Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System

Jae stood in the middle of arena. His shoulder was now cold and numb from where Byun's shadow tendril had touched him a few moments ago.

That single hit had done more than just hurt him. It had spread a chilling, freezing pain through his whole arm, making it harder to move.

He could feel it even now, slowing him down. Gritting his teeth, Jae stepped back quickly, his boots scraping against the wooden floor. He needed space.

His thoughts raced. He had to think fast, had to come up with a new plan. His Mana Blade still glowed in his hand, its steady hum a small comfort, but it didn't change the truth, Byun's control of shadows was powerful.

Too powerful. Jae knew he was fighting someone who might just be the best mage in the entire school.

The crowd, squeezed tight into every corner of the stands, sat on the edge of their seats. They couldn't believe what they were watching. The commoner, the boy with no noble name was still standing, still fighting, still pushing forward.

And that meant something.

Some of the students who had been watching quietly for most of the tournament had now started cheering for him. Their voices were softer than the rest of the crowd, but they carried strength. They believed in him now. They admired his fight, his never-give-up attitude.

Byun moved forward. His blond hair shone under the glowing orbs floating above the arena, and his face was all focus and sharpness.

Five long, twisting shadow tendrils shot out from his body, moving fast like dark whips or blades, each one aimed straight at Jae.

The crowd gasped as one, the sound rising like a wave.

Jae's heart jumped. But his Perception stat kicked in, and he saw them all coming. He acted fast. He used Phantom Step, his body blurring, almost disappearing as he dodged the attacks.

He twisted out of the way of three tendrils, his boots sliding hard across the floor, but the fourth one caught him. It sliced across his thigh. Not deep. But enough.

A fresh wave of cold pain shot through his leg, and almost immediately, the muscles began to stiffen. His steps slowed. His breath caught. He stumbled. His brain screamed for a way out. I'm running out of time, he thought. Running out of options.

He needed to do something big.

Without thinking more, Jae slammed his fist down onto the floor, activating his Gravity Touch ability. Mana exploded around his hand as the blow landed, sending a ripple across the arena. The wooden floor cracked and groaned from the impact, the sound echoing like thunder. The force of the shockwave knocked back the shadows, scattering them just for a moment.

That moment was enough, Jae acted. He activated Iron Skin, and his body glowed faintly as his skin hardened, making him tougher. Then he used Phantom Step again, his body vanishing and reappearing right beside Byun. His fist was already swinging.

The punch was full of mana and full of desperation.

Byun raised his arm just in time. His shadows wrapped around it like a shield, blocking the hit, but Jae wasn't done. His other hand came up fast, the second punch slamming into Byun's side.

This one landed.

Byun gasped, breath hissing between his teeth as he took a step back. The hit had hurt.

The crowd's whispers turned into shouts. Some cheered. Others just stared in disbelief. Jae, this boy who wasn't supposed to matter, was not only surviving, but fighting back hard. Blow for blow.

Byun backed off quickly, sinking into his shadows and vanishing from sight for a second. He reappeared a short distance away, breathing heavily. His usual confident smirk was still on his face, but now it looked tired. He reached down and touched his ribs, the pain clear in his movements.

"We're even now," he said, his voice teasing but also strained.

Jae didn't say anything. He knew he couldn't waste a second. His skills had cooldowns. He couldn't let Byun catch his breath.

I can't let him recover, he thought.

His legs pushed him forward, his boots thudding loudly as he rushed again. Byun tried to stop him with more shadow tendrils, but Jae dodged them all, using Phantom Step again to blur his movement and slip between the attacks.

He raised his Mana Blade once more. His arms moved fast, slashing again and again, each swing a flash of light, his Speed stat helping him go beyond what most could follow.

The arena filled with smoke, dust, and swirling black shadows. The crowd went silent, holding their breath as the two fighters clashed.

Jae didn't stop. He kept swinging. His blade hummed through the air, cutting through the fog of battle.

Then, finally, the dust began to clear.

And Byun was still standing, but barely.

His school uniform was torn in several places. His chest and arms were covered in shallow cuts, some of them bleeding. He looked pale. Weak. He swayed on his feet, then collapsed to the ground, his shadows fading away like mist in the sun.

Everything stopped, nobody spoke, nobody moved.

The silence was deep, full of shock.

Jae stood in the middle of it all, breathing hard, his chest rising and falling fast. His arm was still tingling. His legs shook. His eyes stared at Byun, trying to believe what he was seeing.

Did I really do it? he wondered.

One clear voice broke the silence, Princess Yuna, clapping loudly from her seat. "Yes!" she shouted, her voice ringing out like a bell.

The announcer seemed to wake up all of a sudden. He grabbed the microphone crystal and shouted, "Jae is the winner!"

And with that, the arena exploded with noise.

The crowd roared, louder than ever before. Students jumped to their feet, screaming and cheering. The small group who had supported Jae from the beginning shouted the loudest, but soon, almost everyone was joining them. Even the teachers, even Ms. Alira and Mr. Han, clapped and smiled in pure amazement.

Jae stood there, barely able to breathe, a shaky smile on his face. His body ached all over, but the feeling of victory pushed the pain aside.

He had done it, a commoner had beaten the academy's best.

Across the arena, Sun sat up where the healers had been working on him. His face twisted with anger as he watched the celebration. His eyes burned with rage.

Without a word, he shoved the healers away, got to his feet, and stormed out of the arena. His long robes flowed behind him like a storm cloud, his pride clearly bruised and bleeding.

Jae caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. His smile faded slightly for just a moment, but then the cheers pulled him back in.

He stood taller, letting the energy of the crowd lift him.

Up above, in his seat high above the arena, Principal Kine watched quietly. He stroked his gray beard, his eyes sharp and full of thought.

Royal Advisor Shane wasn't wrong, he thought to himself, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The king was right to let that boy into the academy.

Jae wasn't just a student anymore, he was a prodigy, and he had shaken the very foundation of the academy's rankings.