Undead Beast Master: Living Solely for My Desires-Chapter 63: I Will Win

"So, are we close enough?" Sofia asked, shifting her gaze to Vera.

"Yes, I think I’ll be able to get a good grasp of their strength," Vera replied, though her tone carried hesitation.

"What is it?" Sofia raised an eyebrow.

They had finally managed to get a table close enough to Zaroth’s squad, which had been difficult considering the cafeteria was always full.

"I… I’m not sure this is a good idea," Vera admitted.

"Vera," Sofia said, crossing her legs.

"We know they somehow managed to defeat two Epic Beasts and their master, right? Not only that, but this kid—Zaroth—when I saw him after being rescued by Elysia, he was half-dead and yet had a smile on his face as he carried the beheaded head of a man."

Her voice grew more firm. "So, we have to know what they’re capable of, especially considering we might face them in the approaching Tournament."

With a sigh, Vera nodded slightly, reluctantly agreeing with her friend. She shifted her gaze toward the group of four.

Her eyes shined brightly, though the effect was hidden beneath the white mask that obscured most of her face.

Suddenly, she gasped involuntarily.

Hearing that, Sofia immediately asked, "What is it? Did you see something?"

"… Well, our suspicions were correct. Three of them have high-tier blessings," Vera replied cautiously.

"What about the girl with them—the one they call Lily?"

"I… I’m honestly not sure. I feel like I can’t see her, even though I can."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"How the heck should I know?" Vera replied, frustrated.

With a grunt, Sofia pressed on. "Alright, leave the girl for now. What about the three men with her?"

Vera focused first on the one with blue eyes and blonde hair.

"This one… I feel like I want to kneel just by looking at him. He has the ability to command something—I can’t tell what or to what extent, but it’s strong."

Sofia nodded slowly, urging her friend to continue.

Next, Vera focused on the one with white eyes and raven-black hair.

"Looking at him makes my blood run cold… probably his abilities are somehow connected to blood."

"I see. And what about the shorter one?"

Sofia, of course, was talking about Zaroth, the leader of the group.

Follow current novels on freewebnσvel.cѳm.

If his commanders were this strong, how powerful was the man himself?

Shifting her gaze, Vera concentrated.

Then her hands began to tremble as she gasped for air.

Unable to look for too long, she quickly averted her gaze.

"What is it?" Sofia asked, concerned as she noticed her friend’s panicked reaction.

"... Looking at him made me feel weird. It was like I was staring at the Chairwoman herself."

Seeing the confusion on Sofia’s face, Vera explained further.

"It’s like the Chairwoman, but while she gave the feeling of death itself... it felt like, even if only partially...

He is able to manipulate death."

*****

"So, it’s time…" Zaroth muttered under his breath.

A moment ago, he had been concerned. Luna had warned him that someone was watching him with ill intent, but that worry vanished the instant a message appeared.

Not just for him—but for everyone in the cafeteria. No, for every student across the Empire.

-----

[Announcement]

To every chosen student in every academy, from the first to the final year:

All students are required to appear in the Grand Arena by 14:30, where the Emperor will officially announce the commencement of the Grand Tournament, set to last a quarter of the year.

Rules:

The tournament will be split into multiple rounds. To move on to the next round, each participant must win their match.

In the beginning, the matches will take place in smaller arenas scattered throughout the Empire.

However, starting from Round 10, all battles will be held in the Grand Arena, where the Emperor himself will be watching.

Current statistics:

65,536 participants

Rounds:

Round 1: 65,536 participants → 32,768 matches

Round 2: 32,768 → 16,384 matches

Round 3: 16,384 → 8,192 matches

Round 4: 8,192 → 4,096 matches

Round 5: 4,096 → 2,048 matches

Round 6: 2,048 → 1,024 matches

Round 7: 1,024 → 512 matches

Round 8: 512 → 256 matches

Round 9: 256 → 128 matches

Round 10: 128 → 64 matches

Round 11: 64 → 32 matches

Round 12: 32 → 16 matches

Round 13: 16 → 8 matches

Round 14: 8 → 4 matches

Round 15: 4 → 2 matches

Final Round: 2 → 1 match

Later, each student will receive their schedule, specifying the arena and the time of their match.

May fortune find you.

All glory to Emperor Draconis VII, whose vision and authority have brought this Grand Tournament into existence!

-----

Unsurprisingly, murmurs began to spread uncontrollably across the cafeteria.

"Sixty-five thousand five hundred thirty-six participants? This is way more than I expected…" Zaroth muttered under his breath.

"What do you think?" he asked, turning his gaze to his friends.

"Piece of cake," Zack said casually, leaning back in his chair. "I just have to win 16 matches, and then I win!"

"You mean I’ll win!" Roran interjected with a smug grin.

"Hey, don’t count me out!" Lily chimed in, joining in.

"But... 65,536 participants? Aren’t we all students? How is that even possible?"

"Wait, how big do you think the Empire is?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, Zaroth answered honestly, "I don’t know... I thought it was about a million?"

Lily burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.

"You’ve been in A-class since the beginning! How the hell do you not know that?" Roran asked in disbelief.

"Why are you blaming me?!" Zaroth shot back defensively. "They’re the ones who failed to teach me that!"

Roran massaged his forehead with a sigh before speaking.

"Zaroth, the Empire has a population of 100 million people."

"100 million… 65,536 participants," Zaroth muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, he understood why Elysia hadn’t told him who he was supposed to beat. With so many participants, it was quite possible she didn’t know herself. Instead, the next best option was to ensure someone working for her won the tournament.

Zaroth’s eyes darkened, a deeper shade of green.

’That wish… may be harder to earn than I thought.’

’Are you getting scared you’re going to lose?’ Luna teased, her voice echoing in his mind.

He would have to defeat 65,536 people—the best of the best, chosen from all over the Empire.

He, a person who had been living a life worse than a street rat not too long ago.

Zaroth’s lips curled into a dark smile.

’No. I will win.’