Chapter 3: The Laws of the Hunt
The walk back to the Academy dorms was a great distance. At the edge of the Monster Kingdom's elite district—which is to say, in the former stone barracks that had been restructured—housed the "Scholarship Wing," which smelled of musty moss and old Orc sweat.
As I made my way through the dim, narrow hallways, I noticed the change right away. Grik used to walk with his head down, trying to avoid the sight of the larger monsters. Now, in this thin goblin body of mine, I felt a different kind of primal confidence. My back was straight. My "weapon" was back.
I got to my room—a small cell which had no windows, a straw mattress, and a single wooden desk—and locked the door.
"System," I confided, sitting at the edge of the bed. "The trial in the brothel was only the tip of the iceberg, wasn't it? Tell me how it all plays out. How do I actually transform?"
In the dark of the room, a cool red interface came to life.
[Current Status: Host has overcome "Biological Dead-Lock".]
[Core Objective: To go from a 'Low-Tier Goblin' to a 'Verdant Overlord,' the Host will enter into the Sovereign's Compendium.]
"Sovereign's Compendium?" I leaned back against the cold stone wall. "Explain."
[In this world, power is determined by bloodline and rank. To upgrade your low-tier DNA, you must "subjugate" high-tier females.]
[Metric 1: Favorability (0/100) - What is the level of trust that the target has in the Host.]
[Metric 2: Entry (0/100) - Evaluates the target's tendency to follow the Host's orders.]
[When we identify prime targets, the System will run Domination Trials. In these trials, you will gain Lust Points (LP), Stat Bonuses, and Species Evolution fragments.]
'So it's not just to get them to like me,' I thought, putting my hand to my chin. 'It's about breaking their pride. About making them see me as their Master.'
[To support the Subjugation of 'High Value' targets, the System has introduced the Perverted Trials List. These are, in fact, Infamy-based tasks which are put in place to overcome a target's mental defenses and prepare their body for the Conquest.]
The image changed to that of a pale and elegant figure with glowing red eyes and small fangs—the High Vampire student council president I saw in Grik's memories.
[Shadow Thief: Steal a set of her used undies and keep them in your inventory for a day. (Reward: +20 LP, +2 Agility)]
[Public Mark: Find a way to leave a mark on her neck or shoulder during class which she does not trace back to you. (Reward: +40 LP, +5 Charm)]
[Sensory Trespass: In the library, pin her against a shelf and give her a deep French kiss until she gives in. (Reward: +100 LP, Unlock: Minor Hypnosis)]
[The Master's Seat: Force her to sit on your lap as she calls you 'Master' in front of other students. (Reward: Massive XP, Evolved Goblin Bloodline)]
I looked at the list, which brought a slow smile to my face. On Earth, those tasks would have had the authorities after me. In this tough Monster Academy, where the strong predate the weak, they were the keys to the throne.
"I see," I mumbled as I closed out the interface. "I don't have to go at them with magic or swords. I'm going to break them down, bit by bit, until the 'trash goblin' is all that remains."
I got into the straw mattress and straight away began to think of the layout of the Academy.
'The first day of classes is tomorrow. Tomorrow, the hunt begins.'
The following morning, I woke to the sound of a bone horn which echoed through the Scholarship Wing.
I rose from the hard straw mattress, used what was left of the cold water in the rusted basin to splash on my face, and threw on my worn canvas pack. Today was the Welcome Ceremony, which was to be the first test of what kind of trials I was to face.
Outside, there were towering Orcs with weapons as large as trees, Minotaurs blowing steam in the cool morning air, and beautiful yet terrifying Harpies perched on the gargoyles above.
In the middle of the mayhem, I realized I had no idea which way the Council Hall was.
"Hey," a gruff voice called out.
I looked over, and there stood a tall, what appeared to be average guy leaning against a pillar. He had wild silver hair and bright amber eyes; he was very intense about sniffing the air, which was a little funny. Aside from the sharp canines resting at the top of his bottom lip, he looked totally human.
"You have the smell of damp moss and cheap leather," the man said as he gave me a sidelong look. "Scholarship Wing, you say? I'm lost. That map they gave us is junk."
