Succubi Chapter 131. I'm Rich!
11.03 PM
We were back in the academy hall. The platform one where all teleportation should arrive.
The floor shimmered beneath our boots, mana residue from the jump still crackling faintly in the air, like little invisible fireflies popping out of existence. I could smell disinfectant mixed with something vaguely herbal, probably the scent protocol the Academy used to clean up after battle training groups. There were glowing sigils along the archways, and that warm gold light that always flickered too much for comfort. It was late, but not that late. Just that limbo hour where the building echoed a little too hard and every footstep sounded dramatic for no reason.
I was humming.
No, like really humming. Chest deep, low frequency, dumb as hell humming.
Because I was grinning like a maniac under my pathetic excuse of a mask.
"One thousand Creds~" I muttered like a prayer. "One thousand Creds. Oh hell yeah, baby. I can finally buy new boots. Mana-enchanted. With that cool grip that makes you feel like a protagonist during a boss battle. I deserve this."
Felix looked at me, raising an eyebrow.
"Boots for 1,000 Creds?" he asked, face full of 'that's it?' energy. "I mean… that's kinda… standard, right?"
I turned my head, eyes narrowing through the mask. "Hey. I'm not a rich boy like you, okay? Let me be happy."
He snorted. "Alright alright. Be happy about your… not that fancy shoes."
Kyra winced, brushing dust off her jacket like she couldn't stand the very idea. "Wait, are you poor, Evan? Like actual poor? You don't look poor."
I scoffed. "Oh, you don't know the half of it."
She tilted her head. "Try me."
I held up both hands dramatically, like a noble about to confess to a grand tragedy. "I'm just really good at hiding my poorness. All my good stuff? Basically got robbed by my spoiled little sister. She took my headphones, my gloves, my emergency rations, don't ask, and even my limited edition figurine."
Adrian made a noise like a wounded animal. "Ugh... bro. RIP. That figurine's like a hot commodity on trading forums."
"I know! And she didn't even know about it! She just said it was pretty."
Felix winced. "Damn. Cold."
"Not anymore," I said, and with a dramatic flair, I popped off my mask.
The air hit my face like sweet, sweet freedom. My hair was a mess, sweat-damp and spiking in all the wrong directions. My cheeks were flushed from the lingering rush of battle. But I smiled anyway, wide and toothy.
"Because this—" I pointed to myself with both thumbs "—this Rogue Mask E is gonna make more money."
Kyra clapped slowly. "That is… one hell of a declaration, coming from someone who just got boob slapped and lived."
I grinned. "Worth it."
I looked at Callahan, who was already leaning against a wall like he'd been waiting for me to say something cool.
I pointed at him.
"If you have something like this again," I said, "please invite me. I don't care if I get slapped by boobs again. I don't care if I get choked by bare thighs. As long as I get paid."
Those words… those beautiful, unfiltered, straight from the wallet words, were enough to break him.
The mentor.
The myth.
The man.
Callahan slowly lifted his hand and pulled down his half-mask, revealing that chiseled face with just the right amount of stubble.
"I also want that too," he said in a trembling voice. "This isn't fair."
I froze mid-smirk. "Wait. What?"
"I trained. I studied. I even shaved my legs for style points."
Kyra blinked. "What—?"
I shook my head. "You looked cool when you stopped that Hexblade guy from hurting Adrian. Seriously. Like, cape fluttering, protector of justice kinda cool. But now…"
I gestured helplessly.
Callahan stared into space, haunted. "I'm cool and horny, Evan. I've been single since I was born. You should understand that."
"Oh god…"
"I'm strong," he said, placing a hand to his chest like a drama actor at curtain call. "I can crush monsters with one finger. But when it comes to love…"
Adrian, who had been quietly sipping water like a survivor, lowered the bottle slowly.
"Yeah," he whispered. "I get it."
Callahan's voice dropped to a level that made the air feel sad. "I'm tired…"
We all turned to him.
"I'm tired of spending my weekends watching Ariana L'Vyre's succubus p*rn clips while hugging my tissue box."
There was silence.
Long. Deep. Soul shattering silence.
Kyra's lips parted. "That's… specific."
Felix blinked. "I—uh— Wait, what's her channel?"
Adrian's water bottle fell out of his hand with a plastic thunk.
And me?
I crab walked.
Literally crab walked backward like my soul had left my body and wanted distance.
Adrian, as if choreographed by a tragic spirit, mirrored me.
Felix didn't move. He just stared at Callahan like someone looking into the abyss of their own future.
Kyra put one hand on her forehead. "I can't unhear that."
Callahan didn't even flinch.
"She had this clip where she used a nine tailed whip and—"
"STOP!" I shouted. "No more!"
"I just wanted to be acknowledged," he whispered. "I just want a girl to look at me the way that banshee looked at you before she tried to break your pelvis with her thighs."
"Again!" I pointed. "Not a compliment!"
Adrian wiped a single tear from his cheek. "I… I'm so sorry."
Callahan nodded. "Thank you."
Felix looked at me. "So like. Are we cursed? Is this our fate?"
"No," I said. "We're not cursed. Just surrounded by too much thirst."
Kyra muttered, "That needs to be on a T-shirt."
"Anyway," I said, standing up and brushing invisible dust off my pants, "I'm gonna go check if the 24H school café still has those buns on discount. You know, now that I'm wealthy."
"Don't forget to buy the good kind of body wash this time," Kyra said. "You smell like battle and budget soap."
"I will," I declared, already walking with a little more bounce than usual. "The era of poor Evan is over."
Felix raised a hand. "Don't blow it all in one place."
"I make no promises."
Adrian followed me, sighing. "Man… if I had 1,000 creds…"
"You'd probably buy a limited edition waifu blade."
He didn't deny it.
Kyra jogged up beside me. "You're really okay, though? You seemed kinda… shaken earlier."
I shrugged. "Trauma's temporary. But mana-enchanted boots? That's forever."
Behind us, Callahan sighed long and loud, hands tucked behind his head as he walked like a rejected anime love interest.
"I should've been groped…"
"DON'T SAY THAT OUT LOUD!" we all shouted in unison.
And yeah.
That was the day I learned something very important.
Victory doesn't always come with cheers.
Sometimes it comes with a broke wallet, a traumatized party, and a mentor who needs more help than I can ever give.
But it was still victory.
And I was gonna enjoy every damn coin of it.
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