"You’re younger than I expected!" I exclaimed at Tama. "How did you become a prostitute at nine?!"
Tama folded her arms, giving me a condescending glare. "Master... are you that slow?"
"Huh?"
"I’m a catgirl. Cat demi-humans age differently from humans. We reach maturity at nine because one cat year equals two human years. So nine years for me is the same as eighteen for a human."
My jaw dropped. What?
"So instead of treating me like a kid, treat me like the mature adult I am!" she snapped, then huffed and glanced away. "Besides, none of the customers ever chose me... because I was a black cat. So, I’m still... you know." She fiddled with her fingers, her face blushing.
"How did you even survive when your clan was slaughtered?" I asked curiously. "And how did you end up at Felm—"
"Please, don’t bring that up, Master." She cut me off sharply.
"Alright, alright." I raised my hands in surrender. "I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to pry."
With that, I pressed the symbol in my hand, summoning the Dimensional Door.
"Anyway, I have school now, girls. So enjoy yourselves here. There’s food everywhere, and I created rivers and streams for water. Make yourselves at home."
I stepped through the door and appeared back in my own room.
Now that those two were taken care of, it was time to go back to school.
At School
The academy grounds were bustling with students.
Luckily, this time I wasn’t welcomed by my idiotic friends but by Anna, who stood by the gate.
When she saw me, she ran up and hugged me, smiling.
"Oh, Asher! You came!" she exclaimed.
I smiled. "Yeah, of course. How are you?"
"I’m good, thanks to you."
"Oh, don’t mention it. I just did what I had to do."
"But seriously, with you in my bed yesterday, I had one of the most peaceful sleeps ever."
I rubbed the back of my head, chuckling awkwardly. I’d rather not remember how weird last night was.
"...On her bed? Sleeping together?" A familiar voice interrupted.
Turning around, I saw the despicable face of Adrian, arms crossed, glasses on, and his messy purple hair in disarray.
"I didn’t know you were into sleeping over at girls’ places," he drawled.
I sighed and wiped off the blush I hadn’t realized was on my face. "What do you want, Four Eyes?"
He grabbed my hand and pulled me aside. "Man... what happened to ’bros before hoes’?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Asherman, we agreed we’d lose our virginity on the same day! So why the hell were you at that girl’s room last night?" he hissed.
"You’re overreacting, dude. Nothing happened."
"Yeah, but something will happen soon!"
I shrugged. "How is that my problem?"
"Teach us your tactics!" He clenched his fists. "I want to know how you get girls! And how you’ve changed so much! Look at your hands—they’re no longer soft and sickly. You look like a warrior. A hero who defeated a monster in front of the whole class, something even our teacher couldn’t do!"
"Dude... really? How many things do you want me to teach you?"
"Everything!"
I sighed. "Fine. If you’re serious, meet me at lunchtime. I’ll introduce you to my training regimen."
"It’s a deal!" He beamed.
"Now let go of my hand."
He let go, and I walked back to Anna. The two of us headed to class, with Four Eyes trailing behind.
In class, lessons were boring as usual. Maybe even more boring. Madam Sarah was absent—something about her child being sick. Instead, we had a student teacher, a young woman who didn’t seem much older than us. She carried herself at school like a slay queen—not my type.
Finally, at Lunch time, Four Eyes and a few other guys approached me. It seemed most of the boys in class respected me now for my strength, so they had joined to get trained under me.
I smirked.
"Alright, guys. Let’s see how many of you are real men! We’re training in the arena!"
We changed into sportswear. I wore a sleeveless vest and shorts.
As we walked out, I noticed every girl glancing our way—particularly at my muscles. They’d grown a lot over the past few weeks.
Anna followed to watch, and before long, most of the girls were gathered around.
"Alright, bros! Let’s try running 5 km in 15 minutes!" I announced.
Their jaws dropped.
"What?!" Four Eyes exclaimed. "That’s impossible! Only a few S-rank hunters can do that!"
I tilted my head. "Nothing is impossible. I can run 15 km in 15 minutes."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Some doubted me.
"Enough talking—let’s run!" I said, taking the lead. "If you fall behind, you’re out of my team! I want real men—men who won’t be oppressed by the stupid rules of this world! Let’s go!"
We took off like springboks.
The first five minutes, everyone kept pace. But soon, they started dropping like flies.
At first, we were over fifteen. When I looked back, only three remained—Adrian, Derrick, and another guy from our class.
I smirked and decided to show off a little, increasing my speed. Since there were girls watching, why not?
Like a bolt of lightning, I ran ahead, circled the arena, and caught up to them again.
Finally, we took a break.
From the stands, I heard girls clapping.
"H-How did you get so fast, bro?" Derrick panted, stunned.
"I’ve been training hard, that’s all," I replied, then turned to the other guy. "Oh, and you are?"
"I’m Kira." He smiled warmly.
"Nice to meet you, Kira. You held your own out there. With enough practice, you’ll be even faster." I shook his hand.
He was about the same age as us, with a slim yet well-trained body. His black hair fell just past his shoulders, framing sharp features that gave him a quiet confidence. Though slightly shorter than me—probably around 5’6"—his presence was anything but small. His looks weren’t bad at all, either.
He chuckled. "Yeah, I grew up in the mountains, training with my dad. But honestly, I’m more skilled in geomancy than running."
My eyes widened. Geomancy?
"System, what the heck is that?" I asked in my mind.
[Explanation: Geomancy—the power to manipulate terrain, shape structures, and alter landscapes using magical or natural energy.]
I grabbed Kira’s shoulder. "You’re skilled in geomancy, dude? Wanna come somewhere with me?"
"Uh... sure? But since l live in the mountains, I don’t want to get home too late. Hope it won’t take long. There are vicious monsters out there."
"Don’t worry. I’ll get you home safe."
"I’m coming too!" Four Eyes chimed in.
"Me too!" Derrick added.
These guys...
But at least Kira was exactly the kind of man I needed right now.
With his help, my realm was about to become a real world.
Or—
At least that’s what l thought until...
TBC