Progenitor Vampire: I Have Many Skills!-Chapter 671: Trying to avoid a cliché situation (1)

'Oh, it's that girl.' Matthew nodded to her as she jumped down from the tree and came up in front of him.

"I didn't think we'd meet so early on," he said, greeting her.

"I didn't expect it either." She laughed softly and looked behind her. "He's a little friend I met earlier in town. You don't need to fight."

Although those following her frowned, they did nothing more than remain alert.

"Do fights happen inside the trial?" Matthew asked. He should have guessed, but he thought there were rules to prevent fighting.

She nodded. "Although there are rules that say they should be avoided in this place, not many people pay attention to them, because inside the Golden Ape Forest, only the law of the jungle reigns. The weak have no right to seek more than their strength allows."

"Ah, I see." Matthew nodded. That made sense.

"Do you think you can pass the test?" she asked, curious.

"Do you think it's difficult?" Matthew asked in return. It wasn't complicated for him, but maybe there was something else he didn't know?

"It's quite difficult. This forest is very large, and because of that, finding the beasts can be difficult. Not to mention that all the participants are fighting for them, so it's possible that when you find one, someone will steal it from you. That's why it's better to come in a group."

He nodded. "That makes sense. If you come in a group, you can watch out for other groups waiting for you to make a mistake so they can punish you by taking your resources."

"Well, I think I'll be fine." He looked at the other members of the group who had been staring at him for a while, somewhat suspiciously. "Will you be okay with that group?" he asked.

She smiled. "Sure. Some of them are members of my family, others are friends and acquaintances from around town. We're one of the strongest groups around right now. Don't you think they're good?"

'Strong they are,' he thought, but looking at the looks they were giving him... he didn't think they were very smart.

"Well, I'm sure they are." He nodded.

Just then, one of them, the first to notice Matthew's presence, jumped up and came over to Juliet.

"Miss Juliet, this is no time to waste."

"Oh, right." She nodded. "Don't you want to join us, Matthew? With your contribution, we'll surely be able to get ahead of this."

Even though she hadn't seen Matthew's strength, he gave her the feeling that he was too powerful. She didn't know whether it was his temperament, his bearing, or simply his confidence, but she knew he was not someone to be underestimated.

When Matthew tried to speak, he was interrupted.

"That's not right, Miss Juliet," said the man to one side of them. "We have enough. We can't carry a load."

'Load?' Matthew raised one eyebrow while lowering the other… It had been a while since he'd been called a "load."

She turned to look at the young man who had spoken. "What is this disrespect? Where have you left the pride of our White Edge City?" she asked in a reproachful tone.

The guy frowned but didn't back down. "Miss Juliet, I'm saying this for our own good."

Then he looked at his companions behind him. "You can ask them, can we really finish on time if we have to find so many beasts for so many people?"

His companions nodded, adding their two cents to the cause of not accepting Matthew into the group.

'Competing with these rich bastards for Miss Juliet's attention is difficult enough, and now a handsome foreigner and traveler wants to join in? He's just the type of person Juliet likes!' thought one... two... or more of them.

Almost all of them had similar thoughts, except for the weakest ones, who didn't even dare to have such thoughts about Juliet.

"If we have such a large group that we can't finish in the top spots, then what's the poin-?"

"It's okay, Miss Juliet." Matthew interrupted her. He had no intention of losing his good spirits in this place. Going on adventures was very enjoyable for him; it reminded him of good old times. Although he would like to have his girls around, there was nothing he could do about it.

If, on top of not having them, he had to lose his good spirits with these idiots, then he wouldn't even be able to enjoy the trip.

That's why he decided to refuse. "I don't need a team. I can do it alone."

"Uh..." Juliet nodded slightly. "Are you sure? As a team..."

"It's okay." He smiled. "I don't like working in teams, honestly. I prefer to travel alone."

"Oh. Well, okay then. I wish you luck."

Matthew simply nodded, and once she said goodbye, they left.

Before leaving, his gaze met that of some of the young men who were following her.

'At least I was able to avoid the typical novel cliché of traveling in a group with a bunch of idiots who want the girl interested in me.' He smiled. He couldn't help but associate that situation with this one because of their similarities.

In his mind, it was always better to avoid clichés—especially those kinds.

He started walking again, and, knowing that these young men seemed intent on causing him trouble, he changed his route...

But when he did, he suddenly sensed a presence nearby and sighed.

'Is this normal in fantasy worlds, or are these guys' destinies being controlled by some famous cliché novelist?' he thought, looking up.

No one was in sight, but he knew that one of Juliet's group had returned and was coming with the intention of fighting.

"If you're already here, just show yourself," he said.

"Hehe, so the foreign is perceptive." A man emerged from behind the tree where Matthew had been looking from the beginning. "But wanting to run away in another direction tells me that you're just a perceptive vessel, empty of power," he sneered.

Matthew stared at him. He had read this scene in one or more novels before. He felt like he was going to get a headache from having to be the protagonist in one of them.

"What do you want?" Matthew asked, ignoring his taunts.

"Hmph, obviously to teach you a lesson." The newcomer took a few steps forward. "Miss Juliet is very important to us, you know? One of the three most outstanding Sword Artists of the generation. Did you know she has fought Liam Wagner several times? Although she has lost, she has been able to stand up to him every time, which shows how important she is," he said suddenly.

'Wow, so clichés can also provide important information,' Matthew thought, smiling.