Minx rested her cheek against the handle of her axe, watching Grey ignore the naked duo, trying to capture his attention. "I'm curious. If you're here and have confidence, why aren't you paying attention to us, transmigrator?"
"Because women don't like men ogling them," Grey said with his eyes closed. "More importantly, I have a person to murder later and need my head straight. So I'm doing us both a favor by not looking at your abnormally perfect bodies."
The women giggled at his matter-of-fact assessment.
"Bu~t what~if we want you to ogle us?" Lilith giggled, gliding to his right and putting her lips against his ear. "And offered to level~you~up?"
"Then I'd leave bitter after respectfully declining," Grey sighed, fighting against his hormones. "I shouldn't be here. If I become a demigod, it will alert everyone that I broke the rules. While I'm accustomed to breaking the rules, I do so without getting caught."
"Pity," the redhead pouted, pressing her breasts against his arm. "Luna and I rea~lly wanted to help~you come here faster."
"It's true," the blonde elf giggled, circling to his other side. "I've been soooooooo bored for the last few centuries."
"Sorry, ladies," Grey replied, opening his eyes with a wry smile. "While turning you down is hormonal torture, I only take what I can keep. So you'll just have to wait."
The women groaned playfully, making him chuckle as he relaxed again.
"What do you do that gives you this much confidence?" Minx asked, cupping her chin in her free palm with an amused smile.
"I run events for my adoptive father's business," he responded. "Though sometimes I work with computers as an [information broker]."
"Event planner and info broker?" the cat woman frowned. "Those sound like pretty normal jobs."
"Oh, I assure you, Minx," Grey chuckled mysteriously. "There's nothing normal about my events or my information gathering. I ran an event tonight before I came here and even participated."
-
═─┈─═[Four Hours Before]═─┈─═
"This match is rigged!" a pudgy man slurred, spilling his 80-credit glass of whisky on his white, untucked button-up shirt. "There's no way that half-breed could charm a harlot with a few grand, let alone buy a supermodel a drink!"
Few heard his ramblings, as everyone in the packed room was yelling, some joyous, others starting fights, all fueled by the neverending supply of dopamine flowing between people like broken synesthesia.
"Stop embarrassing yourself, Robert!" a stunning blonde snapped, breaking free of her euphoria. "That's Alyx Grey. Look how many bet he could pull off the impossible—do you think that's a coincidence?"
In the room's center was a large frame with four mega-screens playing in all directions. All four showed a seventeen-year-old chatting with a gorgeous blonde at the bar of a nightclub.
It was a strange sight; while she was stunning, he was strikingly forgettable. Aside from his vibrant green eyes and stunning smile, he was passable at best, sporting poorly styled straight-black hair, a charcoal gray dress shirt, and black slacks and shoes. Despite the disparity, he had bought her a drink and made her smile.
"Nonsense!" Robert snorted. "I know who that orphan boy is, Mindy! He's a gutter rat that feeds on Maxwell's scraps. Do you expect me to believe he can buy a famous supermodel a drink!?" However, she ignored him, so he furiously thrust his earbuds in, searching for proof he cheated.
-
"What does Selena do for a living...." Grey hummed charmingly, studying the supermodel's appearance. "Top tier seasonal fashion, princess-cut diamond stud earrings, at least 2 carats, captivating smile, elegant posture, and when she walks, it looks like she's strutting down a runway…."
Selena blushed furiously, averting her gaze. "My guess is...." he smiled, giving her a dreamy expression. "You're a veterinarian." After a stunned contemplation, she giggled, covering her mouth playfully.
-
A chorus of frenzied cheering rocked the basement when Selena blushed on the widescreen, and then the crowd rioted after she giggled. Mindy's pupils shrink to the size of pins in the feverish environment, adrenaline and dopamine surging through her veins.
"D-Don't thin-k… you've won, Mindy!" Robert slurred, refusing to believe his loss.
"Look at the board, Robert," she instructed with a feral grin. "I've won four times and raked in a fortune off you. Even if I lose the last bet, you've made me a rich woman."
Grey was competing in a gambling event at Luna Noir nightclub. Patrons in the basement bet on how far he could get with a woman they chose, and the winners split the bets from the losers. Since Mindy bet the teen would win every game, she continually won and pocketed Robert's money.
