Everyone was dressed comfortably in sporty attires, but with an air of readiness. Like they were preparing for a war they all knew was coming.
The girls wore high-waisted fitted pants or leggings, paired with sleeveless athletic tops and tough boots.
The guys were dressed in combat pants, some wearing gym vests, others in loose t-shirts.
A few teens had gloves or jackets on, but none had yet summoned a Card or a weapon. They were all preserving their Essence.
As for me, I was in a deep black jacket that fit snugly over my frame, the fabric light and soft.
It wasn't flashy – no unnecessary frills, no splash of colors, no trendy design – just clean, sharp lines that followed the natural curve of my shoulders and arms.
Beneath the jacket, a sleeveless shirt clung to my chest, its breathable material perfect for the heat of upcoming battle. My pants were comfortable and allowed utmost flexibility.
It was a simple outfit.
A functional outfit.
That was all I needed.
Of course, even in such plain clothes I still looked good.
But then again, I looked good in everything.
"Heh." A small, proud smirk tugged at my lips.
Damn, I had become such a narcissist recently.
Ever since I awakened my past life's memories, I'd started appreciating my looks more and more each passing day.
It's hard not to compliment yourself when you have a charming face and a perfectly lean body like mine.
Well, to be fair, every Awakened looked good.
The moment a child manifested their Origin Card, their body underwent subtle but noticeable changes.
The Spirit Essence strengthens the soul, and in turn, the body refines itself into near peak-human condition.
So yeah, finding an unattractive Awakened was almost impossible. Almost.
But even still, I had yet to find anyone better looking than me.
Smirking a little more, I glanced around… and suddenly my eyes stopped at my Shadow.
Instantly, the cocky smirk on my face was wiped off clean.
She donned a similarly simple outfit – a long jacket, pants that hugged her shapely legs, and tightly laced boots – but somehow she made it look more… graceful. If that was even possible.
Her deep crimson jacket contrasted sharply against her pale skin, a bold declaration that she intended to stand out on this battlefield.
Her hair was tied back, but a few loose strands framed her face with a careless elegance, as if she wanted everyone to know that the upcoming fight was nothing more than a trivial side quest for her and not at all a daunting ordeal.
"Tsk." I clicked my tongue and turned away.
Fine. Maybe some people looked as good as me.
Come to think of it, Lily — my ex-girlfriend and the game's original female lead — was downright stunning as well.
Then there was Alexia Zynx in the game. She was the main heroine after Lily. And while she wasn't as pretty, her rough, girl-next-door charm more than made up for it.
I had yet to meet her in real life.
The main guys were no slouches either.
Ray Warner, one of the secondary protagonists, was known to be a lady killer. Albeit, he was a bit of an airhead with a knack for attracting trouble.
Kang Tae-jin, Alexia's Shadow and the supporting male lead, was also extremely handsome, though he had a feral edge to his appeal.
I had yet to meet those two as well.
Finally, there was Michael Godswill himself — the main character of the story.
Micheal began as a chubby nerd, bullied by… well, by me and my so-called friends in high school.
But by the start of the first term, he would undergo a drastic transformation. In the game, he was the most handsome of them all, which made sense – he was the hero, after all.
"Hmm, come to think of it…" I muttered a soft whisper and started scanning the area, half-lost in thought.
Where were all these people?
The coliseum was vast. No, calling it vast was actually an understatement. But still, I should've been able to spot a few named characters at least.
Ray was a popular online influencer. So I bet he was being swarmed by people who had recognized him by now.
Lily and Alexia both should be drawing gazes and turning heads.
Kang Tae-jin was loud-mouthed and brash, so he should be attracting a crowd as well, bursting into unprovoked violence and picking pointless fights.
Spotting these people shouldn't be too much of a problem since they attract people toward them like iron scraps to a magnet.
There was no reason for me wanting to see them. It was only out of pure curiosity.
I wanted to see them just because.
I mean, who wouldn't want to meet the characters from their well-loved piece of media if given a chance?
It was kind of thrilling. I knew these people. I knew their personalities, I knew their backstories, and I alone knew their fates for now.
So, with untamed eagerness, I kept looking around me, trying to find a spot where too many people were gathered or something odd was going on.
That was when I heard a voice, raucous but familiar.
"Samael? Hey, Sam! Is that you?"
I tuned to the sound of my name, trying to pin down the source of it. Then I saw him.
A young man was making his way toward me through the throng.
He was about my age, and the first thing I noticed about him were his dark emerald curls catching the light, and his eyes, a shade softer, glinting like beads of dew on fresh moss.
Those features would've looked good on anyone... except him.
Why? Because he was overweight — extremely so!
Listen, I don't fat-shame, but I was ready to make an exception for him. He moved like walking was a workout and breathed like it was a chore.
His face, for lack of better words, was a flesh potato — utterly unsightly to behold. All that paired with his short stature made for a comical sight.
Remember when I said it was almost impossible to find an unattractive Awakened?
Yeah, emphasis was on almost.
This guy was one of the rare, unfortunate special cases.
I recognized him instantly.
Jake Mel Flazer — eldest son of a Count who served under my father.
Our fathers weren't just esteemed nobility. They were close acquaintances, which meant Jake and I practically grew up together.
We were childhood friends. Or, well, whatever you call two people forced into friendship due to proximity and wealth.
But being his friend… was the biggest mistake of my life.
No need to remember him, though. He won't be relevant to the story.
"Sam!" his round face flushed like a ripe tomato — whether from the excitement of running into me or the sheer exhaustion of walking, I couldn't tell. Maybe both. Most definitely the latter.
