Victor stared at the plate of food in front of him.
He hadn't noticed it before—too focused on where he was or what Jeffrey wanted—but now that he'd calmed down, the scent hit him like a hammer.
It smelled... amazing.
Steam rose from a bowl of thick, hearty soup that looked nothing like the watery mess from last night.
Floating in it were chunks of tender meat, small vegetables, and herbs. Beside the bowl sat a piece of golden-brown bread, still warm, and a large slab of roasted meat that glistened with its own juices.
Victor's stomach let out a growl so aggressive it made him flinch.
He hesitated for a moment. Then lunged for the food.
The soup from the night before had done little to satisfy him. And now that he thought about it, the body he now inhabited had nearly died of starvation. That hunger hadn't gone away.
He tore into the meal like an animal. The soup was thick and delicious, the bread soft, and the meat tender enough to make him moan in relief. He didn't care about appearances. He just ate.
While he devoured the food, he activated his Empath ability.
In this life, he'd learned he could use the trait in two states:
Passive Mode—This was a low-level awareness. It let him sense the general emotional atmosphere around him—like tension, fear, or joy. It was always running in the background and didn't seem to cost him anything.
Active Mode— This activates when he focuses, like now. It let him narrow in on one person and read their exact emotions, even how they shifted in real time. But it drained something—his mental energy, or maybe something tied to Charisma. He wasn't sure. There was a deeper mechanic he hadn't uncovered yet.
Right now, his attention was on Jeffrey.
He chewed and watched the man out of the corner of his eye.
Mockery.
Amusement.
And a hint of genuine happiness—like watching someone fall into a trap you'd spent time setting.
Victor narrowed his eyes but kept chewing.
Jeffrey stood silently with a smirk on his face, arms crossed, eyes twinkling with something just shy of cruelty.
After a moment, he turned toward the door.
"I'll be back in an hour," he said casually.
Victor wiped his mouth, still chewing. Something about that smile didn't sit right with him
---
An hour passed, and Jeffrey returned.
This time, he was holding a metal cage.
Inside it was something Victor had never seen before.
It looked like a rabbit—but different. It had fur as white as fresh snow, and along its back were jagged, pale-blue crystal spikes that shimmered in the torchlight. Its eyes were
silver, cold and sharp. The creature moved restlessly inside the cage, constantly
twitching.
The moment Jeffrey stepped in, the temperature in the room dropped. Not too much, but cold enough that Victor felt goosebumps crawl up his arms from the chill.
"What... is that?" he asked.
Jeffrey chuckled. "That's a lesser beast. A Frostspike Hare."
Victor stared at the animal.
He'd heard of lesser beasts before, from the inherited memories buried in this body's mind. They were the lowest class of magical creatures—barely above wild animals. Most never made it beyond Tier 0 unless mutated or enhanced.
Victor squinted. "So... what's it doing here?"
Jeffrey grinned and placed the cage down. "You need training. And right now, your stamina's pathetic. If I tried to train you normally, you'd pass out before noon. Or die."
Victor blinked. "So... what, the rabbit's here to help?"
Jeffrey crouched and unlocked the cage, eyes glinting. "That's not just a rabbit, rat. That's your dinner."
Victor's face twisted in confusion. "My... what?"
Jeffrey opened the cage door slowly.
"Catch it, and you eat. Fail, and you go hungry."
Victor took a step back.
"That's ridiculous. How does that even—"
He didn't get to finish.
The Frostspike Hare shot out of the cage like a bolt of lightning.
It zipped across the training hall, so fast Victor barely saw the blur. Its legs moved in sharp, zigzagging bursts, leaving frosty trails wherever they touched the floor. Each time it
darted left or right, Victor felt the chill deepen slightly.
His jaw dropped.
He turned to Jeffrey.
The man was already leaning against the wall with a smug grin.
"Oh," Victor muttered. "I get it now."
This was going to be a long day.