The Calculus class finally ended. The professor gathered his notes and left the auditorium. Ethan remained seated, his body still recovering, waiting for the Systemâs final reward calculation. Ryan Mitchell remained hunched over his desk a few rows ahead, paralyzed by impotent rage.
The Systemâs notifications flooded Ethanâs vision.
[CONGRATULATIONS! ALL REWARDS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED.]
[Reward for public masturbation while the other suitor is watching - 100,000]
[Reward for performing oral sex while the other suitor is watching - 150,000]
[Reward for Voyeuristic Act (Make your partner walk without underwear with at least 50 people watching intently) [5,000,000]]
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE ON A ROLL, HAHAHA!] the System mocked him, immediately flashing the next set of notifications.
[Chaos Missions Rewards]
[Humiliate your partnerâs suitor by showing how she drinks your cum reward [25 Lux points]]
[Create a Mortal Enemy [225 Lux points]]
When Ethan saw the second Chaos Mission line, he was momentarily stunned. The Systemâs laughter echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations, Champion! That is a complicated achievement! Letâs hope you survive, hahaha.]
"Hey, hey. What do you mean by âMortal Enemyâ?" Ethan demanded, his voice a low, urgent whisper. "Is it what I think it is?"
[If you think itâs someone who wonât rest until youâre in a tomb, then yes. Thatâs exactly right. The good news is that you milked every possible point out of him; from now on, he wonât give you a single point, no matter what happens, hahaha.]
"Wait, I just played with a girl he likes! I didnât even fuck her! I fucked the Landlordâs wife right in front of him, and this didnât happen!" Ethan hissed, truly bewildered.
[You are far too dull, you know. You should think a little more with your
top
head instead of your
cock
, you idiot.]
Ethan lowered his head, accepting the insult. "Fine. Just tell me what the hell Iâm missing."
The System adopted a low, informative tone, shedding its playful sarcasm for a moment:
[The difference isnât the
act
, Champion; itâs the
person
and the
context
. The Landlord was a pathetic specimen defined by terror and survival. His fear of you and Jason was paramount; he loved his miserable life too much to risk it. Ryan Mitchell, however, is defined by his pride, his social standing, and a profound sense of entitlement. You didnât just steal his girl; you didnât just play with her pussy in front of him. You publicly and physically castrated him by forcing him to watch you defile his prized possessionâthe symbol of his social statusâand then use the memory of that act as a cruel taunt. He doesnât fear you; he sees you as a monster that must be destroyed to restore his honor and his world. In his mind, you are already dead. And nothing you do will change that.]
Ethan stood up from his seat, ignoring the sheer terror and hatred radiating from Ryan Mitchellâs hunched form a few rows ahead.
Ethan thought: "Let him come. Let him hate me. If he wants to chase me outside of this school, Iâll just have to tear his head off. I came here to have fun; Iâm not going to play by their stupid rules forever. If they screw with me, Iâll use everything I have to assassinate him."
[Thatâs the attitude, kid! Thatâs exactly how it should be. See? No need for sophisticated strategy when blunt, lethal force works just as well. Money and death solve everything!] the System cheered.
Ethan shrugged off the new threat and walked toward the exit. Hailey met him outside the auditorium, her cheeks still slightly pink from their encounter, but now wearing a demure smile. They walked together toward the cafeteria. That day, they only had the one class, as the remaining professors for their other courses hadnât been assigned yet.
Max and Ming joined them, looking stressed, and Quinn and Ruby arrived soon after. All three couples sat together for lunch.
As they ate, Ethan asked if they wanted to do anything later that day.
"Oh, we canât," Quinn apologized. "Ruby and I have to attend a mandatory credit conference this afternoon. Itâs about ethics in computing. Super boring, but necessary for the credit load."
"Weâre going to the library," Ming said, sighing dramatically. "We didnât understand anything from the calculus class today. The partials are approaching, and weâre already falling behind."
Ethan remembered that he had entered the semester late and realized he was the one out of sync. For him, it felt like the semester had barely begun, while they were already deeply entrenched in lectures and requirements.
He sighed good-naturedly. "Well, it looks like Iâm alone today."
The girls apologized profusely. Hailey leaned over and kissed him quickly. "Iâll make it up to you later, okay? Text me when youâre free."
They finished their food, shared a round of hugs and kisses, and then all departed for their respective commitments: Ming and Max toward the intimidating silence of the library; the girls toward the stifling, corporate air of a conference hall.
Ethan watched them go, feeling a twinge of loneliness for the first time. Their worriesâstudying for exams, worrying about conference credits, dealing with professorsâwere utterly trivial to him. If he needed it, he could walk into the Deanâs office, drop a million dollars in cash on her desk, and secure a passing grade for the entire semester.
[Thatâs the champion mindset! Use money to acquire asses and A-grades. I support you 100%. Now go find a distraction that costs money and involves violence or nudity!] the System advised.
Ethan smiled at the Systemâs counsel. The solitude of the empty day was both freeing and a little boring. He had an empire to build and people to manage, but suddenly, the campus felt small and pointless.
Ethan smiled resignedly, stood up, and walked toward his BMW while thinking he would pay Lilly a visit at the pizzeria. He hadnât had time to catch up with her since that day. Jason can handle those thugs. Itâs still too early to use my
"Harder Than Steel"
ability; I donât want them to fear me yet.