The Stratified Domain was deceptively quiet in this sector.
High above the damp, mist-covered ground, Lysander rested on the thick branch of an ancient Iron-Wood tree. He sat with his back against the rough bark, one leg dangling freely while the other was drawn up to his chest. He wasn't sleeping; a hunter in the wild never truly sleeps.
"I'll take a rest for a little while. The night is still far off, and I have a lot of time"
He was about to close his eyes for another minute when the silence of the forest was shattered.
CRACK. SNAP.
It was the sound of frantic footsteps—someone running blindly, breaking twigs and tearing through bushes without caring about the noise.
"Humans?" Lysander's head snapped toward the sound. "Again?"
He shifted his position, peering down through the dense silver leaves.
A woman burst into the small clearing below.
She was stumbling, her breath coming in ragged, painful gasps. She was wearing the familiar white-and-gold uniform of the Star-Haven Royal Academy, but it was in tatters. The skirt was torn at the hem, and the pristine white blazer was smeared with mud and green sap.
She looked older than Julian—perhaps 22 or 23 years old.
Lysander's mask zoomed in. She was undeniably beautiful, possessing the kind of striking, high-born features that turned heads in capital cities. She had long, flowing silver hair that stuck to her sweating face. Her figure was voluptuous, bordering on distracting—her uniform button strained against a massive E-cup chest, and the tight skirt accentuated wide hips and a heavy rear that swayed desperately as she tried to find her footing in the mud.
But right now, that beauty was twisted by terror.
"Help..." she wheezed, looking around the empty woods. "Is anyone there?"
She gripped a broken training sword, her knuckles white. She was exhausted. Her mana was completely dry.
THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.
Four shadows landed in the clearing behind her, cutting off her escape.
These were not Star-Haven students.
The four young men wore uniforms of crimson and black, with jagged steel shoulder pads. The crest on their chests depicted a Black Serpent.
"To which academy do these people belong Rich kids from the militaristic faction"
They walked with the swagger of predators who had already cornered their meal. They were handsome, but in a cruel, sharp way.
The leader of the group, a tall boy with slicked-back black hair and eyes that looked like dead fish, stepped forward. He twirled a high-grade dagger in his hand, smiling lazily.
"Run, run, run," the leader mocked, his voice smooth and oily. "Is that all you can do, Seraphina? I thought the Valerius family had dignity"
The woman, Seraphina Valerius, backed away until her back hit the trunk of the very tree Lysander was sitting in.
"Stay back!" she screamed, pointing her broken sword at them. "If you touch me... Professor Isabella will kill you! She is a Rank-A mage! She will hunt you down!"
The four boys burst into laughter. It wasn't nervous laughter; it was the laughter of people who knew they were untouchable.
"Isabella?" the leader sneered, stepping closer. "Seraphina, look around you. We are in the Rank-D Deep Zone. The magical interference here is thick. Your precious professor is miles away, babysitting the first-years"
He gestured to his three lackeys, who spread out to block any exit.
"Besides," the leader continued, his eyes gleamin with malice. "Even if she finds out... who will she believe? Me, Cedric Vance, the heir to the Vance Marquisate with Rank-B Potential? Or you?"
He spat on the ground near her feet.
"You are Rank-E Trash, Seraphina. You are twenty-three years old, and you haven't even awakened a Core Skill. You are a stain on your family's history"
Seraphina flinched as if he had slapped her. Her hand trembled.
"My brother..." she stammered. "Julian will—"
"Julian?" Cedric laughed so hard he nearly dropped his dagger. "Oh, this is rich. You think that little brat cares about you? Julian hates you, Seraphina! You are the reason the other nobles mock him. Having a crippled, talentless older sister... he considers you a burden"
Cedric took another step, his gaze dropping from her eyes to her body. He licked his lips, his eyes roving over her large chest and the curve of her hips with undisguised lust.
"In fact," Cedric lowered his voice to a dark whisper. "Who do you think told us where to find you?"
Seraphina's eyes went wide. "No... that's a lie. Julian wouldn't..."
"He didn't stop us," Cedric shrugged. "He just looked the other way. He knows what happens to trash in the forest"
Cedric stopped three feet away from her. He didn't attack. He simply looked at her like one would look at a piece of meat in a butcher shop.
