Reilan knocked twice on the office door.

He had been called during the training session. But he didn't delay a second.

— Come in.

The cold, firm voice of Seraphina Velnore, the Duchess Velnore, passed through the cracks of the door into the corridor.

He opened the door without hesitation.

His eyes quickly scanned the room.

The duchess's office was impeccable, meticulously organized.

Ancestral paintings adorned the walls, depicting figures of the Velnore lineage in austere strokes.

Their gazes seemed laden with silent judgment.

The architecture of the room vaguely resembled human style—but with subtle differences. The columns were slimmer, the vaulted ceiling higher, and the dark wood of the shelves seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it.

In the center, a massive desk, covered in documents stacked with surgical precision.

No sheet out of place.

No drop of ink wasted.

Sitting behind it, Seraphina observed him with sharp eyes.

Reilan greeted her with the proper etiquette.

Knee slightly bent, reclined, arms stretched precisely at the exact angle.

The woman waved her hand for him to stop.

Then, her mouth opened:

— I'll get straight to the point: are you aware of the Forest of Monsters?

The question was asked bluntly.

Reilan nodded.

— Yes. It borders directly with the Velnore estate.

But why bring this up now?

Seraphina crossed her hands over the desk.

— Well, that saves time. — She said. — Because something is happening there.

He remained silent, waiting.

His arms now behind his back.

— Although the Grand Regent ordered this to be kept secret, there has been an incident. Problematic because it is of relatively large scale.

She paused for a moment before continuing.

She seemed tired.

Reilan assumed the woman had been working nonstop for a long time.

It was typical of her to do so.

— Monsters known for hunting alone have started to gather. An expedition sent from the nearest city was massacred.

Reilan became curious, though still alert.

— What creatures, ma'am?

Seraphina picked up one of the documents from the pile and slid it across the table.

Reilan took a small step forward when she gestured for him to do so.

He then read.

— Fog Chacals.

He narrowed his eyes.

The Fog Chacals were stealthy predators.

Creatures with gray fur and red eyes that hid within the magical fog that permeated the forest.

Solitary by nature.

Methodical hunters, ambushing prey without ever forming packs.

And if they were organizing into groups…

That was not natural.

Reilan crossed his arms.

— Do you intend to send one of the Iron Squads?

Seraphina shook her head slightly.

The Iron Squads would be overkill for something like this.

Sure. What was happening was alarming, but there was no need for such a thing.

It would be hasty.

— No. — She stared at him. — You will be more than sufficient.

A statement, not a supposition.

She had already seen everything Reilan was capable of.

As the vice-captain of his own squad, he brought several impressive achievements.

— Your mission is simple: discover what is causing this anomaly and eradicate as many threats as possible.

She paused.

Her eyes softly scanned another document.

— Or document their locations, should eliminating them be unfeasible.

Reilan absorbed the information quickly.

Mutation.

That was the duchess's hypothesis.

And considering that this type of phenomenon was becoming increasingly common on the Continent, it made sense.

He nodded, accepting the mission.

But then…

An idea surfaced in his mind.An opportunity.

He raised his eyes to Seraphina, maintaining his formal posture.

— Duchess.

She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

— This could be a good test for young master Rudgar.

Seraphina remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, a small smile curved her lips.

— Yes...

The word sounded almost like a whisper.

She observed him for a few more moments before leaning slightly back in her chair.

— You're right. — She said. — It's a chance for him to gain more real experience.

The duchess picked up a new scroll and began writing.

Reilan could see her include both his and Rudgar's names in a blank corner.

Further down, she wrote her own signature.

— I will arrange the instructions for him — She said.

Reilan bowed slightly.

— I will make the preparations immediately. We depart in a week.

Seraphina didn't say anything, merely making another subtle gesture with her hand, dismissing him.

He quickly nodded.

Then, he turned and left the office, closing the door with a soft click.

It was time for the hunt.
________

I took a deep breath.

The muscles in my arm were already starting to protest against the repetitive motion.

The blade of the rapier cut through the air once again, following the precise trajectory of the hologram in front of me.

It was a simple strike, but one that required absolute control — a fluid thrust, where the fist moved before the rest of the body, driven by the firmness of my feet on the ground.

For the thousandth time, I executed the attack. For the thousandth time, I felt the imperfection.

I sighed, lowering the blade and staring at the hologram.

In the meantime, I had discovered a few things about the System.

My technique hadn't evolved at all yet — as expected, since merely repeating a movement wasn't enough to master it — but I did understand a bit more about the capabilities of Bolster Up.

The hologram wasn't static.

I could control its appearance, its features, and even its strength.

It was a type of learning tool far more advanced than I had expected.

But for now, all it served to do was display just how deficient my movements still were.

I was disappointed in myself. But it was a start, right?

I threw myself back, sitting on the ground and letting out a heavy sigh.

— Bolster Up, I have a few questions.

The response came immediately.

[Go ahead, Loki.]

