Chương 259: Plano Town (15)
Carito led Elio and the rest of the grand finalists to a corner of the room that had a VIP area. There were about eight people sitting at the table, at least ten people standing on guard to keep others away, and all of them were wearing formal evening attire and masks.
Carito stepped forward and lowered his head.
"My Lords and Ladies, I present to you the grand finalists for tomorrow's Feugo Tournament," he said and then turned to Elio and the rest.
"The first one is Master Gigan or also known as Explosión de Magma Gigan. He has a [Lore Magic] that allows him to shoot out magma and melt his target. And he's from here, the Marbleam Kingdom."
Gigan lowered his head.
"The second one is Mistress Emilia or also known as Emilia of the Blazing Dagger. She doesn't have any Lore Magic, but her proficiency in using Fire Magic Arts and daggers earned her the nickname Blazing Dagger. And she's from the Luxen Kingdom."
Emilia lowered her head.
"The third one is Master Elio or also known as Fiamma Oscura Elio. His Lore Magic comes from his sword, a Lore Item, and he's from the La Spada Kingdom."
Elio lowered his head.
"And the last one is Master Kyle or also known as Kyle of the Blood Tree. His moniker, Blood Tree, came from him killing a unique tree monster said to be blessed by the Elemental Gods. And although he's the youngest, he has tremendous luck and skill, he has the Light Affinity, and he's from the Orion Kingdom."
Kyle's lips broke out into a smile and he offered an elegant bow.
"It's a pleasure to be in your presence, My Lords and Ladies."
As the people at the table turned to each other, Carito lowered his head and then went to the side.
"So what do you guys think?" a masked man who looked like he was in his late 40s and had black hair asked.
"Looks decent enough," a masked man who looked like he was in his early 40s and had red hair said.
"I'd like to place my bet on the woman. It's about time a woman wins the tournament," a masked woman in her late 30s with dark blonde hair said.
"My dear, a woman has won in the past," the man in his early 40s said.
"When?"
"Some time ago."
"That's not a proper answer."
"It is, my dear."
Clap, clap!
The man in his late 40s clapped his hands and turned to the rest.
"What about you guys?"
A masked man who looked like he was in his late 30s and had black hair picked up a glass and took a sip.
"Do we really have to bet?"
"Of course!" the man in his late 40s said. "It would be no fun if we didn't."
"How about we keep our bets in secret?" a man in his mid-30s with dark blonde hair said.
The man in his late 40s shook his head.
"We're not going to repeat the disaster a few years ago. Everyone ended up not paying."
"Hey, I paid that time," the man in his late 30s said. "I gave you two mansions and a business establishment, remember? My first wife stopped talking to me for a couple of months."
"Could you not mention her in my presence, please?" a masked woman who looked like she was also in her late 30s and had black hair said.
The man reached out for her hand and planted a small kiss.
"I'm very sorry, my love."
The woman pulled her hand away and didn't say anything.
The man in his late 40s turned to the man.
"Yes, you did pay two mansions and a business establishment, but you gave a different one."
"A mansion is a mansion and a business establishment is a business establishment."
"What about the rest who hasn't said a word?" the first woman from earlier asked.
"Right," the man in his early 40s said.
The VIPs then continued to bicker with each other.
Elio and the rest who were standing in front of the VIPs didn't say anything or show any reaction. Given their age, background and experience, they knew that this was simply how people from such backgrounds would act. There was nothing to do but wait.
After a few minutes, the VIPs finally made their decisions.
Snap!
The man in his late 40s snapped his fingers.
Carito stepped forward, lowered his head, and then took out a pen and paper.
"My Lord."
The VIPs began saying the things they were betting, who they were betting on, and who they were betting against.
"I've written everything, My Lords and Ladies," Carito said.
"Okay, that settles it," the man in his late 40s said and then turned to Carito. "Please make sure these fine warriors enjoy the rest of the evening."
"As you wish, My Lord," Carito said and bowed before turning to Elio and the rest. "Master Gigan, Mistress Emilia, Master Elio, Master Kyle, please follow me."
"Wait, I want to have a word," Elio said suddenly, causing everyone to turn to him, and he turned to the man in his late 40s. "My Lord, I was told that once I reach the grand finals I can request to enjoy the company of a demon-kin."
"Oh? You're into that, Master Elio?" the man in his late 40s said. And although he referred to Elio with the title "Master", there was no hint of respect or insult, only indifference.
"I wish to enjoy the company of a demon-kin tonight, preferably a female Monkeigh around the age of 15 years old or someone who looks like they're around the age -- and in private."
