The secret system of the Gallant Heir

I locked eyes with the figure in front of me and quickly enchanted Wind Boost, a basic-level magic spell. A surge of energy coursed through my legs as I lunged forward, hurling a barrage of fireballs—basic-level spells—toward my opponent.

As expected, he barely reacted. His gaze remained cold and unreadable.

Switching tactics, I channelled earth magic, causing the ground beneath him to shift and trap him in a sudden rock formation. But before I could celebrate, his figure flickered—vanishing in an instant.

"Where—?"

A split second later, he reappeared beside me. His hand crackled with fire, and before I could react—

BOOM!

A fireball, far more powerful than my own, engulfed me in flames.

The next thing I knew, I was back where I started—standing beside Ignis, completely unharmed.

I let out a sharp breath. "So this is how it works..." I muttered. "I couldn't even touch him."

The power gap was overwhelming. If I couldn't even land a single hit, what chance did I have against the real threat in five years?

Shaking off the frustration, I clenched my fists. "Fine. If I can't win now, I'll focus on forming my 4th magic circle first. Lili said I need battle experience to do that, so I guess I'll start small."

Taking a deep breath, I turned to the system.

"Lili, summon a 3rd-circle mage—someone at my level. He should be experienced in battle, I need to fight on equal footing first."

This time, I wouldn't lose so easily.

A man appeared in front of me, wearing a blue magical robe. His red eyes glowed with a dangerous light, and a deadly aura surrounded him, making it clear he was ready to kill without hesitation.

"Alright, let's see if I can handle this."

I quickly formed my third-circle magic, Inferno, and launched a blast of fire toward him. But with a simple motion, he used wind magic to dodge it, the flames missing him completely.

Before I could react, I felt my body lock up. The ground beneath me cracked, and I was trapped by earth magic, unable to move. At that moment, he cast Inferno—a powerful blast of flames—and I was consumed in the heat.

The next second, I respawned beside Ignis, feeling the heat still on my skin.

Ignis was standing there, laughing at me. "Ha! You couldn't even beat a third-circle mage? Pathetic."

I gritted my teeth, still recovering from the battle. "So that's how a real third-circle mage fights," I thought. "I have a lot of work to do..."

"Alright, I'm not backing down this time," I said, feeling my determination grow stronger. "Lili, summon him again. I'm going to try something different this time."

As soon as I said that, the same mage appeared before me again. His red eyes locked onto me, filled with cold, merciless intent. The air around him felt heavy with power. He was ready to destroy me, but I wasn't going to let him win that easily.

I quickly activated wind magic, pushing myself forward toward him in a blur of speed. My mind was already racing ahead, planning my next move. I followed up with earth magic, trying to trap him in a solid barrier of stone. But to my surprise, he didn't stay where I expected. He vanished into the shadows beneath me, slipping into the darkness with dark magic, and reappeared right beside me.

Before I could react, he released a fireball at me, the flames sizzling through the air. But just as I felt the heat, I was respawned instantly, standing next to Ignis again.

"That was better than the last time," I muttered to myself. Even though I didn't feel any pain, the rush of the battle was real, and I knew I was learning.

I stood up straight. "Lili, summon him again. Let's go."

I wasn't about to stop now. I needed to figure out how to defeat him.

I fought him over and over again, each time learning more. The mage was skilled, and every battle was tougher than the last. I didn't feel the blows, but I could sense how hard he was making it for me. Each time, I grew a little more determined, and my strategy began to improve.

Finally, after many attempts, I felt something click.

This time, when he charged toward me using wind magic to close the gap, I quickly summoned dark magic. I formed two shadows and then moved into one of them. It was a calculated risk, but I knew it would be worth it. As expected, he used dark magic to slip into one of the shadows too, trying to catch me off guard.

That's when I grinned. This was my moment.

I quickly conjured a fireball and hurled it directly at him, aiming for the spot where I knew he was hiding. His eyes widened in surprise, and he raised an earth wall to block my attack. I felt a sense of satisfaction wash over me. I'd finally managed to land my first hit on him.

But before I could celebrate, he retaliated fast.

He summoned water magic, and multiple water orbs shot toward me, clouding my vision and making it harder to see. At the same time, he conjured a spear of light, its sharp edges glowing brightly. I knew this was going to be bad, but I had no choice but to react.

He closed the distance between us with wind magic, faster than I had expected. Before I could make my move, I found myself back beside Ignis, once again respawned.

Ignis stood nearby, clearly amused. "Ha! You managed to touch him," she teased, a grin on her face.

I didn't let her mocking words get to me. I was too focused on what had happened. At least I hit him this time. That's something. I thought to myself, trying to keep my head in the game. More importantly, I need to figure out how he used light magic to stop my dark magic. He's much more experienced than I am.

I took a deep breath, analyzing the battle in my mind. He used light magic to block my ability to move through the shadows. That's why I couldn't hide in them like before. It's a clever move on his part. I need to be more strategic.

I stood tall again, ready to face him once more. This battle wasn't over, and I was far from giving up.

I stood there, catching my breath, my mind racing. The mage was powerful, but I knew I had made progress. Every defeat brought me closer to understanding how to beat him. I couldn't let my failures stop me—not when the future depended on my strength.

Turning to Ignis, I said, "I'm not there yet, but I'm getting closer. I'll be ready when the time comes."

Ignis snorted but gave me an approving glance. "Just don't get too cocky, kid."

I smiled, determined. "I won't."

As I left the inner world and returned to the real one, I knew this was just the beginning of a much harder journey. The path to power wouldn't be easy, but I was ready to walk it.

And no matter what awaited me, I wouldn't back down.