.
Ruby hovered nearby, eyes wide as she watched the dazzling and complex magical runes and light patterns flicker over Aetin.
From her system perspective, she could clearly see dozens of stacked Buff icons above Aetin’s head, colorful and numerous, at least a dozen or so.
[“Before the Duel, max Buffs first! Master, are you playing Dungeon & Fighter here? The visual effect is too strong!”]
Finally, Aetin took a deep breath, forming a finger gun with his thumb and index finger, pointed it confidently at his temple, and curled his lips into a confident smile.
“This is the last one.”
[Adrenaline]
A visible surge of fierce energy instantly poured through Aetin’s limbs, causing his muscles to bulge slightly.
His gaze sharpened further, and his aura reached its peak.
“Are you done yet? Stop all these flashy but useless things! You’re going to die soon anyway!”
Rufus was now thoroughly impatient, staring at Aetin’s series of flashy but seemingly non-offensive moves with utter disdain.
However, before he finished speaking, Aetin’s expression suddenly turned extremely serious, locking onto his target.
The next moment, Aetin exploded with force from beneath his feet, vanishing like a phantom, leaving only a faint afterimage.
Almost instantly, he reappeared right in front of Rufus.
Rufus was stunned, his pupils contracting sharply.
When did this guy get so fast?!
Even Seres, trapped inside the dome, covered her mouth in shock.
She didn’t even see how Aetin moved—she only felt her vision blur and suddenly he had crossed over ten meters.
[“Master is seriously getting down to business…”]
Ruby watched dumbfounded, then a proud expression spread across her face.
This is the master she knew.
[“Indeed, those who want to win don’t wear smiles on their faces.”]