The Young Master in the Shadows

The pervert, AKA Victor, watched as one by one the participants went away, then returned with new shiny personalities.

It was as if they had all lost all their will to live for themselves and gain a higher purpose in life.

Dario’s turn finally came after more than three hours. That guy, who stopped talking to Victor after the latter’s last very inappropriate remark, went away with determination, then returned only 10 minutes later!

Like the rest, Other than the pale face and firm determinate look in his eyes, he had that Soul Slave status,

“How was the Princess?” Victor asked him as soon as he stepped into the waiting room.

“Like the sun in a sea of darkness! Like an Oasis in the middle of the desert! I will serve her with all my power!” he said with a feverish tone.

“Did you manage to make her fall for you?” Victor asked again as Dario headed straight to the door. He wanted to make sure that his memories were intact. Slaving curses came in all shapes and kinds, and Victor wanted to know what he was facing.

“Ha…” Dario sighed., “I can’t believe I thought of such stupid things before! Thankfully the princess was generous enough to forgive my rude behavior and show me how blind, mistaken, and naive I was… Now I can see!” Dario replied, turning away and leaving immediately as if he had things to do.

“Next…” the female knight said. It was Ridgar’s turn.

The guy didn’t move. It was clear that he really wanted to escape, but he had no way out.

“Sir Ridgar… It is your turn…”

Ridgar still didn’t move, he just sat there nervously, refusing to budge from his couch like a scared kid at the dentist’s. His arrogant demeanor from before the contest was all gone.

“Ha…” the female knight sighed. “Let’s get him to meet the princess… She really wants to ask you about that peasant girl you raped and killed a few months ago…” she said, flicking her finger, making three very muscular guards appear from behind the curtains scattered around the room then drag him toward the door.

“Nooo….. LIES ALL LIES… SHE WAS THE ONE WHO SEDUCED ME… NOOoooooooo… ”

Ridgar’s voice faded as he disappeared into the unknown.

…

“Were those guards always there?” Victor asked the female knight as he watched the gate close.

“... Yes, they are part of the princess’s personal legion…” she smirked, wanting to watch this bastard act a little scared like Ridgar.

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“Oh… They have nicely trained butts… Just imagine the possibilities if I can get my hand on one of them…” he said, licking his lip while clenching his fist as if he was squeezing something juicy.

“....” The female knight’s face fell. She really didn’t want to imagine that, but the image that appeared naturally in her mind was so vivid and disturbing that it would be very hard to forget.

One of the curtains moved a little. A guard with some wild imagination behind it imagined some similar scenes and intended to go kill Victor directly, but a friend in the adjacent curtain stopped him in time.

Yup, there were other guards still around, 7 still to be exact, And their levels were all in the 50s.

Victor nodded, if he were to throw some soul wine here and make those guards hallucinate a little… Imagine the possibilities!

...

After that 20 minutes passed quickly… Ridgar didn't return…

“It is your turn at last!” the female knight told Victor after going away for a moment.

“What about that guy who went in earlier?” Victor asked with a frown.

“He angered the princess….” she just said that.

“Oh…” Victor frowned. “What did he do?”

“Tried to cheat!” she said coldly.

“Cheat on the princess?” Victor gasped. “HOW DARE HE…. Were they dating or something?” he whispered in shock.

“Cheat THE princess…’ the female knight corrected him, she could no longer tell whether this guy was a genuine pervert or was putting on an act.

“Oh, still very disgusting…” he nodded, “Did the princess calm down?”

“Ah… I think so…” she said.

“Good, I don’t like courting angry girls, you see…”

“... She is fine… In fact, she can’t wait to meet you… Let’s go… follow me,” she said, deciding to take him to see the princess by herself!

“Oh... Cool!” Victor stood up and quickly followed. “She must have heard about how cool I am from the other guys!”

SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK……

…

After getting inspected for hidden weapons by the storm priestesses at the door, Victor was quickly guided into a short corridor that led to another room.

