What is… Where am I? It's… warm.
Consciousness returned slowly. The first thing he felt was a comforting heat on his body. Then the sound of gentle breathing. Finally, the weight of arms embracing him.
He opened his eyes, the pale light of the morning sunlight through glass illuminating the room.
"Good morning my love."
He looked down to see a blushing Amelia resting her head on his chest from the side of the bed. She was wearing a uniform and already looked like she had showered and cleaned up for the day.
"Oh… hey. How long have you been there?" Judas mumbled, his words slurred.
"Mmm. About an hour?" Her hand slipped up his chest, then arm, before resting on his hand, interlocking her fingers with his. "I have plans for today."
"It's the weekend yeah? Why are you dressed up in uniform?"
She sighed in frustration pressing her head on his chest. "Student council things. I have some obligations that are forcing me to head to campus today." She squeezed his hand. "I wish I could spend every minute with you, but I promise I will text you lots."
She tilted her head upward, making eye contact. "Don't forget to reply."
After last night… She's still on that. He sighed. Baby steps Judas.
"I won't forget," he said, running his free hand through her golden curls. "What kind of student council stuff?"
"Emergency budget meeting. Some drama with the spring formal committee." She rolled her eyes. "Politics. But being vice president means I can't just skip it."
Vice president? That's… actually pretty impressive.
"You never mentioned you were VP."
Amelia's cheeks pinked slightly. "It's not that big a deal. Just means I get to deal with everyone else's problems." She paused, looking uncertain. "Does it… matter to you? That I'm involved in campus politics?"
The vulnerability in her voice caught him off guard. Even after everything, she still worried about his opinion of her.
"Are you kidding? That's amazing. You're basically running the school."
Her smile was brilliant and genuine. "Not running it. Just… influencing it." She kissed his chest softly. "I might be able to pull some strings for you. Academic accommodations, internship credits, that kind of thing. If you ever need it."
Huh. Having a connection in the student government might actually be useful.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said, then leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Go handle your politics. I'll be here when you get back."
Amelia sat up, looking at him with that intense stare that made his pulse quicken. "Promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me you'll miss me today. Even if it's just a little."
The earnestness in her voice made his chest tight. "I promise."
She leaned down and kissed him goodbye—soft, sweet, but with enough heat behind it to remind him exactly what they'd done last night. When she pulled back, her eyes were glassy.
"I love you," she whispered. "Even if you're not ready to say it back yet."
Before he could respond, she was gathering her bag and heading for the door. She paused at the threshold, looking back with that perfect smile.
"Remember. Text me back. Every time."
Then she was gone, leaving him alone with the scent of her perfume and the weight of her words.
I probably do love you.
The phrase hung in the air like a challenge. Did he love her back? He cared about her, definitely. The sex had been incredible. But love…
You nearly died defending her. You've rearranged your entire life around making her happy. If that's not love, what is it?
He was still wrestling with the thought when purple light erupted in his bedroom doorway.
Sera materialized, but she was different. Instead of her usual confident smirk, she looked… tired. Her purple hair was slightly disheveled, and her usual perfect posture was gone.
"Morning," she said quietly, not quite meeting his eyes.
"You look like hell," Judas said, sitting up in bed. "Everything okay?"
"Define okay." She moved to his desk chair and sat down heavily. "The system's been… noisy since you completed the Amelia quest. Lots of updates. Lots of changes."
"Changes like what?"
"Like this." She waved her hand, and a holographic interface exploded into
[CONGRATULATIONS: FIRST MAJOR QUEST COMPLETE]
[JACKPOT CLAIMED: 441XP, (SSR) RANK CHEAT ABILITY "I CAN'T STOP WINNING!"]
[SUBQUEST COMPLETE!]
[REWARD: 71xp, ENDER'S WATCH]
"Right… that. I was too exhausted last night to look everything over."
"This isn't all," Sera interjected, shaking her head. "This cheat ability is game breaking. Open your abilities menu."
Judas nodded hesitantly. "Abilities."
[Chaotic Motion - EFFECT: Movement becomes unpredictable when panicked.]
His eyes trailed down further on the interface… then—
[I Can't Stop Winning! - EFFECT: User will spin Jackpot with 100% probability! Note: During jackpot cooldown user will roll maximum luck spins.]
