[ Eren's POV ]
Several days had passed since I arrived on this island.
And in all that time, I hadn't received the respect I deserved. Nor had I gotten a single pussy.
All I got was continuous fighting and training.
Eighteen days. Eighteen days of continuous matchups. Eighteen days of domination.
Throughout this period, I had been getting used to Zenos's new potential. The upgrade had made him terrifyingly powerful far beyond what he was capable of before. And the same applied to my partner Thalia.
She had obtained an overpowered summon. During one of our matchups, I scanned Lady Aerin's stats using Appraisal Sight.
And then I realized just how far behind I was.
Thalia and Freya existed on an entirely different level. And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Celestine pulled out another SSS-rank summon from thin air as far as things are going.
For Thalia, her summon was an SSS-ranked elven divine spirit. But that was her peak form. Just like Zenos, she was currently nerfed operating at only A-rank until she regained her full power.
And Freya? She claimed to possess an SS-rank summon. Some kind of knight. That mysterious figure would finally be revealed tomorrow.
Because tomorrow, I would see her fight for the first time.
And her opponent? Me.
I was excited. I knew she was a big deal. All those stolen buffs she had accumulated over the years by that thief. All that hidden power she kept concealed beneath that cold exterior.
I had made it to the semifinals after winning match after match. The opponents grew tougher with each round, but thanks to teamwork with Thalia, we had managed.
There had been a hell of a lot of rounds. A hell of a lot of participants. Even after mass rejections during the preliminary selection before arriving on this island, the numbers were staggering.
Almost every age-eligible person in the world took this test. For nobles like us, we have one recommendation option. But the commoners? They had to claw their way through countless challenges just for a chance.
My spot in this competition should have been taken by my sister Beatrice. That was Aunt's scheming—remove me from the picture, let Beatrice shine instead.
But after meeting Pervy Lord, everything changed.
And to my surprise, Beatrice had made it to the semifinals anyway. Through the long route. The hard route. She had earned her place here.
The best part?
She was my opponent for tomorrow's matchup.
Yes. Both Freya and Beatrice were on the same team.
It was perfect. An opportunity to show those egoistic, cold-blooded women their places.
But I knew it would be my most difficult match yet. Not just because of Freya and her legendary summon. But because Beatrice was powerful in her own right. A prodigy. The word suited her perfectly.
I wanted to end this stupid competition as soon as possible. I wasn't progressing much here. No gold. No points. No pussy. Just endless battles.
I was currently roaming around the camp in the evening. Watching people pack their belongings to leave. Others chatted excitedly about tomorrow's matches.
There was no way I could fuck anyone here secretly. These tents were too compact. Every sound traveled. Every moan would echo across the entire camp.
I didn't want to become famous that way.
And it wasn't like any girl was staring at me with hungry eyes either. No one splashing water inside their pussy at the mere sight of my magnificent form.
Disappointing.
I was bored out of my mind.
Even after making it into the top ten, I hadn't received the quest rewards. But that was understandable.
The system probably meant top ten in the academy's official rankings which accounted for everything, not just ladder placement.
Still, I was certain those two quests were essentially complete. Now I was just waiting for this whole circus to end.
And then? Then I would compensate for all the gooning points I had lost during this dry spell.
I was going to fuck every walking pussy in that academy. Professors. Guards. Students. Citizens. Any race. I wouldn't discriminate. Equal opportunity breeding.
I was deep in these beautiful future thoughts when a girl walked past me.
I blinked.
'Wait. Was that...?'
"Wait." She stopped. Turned back slowly.
Her eyes were completely unbothered. Cold. She spoke in a rude tone.
"What?"
I studied her appearance carefully.
That pale skin. Almost unnaturally white. Those edgy ears which wasn't pointed like an elf's, but distinctly different. A shape unique to their species.
She was a vampire.
Vampires were truly rare. And the most arrogant race in this entire fucking world.
This world only had three species. Humans. Elves. Vampires. Nothing more than these clichés. No orcs. No goblins. No dick-sized dwarves. No demons.
However, that couldn't be said for summons.
But yeah she was definitely a vampire. And a cute one at that.
Her face was adorable. Delicate features. Porcelain complexion. But her expression and body language told a completely different story. Cold. Dismissive. Superior.
While I was too focused on analyzing her, she made a face.
Disgust.
Pure, undisguised disgust.
Then she turned her back to me and started walking away.
Maybe she thought I was a pervert.
Which I swear to god I wasn't.
I wanted to speak to her. Wanted to know more about her kind. But then my eyes drifted downward.
To her ass.
She moved so elegantly. Each step graceful and deliberate. My buddy inside my pants stirred. Wanted to play with her.
My mind kept replaying her features. Those crimson beautiful eyes like liquid rubies. That light blue hair cascading down her shoulders. That cute face.
But then that look of disgust toward me resurfaced in my memory.
My blood boiled. "Hey, you—!"
She stopped. Didn't turn around. Just stood there waiting for me to speak.
"You think you're some kind of model? You think I give a damn about you? You think you can just walk off like that, assuming I was petrified by your beauty? Well, you're wrong on all counts. You're just an ordinary chick that I can pull whenever I want. In fact, my maid back home is better looking than you."
I took a breath.
"I was stunned not because of your arrogant face but because it was my first time seeing a vampire. To be honest, I've wanted to see one since my childhood. But looking at you now? I regret my stupid curiosity."
Silence.
Then I saw her shoulders trembling.
And beside her, the ground began to shift.
RUMBLE.
Something was rising. Emerging from beneath the earth.
A creature ascended as if made of lava. Its head bore massive horns. Its body was entirely red like flesh that had been ripped raw. Muscles and sinew exposed to the air.
It pulled itself upward. Hands clawing at the ground. Head emerging first, then shoulders.
But before it could fully manifest—
FIZZLE.
It evaporated. Sparks scattered in every direction. And then it was gone completely.
As the creature vanished, so did the girl. Walking away without another word. Without looking back.
I rubbed my eyes. 'What the hell just happened?'
'Was that... a demon?'
I shook my head.
'Nah. No way. Demons don't exist in this world.'
'I'm just tripping. The training and competition are taking their toll on me.'
I stretched my arms above my head. Yawned.
'Tomorrow is a big day. I need to rest.'
I turned back toward the villa.
But somewhere in the back of my mind, those crimson eyes lingered.
And that half-formed creature rising from the earth.