The masked woman in her late 30s with black hair leaned over and smiled.
"My, my, had I known that you were such a man, I would've chosen you, not Kyle," she said and turned to a masked man in his mid-30s with dark blonde hair. "Why can't you be decisive like him?"
The man shrugged.
"My love, what can I say? I'm a man with a healthy appetite for all the good things in life."
The woman turned to Carito.
"I'm betting this husband of mine on Elio. Who wants to go against me?"
The man let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head.
"My love, you can't bet me."
The woman turned to him.
"I can and I will," she said sharply and then turned to Carito. "What are you waiting for?"
Carito's mouth opened but no words came out.
"I will allow it," the man in his late 40s said.
"Hey! Don't go changing the rules of the game!" one of the VIPs interjected.
"If you're going to change it, then I want to change the rules as well!" another VIP said.
The VIPs began bickering with each other once again.
A few minutes passed, the VIPs finally reached a conclusion.
"Okay, the vote is 2 against 6. There is no betting of husbands," the man in his late 40s said.
"Then I'm out," the woman in her late 30s with black hair said.
"What?"
"If I can't bet on what I want to bet, who I want to bet then there is no point in playing this game."
"You can't be serious."
"She has a point," one of the VIPs said. "I'm canceling my bet."
"Me too," another VIP said.
"Once you bet, you can't take it back," the man in his late 40s said.
"I'm out as well," another VIP said.
"Okay, okay, you're allowed to bet your husband," the man in his late 40s said.
"Hey, I'm an Aristocratic Noble, not some lowly slave," the man in his mid-30s said and pointed at the man in his late 40s. "If you're going to bet me, then I'm betting you and my wife as well."
"This is getting annoying. I knew I should've just stayed at home this year," one of the VIPs said and got up.
"I'm out too," another VIP said and got up too.
One by one, the other VIPs started to leave as well until only the man in his late 40s remained.
Clink!
The man in his late 40s scoffed as he toppled his glass, spilling the wine off the table.
"What's wrong with these people? They don't have any sense of fun!"
Elio stepped forward.
"My Lord."
The man in his late 40s whipped his head to Elio.
"This is all your fault!" he hissed.
Elio mustered all of his strength to maintain a calm and relaxed demeanor as he stared at the man in his late 40s.
"My Lord, I would like to receive my reward for reaching the grand finals. Or is this the extent of what the Plano family can do?"
The lips of the man in his late 40s curled up into a smile.
"Tread carefully, warrior. You may be one of the contestants but I can easily get rid of you with the blink of an eye."
"I am simply asking for what I came here for, My Lord."
Elio and the man in his late 40s didn't say anything as they locked gazes with each other and the atmosphere became tense. And after what felt like an eternity, the man in his late 40s suddenly switched to a friendly demeanor.
"Fair enough," he said then turned to Carito. "Show him all the demon-kins we have and let him enjoy them to his heart's content," he said and then flicked his wrist. "Now all of you leave me alone."
Carito and Elio lowered their heads.
"Yes, My Lord."
"Thank you, My Lord."
Carito turned to Elio and the rest.
"Master Gigan, Mistress Emilia, Master Elio, Master Kyle, please follow me."
When Carito, Elio and the rest turned away and left, Kyle went over to Elio.
Pah!
"My man!" he said and slapped his back. "I didn't know we had the same tastes! This just shows that you and I are definitely the best of friends!"
"I'm nothing like you."
"You want to fuck a Monkeigh and I want to fuck a Verin. What's the difference?"
Elio stopped talking.
Kyle moved in closer.
"Las-I las-don't las-recommend las-you las-escaping las-with Las-Saa'liha las-tonight…" he whispered in the La Spadian language.
Elio's eyes became wide and his body stopped moving for a brief moment before he recovered his bearings.
"Las-You las-won't las-have las-any las-chance las-tonight las-but las-everyone las-will las-have las-the las-chance las-tomorrow las-because Las-HE las-is las-coming…" Kyle said and then stepped away from him.
***
Elio sat on a chair as he waited inside a large luxurious room. He shed his cloak to the side but kept the rest of his clothing with him, including his sword [Fiamma Oscura].
Knock.
Knock.
There was a knock on the door.
"Mar-Master Mar-Elio, mar-the mar-slaves mar-are mar-here. Mar-May mar-we mar-enter?" a female voice asked in Marbleamean behind the door.
"Mar-Come mar-in."
Ka-cha!
The door opened and four female Monkeigh demon-kins who were still in their teens or at least looked to be in their teens wearing see-through clothes with a thin underwear that barely covered their private parts and a metal collar engraved with runes around their necks entered while being led by a maid.
