The second day began much like the first.
Ciel woke before dawn, his body already adapting to the rigorous schedule. The familiar notification appeared in his vision.
[Daily Quest: Basic Physical Training]
[Objective: Complete the following exercises]
[100 Push-ups]
[100 Sit-ups]
[100 Squats]
[Run 10 kilometers]
[Reward: +2 Strength]
[Time Limit: 24 hours]
Belle arrived precisely on time, and they made their way to the eastern training yard. The servants still gasped when they passed, though the reactions were becoming less frequent. Either they were getting used to his presence, or he was improving his Aether containment.
Probably a bit of both.
"Warm up," Belle instructed as they entered the yard.
Ciel dropped into his exercises immediately. The movements came easier each day, his enhanced attributes making what had once been torture now merely challenging.
One hundred push-ups. One hundred sit-ups. One hundred squats. Ten kilometers.
Ding.
[Quest Complete: Daily Quest - Basic Physical Training]
[Congratulations! You have completed all required exercises]
[Reward: +2 Strength]
[Strength: 23 → 25]
The warmth of growth flooded through him. Twenty-five strength. He was becoming genuinely powerful, at least by normal human standards.
"Ready?" Belle stood in the center of the yard, hand resting casually on her sword hilt.
Ciel nodded, dropping into a combat stance. Yesterday's criticisms echoed in his mind. Don't telegraph. Keep your guard up. Fix your footwork.
He attacked.
Belle deflected his strike with the same casual ease as before, but this time Ciel was ready for it. He'd anticipated the counter, already shifting his weight to recover balance.
"Better," Belle noted. "You corrected the balance issue."
The training continued. Attack, counter, critique, attack again. But something was different today. The corrections Belle offered yesterday were already being implemented. His stance was more solid. His strikes less telegraphed. His recovery faster.
Not perfect. Not even close. But improved.
Belle noticed.
Her clear blue eyes tracked his movements with increased focus. She'd expected gradual progress over weeks. But this? This was accelerated beyond normal learning curves.
"Your footwork," she said after one exchange. "You're already adjusting based on yesterday's feedback."
Ciel blocked a testing strike from her, his guard staying up this time instead of dropping. "Trying to. You said every step should have purpose."
"And you remembered. And implemented it." Belle's expression was thoughtful. "Most students take days to consciously apply corrections. You're doing it in hours."
They continued through the morning. Belle systematically broke down his techniques, showing him flaws, demonstrating proper execution. And Ciel absorbed it all like a sponge.
The Genius trait wasn't just making him learn faster. It was making connections he shouldn't be able to make yet. Seeing patterns in Belle's movements. Understanding principles before she fully explained them.
By lunch, Ciel was successfully blocking or evading three out of every ten of Belle's testing strikes. Yesterday he couldn't avoid any.
By evening, he'd managed to force her to actually take a half-step back to avoid one of his combinations.
Belle stared at him for a long moment after that exchange.
"Did I mess up?" Ciel asked, uncertain why she'd stopped.
"No," Belle said slowly. "No, you did something right. Very right. That combination forced me to move. Just a little. Just a half-step. But I had to actually respond rather than simply redirect."
She smiled, and it carried genuine pride. "On your second day of real training, you made a Rank Four take you seriously for half a second. That's... exceptional, Ciel."
The third day followed the same pattern, but the progress intensified.
Ciel completed his daily exercises with mechanical efficiency now, his body no longer protesting the exertion.
[Quest Complete: Daily Quest - Basic Physical Training]
[Reward: +2 Strength]
[Strength: 25 → 27]
Twenty-seven strength. Combined with his other enhanced attributes, his Physique stat was climbing into truly impressive territory for a Rank One.
But it was the combat training that truly showcased his growth.
Belle had to increase her speed slightly just to maintain the same level of difficulty. His blocks were becoming precise. His strikes were finding gaps in her defense that shouldn't exist for someone with only three days of training.
"Feint high, strike low," Belle instructed, demonstrating the technique.
Ciel attempted it once. Twice. By the third try, he was executing it smoothly enough that Belle actually had to engage rather than just observe.
"How are you doing this?" Belle's voice carried a mixture of pride and disbelief. They'd been training for hours, and every correction she offered was being integrated almost immediately. "Most cultivators spend weeks drilling basic combinations. You're absorbing them in minutes."
Ciel didn't have a good answer that wouldn't reveal the System. "I don't know. It just... makes sense when you show me."
By the afternoon of the third day, they were genuinely exchanging combinations. Not equally - Belle was still holding back enormously. But they were clashing. Steel rang against steel as Ciel's training sword met Belle's blade. His footwork carried him through proper defensive sequences. His counters created openings that, against a weaker opponent, might have actually landed.
