System VS Rebirth Chapter 1: 1-10, a 13 tzameti fanfic

After Stargaze Family executed his family, Noel Ardagan embarked on his journey, restoring his family name with the help of a System. "What? How the heck did she get it before me? The system told me that I'm the only one who knows about it!" Noel Ardagan cursed in anger, "That conniving murdering woman!" "At this point in time, only I should be aware about this tomb. But how did he find out about it?" Anna Stargaze, even after her reincarnation, couldn't comprehend Noel's actions. The clash between of a person holding a system and a reincarnator who knows everything in the future is about to start.

Thump!*

"To think I need to take care this useless nobody," said a guy with a full metal armor covering his body. He pushed a man off the carriage and spat on him.

"This is a result after a small viscount family offended the royal family as well as the Stargaze Marquis Family."

"It's just the usual fight for the throne, the losing side faces their extermination since they can't submit to the current king."

"The family was executed. I heard his parents beg the royal family to spare their only son."

"No one has ever heard anything about him. He doesn't excel in sword, magic, or even literature. The royal family is a sadist, ain't they? They exile this useless guy to the Demon Banner Army. He won't live long."

"Sssshh… We don't want anyone to hear that. Let's just leave right now since we've sent him here. Someone should pick him up later."

"Right."

After realizing they said something wrong, the two soldiers left in a haste, not wanting to deal with this matter anymore.

A skinny-looking youth with a handsome but tired face clenched the red-colored sword in his hand. He was Noel Ardagan, the only son of Viscount Ardagan.

'Just you wait. What you have thrown away will eventually come back to you.' Noel gritted his teeth and looked at the red colored sword in his hand, muttering in a low voice. "Father said the key of our family revival is in this sword and I need to get stronger first before heading to the former third prince."

Noel remembered the oath he took when he was a child. "I am Noel Ardagan. In front of the family heirloom I swore I shall become the master of Ardagan who everyone could be proud of."

Kacha!*

A cracking sound echoed in his ears as his body trembled out of surprise. He widened his eyes and stared at this red sword with a dumbfounded expression.

p A red light dimly glowed from the red jewel embedded on the sword's hilt before a blood colored aura flew to the back of his right palm as though it was a fluid.

"Wha—" Noel instinctively dropped the sword to the ground and pulled up his hand, not knowing what kind of substance had just come into his hand.

There was no pain spread in his hand, making it look harmless. But Noel couldn't be so sure.

He lowered his head and checked his hand, only to find a red colored cross appeared on his hand.

'What is this symbol?' Noel frowned, looking left and right wondering whether anyone saw what just happened. He didn't expect it to be this way, so he just took an oath there.

Luckily, the two soldiers dropped him two hundred meters from the town's gate and no one was around.

Curious, he touched the symbol with his forefinger. As if responding to his touch, the symbol let out a glowing light and projected a small translucent screen.

[System of Honor]

[Training]

[Medal]

[Career]

[Status]

[Shop]

The moment he saw this screen, his head instinctively turned around and checked the area again. After all, this was bigger than what happened earlier.

The screen on his hand could be seen easily by anyone even from afar.

Without hesitation, he ran toward a tree not far from his position, hiding his body as well as the screen. Even though he wasn't as talented as those geniuses, he was, by no means, a fool.

Everybody around him would be suspicious had they seen the screen. There was even a chance his hand becoming a target.

While running away, he also found the screen actually followed his hand's movement.

He put his hand in front of him, lining it up with the tree behind him so that no one could see the screen from the city's direction.

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After he thought no one would see him anymore, Noel observed the screen and asked himself. "What is this? Since it's coming out of my hand, can I touch it?"

Curious, he extended his hand and touched the screen.

Thud!*

It felt as if he touched a solid surface and because he had pressed the 'Medal' panel, the screen changed. All the panels disappeared and a few words appeared in the screen.

[Honor: 0]

Medal: Good Citizen Merit𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Requirement: Help 5 Townspeople

Reward: Good Citizen Medal and 2 Honor Points

Medal: Military Service Merit

Requirement: Kill 10 Demons

Reward: Military Service Medal and 3 Honor Points

"…" Noel was stunned when he saw all this, not because the screen changed, but because of the requirements. It struck deep in his heart as he remembered what happened in the past.

"I heard from my father that the ancestor was a normal commoner that rose through the rank from his merits. He often helped other commoners, nobles, and people in need. Of course, he was also a good commander on the battlefield, but it was a kind of military merit too."

It was easy for Noel to correlate what the ancestor did to these missions. With how small the requirement of these medals and how big the ancestor did in the past, it was clear this wasn't the end.

There would be more medals in the future which would give a more dangerous task.

"I see. So, this is the reason why my ancestor did all those meticulous tasks. It was all for this." Noel clenched his fists. "In other words, father should have known something about this. That's the reason for handing me this sword. He wants me to rebuild our noble family like the ancestor!"

Anger, excitement, sadness, and happiness mixed in his heart. On the one hand, he wished his father could tell him more about all this and that they didn't need to die. On the other hand, he was confused why his father didn't use this power to escape from the execution.

"Either way, my goal hasn't changed. I'm going to make those who kill my parents pay! Wait for me." Noel swore while clutching his fist, showing his determination. "Especially, that Anna Stargaze. She's the main reason why they killed my family. Only her I won't ever forgive. I will…"

…

Stargaze Family.

"Your name!" Anna's body suddenly trembled as her body rose from the bed. "Eh?"

She was utterly shocked as she realized that her hands became smaller and her skin became a lot more tender.

'This… this is my room?' With just a single glance, she recognized the place. The position of the table, the bed color, the window… Everything looked fresh in her memory.

Anna looked toward the side, specifically the mirror, and saw her young, beautiful face.

"I was actually reborn?" Anna was speechless. The memory of her dying together with Noel was still fresh in her mind.

…

"Noel Ardagan! Why did you destroy the royal family?! Do you know how much the people will suffer from the demons?!"

A shout erupted under the rain, followed by a thunder as if reflecting her anger.

A sturdy-looking youth with a handsome face and unyielding aura stood in front of her. His calm face became even colder and aloof when she uttered those words.

He was Noel Ardagan, the former Marquis Ardagan.

"There's no need for that corrupted kingdom to continue. You think they were willingly fight against the demons? You're too naive." Noel shook his head in disappointment. "I always thought of you as my archenemy this whole time, but I realized that you were just a mere puppet controlled by the demons. I lost my interest in you. As long as you leave this land and stop getting controlled by the demons, I will spare you and your family."

His eyes were locked on this desperate woman.

Even though her golden hair was wet and blood flowed out of her mouth, her pretty face still made the girls around her feel jealous.

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"You're the one who don't know anything!" She shouted back, releasing all her anger. "Do you think you know it all? You think you're right, but you turn out to be wrong."

"You can keep believing in your ideal. I don't care for I have seen everything." Noel raised his sword. "If you don't disappear right now, I won't hesitate to fight you. After killing you, I'll destroy your family."

"So be it!" She gritted her teeth and raised her sword. A red flame gushed out of her body, emitting an intense heat in this cold rain.

