My Scumbag System-Chapter 275: The Scumbag, the Bat, and the Wardrobe
Day Five
"No," Natalia said, pointing at the holographic map on my desk. "If we enter from the south, we’ll hit the main spawn point first. We should come in from the east, work our way around counterclockwise."
We were alone in my room, ostensibly reviewing strategy for the Gate run. Her combat suit was halfway unzipped, the top portion hanging around her waist, leaving her in just a tank top. Purple hair cascaded over her bare shoulders. The soft glow from the hologram painted blue patterns on her skin.
I leaned closer, examining the map. "You’re right. That’s smarter."
I looked up to find her watching me, her purple eyes glinting with triumph and something darker, hungrier.
I smirked. "Good catch."
Then I kissed her. Not a peck, not a tease—a deep, possessive kiss. My tongue slid against hers, deliberately sharing the [Nectar]. This would be her fourth exposure in three days. Each one stronger than the last.
Her response was immediate and violent. She practically melted against me, her body molding to mine with desperate intensity. A small, needy sound escaped her throat. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, deeper.
When I finally broke the kiss, she was trembling. Her pupils were so dilated her eyes looked black instead of purple. Her breathing came in short, shallow gasps.
"We... we should get back to the strategy," she said, her voice husky. But her eyes never left my lips.
"Later," I promised, brushing my thumb across her swollen lower lip. "I think we deserve a break first, don’t you?"
She didn’t argue. She couldn’t. The [Nectar] had her firmly in its grip now. The queen was still a queen—but she was becoming more and more my queen with each passing day.
===
Day Six
Massive black crates were delivered to Onyx House that morning. They bore the logo of Hephaestus’s Hammer, the armory we’d visited on the mainland. Everyone gathered in the common room with Christmas-morning excitement as Braxton pried open the first crate.
"Listen up," he said, pulling out a datapad. "This is the final roster for tomorrow’s Gate run. The top seven, based on the past week’s performance: Isabelle, Raphael, Hikari, Satori, Skylar, Juan, and Soomin."
A mixture of relief and disappointment rippled through the room. Marco clapped Malachi on the shoulder consolingly. Jacob looked relieved to be excluded. Natalia, standing off to the side in her academy uniform, caught my eye.
"Gear’s here," Braxton continued, gesturing to the crates. "Custom made based on your measurements and Aspect requirements. Try it on, make sure it fits."
Everyone rushed forward, eagerly searching for their name.
Hikari found hers first, squealing with delight as she pulled out a massive flail with retractable, glowing spikes. She swung it experimentally, nearly taking Marco’s head off.
"This is so awesome!" Her smile was wide enough to split her face. "Look at the spikes! They glow! They actually glow!"
Isabelle unveiled her spear next, a sleek, aerodynamic weapon in dark, shimmering metal that hummed with latent wind energy. She examined it with royal approval, her wine-red eyes assessing its balance and craftsmanship.
Skylar’s knives came in a slim black case. When she opened it, I saw they were coated in a matte black, light-absorbing material that made them look like holes cut in reality itself. She ran a finger along the flat of one blade, a rare smile playing at her lips.
Soomin approached her crate with trepidation, as if expecting something inside to bite her. She pulled out a pair of elegant silver gauntlets with retractable claws that shimmered with faint blue light. Fear and fascination warred on her face as she slipped them onto her trembling hands.
Finally, Braxton unveiled the new Onyx Hounds uniforms. Black and ash grey, with custom modifications for each member’s Aspect and fighting style. They looked nothing like the standard-issue trainee gear we’d been wearing. These were the uniforms of a cohesive, deadly special-ops team. For the first time, we actually looked the part.
Then everyone turned to me expectantly. My crate was noticeably nowhere to be found.
"What’d you get, Nakano?" Raphael called, already admiring his new reinforced gauntlets.
I went upstairs and came back down with a baseball bat. Not just any bat—this was a professional-grade, solid metal bat with the words "DURABLE BASEBALL BAT" laser-etched into the side.
A moment of stunned silence fell over the room.
Then Raphael burst out laughing. "A baseball bat? Are you fucking kidding me, Nakano? You’re bringing a toy to a Gate fight?"
"Bold choice," Isabelle commented, her wine-red eyes curious.
Juan yawned from his corner. "Batting for the fences, huh?"
With my Strength stat and the bat’s durability, I could smash through concrete like it was styrofoam. Their fancy weapons might look more impressive, but this would get the job done. Besides, there’s a certain psychological advantage to beating monsters to death with something so mundane. It sends a message.
I caught Natalia’s eye across the room. She raised an eyebrow, the ghost of a smile playing at her lips. She, at least, understood. Sometimes the most overlooked tools deliver the most devastating results.
===
Day Seven – Night
My new Onyx Hounds combat suit was laid out on my bed. Black and ash grey, reinforced in all the right places, yet flexible enough for my fighting style. My baseball bat leaned against the wall beside it. Tomorrow, we’d be entering the Gate at dawn.
I called up my status screen with a thought.
SATORI NAKANO
Level: 1 | Title: KOGH, TSP | Class: None | Schema Points: 515
ATTRIBUTES:
Strength: B-680 | Endurance: C-458
Dexterity: C-469 [+150] | Magic: A-806
Agility: B-659
ACTIVE ABILITIES (2/2):
Ember, Sever
PASSIVE ABILITIES (2/4):
Mysticism, Protection From Arrows
DEVELOPMENTAL ABILITIES:
Combat Arts (F),
SKILLS & TRAITS:
Siren’s Gaze, Intermediate Kama Sutra, Basic First Aid, Rivalry, Consort’s Touch, Perfumer, Intermediate Pressure points, Devil’s Advocate, Rockstar Made, Fairy Tale Princess, Kingmaker’s Aura, Nectar of the Gods
Five hundred and fifteen Schema Points. I’d passed the 500 mark, and not a peep from Apollo. No special banner, no limited-time offer. That theatrical bastard was waiting, watching. He wouldn’t make it that easy.
He’d drop the banner when I was in the middle of a fight, when I was desperate, when I had to make a choice under pressure. That was his style. Fine. I’d play his game. I’d save the points for now.
I slipped into the combat suit, testing its range of motion. Perfect. Then I looked at my reflection in the dark window. The pathetic, overweight Satori Nakano I’d been just a few months ago was gone. So, too, was the jaded Kaelen. What stood before me now was something new—a king in black and grey, surrounded by a pack of loyal, broken, beautiful wolves.
I picked up the baseball bat. Gave it a test swing. The air whistled.
A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. When I opened it, Natalia stood in the hallway, already in her combat suit, her face set with grim determination. Her purple hair was pulled back into a tight, practical ponytail. Her eyes blazed with competitive fire.
"It’s time," she said. "Braxton wants us at the briefing room. The Sentinels just arrived."
Together, we walked toward the briefing room, toward our rivals, toward the Gate that awaited us at dawn.
The hunt was about to begin. And I was very, very hungry.