Belle found herself having to think about her responses. Not much. Not strain. But actual conscious thought rather than pure reflex.
This shouldn't be possible.
She'd trained dozens of students over the years. Had seen talented individuals who progressed quickly. But this? Three days and Ciel was already displaying fundamentals that should take months to develop?
Master, Belle thought as she deflected another surprisingly well-executed combination, you were right about your son. He's not just talented. He's something else entirely.
As the sun set on the third day, Belle called an end to training. Ciel stood before her, sweat-soaked but still functional, his breathing elevated but not ragged.
Three days ago he could barely attack without stumbling. Now he was forcing her to actually engage with his combinations.
"Same time tomorrow," Belle said, her voice carrying warmth. "You're doing incredibly well, Ciel. Better than I dared hope."
Ciel just nodded, too tired to properly express his gratitude. They walked back through the estate in comfortable silence.
In his room, Ciel collapsed onto his bed, his muscles aching but in a good way. The satisfying burn of genuine exertion and growth. His mind replayed the day's training, analyzing his remaining mistakes, planning improvements.
He could clash with Belle now. Not equally. Not even close. She was still so far beyond him it was almost laughable. But he could exchange strikes. Could force her to respond. Could create moments where she had to actually think about her defense.
Progress.
Real, measurable progress.
His eyes drifted closed, exhaustion claiming him rapidly. As sleep pulled him under, his last thoughts were of the training to come. Of growing stronger. Of the distant dream of one day being able to truly clash with Belle as equals.
He knew that day was far away. Knew that the gap between Rank One and Rank Four was enormous. But for the first time in nine years, that distant goal felt possible.
Achievable.
Worth pursuing.
Ciel's breathing deepened as sleep took him completely. His Aether Core pulsed steadily, circulating energy through his exhausted body, facilitating recovery and adaptation.
Tomorrow would bring more training. More growth. More steps toward becoming worthy of his father's legacy.
But tonight, he dreamed of clashing blades and perfect forms and the day when Belle wouldn't need to hold back.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Silver estate, Belle stood on a private balcony overlooking the grounds. The night air was cool against her skin, carrying the scent of the gardens below. Stars glittered overhead, indifferent to the concerns of those beneath them.
She leaned against the railing, her mind turning over the past three days.
Ciel's progress was unprecedented. She'd trained under Dale Silver himself, had witnessed his incredible growth and talent firsthand. Had always believed that the stories about Dale being a once-in-a-generation genius were absolute truth.
But Ciel? Ciel might be something beyond even that.
Three days. In three days he'd gone from completely uncoordinated to executing combinations that forced her to engage. His learning curve wasn't just steep. It was nearly vertical.
"Master," Belle whispered to the night air, speaking to a man who'd been gone for nine years. "You were right about your son. He really is something else entirely."
She'd doubted, once. When Ciel had spent years wasting away in his room, she'd wondered if the potential everyone saw in him as a child had been wishful thinking. Desperate hope projected onto Dale Silver's son because they needed him to be exceptional.
But no. The potential was real. More real than she'd dared believe.
"You'd be proud of him," Belle continued softly. "He's finally moving forward. Finally trying. And he's magnificent at it."
The sound of approaching footsteps made her turn. Liam Crowcrest emerged onto the balcony, his military-cut golden hair catching the moonlight. His blue eyes found her immediately.
"Couldn't sleep either?" Liam asked, moving to stand beside her at the railing.
"Too much on my mind," Belle admitted. "The training. Ciel's progress. The consortium meeting in four days."
Liam nodded, understanding immediately. "How is the training going? I've felt the Aether fluctuations from the eastern yard. Ciel's presence is becoming more controlled."
"More than controlled." Belle turned to face him fully. "Liam, he's a monster."
That got his full attention. "What do you mean?"
"His learning speed. His adaptation. His ability to absorb and implement corrections." Belle's voice carried awe despite her attempt at clinical assessment. "Three days ago he couldn't execute a basic combination without stumbling. Today he forced me to actually move. To engage. To think about my responses."
Liam's eyes widened. "In three days?"
"In three days." Belle ran a hand through her silver hair. "I've trained dozens of students. Talented ones. Natural fighters. None of them progressed like this. Most take weeks to develop basic fundamentals. Ciel is integrating advanced concepts after seeing them once."
She looked out over the estate, her expression thoughtful. "You know how Dale used to say that real genius isn't just about talent? That it's about the ability to see patterns, make connections, understand principles rather than just memorizing techniques?"
Liam nodded. He'd heard Dale's philosophy many times.
"Ciel has that," Belle continued. "When I show him something, he doesn't just copy the movement. He understands why it works. How it connects to other techniques. Where it fits in the broader combat system. And then he starts improvising variations that actually make sense."
"His Aether control?"
