The First Cut
The scent of sweat and iron filled the training yard. Dawn light barely touched the frost-laced grass as Izuku stood opposite Edric, wooden daggers in hand. Their instructor, Ser Garrick, circled them like a wolf.
"Knife fighting is for the desperate and the damned," the grizzled knight growled. "Which means you're both perfect candidates."
Edric winced as the knight tossed a rusted dagger at his feet. "Real nobles duel with swords."
Izuku twirled his own wooden blade. "Real killers use what works."
Ser Garrick chuckled. "Then let's see if you can work."
[Quest: Blood in the Snow][Objective: Land a clean strike on your opponent (0/1)][Reward: +0.1 Agility | Penalty: Bruises, Lacerations, Humiliation]
Edric hesitated. Izuku didn't. He lunged.
Their wooden blades clashed, and pain shot through Izuku's hands as the vibrations rattled his bones. He twisted, sweeping at Edric's leg. Edric stumbled, barely dodging.
"Sloppy," Ser Garrick muttered. "Again!"
Edric's grip tightened, his hesitation fading. This time, he countered—fast, unexpected. The wooden blade scraped Izuku's ribs, leaving a red welt.
[Quest Failed]
Izuku exhaled. So that's how it is.
The next exchange was different. Izuku moved lower, faster, ignoring pain. He let Edric strike, twisting just enough for the blow to glance off, then drove his dagger into the noble's gut—stopping just before it bruised flesh.
[Quest Complete: Blood in the Snow][Agility: 0.12 → 0.13]
Ser Garrick smirked. "The gutter rat learns quick."
Edric clutched his stomach, breathing heavily. "You baited me."
"You hesitated," Izuku corrected. "I won't next time."
Edric stared, then nodded.
The Rules of Blood
By midday, the training yard was stained with sweat and frustration. Ser Garrick leaned against the wooden fence, watching his 'students' struggle through combat drills.
"Lesson two," he barked. "Pain is a teacher. Listen well, or you'll fail the trial before it begins."
Izuku already knew this. The system made sure of it.
[Daily Quest: Endure 50 Strikes][Reward: +0.1 Pain Resistance | Optional: 100 Strikes → +0.2]
He took each blow without flinching. Wood cracked against his ribs, his legs, his arms. Edric fared worse, his face pale, his lips bloodied.
Izuku barely grunted.
[Pain Resistance: 0.37% → 0.39%]
"Why are you like this?" Edric muttered between ragged breaths.
Izuku flexed his fingers, feeling the bruises bloom. "Pain is the only thing the world gives for free. Might as well make use of it."
Ser Garrick's laughter was harsh. "Then I'll be generous with my lessons."
The blows kept coming.
Hana's Warning
That night, Edric collapsed onto his bedroll, groaning. Izuku sat cross-legged, his hand wrapped around the moonstone. It pulsed faintly, drawing away his aches.
A whisper of silk. A rustle of shadow.
Then Hana was there, perched on the windowsill.
"Two years in this gilded cage?" she mused. "I thought you liked freedom, Ghost."
Izuku didn't look up. "I like survival more."
She tossed something at his feet. A severed finger. The Black Lotus brand seared into the flesh.
"That's what happens to slum rats who overstay their welcome."
Edric gagged. Izuku didn't react.
"You still watching, Hana?" Izuku murmured.
She smirked. "Always."
The shadows swallowed her whole.
The Art of Poison
The next evening, Lord Varyn summoned them. He studied them from behind his moonstone-gilded desk, fingers drumming against its surface.
"Ser Garrick says you're not completely useless." His gaze flickered to Izuku. "That's almost a compliment."
Edric shifted uncomfortably. "What do you want, Father?"
Varyn held up a small vial. "Your next lesson."
Izuku recognized the liquid instantly. Bitterleaf extract. Two drops paralyzed. Three killed.
Lord Varyn smiled coldly. "Survival isn't just strength. It's knowing what weapons the world offers."
Izuku took the vial without hesitation.
Edric hesitated. "You're asking me to poison someone?"
"Only if you want to live." Varyn's gaze was unreadable. "You think the heirs at the Academy won't?"
Edric swallowed. Izuku pocketed the vial.
[Hidden Quest: The Poisoner's Path][Objective: Master 3 Poison Techniques (0/3)][Reward: +0.2 Intelligence]
Pain, Hunger, and Resolve
Their training continued.
The next morning, Izuku awoke to the familiar golden text of the system.
[Daily Quest: 200 Push-Ups, 500 Squats, 10km Sprint][Reward: +0.2 Strength, +0.2 Agility, +0.2 Endurance → (After Curse) +0.02 Each]
Edric groaned beside him. "If I die, bury me in silk."
"You'll be buried in dirt," Izuku said, already dropping into his first push-up.
By noon, their bodies ached. By dusk, their hands bled. By night, they devoured anything edible in reach.
[Optional Quest Complete: Consume 10,000 Calories][Vitality: 0.40 → 0.42]
Izuku ignored Edric's horrified stare as he downed a raw egg mixed with thick, unfiltered lard.
"You're insane," Edric whispered.
Izuku met his gaze. "Insanity's just another word for survival."
As the moonstone hummed in his grip, he let the pain sink in.
He would take everything back.
Even if it cost him his humanity.