The Mark Beneath the Victory

Luna stood tall beside Jimmy, her mane still flickering faintly with static, mist curling gently around her hooves.

But Jimmy could sense it—something was wrong.

He turned to her, silently asking.

Luna glanced at him, then gave a soft smile and said through her translator,

"Noonon... nothing."

But Jimmy wasn't convinced. That smile didn't reach her eyes.

Then a loud voice rang across the arena:

"HEY! Did you dare use a Blood Mark on her?!"

It was the Nexus receptionist, storming toward him with fury in her eyes. Jimmy blinked, confused, and looked down at Luna—only to freeze.

There, on her lower belly, pulsing with faint light, was a small crimson dot.

The mark.

Before he could respond, Alley—still weak on the ground—spoke up.

"I can remove it… but you'll need to do something for me."

But the receptionist wouldn't listen.

She snapped her fingers.

"GUARDS! come quickly, Guards." Get this mad girl out of here! From now on, she's banned from every Nexus battle site!"

But no one came. 

Suddenly five black-suited guards rushed in. One clamped a silencer patch over her mouth, two more grabbed her arms, and within seconds, they dragged her away down the corridor, her fiery Whisp, Seyraflare, chasing after them in distress.

 One of them came and whispers on her ears. 'Quickly go there. He will talk.'

Jimmy just stood there, silent.

Then that man in a Nexus uniform stepped forward and offered him a small pouch.

"Please don't worry. The mark will fade in two days. Take this as compensation."

Jimmy stared at it, then slowly turned away—calling Luna back with a silent flick of his fingers. He didn't take the thing.

....................

As he slowly went away

From behind, the two boys and the girl who had warned him earlier spoke up.

"Hey… we told you not to fight her."

"Now look. That wasn't just a battle—that was a power play. She's connected. Rich."

The girl added bitterly,

"We need money to fix this. Only a special Whisp with curse purification can remove that mark."

Jimmy typed on his phone and showed them:

"Where can I find one?"

They looked at each other.

"Maybe the Rock & Roll Auction House. There's a pet there that can purify both curses and marks… we heard rumors. But it's far. Two days from here."

Jimmy nodded and said 'we are going there anyway'.

"Has the mark faded?"

Luna glanced at her side and answered through her translator:

"Some part is gone… but not all. It still burns a little." 'She did it with Healing ray.'

Just then, the receptionist returned with the uniformed man. Their expressions were tense.

"We're deeply sorry for the trouble," the man began, but jimmy's phone cut him off with a sudden, sharp tone:

"I don't talk to fucking shitty rich people."

The man froze. His mouth clamped shut.

.........................

Jimmy typed calmly:

"Did I pass?"

The receptionist forced a stiff smile.

"Yes… you passed. You'll receive your F-rank badge in an hour. Please… come with me. All of you."

Later, in the Back Office

They were led into a plain room where an older staff member sat behind a desk, half-asleep.

The receptionist spoke quickly:

"Please purify their Whisps."

The man looked up with a sigh.

"I can remove curses. But this is a Mark. Not the same thing. For that, you'll need a proper purification pet. We don't have one here."

Jimmy nodded and said:

"There's one at Rock & Roll Auction House. Might help."

The man nodded back.

"That might be your best shot. Until then—no training. Let her rest. It will only drain her energy."

Just then, another staff member entered with a box of shiny bronze badges.

"Congratulations. All of you are now officially F-Rank Whisp Tamers."

They took the badges—but none of them smiled. They want to shut their mouths.

Jimmy pulled out his phone and tapped out a review on the official Nexus panel:

Rating: 3/10

("Unfair treatment. VIP tamers allowed to curse our Whisps. No safety measures. No justice.")

He hit Post.

One by one, the others followed.

The receptionist flinched as she notices others to type.

"Please—don't post that! We'll offer free treatment! Just… delete it, okay?"

But the damage was done.

Her phone buzzed violently. She turned pale as she picked it up.

A voice screamed through the speaker:

"WHAT?! You didn't update her evolution data?! CALL ALL STAFF! Fix this now! Get those kids to my office!"

She dropped the phone, flustered.

"Please—come with me. I'll update her data immediately!"

Jimmy said nothing, but followed.

...........................

The room was small and filled with quiet tension. White lights hummed faintly above, casting a pale glow over the console desk where Luna's updated data began to load. Jimmy stood beside the receptionist, calm as ever, Luna's presence looming just behind him like a silent guardian.

The boy who had fought before him leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, watching the data transfer.

"That girl," he said under his breath, "she's not just rich. Her family has real influence—sponsors, auction house ties, even private Nexus licenses."

Jimmy didn't flinch. He kept his eyes on the screen.

"You're not scared?" the boy asked, frowning.

Jimmy pulled out his phone and typed:

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen to her. She'll be protected."

The boy snorted softly.

"Hunh. You think they're protecting her? No… they're probably trying to rope you into their house now. That whole act—tears, drama, mark, compensation? That's bait, my guy."

Jimmy paused… then typed:

"Not interested."

The boy raised an eyebrow, impressed.

The receptionist handed Jimmy the updated chip for Luna's profile. He nodded, accepted it quietly, and the boy was about to say something else when Jimmy subtly pulled out his pinky finger—short and slightly curved—and pointed to the left exit.

"That way?" he signed silently.

The boy blinked, then laughed under his breath and whispered:

"Yeah, that way. Second hall, right staircase. Leads outside."

.....................

In his house, jimmy first registered for the Tournament through school channel. He then went to bath eat with Luna. Then came back to sofa. He transferred some money over some account.

Luna watched him from the bed, tail flicking once, curious.

Name submitted. Tournament ID generated.

...........................

Jimmy leaned back in his chair, eyes half-closed.

No turning back now.

Unexpected Call

At exactly 1:10 PM, phone buzzed.

He picked it up and accept the call: class teacher.

A familiar, somewhat grumpy voice rang out:

"So… you're practicing for the tournament, huh? Not bad. But come to class. It also has marks."

Jimmy typed and let the assistant voice reply:

"I'll come. Just needed to prepare."

"Good. Afternoon Theory starts at 1:45 PM. Don't be late. We'll be covering Whisp compatibility channels and elemental resonance. You'll need it."

The call cut.

Jimmy checked the time—1:15 PM.

Thirty minutes to breathe.

He took out the Curse Neutralizer vial he had purchased earlier and approached Luna.

"Let's try this," he said, through his mind connection.

Luna nodded gently. Jimmy applied the liquid to the faint red mark still glowing on her belly.

Nothing happened.

No change in color. No flicker. Not even a pulse.

Jimmy's eyes narrowed. He typed:

"Did anything change?"

Luna stood still, then answered softly:

"No... my energy is still slowly draining. I can feel it. Like a leak in a barrel. Constant."

Jimmy sat on the bed, tapping furiously on his device, searching for deeper answers.

He found the same result the Nexus staff had given him:

"Effect of Mark: Will fade in approximately 48 hours. Moderate energy drain expected. Cure requires specialized purification not available at standard centres."

He clenched his jaw.

He suddenly remembers that he has to go for auction house, he just did a quick search and book ticket for them for 6 hour journey and also return ticket. 

Two days to go until auction happens.

# For Low level pets curse applied to their level.