No, not exactly a room…

Victor was not sure if this place could be called a room anymore… It was a huge, very huge… If he couldn't see the high vaulted ceiling, Victor would have thought they were outside due to how this place was lit and arranged like some kind of a serene garden.

It didn’t only have a small river passing through, but also a pond and strange purple and green plants growing all around. Those were dungeon plants... They would become very popular as indoor decorations after the Reckoning in his world too, but this was the first time Victor saw a full indoor garden like this.

As soon as he entered, his eyes automatically followed the stone-lined path, moving toward the exquisite white wood gazebo in the middle of the garden. In it, he finally got to see that fabled Princess Aerith who was sitting at a huge mahogany desk, sipping some tea while reading some kind of a report from a well-organized stack to her right.

Wait… Was this place her office or something?

As they walked closer, Victor began to carefully inspect the princess.

Other than being tall, and elegant. She had a pretty face, red eyes, striking white long hair, and a long ivory-colored jagged horn sticking from the middle of her forehead rising a couple inches above her head!

Her features and demeanor made her appear more like she was some kind of an unapproachable heavenly deity or something.

Overall, she could be considered a stunning beauty. Victor decided to grant her a score of 11.5 on his old Lily scale. Yup, she was more beautiful than Lily before that chick awakened her bloodline, learned how to bite, and went flying off the scales.

; ;

LEVEL: 135

CLASS: DEMON KNIGHT

ABNORMAL STATUS:

AUTHORITY: 11+3

HEALTH: 10971

STAMINA: 95222

MANA: 12144

Strength: 1097

Agility: 952

Intelligence: 122

Luck: 5

Charm: 50

Order: 1244

SKILLS :

DEMONIC ENERGY RESISTANCE, SSS

DEMONIFICATION, SSS

REGENERATION, SS

FIST ARTS, SS

MUSIC ARTS, S

SWORD ARTS, S

HELBARD ARTS, S

WHIP ARTS, S

PAIN TOLERANCE, S

WATERBALL, S

CHARM, S

MIND CONTROL, S

COLD RESISTANCE, S

STUN RESISTANCE, S

POISON RESISTANCE, S

DEMONIC ARTS, S

ARCHERY, A

HIDE PRESENCE, A

DANCING, A

KNITTING, A

POETRY, A

SINGING, A

PAINTING, A

COOKING, A

FISHING, A

POLE ARTS, A

ZETHER, A

FLUTE, A

MATHEMATICAL REASONING, A

MARTIAL ARTS, A

MAGIC RESISTANCE, B

HEALING, C

PAIN TOLERANCE, C

SPEED CASTING, D

SHIELD ARTS, D

DISGUISE, E

SURVIVAL, F ƒreewebɳovel.com

FIREBALL, F

Bloodline :

DEMON KIN, HUMAN, WATER SPIRIT, %#$##

FATE:

FATE’S POWER: C

DEFINED FATE: DEATH BY SOUL DECAY

DESTINY LIST < 10 ORDER POINTS TO UNVEIL>

A demon kin? Like the ones he saw with that Sun lord. And what with this birth curse… Did she have anything to do with the Von Richter family or something… Looking at her bloodline, it is probably not…

Anyways, he could now tell for sure that his girl was the result of the breeding his family members had to go through before escaping from the sun-elves city. And he could also tell that she was the source of the attraction he was feeling earlier.

And from her bloodline and last name, she was defiantly Rosette's daughter.... His cheep father was cuckolded by a demon it seemed. Well… It was not a big deal, it was not the first time this happened.

The only thing he was now curious about was all those A-ranked useless skills, was this girl a Straight A student or something….

And where was the soul-eating skill he was expecting? The girl didn’t have any skills like that! She didn’t have slaving skills either… Strange.

“Ehm… Your Highness, this is the guy Lady Lyra told you about!” the female knight reported as soon as they reached the Gazebo. “He will be the last one for today!”

