Chapter 29: Pick any woman
"Just who the hell do you think you're messing with?...".
Luke's anger hung thick in the air like a gathering storm, his irritation etched across his face in deep furrows. His voice crackled with pent-up frustration as he challenged Arthur.
Around them, the setting sun cast long shadows that seemed to stretch with anticipation.
With a dramatic flourish, Luke's arms came alive, gesturing wildly as if he were conducting a symphony of rage.
He released his frustration like a tempest, his emotions unleashed into the unforgiving desert breeze.
But then, a transformation. A slow, sly grin curved across Luke's face, his irritation yielding to a newfound amusement. He raised his head to meet Arthur's gaze, eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief.
Arthur, towering over Luke, gazed down at him with an air of calm authority. His descent to the parched earth was deliberate and measured, as if he were a deity descending from the heavens. Dust swirled around him as his feet made contact with the ground, grounding him in the harsh reality of the desert.
Their dialogue, sharp and biting, remained untouched, a verbal duel of wills in this unforgiving wilderness.
"I like you, you're fun, I accept your challenge, but, if I manage to get a single woman to my side, I'll have a duel with you and if I win, you'll serve me for the rest of your pathetic life." Luke declared with a wry smile, his voice carrying a newfound camaraderie.
Arthur's response was succinct but carried the weight of a silent challenge, "Carry on."
In the midst of the tension, Luke's command hung in the air like an ominous decree. His eyes, once ablaze with intensity, now gleamed with a hint of wickedness.
"Bulk!" Luke's voice cut through the silence, echoing against the stark cliffs that framed this desolation.
From the ranks of Luke's gang, a hulking figure emerged. Bulk, a towering lizard man with a physique that seemed hewn from stone, stepped forward. His reptilian eyes fixed on his boss, awaiting his command with unwavering loyalty.
"Yes, boss," Bulk rumbled, his deep voice reverberating like a distant thunderclap.
Luke's proposition hung in the air, a cruel offer that seemed to defy the very essence of humanity.
"Pick any woman you want," Luke continued, his words dripping with malevolence, "and bring her here. Even if she fights back, if you can successfully do that… I'll let you have fun with her when we return to the kingdom."
Bulk's face twisted into a sinister grin, his sharp teeth glinting in the fading light. He couldn't believe the indulgence his boss was offering him. "For real?" he exclaimed with a lecherous chuckle, "Thanks, boss, you're the best!"
As the predatory lust gleamed in Bulk's reptilian eyes, the stark desert landscape seemed to bear witness to the descent of morality into darkness. His gaze slid hungrily from one woman to the next, dehumanizing them with each passing moment.
"Hehekeke~" With a perverse chuckle that sent shivers down the spines of those present, Bulk reveled in his sinister choices.
His breath quickened with anticipation as he moved closer to the women, his heavy footsteps echoing like a death knell in the desolate stillness.
"So many to pick from," he hissed, the words dripping with malevolence, "oh, which one.. which one…. ahhh, there."
Bulk's predatory eyes fixated on Mona, her presence like a fragile beacon amidst the turmoil.
She was the smallest among them, her delicate elf frame contrasting starkly with the harshness of their surroundings.
Her golden blonde hair caught the fading sunlight, making her seem like an angel in the face of the ravaging lizard man.
"Small shape," Bulk muttered, his voice thick with lechery, "me like elves with small shapes, come here."
Mona, calm and unhinged, stood her ground, the oppressive stares around her seemingly closing in as the colossal lizard man advanced. The air was thick with humidity, the clammy atmosphere adding to the tension in the clearing.
Her arms tightened around the body of her blade, its polished steel gleaming dully in the dim, dappled light despite being covered with a sheet.
Her face remained a mask of determination and death, her eyes fixed firmly on the approaching threat, revealing nothing of her inner turmoil.
The other women in the group shifted nervously, their eyes darting between Mona and the looming reptilian figure.
Beads of sweat formed on their foreheads, mirroring the droplets of saliva that dripped ominously from the creature's grotesque, extended tongue.
Arthur, a stoic figure on the fringe of the group, exuded an air of controlled authority. His stance was unyielding, his eyes locked forward, as if the unfolding scene were beneath his notice, though his presence loomed heavily over the gathering.
'Aimon, I'd like to buy a skill.' Arthur summoned his system.
{Took you long enough, I was starting to get bored… by any chance do you want a quest too?} The system asked.
'Yeah sure, purchase, S tier skill Subordinate'.
{Purchasing the S tier skill [Subordinate].... Prices… [44,000 E points]
Deducting….. [75,000 E points remaining]
The skill [Subordinate] has been secured and added to arsenal… would you like to activate it?}
'Yes'
{The skill [Subordinate has been activated].... Showing stats}
[ Asorth >>>> {79}
Luna >>>>> [83]
Sina >>>>> [87]
Isla >>>>> [82]....]
The system's display shimmered to life, projecting a holographic list of the village's women. Each name was accompanied by a loyalty number, a mysterious metric that hung like a spectral halo above their heads.
Arthur's eyes swept over the list, his surprise evident as he realized that not a single person in the village had a loyalty score below 50.
But what truly captivated Arthur's attention were two names that stood out like beacons of devotion amid the sea of numbers.
Raiden and Mona, their loyalty points, glowing brightly at 97 and 99, respectively, were enigmatic outliers in this tableau of loyalty.
As the holographic template vanished, Arthur's gaze shifted sharply towards Mona.
There was a newfound curiosity in his eyes, a burning desire to understand how she would navigate her way out of the mess she was currently in without his help.
"H…hey there cutie… won't you come with me to the kingdom, I eh.. hehe~ , I promise it would be worth your time".
....
A/N
What do you feel about an academy arc?
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone