Chapter 21: Preparation (2)

The moonlight shone dimly into the dark room late at night.
I sat cross-legged in the middle of the dormitory floor.

There were only a few days left before the auction officially started.
During that time, I needed to prepare as much as possible before participating in the auction.

After all, the opponent was a Pandemonium executive.

“Phew…”

Jingle—
I shook the glass bottle in my hand from side to side.
The liquid inside shimmered, reflecting the moonlight.

An opportunity obtained during the group practical evaluation while conquering Mirror Lake, <Zelus’ Tears>.

The tears of a high-grade spirit are more effective than most elixirs.
It makes sense since just drinking it immediately boosts elemental affinity.

“……”

However, despite its remarkable effects, it also has a downside.
Although the effect is applied just by drinking it, the process of consuming it is quite painful.

In the game, the character would just collapse for a moment, and that would be it.
But who knows what could happen during that collapsing process?

Of course, it’s not like I’ll die.
The item description only mentions “excruciating pain,” not death.

But still, who likes pain?
That’s the reason I’ve been hesitant to drink it until now.

“I have to drink it, right…”

I won’t die, so it should be fine, right?
Yeah, if I’m aiming to clear the Honor Difficulty, what’s a bit of pain?

I pulled out the cork from the glass bottle.
With a clear sound, a faint chill wafted out.

“No way it’ll actually kill me, right?”

Gulp—
Without hesitation, I poured it into my mouth.

A smooth swallow, followed by a subtle cool sensation spreading down my throat.

And then I immediately regretted it.

“Grrrrk…”

It felt as if every single cell in my body was being wrung out like a wet rag.

An excruciating pain surged from my bones.
My head grew heavy, and I collapsed onto the floor.

Thud—
I tried to lift my body, but it felt as if I were tightly bound by ropes.

Even breathing was difficult.
I never expected it to be this painful.

The intense pain that seemed to tear my entire body apart made me want to scream.
But all that escaped through my parched lips was a faint groan.

“Ghh…”

The pain reached its peak.
Honestly, all I could think was that I was going to die at this rate.

At that moment, it felt as if a cold wave enveloped my body, drawing out all the heat.

Gradually, the pain began to subside.

“…Damn.”

A few minutes? A few hours?
I lost track of time, just lying flat on the floor.

I’m not exaggerating—it genuinely felt like I was going to die.
It was literally just short of death.

“Status window.”

—————————————————————-

[Status]
Name: Luke Richter
Lv: 43
Gender: Male
Mana: 7,350

Water Attribute Affinity: 100
< Synchronization Rate: 5.1% >

——————————————————————

They say hardship brings happiness.
The process was hellish, but the result was incredibly satisfying.

My mana increased by 500, and a new stat, Water Attribute Affinity, was unlocked.

The mana increase is significant, but the most valuable part is the water attribute affinity.

In Eterna Online, the only way to directly or indirectly enhance magic output is to increase elemental affinity.

I immediately gathered mana at my fingertips.

[1-star Magic: Ice]

Whirr—
A bright blue chill flowed from my fingertips.

Not only was the mana density higher than usual, but the output was also substantial.
At this level, it was at least equivalent to a 2-star magic spell.

“It’s pretty effective.”
As expected, things that are good for you usually taste bitter.

---

S-Class Classroom.

Class had ended, and I was on my way out.
However, my path was blocked by the Crown Prince and his followers, preventing me from leaving.

“I challenge you to a duel.”
“……”

Out of nowhere, Crown Prince Van Beonar declared a duel.
Thanks to that, all the students’ eyes shifted toward me and the Crown Prince.

“A duel?”
“Yes.”

Challenging me to a duel rather than just a sparring match?
It seems the provocation I pulled during the group practical evaluation was too effective.

“Why?”
“I have nothing to gain.”
“Nothing… to gain?”

Why would I agree to a duel when there’s no benefit for me?
There’s nothing to gain, and only potential losses, so there’s no reason to accept.

Despite my repeated refusals, his persistence was relentless.
It must have really hurt his pride during the group evaluation.

“Then how about this.”
“……”
“If you defeat me, I’ll grant you one request—anything you want.”

Van Beonar suddenly offered a blank check as a new condition.
This proposal is quite tempting.

“Anything?”
“Yes, anything within my ability.”

Now I’m interested…
If there’s a problem, it’s that I’ll have to beat him using a barely honorable method to maintain his inferiority complex—what a hassle.

‘What should I ask for?’

Of course, I can’t ask for something absurd like granting a wish.
But as the Crown Prince of an empire, there are plenty of useful things I could ask for.

