Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The Queen Bee and The System
’How Foolish.’
Beatrix Steele watched from the cover of a shimmering, holographic grove. Her lips curved in a faint, knowing smile.
She had been tracking the two girls for nearly ten minutes. Kiera Rayne and Zinnia Reed.
Two bitter rivals, so consumed by their mutual hatred that they had completely forgotten they were in a five-way war.
They clashed in a small clearing, beast against beast, a flurry of desperate attacks, angry shouts, and sloppy commands.
By the time Beatrix decided to step in, they had already done her work for her.
Their beasts were exhausted, HP bars flickering dangerously in the red. Kiera and Zinnia themselves were panting, their digital avatars showing signs of fatigue, their uniforms streaked with virtual dirt.
Beatrix had emerged from the shadows like a phantom. "That’s enough, girls."
Their heads had snapped up, eyes wide with panic.
They never stood a chance. Her S-Rank companions moved like lightning.
Two clean eliminations. It was almost disappointingly easy.
Now, her full attention was on a real fight.
Jax Rayne. And Morgana Vexley.
A genuine, appreciative smile touched Beatrix’s lips. Morgana.
Even in this strange, unpredictable game, her greatest rival stood before her, locked in combat.
Morgana had been her senior by one year at the academy, and she had dominated everything.
Sports, acting, academics, dancing, and even the beauty contests. Morgana was always, infuriatingly, at the top of her year.
Beatrix respected her deeply. Admired her.
She considered Morgana both an ally and a rival, a wall she had always aimed to surpass.
She couldn’t even recall the last time Morgana had been truly defeated.
And yet, she was watching it happen right now, in real-time.
The boy, Jax, was dismantling her. Not with brute force, but with a strategy so chaotic, so counter-intuitive, and so brilliant it was almost beautiful.
He had an SS-Rank beast, yes, but he was using it with the precision of a grandmaster, turning Morgana’s own calculated tactics against her.
[Player Morgana Vexley - Eliminated]
Beatrix watched the final blow land. Morgana’s avatar dissolved into shimmering particles of light.
’Interesting,’ Beatrix thought, her smile widening. ’It looks like Thalia was right about him.’
This boy was her third prey. And by far the most interesting one.
His HP was low, she could see that clearly from her vantage point. [HP: 33%].
His SS-Rank beast was powerful, but it was only one. She, on the other hand, had three S-Ranks.
The odds were comfortably in her favor.
She glanced at her companions. Her beasts were not just tools. They were devotees.
First, Seraphelion, her Radiant King of Wings.
The massive, six-winged griffon-dragon hybrid preened, its feathers radiating a soft golden light. It was proud, fiercely loyal, and seemed to worship the very ground she walked on.
Then, Amarathe, the Siren of Still Waters.
The translucent, ethereal serpent coiled in the air, its form shifting like liquid light, its beautiful woman’s face gentle and serene. It was possessive, sensual, and protective of its mistress.
And finally, Caelvane, the Crowned Shade.
The tall, humanoid beast stood cloaked in regal black armor, a halo of inverted, dark light pulsing above its helm. It was cold, elegant, and fanatically devoted.
Beatrix smiled warmly at her trio she knew her beauty attracted them.
"Make your queen bee happy," she said, her voice smooth as silk.
"Eliminate her next opponent."
She stepped forward directly in front of Jax.
Jax was still processing his victory over Morgana when the air in front of him shimmered.
Beatrix Steele came out of nowhere.
He froze.
Gulp.
His HP was still critical, regenerating far too slowly.
His Tempest Sovereign loomed behind him, but it was just one beast.
She had three.
A literal god of light. A terrifying water spirit. A king of shadows.
’Fuck. I’m dead.’
But even as his tactical mind screamed "DANGER," his body... just stopped.
She was beautiful.
Even in this VR world, with its 0.1% sensation, no urge, and mostly his weak body against lewd things, her beauty was a physical force.
It bypassed his logic and hit him straight in the gut.