Suddenly, the temperature became colder as the rain droplets gradually froze. Noel's gaze became extremely cold as he leaped forward.

Not wanting to lose, the woman also approached him with her burning sword.

The moment their swords clashed, blue and red light flickered. The rain droplets refracted the light and brightened this plain.

The flowing blue and red light created an overwhelming pressure in the area, cracking the ground and sending a shock wave away.

Noel considered her his archenemy simply due to her strength. Even with all his strength, he never once defeated her.

However, everything was different this time. He had prepared a trump card this time.

With the sword on his right hand, Noel reached for a necklace with his left hand. "Anna. It's time for you to die."

The blue jewel on his necklace shone brightly, blinding both of them. Even though their eyes closed, both of them still pushed each other sword, trying to gain some advantage while Noel waited for the blue jewel to show its might.

Little did he know, Anna wore a similar necklace that shone together with Noel's necklace as if they embraced each other.

Suddenly, both of them felt a stabbing pain on their chests as they couldn't help but spat a mouthful of blood.

"Gah!"

They both opened their eyes no matter how bright the light was, only to be shocked of what happened.

"Master!" Anna's eyes widened and her jaws dropped, not believing her master to appear here to kill Noel.

"Your Highness!" The same applied to Noel. This person was an important person in his life, yet, he never realized he was the person he saw as a friend to be smiling at his last moment.

After all, Anna's Master thrust her sword through his heart until it pierced through Anna's heart. The same as Noel's best friend and lord. He killed Anna with a single stab in her heart along with his right chest.

Anna and Noel fell to the ground at the same time, realizing they had been betrayed by the person closest to them.

"Finally, both monsters have died. Now, there's no one who can stop us." The man smiled and looked at Anna's Master. "It's their fault for getting too strong."

"It's as you predicted, Your Highness. I may not be as strong as my student, but please let me serve you, Your Majesty." She bowed politely.

"We shall return… together."

A smile appeared on her face as her figure disappeared into thin air like the man before her, leaving the Noel and Anna to die.

Noel gritted his teeth and glared at Anna's pale face before his eyes shifted to the jewels on their necklaces.

"I see. He used me this whole time." Noel muttered in a low voice. "You were right. I should have trust no one."

This might be the first time they were in front of each other without having a fight. She closed her eyes with regret while saying, "No. I was wrong as well. They might have planned to kill us this whole time. I shouldn't have fought against you… If only I could go back, I wanted to fix my past."

"It's just your wishful thinking."

"Yeah. Can you… tell me why did you want to kill me?" Anna asked her last question, knowing they both couldn't last any longer.

"My… name…" Noel tried to answer her but his vision turned back as he lost the last bit of energy left in his body.

"Your… name…" Anna muttered those last two words in her last breath.

…

In the instant she regained her memory, her mind completely focused on Noel and his last two words. "That's right. His name… His name is Noel, Noel Ardagan. Wait, Ardagan?"

Suddenly, a lot of memory flashed in her mind. This was the memory of her younger self. And there was one part that told her about Ardagan. It was her convincing her family to join hands with the royal family to destroy Ardagan Family.

With that memory stuck in her mind, her face became pale as Anna clutched her head. Her back was covered with cold sweat. "I was the one who caused the downfall of the Ardagan Family… No wonder he couldn't forgive me."

"Should I kill him right now? No, no. Noel Ardagan was a man with good reputation. He helped people in need and did more good stuff, but more importantly, his strength was strong enough to scare the demons. He is more useful when he is alive."

There was only one solution appearing in her mind.

"I might need to risk my life to solve the hatred between us because after that, his strength is enough to become this kingdom's hero."

Unbeknownst to them, both Anna and Noel clutched their right hand on their chest and said at the same time.

"I will change him (kill her)!"

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ADVERTISEMENTBanner Fort.

Noel stood in front of a middle-aged man with a tired and sad expression. Although he had seen some hope in his revenge, he couldn't show it yet because they might eliminate him when there was a chance.

The atmosphere in the room turned cold for a while, so much so that even the middle-aged man couldn't help but shake his head as he stopped glaring at him.

The previous fierce gaze from him vanished into thin air, replaced by a gentle stare full of pity.

"I know your family, especially your father. Your father didn't know me, but I often saw him when he visited the third prince." A deep voice resounded inside the room.

"…" Noel remained silent, but in his mind, he was quite shaken when the third prince was mentioned. His father also told him to go to the third prince because he supported him previously.

Even though the third prince had been stripped of his status after losing the throne war, he still had quite deep connections.

"I'm not your father's ally, but the third prince has agreed to take care of you… It seems your father knew his fate and wanted to save you." The middle-aged man pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling troubled.

"Did my father truly…" Noel suddenly fell silent and looked down. Although he wanted to be careful, he was still a naive 15 years old boy. He couldn't contain his curiosity when the guy brought up his father.

"That's right. So, the third prince gave me two instructions." The middle-aged man nodded.

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"Two instructions?" Noel squinted his eyes, observing the man's expression. This man was the lord of this ford, Baron Oscar.

Because of his overwhelming battle prowess, he, who was a commoner, was granted a title of baron by the previous king. With such a status, there was nothing he couldn't do in this fort. If this person helped him, Noel might be able to start his revenge.

Unfortunately, not everything went according to his expectation. Oscar said, "First of all, you're going to have two identities. Noel Ardagan and Leon."

"Two identities?" Noel tilted his head in confusion, not understanding the need for double identities.

"That's right. If you die so easily, the people will think you have no effort. You need to survive for a while before 'dying.' This will make the nobles who hurt your family worry for your sudden growth but soon feel relieved because your talent is only at that level. This should match your average talent that they know about."

𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝐌

Noel looked down, pondering his words.

Oscar paused for a moment and continued, "As for your second identity, you'll also build up this identity. So, you're going to use both identities intermittently so that both of you don't seem to appear or disappear out of nowhere. After Noel Ardagan 'dies,' you can continue with this identity to start your revenge plan if you want."

Noel widened his eyes, amused by the plan. To think there was a reason for double identities, he thought he only needed to die and got a new identity right at the bat. But now he realized his thinking was still short-sighted.

"Of course. You can practice here so that you won't die while completing a mission."

"I understand. If you're going to facilitate me, I have no reason to refuse." Noel nodded in agreement.

"Good. As for the second instruction… your father entrusted this to His Highness and His Highness entrusted this to me. He believes you know what this means." Oscar took out a thumb-sized crystal and placed it on the edge of the table so that Noel could take it.

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Noel furrowed his eyebrows and examined this black jewel. It looked like a normal mineral that didn't give off any feeling.

However, it was clear the mineral was for a purpose. He suddenly remembered there was a small dent in the sword hilt.

That dent wasn't created because of a fight, but it was made for the gem. As for the reasons, he couldn't understand it.

Although Noel had figured it out, he didn't say anything about this. After all, the sword was his family heirloom. It would be foolish of him to give information about his family heirloom, especially since the guy said he wasn't his father's ally.