"What were you looking around for? Me?" he asked between shallow breaths as he reached me, beaming like a fool.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Yeah, right.
Instead, I forced my most pleasant smile – the kind of smile you show your close friends when you see them after a long time.
"Actually, yes!" I lied, matching his energy. "I was just thinking about coming to find you, Jay!"
He let out a loud, easy laugh — sounding exactly as much of an idiot as he looked — before a frown abruptly creased his oversized forehead.
"Hey, by the way! Why aren't you replying to my texts and calls, man? I was worried sick about you after... well, after what happened. Then I saw that video online… You really fought your father? Are you okay?"
Ugh. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with this.
Still, I allowed my smile to dim just enough to convey the right amount of fake sincerity.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I nodded. "My father's had enough of me. Can't say I blame him. And my comm device broke, so I never got your texts."
Juliana shot me a sideway glance, then quickly lost interest. She knew I was lying. Obviously.
My communicator was fine. I was just ghosting this guy.
Jake shook his head, his heavy belly jiggling slightly. "That sucks, man! You might not blame him, but I do! What kind of father challenges his own son to a Rite of Valor? How cruel could he be?!"
In his defense, Jake was a good friend.
A loyal one. And loyal friends are few and far between in this world.
He had always stuck by me, even in my worst moments.
Sure, at first he probably just wanted to cozy up to me because I was the Duke's son, and having me around meant we could get away with anything.
But over the years, he had become a genuine friend to me. Even now, when I had nothing, he was actually happy to see me.
So why, if he was such a good friend, was I itching to blow him off?
"You know whose fault all this is? That damned orphan bastard! Michael! I swear to the spirits, if I ever get my hands on him, I'll kill him!"
This!
I wanted nothing to do with him because of this!
Jake was the perfect henchman for some trashy side villain. But I didn't want to be a trashy side villain!
Not anymore!
As I said before, I'd always been stronger than most kids my age. Back in high school, not many could hold their ground against me if I went all out.
That strength, along with my desperate need for approval and way too much pride for a teenager, was a dangerous mix.
I was a delinquent growing up.
A thrill-seeker who broke rules for the fun of it, doing all the things that rebellious teens do — alcohol, sex, parties, reckless behavior.
And I enjoyed that lifestyle.
But despite everything...
Despite who I was, I had never been a bully.
Not because I thought it was wrong, morally or otherwise. No, it was simpler than that – bullying was something I considered to be beneath me.
I liked a good fight.
And what was the point of tormenting someone who couldn't even hit back?
Sure, I had my moments. I lost my temper, yelled at servants, threw some punches, and abused my social status. But I never made it a habit to harass someone just because I didn't like them.
But this guy? He was my exact opposite in every way.
He was a spineless coward! Always acting weak before the strong, and strong before the weak.
He was the one who started picking on Michael and made his already miserable life a living hell.
Yeah, maybe I'm at fault. I let it happen. I didn't stop it as actively as I should've.
But I didn't start it either!
At most, I was a bystander. I was dragged into it out of nowhere.
I only really got involved when I caught Lily kissing Michael. Even then, it was Jake who egged me on.
He convinced me to go after Michael, to make an example of him. Show everyone what happens when you cross me.
I shouldn't have listened to him. I should've ignored him and walked away.
I had already punched Micheal to my heart's content. There was no need to keep on going after him any longer.
But I did.
I was stupid. I listened to my "best friend."
It was because of him that my conflict with Michael spiraled out of control.
He was the reason I ended up fighting the supposed protagonist of this world and made him my enemy.
Yet, somehow, that wasn't even the worst part.
The worst part was how idiotic this guy was!
There were more than ten people in our group back at school. We all fought Michael together last time!
And what happened after that was history!
He single-handedly wiped the floor with all of us. Alone! Bare-handed! With no other Card in his arsenal than his Origin Card!
And still, even after all that, this guy had the audacity to talk about revenge to my face right now.
Revenge!
How could anyone be that dense?
It wouldn't take a genius to see that Michael was favored by something – a higher power, fate, plot armor, call it what you want.
Who in their right mind would even think about going after someone like him again?
Why are all these side antagonists always the same in fantasy stories?
Protagonist beats you?
Okay. Move on. Get over it. What would revenge get you aside from another humiliating loss?
But no. This idiot was dead set on poking the beast again, as if his pride – or more likely, his stupidity – was some noble banner that he just had to wave.
"...him together. And after that, we'll have the last laugh! Right, Sam?" Jake's voice cut through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality.
I frowned, not sure if I'd heard him right. "Sorry, what did you say?"
He blinked at me, almost offended. "What the hell, dude? Keep up!"
He shook his head like I was the stupid one between us, then a devious grin stretched across his face.
"I said, let's jump him together and humiliate him in front of everyone!"
There it was again. The idiocy of a textbook side villain.
Keep going after the protagonist until he kills you and your entire bloodline.
I was so vexed that my facade broke for a moment.
I almost rebuked him on the spot, tearing apart his ridiculous plan and telling him exactly how much of an idiot he was.
But then, an idea hit me.
I could… use him.
He wasn't very useful, but I could think of a few ways. Besides, Jake was a nobility.
He was loaded.
If nothing else, I'd just throw him at Michael like a cannon fodder and drain him for all his money.
Heh!
Instead of fighting the urge to scold Jake, I let it simmer down.
My expression softened, and a smile — a real one this time — crept onto my lips.
"Wait, that's actually a good idea, Jay!" My voice was calm but exhilarated. "But we'll need a proper strategy. Something better than just charging at him like fools."
His eyes lit up with palpable excitement.
Poor guy had no idea how deep I was about to drag him into my own schemes.
Perfect.