"Alright! Excuse me, ma'am..." I murmured before stepping away. As soon as I left the tent of the Tower of Mount Sol, I gave Marcelina a slight bow, maintaining respect, and moved on.
The sense of relief from finally leaving that heavy atmosphere was evident.
I walked toward the area behind the tents, where rows of wooden houses stood in perfect order. Young acolytes of both genders came and went, probably settling into their new temporary residences. The environment was bustling, but not chaotic, with an air of anticipation lingering.
With the iron key I had received just a few minutes earlier, I searched for the door matching the number engraved on it. The location was easy to find, and I soon stood in front of the door. Before inserting the key into the lock, I closed my eyes and issued a mental command to the virtual lab. "Adjust my hormones."
["Beep!"]
["Activating..."]
A light wave of relief coursed through my body, as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I shook my head, laughing inwardly. "What a dangerous woman. I'm sure many other acolytes must have fallen for her charms and suffered consequences due to their weakness. That kind of woman, with that arrogant air, definitely enjoys toying with the lives of people she deems inferior. Just like a dark Morgana."
["Hormones normalized."]
With everything in order, I inserted the key into the lock and turned it clockwise. A soft click sounded, and the door opened. The interior was simple but functional. As I stepped inside, I was greeted by a young man with dark hair and even darker eyes, who emerged from one of the rooms and approached me with a warm smile.
"Hey! Nice to meet you. Are you new here?"
"Hi! I'm Eclivel!" I replied with a smile, extending my hand.
"I'm Wallace." He shook my hand firmly and amicably. I quickly realized he seemed like the sociable type, someone who made friends with ease.
"Come on! Let me introduce you!" Wallace gestured toward the hallway where several wooden doors were lined up, each likely leading to an individual room. He clapped his hands and announced loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a new travel companion!"
One by one, the doors began to open, and the occupants emerged, curious to see the new acolyte. A group of seven or eight people gathered in front of me. I observed each one closely, trying to memorize their faces and behaviors.
"Good afternoon! I'm Liam, and I'm a Moon!" said a young man who appeared to be the group's leader. His tone was firm and authoritative.
"You've arrived quite late!" he continued. "Why is that?"
I sighed, not wanting to go into too much detail. "Unfortunately, the airship I was traveling on suffered a devastating attack... Giant hawks ambushed us, and though I killed a few, the rest caused significant damage."
Liam frowned, seeming to recognize the story. "I see... I think I've heard about that place. If I'm not mistaken, it was in the Bloody Mountains... I've heard this happens quite often there."
I nodded in confirmation as he looked at the other acolytes who had joined the conversation. "Let me introduce them!" he said, gesturing toward the group.
"This is Wallace, who you've already met earlier!" he said, pointing to the cheerful young man beside me.
"This is Cris, a three-star acolyte!" he introduced a muscular Black man, who looked slightly embarrassed by the attention but maintained a simple, honest expression.
Liam continued the introductions, his tone slightly colder as he mentioned the last names. "This is Sophia, a two-star acolyte! And over there are Mia and Olivia, both one-star acolytes!"
I observed Sophia, who forced a timid smile as she greeted me. Her attempt to appear confident was noticeable, but her eyes didn't lie. As for Mia and Olivia, two very beautiful young Black women, they seemed even more insecure. Their gazes were fixed on the ground, as if afraid to be noticed. It was an intriguing sight—especially since they were the first Black women I had seen in this world, and their beauty stood out even amidst their insecurity.
"Maybe... if I feel like having sex, I can leave my room at dawn and rape some girl among them, so far I've only tasted white and brown meat, I want to discover the taste of chocolate in this new world.
"How... how are you?" Sophia said, trying to sound friendly.
I returned her smile with a slight nod. Before I could respond, I noticed someone standing off to the side, isolated from the group. It was a boy dressed in a black suit with aristocratic cuts, his pale skin and haughty expression immediately setting him apart.
I pursed my lips, intrigued, and turned to Liam. "Hey, who's that guy?"
Liam followed my gaze, and his expression hardened slightly. "That's Oliver, our genius of the semester. The only Sun so far. Becoming a mage for him is just a matter of time."
