"Hmph! So that's all there is to it!"
"Wait… This isn't how it was supposed to be, right?"
"Avelia, can't you put away those fangs of yours when you feed on me? It really hurts…"
Kylen could clearly feel the wounds on Avelia's body healing at a visible rate to the naked eye.
Her disheveled yet enchanting demeanor, paired with the affectionate gaze she fixed on him, felt like a warm current that quietly soothed the lingering unpleasantness from the betrayal he'd endured earlier that day.
The only thing that left him a little frustrated was that he seemed to have been in a passive position the entire time!
Could she really be the same Avelia Selis as she was in the rumors at Saint Laurent Contract Academy? The contrast was staggering.
In the media footage, she always had neat red hair and a cold expression, like an untouchable ice flower from the polar regions.
She was a world apart from the passionate, tentacle-wreathed figure before him.
The haze in Avelia's eyes gradually cleared. She stood up gracefully, crossed her legs, and regained that innate air of arrogance:
"Little one, what are you thinking about?"
Kylen felt as if a few black lines had popped up on his forehead. Just a moment ago, she'd been calling him "Master" nonstop, and now that it was over, she'd switched to "little one"? Who was actually the master of this contract, anyway?
Wait… Kylen suddenly noticed that Avelia seemed much taller than before.
Catching his confused gaze, Avelia understood immediately and explained lazily:
"No need to be surprised. When my life essence is severely depleted, my form shrinks. Your blood is helping me recover."
A look of realization flashed in Kylen's eyes. Did that mean… she could switch between a mature and a more petite form?
When they first met, she'd been small, barely over five feet tall, but now she stood slender and tall, nearly five feet seven inches.
"You really are that Avelia Selis from Saint Laurent Academy?"
"Mm."
"How did you… end up in that state earlier?"
A shadow instantly clouded Avelia's face:
"I was betrayed and ambushed… You got lucky, little one."
"I possess the 'Eternal Symbiosis' ability, which makes me nearly immortal. But if my life essence is completely exhausted, I will still fall into 'Primordial Slumber.'
Ordinary blood descendants might only slumber for a few years, but as the heir to the 'Crimson Goo Throne,' if I slumber, it will be for a hundred years at the very least… I couldn't afford to wait that long."
After that, she fell silent, seemingly unwilling to talk more about the details.
Kylen didn't press further. He simply sat down beside her quietly and gently took her cold hand in his.
The warmth from his palm made Avelia's expression soften slightly. A smile curved her lips, like ice melting at the first touch of spring:
"But that bastard who attacked me? I dragged him into the 'Primordial Essence' and tore him apart completely. It's just a shame about my four loyal servants… Otherwise, I could have let them serve you, too."
Kylen was caught off guard by her blunt words and coughed lightly:
"Cough… No need! Having you, Avelia, is more than enough for me."
The smile on Avelia's lips widened. She leaned closer to Kylen, and a tentacle gently lifted his chin:
"Master, a contract with the 'Crimson Goo Throne' only happens once in a lifetime."
"From this day onward, I will follow you through life and death."
"However, Master must also take full responsibility for me."
"Responsibility for what?"
The next day, Kylen showed up with heavy dark circles under his eyes, accompanied by Avelia, who had already regained much of her vitality, at the registration office of Saint Laurent Contract Academy.
Originally, with his status as someone who had failed to awaken an ability, he would never have been eligible to apply.
But now, he had not only activated a mysterious system but also formed a contract with Avelia, making him fully qualified to become a Contractor!
The registration day was bustling, and the new student registration area was filled with young people chasing their dreams.
"Hi, please show your ability assessment report. Sorry, but we generally do not accept students with abilities below C-Rank."
"Hi, having a B-Rank ability alone isn't enough. You need to successfully contract an abyssal creature to prove yourself.
The Contractor's Association in the city sells contract crystals; the cheapest one costs about 800,000 Imperial Coins."
"Young Master William, here is your admission certificate. The academy will hold an entrance exam tomorrow; once you pass, you will officially become a student here!"
Kylen narrowed his eyes. Being a Contractor was indeed an extremely expensive profession.
A single contract crystal that relied entirely on luck cost a fortune.
Even ordinary families pooling all their resources might not be able to raise a single Contractor.
Just as he was about to step forward to register, a familiar yet annoying voice sounded from beside him:
"Kylen? What are you doing here?"
Kylen turned around. He saw Jessica in a well-tailored light gray crop-top dress, standing next to William, looking at him in surprise.
Jessica noticed Kylen's obvious dark circles, and a flicker of pride stirred in her heart. So his calm demeanor yesterday had all been an act!
