Chapter - 18
"Inventory," Rick thought and the inventory of the Lust System opened.
In the numerous boxes in the inventory, two of them were occupied.
One had a big $ sign on it and below it $51,100 was written. It was the cash reward he just received. Rick clicked on it and a pop up appeared in front of him.
[
Balance: $51,100
Withdraw: _______
]
'Okay, here's the moment of truth,' Rick thought, '$100'.
[
Withdraw $100?
]
'Yes,' Rick approved.
And then Rick waited. He continued to wait for something to happen, but nothing happened for some time and he found it odd. System has never disappointed him till now. So what's with the no show this time?
'What if... What if the money was sent to my account,' Rick wondered. Rick had read a lot of such stories where such things happened.
"Man, the IRS will be on my ass whenever I try to get my money. This is my bloody money," Rick sighed and face palmed himself. But then he felt something on his face.
"This..." In Rick's hand there was a $100 bill. Since it was just one bill, he didn't feel it in his hand.
"Hell yeah! That's some real money right there," he exclaimed, his mind already racing with ideas of what he could do with the unexpected cash bonus.
"This is so awesome... I won't have to worry about being found out by the government anymore," Rick sighed in relief.
Rick then had another thought, and the $100 from his hands were gone and it was again $51,100 on the screen.
"Neat..." Rick nodded in appreciation.
Next, his eyes landed on the other slot in the inventory. It was the "Summon Card."
"Summon Card? Not bad," he chuckled, not entirely sure what the Summon Card entailed, but he had a feeling it was awesome.
With just a thought, Rick clicked on the card and it appeared in his hand. It was like a big, solid tarot card with numerous designs on it.
With the card, some information appeared in his mind as well.
[ To summon your familiar, hold the card, and say "Summon." ]
"Summon," Rick did as he was told. Suddenly the card in his hand shown brightly, bright enough to almost make him blind, and then it vanished. But another information appeared in his mind.
[ Your summon will arrive in front of you within 48 hours. ]
"Hmmm... So I won't know what it is for two days," Rick felt a bit disappointed, given the anticipation he had for the summon card. Well, nothing he could do.
After that, Rick hurriedly opened the shop and his attention then turned to the "1 Lottery Spin." "Oh, this could be interesting," Rick said with a mischievous grin. He clicked on the icon, and a familiar lottery machine appeared on the screen.
With a press of a button, the machine started spinning, and Rick eagerly watched the symbols whirl before him.
In no time, the wheel began to slow down... It slowly went from Premium, Epic, Legendary with each segment smaller than the previous.
After a few heart-pounding moments, the spinning stopped, and a message appeared on the screen:
"Congratulations! You've won a Basic reward: $69,900"
"Ha! That's what I'm talking about!" Rick cheered, feeling a rush of excitement. He clicked on the reward, and the message disappeared. When he checked the inventory, the cash he had has already increased. It was now $121,000.
"This just keeps getting better," Rick laughed. He was already a rich man now.
As he closed the system, Rick couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement, curiosity, and a bit of caution. The rewards were enticing, but he also knew that he couldn't let the system control his emotions and relationships. But in front of all the rewards, caution hardly mattered. And it did not look like the system meant anything bad for now. So why not just enjoy it?
"What am I getting myself into?" he questioned himself, feeling both excited and apprehensive about the newfound powers the system granted him.
As he thought about it, his eyes slowly began to close. The exhaustion was finally catching up to him.
'At least it is real,' It was the final thought he had before he drifted into slumber, 'Oh wait, I forgot to check my Ero Points. Maybe I will do it tomorrow.'
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Ding-Dong"
"Aghh," Emily groaned as she frowned in her sleep.
"Ding-Dong," the doorbell sounded again, pulling Emily out of her groggy slumber. When she opened her eyes, she frowned as she realized she had fallen asleep right against the door.
"Why am I here?" Emily thought, but then the memory from last night flooded her. She was waiting for Rick all evening and when he did came, he left without even explaining anything. Emily then cried sitting by the door before she fell asleep there itself.
"Ding-Dong!"
"Who is it?" she grumbled, her voice muffled by her drowsiness.
