Lured into the Vampire's Lair
Eugene ran like hell.
Like, really well.
Hop, hop, hop!
“Argh! You frog bastard! Ack!”
“Frog? How about calling me a monkey instead?”
“You white monkey bastard! Ack!”
“White monkey? You ever seen a handsome monkey like me?”
“Die!!”
“Shouldn't the ugly one worse than a monkey be the one dying?”
“You tiny runt!”
“Yup~ Weaklings smaller than me are no match~ Good job~ Can't understand a word you say~.”
“You son of a bitch!”
“Hey now! Son of a bitch? Don't badmouth my mom!”
And that was just the start. It was like he was born the incarnation of provocation itself—no hesitation in riling up his opponents, and his childish methods were ridiculously effective.
“It's okay, buddy, you can cry. The truth is, Santa isn't real.”
“Ack! Fuck!”
“Hey, such pretty words! Buddy! Good boy! Now Santa won't bring you presents!”
“Fuck! Who's Santa?!”
Thud, thud, thud!
Eugene had dismissed them as idiots, but they were students with talents well above average.
Sure, family wealth and status propped them up, but that didn't erase their innate gifts.
And yet, he was toying with them like this—beating them down and hopping around?
As she chased him, even the First Princess Banasi couldn't wrap her head around it.
What the hell is this guy?
But one thing was clear.
I have to recruit him!
His personality seemed sorely lacking, but his skills were the real deal.
At least on my level...!
She hated to admit it, but he was worth the principal handpicking him.
First, wear him out and take him down...
Even if it meant pushing herself, she'd drag him into her party.
With that resolve, Banasi halted in place.
“Umaru. Guard me.”
“Yes!”
The student called Umaru stopped and raised his shield.
Banasi took a shallow breath, extended both hands forward, and murmured an incantation.
Mana gathered, molding into the shape she desired.
“Whirlwind!”
A defensive spell unlike Wind Cutter, specialized for interference over offense—but perfect for hindering movement.
Boom! Rumble!
“...2-circle magic?”
Eugene skidded to a halt as the tree he'd been about to leap vanished, then swung a branch wildly.
Crack, crack, crack!
Three swings, and four students tumbled down in a heap.
“Huh. One less to deal with.”
As Eugene stopped, the students swarmed to block his escape.
There was a cliff nearby, but it was insanely tall—no average student could climb it.
Banasi felt a brief dizzy spell from the mana drain but hid it, glaring at Eugene.
“No more places to run. So just surrender nicely? If you do, I'll guarantee a spot in my party—and stick you with my group for class assignments later.”
“...Princess?!”
“What are you saying?! That's way off from our deal...!”
“Hey, kids. Calm down first. Beating them isn't everything...”
“Shut it, will ya?”
“See? I'm pushing myself hard here just to recruit you.”
Eugene eyed the princess with mild surprise.
Smarter than expected. Not just a helmet-hanger.
“Fine. But I ain't caught yet.”
“Not yet. You’ve got nowhere left to go anyway.”
“Who says?”
Eugene hopped onto the cliff face, sticking like glue.
Then he reared back his fist and slammed it into the rock.
Bam!
The students burst into mocking laughter.
“What’s he doing?”
“Dunno. Thinks he’s a mole? Even if he chips away, what’s the point?”
“Whatever. Mages, prep your casts. Knock him down and pin him.”
“He might get hurt falling from there...”
“Princess.”
“We’re not even in the same party to begin with. Grab him if you can. I’ve got my hands full with my own crew.”
The princess solidified her faction. A student who'd eyed Eugene for recruitment bit his lip.
Politics be damned below—Eugene kept pounding the cliff.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam-bam!
The noise grew louder.
The vibrations intensified.
The students prepping spells below widened their eyes.
“...Isn’t that about to break through?!”
“...What?!”
The cliff collapsing?
From one student?!
Eugene grinned, pulling his arm way back. Energy concentrated around it.
Rrrumble...!
The dense mana erupted in one breath.
Kaboom!
A massive roar echoed as a hole punched through the cliff.
Chunks broke off, tumbling down wildly.
“Aaaah! Run!”
“It’s nothing! Charge and dogpile him!”
“Hey, kids. At least help the injured...”
“Dude! You gonna ruin the vibe again?!”
Some fled, some charged.
Eugene stuck out his tongue at them, then slipped into the hole.
“Mages! Clear the big rocks first!”
“Casting takes time! You meatheads block it yourselves!”
“What the hell?!”
Somehow blocking the landslide, the dirt-covered students panted heavily.
They glared murderously at the hole Eugene vanished into.
I’ll kill him somehow...!
Then someone spotted a hidden entrance and yelled.
“Hey! Entrance here!”
“Nice! That hole leads inside somewhere—must connect! Chase!”
“Everyone in!”
“I’ll crush that bastard no matter what!”
Fuming blindly, they charged ahead.
Banasi started to follow but sensed something off and stopped.
Hidden spot in the cliff... hidden entrance...? Wait...?
Her face paled. She'd finally realized his goal.
