CHAPTER 72: HOW TO FLIRT!

Rin took a slow breath and shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "I’m not ready."

The air in the room thickened, not with disappointment, but with understanding. Zepharion bowed his head slightly, a gesture of respect. His red eyes shimmered in the low light.

"As you wish, Master," he said, stepping back. Then, with a rare softness, he reached forward and lifted Rin’s hand. His lips brushed the back of it in a kiss that felt more like a promise than a farewell.

Rin watched him, confusion fluttering across his face. His eyes shifted to the small black dog sitting quietly beside the drawer.

Zepharion turned to Niblet. There was something ancient and unspoken between them. Rin could notice it. Niblet wasn’t the kind of person who remained calm when someone got into his room or tried to touch him, but Zeph appeared out of nowhere, and Niblet didn’t even bark.

’I keep forgetting Niblet isn’t a dog. He’s a demon,’

He hit his head and looked at Zepharion.

"Do you... know him?" Rin asked, brows furrowed.

Zepharion nodded slowly.

"Yes. He’s been my companion for centuries. When my seal weakened, I could no longer draw dark energy. So he gathered it for me."

Rin blinked.

"Niblet does that for you?"

Zepharion replied with a short nod.

"Then... does that mean being turned into a dog... has that stopped him from gathering energy?"

Zepharion smiled faintly, crouching beside the dog. He scratched gently behind Niblet’s ears.

"No. Niblet is... I meant Cerberus is a demon, guardian of the underworld. His form may change, but his nature does not. He is bound to obey anything. Only if his master commands it."

"It seems to me that you are his original master."

Rin crouched as well and patted Niblet on the head. The dog gave a soft, pleased bark.

"Yes, I am, Master,"

"Are you going to take him back?" Rin asked quietly.

Zepharion stood and shook his head.

"No. He is safer with you and he keeps you more... entertained. Cerberus hardly takes a liking to any creature but you’re an exception. Also... I haven’t had a proper conversation in decades. I’m grateful you allowed me that tonight."

Rin bit his lip. Something tugged at his heart.

"Is there... is there a way to break your seal?"

For a brief second, Zepharion’s expression twisted into a sharp grin... cold and calculating.

’Oh, Master! I’ve been waiting for you to ask that question,’

However, that cold expression vanished as quickly as it came. When he looked at Rin again, his face was unreadable.

"It requires the help of another demon," he said simply.

Rin raised a brow.

"Then why not ask my mother? You said you knew her."

Zepharion was silent. He looked toward the drawer, then away.

"She cannot help me," he said.

"Huh? Why wouldn’t she help you?"

"Master..."

Rin opened his mouth to ask more, but Zepharion smiled gently and changed the subject. It worked. Rin blinked and felt his thoughts slipping away like smoke. He forgot what he was discussing with Zeph about his mother helping him break the seal.

"I’m sorry," Rin said instead, rubbing his arms. "For not being able to help."

Zepharion smiled again. "You will. I know you will break the seal one day. I’m patient, Master. I will wait."

"I promise, Asmodeus!"

With a rustle of air, he vanished, leaving Rin alone in the room.

He walked to the bed, his mind still spinning. His mother. The Duke. The drawer. His dark magic. His identity. There were too many puzzle pieces, and he couldn’t even tell what the final picture would look like.

He couldn’t imagine himself being the grandson of the demon king, heir to the second Duke of Elarion and also a killer. The real Rin killed his whole family at the age of sixteen. Myung can’t imagine what he was doing at that age... Learning how to solve maths problems... Maybe.

As he lay back on the bed, a soft chime rang in his head.

DING!

[System Notification]

[Mission Completed: "Keep Lucien Elric at the Academy - Duration: 3 Months"]

[Reward: Temporary Identity Lock - Omega status will remain hidden to administration.]

[Penalty: Forced removal and induction into the ’Game’.]

[Progress: 90/90 days.]

Rin sat up. "Oh... It’s done?"

The system chimed again.

DING!

[Temporary Identity Lock Rewarded.]

[Duration: 12 hours. Lock will refresh after a 12-hour cooldown.]

Rin raised a brow as he sat up.

"Wait a minute! System, will this lock affect my heat?"

DING!

[Negative. Lock is disabled during active heat.]

He exhaled deeply. He didn’t understand why he was relieved, but he already suspected that the system would not allow anything to affect his heat. He lay back on the bed with his hand beneath his head.

"Then... why did I sleep through my last heat? I mean, other Omegas... don’t. They just fuck throughout like dogs in heat. Well, they are in heat but..."

DING!

[The User’s libido is too low.]

[Current Libido: 10]

[Recommendation: Increase Libido for normal heat cycles.]

Rin made a face.

"Normal heat cycles? You mean when I get dicked like other Omegas? Haha! No thanks."

He waved his hand and closed his eyes to sleep, mocking the system.

"There’s NOTHING you can do to make me increase my libido. I repeat... NOTHING!"

The system chimed in his head and his eyes fluttered open.

DING!

[Optional Side Task: Increase Libido to 20 points within 3 days.]

