6 days before Evelyn turned into Rust Seraph.
11pm, in a deserted area in the residence of the noble students.
A student of the academy was groaning.
"Shut up, you bastard! Sandbags have no right to speak!"
But Blair and his gang had no intention of letting that student go.
"In the name of eternal frost, let your silent fangs pierce through the hearts of the living!"
An ice arrow appeared from nowhere.
Then it pierced through the student’s left arm.
Creating a scratch there.
It wasn’t serious enough to kill someone.
But if it wasn’t handled promptly and carefully, that student’s left arm would become infected.
Leading to the point where the left arm would become completely trash.
Painfully, the student screamed.
Tears flowed like a waterfall.
Then, he glared at Blair and his gang.
But that was all the student could do.
He was just a commoner, without money, nor social status.
People like him could only grit their teeth and endure.
The student groaned, his voice low.
He always hoped that one day, a hero would appear, and give these demons a lesson they would never forget.
Blair and his gang burst out laughing.
"That was great! That was so cool!"
Torturing commoners was their favorite thing to do.
"So, how many points did you think my magic just now had?"
The answers were too obvious.
Blair puffed up with pride.
But at that moment...
A voice suddenly rang out.
It sounded so close, yet so far away.
It was a woman’s voice.
For a moment, the smile on his face disappeared.
Even his servants were surprised, wondering who the owner of that voice was.
Blair glanced around, but saw no one.
"Who are you? Do you know who you’re messing with?"
But Evelyn, who was hiding in the shadows, observing from afar with Kael, did not flinch or fear in the slightest.
"Of course I know who you are. Blair Griffin, son of a marquis, right?"
He suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
But Blair still had to show courage.
"So you know who I am, huh? Yet you dare to insult me?!"
"Insult you? I’m just telling the truth. Your magic is trash, just like your personality."
The villainess sighed.
Why do all the nobles have to be so stubborn?
"Alright, seeing is believing."
She continued, cold voice.
And it contained a huge amount of murderous intent.
"O whispering winds of winter, lend me your chill and freeze the breath of my enemies."
The next moment, under the astonished eyes of the bullied student, Blair and his gang were frozen.
Couldn’t move anymore.
"See? This is the difference in strength between us."
"You’re truly amazing, Evelyn." Kael, who was beside her, smiled.
"Of course, I am a genius after all."
5 days before Evelyn transformed into Rust Seraph.
"Are you confident that you can win?"
The villainess asked, looking at Kael’s dagger, while caressing the blade.
He replied with a confident smile.
"I am Kael Draven, your lover, after all."
"...Alright, don’t make me lose money. If you lose, I won’t forgive you."
Yes, it was really important.
Especially to someone like her.
Suddenly, from outside, a voice called out:
"Contestant Kael Draven, please step into the arena!"
"Looks like it’s my turn."
He took back the dagger, even though he knew he wouldn’t need it much.
Kael curled his lips.
Then, he walked out of the waiting room.
Atlas Academy had a place called "Arena."
A place for those with money to have fun, by betting on which side would win.
And a place for those who needed money to make money, by fighting a Tower Creature and winning.
"Alright everyone, now let’s bet on which side will win."
The moderator, dressed in an elegant suit, spoke up.
"This time, our contestant is Kael Draven, a newcomer! And his opponent is Antony, a monster that everyone is probably familiar with!"
The murmurs began to rise.
"Okay, let’s place a bet, shall we?"
"I bet 400 dollars that Antony will win!"
"I bet 630 dollars that Antony will win!"
"I bet 1000 dollars on Antony!"
Surprisingly, everyone bet on Antony, not a single person bet on Kael.
On the contrary, it was really good.
Because then the villainess would make more money.
"I bet 3000 dollars that Kael Draven will win."
Evelyn, who was wearing a mask like everyone else, spoke up.
And the next moment, all attention was on her.
Even the moderator was taken aback.
So, just to be sure, he asked again:
"...Are you sure? Do you know who Kael Draven’s opponent is?"
The moderator took a deep breath, then exhaled.
"Do you understand how strong Antony is? He’s a monster with a 100% win rate! All of his enemies were beaten to the point of being hospitalized!"
The villainess tilted her head, indifferent.
"...Are you sure you want to bet on Kael Draven? You still have a chance to change it."
"No, I still stand by my choice."
Unable to sway Evelyn, the moderator let out a disappointed sigh.
"Fine, but if you lose, don’t ask for your money back, okay?"
If it weren’t for this mask, everyone in this room would have seen her sarcastic smile right now.
Evelyn had never felt that making money was this easy.
Meanwhile, in the arena.
"Alright contestant Kael Draven, are you ready?"
The referee asked, his voice loud.
"Just start already."
"Oh my, what a confident answer! I like it!"
The referee seemed quite approachable.
"In that case, good luck, Kael Draven. Although I’m pretty sure you’ll lose, since your opponent is Antony."
He curled his lips, then ran out of the arena.
Meanwhile, Kael couldn’t help but let out a mocking smirk.
’I can’t wait to see how everyone reacts when the results are out.’
Then, the gate on the opposite side of him opened.
And from there, a Tower Creature with a body three times larger than his ran out, charging straight at Kael.
It didn’t even need time to stretch, prepare, or confirm its target.
Indeed, he was shocked.
[Authority of Gluttony.]
Darkness erupted from his palm, surrounded the Tower Creature, and devoured it.
Not leaving behind even a single drop of blood, bones, or flesh.
Just like that, the battle came to an end in just a few short seconds.
Everyone, including the referee, and the bettors, were shocked beyond words.
"See? I told you so."
Evelyn didn’t even need to watch the battle to know the outcome.
She smirked, glancing at all the bettors.
It was a pity that they were all wearing masks, so the villainess couldn’t see their expressions.
"Thanks for the money."