His digital heart hammered. His gaze locked onto her face, her eyes, the perfect curve of her lips.
’What the fuck are you doing?!’ he mentally slapped himself, his cheeks flushing.
’This is a game! She’s an opponent! She’s here to kill you, you idiot! Urges don’t matter! Winning is all that matters!’
He clenched his fist, forcing his brain back online.
"Scan beasts," he pulled his desired finger out.
He needed data. Abilities. Weaknesses. Anything.
But another screen popped up first. A familiar, glowing screen that had no business being here.
[◈ God-Tier Lewd System ◈]
The system’s interface flared to life, its text glowing with a sharp, demanding light.
[New Quests Issued!]
[Quest 1: The Goddess]
[Objective: Fuck Beatrix Steele.]
[Time Limit: 2 Weeks]
[Description: She is the pinnacle of beauty, grace, and perfection in this world. Gain her trust, dismantle her defenses, and lure her into your bed. Show her a pleasure worthy of a true goddess.]
[Reward: Legendary Gacha Spin (x1)]
[Quest 2: The Tsundere]
[Objective: Fuck Kiera Rayne.]
[Time Limit: 1 Month]
[Description: Just fuck her. Break that icy exterior and make her scream your name.]
[Reward: Legendary Gacha Spin (x2)]
[SYSTEM NOTE: Quests will only be considered ’Complete’ if fulfilled in the REAL WORLD. VR encounters do not count.]
Jax stared at the quests, his mind completely blank.
’Beatrix... and Kiera? KIERA?!’
He glanced up at Beatrix. She was watching him with an amused, patient smile, as if wondering why he was suddenly zoning out.
’Two weeks. One month. And a Gacha spin... no, three Gacha spins...’
His tactical brain, which had just been calculating combat odds, instantly shifted gears.
’This... this changes everything.’
--- --- --- ---
Far across the digital continent, another battle had just ended.
Nyx’s avatar dissolved into particles of light.
Emma stood impassively, her own beasts retreating into the shadows,
A moment later, another player stumbled into the clearing, looking lost.
It was Kai.
He saw Emma and grinned. "Hey! Have you seen my mom? Or Thalia? Or Jax? I’m looking for my team!"
Emma didn’t answer. She just raised her hand.
"Wait, wait!" Kai yelled, holding his hands up. "We can team up! I’m friendly! See?"
A shadow lashed out from behind her.
[Player Kai - Eliminated]
Emma dusted off her hands, her expression bored.
And now, her final target in this zone appeared.
Queen Calista.
Calista saw the remnants of Kai’s dissolving avatar and immediately summoned her own three S-Rank beasts.
"You," Calista hissed, her eyes blazing. "Nyx’s human pet."
Emma smiled, a cold, empty expression that didn’t reach her eyes.
"Good," she said, her voice soft. "You’re all finally gathering."
She laughed, a short, sharp sound devoid of humor. "Now I can finally throw the ones out of the game who thought this was their battle... their rivalry."
Her eyes gleamed with a manic light. "Lol."
"What?" Calista asked, her beasts moving into a defensive formation, confused by the girl’s rambling.
She didn’t get to finish her question.
Emma snapped her fingers.
One of her hidden beasts—a creature that seemed to be made of pure void and shifting darkness moved.
It didn’t attack. It opened.
A pinpoint of absolute, light-devouring darkness appeared in the air.
It expanded instantly, ripping the air apart to form a localized black hole, a swirling vortex of anti-light.
Calista’s beasts—a Sun Falcon, a Crystal Golem, and a Warden of Light—were pulled inward violently.
They roared, fighting against the pull, but the gravity was absolute.
Projectiles, beams of light, crystal shards all were sucked into the void and erased from existence.
Calista watched in horror as her entire S-Rank team was dragged into the abyss and extinguished.
[Beast Eliminated]
[Beast Eliminated]
[Beast Eliminated]
The black hole snapped shut, leaving only a deafening silence.
Emma stood alone, smiling at the terrified, beastless Queen.