Lewd System: Every Scream and Moan is EXP

Chapter 285: Chapter 285 : Seris’s stepmother is making her mad

One and a half hours had passed.

The discussions between the academy staff were over. The procedures had been communicated to all the viewers and both finalist teams. The decider match that would settle the inter-academy tournament once and for all was set to begin in thirty minutes.

The format was simple. A one-on-one battle in Arena #1. Each mentor picks one student from their roster. They fight and whoever wins, wins the tournament for their team.

And so Jax stood with his team. Astrid. Seraphina. Elira. Lilith. Seris. And a worried Roxana who kept glancing at the other side where Zharina stood with only Karina by her side.

Even Jax was worried. He had witnessed Karina’s potential firsthand and the devastating magical abilities she carried weren’t something he could just brush off with confidence and a grin.

He had many options in his arsenal but he couldn’t find the one that would guarantee him the win. He scanned his students one by one.

That’s when Lilith spoke up. "Professor, I would be the best choice here. I’m the only one who can defeat her if I use my full potential."

Jax shook his head. "No. We can’t do that. The moment I announce you as my representative, Headmistress Lysandra would refuse. You’d have to use your demon form which you still can’t control. And that would make things far worse."

Lilith understood. She lowered her head in disappointment because she knew the truth as well as he did. Without her demonic powers, she couldn’t beat senior Karina.

Jax placed a hand on her shoulder and said. "But don’t worry. Once we figure out how to control your powers, you’ll be my ace for every tournament that follows."

Her eyes glistened at that. Jax turned away from her and pinched the bridge of his nose while thinking hard enough to give himself a headache.

He turned to Seraphina and Elira. "I know you two are fully healed by the advanced healing magic. But choosing either of you isn’t a smart move."

He looked at Seraphina. "You lack the raw power to match Karina in a direct fight. And since this is a straight one-on-one in an open arena, you won’t be able to use anything to your advantage. No terrain manipulation. No loopholes in the game mechanics. Just you and her trading blows."

Then he looked at Elira. "And you are still exhausted. You pushed your body way past its limit. The healing staff told me your mana core is showing disruptions in its flow. Your mana hasn’t fully recovered either."

Elira clenched her fist and cursed her own body under her breath.

Jax said. "Which leaves the two of you."

His eyes landed on Seris and Astrid.

Before he could say another word, Astrid spoke first. Grinning. Punching her own palm with enthusiasm that bordered on concerning.

"Stop with your thinking and reasoning, Professor. The debate ends right here because I am far better than Seris."

Seris snapped. "And what exactly makes you think that?"

Astrid said without even looking at her. "Should I remind you of our scores? I’m in a massive lead, poor Seris. So don’t try to interrupt your superiors while they’re making decisions."

Seris only glared at her with the kind of anger that usually precedes a fistfight in a tavern. But Astrid completely ignored it as she basked in her own certainty.

"It’s settled then. I’ll be the one crushing that senior once again."

Before Jax could respond, Elira stepped forward. "I object."

Astrid looked at her with an expression that said she was about two seconds away from settling this debate physically. But she held herself from ruining Elira’s victory run by ruining her face right here.

Elira continued. "Professor, I don’t think it would be wise to send her. She knows nothing about the stakes. She won’t take it seriously. She has no idea what the outcome of this match could bring."

Astrid was confused now. But Elira kept going.

"And you should take this seriously too. Because your life is on the line here. And you can’t do anything about it after a loss because of the blood contract you signed."

The air around the group shifted.

"So choose me. You gave me my second life. At least let me fight for yours. I will give everything out there. I would rather die in that arena than accept defeat. Even if my body gives up I will—"

Astrid didn’t let her finish. "What did you just say?"

Elira looked at her.

"What did you say about a blood contract? About saving his life?"

Jax tried to intervene. "I think she put it the wrong way. What she actually meant was—"

Astrid raised her hand toward Jax without turning her head. She didn’t need to look at him. His nervous tone had already confirmed that he was hiding something.

Her eyes delivered a dead stare to Elira. Cold enough to frost the air between them.

"I asked you something."

Elira gulped. And now she was starting to understand bit by bit why Jax had specifically wanted to hide this fact from Astrid.

She looked around. Found Jax first, whose face had the expression of a man who could already feel the noose tightening around his neck. Then she looked at Roxana who was just as confused as everyone else.

So she did the worst possible thing she could have done. She told the truth. Everything. From both her and Seraphina’s perspective. What happened at the garden. What Jax did. What Sianna proposed. Every detail of the bet. Every condition of the wager. The blood contract that would enslave Jax for life if he lost.

All of it.

As soon as the word "slave" left Elira’s mouth, Astrid turned to Jax.

Her face wore a smile. The kind that was holding back every emotion behind it like a dam about to burst. Not a happy smile. Not an angry smile. The kind that made people instinctively calculate how far the nearest exit was.

She grabbed his hand and spoke to the group without taking her eyes off him. "There is something important to discuss between us. So don’t anyone dare to interrupt. Or peek. Otherwise that smart one responsible will be missing more than one limb."

Then her smile shifted. Directed fully at Jax now and it carried the exact feeling of betrayal.

She forcefully dragged him toward the preparation room. His feet barely keeping up with the speed of a woman scorned.

The others stood there in stunned silence. The murderous aura leaking from Astrid was something none of them had ever felt from her before. This was a girl who usually didn’t care whether someone lived or died. Actually, she actively enjoyed the first option. And yet here she was displaying raw, unfiltered, protective rage for a person she publicly claimed to hate.

It made no sense.

So naturally, every confused eye in the group turned to Seris. She was the closest person to Astrid. She would know what this was about.

But Seris had more questions than all of them combined. And was currently the most clueless person in the entire world.

-x-X-x-

[A/N: Guys slight delay on the next update, Chapter is still being written. Will try to get it out within 4 hours so don’t lose your sanity waiting]