“Umu… “ the princess said, not even caring to look up as she wrote some comments on the document she was reviewing. “I understand, you may leave…”

“... “ the female knight hesitated, wanting to ask to stay and watch, but she didn’t dare to. “Yes My lady…” she finally said as she stepped back, leaving Victor with the princess after shooting him a glare.

Hearing the door close behind him, Victor began to look around, but other than eight low-level maids who stood a little far away from the Gazebo, there were no men here at all… Ah, there seemed to be an old maid too, she was busy with a shovel burying something a little further away to the left, but he couldn’t tell what… Poor Ridgar probably!

“Come closer…” Aerith who made him wait a few minutes finally commanded coldly as she put away the paper she was reviewing atop a small stack to her left. It was like she was some kind of a military officer.

Victor stepped forward immediately, entering the Gazebo.

“Hi… I am Victor…”

“I know your name! I heard that you met my sister and…” she interrupted him, looking up then trailing off as she finally got a closer look at his face. He could see her blushing a bit there, as her heart raced, but it was all gone in a split second as she got control of herself.

“Well, ‘She was the one who met me’ would be a better way to say it!” Victor quickly began to speak as he reached her desk, then grabbed a chair from the front and brought it behind, setting it right next to her.

“Oh… Does it matter?” She didn’t seem to mind his actions, on the contrary, he could see some amusement in her eyes… The kind of amusement a lion would have if his prey were to walk straight into its gaping mouth!

“Of course it does! I was minding my own fucking business when that stupid lass came all of a sudden falling from the sky and startling the living shit out of me, accusing me of all kinds of things…” he continued casually as he sat down.

“I see… If you don’t mind, Let’s begin our bet!” she said directly.

“Alright!” Victor said as he began to look around to figure out what was this bout. “How does this work?”

“It is very simple, yet different from the usual games you find in bars and casinos!” she said with a smirk. “Instead of the players offering their bets, here each one will write what he wants from the other on a piece of paper and then keep it hidden.… It can be anything. After that, we play a game and the winner takes what he demands if the other side can provide it!”

“Wait… I can ask for anything?”

“Yup,” she said. “ANYTHING!” she stated it.

“And if I didn’t pay?” he asked.

“You will become a fertilizer for my garden…” she said, looking to the left, where the old maid was still working hard.

“And If I don’t want to play?”

“The same…. I will be angry! But my plants will be happy!” she smiled. It was not really a smile.

“Oh…” he frowned, this chick had just threatened to kill him… She needed to be spanked… his hand was getting itchy… Wait, Hand… Just wait a bit! It will be your turn soon!

“Come one now! I am not unreasonable, you can suggest the game you want…” she said, totally unaware that her poor butt had just joined the spanking list with her sister’s.

“Ah… Anything is possible?” he finally asked, waiting for her to activate some gambling skill, but there was none.

“I have to agree on it!” she said.

“...” Victor glared at her. This game was clearly rigged as none of the contestants here could use the system for help. “What would happen if we couldn’t agree on a game?”

“You don’t want to find that out…” she spat. “Now stop wasting time and choose a game!”

“Ha…. Fine…” he sighed. “How about a kissing competition?” he asked directly, the girl didn’t have kissing skills!

“I refuse…” she spat coldly.

“You are no fun at all!”

“...” she didn’t know how to answer that. Victor was not the first one to tell her that. “Just pick something normal!” she said.

“Like spanking each other?”

“Do You have a death wish or something?” she asked coldly. She couldn’t believe this guy had the audacity to even suggest something like that.

“Not exactly…” he sighed. “But those are the things I am good at!”

“Don’t you know how to do anything else?” she asked, slightly losing her patience. What kind of perverted life did this guy live?

“How about a drinking contest?” he asked with a smirk.

“I can’t drink on the job… “ she flatly refused him. Alcohol was ineffective against her, but many guys had bloodlines that had that power too. If he were to have such a bloodline, the game would never end!

“You suggest a game then… I am out of ideas!” he said as he laid back. This girl would only accept things she was good at.