"Improving exponentially. First day he was leaking pressure everywhere. By the second day he'd learned basic containment. Today he was cycling his Aether through his strikes to increase impact. I didn't teach him that. He figured it out on his own just from watching me demonstrate."
Liam let out a low whistle. "That's... advanced technique. Most Rank Two cultivators struggle with combat cycling."
"Exactly." Belle's smile was fierce and proud. "He's Rank One. Three days of training. And he's already implementing concepts that should be beyond him."
She paused, then added quietly, "Dale was right to believe in him. Right to pass on his legacy. Ciel isn't just talented. He's the real thing. A genuine prodigy."
Liam was silent for a moment, processing this information. Then his expression shifted to something more serious. "The consortium meeting is in four days. Do you think he'll be ready?"
Belle considered. "Ready to fight? No. He's still Rank One, still new to all of this. Ready to present himself? To demonstrate that he's worthy of his position?" She nodded slowly. "Yes. I think so. He won't be the deadbeat heir they remember. He'll be something they need to take seriously."
"Good." Liam's voice carried relief. "Because the branch families are circling. I've heard whispers. Proposals for alternative succession arrangements. Suggestions that Ciel should step aside for someone more established."
"They're afraid," Belle stated flatly. "They felt his awakening. Sensed his power. They know if we give him time, he'll become untouchable. So they're moving now, while they think they still can."
Liam's jaw tightened. "I won't let them. This faction is his birthright."
"Neither will I." Belle's hand moved to rest on her sword hilt. "But the best defense isn't us protecting him. It's Ciel proving he doesn't need protection. That's what the meeting is really about. Not reviewing faction leadership. Demonstrating that Dale Silver's son is worthy of his name."
"Four days," Liam mused. "Think we can polish him enough in four days?"
Belle's smile turned slightly predatory. "Watch me."
They stood together in comfortable silence for a while longer, two of the Silver Faction's strongest, planning and preparing for the challenges ahead.
Finally, Liam spoke again. "What's his attitude been like? During training?"
"Determined," Belle answered immediately. "Focused. He takes every correction seriously. Never complains about the difficulty. Never asks to stop or rest unless I call it. Just keeps pushing forward."
She turned to look at Liam directly. "He's not the broken boy who spent nine years in darkness anymore. I don't know what changed. What finally reached him. But something did. And now?" She shook her head in wonder. "Now he's becoming what everyone always believed he could be."
"His father's son," Liam said softly.
"More than that." Belle's voice carried absolute conviction. "I trained under Dale. Saw his growth firsthand. He was incredible, brilliant, a once-in-a-lifetime genius." She paused, letting the weight of her next words settle. "Ciel is learning faster."
The implications hung in the night air between them.
If Ciel was progressing faster than Dale had, if his natural talent exceeded even that legendary figure, then what could he become given time?
What heights could he reach?
"The consortium is going to regret not supporting him sooner," Liam finally said, a grim smile on his face. "They're so focused on short-term political maneuvering they can't see what's right in front of them."
"Their loss." Belle straightened, preparing to head back inside. "Four days until the meeting. I'm going to push him harder tomorrow. No more gentle introductions. Time to see how much pressure he can really handle."
Liam nodded. "Don't break him. We need him functional for the consortium."
"I won't break him." Belle's smile was confident. "His body can handle more than you'd think. And mentally?" She laughed softly. "He has his father's will. He'll endure."
They parted ways, each heading to their own quarters. Belle's mind was already planning tomorrow's training regimen. Higher intensity. More complex combinations. Real pressure to see how he responded under genuine stress.
Ciel wanted to become strong? She'd give him every opportunity to pursue that goal.
In his room, Ciel slept deeply, unaware of the conversation happening about him. His dreams were filled with combat, with flowing sequences and clashing steel. In his sleep, his body processed the day's training, his enhanced physiology adapting and growing stronger.
The Aether Core at his center pulsed steadily, its rhythm matching his heartbeat, two engines working in harmony to fuel the metamorphosis happening within him.
Three days of training had transformed him from a complete novice to someone with genuine fundamentals.
Four more days remained until the consortium meeting.
Four more days to prove he was worthy of the Silver name.
Four more days to show the world that the deadbeat heir was dead, and something far more dangerous had awakened in his place.
Outside, the night deepened. Stars wheeled overhead in their eternal dance. And within the Silver estate, three individuals prepared in their own ways for the challenges ahead.
Belle, planning training that would push Ciel to his limits.
Liam, marshaling political defenses and preparing for factional conflict.
And Ciel, sleeping deeply, his body and mind growing stronger with each passing hour, moving inexorably toward the destiny his father had believed possible.
The hollow heir was gone.
The protagonist was awakening.
And soon, very soon, the world would be forced to acknowledge it.