There was a bitter edge to his voice, as if each word carried a weight he'd rather not bear.
"Woah... a Sun. He has a 90% chance of becoming a mage! No wonder he's so arrogant," I thought, feeling a mix of respect and irritation as I glanced at Oliver. His clothes, posture, and aura of superiority were impossible to ignore.
As if sensing that we were talking about him, Oliver lifted his chin and shot a disdainful glance at the group. "Losers... untalented fools," he muttered in a low voice, but loud enough to cause discomfort.
Without saying anything else, he turned and entered his room. It was evident that his accommodation was superior—larger, with more refined decorations and an aura of exclusivity.
Liam scoffed, visibly annoyed. "As a five-star acolyte, his treatment will always be the best. Who knows, maybe some professors are already eyeing him to take him on as an apprentice."
His tone was even more bitter now, and I could feel the weight of the divisions among them. It was clear that this group was segregated into cliques: the three-star acolytes and the "Moons" formed the middle tier, superior to the lower-ranked ones like Sophia, Mia, and Olivia, but still far beneath Oliver, the sole Sun.
The lower-ranked acolytes seemed trapped in a mix of anxiety and inferiority, forming their own little group. And then there was Oliver, completely isolated yet seemingly oblivious—or indifferent—to the dynamics around him.
I decided to break the awkward silence and formally introduce myself. "Hello, everyone! I'm Eclivel, and my aptitude is... three stars!"
Liam immediately relaxed his expression and gave a warm smile. "Welcome, Eclivel!" He extended his hand and shook mine firmly, showing friendliness.
However, Sophia and the two girls only cast quick glances at me before murmuring a timid greeting. They seemed even more disheartened by my declaration, as though each new addition to the group above them crushed their self-esteem a little more. Shortly after, they returned to their cabins in silence.
.
.
.
Sitting on a luxurious purple velvet sofa, Marcelina maintained a posture that was both relaxed and predatory. She rested her chin on one hand as a malicious smile formed on her intensely red-painted lips. Her thoughts were a mix of fascination and desire, but they carried an unmistakable undercurrent of menace.
"Hahaha... how delightful. It's been years since a mere warrior managed to resist my charms."
Her voice was a blend of melody and poison, each word dripping with ambiguous intentions. She licked her lips, letting the crimson sheen stand out even more.
"I hope your willpower remains strong, for control is essential to survive in the magical world you are about to enter."
As she spoke, her slender, elegant fingers brushed against her lips as if savoring an anticipated delicacy. Her thoughts, however, were far darker and more revealing:
What would this boy taste like? The flavor of his blood? His heart? His internal organs? Hm...
A faint blush crept across her face, revealing a twisted and brutal facet of her character. Her eyes gleamed with insane desire as she snapped her fingers sharply.
"Snap~~"
The air before her shimmered, distorting as if reality itself were being challenged. A human heart appeared, still beating, floating momentarily before falling into her hand. She held it delicately but with a voracious glint in her eyes, taking a bite and chewing slowly as blood dripped down the corners of her mouth.
What should I do to have him in my grasp? Marcelina wondered, savoring the moment.
Should I trap him in an illusion and devour him alive?
She sighed, momentarily pushing the disturbing thoughts from her mind. But as she recalled the prohibition from the Leader of the Tower of Mount Sol, her expression darkened.
"Damn..." she muttered irritably.
What a shame... I wanted so badly to see the despair in his eyes as he begged for his life.
Suddenly, she sensed a presence approaching. With a snap of her fingers, the grotesque scene vanished: the heart, the blood, all traces of the macabre feast. Her expression became composed and serious, as though nothing had happened.
At the entrance of the luxurious tent appeared a young girl. Small and nervous, but determined, the girl made her voice heard:
"Hello, I want to enroll in the Tower of Mount Sol."
Marcelina sighed, banishing her profane thoughts to the back of her mind.
"Come in, little one."
Her voice was sweet, almost maternal, but the gleam in her eyes made it clear that the sweetness was merely a mask for something far more dangerous.
....
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