"It's a tragedy, really," Cedric mused, holstering his dagger. "First, I saw you at the Grand Ball last year. I wanted to make you my wife. You are, after all, the 'Top Beauty of the Kingdom.' Men would kill just to touch you"
He reached out, his finger tracing the air near her face, causing her to recoil.
"But then I saw your status plate. Rank E. No magic. No aura. Just a pretty vase with nothing inside"
He shook his head mockingly.
"My family would never allow me to marry a defect. We need strong bloodlines. So, I went to your father, the Duke"
Seraphina froze. "You... spoke to my father?"
"I did," Cedric grinned. "I offered him a deal. Since you are useless for marriage alliances, I offered to take you off his hands. Not as a wife... but as a Concubine"
"A plaything," one of the other boys snickered from the side.
"Exactly," Cedric nodded. "I told the Duke I would keep you in my private villa. I would feed you, clothe you, and in exchange... you would warm my bed whenever I wanted. Your body is the only asset you have, Seraphina. Those E-cup breasts, that ass... they are wasted on a failure like you"
Seraphina's face turned pale, then red with fury.
"And..." she whispered, her voice shaking. "What did he say?"
Cedric's smile widened, revealing perfect, predatory teeth.
"He accepted. He signed the contract this morning. You are already mine, Seraphina. I'm just here to collect my property a little early"
Tears streamed down Seraphina's face, but she didn't drop her broken sword.
"You are lying," she hissed. "My father might be cold... but he wouldn't sell me to a monster like you"
She glared at Cedric with pure hatred.
"I know what you are, Cedric Vance. The rumors in the capital... they aren't just rumors, are they?"
She stepped forward, her fear momentarily replaced by disgust.
"Three maids in your estate vanished last year. A commoner girl from the Academy was found broken in an alleyway. Everyone knows it was you! You don't just want a woman... you want a victim!"
"You rape them," Seraphina accused him, her voice screaming through the clearing. "You hurt them because it makes you feel powerful! You are sick!"
The smile vanished from Cedric's face. His eyes went dead cold.
"Shut up," he growled.
"I won't!" Seraphina shouted. "I would rather die in this forest! I would rather be eaten by a beast than let a filthy animal like you touch me!"
She raised the broken sword to her own neck.
"If you come one step closer, I will slit my own throat"
Www
High in the tree, Lysander watched the scene unfold.
His hand, which had been resting on his knee, slowly moved to his inventory.
"Valerius..." Lysander thought. "A family of snakes"
He thought about Julian—the arrogant, cowardly boy who peed his pants.
And now he looked at Seraphina—the "trash" sister who was willing to kill herself to keep her dignity.
"Rank E Potential," Lysander analyzed. "Just like I was"
He remembered the feeling. The mockery. The way people looked through him as if he didn't exist. He remembered the feeling of being powerless while the "talented" ones did whatever they wanted.
Cedric laughed below.
"Go ahead!" Cedric taunted. "Kill yourself! But know this—even if you're dead, your body is still mine. My boys here... we aren't picky"
The other three boys laughed, a dark, disgusting sound that echoed in the night.
"That's enough," Lysander decided.
The air around the tree branch grew heavy.
"I was going to save my stamina for the Boss... but some trash needs to be burned"
Lysander stood up on the branch. He didn't bother with stealth this time. He wanted them to know he was coming.
"Inventory: Erebos."
ZAP.
The massive black greatsword appeared in his hand. The red eye snapped open, sensing the killing intent of its master.
Below, Cedric took a step toward the trembling Seraphina. "Grab her. Don't let her cut her throat. I want her alive for the first round"
"Yes, Boss!" Two of the lackeys lunged forward.
BOOOM!
A black comet slammed into the ground between Seraphina and the boys.
The impact sent a shockwave of mud and debris flying. The two lackeys were blown backward, tumbling into the dirt. Seraphina gasped, shielding her face.
When the dust settled, a towering figure stood in the crater.
Black armor. A hoodie made of shifting shadows. A faceless mask of cold iron. And a sword that looked like it had been forged in hell.
Lysander turned his head slightly, the red eye of Erebos glowing in the dark.
"You talk too much, kid," Lysander's robotic voice grated out, deep and terrifying.
He looked at Cedric, who was frozen in shock.
"You called her trash? You bragged about your Rank-B potential?"
Lysander raised his sword, pointing the tip at Cedric's throat.
"Let's see if your 'potential' can stop a blade."