Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System

Jae stood in the center of the arena, his boots scraping against the smooth, polished wooden floor, his breath steady despite the beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, catching the warm, golden glow of the orbs strung across the high, vaulted ceiling.

His Iron Skin glowed faintly, a subtle shimmer enveloping his body, dulling the impact of Selric's water-based attacks, while his relentless barrage of punches and kicks kept the water-type fighter on the defensive, struggling to keep up.

Selric's once-elegant, fluid movements had slowed considerably, his face pale with exhaustion, his dark eyes wide with mounting frustration and desperation.

Jae's Stamina, boosted to seemingly endless heights by the Lust System's rewards, felt like a bottomless well of energy, his muscles tireless as he pressed his advantage with unwavering determination.

He threw another heavy punch, his fist cutting through the air, followed by a swift, powerful kick, each blow landing with a resounding thud that echoed in the tense, charged atmosphere of the arena.

Selric stumbled backward, his arms flailing wildly, unable to keep pace with Jae's relentless assault, and Jae seized the moment, hammering him with blow after blow, each strike fueled by raw power.

Selric's body rag-dolled across the arena, his uniform tearing at the seams as he was tossed from one side to the other, his gasping breaths drowned out by the crowd's rising murmurs of shock and awe.

The students watching from the packed stands whispered among themselves, their voices a buzzing mix of disbelief and grudging admiration.

"He's throwing Selric around like he's nothing," one student muttered, his tone tinged with surprise, while another hissed under their breath, "How's a commoner lasting this long against someone like Selric?"

Jae barely registered their words, his focus locked entirely on his opponent, who was scrambling desperately to recover, his hands trembling as he summoned a shimmering water shield.

The translucent barrier flared to life, glowing faintly as it blocked Jae's next punch, the impact sending ripples cascading across the shield's surface, the water shimmering like liquid glass in the arena's light.

Selric staggered backward, finally creating a sliver of precious space, his chest heaving with ragged breaths as he fought to regain control of the fight.

With a desperate thrust of his hands, a water tentacle surged from the shimmering pool beneath him, its slick, writhing form whipping toward Jae with a menacing speed that made the air hum.

Jae reacted instantly, activating Phantom Step, his body blurring in a burst of enhanced speed as he dodged to the side, the tentacle grazing his cloak with a wet, slapping sound that echoed faintly. He charged forward, his Mana Blade flaring back to life, its vibrant blue glow cutting through the arena's dim light like a beacon of power.

Selric's eyes widened in panic, his energy visibly drained, his movements sluggish from the relentless pace of the fight.

Jae slashed with precision, the Mana Blade slicing a wide, deep gash across Selric's chest, blood blooming through his torn uniform in a stark, crimson stain.

Selric collapsed with a heavy thud, his body hitting the polished floor, limp and defeated. The referee's voice boomed through the hall, amplified by mana, declaring, "Jae is the winner!"

Healers rushed into the arena, their green mana glowing softly as they knelt beside Selric, their hands working quickly to tend to his wounds, the faint hum of their magic filling the air.

The crowd's whispers grew louder, students and teachers exchanging glances, their expressions a mix of disbelief and reluctant respect for Jae's hard-fought victory.

His win was undeniable, but it lacked the polished elegance of fighters like Byun or Sun, his raw, unrefined style was gritty, driven by sheer determination and potential rather than finesse.

They can't ignore me now, Jae thought, his chest swelling with a fierce, hard-earned pride, though a flicker of doubt lingered in the back of his mind.

He hadn't mastered his skills, not like the top students, but he'd proven he could hold his own against them. His eyes caught Byun's in the stands, and he flashed a wide, triumphant grin, expecting his friend's usual cheerful enthusiasm.

But Byun's return smile was tight, his eyes shadowed with an almost haunted look, as if something heavy weighed on his mind.

Jae's brow furrowed in confusion, but before he could linger on the strange expression, the referee called the next matches, the tournament rolling forward with relentless momentum.

The fights blurred by in a whirlwind of mana and skill, each one a dazzling display of clashing weapons, glowing magic, and raw power that kept the crowd on edge.

Jae's attention drifted until the final match of the first round was announced, the herald's voice cutting through the noise: "Sun versus Varic, ranked number eight!" Jae leaned forward in his seat, his heart pounding with anticipation, eager to see Sun, the arrogant noble who'd taunted him, in action.

Varic, a lean boy with sharp, angular features and a quiet, focused determination, stepped into the arena, his eyes locked on Sun with unwavering resolve.

He fought with magical thread, a rare and intricate technique, and his hands were already moving, weaving invisible strands that shimmered faintly in the golden light, catching the glow like delicate spider silk.

Sun, by contrast, stood relaxed, almost bored, his dark eyes glinting with a dismissive arrogance, his lips curled into a faint, mocking smirk, as if the match was a mere inconvenience, far beneath his notice.

The referee raised his hand, signaling the start, and Varic wasted no time, his fingers dancing with practiced precision as a dozen fine, shimmering threads streaked toward Sun from every angle, glinting like gossamer in the arena's warm light.

Each thread was aimed with deadly accuracy, designed to bind Sun's arms and legs, forming a web meant to trap the noble prince and restrict his movements.

The crowd held its breath, their eyes wide with expectation, anticipating a fierce counterattack from the high-ranked Sun.

But Sun didn't move to dodge or strike back, standing motionless in the center of the arena, his expression unchanged, the boredom in his dark eyes almost palpable, as if the fight held no challenge for him.

Then, with a lazy, almost careless flick of his wrists, he raised both arms, and a low, resonant pulse of raw mana hummed from his body, the air around him rippling visibly with power.