-
═─┈─═─┈─═─┈─═─┈─═
Alyx Grey vs. Selena Wheatfield (Midnight Gal Model of the Year)
Engage in a Conversation: 1:4 [Win]
Make Her Laugh: 2:3 [Win]
Buy Her a Drink: 70:30 [Win]
Make Her Blush: 4:1 [Win]
Get Her Number 80:1 [Pending]
═─┈─═─┈─═─┈─═─┈─═
-
Robert looked at the board in disbelief, "One to four odds!? Why did people bet four times more that a mediocre, underage teen could converse with a supermodel than that he'd fail? That doesn't even make sense!"
"Take a look around, Robert," Mindy taunted. "We're surrounded by high-profile individuals far more famous than that model—at his event. It would be absurd if he [couldn't] speak to her!"
Grey wasn't just a participant—he was the organizer. He attracted high-profile clients to the event, solicited the participants, paid the bartenders, bookies, and security, and bribed officials. He ran the show.
"Nonsense!" Robert snorted. "The Pulse is Maxwell's event, you stupid woman! That slave boy is working his gambling events—he's not running them or getting the clients!"
"You're clueless, aren't you?" Mindy laughed. "Maxwell hasn't shown up to this event in over a year. This is Alyx Grey's event; it has been for two years. Now hush, it's not over."
-
"Let me see...." Selena mused, tapping her lips. "Charm unbefitting of someone your appearance, arrogance, some serious balls, considering your conspicuously flirting in a club while holding a drink…. my guess is that you're underage."
-
"HAH!" Robert sneered. "You finally lost, you witch!"
Mindy frowned, but her eyes didn't waver.
-
"Define [underage]," Grey smiled charmingly. "If you mean too young to drink this refreshing, [virgin] coke—you're wrong. And if you're younger than 23—as I'm certain you are—Mills' relative age of consent laws state I'm of age in all ways.
If you give me your number, I'll text you documents to prove it."
Selena thought about his words carefully. Once she realized she was genuinely thinking about his age's legal, ethical, and career-oriented implications, she blushed furiously, looked around, and addressed the redhead bartender, "Nice try, kid. Can I close out my tab, please?"
"Of course," Tricksie replied, cautiously eyeing a handsome man approaching Selena.
-
"Ha! What now, Mindy!?" Robert laughed triumphantly. "That man's clearly her boyfriend!"
"That man could be anyone," Mindy retorted, watching with nail-biting anticipation. "And even if he is her boyfriend, she's writing on her receipt rather than signing it. It's not over until we read it."
The drunk man's expression contorted after hearing her words. He bet a fortune that Grey couldn't get the woman's number! If she gave it to him, it would be catastrophic!
***
"11,285,120 credits in revenue tonight," Grey smiled in the main office of the Luna Noir, holding the receipt Selena signed before her boyfriend showed up. "I'm sure Mindy won a fortune."
-
═─┈─═─┈─═─┈─═─┈─═
Total: 1,832 credits [Voided: On the House]
Tip: xxxxxxx
-
Text me when you're 18. Muah <3
Selena Wheatfield | 117-218-1835
═─┈─═─┈─═─┈─═─┈─═
-
"Although tonight was a hassle, numbers like these are too addictive to ignore," he chuckled, a hint of madness in his eyes.
As the event organizer, Grey collected a 10% bookie fee for every win. That meant his clients had wagered a staggering 112,851,200 credits that night across various events. A large percentage came from the special event in which Grey participated. While he didn't like participating, he owed Mindy a favor and was happy to repay it.
-
─┈━═[Aphrodite's Spring of Cleansing, Lower Realm, Myriad]═━┈─
"Knowing you now, I would've bet a legendary weapon on you winning," Lilith giggled, tucking a lock of red hair behind her ear charmingly.
"Same," Luna, the blonde elf on his left arm, giggled. "Your confidence is unshakable."
"And confusing," Minx smirked sharply, attracting everyone's attention. "If you won tonight, why did you get into a fight before you got here? It looks like you lost."
"Oh?" Grey smirked back. "Do you always inspect men so thoroughly? Or am I special?"
Minx's black cat ears twitched, and her face flushed crimson. She immediately pulled her axe from the water and swung it at Grey at a ghostly speed.