"Hmm… My father never mentioned this jewel, but since he left it for me, I'll take it." Noel nodded and took the jewel with a sad expression. He placed the jewel on his chest while saying, "Father…"

Oscar felt his emotion and sighed, pitying the kid who was thrown to this brutal battlefield.

"Anyway, if you go out with another identity, make sure you get another sword. We can't afford anyone recognizing the sword, since it's… quite eye-catching. Just take it from the barrack later and tell them this is my order."

"I understand. I'll be careful."

"Then take this." Oscar took out a key and tossed it to him.

Noel hurriedly extended his hand and caught the key. Confused, he asked, "A key?"

"Although I don't know your father personally, since he once supported the third prince like I do, I won't treat you unjustly. There is a gray and white building two blocks from here. You can get a private room there… The key will lead you to the furthest room in the third floor. It's small and a bit uncomfortable, but at least, you don't need to share it with other soldiers here. That's the least I can do for you."

Noel widened his eyes, amazed by this graciousness. He smiled for the first time after the incident and thanked him politely. "Thank you for your help, Baron Oscar. I'll remember it."

Oscar waved his hand as if it wasn't a big deal and said, "Go put your belongings there. Tomorrow, come to the barrack and get some basic training. Your first mission will be handed one week from now."

"Yes. Please excuse me." Noel nodded and turned around, leaving the room. He felt a bit happy to get a decent start for his revenge. He thought, 'I'm not going to waste this chance. Just you wait, I'm going to destroy the Stargaze Family and put the royal family to shame.'

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Stargaze Family.

On the contrary to Noel's resolve, Anna had just found the biggest problem in her life.

The atmosphere became gloomy, her expression darkened, and blue veins popped out on Anna's face.

"Uu…" Anna let out a depressing wail while clutching her head, muttering, "What did he do again? I didn't have many memories about him. All I knew was him trying to kill me all of a sudden."

Anna was still debating whether to eliminate Noel or not. On the one hand, Noel could become this country big shot and prevented the demons from taking over. On the other hand, she had gained the second chance. Her power should increase by leaps and bounds since she knew many things from her past life.

'Can his progress keep up with mine?'

Noel was the most talented person she had seen. If not because of her teacher and the kingdom pouring resources to her, she wouldn't be Noel's opponent.

Although they were betrayed by the people they trusted the most at the very end, Noel still saved most of the kingdom's innocent citizens from the great war. It was clear Noel had a significance importance to the kingdom and what had to come.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝑀

"I should see his progress first. If he can't keep up with me, I'll eliminate him to avoid future problems. If the speed of his progress is similar to mine, I'll try to resolve the situation between us."

Now that Anna had gathered her resolve and found her answer, the only thing she needed to do was to find out where Noel was exiled.

After all, Noel could overcome any problems in the past.

Anna kept her cold face and exited her room, heading straight to the person that had the answer to her question.

…

Sean Stargaze's Study Room.

Sean Stargaze, Anna's father, was a middle-aged man with sharp eyes. He managed to take on many opportunities to raise the family's status. And with his genius daughter, it wouldn't be that long until the royal family offered a marriage proposal.

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Now that his biggest opponent, Viscount Ardagan, had died, nothing could stop him now.

"Even though he was only a viscount, his reputation had run deep in the citizens' hearts… Not only his own subjects, but other territories'. If we didn't eliminate him, there would be a chance of uprising." He mumbled in a low voice while staring at the garden outside.

Knock!*

"Father. It's me."

A series of knocks followed by his daughter's voice resounded across the room.

His serious expression disappeared, replaced by a small, gentle smile. He turned around while saying, "Come in."

Anna opened the door with a serious expression, walking to the front of her father's work desk.

"Anna… Do you need anything from me?"

Anna politely bowed her head while slightly raising her skirt, greeting her father. "Good morning, Father."

"Um." Sean nodded, observing her daughter's expression.

"Actually, I'd like to request Father's help."

"What is it? As long as it's within my means, I will do my best to help you."

"Then, I won't be polite." Anna paused for a moment before saying. "I wish to know Noel Ardagan's whereabouts."

No matter how absurd her wish was, it still wasn't special enough to surprise him. However, never in his wildest dream would this wish appear in his mind.

He couldn't contain his surprise in front of his daughter. Noel Ardagan was the child that Viscount Ardagan protected with his life. In fact, he traded his life as long as the royal family spared Noel's life.

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So, her daughter asking Noel's whereabouts put a frown on his face.

"Why do you want to know it?" Sean asked, probing Anna's intention. He couldn't afford to have Noel harm Anna. Although her daughter was a genius, there were many methods that could kill a person stronger than you.

On the contrary, Anna also forgot to consider this question. In her father's perspective, they were enemies. They might have won not long ago, but the situation still lingered.

After pondering the answer for a few seconds, she replied with a calm tone. "Father always taught me not to spare my enemy…"

"!!!" Marquis Stargaze widened his eyes, amused by her respond. Curious, he looked into her eyes, finding no lies in it.

Of course, there was no lie. Anna indeed planned to kill him… but only if Noel was useless.

Although he had some few reasons to reject her, he could use this chance to train Anna. And he might spare his life, but if his genius daughter was the one to do it, no one would complain.

The hesitation remained for a few minutes before Sean revealed Noel's whereabouts. "The royal family exiled him to the Demon Banner Army."

"Banner Fort, Demon Banner Army…" Anna sucked a cold breath when she heard the 'Demon Banner Army.'

She lowered her head and said inwardly, 'In the past, there's a huge commotion in the Demon Banner Army because there was an Ancient Demon Tree sleeping not far from the forest. This Demon Tree was killed by an unknown person because its strength had yet to recover from the long slumber… Now that I think about it, that mysterious person kept racking more and more achievement there and suddenly disappeared as if he wasn't there to begin with.

'It was the time Noel's name started to resound in the cities and villages near the Banner Fort… Don't tell me, the mysterious guy was Noel all along?'

Anna started gathering those pieces of information and no matter how hard she tried to deny it, all the clues led to Noel being the mysterious person.

'As expected, this might be the reason why Noel could become strong. I should use this opportunity to go to the Demon Banner Army. I can either observe Noel's movement and confirm his identity or take Noel's opportunity from rising… This way, I can decide whether to kill him or not. But what should I say to my Father so that he allows me to go to a dangerous place like this?'

"Is there something wrong?" Sean was unaware of the wild thoughts in Anna's mind. He became a bit suspicious of her reaction since she kept lowering her head, making him unable to observe her expression.

"Father… Can you grant your daughter's wish?" She politely asked. "I wish to go to the Demon Banner Army and personally eliminate Noel."

Unbeknownst to her, the only reason why Noel would know there was an Ancient Demon Tree in the past was because he was forced to take actions by his system.

[Mission: Eliminate the weakened Ancient Demon Tree within 30 days.]

[Description: There's an Ancient Demon Tree sleeping underneath the Dark Demon Forest.]

[Reward: Demon Hunter Medal and 7 SP]

[Penalty: Lose your qualification to wield Ardagan.]