Elio's gaze immediately landed on the third Monkeigh who had strong human features that would make her quite beautiful even by human standards. She had a curvy body oozing with sexy appeal and was well-endowed both in the front and back despite only looking like she was 15 years old.
"Mar-Master Mar-Elio, mar-these mar-are mar-the mar-female Mar-Monkeighs mar-that mar-you've mar-requested. Mar-You mar-can mar-have mar-all mar-four mar-of mar-them mar-tonight mar-if mar-you mar-want mar-and mar-are mar-allowed mar-to mar-do mar-anything mar-to mar-them mar-except mar-giving mar-them Mar-True Mar-Death."
The first, second and fourth Monkeighs had lifeless eyes. Meanwhile, the third, she too had lifeless eyes initially. But after seeing Elio, her eyes regained their light, but she quickly wiped it off and returned to mirroring her companions.
"Mar-I'll mar-have mar-the mar-third mar-one. Mar-I mar-don't mar-want mar-to mar-be mar-disturbed mar-until mar-morning."
The maid bowed.
"Mar-As mar-you mar-wish, Mar-Master Mar-Elio," she said and then left the room with the rest of the Monkeighs.
When Elio and the third Monkeigh were finally alone, the third Monkeigh rushed over to him.
Chud!
"Uncle Elio…!" she said in the Daemon language as she wrapped her arms around him and tears ran down her cheeks.
Elio awkwardly tapped-hugged her before finally placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her away.
"Saa'liha, are you hurt?" he asked and then touched the metal collar on her neck. "Let me remove this first and then we'll escape right away from here."
Saa'liha suddenly pulled away from him.
"No, we can't…!"
"Don't worry, you're safe now. Your mother is also waiting for you back at the Southern Continent," Elio said and held out his hand but didn't touch her or step forward.
Saa'liha was neither Elio's niece nor were they blood-related. The truth is, Elio and Saa'liha's parents, specifically her father, were partners back in their Mercenary days in the Southern Continent and was older than him who took him under his wing.
Moreover, she also used to be human 4 years ago when she was 11 years old. But after the small village that she and her family lived in was attacked by a Demon-kin Necromancer who summoned a Wave imbued with the Earth Affinity, the people there turned into Monkeighs.
In regards to her parent's whereabouts, her mother was in the Southern Continent who was now a demon-kin who only had [False Fire Mastery] which she was born with and then received [True Earth Mastery] and [Lesser Chaos Mastery] after she became a Monkeigh. Meanwhile, her father was born with [True Fire Mastery] and [True Poison Mastery] but died 5 years ago during a Mercenary Contract with Elio.
Saa'liha was born with [True Fire Mastery] and [True Poison Mastery] like her father, and now had [True Earth Mastery] and [Lesser Chaos] after becoming a Monkeigh. Meanwhile, her younger brother was like their mother who was born with [False Fire Mastery] but now had the [True Earth Mastery] and [Lesser Chaos Mastery] after also becoming a Monkeigh. However, they were still too weak. In fact, the reason why Saa'liha got into the predicament she was in right now was because her village was raided by a group of slave traders and she helped defend the village while they let her mother, younger brother and the others escape.
And as for Vivian, she would be surprised to learn that a being would receive an extra True Magic Art Affinity corresponding to the demon-kin species they transformed into. It was actually one of the secrets that the people in the Northern Continent aren't taught by the local governments, including by the Temple of Priests, in fear that it may tempt others to become a demon-kin. It's also why any knowledge about Summoning Rituals is strictly monitored. Even the Priests and Priestesses participating in the Holy Crusade's Basic Training and the Training Course are only taught on how to survive a Wave.
"No..! You don't understand…! We can't leave them…!" Saa'liha said.
A confused expression flashed across Elio's face.
"What do you mean?"
"Uncle Elio, there are people here secretly working for the Housan Empire and they said that someone from the Housan Empire will come save us tomorrow…!"
Elio placed a finger between his lips.
"Keep your voice down," he said and when he noticed that Saa'liha calming down a bit, he continued. "I understand what you're trying to say but it's safer if we escape now instead of tomorrow. I've already made the necessary preparations."
"Please, Uncle Elio, the people here need help… We should all work together… Some of the slaves here, humans and demon-kins, are younger than me or no older than my brother and are innocent… Please…!"
Elio closed his eyes. Although he didn't say anything, the expression on his face revealed everything that he was feeling.
Saa'liha fell down on her knees and hugged herself as she began sobbing.
"If you only know…. what they did to us… I… I…" she couldn't continue and simply cried her heart out.
