Two weeks passed.
Time flowed differently now.
Not slower. Not faster.
Just… differently.
"…Two weeks already, huh."
Elias leaned back in his chair, one leg resting over the other as he stared at the massive screen in front of him.
The room was no longer the same.
Gone were the cracked walls, the suffocating air, the dull, lifeless space that had once imprisoned him.
Now—
Polished marble floors.
High ceilings.
A wide chamber fit for nobility.
"…If I'm stuck here, might as well upgrade the place."
He exhaled lightly.
The screen flickered.
Cain.
Training.
Again.
"…And again."
For the past two weeks, that was all he had seen.
Training.
Relentless. Repetitive. Tireless.
Elias rested his chin on his hand.
"…Alright. Let's summarize."
He raised three fingers.
"First."
He glanced around the room.
"This place isn't real."
A manifestation.
A construct of his own mind.
With the system acting as its foundation.
He had tested it.
Changed the layout.
Expanded it.
Even adjusted minor details.
"…It's basically my personal domain."
His gaze returned to the screen.
"Second."
His expression dimmed slightly.
"This idiot... is still in love with her."
Cain.
Still asking the Duke for updates.
Still waiting.
Still believing.
"…After everything."
Elias clicked his tongue.
"…You're hopeless."
Silence lingered for a moment before he continued.
"Third."
A faint blue interface appeared.
|Displaying status screen|
|HP: 45/45
|STR: 9 (8->9)
|DEX: 9.7 (9.3->9.7)
|AGI: 7.5 (6.9->7.5)
|Int: 3.5
|Mana: 35/35
|Luck: 3
|True Vision (F)| {Innate Trait}
|Allows the user to perceive the true nature of objects and beings. Grows with the player.|
|Lupin's Disguise (D)| {Skill}
|Allows the user to alter physical appearance. Effectiveness depends on mana and perception.|
Elias narrowed his eyes.
"Another growth-rank trait, huh... Still, the description seems too vague."
He had experimented.
Tested the limits.
Pushed what he could.
But without a body—
"…There's only so much I can do."
His attention drifted back to the screen.
Cain stood among a group of knights.
Or rather—
Was being surrounded by them.
"…Here we go again."
A soldier scoffed.
"So this is the famous knight, huh?"
Another chuckled.
"Doesn't look like much."
Cain remained silent.
Calm.
Unmoving.
"…He's not even reacting."
Elias frowned.
"…Is he stupid?"
One of the soldiers stepped forward.
"What? Cat got your tongue?"
Cain looked at him.
"No."
…
A pause.
The surrounding knights exchanged glances.
Elias blinked.
"…You cannot be serious."
The soldier's expression darkened.
"You think this is a joke?"
"I do not."
"…Then say something back."
Silence.
Cain simply stood there.
Unbothered.
Unaware.
Elias' eye twitched.
"…Oh my god."
He leaned forward.
"…Say something."
Nothing.
"…Say something."
Still nothing.
"…Say something!"
Something shifted.
Cain's fingers twitched.
Elias froze.
"…Wait."
Cain's hand moved—just slightly.
Not fully.
Not completely.
"…What?"
Elias' eyes widened.
"…I didn't switch."
He hadn't taken full control.
And yet—
"…That was me."
|Partial Control has been unlocked|
A slow grin spread across his face.
"…No way."
The soldier stepped closer.
"What? Nothing to say?"
Cain opened his mouth—
"Go fu—"
He froze.
Silence.
The air went still.
Every head turned.
Elias blinked.
"…Oh."
A beat.
"…Pfft—"
"…HAHA—"
...
"…That might have been my fault."
The soldier's face twisted in anger.
"You—!"
…
"…How did it escalate to this?"
Cain stood in the center of the training ground, waiting for the duel to start.
A wooden blade in hand.
Across from him—
The soldier.
Fuming.
"…I don't recall provoking him."
A murmur spread through the onlookers.
Elias leaned back in his chair.
…Yeah, about that.
The soldier raised his weapon.
"Don't act ignorant now."
Cain said nothing.
Instead—
He lowered his blade.
The tip touched the ground.
Steady.
Deliberate.
A quiet statement.
"…Come."
The pressure coming from Cain was unmistakable.
After all, strength can disappear, but experience doesn't.
A war hero will always be a war hero.
The air was getting thinner by the second.
Then-
A pause.
"He should be just a nobody now."
...
Am I... feeling scared... Of him?"
He hesitated.
Just for a moment.
Then—
With a sharp exhale—
He lunged.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Too aggressive.
Elias leaned forward on his chair.
Left—
Cain moved.
Just enough.
The strike missed.
Barely.
The sword brushed past him.
A single step.
A shift in angle.
The soldier's balance broke.
Opening.
Cain's blade rose—
And fell.
Thud.
Silence.
The soldier hit the ground.
Weapon slipping from his grasp.
The duel—
Ended.
"…The duel is concluded."
Cain stepped back.
Calm.
Composed.
Like nothing had happened.
Elias stared at the screen.
"…That's it?"
A pause.
"…He ended it that fast?"
Silence lingered.
Then—
A quiet exhale.
"…Huh."
He leaned back in his chair.
"…Maybe he's not completely hopeless."
The screen flickered.
|Agility has been increased by 0.1|
Elias glanced at it briefly before looking back.
"…Still."
A small smirk formed on his lips.
"…This might actually get interesting."