* * *

Monster.

That was the only way Samuel could define Adel.

Since he was sharing Adels vision, he couldnt fully grasp his appearance.

But one thing was for sure.

If he had seen the Stealth and Silence magic that Adel had cast simultaneously, he would have made the same expression as Robolt.

Lately, Samuel had been plagued by various emotions.

Negative emotions like inferiority and jealousy tormented him.

Samuel, who had survived by devouring his own mother.

To him, revenge was the most important thing, and for that, he needed immense power.

Therefore,

Samuel envied Adel.

He didnt know what kind of past Adel held in his heart.

Perhaps he had experienced even greater pain than himself.

Now he knew that Adel was striving to become stronger than anyone else.

Until recently, he was just a child who couldnt define his purpose and merely expressed the power he had gained.

But hadnt he changed completely from those days?

On the other hand,

He himself was at a standstill.

Samuel had already realized that he was weaker than Adel.

I

Unlike Adel, he couldnt master both magic and swordsmanship.

Samuels talent was solely focused on magic.

As he suffered from a terrible sense of inferiority, he went to Ares.

He asked to be evaluated by the same standards as Adel.

But he was no match for Ares in a dagger fight like Adel.

Unlike him, he didnt deviate from the average in any physical aspect.

His physique wasnt particularly large either.

He was short, about the same height as a girl in a ditch.

Therefore,

Samuel was experiencing an intense thirst for power.

Furthermore, he wished to surpass Adel.

However, Samuel had lost his body and was bound to Adels.

He didnt show it on the outside, but Samuel felt ashamed of himself.

Inferiority.

That bitter emotion clung to him and wouldnt let go.

At that moment,

While choosing an artifact from Sytans secret vault

A certain book spoke to him.

I will give you power.

What kind of power was it going to give him?

Samuel couldnt easily answer the books voice.

But he couldnt ignore it either.

The presence he felt from the book was too intense.

As Samuel pondered,

The power to devour everything, make a pact with me, and you will be able to consume all.

The books voice echoed.

There was an irresistible force in its voice.

While Adel was asleep, Samuel reached out his thorns towards the book.

Sharing Adels vision, Samuel was able to memorize the location of every object in the room with his genius-like memory.

The moment he opened the book,

Accept me.

A powerful energy emanating from the book entangled Samuels soul.

If it were a physical body, Adel might have been harmed, but the book had accessed Samuels soul.

Samuel shuddered at the feeling of indescribable power enveloping him.

If it was the power of the book

He could definitely surpass Adel.

The mysterious book possessed such power.

However,

There was a price to inheriting the books power.

The more he used the power, the more of his soul would be eroded by the book as payment.

If he truly wanted to defeat Adel, it wouldnt be a bad deal.

Samuel had been honing his blade solely for strength and revenge.

However,

Samuel resisted the books power.

[You, the unknown entity that desires my soul.]

Samuel calmly uttered towards the book that emanated intense power.

Somewhere along the way, Samuel had developed a deep affection for Adel and the other students in Class A.

Therefore, he didnt want to abandon his ego and gain power.

Suddenly, his mothers last words echoed vividly in his ears.

My child, you must survive.

Samuel fell into deep thought.

His mother wouldnt have saved him just for the sake of revenge.

And at some point, Samuel realized the meaning behind his mothers words.

She wanted him to see a wider world.

Therefore,

[It is I who devoured my own mother.]

He muttered calmly.

[No one can consume me. Only I can devour myself, so face these relentless teeth.]

*Whoosh-*

Samuels soul, which was about to be swallowed by the book, turned around to devour the books power instead.

A fierce battle of tearing and biting ensued.

There was no victor in this fight.

As if sensing that it wasnt the right time yet, the book closed, withdrawing its power.

[.]

Samuel, shortening the length of his thorns, settled back onto Adels wrist.

Looking at Adel sound asleep, Samuel murmured softly.

[I will surpass you.]

Even if he was like this right now.

[Dont forget that youre not the only one running, you fool.]

Samuel had not given up.

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