The trip out of the school was relatively silent, no one bothered Zefer, but his name seemed to float throughout everyone's mouths. It appeared his name and who he was got out faster than he expected, but that wasn't going to stop him from achieving his goal.
"I wonder if people in the city will know who I am," Zefer said to himself as he left the school gates. He glanced over his [Daily Quest] real quick to see where his progress was; that way, he could plan accordingly.
[Daily Quest]
-Build up your body. {75/100}
-Increase your knowledge. {30/100}
-Cultivate your Energy. {0/100}
-Bed someone. {1/1}
Reward: 4 stat points
"I suppose a quick jog to the store should finish off the body building part. I can cultivate at home, but I may have to skip the knowledge part depending on how much time I have left." Zefer said to himself once again before dismissing the screen before him with a thought and started his jog.
The jog was quiet. No one bothered Zefer, some did gaze over him, but no one spoke to him. Not even Ina. It seemed like her earlier statement caused her to become silent. As if she felt guilty about what she said, not on the part against Maven, but the idea for Zefer to pretty much rape Maven.
She still didn't understand how the Gambit's Challenge worked, but she suspected that the condition needed to be fulfilled with or without consent, no matter what it was. If sex was the reward and the losing party did not want to fulfill it but was forced, it was considered rape.
Ina realized just how messed up this type of thing was. It meant that many people did something they did not want to do. Sure, they had the right to accept or decline the challenge, but did that make things okay?
"Master..." Ina finally spoke; after nearly half an hour had passed, she finally said something.
"Hm?" Zefer inquired as she continued his jog. The distance between the grocery and the school was about an hour jog. If he used the Val-Taxi or Val-Bus, it would have been shorter since the transits moved throughout the entire city.
"I know what I said was wrong, I shouldn't have suggested it; however, if you did add that condition, do you think Maven would have accepted?" Ina asked. It had been bothering her for a while. If people were put in unsavory or unwelcoming positions due to their own choice, was it genuinely wrong to do things like that? After all, they were the ones who got themselves into that mess.
Zefer was silent for a moment, which caused Ina to believe she upset him, but just as she was about to apologize, Zefer spoke.
"Probably not. I understand what you are asking and why you are asking it. The Gambit's Challenge system is corrupt. It is a forced contract between two people, and even if someone declines, the challenger will most likely do other things to get what they want. If anything, Gambit's Challenge is simply a legal way to commit crimes." Zefer expressed his views of Gambit's Challenge, but he wasn't wrong.
The Condition or Reward for Gambit's Challenge could be anything from Coins to sex or other things that were typically considered illegal—even forcing someone to rob a store or kill someone. Everything was permitted simply because both parties consented to the challenge.
Of course, if someone was forced to rob a store or kill someone, regardless if it was a condition that needed to be met, they committed a crime. Therefore, they would be punished by the law if the police caught them. Because of this, Zefer considered Gambit's Challenge and the United Front to be corrupt.
"I see..." Ina murmured, putting the pieces together thanks to Zefer's input.
"Regardless, I will never fall to the levels of those who raped my sister. I know I will one day become a monster, but as I said before, when I become one, it will be due to the destruction of this city and nothing else." Zefer said to Ina with a firm tone of voice. He knew his actions were considered evil, monstrous and could label him as murder or monster.
But, he accepted it.
The people already gave the label of murder to him. The title of Zero, Trash, and Filth were constant names for him, so he figured, what was adding, monster to that list. He never said he was a saint, nor would he ever claim to be.
The path he intended to tread was filled with nothing but blood and darkness.
"Of course, Master." Ina replied with the only thing she thought she could respond with. Ever since she found out more about Zefer, she began to feel for the boy. He was just a boy, regardless of the laws of this planet.
For someone so young to be filled with a strong desire to burn everything to the ground, it filled her with pain. Sure, she was the Rune of Destruction, but that didn't mean she didn't have a conscience. All of her hosts were adults, the ages varied by race, but none were younger than 75. Still, not once had she ever met a Rune Warrior at the age of fifteen. He was the youngest of all the Rune Warriors, not to mention a human of all things.
All she sought was the desire for destruction. It didn't have to be solely for this city. It could have been anything such as another human or an entire race. Only one other host had the urge to destroy the planet, and it wasn't even her homeworld, but a different one.
Yet, here Zefer was, filled with the urge to bring not only this city to ruin but the entire planet as a whole. It pained her because it meant that someone this young was forced to endure much pain and morphed into what he already considered himself to be: A Monster.
Zefer finally arrived at the grocery. He finished the body-building part of his Daily Quest and added the point to Strength while also receiving a point for Agility. Interestingly, he did not receive an increase in cold resistance, but he had his thoughts.
Nevertheless, it was time to buy food. He took one of the shopping carts, or rather hover carts since they lightly hovered off the ground. The carts had a mechanism that allowed them to hover in place and a safety stop in case something happened. Once again, this was thanks to Rina Valintine.
Zefer decided he would go down each aisle and pick out whatever looked interesting. His limit was 500 Coins, he didn't necessarily need to spend that much, but that was the max he would use. Thankfully, every item had a price counter on the shelf for shoppers to see how much it cost.
Zefer decided to get a box of Valo's Cereal. Something other than bread for a change of pace, but still, he also grabbed some bread when he reached that aisle as well. As he continued down the aisle, nothing drew his fancy. Chips were never a thing he cared for, nor were Soft Drinks, or as most people called it, Soda.
Even when his family was alive and he could eat those things, he didn't care for them. Instead, he went with a case of water, not just a single case, but three. The water he had in his home wasn't the best when it came to drinking.
As he continued his shopping, he went ahead and grabbed a gallon of milk, some butter, some eggs, and a variety of sandwich meats ranging from turkey to pastrami. He noticed that most of the food he got was more for low-income people, but what else could he do?
He lived as a poor income person for a good majority of his life. "Why not just buy some frozen meats for dinner. I suggest you learn to cook now rather than continue to make simple lunches since you plan on living alone." Ina said she had been quiet the entire time, but she needed to say something after seeing Zefer's cart.
"Sure, but I don't have any pots or pans." Zefer replied.
"But you do have money. While food is temporary, cooking utenisls are forever. Think of it as an investiment, even if you go over your budget, you can take them with you when it's time to leave. Packing is easier than ever since you can just store everything into your inventory." Ina expressed with an as a matter of factly tone of voice.
Zefer thought about it for a moment. He imagined how his life would be without at least one luxury. He recalled the warmth food had and the smiles that came with it. A soft smile curved across his face at the memory, and he nodded. "Alright. Let's do it." Zefer said to himself as he prepared to do a bit of extra shopping.
Sadly, his short-lived smile dropped into a frown.
"Hey punk, we need to have a word with you. Come on out back with us." A group of big muscular men blocked Zefer's path, and in front of these men was a single person, one boy...
... "Ruth Gutter." Zefer's said with venom.