"Ding-Dong," But she got no answer. Instead, the persistent ringing continued, making Emily's annoyance grow.
"I heard you the first time! Give me a second to open the door," she shouted, her patience wearing thin.
She stumbled to her feet, rubbing her eyes to wake herself up. With her eyes still half-closed, Emily opened the door, only to find Rick standing there with a smile on his face. Her surprise was evident in the way she stammered, "You... You... What are you doing here?"
"What else? Don't we have classes?" Rick replied playfully, "Why aren't you ready yet?"
"You are here to pick me up?" Emily asked, still uncertain about the situation.
"Why else would I be here? Silly," Rick gently knocked on Emily's head with his knuckles, teasingly.
"Now hurry up and get ready... We are already late for school," he urged, playfully pushing Emily inside her apartment.
"And don't you dare skip the bath," he added with a smirk. He grabbed a towel and pushed her inside the bathroom.
Emily entered the bathroom, still trying to make sense of Rick's unexpected visit. As she stood under the shower, she couldn't help but think about the events from last night and the complete one-eighty turn in Rick's behavior right now.
Rick, in the meantime, cleaned up Emily's room with a sense of amusement. "Geez, this room is a mess," he muttered to himself, picking up clothes and rearranging things. Rick was more than energetic today.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Click!
As the door clicked open, Rick turned around with a playful complaint on his lips. "Finally! What took you so long to take a shower?" Rick said, trying to sound exasperated, "You weren't doing something naughty, were you?"
Emily, however, was too flustered to respond to his complaint.
Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at him. Rick right now was holding her bra in his hands. She blushed furiously, feeling a rush of embarrassment and panic all at once.
"Oh my god, Rick! What are you doing with... with... my bra?" she exclaimed, her voice slightly squeaky.
Rick glanced down at the bra in his hands and then back at Emily, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Relax, Em, it's just a bra," he said, trying to downplay the situation.
"But... But still!" Emily stammered, her face now turning a shade of crimson.
Rick chuckled, knowing he was teasing her, but he couldn't resist adding, "I mean, I've probably seen all your bras and panties by now, right? After all the times I've cleaned up your messy room!"
Emily's embarrassment reached a whole new level, and she felt like crawling into a hole and hiding. She knew he was right. He had helped her clean her apartment god knows how many times.
"That was different?" she muttered, barely audible.
And before Rick could respond, she suddenly lunged toward Rick to snatch her bra from his hands. However, her feet were still wet from the shower, and as she moved, she slipped on the tiled floor.
"Whoa!" Rick exclaimed, catching Emily in his arms just in time to prevent her from falling flat on her face.
Rick fell on the floor, with Emily on top of him, and their faces mere inches apart.
The air crackled with electricity as Emily and Rick lay there, their faces only inches apart. Rick's arm was wrapped around Emily's waist, holding her close. His eyes locked onto hers with a tender smile, sending her heart racing.
Emily's breath hitched as she felt the warmth of Rick's body against hers. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. It was a moment of intense intimacy, and she could hardly believe that this was real.
Ding!
[
Quest: Tease Emily
Time Duration: 10 Minutes.
Rewards: Temptation: +5; Ero points: 500
]
This time, Rick was not surprised when he saw the prompt. They were in a situation where Rick was almost waiting for the system to give him something.
Without wasting a second, Rick opened the system and Emily's information was in front of him.
[
Name: Emily Clarke
Age: 23 years
Carnal Calibrator: 55/100
Romance Radar: 00/10
]
'What the hell? How is this possible?" Rick thought to himself when he looked at the information in front of him. Why was Emily's Carnal Calibrator already so high? It didn't make any sense. He remembered even Amanda's was not this high. Not to mention he knew Emily was not interested him in at all. Or was there something he missed?
So Rick decided to follow the System's lead.
Rick's thumb gently brushed against Emily's cheek, and she closed her eyes, savoring the touch. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, his voice low and filled with emotion.
"What?" Emily's eyes shot open, her eyes almost ready to pop out of her sockets.
"Leave your underwear. You dressed in the towel is even more tempting. I want to do so many things with you, "Rick continued.
"Wh... Wha..." Finally Emily remembered that because Rick pushed her inside the bathroom with just a towel, she was only draped in a towel right now. She wasn't wearing anything else on her.