Elio knelt down and placed his hand on her trembling shoulder.
"I understand. Please don't cry anymore. You're safe now. I promise."
Chud!
Saa'liha hugged him and buried her face on his chest as she continued to cry uncontrollably.
Elio raised his hand to rub Saa'liha's head but stopped. He stared at the ceiling and thought about her family, including her late father.
***
11:32 p.m.
Temple of Priests building, Plano Town, Marbleam Kingdom.
"I don't eat..~~
"I don't sleep…~~
"I do nothing but think of you…~~"
Vivian was inside her room and wearing a set of clothes.
"You pick me under your spell…~~"
She picked up a black scarf and checked her reflection in the mirror as she wrapped it around her head, covering the lower part of her face.
"You pick me under your spell…~~"
After she was satisfied with the position of the scarf, she grabbed a black cloak and watched her reflection once again as she wore it and then pulled the hood forward, covering almost half of the upper part of her face.
"You pick me under your spell…~~"
Her eyes ran down her entire attire in front of the mirror and from time to time she would turn to the side and also do quick and sudden movements.
Hmm…
Not bad I guess…
From her cloak, to scarf, to her short and fitting turtleneck backless short dress, to her gloves, and her boots, everything was black. She bought all of these items except for the fitting turtleneck backless short dress earlier in the afternoon while she was shopping for a formal evening dress for the dinner party earlier.
I really wanted to wear all red…
But given my Priestess identity…
It just feels wrong…
I would die from embarrassment if the Red Cloaks here found out that I bought a red cloak...
I don't think I'll be able to show my face to them ever again...
She turned away and headed for the window.
Whatever…
When she opened the window, the cool night breeze brushed against her and the muffled festive music from a distance echoed on her ears.
What a very noisy place…
[Greater Origin Transformation].
Blaaak.
Her eyes transformed into demon form. What used to be ruby-colored human eyes were now onyx with golden pupils. She swept her eyes around her surroundings and also strained her ears.
I guess it's clear…
She placed her foot on the window sill.
Hopefully, my plan will work this time…
Vooom!
***
11:39 p.m.
"I don't eat..~~"
Vivian was walking in a neighborhood that didn't look poor but also didn't look rich either -- just right in the middle.
"I don't sleep…~~"
Aside from watching out if there were any people around on the street, she was also on the lookout for opened windows.
"I do nothing but think of you…~~
"You keep me under your spell…~~
"You keep me--…~~"
She stopped singing when she saw a humanoid blue-colored nervous system holding what looked like a bottle and walking in a zig-zag manner down the street and coming her way.
She shook her head mentally.
I can already smell the sweat and alcohol from here…
Too disgusting for the experiment…
When Vivian and the man passed each other, neither of them acknowledged each other and went their own way in peace.
***
Vivian stopped in her tracks when she saw the door of a house a few buildings down the street open.
Two blue-colored nervous systems stepped out of the door and stopped on the sidewalk to talk.
[Greater Origin Transformation].
Blaaak.
One of Vivian's eyes reverted to its human form.
Women…?
Prostitutes…?
She let out a sigh.
Well…
She resumed walking but maintained a slightly slower pace.
The two women, who appeared to be in their 20s, hugged each other and then went their separate ways.
One headed north while the other headed south toward Vivian's way.
Seeing the dark-hooded figure, the one headed south instinctively kept her guard up while trying to play it cool. Thanks to the Feugo Festival, many businesses have been booming due to the influx of foreigners coming to Plano Town. However, at the same token, crime also rose.
"Mar-Hey mar-handsome, mar-want mar-to mar-join mar-me mar-and mar-my mar-friends mar-over mar-there mar-waiting mar-for mar-me mar-at mar-the mar-corner mar-of mar-the mar-street?" the woman said seductively when the dark-hooded figure and her were already a few meters apart.
It was a lie. She had no one waiting for her at the corner of the street.
The dark-hooded figure didn't respond and continued walking.
The moment the woman was already a few meters away from the dark-hooded figure, she immediately quickened her pace but didn't run. And when she finally reached the end of the street, she immediately turned to a corner and leaned against the wall. She secretly peeked to see if the dark-hooded figure changed course and decided to follow her. But to her surprise, there was no sign of the dark-hooded figure.
"Mar-That mar-person mar-must've mar-went mar-inside mar-a mar-house mar-or mar-something…" the woman said under her breath.
She then resumed walking with the same quickened pace.
Chu-Psssh!
Someone or something suddenly grabbed the back of her neck and green mist exploded around her, rendering her body completely immobile.
