The Heir I Couldn't Beat

A Second Chance

The crowd immediately erupted into cheers.

I didn’t have the energy to listen.

My eyes landed on the object in the Grand Elder’s hand.

It was a fist-sized, silver-white crystal.

Moonlight seemed to flow slowly inside it, while a faint silver mist clung to its surface.

The Moonheart Crystal.

One of the most precious cultivation treasures in the werewolf world.

It could help a werewolf who had reached the threshold of a breakthrough shatter the limits of their bloodline.

And I had been stuck at that bottleneck for far too long.

I was only one step away.

One step.

That was all I needed to break through.

And only then would I be qualified to become the next heir of the Valenreth family.

The Grand Elder walked over to Caedmon and handed him the Moonheart Crystal.

I lowered my head and forced myself to look away.

Forget it.

I had lost.

I had no right to it.

Just then, a pair of footsteps stopped in front of me.

I looked up.

Caedmon was standing there.

And in his hand was the Moonheart Crystal.

I froze.

“Take it.”

He held the crystal out to me.

I didn’t reach for it.

“Why?”

“Don’t you want it?”

His tone was calm, as if he were handing me something completely insignificant.

I stared at the Moonheart Crystal in his hand.

My heart clenched.

Of course I wanted it.

I had dreamed of getting my hands on it.

But I still shook my head.

“I don’t need it.”

Caedmon raised an eyebrow.

“You nearly beat yourself half to death for it.”

“So what?”

I forced myself to stand straight.

Every part of my body was screaming with pain.

But I still looked him straight in the eye.

“I wanted it because I wanted to earn it with my own strength.”

My gaze fell briefly on the crystal in his hand.

“I don't need your pity.”

Something flickered across Caedmon’s brows.

“I’m not pitying you.”

“Then there’s even less reason for you to give it to me.”

I turned away.

“I lost.”

“So the Moonheart Crystal is yours.”

I paused for a moment before adding,

“I won't take something I didn't earn.”

There was silence behind me for several seconds.

Then I heard Caedmon speak in his usual calm voice.

“If you really want it…”

I stopped.

He continued,

“I can give you another chance.”

I froze.

“What?”

“Fight me again.”

He casually lifted the Moonheart Crystal in his hand.

“And put this on the line.”

My eyes immediately fell on the silver-white crystal.

“If you win,” Caedmon said slowly, “it’s yours.”

I stared at him.

“You’re serious?”

“Of course.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.”

He lifted his chin toward the exit of the training ground.

“The back mountain.”

I knew that place.

There was a naturally formed clearing deep in the back mountain, wide open and free of obstacles. Hardly anyone ever went there.

“We’ll have a real duel there.”

His eyes met mine.

“If you win, the Moonheart Crystal is yours.”

My heart started pounding.

I had to admit it.

At that moment, I was tempted.

But then I thought about the past.

Ten years.

An entire ten years.

Ever since I first started participating in our clan’s trials, I had been losing to Caedmon.

The first time was when I had only just learned how to control my wolf transformation.

I charged at him full of confidence—

and he took me down in a single move.

The second time, I studied his fighting habits in advance.

I even trained all night.

And the next day, I still lost to him.

The third time, I finally forced him to the edge of the training ground.

I was so close to winning.

But at the very last moment, he turned the tables on me.

And there was another time…

I was already in the lead.

Yet he only needed three moves to crush me completely.

Eventually, I even started wondering—

Was I never going to beat this man?

The thought reignited the anger that had been burning inside me for ten years.

Why?

Why was he always the one who won?

Why, after working so hard, was I still only able to stand behind him?

I clenched my teeth.

“Fine.”

Caedmon looked at me.

“You agree?”

“Yeah.”

I lifted my chin.

“Tomorrow. The back mountain.”

“Don’t regret it.”

He smiled.

“I should be the one saying that to you.”

I glared at him.

“Just wait.”

This time, I was going to win.

That night, I tossed and turned in bed.

I couldn’t sleep at all.

Every time I thought about the Moonheart Crystal, all I could think about was tomorrow’s fight.

Fight him head-on?

No.

Today had already proven that even if I gave it everything I had, defeating him head-on would be incredibly difficult.

Then what if…

I didn’t fight him head-on?

My eyes slowly lit up.

A bold idea began to form in my mind.

If tomorrow was going to be the final battle…

Why did I have to let him fight me at his best?

I suddenly sat up in bed.

And then I did something that was absolutely not something the future heir of the Valenreth family should have done.

I sneaked into my father’s storage vault.

It was a little messy, but after rummaging through piles of boxes, I finally found what I was looking for.

I opened one of the boxes and stared at the tiny bottle inside for a long moment.

What if Caedmon suddenly got a stomachache tomorrow?

What if he lost his strength?

Wouldn’t that give me a chance to win?

The corners of my lips slowly curled upward.

This plan seemed perfect.

I slipped the little bottle into my sleeve and quietly left the vault.

Tomorrow morning, as long as Caedmon ate it…

There was no way he could still beat me.

Moonheart Crystal.

I was coming for you.

The next morning, I deliberately stopped by the clan’s dining hall and ordered a plate of spiced roasted venison.

The meat was crisp and golden on the outside while still tender inside, covered with a generous layer of cumin and mixed spices.

I closed my eyes, sprinkled the powder in, and leaned down to smell it.

All I could detect was the rich aroma of roasted meat and cumin.

Perfect.

Then I found the older woman in charge of delivering meals and told her that the Alpha had ordered an extra meal for the young male werewolves.

I specifically told her the largest portion was for Caedmon.

After all, roasted meat was every werewolf’s favorite.

I dusted off my hands in satisfaction.

Perfect.

Now all I had to do was wait.

The appointed time came soon enough.

I hurried to the back mountain.

But the moment I stepped into the clearing, I stopped.

Caedmon was already there.

He wasn’t pale like I had imagined.

He wasn’t clutching his stomach.

He didn’t even look the slightest bit weak.

Instead, he was lazily sitting on a large boulder.

And in front of him was a small table covered with several plates of snacks.

There were strips of golden-brown dried meat and several little pastries that were popular throughout the clan.

My steps slowed.

What was going on?

Had the woman not delivered it?

Or…

A much worse possibility suddenly crossed my mind.

Caedmon knew.

He knew exactly what I had done.