Chapter 17 – The Beginning of a New Stage

Time had passed quickly since the tournament. Leonhardt continued his training with renewed determination, pushing his body and mind beyond their limits. If he wanted to understand the truth behind his ability and the message in the book, he needed to become stronger.

Each day, his routine became more intense. In the mornings, he trained in swordsmanship with Evelyn. At noon, he practiced magic with Seraphina. In the afternoon, he helped in his family's forge. And at night, he devoted himself to researching the mysterious symbol in his book.

But something unsettled him. Ever since he had seen the new "???" mark on his Stat Vision ability, he had the feeling that something was changing inside him.

Evelyn's Challenge

"You look more confident these days," Evelyn commented as she sharpened her wooden sword."That's because I am," Leonhardt replied with a smile."Good. Because I won't take it easy on you today."

Evelyn had never been an easy opponent, but at that moment, her presence felt different.

"I'm going to fight seriously," she said, adjusting her stance.

Leonhardt felt a chill. Until now, Evelyn had always held back during their training. But if she was fighting at full strength today, it meant she saw him as a true opponent.

"I won't hold back either," he said, gripping his sword firmly.

The fight began with a blur of speed. Evelyn disappeared from his sight for a second and reappeared at his right, delivering a swift strike. Leonhardt reacted on instinct, blocking with his sword just in time.

"She's faster than before… No, she's always been this fast. I'm just finally able to keep up."

Gritting his teeth, he counterattacked, launching a series of rapid strikes. Evelyn dodged with elegance, but a flicker of surprise appeared on her face.

"You've improved."

"And I'm not done yet."

Leonhardt channeled mana into his legs and activated Lightning Charge, propelling himself forward at explosive speed. He appeared right behind Evelyn and swung his sword downward.

However, Evelyn spun with impeccable precision and blocked his attack with enough force to push him back.

"Not bad," she said with a smile, "but you're still not there yet."

Before he could react, he felt a blow to his stomach, sending him flying backward. He got up with effort, panting.

"If you had used your Stat Vision ability, you could have predicted my attack."

Leonhardt frowned. He hadn't thought of that. His ability allowed him to analyze an opponent's stats in real time. If he used it wisely, he could understand their strengths and weaknesses in battle.

"From now on, we'll fight without restrictions," Evelyn said. "If you want to get stronger, you need to get used to facing me at full power."

Leonhardt nodded.

"Then get ready. Next time, I'll be the one who wins."

Saya's Secret

That night, as Leonhardt rested in his room, he heard a soft knock on the window. He turned and saw Saya floating in the air, using her magic.

"Did you use levitation to sneak into my room again?" he sighed, opening the window."I wanted to talk to you," she said, stepping inside with a playful smile. "Can I stay here for a bit?"

Leonhardt nodded. Since Saya had started working as his maid, she had grown much closer to him.

"Your training with Evelyn looks intense," she commented, sitting on his bed. "Don't overwork yourself.""If I want to improve, I can't afford to rest."

Saya gave him a serious look.

"I understand that you don't want to lose. But you should also learn to trust others."

Leonhardt frowned.

"What do you mean?"

She bit her lower lip, hesitating as if unsure whether to say something. Finally, she sighed and extended her hand.

In an instant, her horns and tail appeared. Leonhardt remained silent for a moment.

"You can control it at will?"

She nodded.

"Yes. But keeping them hidden tires me out a little."

Leonhardt observed her with curiosity.

"Why are you showing me this now?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Because I want you to trust me as much as I trust you."

Leonhardt felt that her words carried more meaning than she let on.

"Thank you for trusting me, Saya."

She smiled.

"I always will."

A New Mystery

After Saya left, Leonhardt returned to examining the magic book. He couldn't stop thinking about the hidden message.

"The fate of this world could depend on you."

Why? What did he have to do with the fate of the world?

As he flipped through the pages, something new appeared in his Stat Vision ability.

Stat VisionLevel: ???Effect: Can see the statistics of others. A new function has been unlocked.

[Unlock more information – Yes / No]

Leonhardt's heart pounded. Until now, his ability only allowed him to see numbers, but… what did this new function mean?

He made a decision and pressed "Yes."

A torrent of information flooded his mind—images, words, symbols he had never seen before.

And then, a clear phrase echoed in his head.

"The Eye of Destiny has awakened."

Leonhardt felt a chill.

"Eye of Destiny…?"

That night, he barely slept. Something inside him was changing, and he had a feeling that soon, he would discover the true meaning of his ability.