Twenty four days until the duel.Ryker arrived at the training center before dawn. Miss Calia was already waiting, two practice swords laid out on the floor.
"Since we trained your upper body yesterday, today we focus on lower body endurance and combat footwork," she said, handing him four metallic bracelets. "Red ones increase strength. Green boosts stamina."
"How much do these cost?"
"Twenty thousand dollars each."
Ryker's expression remained neutral. Eighty thousand dollars total in his old world, that was years of savings. Here, it was standard training equipment.
With the bracelets equipped, Ryker began running laps. The magical enhancement was immediate with what should have exhausted him in minutes lasted three hours. When he finally collapsed, Calia handed him a stamina potion. "You'll recover in fifteen minutes."
After the potion took effect, he trained for another three hours before Calia stopped him.
"Strip. I need to check your muscle development."
Ryker complied without embarrassment. Behind him, Seris giggled quietly, but he ignored her. Calia circled him, pressing his muscles. "Your body is improving faster than expected. If you continue like this for a month, you'll reach about ten percent of the previous Ryker's strength."
"And ten percent is sufficient?"
"More than sufficient to defeat Zayne. The previous Ryker was exceptionally powerful."
Ryker absorbed this quietly. If someone that powerful had died, raw strength alone wouldn't guarantee survival.
"Come back tomorrow at nine. Don't be late."
As Ryker returned to his dormitory, exhausted but focused, Seris floated beside him.
"You handled that well."
"Complaining wastes energy better spent adapting," Ryker replied simply. He skipped dinner and collapsed into bed, falling asleep within moments. Ryker woke to the sound of his door opening, he didn't move just listened. One set of footsteps, the intruder stopped at the foot of his bed.
"I know you're awake," a voice said. "Zayne sends his regards."
Ryker opened his eyes calmly, elite student, based on the expensive robes. Mana signature radiating visibly maybe tier two or higher.
"If you're here to threaten me, you're wasting your time," Ryker said evenly.
"Not a threat, am here to make a demonstration" The student's mana flared. "Name's Javi. Not that you'll remember it after tonight."
Javi's fist came down, Ryker rolled off the bed, the strike missing by inches and cratering the mattress.
"Fast," Javi acknowledged. "But speed without power is useless."
He lunged again, faster. Ryker couldn't dodge. The gap was too wide as the fist connected with his ribs. Pain exploded through his chest. Something cracked. The impact threw him against the wall as Ryker felt blood welling up in his throat.
Javi approached slowly. "One more should do it. Broken ribs and a shattered arm."
The presence in Ryker's chest stirred, sensing the threat.
[System Alert: Host in critical danger]
[Devourer Protocol: Emergency Authorization Available]
[WARNING: First manifestation will be visible.]
He could hardly hear anything with the pain he just accepted the actions as the cold in his chest exploded outward as dark tentacles erupted from Ryker's back.
Physical manifestations of shadow and hunger, writhing like living things. They were wrong in a way that made reality itself recoil.
Four tentacles each as thick as an arm just pure darkness given form.
Javi's eyes went wide. "What the hell"
The tentacles struck faster than thought.
Two wrapped around Javi's arms, a third around his throat and fourth pressed against his chest, directly over his heart and they began to feed. Javi screamed as his mana was ripped away, devoured through direct contact. Black veins spread across his skin. His vibrant aura dimming as the tentacles drank deeper. Life force flowed into them like water into a void. Javi's hair grayed. His skin withered, his eyes sank into his skull.The consumption lasted eight seconds.
When the tentacles retracted, sliding back into Ryker's body, Javi collapsed still breathing though barely. He looked about 10 years older. Ryker stood slowly as the cracked ribs had already healed. He felt stronger, faster.
[Consumption complete]
[Mana absorbed: 423 units]
[Life force absorbed: 11 years]
[Host physical condition improved to 147% baseline]
"You should have stayed away," Ryker said quietly.
"Ryker." Seris materialized. "We need to move him. If anyone finds him like this in your room"
"Agreed." Ryker's mind worked through options. "The storage room we used before."
They moved Javi's withered body through empty corridors to the abandoned storage room in the basement. Once inside, Ryker stepped back.
"There's nothing more we can do tonight. Let's go."
Back in his room, Ryker examined his back in a mirror. No marks. No scars.
"There's something you should know," Seris said quietly. "About this thing."
She explained her own death, about the devourer, how it had consumed her from within.
When she finished, Ryker nodded calmly. "So the Devourer will eventually consume me unless I learn to control it completely."
"Yes. But yours is different. More advanced. Those tentacles..." Her voice dropped. "I never manifested anything like that. The entity inside you is capable of much more than I know."
"Then I need to master it before it masters me." Ryker's voice was firm. "I won't be powerless again, ever."
Seris studied him. "You're not frightened by what you're becoming."
"Fear is what kept me weak in my old world. I won't make that mistake here."
In the storage room, Javi's eyes slowly opened.
Pain, everything was pain.
He tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond properly. His arms felt like dried wood.
Memory returned in fragments. The mission. Orders. Then darkness, tentacles, hunger.
Javi forced himself to sit up. His hands looked wrong,weak and older
He had to get out. Had to report what Ryker really was.
He stumbled toward the door then a shadow detached from the wall.
Javi froze.
The cloaked figure stood before him, presence so subtle Javi's mana sense couldn't detect it at all.
"You've seen something you shouldn't have," the figure said, voice like wind through dead leaves.
"Stay back!" Javi tried to summon his mana, but there was nothing left. "I did what you asked right?"
"You were useful. The vessel needed pressure. Needed a reason to manifest." The figure tilted its head. "But now you're a liability."
"No, wait!, you still need me, I know Zayne ! I was just following your orders!"
"The Corvus family doesn't know we exist and they have no need to knowl."
The figure raised a hand.
Darkness spread from its fingers. It touched Javi's chest.
His body dissolved. Breaking apart into ash that scattered like smoke, leaving no evidence he'd ever existed.
"The experiment proceeds as planned," the figure murmured, then it dissolved back into shadow.
Far beyond the academy, the cloaked figure reappeared before an impossible window.
"The vessel manifested physical extensions," the figure reported. "Four tentacles, the other boy attempted to flee. I disposed of him because he could expose it."
From deeper in the shadow, a presence stirred.
"Good," the presence said. "The Corvus family will believe their tool simply disappeared. They won't investigate further."
"And the vessel?"
"Let him believe he's growing stronger through his own will. Let him think the tentacles are a power he can control." The presence rippled with satisfaction. "He doesn't need to know yet that every time he uses them, the integration deepens."
"And when he discovers the truth?"
"Then we'll see if he has the strength to face his own reflection."
Twenty four days until the duel.
But the real countdown had nothing to do with Zayne Corvus.
It was the time Ryker had left before the Devourer finished claiming him completely.
And somewhere in the darkness between worlds, something that wore his face smiled with satisfaction.
The weapon was being forged exactly as planned.