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Hmm…" Noel furrowed his eyebrows, staring at the blue screen in front of him. Since he'd got his private room, he could check whatever the sword actually gave him.

Name: Noel Ardagan

Job: -

Weapon: Ardagan Sword

Main Medal: -

There were so many mysterious things he experienced in the past few minutes. This time, he was looking at his status.

Aside of his name and weapon, he clearly didn't understand the meaning of Job and Main Medal. He thought, 'There is no instruction on how to use this. Even my father doesn't tell me anything about this sword. Ugh, the only thing I know is how to activate the sword.'

Although he was a bit disappointed because he needed to investigate how to use this power by himself, he knew this was the only thing that could help him to reach his goal.

'There are only four main features it seems. Training, Medal, Career, Status and Shop. This status is of no use for me since I don't understand the usage. As for Training, I think it's telling me to train my body.' Noel frowned and opened the training panel again.

Training: Push Up 100 times

Reward: Constitution 0.1%

Training: Running 10 km

Reward: Stamina 0.1%

Training: Swinging a Sword up and down 100 times

Reward: Sword Mastery 0.1%

'What's this number means? I know that it's trying to strengthen my body, but there's nothing written in here. And the reward doesn't seem to be that useful since I will probably not feel any change.' Noel scratched the back of his head and skipped this panel.

Meanwhile, he already saw a glimpse of what the Medal was for before even coming to the fort. In one word, he couldn't understand what the use of the medal. As for the Honor Points, he could use it on the shop where there were various weapons and items.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝑀

'Then, the last thing is this…' Noel's expression turned grim as this might be the most important decision he needed to make.

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[Career]

Swordsman - A man who fights with a sword.

Commander - A person in authority, especially over a body of troops or a military operation.

Noble - A person belonging to a hereditary class with high social or political status.

There were only three options that he could see, and all of them were related to him.

He was a former noble or a fallen noble. It was normal for him to become a noble again after clearing his family name.

And if his parents were not executed, he would have succeeded the house.

But… as much as he wanted to become a noble again, he couldn't bear to move his hand forward as if someone was stopping his arm.

The memory of how his parents died in the hand of the royal family was still fresh in his mind. No one wanted to serve the family who killed your parents.

On the contrary, a commander felt like a dream to him. After all, his ancestor was a Marshall, and his reputation resounded across the kingdom.

It was an honor to follow his ancestor's footsteps since this might be a good option for him to raise his reputation.

Unfortunately, the current situation didn't allow him to become a commander. There was no way the royal family would let him grow up.

Even if he put on a mask to hide his identity, no one would grant an authority to an unknown person.

Hence, he left with one option, a swordsman.

'A swordsman, huh…' Noel scratched the back of his head, reluctant to choose it.

However, the scene where his father begged the royal family to spare him stuck on his mind. If not for that, he would have died long ago.

Thus, the words of his father felt as if it was ringing in his ears.

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'Father mentioned the third prince. Although I can become a commander as long as I flee from this kingdom and join another one, I should believe in my father a bit more. If not for him, I would have died anyway…

'If I can't choose, I will simply use that option to turn around the situation. I won't give up even if I'm forced to be in this situation! I will be a man who can turn everything into my opportunity.' Noel clenched his teeth and chose the swordsman.

,m The screen soon changed as Noel became a swordsman.

[Career: Swordsman]

Skill: Swift Strike (0/5)

Requirement: 1 SP

Skill: Ardagan Swordsmanship (0/15)

Requirement: 1 SP

Skill: Mega Slash (0/5)

Requirement: 1 SP

'What is this skill all about? Is it something similar to a spell?' Noel tilted his head in confusion. In fact, there were simply too many questions in his head.

Because no one gave him the instruction about the sword, he had no idea what they could be used for unless he tried it himself.

'I often heard the story about my ancestor. It was said a single wave of his hand was enough to increase the soldiers morale. A single shout could make the enemies tremble in fear… Is this the reason?' Noel looked down while placing his hand on his chin, falling into deep thought.

It seemed these skills were related to the path he chose. Because he became a swordsman, it was clear that their names felt related to a sword.

'I see. In my situation, choosing Commander or Noble is simply a death wish. However, my ancestor could rise to the peak as a commander… This means the power granted by this sword has that potential. No matter which path I choose, it can carry me to the peak.

'In that case, I was a noble… I understand how to govern the citizens. I wanted to be a Commander because it was the best option. But it turned out I was wrong… Without enough strength, I can't even fight back if the royal family want to execute me. Without enough strength, I can't gain the respect of the soldiers. In that case, I'll use this path to become stronger so that in the future, no one can do anything to me.'

A smile appeared on Noel's face as he thought he chose the best path in his situation. He clutched his fist with his eyes full of determination. 'Just you wait, you royal family…'

As if answering to his determination, the red sword on his laps glowed dimly, sending something to him. It was then another blue screen appeared.

[Special Medal]

[Mission: Eliminate the weakened Ancient Demon Tree within 30 days.]

[Description: There's an Ancient Demon Tree sleeping underneath the Dark Demon Forest.]

[Reward: Demon Hunter Medal and 7 SP]

[Penalty: Lose your qualification to wield Ardagan.]

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Huh? Dark Demon Forest? Isn't it something the forest next to this fort?' Noel frowned. 'What is Ancient Demon Tree? Is it alright for me to ask the commander about this? What if he becomes suspicious of me? After all, I'm supposed to be a person who knows nothing.'

'Even though the commander is related to the third prince whom my father trusted, I'm not in the situation where I can trust anyone easily. It's better if I figure this out first. If I meet a dead end, I can try asking.'

Noel scratched the back of his head and looked at the time limit. No matter what, he still had some time to practice.

'In that case, I shouldn't waste my time here. I need to become as strong as possible. Even if others witness my training, they will think it's my last struggle.' Noel shrugged and rose from his bed.

Since he needed to check this system's credibility, he decided to do one hundred push up.

Without hesitation, he laid down on his stomach and raised his body a bit.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three…"

Noel began his one hundred push up, but as one would expect from someone who never had physical training.

He couldn't even last for thirty push up.

𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝑀

"Ugh." Dropping to the ground, Noel let out a small groan. His body gradually warmed up and sweats started to appear.

Although he wanted to take a rest first, the memory of his father appeared in his mind again.

While clenching his teeth, he continued. "I'm not giving up. This is nothing!"

Each push up was tough. His arms felt the stabbing and burning pain. Yet, the determination in his eyes didn't fade away.

The pain he endured right now was for his future. If he couldn't even work hard, there was no way he could survive the harsh world.

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50…

60…

70…

Even though it took him a minute just for ten push ups, he gradually made his progress to reach the 100th mark.

The sweat had covered all over his body and his exhaustion started to take over his body. He took off his shirt and threw it to his bed.

Even though his arms felt like it was going to fall off, he finished all the push ups.

After that, he fell to the ground, tired. His triceps were crying that when he raised his hands to check the system, they couldn't stop shaking.

However, his effort wasn't for naught.

Training: Push Up 100 times (Completed)

Reward: Constitution 0.1%

The change in his body might not be apparent, but Noel was satisfied that there was an additional 'Completed' in the system. It meant the mysterious power from the sword was real.