I had to laugh at that one. The guy was a definite wolf-man, probably trying to hold back his beast form to save his mana, which is a practice I saw a lot among the lower-class canine-kin.
"I am heading to the Council Hall for the Welcome Ceremony," I said as I adjusted my backpack. "Also, I am Grik. Also, I am lost."
The werewolf's fur-covered ears flicked back and forth beneath his silver hair, and he smiled a fang-filled smile, outstretching a clawed hand. "Rolf. Head of the Silvermane tribe, by birth, not by choice at this time. Let's get to this place before we are crushed by a Troll."
Rolf's nose was a very good thing. He noted the scents of the expensive perfumes and the polished armor, and thus led us right to the great bronze doors of the Council Hall. As we went in, we checked our registration tags.
"Wait, Dorm 4B?" Rolf broke into a laugh, revealing his fangs. "We're roomies, greenie. And try not to snore, which I can hear from a distance."
"Try not to soil my bed and we'll do fine," I quipped out.
Rolf bristled at my tone—goblins were usually to be seen and not heard, which had caught him off guard—but then he threw back his head and broke into great gales of laughter.
We filed in and took posts in the rear of the huge auditorium. The place was filled with thousands of students, the air charged with an intent to kill and uncontrolled mana.
The lights went out, and the crowd's low noise died down into silence, which was then filled with an oppressive and frightening presence from the stage.
Like something from a past life, a skeleton took to the stage; he was robed in cloaks that were woven of shadows. His eye sockets burned with blue infernal fire.
"That's Principal Malakor," Rolf said as the hair on his arms stood up. "He is an Ancient Lich who managed to survive the last three Continental Wars."
"Welcome to the crucible," Malakor said into our minds only, not through our ears. That was a cold greeting. "You are here because you have the predator's blood in you. But talent is for naught until it is honed. Look to your left. Look to your right. This year, at the end of it, half of you will be expelled, made a slave, or dead."
A buzz of excitement and apprehension went through the crowd. Malakor raised a bony hand, which at his word played out magical projections onto the wall behind him, which in turn displayed five separate crests.
"Into the fold, you will be placed into your specialized groups," he said.
"The Combat Department: For the animals and the vanguard. Here you will bleed till your flesh hardens into steel."
"The Magic Department: For those of you with a natural affinity for magic. You will learn to control the elemental chaos which surrounds you and use it to destroy your enemies."
"The Alchemy & Smithing Department: To the creators. The base of our military. You will craft the weapons and brew the elixirs which keep our kingdom alive."
"The Summoning Department: For those which have the will to rule over other animals. You will control what you put out into the world."
"The History & Strategy Department: For the strategists. Those which put all their eggs in the basket of brute force are doomed to fall fast. Here we will cover the old wars and the play of the mind."
"You will be put through the wringer, sorted out, and broken," Principal Malakor said, his blue eyes flaming. "To that end, I present to you the Vice Principal, Madame Vesper, and the Head of our Student Council."
The Lich dissipated into the shadows, which immediately gave way to an enormous Arachne—a woman with a beautiful yet severe face and the lower body of a large black widow spider. Madame Vesper.
"Silence," Vesper hissed out, her voice filled with poison. "Before we begin the sorting exams, which is also the beginning of the academic term, our Student Council President will read out the Academy Oath."
From out of the stage's shadows, a graceful form stepped forth. She wore a pure black and scarlet school uniform which clung to her body. Her skin, which was as white as porcelain, contrasted with the dark red eyes and the tiny, sharp fangs that lay at the edge of her lip.
Rolf emitted a deep and involuntary whine at my side. "Elara Crimson," he said, in a panic. "Top of the High Vampire line. I heard she paralyzed a Minotaur with just a look."
I sat at the edge of my seat, ignoring the pressure that radiated from her. As the rest of the student body cowered, my gaze went to the pale skin of her neck, which the System had identified as the point I had to 'mark'.
A grin, of which only I could be the villain, spread over my face.
'The Welcome Ceremony is a mere formality,' I thought. That which we came for had begun.