Crack!
Before she could even process the rest of her thoughts, her neck was violently twisted to the side and the last thing she saw was the face of the dark-hooded figure which turned out to be a woman with one of her eyes strangely inhuman and the lower half of her face covered with a black scarf. As for how she knew it was a woman, although there were other clues, the biggest clue that tied all of it together was the faint scent of perfume or cologne that only women from the upper echelon of society would wear.
Ever since Vivian moved to the Holy Kingdom for the Basic Training and began hanging out with Kara and the rest of her female classmates, the perfumes and colognes that she wears start at the price of 10 gold coins which was 100 silvers or 1,000 coppers. And the perfume she was currently wearing was one of the items she bought for the dinner party earlier which cost 50 gold coins. Even her clothes, makeup, lotion and the liquid soap that she uses for washing her hair and body were of high quality that an average female citizen wouldn't wear and come to such a neighborhood.
Vivian dragged the body of the woman's body to a dark and narrow alley and then held it up against the wall by the neck with one hand.
Riiiip!
She ripped off the right strap of the body's dress, exposing the neck, traps and shoulder, and then she pulled her scarf down.
"Now let's try this."
Chak!
Gulp.
Sluuuuuurrrrrrpppppp…!
She bit down a chunk of the body's neck and swallowed the meat before proceeding to suck down the blood.
A few moments later, she pulled her head away and licked her lips.
I need more…
All that blood this morning made me crave the whole day…
[Greater Origin Enchant].
Blaaak.
Vivian's tongue transformed into an ethereal pale grayish-colored 3ft long tongue and it slithered its way into the bite mark of the body.
This isn't working…
She pulled her tongue back out from the body and tried to swallow the blood and the bodily fluids stuck on her tongue.
Yup…
Really doesn't work…
[Greater Origin Enchant].
Blaaak.
Her tongue reverted to its human form.
There were two issues. First off, her demon tongue doesn't have a sucking effect. Secondly, due to the structure of her mouth and throat, she couldn't put all of her tongue inside her mouth.
Really doesn't work…
Hmm…
I guess I should've also expected this…
If Vivian were to describe the feeling she felt right now, although the blood she drank was no doubt tasty, it was like drinking a protein shake. It tasted great and could make one feel full, but drinking a protein shake and eating a meal were just two very different things.
She let out a sigh.
It's not like can transform here…
And each second the passes…
The taste deteriorates…
Chak!
She stabbed her hand inside the body.
Okay…
Where is it...?
Her hand navigated its way inside the body, feeling the warmth and softness of the internal organs.
There…!
Blaaak!
She pulled out her hand and it was holding a heart that was still beating and warm. Her lips broke into a grin and her mouth started to water.
"I'll take this as a souvenir," she said before wolfing down the heart.
After eating the heart, she returned her attention to the body and a disappointed look appeared on her face.
Even I can tell that the taste of this blueie has already greatly diminished…
Looks like no matter what…
The best way to eat a blueie is to be in demon form and eat it in one go…
Thud.
She dropped the body to the ground.
[Explosive Leg].
Booom!
And then tapped the body with the tip of her boot, turning it into a mist of blood and also leaving a small crater.
Too noisy and messy…
This experiment is a failure…
And I'm still craving for more…
Vooom!
********************
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
I would like to thank these Top 5 Immortal Power Voters:
• First Seat: DaoistL27fr7
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• Third Seat: DaoistowxxrO
• Fourth Seat: Leitor_Morto
• Fifth Seat: Immortal_Shades (I don't even know why I'm #5 when I don't even vote and it doesn't even add-up on the daily tally)
And in case you really like what I do and want to support me even further, do consider joining my Patreon group for $1 a month because this novel would never have a chance to get a contract.
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With that being said, I would like to give my special thanks for this month's Immortal Patron(s):
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I also created social media accounts for Vivian:
• Instagram: vivian_lightstorm
• Facebook: Vivian Vivian
• TikTok: vivian.lightstorm
On these socials, I will be posting extra details about Vivian and the world she inhabits that I couldn't post here in WebNovel because it would break the story's immersion and other reasons such as the limitations of the WebNovel site.
Thank you once again and I will see you in the next chapter :)
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
Immortal_Shades
Immortal_Shades I will admit, I gave up half-way through the dialogue tags of the main sponsors. I'm just so tired right now after researching and writing multiple revisions for Plano Town (16) since last week, editing plotholes, and doing the final edits for Plano Town (14), (15) and (16) since yesterday. Don't worry, it's just pointless banter to show how out of touch the upper echelon of society is in this story's world.
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