It was a chilling morning, and the arena was packed with people. They had gathered to watch a match between me and three soldiers.
Were they here to support me?
No.
So they were here to watch me get beaten.
Yes
From the day I arrived at the mansion, the guards and soldiers had been betting on my name. During my sparring sessions, they placed wagers on whether I would win or lose. At first, I lost...often. They laughed, mocked me, and eventually stopped betting on me altogether.
But then things changed.
I started winning.
And because of that, many of them lost money. To them, I wasn't just a kid anymore.....I was the reason their pockets were empty. Today, they wanted payback.
They expected me to lose.
Looks like I was about to disappoint them.
A punch shot straight toward my face. The force behind it was strong enough to knock me out.....but I dodged at the last second and countered with a sharp kick. My heel smashed into the man's chin, snapping his head back and dropping him to the ground.
"One down," I muttered, shifting my gaze to the others.
It hadn't even been ten minutes, and one of the mansion guards lay unconscious—defeated by a fourteen-year-old.
"Demon! You'll regret this!" one of the soldiers shouted, launching himself at me.
I matched his speed head-on. He tried to grab my neck with all his strength, but I struck his leg first, throwing off his balance. I seized the opening and drove a punch into him—then went for another.....
...but I was interrupted.
Other soldiers grabbed me from behind, locking my arms and choking my neck.
"Now, Kavin!" shouted to his friend, grinning cruelly.
Kavin stepped forward, adjusting his stance, preparing to strike.
But I reacted instantly.
I kicked backward with both legs, smashing my heel into his face with full force. He was sent flying.
Before the man restraining me could react, I twisted, overpowering the one at my back. He was strong...but not compared to an Awakener. I drove a punch straight into his abdomen.
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
"Two down," I said, turning toward my final opponent.
He was struggling to stand.
The crowd, once loud and jeering, was completely silent now.
From a distance, I could see Tev watching. A faint smile rested on his face.
I approached the last soldier and placed my hand on his back—
Suddenly, he moved.
Pain exploded in my chest as I was sent flying across the arena.
Tev's smile vanished.
"How is this possible?"
The pain was real...sharp and crushing. For a moment, I thought I caught a glimpse of Mr. Traveler again.
Then footsteps.
Fast.
Too fast.
My opponent appeared before me, razor-sharp, claw-like nails inches from my face. I shut my eyes.
Clang.
"What filthy mana…" a familiar voice said coldly.
I opened my eyes.
Tev was standing in front of me, gripping the attacker's wrist mid-strike.
"I didn't notice it before because you're so weak," Tev continued, his voice calm...but lethal.
He tightened his grip. The man screamed.
"So tell me," Tev said, eyes narrowing, "how does a demon contractor sneak into a ruler's estate?"
The man—no, the creature—forced himself back, sensing danger.
But Tev was faster.
Without drawing a weapon, he moved. In a blur, both of the contractor's legs were severed. Blood sprayed across the arena.
Demon.
Yes, demons existed in this world. They weren't originally from Lumariya—they came from another world through mysterious portals. They were the true villains of the story, or at least, that's how much I knew from what I had read.
Demon contractors were weak compared to true demons, but they were still incredibly dangerous. What shocked me wasn't their existence… it was this place.
Why here?
According to the story, demons wouldn't appear until much later. This wasn't supposed to happen yet.
If Tev hadn't intervened, I'd be dead.
"Hahaha!" the demon contractor laughed hysterically despite losing both legs. "If not for that kid—if I hadn't been humiliated for weeks and lost my temper—my mission would have succeeded!"
Doesn't he feel pain? And how did his body become so thin when he looked perfectly fine just a few minutes ago?
"When an unawakened human forms a contract with a demon," Tev said calmly, as if answering my thoughts, "they use their own blood to channel mana. Slowly, their body dries up. They lose all senses… and eventually, their humanity."
The arena was frozen in fear.
Tev stepped forward and, without mercy, erased the demon contractor completely. When he was done, nothing remained but blood.
"Clean this," Tev ordered. Then he turned to me. "Come."
I followed him—but suddenly, my vision blurred.
A burning house.
A woman screaming.
A child being dragged away by figures in black.
I snapped back to reality.
[The system has detected that the host has received a small fragment of memory.]
That wasn't my memory.
Whenever I received memories before, I saw them through Tyler's eyes. This time, it was different—someone else's perspective.
Confusion flooded my mind, but one thing was clear—I had to go to that place. It felt like the key to recovering my lost memories. The good news was that I already knew where it was; I had learned the location from Sir Tev's assistant. Now, all that remained was to ask Sir Tev for permission.
I followed Tev, then finally spoke. "Sir… wouldn't capturing him alive have helped uncover their plans?"
"I already know," Tev said. "This isn't the first time demons have tried to infiltrate ducal territory using such methods."
"…Then his target was me," I said quietly.
Tev glanced at me. "Your body isn't the only thing evolving. Yes...you were the anchor. You're lucky."
Yes. Their main objective was to manipulate you—not just you, but possibly the other candidates from the west—to infiltrate the Duke's castle and then harm their families," Sir Tev said.
I wanted to say more but hesitated.
"You want to ask something," Tev said, noticing my discomfort.
"N-no—yes… if you allow it, Sir."
"Speak."
"It's been a month and a half. With less than ten days left… I want to visit my parents' graves."
Silence.
Then—
"You can go," Tev said. "But go alone, and return before nightfall—or be prepared to become my punching bag."
He walked away.
"Thank you, Sir Tev," I said, bowing deeply.
If he had refused, I would've snuck out anyway.
Looks like luck is still on my side.
It was already noon.
I had to hurry.