16 Chapter 16 - It's just part of the system

Karin blinked several times as she processed what Zefer had just said. Did he just say she had to pay him? Not only was she giving him her body for free, but now he was telling her to pay him? She felt so humiliated, so downright disgusted, and wanted to slap him, but...

... she felt something inside of her crave his attention. She had never been treated like this before. All men ranging from her age to older men jumped at the occasions to sleep with her. She used them for her pleasure, and their money then left for the next guy once she was done.

Not once did any of the men tell her to pay him. Not once did she get the feeling that any of those men were ridiculing her. When she looked into Zefer's eyes, she could tell he was serious. She instantly stepped back, retracting from his presence. She wasn't going to let this man use her. No, she used men. It wasn't the other way around.

"Hmph! As if!" Karin turned away with a pout. "I would rather just go through with the Gambit," Karin remarked. No matter how hot this man was, she wasn't going to give her body over for free and pay him. Sure, she loved sex, but not enough to start paying for it.

"That so?" Zefer remarked with a shrug. He didn't care either way. He wasn't going to chase this woman or force her to submit. The only thing he cared for was getting stronger. Everything he did was to achieve his goal - all for the sake of bringing this city to ruin.

"Then... I challenge you--" Karin instantly turned around. "Stop!" Karin exclaimed. Was this man seriously going to challenge her? All for some Coins? Was she not attractive enough? Not cute enough? Not sexy enough? Why was the only thing he cared about the challenge and the money?

"Fine. Fine. I'll do it. How much?" Karin remarked with a scowl on her face as her cheeks flushed a deep red. Zefer stared at her, or rather a screen that displayed her Coin count.

[Coins: 1,250]

"One thousand Coins," Zefer said as his eyes shifted back towards Karin. Karin's eyes went wide, "What did you say?" Karin couldn't believe her ears. Did he just say one thousand coins? "I said One thousand Coins," Zefer replied once again without stuttering.

Yes. Zefer did just say that. Karin felt appalled now. There was no way in hell she would pay one thousand coins for sex with a stranger. She would much rather just go through with a Gambit battle. "Yeah... no." Karin shook her head. "I don't care how hot you are. I am not paying that much." Karin said as she stared at Zefer with a glare in her eyes.

"Very well, Karin Kallan. Then, I challenge you to an All-In battle." Zefer said, and just as he did, a screen popped up in front of Karin with the same prompt that it gave Jay, Luke, and Doran. The win-loss ratio was four Coins, but it was better than paying one thousand Coins.

Her finger hovered over the accept button, but just as she was about to push it, she looked at Zefer. He seemed so carefree, so calm, soo...

....hot! "Ugh! Fuck, why can't I stop thinking about his body?" Karin screamed inside of her head. She didn't know what was going on. She couldn't understand why her body was reacting the way it was. She was the seductress. She was the one who had men in her palm. She was the one who allowed them to come onto her. It wasn't the other way around. So, why did she feel like this!?

Karin bit her lower lip as she looked Zefer over once more, then her finger side over to the decline button, and the screens fizzled out. Afterward, she tapped on her bracelet five times then showed Zefer her bracelet. Zefer's brow rose as he saw this, but it wasn't because of Karin's actions. Instead, it was something else.

[Seduction Skill Acquired!]

Ina's laughter was echoing inside of Zefer's mind with what she saw. She couldn't help but laugh because the turmoil that Karin was going through was far too hysterical to her, not to mention that Zefer seduced a girl without even realizing it.

Zefer just sighed internally then extended his bracelet out towards Karin. A transaction prompt occurred, and Karin set the transaction to five hundred Coins before transferring the amount. "Half now... Half afterward..." Karin said under her breath, trying to hide her embarrassment and shame.

"Very well; however..." Zefer began; as the transaction ended, he stepped forward and took Karin by the cheeks with a single hand. He smushed her skin and forced her to look him directly in the eyes as he stared down at her.

"If you so much as try not to fork up the later half, I'll make your life a living hell. Understand?" Zefer's voice was cold as if he were making an oath. Karin couldn't help but shiver in fear, but she was feeling something else at the same time. Something inside of her found thrill with being handled like this.

"Y-Yes..." She moaned out softly. She wasn't even aware of how her voice came out before it was too later. Zefer released her face and turned away. "Let's go somewhere secluded," Zefer said without care of her shameful expression and how she felt embarrassed.

"W-Wait, what about classes!?" Karin exclaimed since homeroom was about to start. She typically didn't skip classes because she would be in trouble with her parents if she did. Zefer stopped for a moment and only shifted his head back at her.

"Sure. You can go to class, but you will be paying me interest later if you do. For every hour, the interest rate increases by two hundred Coins." Zefer said.

"But! That's! I don't have that much on me! I can barely even afford the second half!" Karin exclaimed in distraught. She hadn't even realized that she had just gotten involved with someone dangerous. If only she knew that Zefer had plans to kill everyone here. Maybe she wouldn't have accepted this; then again, it wouldn't have mattered since Zefer would've gotten stronger some other way.

"Not my problem. Your choice, come now or come later." Zefer said, not realizing he had just made a sexual pun. However, Ina did, which caused her to burst into laughter again. This host indeed was different from her other hosts. It was his attitude towards everything that she found funny. Most boys his age would have been raging with hormones, but he was indifferent as if he wasn't attracted to the fleshy body.

Karin clenched her fists tightly before walking up beside him silently with her head down. So many thoughts roamed throughout her mind right now, but the main thing was that she would someday get Zefer back for this humiliation, even though she was the one who put herself in this mess.

------

Sometime later during the break period, Zefer walked into the classroom. Everyone stopped to look at him suddenly. If they didn't know who he was, then they would've mistaken him for a model since he was giving off a sexy vibe right now.

[Skill Sexual Aura Acquired!]

[Skill Inhumane Endurance Acquired!]

[Skill Semen Production Acquired!]

A sigh escaped Zefer's lips as he shifted his eyes from the message in front of him after they fizzled out. Ina couldn't help but laugh since she had never seen anything like this in her entire existence before. A Rune Warrior with some system thing. At first, she thought that it would make Zefer a mighty Rune Warrior, but now she wondered if there was something else to this thing.

Zefer skimmed the room and saw people were eating a homemade lunch. Ruth was wearing a cast around his broken arm while some of his cronies were absent. He also caught Ruth's glare but didn't care for him. He was nothing more than a dog with no bite, just someone who tried to look prominent.

Katie also glanced at Zefer, but something else seemed to burn within her instead of fear. She found herself blushing lightly as her eyes slowly scanned over his body until she noticed a hickey on his neck, which caused her to look away instantly. "W-Why does he have a hickey? Was he doing things all morning or something!?" Katie asked herself.

Alex was the other person in the room glancing at him, but unlike the others who only seemed to mutter and whisper about Zefer, he got up and approached Zefer.

Zefer was currently in his seat now, looking over some documents about the current policy of slavery of the other races. There were many outrages with this policy, while some seemed to deem it necessary. Zefer understood why people would be outraged since there were interspecies relationships. Not everyone wanted to go to war. Some humans got with elves, orcs, or even vampires and demons.

If this policy went into full effect, what would happen to those married to other species? Zefer knew full well what would happen. He was someone who saw humanity's dark side and never turned from it. He knew he wasn't the only one suffering, but at the same time, part of him didn't care about anyone else. Since those suffering also mistreated him simply because he was a Zero.

"Zefer," Alex called to Zefer as he stood beside him. Everyone was silent now, and people wondered what the Cold Prince wanted with Zero.