Duke and I came to conclusion . His desperate offer echoes in my mind—one night with Vivienne in exchange for leading a hopeless military campaign against creatures I've only heard about in fantasy stories.
Dark elves. Dragons. A world where magic flows through bloodlines and combat.
Part of me should be terrified. Two days ago I was a marketing executive; now I'm apparently being drafted to fight supernatural enemies with abilities I barely understand myself.
Instead, I feel something stirring deep in my chest—anticipation mixed with hunger. Whatever's happening to me, whatever this "system" has made me into, it's responding to the prospect of real conflict with something like eagerness.
```
[COMBAT SYSTEM INITIALIZATION DETECTED]
Physical Enhancement: Strength +180%, Speed +160%, Endurance +200%
Combat Instincts: PREPARING FOR UNLOCK
Weapon Mastery: [ADAPTIVE LEARNING] Standby Mode
Tactical Analysis: Expanding to battlefield applications
Warning: First combat engagement will trigger major evolution
```
My body feels different this morning—more solid, more responsive. When I test my grip on the iron bars, they seem less imposing than they did yesterday.
Every sound in the dungeon carries with unusual clarity, from footsteps three corridors away to conversations happening in the rooms above.
Heavy boots echo down the corridor, multiple sets this time. The Duke's soldiers, right on schedule.
"Are you sure about this?" The voice carries clearly to my enhanced hearing—young, uncertain. "He's been locked up for two days. What's he going to do against dark elves?"
"Orders are orders," comes the gruff reply from what sounds like a veteran. "Duke says he's got special capabilities. We equip him and march within the hour."
"Special capabilities," the young voice scoffs. "He's just some strange foreigner who got lucky in a political trial."
I lean back against the cold stone wall, considering how wrong they are. And how soon they're going to find out.
The group rounds the corner—five soldiers in worn but well-maintained armor, led by a man who immediately commands attention. He's built like a fortress, easily six and a half feet tall with shoulders that could carry an ox.
Scars crisscross his exposed forearms, and his eyes hold the cold assessment of someone who's survived more battles than he cares to count.
```
[ANALYZE - ACTIVATED]
Name: Captain Gareth Stormwind
Age: 34 | Status: Veteran Military Leader, Duke's Trusted Commander
Experience Level: 15+ years combat, survived dragon encounter
—————————
WARNING: This target will not submit to political manipulation alone
OPPORTUNITY: Combat respect pathway available - prove worthiness through capability
STRATEGIC VALUE: Converting this leader grants significant influence over entire unit
```
The Captain stops in front of my cell, studying me with professional assessment. His gaze takes in my posture—more confident than yesterday, but not arrogantly so—and something in my bearing that apparently wasn't there during my trial.
"So you're the foreigner who rattled the Duke's council," he says, voice carrying the authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed. "I'm Captain Stormwind. These are my men."
The soldiers behind him are a mix—young faces trying to look hardened, older hands who've clearly seen real action. All of them watching me with varying degrees of skepticism.
"Marcus," I reply, standing and approaching the bars. The movement feels more fluid than it should, like my body is operating with new efficiency. "I take it you're here to discuss my career change from prisoner to... what exactly am I supposed to be?"
"Scout and tactical adviser," Captain Stormwind says bluntly. "Someone who can think differently about problems that have been killing our men for weeks."
One of the younger soldiers—barely twenty, with the kind of eager expression that gets people killed—steps forward. "With respect, sir, what makes him qualified? He doesn't even know about dark elves, and he's got no magic that anyone can see."
The dismissive tone grates against something new in my personality. Two days ago, I might have accepted the skepticism and worked to prove myself slowly.
Now, looking at this young soldier's cocky expression, I feel an almost overwhelming urge to demonstrate exactly why the Duke made his desperate bargain.
"You want to know what makes me qualified?" I ask, my voice carrying just enough edge to make everyone present pay attention.
"Yeah," the young soldier says, crossing his arms. "What makes a foreigner prisoner think he can help with—"
I move faster than I should be able to, my hand shooting through the bars to grab the front of his leather jerkin. The enhanced strength makes lifting his weight effortless as I pull him against the iron bars, his feet barely touching the ground.
The reaction is immediate and profound. Every soldier present tenses, hands moving toward weapons, but none of them draw steel.
There's something in the air now—a presence that makes their primitive instincts scream warnings about attacking what they're looking at.
```
[INTIMIDATING PRESENCE - ACTIVATED]
Target: Multiple soldiers
Effect: Supernatural authority recognition + Threat assessment
Duration: Permanent impression established
Corruption Opportunity: Respect through demonstrated power
```
"Because," I say quietly, meeting the young soldier's widened eyes, "when you're facing enemies that can tear apart everything you've trained for, you want someone on your side who brings more than standard tactics to the fight."
I release him and he stumbles backward, gasping. Not just from my grip—though I suspect I could have seriously hurt him without effort—but from something deeper. A recognition that he'd been facing something more dangerous than he understood.
The other soldiers are staring at me with new expressions. The doubt is still there, but it's now mixed with wariness and a grudging acknowledgment that maybe the Duke's desperate gamble isn't quite as insane as they thought.
Captain Stormwind, to his credit, hasn't moved. He's still studying me, but now there's a different quality to his attention—the way a professional soldier evaluates a potentially useful weapon.
"Enhanced strength, supernatural presence," he observes calmly. "The Duke mentioned you had unusual capabilities. I can see what he meant."
"That's just the beginning," I tell him, stepping back from the bars but maintaining eye contact. "But we can discuss my full capabilities after I've had proper equipment and a chance to understand exactly what we're facing."
The young soldier is rubbing his chest where I grabbed him, his face pale. "What... what are you exactly?"
"Someone who's going to keep you alive long enough to learn better manners," I reply, not unkindly. "Assuming you're willing to listen when your superiors are talking."
```
[CORRUPTION PROGRESS UPDATE]
Target: Soldier Unit (5 members)
Current Status:
- Young soldiers: INTIMIDATED > Authority recognition beginning
- Veterans: CAUTIOUSLY RESPECTFUL > Strength acknowledged
- Captain Stormwind: PROFESSIONALLY INTERESTED > Respect pathway activated
Overall Unit Corruption: 8% > Foundation established for growth through performance
Method: Controlled strength demonstration + Protective authority + Competence proof required
```