That familiar, translucent blue screen shimmered into existence in his vision, hovering benignly before his closed eyelids.
[Congratulations, User Lloyd Ferrum!]
[System Notification: Exceptional Performance Detected!]
[Analysis: User withstood significant targeted spiritual pressure (Estimated Level: High Manifestation/Near Ascension) through sheer force of will and maintained psychological composure.]
[Further Analysis: User executed a successful counter-demonstration of latent Void Power (Classification: Steel/Fire Manipulation - Highly Concealed), effectively disrupting opponent's assumptions and altering the established interpersonal dynamic.]
[Conclusion: Unbelievable counter-attack and resilience confirmed! Calculated risk deemed successful!]
[Reward Issued: 3 System Coins (SC)]
[Current Balance: 3 SC]
[Note: System approves of proactive problem-solving and asserting dominance. Furniture destruction costs not deducted… this time.]
Lloyd's eyes snapped open. He stared at the notification, reading it twice. Three coins. Three. For getting spiritually squashed like a bug, nearly having a panic attack while pretending he wasn't, and then slicing up a perfectly innocent (if slightly ostentatious) piece of furniture? And a cheeky note about it too?
A slow, wry smile spread across his face, finally chasing away the last vestiges of weariness and replacing them with a spark of genuine amusement. It wasn't much – still seven shy of even unlocking the damn shop menu. But it was something. Tangible proof. The System, his bizarre, slightly sarcastic cosmic shopping list, had recognized his defiance. It had rewarded him for not being the pathetic, apologetic doormat his first-timeline self had been.
"Well, I'll be," he muttered under his breath, a soft chuckle escaping him. He leaned his head back against the oak again, the smile lingering. "Getting paid actual magical currency for surviving my wife's temper tantrum and engaging in minor vandalism. Maybe this arranged marriage isn't entirely without its perks after all." He paused, considering. "Though I suspect the cost of replacing that cabinet might exceed three System Coins if Mother finds out."
Three coins closer. It felt absurdly small, yet monumentally significant. It validated his decision, his change in approach. Changing the script wasn't just about survival; it was, apparently, profitable.
Now, if only 'feeding a wolf chicken' offered slightly better returns… Seven days for five coins felt distinctly like minimum wage work in the grand scheme of cosmic power acquisition. Seven more coins to go just to open the shop. He had a long way to go.
The first slivers of dawn, pale and tentative, painted the high arched windows of the Ferrum estate with streaks of grey and rose. Lloyd Ferrum cracked open an eye. Yup. Still the sofa. Still lumpy. Still smelling faintly of expensive potpourri and, now, possibly residual roast chicken molecules absorbed from his clothes the previous day. Progress? Debatable.
He swung his legs over the side, the familiar protest of youthful muscles less pronounced today. Habit, perhaps. Or maybe just the lingering adrenaline from yesterday's… encounter. Rosa's shocked face swam briefly in his memory. Worth it. Probably.
First things first. Operation: Canine Cuisine Upgrade, Day Two.
He summoned Fang with a practiced flicker of intent into the small Spirit Stone. The grey wolf materialized beside the sofa, looking marginally less like a moth-eaten rug and marginally more like an actual predator. It blinked intelligent brown eyes up at him, tail giving a hopeful, almost enthusiastic wag. Clearly, the memory of yesterday's poultry feast remained vivid.
"Alright, buddy," Lloyd murmured, retrieving a pre-arranged, slightly smaller (but still generous) portion of cooked chicken he'd charmed out of Martha the Head Cook late last night with promises of… well, mostly just leaving her alone. "Breakfast is served."
Fang devoured it with gusto, the crunching sounds echoing slightly in the pre-dawn stillness. Lloyd watched, ticking off Day 2 mentally. Five more days, five System Coins. Plus the three he'd earned yesterday… eight total. Almost there. Almost able to peek behind the curtain of the cosmic shopping list.
After quickly dispatching his own breakfast – a solitary affair this early, thankfully free of parental interrogation or icy spousal glares – Lloyd found himself summoned to the main dining hall slightly later. The full breakfast spread was laid out, sunlight now streaming brightly, illuminating the constipated lion butter sculpture in all its glory.
His father, Arch Duke Roy Ferrum, was already seated, impeccably dressed, radiating his usual 'minor kingdoms tremble before my paperwork' aura. He acknowledged Lloyd's entrance with a curt nod, eyes fixed on a ledger that looked complex enough to map troop movements across the continent.
"Lloyd," Roy stated without preamble, his voice crisp. "Master Elmsworth awaits. Your tutelage continues today. Do not be late." He made a minute gesture with his pen towards a figure standing silently near the doorway. "Ken will escort you."