“W-Wait! Stop! That’s...!”
But the hyped students barreled in blindly, emerging into a vast cavern.
And the alert chimed.
Entered boss arena.
Bat King, Vampire.
Due to party member entry, other members and party leader are forced to enter.
The dry voice and chime rang out.
Eugene popped from the hole, waving at the princess.
Fighting!
Reading his lips, a vein bulged on her forehead.
“You little...!”
Magic sealed her near-slip from dignity.
Her body teleported.
Suddenly, she was in the cave—with the current class assignment test's boss, the Vampire.
“...Umaru.”
“Yes, Princess.”
“Find an exit.”
“Everything sealed on entry. To leave...”
Umaru and Banasi slowly looked up.
On the ceiling, a humanoid vampire cloaked in black... flashed red eyes at them.
“I’ll kill that thing no matter what!!!”
In response, the vampire bared its fangs. Red mana condensed.
Kaboom!
A bloody storm engulfed them.
* * *
“...Wow, seriously. You're my friend, but this is beyond imagination. How do you even pull this off?”
Adria shook her head, peering into the open cavern.
Like sheep herded(?), the students lured by the sweet bait faced a mismatched vampire.
“Aaaah! Wind! Dude, don’t cling!”
“Aaaah! Help!”
“H-Hey! B-Blood! Y-You, blood!”
“Ah, damn! We’re screwed! Aaaah!”
Tough even for mid-knight level—and this was the boss at full strength, not weakened.
An hour later, most students were down.
Left standing: Yahan who'd snuck in slyly, First Princess Banasi, and one unknown student.
“What kinda blood is this tough... Won’t even cut...”
Yahan, beaten by Eugene earlier, could barely fight—barely enduring with his tough body and bad matchup.
“Hah, hah, hah...”
Banasi panted like she’d collapse any second. Her mana depleted.
At least not total idiots. Lucky.
If they were pure problem children, it'd be a headache.
Thankfully, some had brains beyond normal(?).
Crackle, zap! Crackle!
One more.
The unknown student—first face for Ash and Adria—put up a huge fight.
Body wreathed in spark-like flames, a unique fighting style.
Not the Sage’s kid, huh.
Heard a Sage’s child enrolled this year... but a boy who controls water.
So someone else...
Talent-wise, could rival the princess.
World’s full of hidden geniuses.
“Hah, hah, hah!”
The student panted roughly, whipping her head to glare at me.
Our eyes met; I looked away casually.
She ground her teeth, warning me.
“Y-You bastard...!”
She yelled, genuinely pissed.
“I-I didn’t do anything! Didn’t attack you, got dragged in ‘cause everyone else came! I tried to help! Isn’t this too much?! Who throws people to the boss?!”
“...You’re the one holding back stragglers earlier?”
“Yeah!”
“...Sorry. But cut me some slack. Everyone’s gunning for me—gotta sort who’s who. You’re off the hook now.”
“You provoked them first!”
I was speechless for a sec.
But admitting it? Rookie move!
I shamelessly denied.
“They were already after me! I just tossed a spark! They were swarming to beat me before I even taunted!”
“Ugh! T-That’s true, but...”
“...Hey. You trying to lose an argument?”
The princess stared at the student, incredulous.
But no time for breaks.
-Blood...
The vampire stirred again.
“Fuck, fuck, fuuuck...”
The student spat curses, prepping for round two.
I watched the trio fight, thinking.
Fighting better than expected.
Yahan and princess had elite training, fine. But this student? Impressively skilled.
Like she’d faced multiple big monsters stronger than her before.
Her abilities suited that...
Ten minutes later, she glared bloody murder at me and collapsed.
“You... just you wait...”
Thud!
Yeah, sorry. Princess and Yahan down ages ago.
All retired, magic recognized it and returned them.
I nodded as they vanished in light.
“Good. Should be weakened now. Time to go in.”
“...You got no conscience.”
“Ends justify means.”
“Doubt the end’s that great...”
Ignoring the mutter, I leaped from the hole. Or tried.
Someone entered.
A robed student with a staff.
“Finally my tu—gack.”
“Trying to steal the finish?”
Dunno who, but stopped their spell.
Price: knockout.
Tossed the fainted kid aside. Light swirled—eliminated.
I drew my sword. Sensing real combat after ages, it hummed eagerly.
“Alright. Let’s do this.”
“For real, right?”
“What, fake fight? Adria, Eodukshini. Ready?”
“...Yeah. Ready.”
-No matter how I look, my master’s a devil alright.
Party intact, just take down the guy.
As I stepped forward.
“Eugene.”
Someone called. Familiar but different voice—I turned.
The muscular guy from the plaza stood at the entrance. His gentlemanly uniform strained to burst.
“...Who’re you?”
“Third time seeing you. Mosik Karma. Hope you’ve been well?”
...Mosik? Karma?
“...Mosik?!”
That sickly noble?!
“Yes. Long time, Eugene.”
Mosik flexed his healthy, rippling muscles with a gentlemanly smile.