Free Web NovelChapter 23: Chapter 23: Talent Devoured
Chapter 23: Talent Devoured
Andras looked down calmly at Jack’s corpse.
Blood slowly spread across the cracked training ground beneath the fallen captain’s body. Several feet away, Jack’s severed head rested in the dirt, his eyes still frozen in shock.
The soldiers surrounding the arena stood motionless.
Some stared at the corpse.
Others stared at Andras.
No one spoke.
The sheer brutality of the duel had shattered the atmosphere completely.
Only moments ago, it had been a simple spar.
Now, a captain of the Darkmoor Army lay dead.
Andras, however, remained expressionless.
The sword in his hand still emitted faint vibrations from Echo Resonance. Traces of mana flickered along the blade before gradually fading into the air.
Then—
A metallic notification echoed inside his mind.
[Ding!]
[Host has successfully completed first kill.]
[Host has killed: Jack Varner.]
[Devouring Talent...]
[Devouring Complete.]
[Host has acquired Talent — Iron Blood Reinforcement (C-Rank).]
Another notification appeared immediately afterward.
[Ding!]
[Host now possesses more than three talents.]
[New System Feature Unlocked — Talent Fusion.]
The corner of Andras’s lips slowly curved upward.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He stared at Jack’s corpse while processing the information.
A new talent.
And an entirely new system function.
The rewards exceeded his expectations.
Inside his mind, his thoughts remained perfectly calm despite the body lying at his feet.
The moment Jack released killing intent...
Andras had already decided to kill him.
There were several reasons.
The first was obvious.
He wanted to test the Devouring System.
Now he had confirmation.
Killing talented individuals allowed him to permanently absorb their talents.
That alone made the system terrifying.
The second reason was simple curiosity.
Even in his previous life as Alex, he had often wondered what it would feel like to kill someone.
Fear?
Guilt?
Excitement?
Regret?
He had read countless psychological studies claiming that psychopaths often experienced stimulation—or even pleasure—from violence.
Of course, acting on such curiosity in his previous world would have been idiotic.
Modern society punished murder harshly.
Prison was the likely outcome.
And prison sounded unbearably dull.
But this world was different.
Strength stood above morality.
Power defined justice.
And now, after taking a life with his own hands...
He felt nothing.
No guilt.
No disgust.
No fear.
His heartbeat remained perfectly steady.
If anything, he simply felt... interested.
As though he had confirmed a long-standing hypothesis.
The third reason involved Selene.
Andras slowly shifted his gaze toward her.
The moment Jack leaked killing intent, Selene had definitely sensed it as well.
A soldier revealing hostility toward the heir of House Darkmoor during a public duel had already crossed a line.
Selene would never defend someone like that.
In fact, if Andras had hesitated, she likely would have executed Jack herself.
That was why he chose to kill him openly.
Without Selene present, the situation would have become troublesome.
Even as the Duchess’s son, killing a captain during a public spar could have created political friction within the army.
Some officers would resent him.
Others would question his authority.
But now?
Selene’s presence solved everything.
He had gained a talent.
Unlocked a new system feature.
Experienced his first kill.
And remained protected by the authority of the Darkmoor Army’s General.
A profitable outcome.
As Andras stood there with a faint smile, the stunned silence finally shattered.
"What the hell—"
"He killed Captain Jack!"
"That was supposed to be a spar!"
Several soldiers stepped forward angrily.
One knight clenched his fists.
"Young Master or not, this—"
"Shut your mouths."
Selene’s voice cut through the training grounds like a blade.
Cold.
Sharp.
Absolute.
A suffocating pressure erupted from her body.
The temperature around the arena seemed to drop instantly.
Many soldiers froze where they stood.
Others felt cold sweat running down their backs.
Selene’s black eyes swept across the crowd.
"If I hear one more unnecessary word," she said calmly, "I’ll personally cut down the fool speaking."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
No one dared continue.
Even the soldiers closest to Jack’s corpse lowered their heads.
Because everyone present understood one simple truth.
Selene Vaelthorn was not bluffing.
If provoked, she would kill them without hesitation.
And unlike Andras, none of them possessed Evelyne’s protection.
The General walked toward the center of the arena.
The sound of her armored boots echoed across the stone.
She stopped beside Jack’s corpse before looking directly at Andras.
"It was a good duel," she said calmly.
"I’m impressed."
Andras met her gaze.
"You sound surprised."
"I am."
The surrounding soldiers listened in silence.
Some still looked shaken.
Others stared at Andras with entirely different expressions than before.
Until today, most of them had viewed him as nothing more than an arrogant noble heir hiding behind his mother’s influence.
But after witnessing that duel...
Their perception had changed.
No Low 3rd Circle fighter should have defeated a Peak 3rd Circle Warrior so decisively.
Especially not with that final burst of speed.
Selene glanced down at the corpse.
"And regarding Jack..."
Her voice turned colder.
"He deserved death."
Several soldiers visibly flinched.
Selene continued without hesitation.
"Before the Young Master killed him, Jack released killing intent during the duel."
Her gaze swept slowly across the crowd.
"Any soldier who harbors killing intent toward the heir of House Darkmoor is a traitor, regardless of rank."
No one spoke.
No one argued.
Because everyone knew she was right.
Jack had crossed the line first.
Selene folded her arms behind her back.
"This duchy fed him."
"Trained him."
"Gave him mana techniques, resources, authority, and status."
"And yet he directed killing intent toward the family he served."
A trace of disgust flashed through her eyes.
"A soldier like that deserves execution."
The training grounds remained silent beneath her pressure.
Then Selene spoke once more.
"If anyone has a problem with the Young Master killing Jack..."
Her black eyes sharpened dangerously.
"Speak now."
Not a single person opened their mouth.
Even Jack’s closest friends remained silent.
No matter what they felt internally, they understood reality.
Selene had already chosen her side.
And opposing Selene inside the Darkmoor Army was suicide.
Andras quietly observed the crowd.
Fear.
Tension.
Unease.
Respect.
The atmosphere surrounding him had changed completely.
Before the duel, they saw him as a troublesome noble heir.
Now?
Many looked at him the same way they looked at Evelyne or Selene.
Dangerous.
One spear-wielding soldier unconsciously took a step backward when Andras’s gaze briefly landed on him.
Seeing that reaction, Andras smiled faintly.
Interesting.
Fear truly was useful.
Far more useful than affection.
Meanwhile, his attention returned to the final notification hovering before him.
[Talent Fusion — Unlocked.]
A new system function.
And judging by the name...
It likely allowed talents to merge together.
If that assumption was correct, then the possibilities were terrifying.
Echo Resonance.
False Ceiling Break.
Iron Blood Reinforcement.
And eventually—
Even stronger talents in the future.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Andras felt a genuine sense of anticipation.
The path ahead had just become far more interesting.
