Chapter 4: The Ice Queen Melts (Just a Little)

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Ice Queen Melts (Just a Little) In the Royal Training Arena — a coliseum made of enchanted white stone — dozens of spectators gathered for what was rapidly becoming the most anticipated event in the capital this week. No, it wasn’t a royal wedding. Or a dragon hunt. It was the public duel between: One disheveled, confused young man still holding a half-eaten sandwich in his left hand... ...and... Yulia Astrem — prodigy of the Grand Arcane Academy, top of every known magical discipline, famous for freezing a hydra to death during finals week. She stood across from Kai, expression unreadable, robes flowing like mist, hair bound in a silver braid that shimmered in the sunlight. Her voice cut through the noise like frostbite. "I demand a fair duel, no divine interference, and no more... accidental explosions." Kai raised a finger. "Can I finish my sandwich first?" Elira groaned from the viewing platform. "Why did we agree to this again?" "Because," Yulia said coolly, "I require absolute proof that this... buffoon is truly a Hero." She turned to Kai. "Your existence offends logic. I intend to rectify that." Kai scratched his head. "You could’ve just asked for my autograph." [System Notice: Rival Detected – Yulia Astrem.] [Caution: She may stab you with algebra.] Ten Minutes Earlier... "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kai had asked as he was being forcefully dressed in a glowing training tunic. "You insulted her robe," Elira muttered. "I asked why it was glowing at her knees! That’s a genuine question!" "She thinks you’re an idiot." "She’s not wrong." Now, the duel began. A blast of trumpet-like magical horns signaled the start. The arena’s enchantments flared to life — casting a protective dome over the spectators and duelists alike. Yulia raised her hands. "Level 6: Cryo-Funnel Cascade." Blue sigils materialized in midair. Ice spiraled into her palms and exploded outward in a dazzling, razor-sharp barrage. The crowd gasped. Even the guards tensed. Kai, meanwhile, had just dropped the rest of his sandwich. "Whoa—shiny!" He slipped on the crust, flailed, and accidentally face-planted into the ground. The ice storm passed harmlessly above him. Yulia blinked. "You... dodged that?" Kai sat up, nose bleeding. "What the hell was that? Elsa on steroids?" [Passive Skill Activated: "Slippery Luck (Rank ??)"] [You have unintentionally evaded a Tier-6 spell. Your enemies are very confused.] Yulia clenched her jaw. "Beginner’s luck." She switched tactics. "Level 5: Lightning Column." This time, a spiraling bolt of blue lightning roared down from the sky. Kai jumped instinctively — directly into the blast. Everyone gasped. Elira stood up. "No—!" But instead of being electrocuted... Kai floated there, unharmed, blinking as sparks bounced off his skin. "...Kinda tickles." [System Trait: Mana Sponge - Active] [You have absorbed 18% of Yulia’s mana. She is now slightly dizzy.] Yulia staggered. "W-What?" Kai landed gently on the ground, holding his arms out like a ballerina. "Am I... a battery?" "You’re cheating!" she snapped. "I’m confused!" From the stands, Elira covered her face. "This is a disaster..." "Technically," said one of the professors, "this is the most successful dueling demo we’ve ever had. She’s learned humility. He’s learned... inertia." Yulia’s final straw came when Kai ducked to tie his shoe, and her arcane homing bolt curved midair and exploded in her own face. She landed on her butt. Silence. The crowd didn’t even dare breathe. Kai stood, blinking. "...Did I win?" A minute later, he was back in the lounge, sipping tea like nothing happened. Yulia stormed in, robe smudged, cheeks red with humiliation. She glared at him. "You. Are. An. Anomaly." "Hi again," Kai said, sipping. "You want some tea? I think it’s magically infused with minty disappointment." "You humiliated me!" "You tried to frostbite my face!" She slammed her hands on the table. "You defy every law of magical theory! Your stats are unreadable! Your mana is untraceable! And your hair looks like you lost a fight with a squirrel!" He raised a hand. "Okay, first of all, that squirrel was very aggressive." She froze. Then, slowly... exhaled. A long, deep, soul-cleansing exhale. When she spoke again, it was calm. Clinical. But slightly cracked. "...I must study you." Kai blinked. "Come again?" "You are a walking disaster wrapped in statistical impossibility," she muttered. "You might be the greatest magical variable in history." "Thanks?" "I will now be joining your personal retinue." "Wait, what—" "Effective immediately." Elira burst in. "She what?!" Yulia turned to her. "I’m joining his party. For research purposes." "That’s not allowed!" "There’s no law against it." "HE’S A NUISANCE!" "He’s my nuisance now." Kai raised a hand. "Do I get a say—" "No," both girls said in unison. [System Note: You have unlocked Harem Member #3: Yulia Astrem, Ice Mage. Trust Level: -17.] [Warning: Trust must be earned. Or bribed with books and tea.] That evening, Kai sat alone on a tower balcony with his system window open. [Status Update:] • Elira: Tsundere Threat Level Rising • Lira: Assassin possibly in love with your forehead • Yulia: Studying you like a volatile chemical [Suggested Course of Action: Run.] Kai sighed and leaned back against the railing. "I’m not even three days into this Hero gig..." He looked out over the moonlit city. "...and I’m pretty sure they’re all going to kill me someday." Far away, in the underground sanctum of the Obsidian Order, Lira stood before a shadowed council. "The Hero is not what we expected," she said. A voice from the shadows growled, "Is he dangerous?" She hesitated. "...Yes." "Then eliminate him." She nodded once. But deep inside... she wasn’t so sure anymore.