Martin was already standing in the middle of the arena when I arrived.
The Valerius family arena was a vast circular field, its floor covered with white sand meant to soften heavy impacts.
He held a wooden sword in one hand, standing casually with an arrogant smile on his face. As if this duel wasn’t a battle at all… but merely entertainment for him.
Mocking whispers began rising from the audience seats as I stepped onto the arena.
“Look at that, the Valerius bastard.”
“He actually came.”
“He doesn’t even know how to hold a sword.”
“Just wait, Martin will beat him to a pulp.”
I ignored all of it. My steps remained calm as I picked up the wooden sword provided at the side of the arena.
The sword felt light in my hand…
But I knew the truth. My stats were trash. Absolute trash. Standing before me was someone far stronger.
Martin Valerius.
According to Cleo’s memories, Martin had already reached the level of an Intermediate Swordsman, an impressive achievement for a thirteen-year-old. His skill was even well known among the children of the Valerius family.
Flash Step.
A technique that made his movements extremely fast.
Martin looked at me with clear ridicule.
“So you actually came.”
He slowly raised his sword.
“I’ve already decided something.”
His smile twisted into something cruel.
“I won’t let you leave this arena with your body intact.”
He pointed his sword toward my hand.
“I’ll break that hand of yours.”
“At least then… you’ll never touch a sword again.”
Several spectators laughed.
Then Martin added with a tone full of contempt,
“Besides… your blood is filthy.”
“Your mother is nothing but a lowly woman who seduced the Patriarch.”
My fists clenched instantly. The emotions I had been suppressing suddenly exploded inside my chest. This body wasn’t originally mine.
But when his mother was insulted…
My chest ached. Maybe these were the lingering feelings of Cleo. I stared at Martin coldly without saying a word.
At that moment, an old knight walked into the center of the arena. He was the judge of the duel.
“This duel follows the rules of the Valerius family,” he announced loudly.
“Only wooden swords may be used.”
“The match will end if one side surrenders… or is unable to continue fighting.”
He looked at both of us.
“Do you understand?”
I nodded slowly. Martin didn’t even bother answering. The old knight raised his hand.
“The duel… begins!”
Martin moved. So fast that his figure almost blurred. His sword instantly slashed toward me.
My body was sent flying several meters backward. My chest felt like it had been struck by a hammer. I almost lost my balance.
Damn it…
The difference in strength was too big.
Martin walked toward me casually.
“As expected.”
He chuckled.
“You can’t even block a single strike.”
He raised his sword again.
“I can torture you slowly.”
“Because you’re nothing but talentless trash.”
Then he attacked again. His sword moved like lightning. I could barely see the direction of his strikes. His blade slammed into my shoulder. Pain spread throughout my body. I staggered backward again.
The next attacks came endlessly.
Left.
Right.
Shoulder.
Leg.
I was forced back across the entire arena. Even though the sword was made of wood…
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Every hit felt like it could break my bones. The spectators started laughing.
“Hahaha! He can’t even fight back!”
“Martin isn’t even serious yet!”
Martin continued swinging his sword relentlessly while mocking me.
“Hahaha! Trash!”
“How long do you plan to keep struggling?!”
His sword struck my arm.
Then my leg.
Then my shoulder again.
My body was growing heavier. My breathing became unstable.
If this continued…
I would lose.
No.
I would be destroyed.
Damn it.
I had to use that skill.
“Anime Knowledge… activate.”
My consciousness suddenly sank into a strange world. I stood in a vast empty space. Yet surrounding me were thousands of glowing lights floating in the air.
Each of those lights…
Contained sword techniques from the anime I had watched.
My eyes widened.
It was like a library. A library of combat techniques.
But when I touched several of them…
Notifications appeared.
Insufficient mana.
Insufficient stamina.
Damn.
Most of the techniques here were far too heavy for my current body.
I kept searching, then one technique caught my attention.
Absolute Slash
Cost:
Mana: 15
Stamina: 4
My eyes narrowed. This might be the only technique I could use right now.
But only once.
If I failed…
I was finished.
My consciousness returned to the arena. Martin’s sword nearly hit my face. I barely dodged, the blade missed my head by a few centimeters.
Martin looked even more annoyed.
“You’re still standing?!”
I was breathing heavily, my body was covered in bruises. But I noticed something, Martin was too confident. He attacked without thinking.
Then suddenly, he stopped attacking. Martin burst out laughing.
“I’m really enjoying this!”
He spread his arms wide.
“Torturing you in front of the entire family feels amazing!”
An opening, this was my chance. I stepped forward.
Martin smirked mockingly.
“Oh? The trash finally wants to attack?”
“No matter what you do, you’ll never—”
I attacked. But midway through my movement, I changed my motion. My foot shot forward and struck directly between his precious jewels.
The arena instantly fell silent.
Martin collapsed onto the ground. His eyes bulged. His face turned pale.
“Y-you…!”
He gritted his teeth.
“You bastard!”
“You used such a dirty trick?!”
I smirked.
“That’s what you get for lowering your guard.”
“Idiot.”
I raised my sword. Mana began flowing through my body.
