The sounds of the Southern Practice Yard grew louder the heavy clang of steel, the grunts of training knights, and the harsh laughter of the bullies.
Leo stepped through the archway and onto the dirt and gravel. The large, open space was busy. In the far corner, near a rack of dull, wooden swords, stood Varrus and his two lackeys, Garet and Kael.
They weren't training. Kael was holding up a dirty training shield, and Garet was lazily hitting it. Varrus, the strongest of the group (STR 6), was leaning against the stone wall, watching. When Leo walked into the yard, Varrus straightened up.
"Well, look who decided to crawl out of the sickroom," Varrus sneered, his voice loud enough to turn a few heads. "Did you miss us, Theron? Or did you just come to fetch us some water, since that's all you're good for?"
Garet and Kael laughed, the familiar, cruel sound making the rage inside Leo coil tight. The memories of Theron's pain flared up, mixing with Leo's own battle lust.
Leo ignored the mocking words. He took three deliberate steps toward them. His body was weak, Level 2, but his mind was sharp, calculating the distance and angle.
"I didn't come to fetch water," Leo said, his voice low and steady. He picked up a solid piece of training wood from the ground not a sword, just a heavy, splintered piece of lumber. "I came to end this."
Varrus pushed off the wall and started to walk forward, clearly confused by the prince's sudden courage. "End what, worm? You're going to trip over your own feet? Go back to your room, or I'll do what I did yesterday and "
That was enough. Leo didn't wait for the rest of the threat.
Skill Activated: Combat Focus – 5:00 Minutes Remaining!
A cold, fiery energy erupted in Leo's body. It didn't feel like magic, but like an engine suddenly kicking into top gear. His muscles, which had felt like thin ropes moments ago, tightened into steel cables. The aches in his ribs vanished.
STR 2 → STR 8. Now we play.
Varrus was still walking towards him, eyes narrowed. But Garet (STR 4) and Kael (STR 5) were standing side-by-side, perfectly blocking Leo's path to Varrus.
Leo didn't waste a second. He burst into a sprint.
His first target was the weakest, Garet. Leo didn't swing the wooden plank. Instead, he dropped his shoulder and slammed his entire STR 8 body directly into Garet's chest.
The impact was like a charging bull hitting a thin wall. Garet, who expected the usual flinch from the prince, simply crumpled. The air whooshed out of his lungs, and he dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Kael was already reacting, raising his fists. But Leo was faster. He swung the heavy wooden plank not at Kael's head, but at his knee. A quick, brutal swing aimed at the joint.
A sickening crack echoed across the yard. Kael screamed, a high, panicked sound, and went down clutching his shattered leg.
The entire sequence took less than five seconds. The clanging of practice swords around the yard stopped. Everyone was staring at Prince Theron, the weakling, who now stood panting, two bullies already defeated.
Varrus froze, his sneer replaced by pure, wide-eyed shock. "What… what did you do?"
"I learned to fight back," Leo said, discarding the broken wooden plank. He didn't need it. His hands were enough.
Varrus was big, his STR 6 giving him a powerful build, but he was slow and predictable. He relied on intimidation, not skill. He charged forward with a furious roar, throwing a wide, clumsy fist aimed at Leo's head.
Leo ducked easily. The rush of air from the miss barely touched his hair. He countered instantly. He stepped inside Varrus's guard, used his temporary superior strength (STR 8) to grab the back of Varrus's head, and drove his knee up hard into the bully's face.
The hit was solid, fueled by the combined rage of the prince and the battle junkie. Varrus staggered back, blood pouring from his nose, suddenly unsure and afraid.
"You're strong," Varrus gasped, wiping the blood with his sleeve. "But you're still a dog! I'll crush your "
Leo didn't let him finish. This was a five-minute sprint, not a marathon. He launched himself forward, delivering a quick series of strikes: one to the ribs, one to the solar plexus, and a final, crushing hit to the gut. Each blow connected with the force of a battering ram.
Varrus didn't have the training (Level 5) to handle a sustained assault from someone with a higher STR. He dropped heavily to his knees, his hands clamped over his stomach, tears of shock and pain running down his face.
"Never touch me again," Leo commanded, kicking Varrus's shoulder hard enough to make him fall flat onto the dirt.
Mission Complete: First Revenge
Objective: Humiliate the Bully Varrus.
Time Remaining: 4:11 Minutes.
The blue screen flashed, brilliant and satisfying.
Reward Claimed: Permanent STR +5
Host STR: 2 + 5 = 7/10 Host Overall Level: 2 → 5
New Status: Trainee Candidate (STR 7/10) Combat Focus Deactivated. Massive Fatigue Incoming in 3… 2… 1…
The powerful strength vanished. The energy that had filled Leo's body drained away instantly, leaving him heavy and dizzy. His legs trembled. He had to lean on the nearby sword rack to stay standing. But the mission was done.
Varrus was still lying on the ground, whimpering. Leo looked down at the defeated bullies and felt the deep, cold satisfaction of the completed mission. The weak prince Theron was gone, and the battle junkie had just stepped onto the stage.