“Fine… We will compete in archery!” she said.

“No way!” he flatly refused. His skill was not even half of hers!

“Singing? Dancing? Painting”

“No!” Victor said. “I am not good with those things?’ He wouldn’t be able to compete against her with Those. Not without cheating anyway.

“Poetry?”

“Do you think I am that sassy?” he said with disdain. Poetry was subjective to the listener’s culture and mood, it was not something he could try here in a different world.

"Then… how about you try to make me fall for you, like your friend, Dario, did?” she finally asked, this was the stupidest bet she ever had to do, but her charm really did work wonders on people.

Victor thought for a moment then shook his head. “No… You girls can’t be trusted to confess even if you do fall for me!” he said. Although this game was tempting for him, he didn’t want to reveal his real charm yet in case some lord was watching. He promised himself to be extra careful after all!

“Then what?” she asked. The chick was obviously losing her patient

“Ah…” he hesitated. “I have something… How about we make a bet that I can dispel a curse for you?” he asked with a smirk.

“Dispel a curse?” she was taken aback, that came out of nowhere.

“Yes… Just bring someone with a curse, and we will see whether I can dispel it or not!” he said. “I have an amazing Master you see… And he taught me many things!”

“Ah…” she frowned. Could it be that he knew about her curse? Impossible, he wouldn’t offer to dispel it if he did!

“What?”

“If you could dispel curses, you would have dispelled the one you got earlier to lock your skills…” she said, stating the obvious.

“Wait…. That was a curse?” he asked in shock as if he didn’t know.

“Yes…”

“Ah… That’s even better,” he said. “I just need to try and dispel my own curse… What do you think?”

“...” she glared at him. Is this guy stupid or something, or was he playing at something? “I will get a different curse for you to try your skill at!” she finally said. Whatever, this might become the easiest bet she had to go through as he would definitely fail.

“Ah… ok…”

“How much time do you need? 30 minutes… No, let's make it an hour…” she said with a smirk.

“Ah… Ok… I wouldn’t need all that time though…” he sighed.

“Then… The official game would be ‘VICTOR IS TO DISPEL A CURSE SPECIFIED BY AERITH WITHIN 60 MINUTES!’ would that be alright?”

“Oh…Um… That would work…” he said after some thinking. He found no loopholes in that phrasing.

“YES OR NO?” she asked impatiently.

“Ah… Yes I guess…”

“YOU GUESS?” she yelled impatiently. “ I NEED AN AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER!”

“Ah.. ok … YES!” he finally said. Then he saw it, a fate thread left his body and climbed up, toward the roof of the gazebo.

Activating his disguise skill so no one would see him move, he looked up and there it was, a small red cube, placed there between light orbs, disguised as a part of the gazebo’s decorations.

; ;

OWNER: NIMERA ALLSTORM

GRANTED USE: ALL STORM BLESSED

CAN OVERSEE BETS AND ENFORCE THEM.

AVAILABLE USES: 1/10 (365 DAYS UNTIL AVAILABLE AGAIN)

HISTORY: LAST FIVE GAMES:

; ; SECRET WISH

SECOND_SIDE

SECRET WISH

GAME

AERITH HELP REDGAR ESCAPE TO THE SOUTH SAFELY

AERITH

RIDGAR'S SOUL

A FIST FIGHT WITHOUT SYSTEM SKILLS OR ARTIFACTS

AERITH BECOMES DARIO’S WIFE

AERITH

DARIO’S SOUL

LET AERITH FALL IN LOVE WITH A SONG

LYRA BECOMES ZUMO’S WIFE

AERITH

ZUMO’S SOUL

SWORD FIGHT

AERITH BECOMES RIMON'S WIFE

AERITH

RIMON'S SOUL

PAINTING CONTEST

AERITH’S UNDERWEAR

AERITH

JACKY’S SOUL

COOKING CONTEST

<PAY 100 ORDER POINTS TO REVEAL THE NEXT 5>

“Now, I want you to write what you want from me on this paper here and keep it hidden. It will be revealed after you win!” she said as she pushed an empty piece of paper, an ink bottle, and a feather toward him. “Remember, it can be anything…”

“I want you to be my wife!” He said directly as he began writing with some difficulty. He was not used to using those primitive things.

