The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 79: Don’t Die

The whole place went dead quiet.

Ulv blinked like he had just been slapped by a flying fish.

"...wait, what?"

"I’ve saved your asses twice."

Ignotus jabbed a finger at him.

"Did you think I forgot?!"

Ulv’s ears and tail began to twitch.

"Wha—now? You’re asking for it now?"

"Yes."

Ignotus was dead serious.

"I’m broke, Ulv. Get your Lord to pay up."

The crowd of students shifted awkwardly, unsure if they were supposed to laugh or pretend that this wasn’t happening, the tension of the Colosseum nearly gone.

Ignotus didn’t care either way; he just stood there with his hand out.

"Oh my Gods..."

Ulv groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

"We don’t have the money now, Ignotus."

Ignotus grinned wide, enjoying bullying him.

"Don’t worry."

He slapped Ulv’s shoulder.

"I’ll be merciful; you can pay me after we don’t die in this dungeon."

Then he turned toward another figure.

"Hey, boss."

Lykos ignored him, acting as if he didn’t know him.

"Don’t ignore me, boss."

Ignotus attempted a puppy face.

"I might cry."

Lykos ground his teeth.

"You won’t."

"That’s fair..."

Before the next insult could load, a soft, teasing voice purred from beside them.

"Heeeeeeeey~"

A purple-haired cat girl stretched lazily, her tail flicking playfully.

"I remember you!"

It was Merlin, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

"You’re that strong guy!"

She pointed at him as if he were some shiny rock she’d just found.

"I’m not strong."

Ignotus raised his chin slightly.

"You lot are just weak."

That earned a laugh from her.

"Hmm~... You’re not wrong."

She stepped closer.

"But we’re a bit stronger now."

Merlin mimed crushing something in her hand, claws flexing as her tail swished.

"Not sure you have access to that, though, considering your... situaaaaaation~."

Ignotus stared at her, saying nothing.

"Our Houses gifted us Runes."

She proudly puffed her chest and stated the obvious, wanting to hammer it down.

"We’re no weaker than Acolytes now."

He chuckled and patted her head.

"Good for you, kitty. It must be nice to have rich parents."

"Oh~ jealous?"

She leaned on him playfully, one hand resting on his shoulder.

"Is that why you rebelled and got yourself a tattoo?"

"Jealous of being spoiled?"

Ignotus deadpanned, ignoring the latter part of what she said.

Their quick boost wasn’t something that surprised him. Most of those in his batch that were either "talented" or of Main or Great Houses likely had boosted themselves quickly over the past week.

What he took so much effort to do was done by them in a mere day and at home.

Still, that didn’t mean that what he did was useless, far from it, and they were going to see the mark of his effort soon; Ignotus would make sure of it.

"Good on you, kitty, and no thanks. I like earning my place the old-fashioned way."

That made her laugh even harder, though he continued despite that:

"Now, how about you go back to your little pup? He seems lonely."

"Nooooooo~! I want to talk more!"

For someone who usually couldn’t be bothered to move, she was practically bouncing with energy.

"Lady Merlin..."

Ulv stepped in, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Don’t annoy him, and don’t mention the tattoo; it’s likely personal."

"Oh, come on~..."

She teased.

"I’m just talking."

Lykos sighed.

"You call that talking?"

"Better than you pretending to be deaf."

She shot back with a grin, and Ignotus whistled low.

"Oof. Your cat’s got claws, boss."

Lykos glared.

"She’s not my cat, and I’m not your boss."

Merlin gasped, mock-offended.

"You wound me, Lord Lykos~."

Ulv facepalmed.

"Oh no. Don’t start flirting, please; cats and wolves don’t match."

Ignotus was itching to do the same but managed to stop himself.

"No, let them. I’ll take bets on how long before one of them reddens up."

Merlin looked delighted and giggled away, completely unoffended.

"You’re so blunt~."

Not one bit.

"I like that."

He glanced at her tail brushing against his leg.

"Kitty, seriously though, some personal space?"

She smiled wider.

"Make me."

Lykos let out a deep, frustrated sigh.

"Merlin. Please. Stop harassing the lunatic."

"I’m not harassing him; I’m, uh... studying him, yes!"

