Back in my room, I sat down, brow furrowed in thought.
One month. That's all the time I have to prepare for the tournament. The same goes for the MC. But unlike him, I have a major advantage.
He doesn't have his family's support. In fact, he's got the classic step-sibling hell package—his first major challenge and a consistent source of trouble. What he does have, however, is experience from a previous timeline. In his first life, he lost miserably in this tournament and got kicked out. He then worked as a bottom-tier adventurer, scraping by. But even that low-level grind gave him enough skill to handle some bratty nobles.
Now, you might be thinking—why am I so worried? Worst case, I get beaten up, right?
Wrong.
If I lose, I won't qualify for the Interstellar Academy. And that's when the real nightmare begins.
Because after the academy arc, the MC comes back—and that's when the Conqueror Arc begins.
He starts by cleaning up his dysfunctional family. Then, he begins attacking and absorbing nearby territories. By the time I was halfway through the novel, he had already become a count. At this rate, it wouldn't be a shock if he became king.
And if you're wondering why the king allows that kind of blatant power-grabbing? Unfortunately, it's not just tolerated—it's expected.
The world I'm in is called Artic. Unlike Earth, it's a cluster of connected planes—each one like its own realm. The known planes include:
Elvandine – ruled by elves
Dravine – home of the dwarves
Deraid – domain of devils
Spirit Plane – inhabited by elemental spirits
Vida – the central plane, a chaotic melting pot of all races
Vida isn't ruled by humans exclusively, but humans do occupy most of the land. The other species maintain footholds here and use it as a battleground—preserving peace on their home planes.
Nearly all wars are fought in Vida.
This puts humans in a tough spot. After a devastating war centuries ago, humanity stopped fighting among itself and united to face external threats. Peace lasted for generations.
But that peace became poison.
The veterans who had fought in the Great War died off. The new generations, born in a world without bloodshed, never experienced real combat. They grew soft. Unprepared. Strategy was something they learned from books—not from bleeding on the battlefield.
So, when the devils attacked again, humanity was caught completely off guard.
An entire generation was thrown into war with zero experience. And the enemy? Creatures bred for battle. Forged in blood. The result? Total disaster.
Human forces were crushed. Cities fell. Territories burned. If the other races hadn't intervened, we'd have gone extinct.
That loss forced a harsh realization: peace had made us weak.
To ensure it never happened again, the Human Council enacted a brutal solution—the Right of War.
It may sound insane, but this law allows internal war among humans—under strict conditions. The logic? Keep humans battle-ready. The rules ensure unity against external enemies, no matter the internal conflicts. Key restrictions include:
Only nobles of the same title can challenge each other
All wars must be formally declared
Even kings must follow the rules
Yes, betrayal and corruption still happen. But overall, it's a system that keeps humanity sharp and evolving.
Now, because of this, the human empire is split into three kingdoms:
Elaris
Dravenholme
Valdara
These are monitored by the Human Council, a gathering of the strongest and most influential humans alive. They enforce the Right of War and prevent the kingdoms from tearing each other apart.
As for me? I live in Elaris.
Okay, history lesson over. The takeaway is this: war is legal, conquest is normal, and not even the king can stop the MC—at least not openly.
In the original novel, it didn't even take a full chapter for him to seize our territory after graduating from the academy. He was that overpowered… for a baron.
Which is exactly why I must get into the academy.
I need to grow stronger. To survive, sure—but also to stop him.
Now you might be wondering—why not just reconcile with the MC?
Yeah, no. That's not an option.
He's ruthless. And while I didn't bully him as much as others, I did make rude remarks. I looked down on him. I even mocked his mother—the maid who died when he was eight.
And even if the plot tries to throw me a redemption arc? I'm not interested.
I'm not going to grovel. I'm not going to lick boots.
He's not the only one with ambition.
I know the future. I know what's coming. It's a race—me versus him—to see who rises higher.
And honestly?
It's exhilarating.
This time, I'm not living an ordinary life.
This time… I will ascend.
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