Sera's eyes narrowed, her lips pursed. "This isn't normal. Not by any means. The system was designed too…" Her voice trailed off, as if catching herself saying something she wasn't supposed to.
"Isn't this good? No bad luck spins right?"
She looked up at him, her body still tensed. "When you complete a jackpot, you get a 7-day cooldown period where you can't hit another jackpot. But here's the problem - after those 7 days are up, your new cheat ability kicks in. Every spin will be a jackpot, which means a new main quest. You'll be forced to build a harem whether you want to or not."
What the fuck? Judas's hand clenched his chest, eyes wide in realization. "Like… Amelia? There will be more?"
She nodded solemnly. "Yes. You will be exempt from daily spins during a quest unless you choose to, but you will never have more than a week in your life without a main quest active." Sera crossed her arms tightly, with an uncharacteristic frown. "And penalties… for main quests are severe."
Harem Roulette. I guess the name is fitting. But I didn't ask for this. Why is my 'reward' a curse in disguise? Why the fuck is this happening to me?
He grit his teeth. "Is… is that everything?"
She shook her head and waved her finger again.
[AMELIA HART - BOND STATUS: ABSOLUTE DEVOTION]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 512 EXP]
[LEVEL UP! 1-> 8]
[NEW RESOURCE UNLOCKED: SOUL POINTS (SP)]
[CURRENT SP: 25]
[SKILL TREE UNLOCKED!]
[ITEMS UNLOCKED!]
The display shifted, showing three branching paths that looked like something out of a video game.
[GLADIATOR BRANCH] - Combat abilities, physical enhancement, magic
[CHARISMA BRANCH] - Social manipulation, emotional control, leadership
[INTIMACY BRANCH] - Bond strengthening, pleasure enhancement, relationship depth
"Holy shit," Judas breathed. "This is…"
"A lot," Sera finished. "And it gets more complicated. System, show him the daily requirement update."
[DAILY SPIN REQUIREMENT: ACTIVE]
[JACKPOT COOLDOWN: 7 DAYS]
[HIGH LUCK SPINS AVAILABLE DURING COOLDOWN]
"Okay, break this down for me," Judas said, rubbing his temples. "Because my brain is not working yet."
Sera stood and moved closer to the bed, her usual teasing energy replaced by something more serious.
"SP comes from relationship milestones. Intimate moments, emotional breakthroughs, successful romance progression. The deeper your bonds, the more points you earn."
She gestured to the skill tree. "You can spend those points to enhance yourself. Combat abilities for fighting, charisma for social situations, intimacy for… well, you can guess."
What am I exactly fighting? But Judas didn't linger on the thought long.
"And the daily spins?"
"You still have to spin every day or die - that rule never changes. But for the next week, the machine is locked out of jackpots. Instead, you'll get smaller rewards and subquests to keep you busy until the big stuff starts again."
Judas stared at the floating interface. "This is insane. I went from being a broke college student to… what? Some kind of supernatural player character?"
"More or less." Sera's voice was quiet. "The question is: what kind of player do you want to be?"
Something in her tone made him look at her more closely. There were shadows under her eyes, and her hands were trembling slightly.
"Sera, what's wrong? And don't say 'nothing' because you look like you haven't slept."
She was quiet for a long moment, staring at the skill tree display. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"You're my first assignment."
"You mentioned that before."
"No, you don't understand." She turned to face him, and her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "I'm new. I don't have experience with other players, other assignments. I don't know what I'm doing."
The admission hung in the air between them. Judas felt something twist in his chest.
"You seem to know what you're doing."
"I'm winging it!" The words burst out of her, raw and desperate. "Every day I'm making it up as I go. The system gives me basic information, but it doesn't tell me how to handle… this."
"This?"
"Watching you fall in love with someone else." Her voice cracked. "Watching you build something beautiful with Amelia while I'm just… the help. The tutorial NPC who explains the mechanics."
Judas felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. "Sera…"
"I know what I am," she continued, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. "I'm not human. I'm not real in the way she is. I'm a construct designed to serve a function. But somewhere along the way, I started… feeling things. And I don't know how to turn it off."
Without thinking, Judas reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her down to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Look at me," he said firmly. "You are real. Your feelings are real. And you're not just 'the help.'"
"Then what am I?"
He was quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words.
"You're the person who saved my life. The beautiful girl who I have no right being beside. The same Sera that teases me while making sure I'm safe in the same sentence." He smiled at her warmly, his grogginess now fully gone.