“Anime Knowledge…”
“Absolute Slash.”
My movement felt different. As if my body was moving on its own. The wooden sword was suddenly coated in mana, then it swung with a speed even I couldn’t follow.
SLASH.
For a moment…
The arena was silent. Then blood sprayed across the sand. A severed arm fell onto the arena floor.
Martin stared blankly. He looked toward his shoulder. Then toward his left arm lying on the ground.
My wooden sword shattered instantly.
His face turned pale.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
His scream of pain echoed throughout the arena.
The audience rose from their seats.
“Impossible!”
“How can a wooden sword cut off an arm?!”
“What technique was that?!”
Even the soldiers of the Valerius family looked shocked.
At the highest seat. The Patriarch of the Valerius family, who had been silent the entire time, finally leaned forward slightly. For the first time…
His eyes were truly focused on me.
The old knight quickly jumped into the arena.
“Enough!”
“The duel is over!”
He looked at both of us before announcing loudly.
“The winner…”
“Cleo Valerius!”
But there were no cheers. Most of the spectators simply stared at me in disbelief. I checked my status.
Mana: 5
Stamina: 1
My body felt extremely heavy. My vision started fading.
Damn…
I pushed myself too far. My body collapsed in the middle of the arena. And my consciousness sank into darkness. My consciousness slowly returned.
But when I opened my eyes…
I was not in the arena. Nor in my room, I stood inside a vast and silent space. Everything looked like a dark empty dimension, as if I were standing inside endless void.
But something was different, thousands of small lights floated around me, they looked like glowing books. Some were dim, others shone brightly.
I looked around in confusion.
“Where is this…?”
Suddenly a voice came from behind me.
“This is the world of our mind.”
I turned around immediately. A boy stood several steps behind me, black hair, gentle eyes. A face that looked extremely familiar.
He was the boy I had seen in the mirror.
Cleo Valerius.
He walked toward me with a small smile.
“Congratulations on your victory.”
“I didn’t expect you to defeat Brother Martin.”
I stared at him in shock.
“Cleo…?”
“Weren’t you supposed to be dead?”
Cleo shook his head calmly.
“No.”
“I’m not dead.”
He looked around the space.
“I simply became a spirit that resides within my skill.”
I frowned.
“Your skill?”
Cleo nodded.
“Anime Knowledge.”
He pointed toward the floating lights.
“This place is actually the space inside that skill.”
I looked around again.
“A library…?”
Cleo chuckled softly.
“It should have been.”
“But it wasn’t.”
He looked at me with curiosity.
“You know… when I was eight years old, the Valerius family held a skill awakening ceremony.”
“All noble children receive their skills that day.”
“Some obtained sword skills.”
“Some obtained magic.”
He paused briefly.
“I obtained this skill.”
“Anime Knowledge.”
I asked quietly.
“And then?”
Cleo smiled bitterly.
“This skill was useless.”
He walked toward one of the floating lights. When he touched it, the light disappeared.
“Every time I used this skill…”
“I entered this place.”
He looked around the empty space.
“But there was nothing here.”
“Just emptiness.”
“No techniques.”
“No power.”
“Nothing.”
I began to understand.
“So that’s why you called it useless.”
Cleo nodded.
“That’s right.”
“That’s why everyone laughed at me.”
“The bastard child… who even received a trash skill.”
Then he looked at me again, his eyes shining.
“But everything changed when you came.”
I stayed silent. Cleo pointed toward the floating lights.
“When you used the skill earlier…”
“This place suddenly filled with techniques that don’t even exist in this world.”
He walked closer to me.
“Ryu.”
“Where did all these techniques come from?”
I scratched my head.
“Anime.”
Cleo looked confused.
“What’s anime?”
I chuckled.
“Think of it as… stories from my world.”
Cleo looked around with amazement.
“Amazing…”
“All of these techniques came from stories?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
Cleo smiled widely.
“In that case…”
“This skill finally has meaning.”
He looked at me seriously.
“Ryu.”
“I don’t know whether summoning you to this world was the right decision or not.”
“But there is one thing I know.”
His eyes became slightly watery.
“I was tired of living as Cleo Valerius.”
“Being insulted…”
“Being looked down on…”
“And watching my mother cry because of me.”
He lowered his head.
“I was too weak to change my own life.”
Then he lifted his head again.
“But you’re different.”
“You even dared to fight Martin.”
He smiled sincerely.
“From now on, I’ll help you.”
“I’ll remain here.”
“As a spirit inside your mind.”
“As your friend.”
He extended his hand.
“Ryu.”
“Show me the life that my mother and I dreamed of.”
“Make the Valerius family regret ever looking down on us.”
I looked at his hand, then I shook it.
“Alright.”
“From now on… we’ll live as Cleo Valerius.”
Cleo smiled in satisfaction, but his body slowly began to fade.
“Looks like you’re about to wake up.”
He said softly.
“Ryu…”
“Thank you.”
“For protecting my mother.”
His voice gradually disappeared.
“Now… wake up.”
My consciousness returned to the real world.
I opened my eyes.
I was already in my room.
