Chapter 152| Super Dex I

Chapter 152: Chapter 152| Super Dex I

"Wow, I’m so full," Nil groaned, sliding down in her chair until her head rested on the backrest. Four empty dumpling baskets sat in front of her like evidence.

"You ate half of Sera’s wrap," Maren said.

"I ate a quarter of Sera’s wrap."

"Half," Sera said, not looking up from her coffee.

"Details," Nil said.

Zane watched her demolish the last dumpling and thought, ’Do all sexy girls eat this way, or is this a one-time thing?’

Maren glanced at her communicator and straightened. "Nil. It’s time we bounced."

"Can’t we wait a little longer?"

"No. We have things to do."

"You have things to do. I have a stomach to protect."

"Nil."

"Fine, fine." Nil heaved herself upright and stretched with both arms over her head, her top riding up an inch. Then she leaned toward Zane, so close her hair brushed his cheek, and dropped her voice to a whisper.

"I wasn’t lying about those rewards."

Zane stopped chewing.

"Come on, girl," Maren said, hooking Nil’s elbow and hauling her out of the booth. "Before you say something else."

"I said nothing else!"

"You were about to."

They crossed the cafeteria together, Maren steering and Nil protesting. Zane’s eyes followed them without his permission. Nil’s skirt hugged the curve of her big ass with every step, and her waist swayed in an easy, practised rhythm that seemed to know exactly who was watching.

Heat shot straight through him. He was hard again.

’Is she toying with me?’ he thought.

『 System Note: Nil Valkyrie is very likely toying with the host. The system finds it effective. 』

’You’re not helping.’

『 The system is not trying to help. 』

"So you like big asses and all," Sera said.

Zane snapped around.

Sera sat across from him with her chin propped on one hand, olive eyes half-lidded, watching him the way she’d watched the heat trails in Arena Two. Steady. Patient. A little too amused.

"What?" Zane said.

"You were staring."

"I wasn’t staring."

"You were mapping." She took a sip of coffee. "Cartography, practically."

"I didn’t hear a word you said."

"Mm." The corner of her mouth lifted. "Never mind."

She set her cup down and stood, tugging her hoodie straight over her skirt.

"I should go too," Sera said. "I need to catch up on some things. See you around, Zane."

"See you."

She walked away without looking back. Halfway to the door she lifted a hand over her shoulder in a small, lazy wave.

Zane sat alone with a cooling bowl and a very complicated lunch.

『 System Note: The host has been outplayed by two girls in the same hour. 』

’Don’t.’

『 The system will say it anyway. 』

He left the cafeteria with his face still warm.

_ _

Zane went straight to Room 714 after stuffing his stomach full. The room was cooler than the corridor.

Dex sat at his desk with a bag of chips in one hand and his laptop propped open in front of him. Gerald wheezed softly in the vent. The blinds were half-drawn, and dust drifted through the stripes of afternoon light.

"You’re back early," Dex said, without looking up.

"Skipped the afternoon lecture."

"Naturally." Dex finally swivelled his chair and took a better look at him. He paused with a chip halfway to his mouth. "Something’s bothering you."

"Not really."

"You’ve got the face."

"I don’t have a face."

"You’ve had the face since the door." Dex pointed the chip at him. "Let me guess. Ryan Castellan."

Zane stopped with one shoe off.

"Whoa. How did you know?"

"Three different people have texted me about it. One of them sent a voice note." Dex shook his head. "You’ve been in this school for a couple of months and you already have a gallery challenge. That’s some kind of record."

"It’s not a record."

"It’s a record in my book." Dex dropped the chip bag on his desk and leaned back. "He asked you in the courtyard, right? Wednesday. Arena One."

"Yeah. I haven’t said yes."

"But you will."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Because it’s true." Dex’s grin faded into something quieter. "You’re not the type to say no when someone says your father’s name like that."

Zane didn’t answer. He set his shoe by the bed and sat down.

For a while they just sat there. The vent rattled. Somewhere down the corridor a door slammed.

"Can I ask you something?" Zane said.

"You can ask me anything. I won’t promise to answer."

"How good do you think he is?" Zane asked.

"Ryan?" Dex’s eyes drifted toward the ceiling. "Good. Better than people give him credit for. He doesn’t look dangerous until he is." He shrugged. "That’s all you get tonight. I’m not handing you a strategy guide before you’ve even said yes."

"Fair."

Dex studied him for another moment, and then something changed in his face. The usual lazy ease sharpened into a spark.

"Hey," he said. "Want to train a little tomorrow? With Super Dex?"

"Super Dex?"

"That’s my training name."

"You just made that up."

"I did not." Dex pointed at himself with both thumbs. "Years of reputation. Feared across the first-year block."

"You wake up at eight," Zane said.

"A man needs his rest," Dex said.

Zane laughed, short and surprised. It loosened something in his chest he hadn’t known was knotted.

"I’ll definitely kick your ass," Zane said.

"Big words from a man who’s never beaten me," Dex said.

"I beat you in the rank drill."

"That was teamwork."

"I took you down in Arena Two," Zane said.

"That was a draw, and you know it." Dex held out his fist. "Tomorrow. Deal?"

Zane bumped it.

"Deal," he said. "What time?"

"Early. Properly early, before breakfast, before anybody else is up."

"You’ll sleep through it," Zane said.

"I’ll set three alarms," Dex said.

"Gerald will wake up before you do."

The vent wheezed on cue.

"Gerald’s on my side," Dex said solemnly.

Zane lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. The light through the blinds slid across the plaster in slow gold bars. Two days until Wednesday. A Sigil he knew and a man he didn’t for the most part. A table full of people he’d never expected to have.

『 System Note: The host’s mood has improved. 』

’I’m just tired.’

『 The system will log it as improved. 』

Dex went back to his laptop. Zane closed his eyes.

"Hey, Zane," Dex said after a minute, not turning around.

"Yeah?"

"Whatever you decide on Wednesday, I’ve got your back."

Zane didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.

The vent wheezed. The laptop clicked. Somewhere beyond the wall, the campus went on being loud.