March 22nd, early morning.
Before the sun had fully risen—when only a faint halo of light lingered on the horizon—Andy was already awake.
Inside a small shop in the Doyle District of the Royal Capital, he finished washing up, grabbed a mop, and carefully cleaned the floor. Then he wiped down every counter with a cloth, meticulous and focused.
By the time he was done, his mother had gotten up and was preparing breakfast.
Andy returned to his room and took out his strategy notes—over a dozen pages long.
They were filled with everything he had learned over the past month: match analysis, tactical simulations, and newly developed strategies.
After the release of 24 new Element Cards last week, he had added several more pages—dense with ideas and bold experimental plays.
He sat on the edge of his bed.
There was no chair. The bed was his chair.
The room was small—just a narrow wooden bed, a tiny desk that barely fit his arms, a stool for clothes, and a small wooden box his father had pieced together from leftover packing materials.
Their family wasn't rich—but they weren't starving either.
They couldn't afford school before.
But now…
Things were changing.
Since becoming an official arena defender, Andy earned:
1 gold coin per week (fixed salary)
Plus 10–40 silver coins per night from matches
Five weeks' salary had already been prepaid—enough to enroll again at Doyle Primary Academy.
In May, he would return to school.
And their family's life had clearly improved.
But…
Habits didn't change overnight.
Breakfast now included bacon and eggs, but his parents still refused to eat at hotpot restaurants.
They bought him new clothes for the tournament—but refused to buy any for themselves.
They supported him—but didn't believe this was a stable future.
To them, this was just a well-paying temporary job.
At 6:00 AM, the family sat down to eat.
After taking a bite of bacon, Andy hesitated, then said:
"If I win first place… let's go eat hotpot together."
His father chewed slowly and replied:
"Don't get arrogant."
"You said it yourself—there are strong players in Gold rank. Two of them are especially dangerous."
"Focus on preparation. Don't think about unnecessary things."
"Even in the preliminaries—you give it everything."
"…I know."
The topic ended there.
As Andy was about to leave, his mother stopped him at the door.
She held his hand and smiled.
"Don't mind your father. He's actually very proud of you."
"He brags about you to everyone."
"At night, he even talks in his sleep… saying he's useless because you earn more in a month than he ever did."
Andy couldn't help but laugh.
"He secretly goes to watch your matches—but won't let me tell you."
"He even tried playing himself… didn't even reach Silver."
Andy laughed even harder.
His mother gently hugged him.
"No matter what happens, we'll celebrate."
"We'll go eat hotpot together."
Andy nodded firmly.
"I'll do my best."
By 7 AM, Central Street of Peace Square was already packed.
Even non-participants flooded toward the Magic Duel arena.
All seven floors were open.
Thousands of people poured in.
When Andy appeared, people immediately recognized him.
"That's Andy!"
"He's the one competing with Wardson and Rowell?"
"He looks so small…"
"Skill matters, not strength!"
Even nobles in carriages watched him with curiosity.
Andy felt the stares—but walked faster toward the arena.
At the entrance, he froze.
The posters had changed.
Now—
They were animated.
The Goddess of Elements, Elementia, shifted poses every few seconds:
Smiling on the beach
Holding her hat in the sea breeze
Making a playful "V" gesture
Standing barefoot in shallow water
Then suddenly—
A completely different version appeared:
White top
Black leather dress
Red high heels
Cold, alluring expression
The contrast was striking.
Mesmerizing.
Below the posters—
Mimic Grass.
The source of the animation.
People gathered, watching in awe.
Staff explained:
Magekiko skin = limited tournament edition
Elementia skin = Champion Skin
10% of its sales → forever belongs to the champion
Remaining profits → future tournament prize pools
This meant:
Winning = long-term income.
Not just 5000 gold.
Andy snapped out of it and entered.
Inside—
Everything had changed.
The first floor was cleared into 10 battle zones:
9 standard match areas
1 central stage for Gold-ranked matches
Walls displayed animated spell visuals.
Not fully realistic—intentionally slightly blurred.
Ron had planned this.
Gradually introduce Mimic Grass…
So people wouldn't panic later.
Andy checked the display:
Andy — First Floor, Main Stage
He retrieved his metal box.
Inside—
His cards.
His weapon.
Staff were directing crowds using a new device:
A magical microphone.
Voices amplified clearly despite the noise.
Andy walked around, then went upstairs.
Every floor was the same layout.
With time to spare, he joined familiar players.
"Elementia's new skin is amazing!"
"Andy! Come here!"
"Let me touch your hand for luck!"
"I want to touch your hair!"
"Touch it, and you'll lose ten matches!"
Laughter filled the air.
Andy blushed, letting them joke around.
Ten minutes before the start—
He left the crowd.
Found a quiet corner.
Opened his box.
Cards flicked one by one.
Strategies flowed through his mind.
Every plan.
Every scenario.
Then—
He closed the box.
Like a warrior sheathing his blade.
8:00 AM.
He stood up.
Focused.
Ready.
And across the entire arena—
Ron's voice echoed:
"The First Magic Duel Tournament…"
"Begins now."