Daily Rewards! Transmigrating into a novel as a side-character!

Emmet and I closed the distance simultaneously, both committed to landing decisive blows in our exchange.

Our fists connected almost simultaneously, my punch drove deep into Emmet's gut, forcing him to expel a massive breath of air mixed with saliva as his diaphragm contracted violently from the impact.

Whack!

His own strike caught me in the ribs, causing me to wince as the force jarred through my enhanced physique.

Pow!

The crowd around the platform erupted in excited murmurs as they witnessed the brutal exchange. Neither of us had held back in that moment, and the raw power behind both strikes was evident to every spectator.

Emmet staggered backward, his face pale as he fought to regain his breath.

"I expected nothing less, Adrian." Emmet said as he wiped a trail of blood from his mouth.

"Likewise, Emmet." I said, with a smirk on my face.

Despite the obvious pain, his eyes still burned with determination. He pressed one hand against his stomach while raising the other defensively, flames flickering around his fingers as he tried to maintain his combat readiness.

I rolled my shoulder slightly to work through the ache from his punch. His technique was solid, and the fire enhancement behind his strike had added significant force to what would have already been a formidable blow.

It had to be known that I wasn't using my more powerful traits, I was simply fighting him through my physical strength only, nothing else. Still, Emmet was powerful enough to make me feel some pain which was commendable.

"Still standing," I observed, respecting his resilience.

Emmet managed a pained grin between gasps. "Takes more than that... to put me down."

The brief exchange had demonstrated that we were in the same range of strength, though I was holding back considerably more of my true capabilities than he was.

Both of us reset our stances, preparing for the next phase of our sparring match.

A few strong scents of blood suddenly entered my nostrils. I recognized two of them immediately.

I turned my head to find Seraphina walking beside Kyle and a few other students approaching the arena.

My eyes met Seraphina's for a split second before I felt Emmet attacking me once again.

I met his strike head-on without bothering to dodge. I wanted this to be a straightforward exchange of blows. It wasn't a life-or-death battle anyway, and taking some damage would help me increase the level of my physical conditioning through real combat stress.

[Kyle Morrison's POV]

After hearing about Adrian's fight from passing students, curiosity got the better of me. I decided to make my way to the arena to see this person who had broken my record in action. Seraphina chose to come along as well, though she seemed more reluctant about it.

Once I arrived at the arena and my eyes landed on Adrian Blackwood in the middle of his sparring match, my eyes widened slightly in recognition.

I knew this guy. I didn't know him well, but I remembered him clearly. He was the one who had bumped into me when I first entered Luminara city weeks ago. The strange encounter where he'd stared at me for an uncomfortably long time before walking away without explanation.

"That's him," I said quietly to Seraphina, nodding toward the platform.

"I know," she replied, her voice carrying a complex mix of emotions I couldn't quite identify.

Watching Adrian fight was illuminating. His movements were controlled and precise, showing real combat experience rather than just academy training. The way he absorbed Emmet's attacks and countered impressed me despite my competitive instincts.

This was definitely the same person who had given me that intense look in the city, but his demeanour now was completely different. I expected nothing less from the man before me, in my eyes he was my rival.

Especially after breaking the record that I set recently using my full power.

As I watched Adrian's performance in the sparring match, I couldn't help but be impressed by his raw physical power. Each of his strikes carried tremendous force, and his defensive strength was equally impressive.

"Seraphina, what's his bloodline? I can see he's physically enhanced, but I'm not familiar with the specifics." I said quietly.

"It's the traditional Blackwood family bloodline," she replied, her tone carefully neutral. "It's related to physical strength and enhancement. The duke has a knight's bloodline that impressively increases his physical strength too."

I nodded, studying Adrian's movements more carefully. "I can definitely see that. His opponent, the guy with black hair and red streaks, he's putting up a good fight, but Adrian is stronger."

The exchange between the two fighters was intense. Adrian seemed to be deliberately engaging in direct confrontations rather than dodging. It was almost like he was testing himself as much as sparring with his opponent.

"He's holding back, someone who broke my record should be ending this fight much more easily." I observed.

Seraphina glanced at me with a thoughtful expression. "Perhaps he's being cautious about his ability, or maybe he's using this as training rather than trying to dominate."

Watching Adrian fight gave me insights into the person who had suddenly emerged as my primary competition at the academy.

***

The fight between me and Emmet continued for about five minutes. We both fought to our heart's content, enjoying ourselves without worrying about who was watching.

The fight between me and Emmet continued for about five minutes. We both fought to our heart's content, enjoying ourselves without concern for our audience. There was something about engaging in honest combat with someone like Emmet that made it enjoyable.

During the entire match, I could feel Kyle and Seraphina's gazes tracking my movements, but I paid them no attention.

So what if he was the protagonist of some story I'd once read? So what if Seraphina was arguably the most beautiful girl on campus? Their presence wasn't going to dictate my actions.

I had spent too long thinking of myself as a side character in someone else's narrative. That version of me, the one who measured his value against fictional plot points and worried about staying in predetermined lanes, was gone.

This was my life now. My choices. My story to write.

I wasn't going to spend my academy years hiding in the background, carefully avoiding the main characters for fear of disrupting some narrative. I had power, and opportunities that the original Adrian could never have dreamed of.