My Girlfriends Are Hardcore Yanderes - Chapter 179

Chapter 179: The Odds.
When the initial screening ended, the crowd that had gathered made their way in front of the tower.

Lucia had to remain outside with other non-participants and those who hadn’t passed the test but hoped to gain inspiration or see the gap between themselves and the successful candidates.

As she stood among the crowd, her gaze drifted toward the base of the towering stone structure. It loomed silently with no visible entrance.

Then, without warning, the ground rumbled.

A low, deep tremor spread through the earth. With a slow, grinding sound, the stone walls began to part, revealing the dark interior of the tower.

The gap widened, and a massive opening—easily thirty feet tall—appeared in front of them.

‘This thing is wide enough to fit thirty people at once,’ he thought, impressed by how big the entrance was.

He focused on the darkness inside, curious to see what was beyond, but to his surprise, his vision was blocked.

An invisible barrier was stopping him from seeing clearly. The shadows inside seemed to shift in a way that made everything blurry.

‘As expected, this place has so many interesting spells,’

“Everyone, step inside,” the facilitators instructed.

One by one, the sorcerers began walking in groups, entering the tower. As Asher counted the heads of those passing through, he realized there were over 500 people—an impressive number.

It made him pause for a moment, reflecting on just how huge this world really was.

Alarath, despite being a capital, felt small now, like a tiny droplet in the middle of an endless ocean.

Arcane Arts, though difficult to study, were highly sought after—not just by the masses, but also by kingdoms and governments.

Because of their importance, sorcerers received a great deal of support from these powerful entities, ensuring that more and more of them continued to rise in numbers.

As the first group of sorcerers crossed the massive gate, they disappeared into the thick darkness beyond.

There was no sound, no sign of them reappearing. For a brief moment, it might have seemed unsettling to an outsider, but none of the participants panicked. They all knew this was just part of the test.

Eryx, the powerful kingdom running the tournament, wouldn’t sabotage them. There was no merit in doing so.

Asher stood there for a second, watching the others file in. He was about to step forward when he felt a gentle tap on his back.

Turning, he found Talira standing behind him. She was accompanied by three other beastkin women, each one different in their own way.

The first, a foxkin, had two eyes that were as unique as she was. One eye was a bright, fiery orange, and the other was a piercing, vibrant blue. The different colors made her look almost magical, as if she saw the world in two different lenses.

Her long, silvery hair was pulled back into a loose braid that hung over her shoulder.

She wore a bold, sleeveless robe that was pure orange, the color so bright it almost seemed to glow. The robe fit her slim and thin figure, emphasizing her proportions.

Next to her was a snakekin, her lower body that of a serpent, coiling effortlessly as she moved.

Her scales shimmered in a mix of deep green and gold, catching the light with every movement.

Long black hair flowed straight down her back, paired with striking yellow eyes. She wore a robe of rich, dark indigo, designed to flow gracefully around her serpent-like tail.

Her olive-toned skin stood out against the dark colors of her outfit, adding an air of both elegance and danger to her presence.

The third was the leopardkin, her golden eyes narrowed and alert, much like a predator on the prowl. Her dark brown skin was marked with the spots of a leopard, giving her a wild, untamed look.

Short, curly hair in deep brown with hints of auburn framed her face, while a robe of earthy browns and golds, designed for freedom of movement, completed her look.

The four women stood together, their combined beauty making even the most strong-willed men do a double take.

Talira gave him a small, knowing smile before turning slightly to gesture to the three women beside her.

“This is Kira,” she said, motioning to the foxkin.

She then nodded toward the snakekin, her eyes gleaming with respect. “This is Meria.”

Finally, she turned to the leopardkin. “And this is Rhea.”

She only told them their names, because none of them would really want to talk more about themselves, considering that they were all rivals in the tournament.

The three girls watched him with interest.

“And his name is Ash,” she introduced, having heard it when he registered an alias.

They continued to study him carefully, their gazes scrutinizing every detail of him. Unfortunately, the mask he wore only made it harder for them to fully trust him.

There were a few reasons for wearing a mask: first, to prevent others from knowing their identity and using prior knowledge against them; second, if the person was wanted or had a bounty on their head; or third, if they just preferred to keep their identity hidden for personal reasons.

While this was happening, he was also deep in thought, but for a completely different reason.

What were the chances that all of his group members were women? And not just any women—each one stunning in her own way, the kind of beauty that turned heads effortlessly.

‘Is this really a coincidence?’

His face no longer mattered, considering he was wearing a mask. Plus, his performance had been deliberately low-key, so logically, the women in this tournament shouldn’t be flocking to him like this.

But as if fate was playing a trick on him, he still found himself in this situation.

At this point, he wouldn’t be surprised if, by the end of it all, every one of them ended up falling for him—considering his track record.

‘Could it be? Maybe I was just born to attract the opposite sex no matter what?’ he sighed, the thought sounding ridiculous.

Then again, his past experiences said otherwise.