The Duel, the Date, and a Dark Past

The guild hall buzzed with excitement.

A duel between Kaisel, one of the strongest A-rank swordsmen, and Asvorn, the former "worthless adventurer."

The arena in the guild courtyard was packed, adventurers shoving for a better view.

Kaisel smirked as he stepped forward, sword resting on his shoulder.

"You should've stayed in the shadows where you belong," he sneered. "A rat dressed as a lion is still a rat."

Asvorn said nothing.

Kaisel's eyes gleamed with amusement at his silence.

"You think you're something special now? Just because you grew some muscles overnight? You're still the same pathetic failure."

Asvorn remained still.

But then—

"You know," Kaisel mused, tilting his head, "Lyara's wasted on you. A beauty like her, with an F-rank loser? Disgusting. Maybe I'll take her after I'm done humiliating you."

Crack.

Asvorn's fingers clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The crowd stiffened.

A sharp chill filled the air.

Then—

The fight began.

Kaisel's Overwhelming Strength

Kaisel moved first.

A blur of motion—then BOOM!

Asvorn barely dodged as Kaisel's blade came down like a hammer, splitting the ground.

"Too slow!" Kaisel laughed, swinging again.

Asvorn parried, but the impact sent a shockwave through his arms.

He's strong.

Kaisel's swordplay was precise, fast, and relentless. Each strike carried weight, forcing Asvorn on the defensive.

The crowd murmured.

"Asvorn's getting destroyed…"

"He's just an F-rank after all."

Lyara bit her lip, her hands clenched into fists.

Kaisel's foot slammed into Asvorn's chest, launching him backward.

He skidded across the dirt, coughing.

Kaisel grinned.

"This is the great 'evolved' Asvorn? Pathetic. Maybe if you beg, I'll let you keep some dignity."

The crowd laughed.

Then—

Lyara cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Asvorn! If you win… we'll go on a date!"

Silence.

Kaisel froze.

The crowd erupted in chaos.

"What?!"

"Did she just—?!"

"Asvorn, you lucky bastard!"

But Asvorn—

Something inside him snapped.

The Turnaround

Kaisel barely had time to react before Asvorn moved.

His body blurred—then CRACK!

Kaisel's head jerked back as Asvorn's fist smashed into his face.

BOOM!

He flew backward, crashing into the stone wall.

The crowd gasped.

Kaisel barely stumbled to his feet, blood dripping from his nose.

"What… the hell…?"

Asvorn grinned.

The system messages flooded his mind.

[Level Up!]

[Strength Increased!]

[Agility Increased!]

Every hit he took from Kaisel had made him stronger.

Kaisel growled. "You little—"

He charged—

But Asvorn vanished.

Then—

CRACK!

A devastating uppercut sent Kaisel into the air.

Asvorn leaped—spun—then kicked Kaisel straight into the ground.

BOOM!

Dust exploded as the ground shattered.

Silence.

The A-rank swordsman lay motionless.

Asvorn landed lightly, rolling his shoulders.

"Still think I'm worthless?"

The crowd exploded.

"He won?!"

"Holy crap!"

"He just beat an A-rank like it was nothing!"

Kaisel groaned, barely conscious.

A deep, hearty laugh rang out.

The guildmaster, Eric, stepped forward, clapping.

"Now that was a fight!" he boomed. "Asvorn, you've impressed me."

He grinned.

"As of today, I'm promoting you to C-rank!"

The crowd cheered.

Lyara smiled softly.

"Asvorn…"

He turned to her—then grinned.

"So… about that date?"

Her face turned bright red.

"You—! Ugh!"

Celebration and a New Home

That night, Asvorn and Lyara celebrated at the inn.

With his new C-rank status and the earnings from the quest, they finally had enough to buy a house instead of living in the inn.

A small place near the city walls—simple, but theirs.

Lyara admired the space.

"It's nice," she said.

Asvorn nodded. "Yeah. Our own base."

She glanced at him.

"...'Our'?"

He paused.

Then smiled.

"Of course. You're stuck with me, right?"

She rolled her eyes. But her smile lingered.

The Date (Somehow)

The next morning, Asvorn reminded Lyara.

She froze.

"W-Wait! That was just to motivate you!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"A promise is a promise."

She glared. "You're impossible."

But after some pouting and grumbling, she agreed.

And so, they spent the day walking through the city, eating street food, and visiting shops.

Lyara was flustered the entire time.

At one point, a shopkeeper assumed they were a couple.

"Ah, young love!" the old man laughed.

Lyara nearly choked on her drink.

Asvorn?

He just grinned.

A Dark Truth Revealed

One month later, the guildmaster called them into his office.

Eric's expression was serious.

"I have an S-rank mission for you both," he said.

Asvorn frowned.

"...S-rank?"

Eric nodded.

"It's about a group of bandits in Draymoor. They've been causing massive problems. But the leader… he's different. Smart. Dangerous."

Asvorn crossed his arms.

"Who is he?"

Eric hesitated.

Then spoke.

"His name is Clement."

Asvorn's heart stopped.

"...What?"

Eric's eyes darkened.

"Asvorn… Clement is your father."

Silence.

Lyara's eyes widened.

Asvorn's fists clenched.

He had avoided his past for so long.

And now—

It had caught up to him.