Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 248: Chapter: 247 Saddened parents.[1]

"Here, take this pass."

At the entrance leading toward the underground arena, Kavin accepted two dark metal passes from the receptionist and handed one to Jasmine.

Without wasting time, the pair stepped into the corridor beyond the reception area and began walking deeper underground.

The hallway stretched far ahead of them, illuminated by dim mana lamps embedded into the stone walls. The light they emitted was faint and uneven, casting long shadows across the corridor.

Every footstep echoed softly against the stone floor while people moved back and forth around them.

Some were heading deeper inside while others were leaving with tired expressions, bruised faces, or pockets noticeably heavier than before.

As they walked, Jasmine suddenly spoke.

"By the way." Her brows knitted together as she glanced toward Kavin.

"We’re at the Void Core Stage, so why would they even test us?"

Kavin turned slightly. "Meaning?"

Jasmine frowned even deeper.

"Meaning all these participants are trash. Most of them are barely above the mid stage of Compression of Mental Ascension. How are they supposed to fight us?"

She gestured vaguely ahead of them. "There are barely ten people at the Void Core Stage, and all of them occupy the top ten ranks. According to everything we’ve heard, those rankings haven’t changed for nearly ten years."

The more she thought about it, the less sense it made.

They hadn’t come here to bully weaklings.

If the gap was truly as large as she believed, most participants would not even qualify as opponents.

Kavin considered her question. Objectively speaking, Jasmine wasn’t wrong.

If either of them seriously fought someone at the compression Stage, the battle would end before it truly began. The difference between realms was simply too great.

A small part of him wondered whether the organizers would immediately recognize the problem and simply place them among the higher rankings.

Perhaps they would be assigned directly to the eleventh and twelfth positions. Perhaps they would be allowed to challenge the top ten immediately.

There had to be some system in place.

Surely the underground arena had encountered talented individuals before.

At least, he hoped so.

After thinking for a few moments, he finally replied."Let’s see what happens."

Kavin shrugged and continued. "It’s not like they’ll throw us out for being too strong. If anything, they’ll want to keep us around. Strong participants attract attention, and attention attracts money."

A faint smirk appeared on his face. "So let’s hope for the best."

"Mm." Jasmine nodded and accepted the answer.

The conversation died down afterward as they continued through the corridor.

Several minutes later, the passage opened into a checkpoint guarded by two armored men standing beside a large metal gate.

People approached one after another and presented their passes before being allowed through. There were all kinds of individuals among the crowd.

Young men wrapped in dark cloaks. Scarred veterans carrying weapons.

Middle-aged women whose expressions suggested they were far more dangerous than they appeared.

Even elderly spell casters entered without drawing attention.

Some concealed their identities beneath masks and hoods while others walked openly without bothering to hide their faces.

Truthfully, it made perfect sense. The place was called the Underground Arena for a reason.

Officially, it was recognized and tolerated.

Unofficially, countless illegal transactions, grudges, wagers, and private dealings occurred within its walls every day.

Before they reached the gate, Kavin spoke quietly enough that only Jasmine could hear.

"Don’t talk."

Jasmine glanced at him.

"Your accent has been fixed by the artifact, but your vocabulary still sucks."

Her eyes twitched.

Kavin ignored it and continued. "And release a little killing intent. You always look angry anyway, so it fits."

Jasmine stared at him, then she nodded.

For once, she didn’t argue. Almost instantly her posture changed.

Her expression hardened into a permanent scowl while a faint trace of killing intent leaked from her body.

It wasn’t enough to harm anyone. It wasn’t even enough to truly intimidate strong spell casters.

But against ordinary people, it was more than sufficient.

The two guards reacted immediately. Both men visibly flinched before instinctively searching for the source of the discomfort.

Their gazes then landed on Kavin and Jasmine. The moment they did, their expressions changed.

Cold sweat began forming along their foreheads. The feeling was difficult to describe.

Neither Kavin nor Jasmine appeared particularly threatening. Yet something about them triggered every survival instinct the guards possessed.

It felt as though two predators were calmly walking toward them.

Kavin maintained an indifferent expression as he approached. Without slowing down, he tossed the two passes toward the guards.

The men hurriedly caught them. After a brief inspection, they immediately opened the gate. Neither dared to delay even for a second.

By the time Kavin and Jasmine walked past them, both guards looked as though they had just escaped a dangerous encounter.

The massive gate closed behind them with a heavy metallic rumble. The instant they stepped through, an enormous underground chamber revealed itself.

Calling it a hall almost felt inaccurate.

The place was vast.