"But we are getting late for college, "Rick said and helped Emily stand straight.
"Hurry up and get ready. I am waiting for you outside, "Rick said and walked out of the room, leaving a stumped Emily behind.
Ding!
[
Quest: Tease Emily
Progress: Quest Completed
Quest Reward:
Temptation: +5
Ero Points: +500
]
[
Name: Emily Clarke
Age: 23 years
Carnal Calibrator: 60/100
Romance Radar: 00/10
]
* * * * *
Q. Why would the Carnal Calibrator be 55 for Emily?
Chapter - 19
"Hey Ryan, do you mind if I sat here for this class?" Emily asked Ryan. Ryan was Rick's bench-mate, but Emily hoped that she could sit with Rick and clear the misunderstanding from yesterday. It was the last class of the day.
She had hoped that Rick would tell her why he ditched her last evening on their way to college, but Rick never brought it up. And that made Emily even more restless.
She had hoped to play it hard, when Rick would make excuses, but to her surprise, it looked like Rick didn't care to give her an explanation. And that bothered her the most. Every other time, Rick would try to pacify her even if it was her in the wrong. And though she felt about it, the thought that she was the most important in his eyes, outweighed the guilt.
But not this time, and she had to ask.
"Sure, I will let you two lovebirds enjoy some 'alone' time," Ryan sneakily winked at Rick when he said that.
And Rick could only smile to that. He knew what Ryan was trying to do. And before yesterday, he might have been dancing inside, thanking Ryan and even his ancestors. But things have changed. He had the omnipotent system, gorgeous Amanda, and he had lost his virginity. He was an experienced man now.
Emily nervously cleared her throat before speaking, "Rick... about yesterday..."
But before she could finish, Rick quickly interjected, his voice a bit stern, "Emily, I... I don't want to make any excuses, okay?" Rick cleared.
When Emily heard Rick, her heart was pounding in her chest, and worry filled her thoughts. She feared that whatever Rick was about to say would only confirm her worst fears – that she was not as important to him as she had hoped.
Rick looked taken aback by the expression on Emily's face, his brows furrowing with concern. "Emily, it's not what you think," Rick tried to explain.
"No, Rick, please," Emily pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears. "I don't want to know if it's because of someone else, someone more important to you, that you forgot about me."
Her vulnerability lay bare, and Emily felt a knot forming in her stomach.
Rick frowned when he saw the tears in Emily's eyes. Somehow, instead of getting affected by them, he felt a tinge of irritation growing inside him.
Still, he had some basic decency. He reached out to hold her hand gently, trying to reassure her, "Emily, It's not about anyone else."
But Emily pulled her hand away, not wanting to be comforted just yet. She needed to understand, to be sure that her feelings were not misplaced.
"Then why didn't you come yesterday?" Emily asked, her voice tinged with a mix of hurt and worry.
Rick sighed, looking regretful, "I got caught up with something unexpected, and I couldn't make it in time. I should have called or messaged you. But my phone... I lost my phone as well."
Emily felt conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to believe him, but on the other, doubt still lingered in her mind. "Something unexpected? Like what?" She asked, unable to hide the insecurity in her voice.
Rick hesitated for a moment, then sighed again, "It's kinda hard to believe and a bit complicated."
He then leaned closer to Emily and took a deep breath before speaking, "Em, I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it's true. I got struck by lightning yesterday!"
Emily raised an eyebrow, looking at him skeptically. "Come on, Rick, you expect me to believe that? Struck by lightning? Seriously?" she said, trying to hide the small flicker of concern in her eyes.
"I know, I know, it sounds insane," Rick replied, throwing his arms. Even he found the events from yesterday unbelievable.
"But it really happened! I was walking back from the store with beer, and then suddenly, BAAM! Lightning struck me!" Rick told Emily. He skipped the all about meeting with the old, homeless man.
When she heard Rick, Emily squinted her eyes, glaring at Rick. Rick could easily guess what she was thinking.
[
1. Say sorry, and apologize to Emily. (Temptation +10)
2. Say you don't care if she believes you or not. (Temptation -10)
]
At this moment the prompt showed up again with two choices. Rick looked at the choices and almost shook his head. Because of the system, the choices he made were so different now.
