Across the arena, other competitors had noticed. Several changed direction, now moving towards him with predatory intent.
'Shit. I might have overdone it.'
For the first time since he'd arrived in this world, Jasmine gave him something resembling a smile.
[Harem Choice System has been activated!]
[Choice 1: Run from the competitors that are coming after you.] Reward: 10 Stars
[Choice 2: Gather female allies and fight back.] Reward: Uncommon-Rank Skill & 5,000 Stars
[Choice 3: Fight by yourself.] Reward: Common-Rank Skill & 1,000 Stars
Seeing the choices, it was a no-brainer.
'Choice 2!' He picked, before realising his potential mistake.
'Shit! What if no females want to ally with me?' He thought, immediately turning toward Jasmine, who appeared to be his only hope.
"Do you want to ally with me?" he blurted. "I'll give you 1,000 stars."
Jasmine's jaw dropped. "A thousand stars? Who are you kidding? Where would you even get that much money?"
Marcus realised that he might have given too much. He backpedalled quickly.
"Just ally with me. If I don't give it to you, I'll..." he searched for something valuable, "...listen to you for a whole day."
Jasmine's eyebrow arched with sudden interest. "A day? That's too little. Make it two, and I'll ally with you." A calculating gleam entered her eyes. "In fact, I'll bring Liana too."
"Alright, alright." Marcus agreed instantly as the group of girls closed in, their elements crackling around their fingertips.
Jasmine giggled, an unexpectedly girlish sound from someone so prickly, before shouting across the platform.
"Liana, come here once you're done!"
Fifty yards away, Liana trapped another competitor in what looked like sticky substance before glancing their way.
She nodded, dispatched her opponent with a final blast, and sprinted toward them, dodging attacks with grace.
"What's up?" she asked, sliding into position beside Jasmine. She eyed Marcus with suspicion. "Why are we protecting him?"
"We're not protecting him," Jasmine corrected. "We're allying with him. Didn't you see his attack?"
Liana's eyes widened. "That was him? I thought it was Rena showing off again."
A fireball crashed into the ground near their feet, ending the conversation.
"Talk later," Jasmine commanded. "Formation B."
Whatever "Formation B" was, Liana understood immediately. She positioned herself at Marcus's right while Jasmine took his left. Their backs formed a triangle, covering all directions.
"Can you make a wall of fire?" Jasmine asked Marcus. "We need a barrier."
Marcus had no idea if he could, but nodded anyway. He focused on the heat in his core, imagining it spreading outward in a circle. To his surprise, flames erupted from the ground around them, forming a perimeter that forced their attackers to halt.
"Not bad," Liana muttered. "For a guy."
Three girls approached the firewall, undeterred. The first—clearly a water talent—prepared to douse their defences.
"Now!" Jasmine shouted.
Liana thrust her hands forward. The ground beneath the approaching trio liquefied into amber-colored quicksand, trapping them to their knees.
Jasmine followed with her own attack, not energy shields as Marcus had assumed, but something stranger. The air around their opponents rippled, and suddenly the three girls looked confused, swinging their attacks wildly in the wrong direction.
"Mind distortion," Marcus realised.
"Your turn," Jasmine nodded to him. "Finish them."
Marcus hesitated. "I can't control it well enough—I might miss."
Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Just do it! Or I will take the points"
"Less talking, more blasting!" Liana urged, struggling to maintain the quicksand as one girl nearly broke free.
Marcus focused again, this time directing his power with more precision. Three fireballs, smaller than his first attack but still impressive, shot from his palms, striking each opponent. They vanished in bubbles of light, their points adding to Marcus's score.
[Elimination confirmed: Marcus of House Windcrest - 150 points]
"Not bad," Jasmine admitted grudgingly. "You actually have decent aim."
[Ding! You have been rewarded 5,000 Star coins & Uncommon Skill: Pyromancer (Passive)]
Marcus was unable to check out his skill as more competitors were circling now, wary of the unexpected alliance. Marcus's firewall was weakening, his inexperience showing as the flames sputtered.
"We need to move," Liana advised. "There's a defensive position near the east side."
The trio broke through the thinning wall, Jasmine confusing two attackers long enough for them to sprint across the battlefield. They dodged elemental attacks, physical projectiles, and energy beams as they ran.
"This is actually fun!" Marcus called, surprising himself. The body he inhabited now moved with effortless athleticism, nothing like his former self.
"Focus!" Jasmine snapped, though he caught the hint of a smile.
They reached a raised platform with a cover on three sides. Liana immediately hardened the approach with her amber, creating a natural choke point for attackers.
"We can pick them off from here," she explained. "Hold this position, and we'll make the top hundred easily."
From their vantage point, Marcus could see the entire battlefield. Most competitors fought individually, but a few had formed temporary alliances like theirs. Athena dominated the centre, her silver aura flaring as she dispatched opponents with terrifying efficiency.
"How much longer does this last?" Marcus asked.
"Until only fifty remain," Jasmine replied. "Usually about an hour total."
Marcus checked the scoreboard.
With their recent eliminations, they'd climbed into the top fifty. Jasmine sat at position twenty-three, Liana at thirty-one, and Marcus—to his shock—at forty-seven.
A male in the top fifty. Unheard of.
On her distant platform, the Frost Empress continued to watch, her icy gaze repeatedly returning to their position.