If he continued doing this, he should be able to feel the change sooner or later to feel the system's power.

At the same time, he saw another one appearing.

Training: Push Up 200 times

Reward: Constitution 0.25%

'This is it. I can't do push up anymore for today, but If I continue training, I can get stronger.' A smile appeared on Noel's face as he kept panting. The completion of this mission simply increased his determination in completing the other tasks. He thought, 'That's right. I have a few trainings and missions left. My arms hurt, but I should be able to run for 10 km. I can use that chance to help five people as well in town while learning more about this fort.'

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A bright idea appeared in Noel's head. After understanding how the system worked, he understood that he could kill two birds in one stone.

He rested his body for a few minutes and wiped out his sweat before going to the town.

His intention was clear. No one would suspect a desperate guy.

Still, as one would expect from a fallen noble who never trained his body, his stamina wasn't good.

,m Even so, he managed to gather some information about the town, the commander, and the demons.

He learned that the commander was pretty respectable figure as he had stopped the demons from destroying the fort for a few years. The town might have some problems, but they were not big enough to the point the town would be gloomy.

Although he could only help two townsfolk like helping them to find a lost item, he was pretty satisfied since the mission was completed.

The new mission even arrived like the push up mission.

Training: Running 20 Km

Reward: Stamina 0.25%

Because he needed to go to the barrack tomorrow, he decided to spend the rest of the days resting his body since it would be obvious he would experience muscle pain tomorrow.

Before sleeping, Noel looked at the white ceiling while muttering, "Father, Mother. I'll be fine. I promise you that I won't follow you soon because I still need to prove how wrong the royal family has treated us."

…

Commander's Room.

"He ran around the town and talked to the people." A middle-aged man reported what happened during the day to the commander.

"Hmm…" Oscar looked down while pinching the bridge of his nose.

His troubled face made the middle-aged man's heart skipped a beat, thinking he would receive a punishment for this report. He asked with a soft tone, "Is there something wrong, Commander?"

"No." Oscar shook his head helplessly. "As expected from a former noble… No, should I say from a fallen Ardagan?

"Unlike other nobles, Ardagan is more loved by their people. After all, their actions are so down to earth that their subjects will feel close to them. So, even if he was a noble, his action reflected that of Ardagan.

"Running around the town… It seemed he was desperate enough to do something that useless. It's not like anything will change with just a few days of training." Oscar let out a long sigh. "Anyway, since the kid wants to survive, I shall help him a bit.

"When he arrives at the barrack tomorrow, increase his training by threefolds… no, twofolds. He should be pretty tired today after all. As for his training, it'll be basic sword training and survival training. No matter what, muscles can't be built in just a few days, so it's better to train him in this area. Hopefully, this kid can survive."

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'Is he that rumored fallen noble?'

'Noel Ardagan…'

'How long can even a noble like him who never saw a battlefield last in this place?'

More than a hundred people glared at a the blue-haired young man. Contempt, disgust, disappointment filled the atmosphere because no one ever bothered to hide it.

Noel had been exiled by the royal family and stripped of his title, so he was a commoner like them. At the same time, this fallen noble never had any training or fight a demon, making him far weaker than anyone in this place.

On the contrary, the person in question remained still as if their gaze never bothered him. In fact, he was lost in thought. 'What should I do in this training? If I do something useless in the training, I won't become strong enough to handle the demons when the time comes…'

Still, despite him being in the middle of the crowd, there were three people that stood out: a young man with blue hair who kept staring forward as though he didn't care about Noel, a muscular man who tilted his head in confusion, and a female with sharp gaze.

They felt different from the rest. Although he didn't know why, Noel could feel a different atmosphere around them.

While glancing back and forth to remember these people's faces, a middle-aged man entered the corner of his vision.

He climbed the small wooden platform so that everyone could see him and said, "Welcome to all 120 trainees. I shall be the instructor who will teach and evaluate you from now on."

"!!!" As soon as they heard his deep voice, everyone of them turned around and straightened their backs, looking at the instructor.

'Hmm?' The instructor narrowed his eyes since he was a bit pissed to see the trainees focusing on someone else instead of him. However, it didn't matter much to him as he observed everyone's face and noticed a few exceptional ones.

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'I see some fine faces in here this time. Well, the most noticeable one is Alfred Starwood, the second genius of Starwood Family. I heard his talent is similar to his brother but failed to succeed the house just because he's the second son.' The instructor thought, assessing everyone.

As soon as he remembered their faces, he raised his voice. "As you may already know, the Demon Banner Army is the best way to gain money and achievement. If you can rack up achievement, money shall follow. You can even become a knight or even a noble if your contribution is recognized.

"However, the benefits come with a great risk. You can easily die in this place. Hence, I will assess your ability first…" The instructor smiled, took off his vest, and rolled his sleeves.

This action confused the trainees, but the instructor didn't even bother to wait for them to realize. He jumped to the ground and started running around the field.

The field where they gathered was quite spacious. One lap was equal to 500 meters.

"Everyone, run!"

The moment the instructor said those words, all trainees immediately followed him.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝓂

Even Noel started running while gritting his teeth, thinking, 'As expected, my muscle is in pain.'

His reaction was slower than all of them due to his body, but he soon picked up his pace while remembering the training he had yesterday. 'I can run like yesterday.'

"…" Since all the trainees had followed him, a small grin appeared on his face as he excitedly shouted, "Ah. You're all so boring. Are you trying to run like that when you're chased by a demon?!"

Without hesitation, he increased his speed by two times, leaving everyone in the dust.

The expressions on their faces immediately changed. They didn't know what would happen if they failed this small test, so they gritted their teeth and ran as quick as possible, trying to match the instructor's pace.

"Good!! You're doing good!" The instructor laughed.

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The blue-haired man, Alfred, maintained his calm breath while increasing his pace. He thought, 'This is nothing. I have to keep up the pace.'

Contrary to his focus, everyone's attention turned to one person at the very back. It was Noel who ran at a snail pace.

'Kh.' Noel used all his power to muster the strength to run. However, the stabbing and burning sensation kept spreading around his legs and arms, making him unable to focus.

'They're getting farther away… I should have trained my body previously. Can I even survive fighting the demon? There's no way they will wait for me to get stronger first before dispatching me! But…'

Noel couldn't help but remember the leisure life he had in the past. The delicious food always came at the same time every day, the maid would help him put on his clothes, and everything he needed would be provided by his father.

Compared to that life, this place was hell. No one could take care of him anymore. If he didn't have strength, he would die. If he died, he could let go of this grudge since nothing mattered anymore.

The feeling crawled inside his heart, pressuring him to give up.

However, a memory flashed in his mind. It was the symbol on his hand and the blue screen that gave him the possibility.

'Ah…' Noel let out a long sigh.

His sigh didn't escape the instructor's eyes as his expression changed as if he was asking, 'Has he given up?'

The answer came in the form of an expression. A smile replaced it… A smile that contained his determination and resolve.