Rows upon rows of tables stretched throughout the cavernous space while countless mana lamps illuminated the underground structure with a pale golden glow. The ceiling rose so high that it almost disappeared into darkness.

People occupied every corner. Some sat around tables playing poker.

Others gambled on dice. Several groups played chess while spectators placed bets on the outcomes.

Money exchanged hands constantly. Arguments and laughter echoed from one direction while curses erupted from another.

At the center of the underground complex stood a large arena. Two spellcasters were currently battling atop the platform.

Neither possessed a living soul beast. It seemed that their beasts had likely died long ago.

Even so, the two fought fiercely, launching spells across the arena while spectators shouted and wagered on the outcome.

The moment Kavin and Jasmine entered, however, attention shifted. The faint killing intent surrounding them swept across the hall.

Several conversations abruptly stopped.

The two spellcasters in the middle of their duel instinctively froze and looked toward the entrance.

Numerous spectators turned as well.

Even some of the higher-ranked individuals seated around the arena directed curious gazes toward the newcomers.

Ordinarily, many eyes would have lingered on Jasmine. She was attractive enough to draw attention anywhere.

Unfortunately for them, the murderous aura surrounding her made approaching seem like a terrible idea.

Most people quickly looked away. These weren’t powerful spell casters.

Most of them had only recently Awakened.

Against people like Kavin and Jasmine, even a tiny fraction of killing intent was enough to make them uncomfortable.

Kavin ignored the attention entirely.

His gaze slowly swept across the hall.

Eventually, it landed on a waiter carrying drinks toward one of the tables.

The customer being served looked like the embodiment of every terrible noble stereotype Kavin had ever heard.

The man possessed a bloated stomach, greasy brown hair, a broad nose, and an absurd mustache that somehow made his appearance even worse.

Kavin stared at him for a moment. ’No wonder people always say nobles are bastards.’

The thought surfaced instinctively. A moment later he felt slightly guilty.

After all, he had personally beaten up both peasants and nobles for saying exactly the same thing.

Shoving the thought aside, he focused on the waiter. "Hey."

The coldness in his tone immediately caught the waiter’s attention.

The young man visibly flinched before turning around.

"M-me?"

"Yes. You." Kavin’s gaze remained fixed on him. "Come here."

The waiter swallowed nervously.

Despite not understanding why, he suddenly felt as though refusing would be a terrible idea.

Cold sweat formed on his back as he hurried over and bowed respectfully.

"H-how may I help you, sir?"

Kavin looked around the hall once before speaking.

"We’re here to participate in the arena."

The waiter nodded rapidly.

"However." Kavin’s gaze swept across the surrounding participants. His expression became increasingly arrogant.

"All these people are trash." Several nearby spectators stiffened.

Kavin didn’t care. In fact, he almost enjoyed speaking this way. Perhaps it was because he truly was a young master once.

Perhaps old habits simply died hard. Either way, his voice became more overbearing with every word.

"Go inform the manager."

The waiter’s face paled.

Kavin pointed toward the arena. "We’re here to challenge the rankings."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "And reach the top fifty."

The waiter looked like he was having a seizure as he struggled to come up with a response. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, yet no words came out.

"Oi?"

Kavin’s overbearing voice immediately interrupted his suffering.

"I told you to bring the manager."

The waiter looked as though he was on the verge of tears.

"M-my lord..." he stammered. "The manager hasn’t come yet."

"What do you mean he hasn’t come?!"

Kavin’s voice thundered through the hall, causing several nearby spectators to jump.

"Just get him. We don’t have time. We need revenge..."

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

His teeth clenched tightly.

For a brief moment, genuine pain flashed across his face. Beside him, Jasmine’s expression darkened as well. The memory of their "son" was still fresh, and even though the story was fabricated, they had repeated it so often that the reactions came naturally.

Kavin lowered his head slightly before speaking through gritted teeth.

"Go tell him..."

Before he could finish, a terrifying pressure descended upon the hall.

The air itself seemed to grow heavier.

Several weaker spell casters instantly turned pale.

Some nearly collapsed from their seats.

The pressure wasn’t aimed at the entire hall. It was focused almost entirely on Kavin and Jasmine, yet even the leakage was enough to make everyone present uncomfortable.

The weight felt capable of crushing bones.

The moment it descended, Kavin’s face froze.....his complexion became slightly pale.

However, hidden beneath that reaction, the corner of his lips twitched upward ever so slightly.

’He’s here’

A deep voice suddenly echoed across the underground arena.

The voice carried overwhelming authority and a bloodlust that caused the hall to fall silent.

"Were you asking for me?"