ScarletA Few Moments Ago

I let out a yawn as I stare up at the night sky, letting my wave of Red Plague carry me along. There isn’t any danger of hurting anyone with it since I’m only targeting the minotaurs and the Red Plague won’t be covering anyone for long. Only long enough for it to pass through.

At most anyone I pass by will feel rather uncomfortable as the Red Plague passes in and out of their body in less than a second. Without doing any damage in the process.

The walls and floor of the maze, on the other hand, are going to leave a trail of red ash. Since objects are devoured immediately with or without my guidance, unlike beings who have a reality to protect themselves with.

At this point I have about five hundred and fifty three points, which is over five times what getting first place would get me. So if I’m being honest, I’d rather continue hunting these minotaurs than win this competition.

Points are more important at the end of the day. It’s going to be what determines who wins at the end of the tournament, after all.

Out of nowhere, I feel a rapidly approaching and very powerful presence. But before I can even so much as raise my head, I feel the Red Plague devouring it within seconds. So I don’t bother, instead yawning again and continuing my star gazing at the artificial stars above.

Although I do feel slightly confused by the sudden sight of my points shooting up by five hundred to reach a thousand fifty three points. Not to mention the sudden jump in a couple dozen levels.

That secret your father mentioned or something?

“Probably,” Tar answers from his place resting on my chest, curled up in a ball. Which probably makes the two of us a rather bizarre sight for the viewing demons, humans, and fae.

Just a young woman in her early twenties lazing around on a wave of what looks like glowing blood with a black and red furred tanuki lying on top of her looking like it’s asleep.

“Let them think whatever they want…” Tar mutters, sounding just as sleepy as he looks.

Hmm. If this was before my curse, I probably would’ve cared about my public image right now. But without the curse, I honestly don’t care.

I let out another yawn and close my eyes, feeling myself almost nodding off. Only for another minotaur to be devoured by my wave. Following which my levels begin to shoot up again.

Now this I could get used to. It’s a more pleasant way to level up than having to bother with devouring an army.

A lot less exhausting too.

On that note, I begin to nod off. After making sure to lock in the order to the Red Plague that is. And then I eventually wake up to the sound of a loud ringing bell along with fireworks.

I sit up while rubbing my eyes and looking at the sky, only to find the image of a person up there with ‘1st Place’ plastered next to them.

Oh, guess someone found the exit.

The face itself belongs to a demon I’m actually not too familiar with. Which is surprising.

Then again, it’s possible I’m not the only one hunting monsters for points instead of leaving the dungeon.

Actually, it’s rather likely. Considering how leaving the dungeon locks you out of getting more points during this competition.

A rather tricky way of doing things.

Right when I’m beginning to feel my eyes droop close again, my eyes land on my total points, making me instantly wake up. Then more fireworks echo out, followed by even more, and lastly I hear loud cheering echoing out over the maze. But when someone or something tries to grab ahold of me and teleport me out, the Red Plague just kinda devours their attempt.

I quickly retract the Red Plague inside of me before finding them attempting to teleport me again. And succeeding this time.

Despite that, I’m too stunned by the sight of my total points to care.

“And the winner of the first competition of the tournament iiiiiiis…..” King Oberon draws it out for effects, “Duke Vargas Feltress of the Iron Storm!!!”

I briefly glance to the side, finding all of us competitors back on our towers again, with the winning duke in question standing on the tallest tower of them all. But then my gaze turns towards the main screen, which is showing three names.

The one he just called out with a 1st right next to it, then an Aria Knight with a 2nd next to her name that has me smiling slightly, and lastly, Will Wright. The Black Knight of Humanity.

Kind of surprised he actually went for leaving the dungeon instead of hunting for more monsters or loot boxes.

“Now, as was announced in the rules, the duke will be receiving one hundred points for getting first place! And alongside him, the adorable Aria Knight will be receiving seventy-five points, and the Black Knight of Humanity fifty points, for second and third place within this first competition!” Oberon declares, his voice echoing out through the stadium as my mind continues clearing up from my half-asleep state. Then the main screen changes to show a different list. “Next up is the main tournament rankings! Behold, the curreeeeent rankings!!”

My name is at the very top, with a total of slightly over two thousand points. Then there’s Leonidas and Xyvandra who have a little over a thousand points, with Vorgrim at a thousand points on the dot, Amelia with a little below a thousand points, and the rest of the Knights below her.

Everyone drops off quite a bit in points after that, likely due to there only being a certain number of monsters in the dungeon.

And despite getting first and second, the duke who finished first only ended up with a few hundred points and Aria only ended up with a little over two hundred.

“And to our current first place duo of the Warden of the Red Plague and Tarankar,” I hear my and Tar’s names being called, making me groggily turn my gaze over towards the fae king. “Please wake up. We’re in the middle of a rather important tournament here.”

Laughter echoes throughout the stadium, but all I do is yawn again.

Which makes the laughter increase in volume.