“No need to tell me…” she smirked as she wrote something… VICTOR’S SOUL. Once she got his soul, she would take half of it to replenish her own, then use the other half to control him into being a decent man.

“Oh… ok…” Victor nodded as he finished writing and then folded the paper.

“Just hold it with your hand!” she said dismissively.

“Ah ok…” he said as he began to lick his lips, acting as a pervert to keep his act. “Where is the curse I need to dispel!” he said with a confident smirk as he began to look around.

“One minute…” she said then looked outside the Gazebo, “Clear the Serene Garden, No one shall enter before I allow it!” she ordered the maids, those who were on standby, and those who were clearing the leaves… The one who finished the burial process too!

“Yes milady!” they all said as they retreated quickly.

5 minutes later, the garden was empty.

“Now… Raise the paper in your hand as I do and repeat after me…” she said, raising the paper she wrote her wish on. “I ACCEPT THE GAME!” she yelled.

“I ACCEPT THE GAME…” Victor said casually.

BAM! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaa...

The papers burst into blue flames and disintegrated in a split second!

WARNING…

AN X-RANKED ARTIFACT <THE BLIND DEVIL’S ARBITER> IS TRYING TO MAKE YOU ENTER INTO A BET, DO YOU AGREE?

Victor pressed Yes, then watched the new entry in the artifact get added.

; ; SECRET WISH

SECOND_SIDE

SECRET WISH

GAME

AERITH JOIN MY HAREM AND BECOMES MY WIFE

AERITH

VICTOR’S SOUL

VICTOR TO DISPEL A CURSE SPECIFIED BY AERITH WITHIN 60 MINUTES

“Let’s go… Dispel my curse!” she told him directly. “You have 60 minutes!”

“Your curse?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

“Yes!” she said, wanting to finish this farce quickly

“What kind of curse is it?”

“You don’t need to know…”

“Ah… Well… Fine…” he said as he began to take off his armor. “One moment….”

SQUEAK… SQUEAK….. SQUEAK….

“What are you doing?” she asked with a frown.

“You will see…” he said as he struggled with the armor.

SQUEAK… SQUEAK….. SQUEAK….

Watching him, Aerith began to sweat as her expression turned from a frown to panic. Just now she thought of a loophole that she didn’t consider earlier?…

COULD IT BE….

NO! SHE WAS FOOLED! THIS BASTARD HAD PLAYED HER MAKING HER THINK HE WAS AN IDIOT! HE PLAYED THEM ALL!

If this pervert’s method to dispel the curse was to sleep with her… She wouldn't be able to stop him! If she tried to do so, that would be considered interfering with the bet and she would lose…

NO! HOW CAN THAT BE! SHE EVEN GAVE HIM AN ENTIRE HOUR…. DAMN IT!

SHIT. HE WAS GOING TO…

Her racing thoughts suddenly paused as she watched Victor take a talisman from his purple underpants then quickly put the squeaky armor back on.

‘That is….” she asked in a low voice.

“A curse-dispelling talisman that my master gave me! He said it was a super talisman that would dispel any curse and that I should only use it in emergencies!” Victor said proudly.

“... “ Aerith just stood there, looking at him like she was looking at an insect. She felt sorry that for the tiniest moment there, she feared him and thought he had a brain. This guy was an idiot!

This talisman was clearly a normal one… No, it was beyond that, it was the cheapest kind! The only difference between it and the one she could buy from any store was the crappy smiley face drawn on it!

“...” she sighed. “Let’s finish with this farce…” she finally said, she was really getting tired.

“Ok!” Victor said, pasting the talisman directly on her forehead.

BAM!