And right now, I have a pressing need.
That is…

‘Here it comes, my personal vending machine!’

Money.
Right now, I need cash more than anything.

Poverty makes people miserable.
That’s why I absolutely can’t miss this chance.

There’s a vending machine that dispenses money right in front of me—how can I possibly resist?

“I accept.”
“Good, follow me to the training ground after class.”
“But before that, let’s draw up a contract.”
“What? A contract?”

The Crown Prince sounded utterly shocked.
In the game, quests were bound by unbreakable rules, but this situation is different.

“Yes, a contract.”
“Unbelievable. Are you saying a royal promise is untrustworthy?”
“Precisely because it’s untrustworthy, we need a formal contract. It’s actually a sign of respect.”
“…What?”

Van Beonar’s expression was filled with indescribable emotions, as if he were staring at someone on the street asking if he believed in some obscure cult.

“I also request the presence of a supervising professor as a witness.”
“……”
“If you’re confident of winning, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?”
“Hah, ridiculous.”

If we’re going to have a duel, it should be official and clear.
That way, there will be no complaints afterward.

“I accept the duel.”

It’s time to legally squeeze some money out of him.

---

Arranging for a supervising professor was simple.
I just directly asked my homeroom teacher, Louise.

“Duel supervision? Luke, are you really going to duel?”

At first, Louise was skeptical.
But after hearing the whole story, her enthusiasm as a passionate teacher kicked in, and she seemed to find it amusing.

Thus, the duel was officially set.
The contract was drafted and signed, and the necessary witness verification was completed.

And now, finally—
As the duel was about to begin, I found myself locking eyes with the Crown Prince.

“Before the duel, I will explain the simple rules.”

Dozens of students gathered to watch.
Maybe it’s because of the provocative phrase: a duel between a commoner disciplinary committee member and the Crown Prince of the Belkin Empire.
There were far too many spectators.

“Unlike sparring, there is no time limit. The duel continues until one side becomes unable to fight. However, excessive violence is prohibited. If the supervising professor intervenes, the duel will be stopped immediately.”

Louise gave a brief explanation.
However, the Crown Prince’s gaze had been fixed on me all day.

“I’ve been waiting for this day.”
“……”

The key to this duel isn’t victory but the method.
To properly manage his inferiority complex, I must protect his reputation as much as possible.

Even if I win, I have to make it look as disgraceful and underhanded as possible.
That way, it will frame the loss as being due to the dishonorable tricks of a lowly commoner.

“Are you prepared?”
“Of course.”

As we exchanged our brief resolve, Louise shouted.

“Get ready!”

I wore the Wise Man’s Glasses.
Memorize was also ready to activate.

“Begin!”

The duel began.
At the same time, I activated the 1-star magic spell stored in Memorize.

[1-star Magic: Dig]

A deep hole formed under the Crown Prince’s feet, causing him to fall.

“What…!”

With a short cry, the Crown Prince vanished into the ground.

Now’s the moment.

[1-star Magic: Aqua]
[3-star Magic: Lightning Bolt]

I conjured water in midair using Aqua, a 1-star magic spell.
Normally, Aqua would only create a small amount of water.

However, my Water Attribute Affinity has been significantly boosted after drinking Zelus’ Tears.

A massive stream of water poured from the air, filling the hole.
Then, from my fingertips, dozens of lightning arcs exploded fiercely.

Crackle—!!
High-voltage currents covered the water filling the hole.

Soak the opponent and induce paralysis with an electric spell—basic tactics.
Since it’s a low-level spell, it won’t cause major damage, but the goal is just to make him mad.

[3-star Magic: Ice Field]

Simultaneously, the magic formula appeared above the hole and then vanished.

Crack—!!
The water in the hole, flowing with high-voltage electricity, froze in an instant.

An extremely quick sequence of actions.
The students watching were stunned as they stared at the hole, which was now exuding cold air.

‘This is just the beginning.’

There’s no way that combination of low-level spells actually harmed him.
But the condition for victory in this duel is incapacitation.

In other words, even if he’s unharmed, as long as he can’t move, I win.

[3-star Magic: Psychokinesis]

I used my mana to lift large rocks nearby.
I stacked the rocks on top of the frozen hole like a makeshift tower.

“Phew.”

Good.
It should take him quite some time to get out of that.

“……”

An eerie silence filled the training ground.
Everyone probably thought this absurd duel was the weirdest they’d ever seen.

But the process doesn’t matter.
In the end, incapacity is incapacity.

Which means, I won.