Last Born Of The Desdemona

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Do you have a mother?

Chapter 187 – Do you have a mother?

The question of who had landed first echoed through the minds of all spectators, both in the arena and across the Kingdom.

Not only them, even the nobles sitting with the King and Queen, and the teachers of the Academy sitting with the Dean in their own separate room watching the footage, were all curious.

However, it was true that some of the most powerful ones already knew the answer. Like the Dean of the Academy, and some ridiculously strong teachers with great perception.

But as those in the arena and outside were far too weak to tell, debate about who was first erupted wildly, each person defending the one they were rooting for.

Cassius was mainly defended by women, who barely cared whether he was truly the first.

To them, he was the first. And at that point the truth didn’t even matter. They were simply defending who they liked most.

"The Last Born landed first! The very first!" One girl, boldly wearing a t-shirt bearing Cassius’s face, shouted with everything her petite body could muster. "Don’t try to gaslight us! It won’t work!"

"Who is gaslighting who here, you idiot? Emrys has lightning, fool! He reached the ground in under a second! He is the first!"

"It’s Cassius! Everyone can back my claim!" the girl retorted, looking at the dozens of girls wearing the same t-shirt as her. "RIGHT GIRLS???"

"YESSSS!!!! CASSIUS IS THE FIRST!"

"This is insane! Even you know you are lying!!"

"We don’t need to be right." The girl smiled mockingly. "We just need to be the loudest. So WHO LANDED FIRST????"

"CASSSSIUSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!"

The arena shook under the name of Cassius, causing the supporters of Emrys to shudder at the sheer obsession in those girls.

Far across from them, Isolde watched the scene with amusement. Under normal circumstances she would have acted and put a dreadful end to it.

However, she admitted there was something beneficial about having a supportive fanclub. Especially once inside the Academy.

And besides...

"Isolde, you are famous now, aren’t you? Hahahah!" Lucian laughed, pointing at a section of the arena where a few second and third years were also shouting Cassius’s name...but for a completely different reason.

"CASSIUS HAS WON!"

"On what basis? Don’t be like those crazy women lusting after someone younger than them!"

"On what basis? Because he is Goddess Isolde’s Husband, you Vorn-cursed fool!!!"

"What in the world—!"

"CASSIUS IS THE WINNER!!!!!"

Isolde hid her face shyly as Lucian cracked into laughter, unable to stop himself. Lilien was silent, but no less curious and surprised.

It was strange for the twins to see Isolde this popular.

She had never been like this before. In barely a few months, so much had changed that they were left slightly aghast.

And so everyone continued to debate who was the winner, while the presenter himself flatly refused to reveal the answer.

Meanwhile, back in the Entrance Exam, in the Black Dune, Cassius was coughing as he staggered upright, his body still emitting steam with flickering crimson fire all over it.

Once on his feet, he dusted off his clothes, which were still intact.

With his new mastery and the evolution of Bloodflame, burning his own blood was considerably easier now. Cassius barely felt the pain.

And in any case, he could replenish his blood through Bloodflame’s healing or through his Chains of the Accursed.

"Queen’s breath, damn it." He cursed, looking around at the destruction he had caused and the dead corpses of sandworms sprawled around them. "I didn’t receive anything from killing all these monsters? Are they too weak for me?"

He was quite disappointed, and would have continued complaining if he hadn’t heard the whimpering, coughing voice of Océane on the ground.

He lowered his eyes to her, assessed her state, and smiled apologetically. "Still alive, Océane?"

The slightly burned maid’s body twitched, then raised her right hand and gave a thumbs up. "Y-Yes... young master."

"Perfect. I knew you were resilient." He smiled. "Now get up fast. We don’t have time to waste. Use a healing potion."

Océane obeyed immediately, and in seconds she was back on her feet, her condition considerably better.

Still, the sensation of being burned by Cassius’s fire, even though he had done his best not to hurt her, lingered in the back of her mind.

’Never again.’ She promised herself, and stood beside him.

The two lifted their heads overhead, gauging the distance. Afterward, they leapt out of the pit Cassius’s landing had created. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Once out, they took in the sight of an endless black dune that seemed to extend indefinitely.

Not only that.

The dune was blanketed in a strange black dust that made it impossible to see far. Staring at it, Océane, whose Aspect was Earth — a variation of Sand — could immediately sense something wrong.

"A sandstorm... a sandstorm could happen at any moment, young master." She warned, her eyes alert.

"Seems like it." He nodded, sweeping his gaze around. "The question is what we are supposed to do now. Just kill the mon—!"

Cassius fell immediately silent as the presenter’s voice echoed once more.

<All participants have successfully landed in the First Testing Ground. Those who were unsuccessful are now, without suspense, dead.>

Across all four separate ecosystems, every participant listened carefully, hearts pounding, wondering what fresh atrocity was coming next after such a horrific start.