'I am pathetic… Despite having thrown away the shackle of the past, I still let it influence my mind.' Noel clenched his hands and raised his head. 'I'm so damn, pathetic. Compared to my parents who threw away everything just to allow me to live for a bit longer… This is nothing.'

He started looking forward and running with all his strength, ignoring all the pains in his muscle. Even if he tore it today, he believed someone could heal it. In that case, he didn't need to hold back and kept running.

'I won't be a good for nothing son anymore.'

A smile couldn't help but appear on the instructor's face when he saw those eyes filled with determination.

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"Swing it!" The instructor's shout resounded in the entire training area.

"Ha!" The energetic response from the trainees followed right after. However, their faces and bodies were drenched in sweat. And this was especially true for someone who hadn't received any physical training, Noel.

The sharp stabbing pain still spread around his thighs and calf due to the previous training. Even so, it couldn't overwhelm the determination in his eyes.

Even if his legs were to give up, Noel had sworn to continue swinging.

"Ha!" He let out another roar while making another swing. At the same time, another thought came into his mind.

'Each time I swing, the weight from my sword shift down, almost making me drop my sword. In fact, my body has been following the sword instead of controlling it. It put a toll on my arms and wrists just to stop my swing…

'Seriously… I never experienced all this when I was a noble. I took everything for granted, not knowing that the soldiers and guards of my family had endured this kind of training for so long. I should have respected those soldiers and guards more.'

The more he stayed in this place, the deeper his understanding about how the world worked. Instead of getting swayed by the pain, he became even more determined to survive.

"Ha!" Noel swung his sword one more time.

Since he couldn't see his system in this place, he kept counting the number of his swing to know whether he had completed the mission or not.

The instructor raised his head and saw the orange sky, realizing it was the time to end the training. After rechecking their expressions, he said, "It's time to go. Wash your body and have dinner."

"Yes! Thank you very much." The trainees shouted in unison as they had been waiting for this.

After answering, Noel fell to his knees as the tension in his body loosened. Now that the adrenaline gradually disappeared, all the tiredness struck him.

"Ha…Ha…" Noel panted a few times while looking at the other trainees who seemed to have some stamina to spare. Still, the previous three people became the focus of his attention as he could easily see that they didn't sweat too much.

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'So, they are already that strong, huh…' Noel clenched his hands while looking down to the ground with a darkened expression. "We will have physical training in the morning, followed by a lecture. And the instructor choose to close it with a weapon training."

Seeing the training ground alone made him feel embarrassed of himself.

"Damn, I'm so pathetic." Noel clenched his teeth and used his sword to help him rise from the ground before making his way toward the well. Even if his body staggered left and right, Noel continued what he had to do.

Unbeknownst to him, someone had been watching him after he fell down to the ground.

That man was none other than the commander, Oscar. His expression was calm, but his eyes emitted some killing intent.

"How is he?" Oscar asked, glancing at the instructor who had taught Noel's group today.

"His physique is the same as your typical fallen noble… No, should I say he's worse than that, but not too much."

"His physique, huh. It's rare for you to specify it."

An amused smile appeared on his face as he continued, "His willpower is strong. Even though I've been torturing him with that amount of physical training, he hasn't let out a single complain. In fact, he's been angry at himself this whole time.

"At the same time, he has some knowledge from when he was a noble. He adjusted to the training with that knowledge and his movements gradually became better. Not perfect, but acceptable.

"Anyway, I will lessen their training in the last three days since we can't afford to send them to fight demons when their bodies are still hurt."

Hearing this lengthy explanation from the instructor put a smile on Oscar's face. The Third Prince had personally asked him to take care of Noel without hesitating to punish him if he made ruckus in this camp. However, the explanation was enough to know why the Third Prince suggested this treatment.

Before leaving, he asked one last question. "Will he survive in the first mission?"

The instructor was stunned by the question, but he soon pondered the matter seriously.

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"I don't have much confidence in answering that question, but if you don't mind about my rough speculation… I believe he can survive." The instructor gave him his honest opinion. "That is if no one harbors some hidden intentions to him."

Oscar's eyes squinted as the killing intent turned to the instructor.

The latter felt chills down his spine. He immediately corrected himself. "I'm going to personally choose his first teammates, so you don't need to worry about any schemes."

"Let's hope that's the case." Oscar turned around and walked away with a cold expression as though he wanted to murder someone.

Although it was for an instant, he could feel death coming from the commander.

'As expected from the commander who has protected this fort for twenty years… He has killed so many demons to the point his aura alone is far scarier than a demon.' The instructor wiped the sweat on his forehead.

Little did he know, what he feared had already come true.

Bam!

"Gah…" Noel fell down to the ground, feeling helpless. With the muscle pain and tiredness, he truly couldn't fight back.

Raising his head, he glared at three people who just pushed him. He only wanted to wash his body, but these people started to bully him.

"You nobles think you are better than commoners… And what? You can't even fight by yourself. Even today, you're useless! It must be nice to be a fallen noble since you can use your connection to enter this army instead of enduring all those hellish tests." The guy in the middle snarled, exposing his intention why he pushed Noel down.

Despite not having the ability to fight back, Noel never once showed a weakness in his stare. His gaze kept telling them that if he had some stamina left, he would fight against them.

And this annoyed them even further.

"This bastard!"

"Do you think you can do anything now? You are a fallen noble. No one will help a useless person like you."

"Beat him."

With a single shout, the trio started punching and kicking him while Noel could only endure it.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝓂

His eyes still maintained his ferocity no matter how worse his condition was as if saying, 'You can do all you want to me right now. After I turn my fate around with the help of the system, you will pay me back by a few folds.'

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After having dinner which was quite unpleasant because of his injuries, Noel immediately returned to his room to get as much rest as possible.

But the instructor stopped him before he left, surprised by his injuries. "What happened to you?"

Noel shook his head with a calm expression as if it didn't matter.

"…" Remembering the scene from earlier made him shiver. He originally thought there wouldn't be a problem in this place, but he seemed to be mistaken. If this incident created a great impact in Noel's heart, he would be held accountable by the commander.

Since he didn't want to be blamed, he immediately dragged Noel inside while raising his voice. "Follow me first. Let's have the doctor see you."

Although reluctant, Noel followed him since he still wanted to practice tomorrow.

It took them a few minutes to reach the infirmary.

The doctor was a thin man, whose complexion was quite pale on the contrary to his profession. However, his condition was a bit worse for a reason.

"Again?" The moment he saw Noel's injured body, he made an annoyed expression. "I have been working without sleep for two days… Can't you just let me rest?"

"Just one more." The instructor smiled wryly as he also didn't want to deal with this if not necessary.

"Fine. Come here." The doctor waved his hand and pointed at the bed next to him. "Sit there. The wounds seem to be superficial, so it won't be hard to fix."

The instructor pushed Noel's back as if ordering him to get the treatment.

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Since he went all this trouble for him, Noel nodded and sat down on the bed.

"Only on the upper body? Is there any wound on your lower body?"

"Yes. Only on the upper body."

The doctor nodded and grabbed Noel's left hand. Suddenly, a green light glowed dimly on his palms and spread to Noel's arm and eventually wrapped all his upper body.