"No... I don't think you are a fool. And I am not trying to make up a lie. Every word I said is true," Rick spoke without Emily saying anything, "If you don't want to believe, you don't have to. It doesn't matter to me anyway."
Emily couldn't help but frown when she heard Rick. That was not he talked to her in the past. She could feel something was wrong this time.
"You are telling the truth?" Emily asked.
"Why should I lie to you?"
"Okay, Mr. Lightning Magnet, what happened next?" Emily asked, crossing her arms.
Rick sighed, relieved that she was at least engaging in the conversation, "Well, I woke up in the hospital.
"Hospital?" Emily asked, softening a little.
"Yeah, though I am fine now," Rick nodded.
Just as Rick wanted to tell more Emily more, the class suddenly went silent. A beautiful young woman had just walked into the room. It was Megan Woods.
"Good afternoon, class. I hope you're all ready for today's lesson," Miss Woods greeted the class with a stern look on her face.
Rick and Emily exchange a quick glance before returning their attention to the teacher. The story had to wait for now.
Soon, Miss Words turned her back towards the students and started writing on the board.
"So, what happened after the lightning strike? You said you woke up in the hospital?" Apparently, Emily could not wait any longer.
"Yeah, I woke up in the hospital. But luckily the lightening did not strike me directly. I was knocked out by the impact of it," Rick whispered back.
"That's good... You got lucky. Otherwise..."
"Is there something you'd like to share with the class, Rick and Emily?" Miss Woods saw the two of them whispering, and called them out.
"That..."
"Both of you out of my class," Miss Woods didn't even listen to them and threw them out.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"She is scary," walking through the corridors, Rick mentioned.
"Maybe she is in a bad mood," Emily shrugged, "Are you going to the apartment?"
"I need to stop at a store and get a new phone. The thing is, when the lightning struck, I kinda lost my phone," Rubbing the back of his neck, Rick told Emily.
"Are you sure you can afford a new phone right now?" Emily asked, worried.
"Ah, don't worry about that. I'll manage somehow." Rick waved his hand dismissively.
"No, I want to help. After all, it's all because of me. I can pitch in some money, you know," Emily insisted.
"I appreciate the offer, but I can't let you pay for my phone. It's not like I'm broke or anything," Rick refused to take money from Emily.
"Are you sure about that?" Emily teased Rick.
"Just don't ask me to buy beer for you... I will already save a fortune on that," Rick laughed.
"Seriously, you want to bring that up?" Emily rolled her eyes.
"Alright, alright, if it makes you feel better, you can come with me to buy the phone. But no giving me money, okay? I'll manage." Rick said, grinning.
"Cool. So, where are we going?" Emily asked.
"There's a store just a few blocks away. They have some good deals on phones, and I can check out what options they have."
"Sounds like a plan. Let's go!" Emily agreed.
As they walked towards the tech store, Rick and Emily bantered playfully, sharing inside jokes and teasing each other like old friends often do. Emily's heart swelled with happiness, grateful that Rick was by her side despite their recent misunderstandings.
As they reached the store, Rick took his time browsing through the various phone options, and Emily accompanied him, offering her opinions and suggestions. They laughed and playfully debated over which phone would suit Rick best.
[
Quest: Flirt with Emily.
Time Duration: 10 Minutes.
Rewards: Temptation: +5; Cash: $5,000
]
Rick looked at the Quest and sighed. Not that the rewards were bad. They were good, but Rick was hoping to get a Experience rewards. He was just 100 points away from, from reaching the max level. But the last two quests gave him no Experience points.
'Well...'
"Hey, look at this one! It has a super cool camera. You could take amazing photos with it," Emily showed a phone to Rick.
"That does look pretty sweet. But you know I'm not much of a photographer," Rick said, and whispered, "But with you Em. I'd love to capture every moment with you."
Emily froze when she heard Rick. Her face flustered. This was the second time today Rick managed to make her heart skip a beat. She quickly averted eye contact with Rick and turned around to look at other phones.
As she looked around, trying to avoid Rick, Emily suddenly stopped. Her eyes fixed on something.
* * * * *
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