— How many of these holograms can you create?

[As long as the energy is sufficient, multiple. There's no exact defined limit.]

[However, it's important to note that this could cause excessive stress on the user's brain. It's wise to be cautious to avoid overextending.]

That sparked a small flicker of curiosity.

— If I create two, can they fight each other?

[Yes.]

Interesting.

— And if I want one to use the Velnore Technique while the other uses a different style? Is that possible?

[Yes, but with restrictions.]

[So far, you only possess real knowledge of one technique: the Basic Velnore Technique. However, I can attempt to replicate a different style based on your past memories and what you've observed.]

My mind immediately went to a specific person.

— Serenna.

The queen of beasts.

Who better to test this on than such a powerful future boss?

[Understood. The replication may be imprecise, but I will attempt to adapt.]

[Processing...]

The holograms began to form.

[The hologram 'Reilan 1' was successfully generated.]

One of them took on a familiar appearance.

Reilan.

Imposing posture, neutral expression, rapier in hand.

[The hologram 'Unnamed' was successfully generated.]

The other was a faceless silhouette, but the way it held the blade was different.

It wasn't the Velnore Technique — the feet positioned at odd angles, the hand moving with an unusual fluidity.

It was a distorted reflection of what I had seen Serenna do.

Although she currently fought with her hands, the girl was just as skilled with a sword as she was with martial arts.

It was only a matter of time, however, before she found that thing and became a maniacal swordswoman, surrounded by monsters and tamed beasts.

[Starting combat.]

The System didn't waste time.

And in the next instant, the two moved.

The holographic Reilan advanced with a lightning-fast thrust.

The opponent retreated with a light rotation, evading with precision and sliding the blade to attempt a lateral counterattack.

But Reilan's hologram was fast.

His blade rose in a clean arc, slicing the attack in half and stepping back half a pace.

The weight of his body spun along, and in an instant, he was back on the offensive — the rapier flashing like a silver streak.

The fight was fierce.

I sweated as I watched, silent.

The faceless silhouette tried to keep up, but it was clear who controlled the flow.

Every move of Reilan was calculated, no waste of energy.

When the battle ended, it was abrupt: a precise, decisive strike that pierced the opponent's defense without mercy.

Particles shattered from the defeated hologram as it disappeared.

[Result: Reilan's victory.]

It was a one-sided massacre.

No to zero chance for Serenna's hologram at all.

But it was also inspiring.

— Now me. —

I spoke, rising and grabbing my blade again.

[Adjusting difficulty to a compatible level.]

The silhouette of Reilan turned toward me, assuming a combat stance.

I swallowed hard.

[The hologram 'Reilan 1' was successfully reset.]

[Adjusting combat parameters.]

[The pain level has been reduced to prevent excessive strain on the user.]

Great.

So I would just be humiliated, but I wouldn't be broken.

[Adjusting opponent's position.]

The holographic Reilan was standing across the hall, blade low, breath nonexistent.

He was just a simulation, a set of data and visual projection, but the feeling of staring him down was... oppressive.

I had seen what he was capable of.

My fingers adjusted to the grip of the rapier.

I took a deep breath, adjusting my stance.

The weight of the blade, the control of the wrist, the firm stance of my feet on the ground.

It didn't matter that this was a fight against a light puppet — I couldn't hesitate.

[Starting combat.]

I struck first.

The third movement of the Basic Velnore Technique.

A light thrust, a lateral step, and then a last-minute diagonal strike to deceive the opponent's defense.

A move designed to force a mistake.

The hologram of Reilan made no mistakes.

His blade intercepted mine instantly.

My rapier shook with the impact, and before I could regroup, he was already attacking.

The eighth movement of the Basic Velnore Technique.

He spun on his axis, too fast, and his blade slid close to the ground, a low lateral strike that forced me to retreat immediately.

But I had barely jumped back when he was already pressuring me again.

No pause. No opening.

His rapier seemed to have a life of its own. It sparkled.

I could hardly raise mine to defend.

Impact.

The blow hit my side, burning as if I had been whipped with a heated piece of iron.

My body faltered back, my breath caught, and before I could process, he was coming forward with an advance.

First movement.

A straight thrust. I timed it to dodge—

Failed.

The tip of his rapier hit my shoulder.

Second movement.

A horizontal cut. Jump back—

Too late.

The blow hit me squarely, the impact throwing me against the stone floor with a sharp thud.

The ceiling spun. My breath came short. My body ached.

I had lost.

It was clearly easy for him to do so.

It wasn't even close to a balanced fight.

My sweat ran down my temples.

My hands were shaking around the grip of the rapier as I forced my body to rise.

My eyes went to the projection of Reilan.

He was there, untouched, blade lowered, as if the fight had never happened.

My throat went dry.

I took a deep breath.

— Again.

The hologram reset.

[The necessary adjustments have been made.]

[Adjusting opponent's position.]

[Starting combat.]
And once again, the fight began.