Ulv crossed his arms with an exaggerated sigh.

"Lord, don’t engage them. That’s what he wants."

Ignotus mimicked Merlin’s offense.

"I didn’t even say anything."

"Exactly."

Ulv shot back, uncaring for it.

"That’s the problem. You don’t have to."

Merlin snorted.

"Oh, come on, you two act like he’s dangerous."

""He is dangerous!""

Lykos and Ulv said that at the same time, making Ignotus grin.

"You’re both just mad I make things more interesting."

"Interesting?"

Lykos whooshed his fluffy tail.

"You went up against ten Pythons alone while you were a Seeker! Worse, you killed a Curse and beat up Disciples!"

Ignotus shrugged.

"I had to."

"You didn’t have to do anything; you could’ve relied on us more!"

The tall man chuckled, finding the wolf-boy’s words... interesting.

"Oh, is that what bothers you?"

Ulv looked down, fearing for Ignotus’s life.

"He’s going to kill him."

Merlin purred before Lykos could think of attacking.

"Calm down, wolfy, we can’t have you die before the game even starts."

Lykos glared at her but said nothing, barely able to calm himself.

Ulv, meanwhile, looked away to stop himself from laughing.

"Gods save me."

Merlin giggled again, pressing into Ignotus’s side.

"See? He gets it."

"Yeah."

Ignotus patted her head a second time.

"But if you keep leaning on me, I will throw you."

He could almost hear Eris nod after he said that.

Something that made Merlin’s ears twitch.

She’d taken that as a challenge.

"Oh? Promise?"

Lykos almost choked.

"Merlin!"

Ulv turned to him, exasperated.

"My Lord, please control this Lady!"

Merlin bared her fangs playfully.

"Careful, puppy, or I’ll scratch!"

Ulv growled, his tail puffing up.

"Try it."

"Oh, I will."

"Don’t make me separate you two."

Lykos muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"I’m surrounded by idiots."

Ignotus nodded solemnly.

"Agreed."

Lykos shot him a look.

"You’re part of the problem!"

"Correction."

Ignotus proudly pointed at himself.

"I am the problem."

That earned a few laughs from nearby students who had been eavesdropping.

Merlin was the loudest of them, her tail flicking in amusement.

"See, childhood friend~? He’s got charm."

Lykos turned away from her.

"He’s got damage in his brain."

Ulv, ever the reluctant calm man of the group, sighed.

"Let’s move on and just focus on not dying. This is supposed to be serious."

Meanwhile, from a distance, Gaia stood by the edge of the crowd, watching them.

Her usual shy expression was gone, replaced by quiet irritation, making her tap her finger against her arm repeatedly.

"Why is he talking to her?"

Beside her, Aurelia stood straight, her eyes fixed on Ignotus too, but with an entirely different kind of focus.

A business-minded interest.

One was too shy to involve herself, and the other too proud to mess around.

Something that Gaia noticed and frowned at.

"Don’t even think about it."

Aurelia looked away.

"I wasn’t."

"You were."

"...maybe."

They both went silent again, pretending not to care while very clearly caring way too much.

Around them, in the Colosseum stands, the noise of the crowd swelled until it was thunder. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Chants, laughter, and excitement all mixed together into a roar in their ears.

Ignotus scanned through the voices, searching for one in particular:

And sure enough, he found it.

"Don’t embarrass us too much, TRASH!"

He turned his head towards the upper stands.

’Ah.’

There they were.

His oh-so-lovely family.

Here to watch his last moments.

Ignotus’s smile turned faint.

’How nice indeed.’

By the time he thought that, the reason for the loud cheers made itself known.

Lothar had raised his staff, making the Arcane beneath their feet flare alive in blinding light.

"Everyone, get into position."

The entire Colosseum seemed to vibrate as the circle activated and the students sat.

"Let the Trial begin!"

Ignotus, the first on the ground, glanced around one last time.

At Lykos’s focused glare, Ulv’s tense posture, and Merlin’s smirk.

Though for a shorter moment, his eyes had also met Gaia and Aurelia.

’Don’t die.’

He closed his eyes.

Light swallowed him whole.

And his first Colosseum Trial began.