Carl scrutinized around the narrow, dark passage for a while before he then slipped forward, blending into the crowd ahead from the shadowy thicket, trying to hide his face deeper and deeper under his hood.
Through a small gap in his lips, he summoned the system to double-check his current status.
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[Main Quest]:
– Destroy Arcadia Academy.
– Rewards: A short date with me and a tongue kiss from your wife if you complete the quest flawlessly.
[Side Quest]:
– Clear your first dungeon.
– Reward: Dimensional Slash Skill
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[System Notice]
• Don't get too close to any girl. My husband~
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Carl's heartbeat nearly stopped the moment his eyes locked onto the [system notice] and the reward of the main quest, ignoring every other word on the screen.
He rubbed his chest lightly and let out a long breath, recalling the look in his wife's eyes. It had been so long since the last time he hugged her.
Overall, his wife was a mysterious girl… He didn't know much about her, not even her real name, ever since he happened to save her while passing the border between the stoker and strike realms.
She never said anything, and he never asked. He would wait — out of the highest respect for her.
Still… damn. Even though they were married after one year since incident, she told him nothing.
But he was sure she held one of the highest statuses in the realm of strike class, judging by everything she had done. His wife wanted him to go to her realm and take the highest role there… However, if that was true, there would be tons of resentment and hatred toward him from the subject of the realm of strike class— just because he was weak, just a stoker.
Even if his wife used her absolute authority to lift him up, it would change everything — and not in a good way.
Carl had already made his bold declaration. They wanted him to prove himself? Fine. He would. He would destroy Arcadia Academy — the place known for raising and training the Stoker Realm's geniuses.
On top of that, he didn't want to live off his wife's reputation and authority… That would be humiliating for a man like him.
Anyway, he had to go to the Academy because he was no longer the Ryan Family's heir, which meant he couldn't choose high-rank dungeons inside the family's territory to rank up. The Academy, even if he was just a low citizen now, would give him that chance.
And that was why his main quest was to destroy Arcadia Academy in his system — because that was the promise he made to his wife on purpose.
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[Name]: Carl Ryan
[Age]: 18
[Class]: Stoker
[Rank]: F [0/5000] (Requires Monster Card)
[Soul Rank]: ★ Dragon (Progress: 00.00%)
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System Restriction: Absolute
Talking to or touching any girl other than your wife is strictly forbidden. Penalty: Tortured by Thorned Shadow Vines for 24 hours.
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[Attributes] (★)
Strength : 2×1
Agility : 4×1
Vitality : 3×1
Intelligence : 3×1
Wisdom : 5×1
Available stat points: 0
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[Skills]
Soul-Devouring Flame — Rank: EX
Flame Breath — Rank: F
Draconic Physique — Rank: F
Basic Swordsmanship — Rank: A
Dragon Senses[Passive] — Rank: F
The Will of the Primordial Dragon God[Passive] — Rank: Unique (∞)
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[Inventory]
Slot 1: Mana Stone (Common) ×1
Slot 2: Water Flask ×1
Slot 3: Gold Coin ×1
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"Perfect… I can do it again!" Carl muttered as he stared at his rank on the system screen, visible only to him.
A faint warmth of pride—thinking of his wife—flickered across his face, only to vanish when he suddenly felt a shove and a loud scolding from behind.
"Hey! Watch where you're looking! Don't block the way!"
Shoved by some random guy, Carl stumbled forward and fell face-first into the dusty lamp-lit walkway. The narrow passage to the dungeon became clogged as the crowd behind him stopped short, hemmed in by potion trees on either side.
"You piece of shit!"
Angry voices erupted all around. Dozens of hostile eyes turned toward Carl. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up, his own temper flaring—only to realize with horror that his hood had been knocked back during the fall.
A guy, nearby, quickly recognized Carl, his lips trembling as if he was about to spit out some nonsense.
Carl's face twisted. The worst was happening—completely unexpected. He managed to grit out:
"...You damn… Don't—"
"It's him! The crippled heir of the Ryan Family—Carl Ryan!"
Carl sighed in boredom.
"Don't say my name…"