Noel felt as if his body was covered by warm wet towel, relaxing his tired body. Still, he took this opportunity to observe every change in his body, including the magic he used to heal him.

Seeing his curious look, the instructor approached both of them and introduced the doctor. "He is Evan, the person in charge of infirmary, a healer."

Noel nodded, acknowledging the introduction. Instead of the light enveloping his body, his curiosity shifted toward the instructor's kindness. There was no way the person before him would take care of him.

'Is there another force protecting me right now? But if I need to come up with a name, it will be the commander of this fort. With that kind of status, it's easy for him to order the instructor to take care of me. Is it because of my father? Whatever the reason, I need to take advantage of it right now and get as strong as possible,' thought Noel, knowing he needed to change a bit of his original plan.

The instructor was confused by Noel's sudden change of expression. In fact, Noel had been showing such a change from time to time, making him know Noel was a man who always thought about something in his mind.

While he was getting distracted, he took this opportunity to give an additional lesson. "Listen to me. It's hard to fight a demon alone at your level. Even a low level one has more strength than you, so we usually take them on in a group or rely on our mind to set up a sneak attack."𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"What are you doing? You're not going to add a special lesson to this kid, right? I'm in the middle of healing him." Evan squinted his eyes, looking annoyed. He had brought a kid when it was already past his work hours, yet he still dared to conduct a lecture during the healing process… Evan wanted to stop him right now.

However, the instructor raised his voice, showing the importance of this lesson. "You idiot! Do you think the demons will wait for you to get ready? They can attack you while you are resting, getting healed, or even pooping. You need to be ready on all times."

Evan rolled his eyes, not caring about what he said. His job was to heal people, not thinking about this stuff.

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Contrary to Evan, Noel had gained a valuable lesson. He maintained his silence and continued listening to the lesson.

There was a reason why he talked about this to Noel at this time. In fact, Noel was the only person that should listen to this because he was bullied by others.

"If you get separated from your teammates, you need four things to survive. First, you need to have a thing to set up a fire because the fire can help you with many things. Second, you need a water source like a river or a lake.

"Third, sharp objects like a knife or a sword are a must. Last but not least, the way to kill a demon alone… If you want to defeat a demon, you need to learn controlling your Spiritual Energy."

The moment he mentioned the 'Spiritual Energy,' Noel's expression brightened. He couldn't help but ask, "Spiritual Energy? What is that?"

"That." The instructor pointed at the light that enveloped his body. "That light is Spiritual Energy. We all have a spirit in ourselves. The reason we can do something bad is because the spirit in our heart is an evil spirit. The reason why people can become kind is due to the angelic spirit.

"They're the one that was born from our deepest desire. In fact, we usually call them desire. If you can connect to it, you should be able to learn your spirit's true nature and it will give you power."

"Spirit…" Noel muttered and looked down.

"Every person has a unique spirit. That's why you will also have one… Your talent determines how much power can you draw from your spirit… That's all."

Noel fell into deep thought, wondering how to connect to his spirit.

Seeing the determination in Noel's eyes, the instructor couldn't help but scratch the back of his head, saying, "If you want to learn how to connect with your spirit, go to the training ground after having your dinner. I can help you with that."

The offer was too good to be true. Hence, Noel wanted to confirm on whose order he acted. "Why are you so kind to me?"

"I'm just trying to survive in this brutal world. That's all." The instructor looked away, refusing to give an answer. However, he also made it clear that he did it not because of his kindness, but because someone made him to do it.

Nevertheless, this was something Noel would take advantage of. "I understand. Please take care of me, Instructor."

"My name is Shale. Outside the training, just call me Sir Shale."

"Yes, Sir Shale."

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The next day, Noel continued training together with everyone else. However, the bullies were shocked to see Noel's bruises gone overnight.

They never thought someone would help Noel.

After the long training and washing their bodies, the bullies once again stopped Noel.

"Stop there." They stood in front of Noel, blocking the way to the dining hall.

Noel narrowed his eyes and glared at them. "What do you want again?"

"How do you recover from your wounds?"

"That's not important. We only need to beat him up again. Since there will be no trace tomorrow, we can beat him up every night," another bully said with an arrogant tone.

"That's right. It's rare for us to be able to beat a noble… Oops, a fallen noble."

Without even asking that question, their intention was clear. They wanted to beat him again because they were not satisfied with the disappearing bruises.

But as soon as they stepped forward, a smile appeared on Noel's smile. The thought had been in his mind since yesterday.

There was a way to suspend them, but he chose to solve this matter himself. If he somehow brought them to the training ground, the instructor should see their action and deal with them.

However, their suspension would be an extremely dangerous situation since he didn't know what kind of thing they would do in desperate situation. After all, the bullies would likely do something even more notorious.

He had learned from his family's execution that he shouldn't leave his enemies alive because they would plot against him in one way or another.

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Hence, there was a way to settle everything. He only needed to kill them in the first mission a few days from now.

That was why he couldn't afford to have them suspended yet.

To create this kind of situation, Noel confronted them with a confident smile to intimidate them. "Do you think why the bruises on my body has disappeared?"

"…" It was an obvious question, but none of them could actually answer. After all, they didn't want to admit the fact he got help from someone else. Even a noble title couldn't bring them too far here, let alone a fallen noble.

Still, even though he was a fallen noble, as long as there was someone stronger than them, they shouldn't want to antagonize them.

And Noel's plan was to act strong when he was actually weak. He stepped forward and glared at them. "I have forgiven you once because my house has fallen. But that's it…"

His last tone had a trace of chilliness as though he was planning to kill them.

"…" The bullies subconsciously stepped back. Their expressions gradually changed.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝓶

He took another step and started looking down on them. "Come on. I am waiting for you to beat me."

Even now, their names weren't important in his mind. As long as he remembered their faces and voices, that was enough.

It wasn't because he looked down on commoner. He simply had no time to deal with them.

"What's wrong? I'm here in front of you." The smile on Noel's face became even bigger, annoying them.

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"Should we do it?" One of the bullies whispered, trying to get the answer from the guy that invited them to beat Noel.

However, there was no answer from the guy in the middle. Instead, they found out that he took another step back as if he was scared of Noel's provocation.

The latter took advantage of it and pressured them even more. "Come and hit me. I want to taste the pain you inflicted me yesterday."

Noel's intention was clear. He wanted to use this chance to frame them or something. When that happened, their career in this fort would be over.

It was already hard to even get admitted as a trainee here. There was no way they would waste it because of this cheap provocation.

"Shut up! I'm being generous tonight." The guy gritted his teeth and turned around. "You're lucky tonight."

Noel's expression darkened the moment they walked away, staring at their back. His gaze was cold as he remembered what the instructor said last night.

'Once again, I know how naive I was in the past. Like the instructor said… This world is truly a brutal place. If you are strong, no one will bother you. Yet, when you become too strong, you will become a threat that needs to be removed like how the royal family ruined my family. And if you are too weak, your life isn't even in your hand. Such a cruel place to live in.'