"You're the one who explained everything when I was drowning in confusion. You're the one who watched over me, protected me, guided me through all of this insanity."
Her hand was small and warm in his, and he could feel her trembling.
"You matter, Sera. Not just as my guide, but as… you. Whatever you are, whoever you are, you matter to me."
She stared at him with wide, vulnerable eyes. "Even though I'm not human?"
"I don't care about that. You chose to worry about me."
"Can I…" She hesitated, biting her lip. "Can I just… be close to you for a minute? I know Amelia wouldn't like it, but I just need…"
"Come here," he said, opening his arms.
This is the least I can do for her. I'm just a normal guy betting against some cosmic system and she's the only person who gets who I actually am. I can't risk losing her.
Sera practically collapsed into his embrace, pressing her face against his chest. Her whole body was shaking as weeks of suppressed emotion finally found release.
"I was so scared you wouldn't need me anymore," she whispered into his shirt. "That once you figured everything out, I'd just… disappear."
"Not happening," Judas said, running his hand through her purple hair. "I don't care what the system says, I don't care what your 'function' is supposed to be. You're staying."
He grinned at her sheepishly. "I'm really not the smartest guy, so I doubt I'll ever figure this whole gambling thing without you. That means you'll have to be my guide forever. Sorry in advance."
She chuckled, relaxing in his arms. "You're not the virgin gambler I met a few days ago. You've grown, haven't you?"
"Thanks to you."
She sighed shakily. "I'm a pathetic guide looking for comfort from her player. This is embarrassing even for a first assignment."
This embrace felt different than Amelia. There wasn't as much sexual tension, but more… protective. Like he was comforting a wounded animal. "I'd ask for you as a guide in every lifetime. Are you feeling better?"
Sera nodded against his chest, then pulled back to look at him. Her eyes were red-rimmed but clearer.
"Thank you," she said softly. "I needed to hear that."
"Anytime."
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, some of her usual composure returning. "We should probably focus on your upgrades. Amelia's going to be texting soon, and we need to get you prepared for whatever comes next."
"Right." Judas looked back at the skill tree display. "Any recommendations?"
"Depends on what you think you'll need. Combat abilities will help if you run into more situations like the Tyson fight. Charisma will make social situations easier. And intimacy…"
"Will help with relationship management," he finished.
"Among other things." A hint of her old teasing smile returned. "Though I should warn you, some of the higher-tier intimacy abilities are… intense."
"Define intense."
"Let's just say they could make your partners very, very happy."
Heat crawled up Judas's neck. "Right. Okay. For now, let's focus on practical stuff. Combat and charisma."
"Smart choice." Sera waved her hand, and the skill tree zoomed in on the Gladiator and Charisma branches.
[GLADIATOR - TIER 1]
Phantom Step (5 SP): Enhanced agility, short-range teleportation
Iron Will (3 SP): Resistance to fear and intimidation
Combat Instinct (4 SP): Improved reaction time and threat assessment
[CHARISMA - TIER 1]
Silver Tongue (3 SP): Enhanced persuasion and negotiation
Emotional Insight (4 SP): Read others' feelings and motivations
Crowd Control (5 SP): Influence group dynamics and social situations
"Phantom Step sounds useful," Judas said. "Especially after that thing with Tyson."
"Good choice. That was actually your Chaotic Motion ability activating, but Phantom Step will give you conscious control over spatial movement."
"And maybe Silver Tongue? If I'm going to keep managing relationship drama…"
"Also smart." Sera's fingers danced through the interface. "That leaves you with 17 SP remaining. Save them for now—you'll want options when new situations arise."
[PHANTOM STEP - LEARNED]
[SILVER TONGUE - LEARNED]
[SP REMAINING: 17]
Judas felt a strange tingling sensation, like electricity running through his nervous system. For a moment, the world seemed more vivid—colors brighter, sounds clearer, his body more responsive.
"Whoa."
"Yeah, that's normal. Your body's adapting to the new abilities. Try standing up."
Judas swung his legs out of bed and stood. Immediately, he noticed the difference. His balance was perfect, his movements more fluid. He could sense the distance to every object in the room without looking.
"This is incredible."
"And you're just getting started." Sera dismissed the interface with a wave. "Now, we should talk about what happens next."
"Next?"