He must have been so upset that he couldn't sleep all night! And now he'd followed her here—what else could it be for, if not her?
Before Kylen could reply, William stepped forward beside Jessica, his tone haughty:
"What else? Kylen, you don't have any contract ability at all! This isn't a place for someone like you!"
"Jessica is a future Contractor with a B-Rank ability! A nobody like you could never be worthy of her. Your meager family background would only drag down her future!"
Kylen frowned.
This must be the Young Master William Jessica had mentioned yesterday rumored to come from a powerful family in Saint Laurent City, and his uncle was even a department head at the academy.
He didn't want to waste time arguing with them. He said calmly:
"I think you're misunderstanding. I'm here to apply for admission."
"And it has nothing to do with either of you."
Jessica sighed, her tone laced with pity and superiority:
"Kylen! Stop deceiving yourself, okay? How can you apply without an ability? I know you want to prove yourself to me! But doing this will only make me look down on you more! A decent ex should stay as quiet as if they're dead. We're completely over!"
Kylen: "?"
Were their egos really this inflated?
William even stepped in front of Jessica, pointed at Kylen, and snapped:
"Kylen, get out of here now! Don't you know what your family's situation is? Can you afford ability activation potions? Can you even buy the most basic contract crystal?"
Their argument drew the attention of many onlookers. Even several instructors at the registration desk glanced over.
Such scenes were common every admission season, but in an era of war against the abyss, the Contract Academy trained warriors, not delicate flowers in a greenhouse; they usually didn't interfere in such petty conflicts.
Seeing that Kylen didn't move, William even raised his right hand. A faint contract rune lit up on the back of his hand:
"Scram! Kylen, if you keep pestering Jessica, don't blame me for being rude!"
Light flashed, and a lion nearly seven feet long, its claws wreathed in crimson flames, appeared before him with a roar, glaring fiercely at Kylen.
The onlookers let out a collective gasp:
"My god, it's the 'Blazing Lion' of Sequence No. 395! That's a powerful creature from the top 500 sequences!"
"A rare contracted beast like this would cost at least 10 million Imperial Coins at an auction, right…"
"The William family really is wealthy."
William wore an arrogant sneer:
"Well? Do you want it to 'invite' you to leave, or will you have the sense to get out on your own?"
"Hmph… Such noisy chatter."
A cold, disdainful snort sounded from behind Kylen.
Only then did everyone turn their gaze to the red-haired woman standing quietly behind Kylen—clad in a dark crimson gown.
She stepped forward slowly, and the air around her seemed to drop in temperature instantly.
Several semi-transparent crimson tentacles danced gracefully yet dangerously behind her.
Her breathtaking beauty took people's breath away, but the coldness in her deep crimson eyes made them shudder.
"Who gave you permission to bark at my Master?"
Avelia merely lifted her hand casually and pressed it lightly downward in the air.
"Blood Coagulation Control!"
"Ah—!"
William suddenly felt a piercing pain shoot through his knees. The fabric on his lower legs was instantly stained red with oozing blood!
With a dull "thud," he couldn't control himself and dropped to his knees right in front of Kylen!
As for the imposing Blazing Lion beside him, it had just let out a threatening growl when Avelia flicked her fingers casually.
The lion's body trembled violently, and a large amount of blood was forcibly drawn out of its body. It gathered and took shape in the air, instantly forming a magnificent yet eerie throne of fresh blood!
"Boom!"
The Blood Throne crashed down on the Blazing Lion's back with overwhelming force!
"Roar—!"
The lion let out a shrill howl, pinned firmly to the ground, unable to move an inch.
Avelia stepped sideways gracefully, sitting on the throne forged from her enemy's blood.
She looked down at everyone from above, even using a more delicate "hand" formed by her tentacles to press heavily on the lion's head. Her tone was filled with disgust:
"Dirty blood. It's disgusting."
Then, her crimson gaze turned to William, who was kneeling on the ground, groaning in pain. A cruel yet stunning smile curved her lips:
"And you—you insignificant bug. Who gave you the courage to disrespect my Contract Master? Have you grown tired of living?"
William clutched his bleeding legs, screaming in pain and terror:
"Who… who are you?! Do you know my uncle is…"
But Avelia stretched out her hand toward Kylen at that moment. A tentacle wrapped gently around his wrist, and her voice instantly turned lazy and seductive as she announced to everyone:
"Me? I'm naturally Master Kylen's contracted creature. And also his… lover~"
What?!
Everyone present widened their eyes in shock, and then the crowd erupted into an uproar!