Rise of the Harem King
Chapter 35: Ghost of the past

Chapter 35: Ghost of the past

The boy’s heart pounded in his chest, the heavy scent of blood filling the air and signaling that death was near. In the murky gloom, he could make out the shifting shadows closing in around him, their growls echoing in the darkness.

He took a deep breath, gripping his sword tighter. Then, before him, he saw a smiling man with an arrogant look.

"Give up being an explorer, or die here."

Obviously, the boy’s response was to point his sword at the man, sterling at him with eyes full of hatred. However before he could move forward to strike, Wein vanished.

Then, the monsters began to attack.

Davi quickly dodged the first strike. With a quick leap to the right, he avoided the second.

His breath was ragged, his heart racing as he used every fiber of his being to stay alive.

Even so, it was almost impossible to find even the slightest opening to attack, as blows came from all directions.

Surrounded by the many monsters created by Wein, the boy had few options.

Yet his gaze remained filled with determination. He still believed it was possible to win. As long as he stayed calm and focused, maybe it could be done.

And when he noticed a small gap, he lunged forward, decapitating one of the beasts.

"Bastard, just give up already," Wein muttered, panting as he watched everything unfold through a screen.

The man looked visibly exhausted after using his teleportation ability so many times. His eyes, filled with rage, rolled in fury as he saw his creations being destroyed one after another.

He simply couldn’t accept that massacre anymore. So, despite his hesitation, he decided to use that thing.

The man feared the lack of full control over the beast. But he was determined to win quickly, without losing more of his creations.

In a distant room, a magical circle glowed brightly. Though hesitant, the man decided to release that creature. Then, his full concentration was directed at facing Davi.

The beast resembled a massive gorilla, with disproportionately large fangs that jutted out threateningly as it bellowed.

The creature raised one of its incredibly long arms and slammed it into the ground, causing the entire area to tremble with fear.

Wein coughed up blood, the last of his strength ebbing away as he desperately teleported his remaining creations to safety. In the end, only Davi and the demonic beast were left in the room, locked in a deadly standoff.

However, the boy froze the moment he locked eyes with the creature. For some reason, something about it reminded him of his father.

"Grrr!" The monster growled menacingly and charged forward.

It used its long arms like whips, slicing through the air with rapid movements.

"Fuck!" Davi shouted to himself, and once again he decided to face his fear. He wouldn’t let his trauma stop him.

Davi barely dodged the first strike, but one of the blows cut through his leg, forcing him to fall to his knees.

Still, he refused to be defeated, blocking the beast’s powerful claws with his sword.

However, the third time his blade met the creature’s claws, it shattered. That was only natural, after all, the monster’s claws were like those of an ancient dragon.

Yet, that wasn’t enough to break his fighting spirit. Rage burned inside Davi as he stared down the beast.

He knew he had to defeat this creature if he ever wanted to become an explorer. He had to finally overcome the damn father who had always stood in the way of his dreams.

Recognizing his opponent, the beast’s eyes gleamed. It roared to the skies, electricity coursing through its body, causing its fur to stand on end.

Then, it moved with a speed that seemed impossible for its size, delivering a powerful punch to the boy’s stomach.

An indescribable fear consumed Davi.

The blow he had just witnessed felt far too familiar, something he knew all too well.

His body trembled as he watched the massive creature approach. At each instante, he breath was becoming erratic.

Reality and memories blurred together.

And in his mind, he clearly saw a terrifying man drawing near, as Davi wept helplessly on the floor.

There was no way to win.

He would never win.

Never...

His lips could no longer hold back his true feelings...

"I give up," Davi said, his voice breaking.

Frustrated, he had to accept that this being would never allow him to live a happy life. The ghost he had been running from once again stood in his way.

Then, the boy vanished, but unlike the others, he left no coin behind.

That was really frustrating.

Even though he had become so much stronger. Even though he still had time left with his ability active. Even though his stats had increased so much.

It was simply impossible.

There was no way to defeat his father. He would never succeed.

For a moment, he felt his mind sink into a fear he had repressed until now. The traumas of his past would not let him escape so easily.

Then everything got darker, as Wain, just before Davi disappeared, had used a very expensive item to reinforce the mental break of the boy.

As his mind was overtaken by the memories he had tried so hard to suppress, his heart raced.

There was no way he could ever succeed.

That was the absolute difference between having talent.

He would never succeed.

Never.

These words echoed in his mind, again and again.

But the darkness around him slowly faded as he found himself surrounded by a powerful light and a strange atmosphere.

His eyes slowly adjusted, he saw figures moving back and forth. The place was so noisy.

He wanted to scream in anger, thinking about how that bastard continued to block his path, making his blood boil.

Of course, he didn’t scream, because fear still squeezed his chest. His body trembled, and perhaps, in that moment, he felt more anger toward himself than toward his father.

Above all, he was consumed by the despair of feeling that he could never overcome that mountain, and that he would never be free of his past.

Exhausted by all these emotions, Davi wanted to run away from there, but when he tried to take the first step, he collapsed. His legs were too injured for him to stand, and his body had no strength left.

However, his face never touched the ground.

He felt his body surrounded by the warm embrace of someone who truly loved him with all her heart.

"Are you okay?" The familiar voice of his girlfriend made his heart feel a small sense of relief.

"I failed," he lamented.

𓊖𓊖𓊖

After having a normal lunch, Luna decided to visit Enki. In recent days, these frequent visits had become a habit.

She went several times a day to find out how the S rank test was going. At reception, she asked who had been eliminated, what stage they were in and if they knew anything about Davi. This way, I was able to monitor the progress of the situation.

That’s why this was just another afternoon when she walked through the main hall, a cycle that had been repeating for some time. She might even take the opportunity to stop by the lab later.

However, the usual atmosphere was broken when she saw Davi appear before her.

Contrary to what should normally happen, he wasn’t sent to the room of the defeated, but instead, directly to the main hall, right in front of where Luna was.

But that was just an insignificant detail. What mattered was his condition.

He had a look of desperation and seemed lost in a deep darkness. His clothes were torn and slightly burned. His body was covered in wounds, and his leg seemed shattered.

Without hesitation, the girl rushed to him, catching him before he collapsed. Then, she gently embraced him.

It was the first time she had seen Davi like this; he trembled, his body wracked with utter panic and despair.

"I failed," he finally said, his voice heavy with regret, as if the world had come to an end.

Well, maybe for him, it had. After all, he had seen passing this test as his last hope to escape his father and achieve his dreams.

But in the end, it was precisely a beast using that man’s powers that had prevented him from succeeding.

Would he ever be able to escape? More than that, what could he do next? He had failed.

He didn’t have enough money to support himself for another six months until the next test. How could he get a job in a city where he didn’t know anyone? And...

The boy started thinking of more and more problems, sinking deeper into panic.

"It’s okay," her voice was so sweet.

The warmth of the moment enveloped Davi. Luna smiled and said,

"You did great; I’m glad you came back alive." She was being honest, more honest than she had ever been in her life.

For a moment, Davi felt a warmth in his heart unlike anything he had ever experienced.

And allowing himself to feel that warmth completely, Davi let a tear run down his face. It was hard to explain the feelings behind that tear: hatred, sadness, frustration, fear, desperation, and more.

But for someone who had spent his entire life never receiving a comforting hug after failure, that moment felt incredibly strange.

"Thank you," he whispered to her.

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