"Elric, what you said in the group—was that real?"
A voice called out from the crowd, followed by another, louder one.
"Yeah, look at me! Do I meet your standards?"
"Me too! Please—let me follow you!"
The hallway was still thick with the scent of ash and molten iron. The spider's body had melted into a bubbling stain on the floor, yet the noise of desperate girls quickly replaced the silence it left behind.
More than forty of them—college students, interns, a few teachers—stepped forward. Their clothes were torn and dirty, but even in the flickering light, many still held on to their confidence.
Before the world ended, they had been class beauties, girls used to compliments, attention, and eyes following them wherever they went. Now, they stood before a man whose one punch could level a monster.
They were terrified—but also hopeful.
Elric's eyes glowed faintly gold. As activated the system. Golden ripples spread through his pupils as he scanned each face, each figure, each faint trace of life energy.
When it ended, his expression didn't change.
"…Pity," he muttered under his breath.
He had already seen everything he needed. The system had standards—and these women didn't reach them.
He looked up at the crowd and said flatly, "Sorry. None of you qualify."
The words hit like a thunderclap.
"What?"
"No way… out of all of us?"
"There's got to be a mistake!"
"You didn't look properly!"
"Yeah, take another look! You can't judge that fast!"
"Exactly, I've got a 36D and long legs—you sure that doesn't count for something?"
"Wait until I clean up and put on makeup—you'll change your mind!"
A dozen voices overlapped, growing louder and more desperate. Several women even moved closer, blocking his path as though refusing to accept his decision.
But Elric's patience, already thin, began to fray.
He had saved them thinking one or two might meet the system's criteria. That effort was wasted—and the noise was grating.
"Move."
They didn't.
His body temperature spiked.
A faint red glow seeped from his skin, and magma began to drip from his right hand, sizzling against the tile floor. The stone blackened instantly, a sharp hiss of vapor filling the air.
The change was enough.
"I'm sorry!"
"We'll move! We'll move!"
The crowd scattered back in an instant, trembling as the image of that fiery punch flashed through their minds.
Elric didn't say another word. He turned toward the stairs, ready to head back up to the roof to check on Elsa and the others. If he didn't find any qualified survivors today, he'd take her elsewhere—maybe to the dorms near the athletics wing.
That was when another voice, soft but clear, stopped him.
"Wait."
He turned.
A single girl stood ahead of him. Tall—easily five foot ten—with a graceful, slender frame. Her long legs and small waist gave her a striking silhouette. She wore a gray jacket tied at the waist, black jeans, and a mask that hid the lower half of her face. Her hair—dark, glossy, and long—fell across her eyes like a curtain.
"Please," she said quietly, voice trembling but firm. "Just look at me once. Let me come with you."
The others glanced at her with envy or disdain.
Elric's gaze narrowed. The mask and hair meant nothing—his Clairvoyance pierced straight through.
What he saw made him freeze for half a second—then his mouth twisted.
Beneath the mask, her skin was inflamed, red and swollen, covered in severe acne. Her cheeks were puffy, her features distorted. The system instantly brought up her evaluation:
Name: Liana
Age: 21
Appearance: 28
Figure: 83
Character Quality: 85
System Rating: 31
Evaluation: Does not meet standards. Severely below threshold.
Elric's lips curled faintly as he let out a cold chuckle.
"With a face like that," he said, voice low and cutting, "you really think you meet my standards?"
The girl flinched, eyes glistening behind her hair.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Elric brushed past her without another glance, the air around him still radiating faint heat.
Behind him, whispers spread through the corridor—fear, jealousy, and disbelief mingled in equal measure.
But Elric didn't care. He had one purpose now: find the ones who truly qualified—those who could make his Devil Fruit Tree grow stronger.
And he would keep searching until he did.
"Get out of my way!"Elric's tone was sharp, his patience gone. A faint glow rippled across his skin — a sign that his magma ability was close to surfacing.
The girl in front of him flinched, instinctively stepping back. Her long, dark hair fell forward, hiding half her masked face.Even though she trembled, she forced herself to speak.
"M-My name's Liana Shaw," she stammered. "My face—it's not what it looks like. It's just a bad allergic reaction. Once I find the right meds, it'll clear up… I swear."
Elric frowned. He didn't believe her."Not interested in excuses," he said coldly. A red circle of light flickered around him — his Zone was activating, space itself bending to his will.
Then a thread of recognition tugged at his mind.Liana Shaw? Why did that name sound familiar?
Wait. That was it. The college model competition last semester — the winner from University's fashion department, one of the top campus models.Could this really be her?
"You're that Liana Shaw?" Elric asked, his voice tightening."The model?"
Her eyes widened with sudden hope. "Yes! That's me! I used to do shoots for campus magazines—before… all this."
Elric studied her again through his golden clairvoyant vision. Beneath the redness and swelling, he could see delicate facial structure — fine features buried under the allergic irritation.
If her story checked out, she might actually recover her looks once the allergic reaction healed.
"Are you sure it's temporary?" he asked flatly."I'm sure," she said quickly. "I've had it before. If I can just find antihistamines or allergy cream, it'll be gone within a week."
Elric was silent for a long moment. The corridor lights flickered faintly, reflecting off his molten eyes.Finally, he said, "Fine. You'll come with me. But if your face doesn't get better after the medicine…"His tone dropped lower. "You lied to me — and I don't forgive liars."
Liana nodded furiously. "I won't lie. Thank you, thank you."
Elric turned, motioning for her to follow as they climbed toward the upper floors of the dorm building.He scanned each room with his clairvoyance — one after another. No one else fit the strange, arbitrary standards of the system.
Only one other person here did: Elsa.
When they reached the top floor, Elsa stepped out from behind a half-broken door. She looked between Elric and the tall, long-legged woman beside him, her expression uncertain."Elric… who's this?" she asked quietly.
Elric didn't hesitate. "She's coming with us," he said simply.Then, after a pause, he added in his usual blunt tone —"She's my other partner."
There were still no other "qualified" survivors on this floor.
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