"Daily spin time. You need to spin today, and every day, or the system will kill you. But since you're in the jackpot cooldown, you'll get a subquest instead of a major quest."
"Right." Judas checked his phone. Two messages from Amelia already. "How does this work?"
"Same as before, but the machine will look different. Less dramatic. Think of it as… practice rounds."
Purple light swirled in the corner of his bedroom, coalescing into a smaller version of the original slot machine. This one was sleeker, more compact, with silver accents instead of gold.
[DAILY SPIN AVAILABLE]
[SUBQUEST ROULETTE ACTIVE]
[SPIN TO CONTINUE]
Judas approached the machine and grabbed the lever. It felt lighter than before, more responsive.
"Here goes nothing."
He pulled.
The reels spun quickly, settling into place with soft chimes instead of the dramatic crashes from before.
[SUBQUEST UNLOCKED: MASTER BASIC COMBAT]
[REQUIREMENT: Complete combat training session with Guide]
[REWARD: +2 Combat SP, +1 Agility]
[TIME LIMIT: 24 Hours]
"Combat training with you?" Judas asked.
Sera's smile was back to its usual mischievous quality. "I may be a guide, but I'm not defenseless. The void realm doesn't create weaklings."
"Fair enough. When do we start?"
"After you handle your girlfriend situation." She gestured to his phone, which was buzzing again. "Three texts in ten minutes. She's getting anxious."
Judas grabbed his phone and read the messages.
Amelia: Good morning! Miss you already <3
Amelia: Meeting is boring. Thinking about last night <3<3
Amelia: You're being quiet… everything okay?
"See what I mean?" Sera said. "The stronger your bond gets, the more intense her attachment becomes. It's not necessarily unhealthy, but it requires… management."
Judas typed back quickly:
Judas: Sorry, just woke up. Everything's fine. Good luck with your meeting.
The response was immediate:
Amelia: Thank you :) What are you doing today?
He hesitated, glancing at Sera.
Judas: Just relaxing at home. Maybe some reading.
Reading. Right. If combat training counts as reading.
Amelia: I'll be done around 2. Can I come over?
Judas: Of course.
Amelia: Perfect! I love you!
He stared at those three words on the screen, feeling that familiar tightness in his chest.
"She really means it," Sera said softly, reading over his shoulder.
"Yeah."
"How do you feel about that?"
"Terrified," he admitted. "But also… good? I've never had anyone care about me like this before."
"Just remember, love this intense can be a gift or a burden, depending on how you handle it."
"Speaking from experience?"
Sera's expression grew distant. "Not personal experience. But I've seen what obsessive love can do to people. The good and the bad."
Judas set his phone aside and looked at her—purple hair catching the morning light, blue eyes still slightly red from crying, that otherworldly beauty that marked her as something beyond human.
"What about you?" he asked suddenly.
"What about me?"
"You said you've been feeling things. What kind of things?"
Sera went very still, and for a moment he thought she wasn't going to answer.
"Protective instincts," she said finally. "Pride when you succeed. Anxiety when you're in danger. And… something else. Something I don't have words for."
"Try."
She met his eyes, and her voice was barely a whisper.
"When I watch you with Amelia, I feel like I'm losing something I never had. Like I'm watching a story I want to be part of but can't."
The honesty in her voice hit him like a physical blow.
"Sera…"
"I know it's inappropriate. I know it complicates everything. But you asked."
They stared at each other in silence, the weight of her confession hanging between them. Judas felt like he was standing at the edge of a cliff, looking down at a drop he couldn't measure.
"I don't know what to say," he admitted.
"You don't have to say anything. Just… don't treat me like I'm only a guide anymore. Please."
"Deal."
Her smile was soft and grateful and heartbreakingly vulnerable.
"Now," she said, some of her professional composure returning, "shall we get started on that combat training? We have until 2 PM before your girlfriend arrives."
"Right. Training. How exactly do we—"
Sera's form shimmered, and suddenly she was wearing form-fitting black combat gear that looked like it belonged in a sci-fi movie. The outfit hugged every curve while providing obvious protection, and she held a pair of curved daggers that seemed to absorb light.
"Like this," she said with a grin. "Hope you're ready to learn, my favorite gambler."
Judas looked down at his pajama pants and old t-shirt.
"I'm definitely not ready."
"Then let's fix that," she purred, wearing a mischievous smile.