<The First Phase of the First Test is now concluded. The Second Phase will begin immediately, ladies and gentlemen. Each of you has landed in one of the four zones of the Test. In each of these zones, there exists a Safe Zone where no monsters, no sandstorms, no blizzards, no earthquakes, and no deluge will ever reach.>

"Huh?" Cassius and Océane exclaimed in surprise.

<These Safe Zones can only accommodate fifteen people. It does not matter who arrives first or last. Well, it does, actually. But what matters most is that at the end of the one hour given, the fifteen people inside the Safe Zone will pass and proceed to the Second Test. If there are more than fifteen, the spectators will vote on who gets disqualified. No death. Just direct disqualification. Luck is also a skill, ladies and gentlemen. So either you are strong enough to win...>

The voice audibly grinned.

<...or you are lucky enough to survive. The Academy accepts both types. And so, dear participants — LET’S BEGIN!>

Immediately, Cassius and Océane lifted their heads and saw a large black clock hovering in the sky.

Every participant could see it, and with it the time remaining to find the Safe Zone and secure a spot.

"Honestly." Cassius exclaimed. "Who in the world designed these tests? The Dean?"

Little did he know those tests had been designed by his lovely grandmother, Morenna Hood.

"Young master?" Océane called out with a tense voice, then pointed in one direction through the curtain of dust blanketing the black dune.

There, Cassius could make out the vague silhouette of someone approaching through the dust. He became immediately alert, though his posture remained relaxed, and waited.

When the person’s face became visible, Cassius’s face broke into a wild smile.

"Now, what a surprise!"

...

At that exact same time, after the contents of the test were revealed, elsewhere in the black dune, a young man looked down at a young woman sprawled on the sand, breathing shallowly, wounded by the sandworms he had just killed.

He was rather tall, with skin so pale it was almost translucent, long black hair braided into two thick chunks, and black irises with white pupils.

He approached slowly, crouched down, and looked directly at her.

All around them, runic cameras filmed the scene.

"Thank... thank you for saving me." She said, attempting a charming smile.

"Do you have a mother?" Lazy asked immediately.

"Huh?" She exclaimed. "What?"

"I asked whether you have a mother."

"...yes I do?" She had no idea where the question was coming from.

"Is she married?" Lazy pressed, now smiling beautifully.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just answer."

The girl hesitated. However, since Lazy had saved her when she was about to die, she couldn’t refuse to answer simple questions, however strange they were.

"She is married."

"Happily?"

Her lips twitched, annoyed. "Very happily."

"Hm..." Lazy mused, stroking his chin pensively, then shrugged with a lazy unbothered smile. "Shame. I will have to eliminate you from the Test then."

"Wait, what?" She screamed, trying to stand but failing as her legs were wounded from the landing. "But why? What did I do? You just saved me!"

"Because you are beautiful and I figured your mother would be even more so." Lazy explained calmly. "But just now you told me she is happily married. Unfortunately, I am not a homewrecker, so I can only abandon my pursuit. Which means I no longer have any reason to save you."

He smiled gently, harmlessly.

"So choose: either you forfeit the Test, or I kill you. One less person competing for the fifteen spots."

The girl was shivering despite the searing heat of the black dune.

In the arena and across the Kingdom, spectators watching through the screens were completely flabbergasted by the words coming from someone who was only eighteen years old.

"You have five seconds, by the way. I need to continue searching for a mother quickly. We only have an hour, you see."

"Not happily!" The girl finally blurted out, tears gathering around her brown eyes. "My mother is not happily married!"

Lazy arched an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"YES! YES! So don’t eliminate me!"

"Are you only saying this to save yourself?"

"No no no! My mother always has problems with my father because she thinks he cheats on her!"

Without shame, she revealed an intimate secret about her family.

Her mother, sitting in her living room watching with her husband beside her, trembled in disbelief at the scene. Her face fell. Her husband went red with anger and shame.

"Oh, how wonderful." Lazy smiled, genuinely pleased. "Then will you help me with your mother? You can be my wingwoman. Hahaha, how wonderful! If you do, I will protect you and take you under me. No one will touch you."

"Of course, yes! I will! I swear!" The girl screamed, sensing approaching monsters beneath the sand with her Aspect. "I will help you, I promise!"

Lazy grinned widely.

"Wonderful. By the way, I am Jurkil Julaibib. But since we are close friends now, you can call me by my nickname — Lazy."

’Close friends? Since when???’ She wanted to say, but wisely answered instead.

"D-Diaila! I am Diaila Law!"

"Nice to meet you. What is your mother’s name?"

’Is that all you think about?’ Diaila grumbled inwardly but answered. "Diary. My mother’s name is Diary."

"Better than yours."

"Argh."

"Hahah. Now get up, Diaila. Monsters are coming, you know. I will help you pass the Exam. Just keep your promise, okay?"

"...yes."

"Can you give me her phone number right now though?"

Her left eye twitched. "...yes."

"Hahahah! Wonderful! I like you, Diaila! But I like your mother more!"

’You don’t even know her!!!!’ She bellowed inwardly, struggling to get up with his help.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! Let’s go find the Safe Zone!"

—End of Chapter 187—