[Reward: 1 bullet.]

He froze. "Wait. A bullet?"

DING!

[Affirmative.]

He rubbed his chin, considering it. He really wanted to do it. He wanted that bullet so badly. He turned to the system and stretched two fingers at the pink floating box.

"Two bullets. Give me two bullets and I’ll do it."

DING!

[System thinking...]

"What? Thinking? Machines don’t think!" Rin almost yelled and Rin lifted his head to look at Rin. From his view, Rin was talking to nobody. He lowered his head, wearing an ’I hope my master is not insane’ look.

DING!

[Denied. One bullet.]

Rin groaned but finally gave in.

"Fine. Accept Task."

[Task Accepted.]

He sat up, energised.

"So, how do I increase my Libido?"

DING!

[Task Method: Flirt with Male Leads and Side Characters. Touch. Tease. Gain reactions.]

Rin’s expression dropped.

"You want me to do what now...?"

DING!

[+1 Libido for each successful interaction that elicits a visible reaction.]

"Isn’t there another way? Can’t libido increase just increase through conversation?"

[Negative!]

He gritted his teeth.

"Fine. I’ll do it. I’m doing it only for the bullet."

.

.

The next morning, Rin dressed with extra care. He styled his white hair, added a perfume, and wore one of his more fitted shirts. It made his chest visible, but just for today and two more days, he wouldn’t care about that.

When he arrived at the academy, fewer students were around. Weekend mornings were always quiet since most of the students were preparing for their exams in their dorms.

Silas was there, watching the nurses rearranging a few herb jars Silas brought.

"Good morning Rin!"

"You look beautiful as always Rin!"

He just smiled and waved at them, wondering if it was a great choice to look extra handsome. He turned and he caught Silas looking at him.

"Rin? You look... different."

Rin slowly scratched the back of his head as he gave a soft smile.

"In a good way?"

Silas nodded slowly, clearly taken aback.

"Very good. Well, would you like to visit my lab today or maybe... come with me to the temple tomorrow? You had promised me then,"

Rin hesitated. He wanted to refuse both of them. He didn’t want to go into that lab again, nor did he want to meet that priest, but he remembered the task and smiled.

"Sure... I’d like to follow you tomorrow. Since I’m going to get busy, I won’t be able to visit your lab,"

He reached out and lightly touched Silas’s arm.

"I hope you won’t get upset with me... Silas,"

He called Silas by his name and he flinched slightly, his ears turning red.

"Of course... There’s no way I’ll be upset with you, Rin,"

DING!

[+1 Libido]

Rin grinned.

’Oho! This is going well!’

...

Rin stayed in the clinic for a while. Theron wasn’t around for him to flirt with. God! He hated the sound of that. Since there were no patients, the place emptied early. The nurses returned to their dorms or elsewhere.

So Rin wandered. He didn’t want to return to the dorm either. He had a task and a bullet to win.

Eventually, he found himself at the training hall. He peeped and saw Lucien there.

’I knew I’d find him here!’

Lucien stood there, shirtless with his muscles flexing as he moved through a complex sword drill. He wasn’t doing any physical training today, he was training with a sword.

Rin never thought he’d see a real sword training. He stayed near the wall, watching.

Lucien paused, noticing him. He stopped swinging his sword and dashingly waved his hair to the side.

"Look who’s stalking me now... are you here to train?"

Rin shook his head, trying not to imagine how cringe that was.

"I’m just watching."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred per cent!"

"Okay then!"

Lucien wiped sweat from his brow and returned to training. But something in his rhythm shifted. He kept glancing at Rin whose red eyes were fixed on him. He looked at his hair, noticing how styled it was. His shirt was so visible that he could see his nipples.

After a few minutes, he walked over.

"If you’re going to stare, you might as well spar."

Rin smirked.

"Trying to show off?"

Lucien gave a grin.

"Maybe."

Rin sighed but stepped forward.

"Fine. Let’s spar,"

They sparred. Rin was surprisingly nimble. Fast. At one point, he nearly got the upper hand, and Lucien faltered.

But Lucien refused to be let down. In one swift move, he turned and shoved Rin down.

They both hit the mat. Lucien’s body pinned him.

"You win!" Rin blinked up at him. "Now, get off."

"I don’t want to!"

"Lucien!" Rin called his name but he didn’t move. He leaned forward, pressing his nose against Rin’s neck. He sniffed once, then again and again.

"You’re... wearing your earrings today, yet I can’t smell anything from you,"

Rin froze.

Lucien leaned closer.

"Not even a trace of your scent."

When Rin wears the artifact in his ear, Lucien can still manage to get a whiff of his scent, but now the artifact is in his ear, and he can’t perceive anything from him. Just his cocoa perfume.

Rin stayed silent, biting the inside of his mouth.

’What the hell would I say to this?’

Lucien frowned.

"Are you using something else? Another artifact? Or..."

Rin didn’t say a word which left Lucien even more suspicious of him.

The air grew heavy as the silence dragged on.

Lucien’s voice lowered.

"Rin... what are you hiding?"