Izuku stood in Lord Varyn's opulent study, his bandaged hands trembling slightly. Edric hovered beside him, still favoring his injured shoulder. The scent of incense and parchment clashed with the lingering stench of slum filth clinging to their clothes.
Lord Varyn leaned back in his gilded chair, drumming his fingers on the moonstone shard. "The Academy trial begins in three days. You will attend as my son's attendant. Refuse, and I'll return you to the gutter myself."
Izuku's voice was flat, final. "We're seven. Send us now, and your son dies before noon."
Edric flinched but nodded. "He's right, Father. The trial is for fourteen-year-olds. The other heirs have trained for years. Look at us!" He held up his thin, unscarred arm. "We're not fighters. Not yet."
Lord Varyn's icy gaze narrowed. "And what do you propose? Hiding here like rats?"
"Train us," Izuku said. "The trials repeat every year. Give us two. Let us learn to fight. To survive. Right now, I can barely lift a dagger. Your son can't even hold one."
Edric swallowed hard but stood taller. "We're not asking to avoid the trial. We're asking to earn it."
Lord Varyn's laugh was a low, dangerous rumble. "You think nobility cares about earning? Power is taken, not given."
"Then let us take it," Izuku shot back. "But you can't take what you don't have. Send us now, and your rivals will laugh as your heir's corpse rots in the arena."
[Quest Updated: The Art of Bargaining]
[Persuasion Progress: 55% | Risk: Execution for Insolence]
Silence stretched. Finally, Lord Varyn leaned forward. "Two years. But you'll train under my terms. Fail to meet my standards, and I'll feed you both to the Black Lotus."
The Negotiation
The weaponsmaster, a grizzled knight named Ser Garrick, glared at Izuku and Edric like they were dung on his boot. "You want me to turn these worms into warriors? In two years?"
Lord Varyn's smile was thin. "You've trained weaker."
"Weak?" Ser Garrick spat. "This one's half-dead, and the noble whelp's softer than fresh butter."
Izuku stepped forward, ignoring the pain in his ribs. "We survived the slums. We'll survive you."
Ser Garrick snorted. "Slum tricks won't work here, boy. The Academy's heirs use real magic. Real steel."
"Then teach us to fight dirty," Izuku said. "Or are you scared we'll outshine your precious nobles?"
The knight's fist slammed the table. "You'll train from dawn to dusk. No complaints. No rest. And when you beg for mercy, I'll laugh."
[Quest Accepted: Trial by Fire]
[Objective: Survive Ser Garrick's Training]
[Reward: +0.1 Strength/month | Penalty: Vitality -0.05/day]
The Plan
That night, Izuku and Edric huddled in the estate's drafty guest room. A single candle flickered between them, casting shadows on maps of the Academy's trial grounds.
Edric traced the arena's layout. "Even if we train, how do we compete with heirs who've had private tutors since birth?"
Izuku sharpened a stolen kitchen knife. "They've trained in duels. Rules. Honor. We'll train in survival."
"Survival?"
"Poison. Traps. Distractions. The slums didn't care if I fought fair. Neither will I."
Edric hesitated. "My father would never allow it. Ser Garrick called those tactics 'cowardly.'"
"Your father wants results. He doesn't care how we get them." Izuku tossed Edric a vial of bitterleaf extract. "Learn to use this. A drop paralyzes. Two drops kill."
Edric stared at the vial. "This… this isn't what nobles do."
"You're not a noble in the trials. You're prey." Izuku's gaze hardened. "Unless you want to die, become a predator."
[Hidden Quest: The Unseen Blade]
[Master 3 Slum Tactics (0/3) | Reward: +0.2 Agility]
The First Lesson
At dawn, Ser Garrick threw wooden swords at their feet. "First lesson: stance. Feet apart. Knees bent. Now."
Izuku shifted his weight, his body protesting. Edric wobbled, his posture collapsing.
"Pathetic," Ser Garrick growled. "Again!"
By midday, Edric's hands blistered. Izuku's bandages seeped blood.
"You're holding back," Izuku muttered as the knight stormed off.
Edric glared. "Not all of us enjoy pain."
"Pain's the only teacher that matters." Izuku adjusted Edric's grip. "Your father's right about one thing—power is taken. So take it."
[Pain Resistance: 0.35% → 0.36%]
The Threat Remains
Hana found them that night, perched on the estate wall like a vulture.
"Two years, Ghost?" She tossed a Black Lotus bounty scroll at Izuku's feet. "They'll hunt you every day. And I'll be watching."
Izuku didn't look up. "Tell the Black Lotus to bring better knives. Yours are dull."
She vanished, her laughter echoing.
Edric stared at the bounty. "Will she really kill us?"
"Yes." Izuku burned the scroll. "But she'll wait. She loves the game too much."
The Moonstone's Whisper
In the cellar, Izuku pressed the moonstone to a fresh cut. Blood dripped, and the stone pulsed faintly.
Edric watched, uneasy. "Does it… help?"
"It reminds me what pain is worth." Izuku's voice was cold. "Every scar. Every drop of blood. I'll make the heavens regret cursing me."
[Moonstone Activation: 1%]
[Mana Affinity: 0.01% | Pain Resistance: 0.36% → 0.37%]
The Pact
Lord Varyn found them at week's end, his disdain palpable. "Ser Garrick says you're worse than useless."
Izuku met his gaze. "Give us time."
"You have two years. Waste them, and I'll waste you."
As the noble left, Edric whispered, "Can we really do this?"
Izuku clenched the moonstone. "We have to."