Noel took a deep breath, calming his heart. He immediately entered the dinning hall to eat some food before heading back to the training ground, finding the instructor sitting in the middle of the training ground.

The tranquil atmosphere made it look like the instructor was illuminated by the moonlight. Just by looking at him could soothe one's heart.

Noel observed him for a minute before slowly approaching him, wondering if he could disturb him or not. Even though this opportunity came from others, he planned to fully take advantage every chance he got.

So, he steeled his resolve and greeted him. "Sir Shale, I have come."

"You should stay quiet and sit down in front of me instead of calling my name." Shale shook his head in disappointment. "You should see that my eyebrows twitched a bit, signifying that I'm aware of your presence."

Noel fell silent, not making a single excuse. But this action actually surprised Shale as he couldn't help but ask, "You're not going to give me a reason?"

"I know that I'm wrong. If I told you I didn't see it or didn't know how to respond, you would probably say, 'I need to observe the demons so as to not miss any details that I can take advantage of,' or 'I need to stay sharp.' That's all," Noel explained this time.

"Passable answer." Shale nodded in agreement since that was probably what he was going to say. He paused for a moment and gradually opened his eyes, looking at Noel's expression. "Do you know what I have been doing this whole time?"

"No."

"Connecting myself to my spirit." Shale pointed to the ground in front of him. "Sit down in lotus pose and take a few deep breaths. I'm going to teach you how to meet your spirit."

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Noel sat down in a lotus pose, following Shale's instruction.

"Take a few deep breaths and start closing your eyes."

Noel took one deep breath while closing his eyes before stabilizing his heartbeat, which was probably the purpose of his instruction.

"You only need to answer this in your heart. First question, do you have anything you want to accomplish?" Shale asked with a soothing tone to help Noel keep his calm.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Noel recalled all the memories that had happened not long ago. The Royal Family executed his parents, seized his property and sent him to this place because they believed he would die facing those monsters.

Noel wanted to take his revenge against the Royal Family. Yet, he felt something was wrong with this desire. His heart was asking him, 'What if all those stuff never happened? What was your dream if you still had your family, wealth and status?'

Noel's heart skipped a beat when he found this question. In the past, he was just a normal nobleman that had average talent and no desire. He just followed whatever happened.

He always believed that he would succeed his father's position sooner or later and would take a wife before leading the same ordinary life like his father.

This was just an ordinary dream of an ordinary noble child. Everything soon changed when the Royal Family did all that stuff.

'I see. Desire huh… I don't truly have a goal that I would continue to chase for as long as I'm alive. All my desires are related to my current life… I have yet to change to the new me… Just following the nature course. If somehow the Royal Family restores my family, will I have another desire?

'On the other hand, what if I forget about my family, the conflict, my hatred…? What am I? I am just an empty shell. That desire is the one that fulfills me for the rest of my life. So, what is the desire that I Noel Ardagan personally has? Something that is unrelated to my hatred, my family, or my enemies…

'My desire is…'

While he was thinking, Noel didn't realize that something was happening outside his body.

"!!!" Shale's eyes opened wide. Sweats were covering his eyes despite the temperature becoming lower.

Noel's body was emitting a dim blue particles.

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'Impossible.' Shale thought while sucking a cold breath. 'An average person needed years of meditation to find their own desire, their spirit… Even the emerging genius, Anna Stargaze is said to require three days to awaken her spirit. How is this possible? He can actually awaken his spirit in just a few minutes?'

Shale suddenly remembered how the commander wanted to protect him. He was wondering if the commander was already aware of his talent.

However, another light soon shone. It was a red light emitting from the red mark on his right hand, where the Ardagan Sword placed its symbol.

'Spirit Pact?!' Shale dropped on his butt, staring at Noel in horror. 'How can he make a spirit pact within a few minutes? Even I need to have a long talk with my spirit and gain an understanding first before creating an agreement between us…'

On the contrary, Noel was unaware of what was happening outside his body. His consciousness had fallen so deep that it felt like he was leaving his body.

He didn't feel anything in the deep darkness.

However, after finding his desire, a bright light started illuminating the darkness, bringing him to a plain white room.

"Eh? Where is this? Shouldn't I be in the training ground?" Noel looked left and right, finding nothing.

A sound suddenly echoed inside his mind.

'Ngiik!' The high-pitched sound made him close his eyes as his brain started to hurt. If it was a sound from the outside, he felt it would rupture his eardrums.

Yet, when it disappeared, Noel seemed to understand the meaning of that sound.

"Eh? That sound… is telling me to look back?" Confused, Noel slowly turned around while gulping down. Suddenly, he found a red sword that looked exactly like the Ardagan Sword.

"That is… Ardagan." Although a bit hesitant, Noel tried to approach the sword while trying to reach it.

As if reacting to Noel's action, the sword released a blazing flame that gradually moved toward him, trying to burn him.

At the same time, Noel's body started glowing as a snowflake symbol shone on his right chest.

"This is…" Noel felt the heat of the blazing flame gradually decreased when something cold began to spread from his right chest. He lowered his head and found the symbol, fighting against the flame.

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"A snowflake?" Noel frowned, not understanding what was going on.

After that exchange clash, another high-pitched sound echoed directly in his head.

"Kh." Noel gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. He also understood the sound meaning.

'I am Ardagan. A sword whose purposes are to cut down whoever you want to cut and burn the injustice.'

'I am Heisk. The Icy Spirit of Northern Plain, your desire.'

"Eh? Spirit? Does that mean I am in the place where I meet my spirit? But a human is supposed to only have one spirit, right?" Noel expressed his confusion, only to receive another high-pitched sound in his head.

'Outsider.' This was clearly Heisk's voice. There was a distinct difference between the two. Ardagan's voice was similar to a deep voice from a middle-aged man while Heisk's voice felt like a gentle female. The two were the opposite of each other. Yet, he felt no hatred coming from Heisk's voice.

Even if she deemed Ardagan to be an outsider, there was no repulsiveness that wanted to chase him out.

'You've become our master! Our goals are the same, which is your desire. To achieve your desire, I have been lending you my power.'

"Your power?" Noel widened his eyes and asked, "The system?"

'Yes. However, the true essence of my power lies elsewhere. It's your duty to understand me. The more you understand me, the more power you can receive from me.'

"!!!" Noel recalled the missions and medals in the system. It seemed that the more he completed those things, the more he could understand Ardagan. Hence, his goal was clear. It was to do his best to complete them.

After that, Heisk's voice echoed in his heart.

'My power can't be compared to him, but it doesn't mean I'm weak. My power lies on my versatility. That's why I shall…'

The snowflake symbol suddenly came out of his chest and floated to Ardagan.

The jewel on Ardagan's hilt shone, creating a red symbol. In the middle of the symbol was a flame mark. But the moment Heisk touched that mark, the fire symbol was replaced by a snowflake symbol and integrated itself to Ardagan.

Ardagan was a sword with a black grip and red blade, but after the integration, the color on the blade split into two. One was a blood red while the other was light blue like that of the snowflake.

Then, both of their voices rang at the same time.

'We shall lend you our power, Master.'

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