He sat on the edge of the bed, looking down between his legs at the glowing system screen still floating before him-the numbers, the stats, the feeling of being a part of something like a game he never signed up for to begin with was surreal. And now Lustina spoke of training-sexual enhancement training.
He breathed hard. "Very well, Lustina. This 'training', specifically, involves?
She smiled, crossing her legs as she leaned back into the chair opposite him. The poor light seemed to give the red material of her dress a shimmering effect.
You have to build up stamina, discipline, and precision. Performance with Adam isn't about delivering; it is about who lasts longer, who takes over the stage. One split second lose control, you lose all.
Jonny tensed. The whole idea of a live-streamed performance duel still made his stomach twist, but he knew he had no choice. To survive in this world, he needed to be at the top of his game.
"Alright," he grunted. "What do we start with?"
Lustina's smile stretched as, with a jerk of her wrist, another holographic screen flickered to life, this time with different statistics entitled Control Metrics:
[Arousal Threshold: 75%]
[Recovery Speed: 60%]
[Focus Retention: 80%]
Performance Endurance: 90%
"You've got a good baseline," Lustina said, tapping onto the screen. "But your threshold is too low. Right now, your body surrenders to pleasure too quickly. We have to push that up to at least 90% before your duel with Adam."
Jonny swallowed. "And how exactly do I do that?"
She rose then, pacing on him with an almost predatory grace. "It is all about the control, being able to push your body right to the edge without crossing over."
With a flick of fingers, a timer appeared onscreen.
"Your first task is easy," she said. "You are going to bring yourself to the edge-but you can't finish without my say-so. The longer you last, the more complete your control is.
Jonny's breath caught. His skin prickled to the challenge, but something deeper inside-the part of him that had learned to bend and twist in this crazy world-liked the scent of competition.
"Alright," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Let's do this."
The room shifted; the holographic system pulsed with the dimming of the lights, making the space around Jonny even more sensory. The temperature adjusted, and soft, rhythmic background music started playing, composed to enhance his concentration.
Lustina watched him from her chair, keen-eyed. "Your mind will want to give in. Your body will plead for release. But you have to fight it."
Slowly, Jonny exhaled. His fingers quivered; his breathing was normal. He was okay.
Minutes turned into more minutes. The body tensed, and senses heightened. Every second was long, and longer and even longer as his heart slammed along with a blinking timer facing him.
5 minutes… 8 minutes… 12 minutes…
Lustina sneered, "Not bad. Most recruits crack by this time."
Jonny's jaw clenched, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. "Not gonna lose."
"Good," she whispered, leaning in, "because in a real duel, the audience will be staring at every tic and tremble. If they smell weakness, they'll eat you alive."
His body seared with effort, every nerve on fire, but he fought through. Controlled. Measured. Unrelenting.
20 minutes… 25 minutes…
Finally, Lustina snapped her fingers. "Enough."
The screen flickered before him as Jonny collapsed onto the bed, huffing. His body was in agony, but in front of him, there popped up a notification:
[Control Metrics Improved!]
[Arousal Threshold: 82% → 89%]
[Focus Retention: 80% → 85%]
He beamed with exhaustion. "Hell yeah."
Lustina giggled. "Don't get cocky. That was just the beginning."
Scarcely had Jonny caught his breath when the system beeped again. In bold, a notification flashed upon the screen of the big TV mounted on the wall:
LIVE DUEL INVITATION RECEIVED
Challenger: Adam
Event: Performance Face-Off
Objective: Endure the Longest
Viewers: 1.2M (Pre-registered)
Jonny's blood ran cold. Over a million people?
A glint appeared in Lustina's eyes. "Looks like he's making his move."
Jonny sprang onto the bench, his heart racing. This was it; this wasn't training anymore.
"You have two days to prepare," Lustina said. "Rest, train, and get your head prepared. For when you enter that arena, it's all or nothing."
Jonny clenched his fists. He had come too far now to turn his back.
Two days. One fight. Millions of onlookers.
And he would win.