Chapter 23: Chapter 23 - Gambit's Challenge
All attention was now on Zefer and the trio of boys. Whispers came from those passing by. Everyone seemed to stop to observe what was going on. All because they had overheard one person challenge three people. The challenge wasn't your typical Gambit's Challenge consisting of one-on-one. This challenge was a party challenge.
Gambit's challenge was when one person challenged another. One had to call out the person they were challenging, followed by the game type to initiate a challenge. The game type could have been anything from a simple coin flip to playing a game of cards. Most people went with battles because they were the easiest way to demonstrate their power and improve.
Afterward came the rewards for winning or losing, usually known as the Condition. The Condition could be anything ranging from Coins to favors, even sexual pleasure. Due to this, the Challenged did not have to be accepted and could decline. Anyone who partook of Gambit's Challenge accepted the Condition as a binding contract, and those that did not hold up their end of the bargain were punished severely.
Of course, the prompt screen always displayed the match type and conditions for winning or losing so the challenged could review them and decide if they wanted to partake in the challenge or not. It was this reason that people could not complain if they lost because they willingly participated in the challenge and voluntarily agreed to the terms.
"What the hell!?" Frank, a tall jock with brown hair and green eyes, saw the screen prompt that came from his bracelet in front of him.
"A party challenge?" Francis, another jock, just short of Frank with black hair and brown eyes, also saw the same prompt.
"It must be that idiot!" Ben, the shortest of the three jocks with blond hair and blue eyes, said as he pointed at Zefer.
Once more, murmurs filled the hall as everyone waited in anticipation for what was about to happen. The petite raven-haired girl looked past the trio of boys to see who it was, and when she saw it was her prince, her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Ze-" The girl was about to call out to him but stopped herself. She was overly excited because her prince had come to save her; however, she was mistaken. Zefer wasn't here to save her; he was here to beat the shit out of those three for their deeds. Regardless, she didn't need to know that.
Frank looked at Zefer as he pushed away from the girl. Ben and Francis followed him like the side-kicks they were. All three boys stopped in front of Zefer and looked down at him. Well, mostly Frank and Francis since they were taller than Zefer.
"Haaah, what is this? Some first year trash? Look kid, piss off if you know what's good for you. I'll let this slide since you are a first year." Frank said since he didn't find Zefer all that intimidating.
Frank was a C Rank, a fire specialist, with lots of Coins resting at 2,390. His stats surpassed Zefer's by four points, even his endurance which was one of Zefer's best stats. Still, that didn't scare him off.
Stats were numbers, numbers that could be increased even during battle. Zefer knew that once he began his plan to destroy this city, he would be up against people stronger than him. Of course, they wouldn't fight him one-on-one either, so he was pretty much preparing himself for the future right now.
As for Francis and Ben were more around his stats, with Ben being below his stats. Francis was a D Rank while Ben was an E Rank. It was rather funny since third years should have been C Rank by now like Frank, but that meant that Francis and Ben were of the weaker bunch and below average for their course level.
"That so? I suppose if you are scared, you would want to back down." Zefer remarked as he stared at Frank's backside since the male turned away from him to walk off and leave.
However, Zefer's taunting words caused him to stop. A smirk curved behind his apathetic expression, not because Frank stopped, but because of what appeared before him.
[Skill Provoke Learned!]
"Oh, this system thing just keeps getting better and better." Ina spoke inside of Zefer's head with a giggle.
"Soooo... you want to get your ass beat now, eh? Fine. Fine. I don't mind putting your stupid ass in place. Let's go, punk!" Frank quickly pushed the accept prompt since his finger had hovered over the decline button; however, even if he was ready to fight, he was waiting on his friends to accept.
"Well, if you want to do this." Francis said and hit the accept button.
"Cool, I don't mind having a shuttle." Ben said and hit the accept button.
With that, a field emerged between the trio and Zefer that would keep people not affiliated with this challenge outside. Unlike usual, where bystanders just watched, many were now using the camera feature of their LCB's to record this fight since it wasn't your everyday challenge.
"As if my prince would lose, beat their asses, Zeffy!" The petite girl screamed inside as she watched the event unfold. She had given Zefer a cute nickname all on her own. Even though she had never once spoken a word to the boy, her affections and thoughts were one-sided, solely created by her mental capacity.
Francis was the first to act, creating a long staff from an earth element in his hands. Unlike Luke, he didn't need to use the earth as a source since he could use the Mana in the air. Francis swiftly charged Zefer with a flurry of thrusts followed by a flourish of swings. Zefer watched Francis's movement and did his best to dodge each of them.
Zefer dodged the swings and thrusts; however, he was up against three people. The other two weren't simply going to stand back and do nothing. Ben was the next to act, holding the wrist of one arm with the palm open. Water began to build up at the palm before releasing it at Zefer.
If it weren't for Zefer keeping an eye on Ben and Frank, he wouldn't have caught Ben building up Mana for an attack. So, the moment Ben released the large bullet of water, Zefer jumped back, attempting to do a backflip to avoid not only the shot but Francis' swings.
Zefer landed on the palm of his hand and pushed off of them only to land onto his feet. Although, he kissed his teeth since he hadn't received any notification saying Zefer unlocked Acrobatics even though he stuck the landing.
"What the hell!?" Francis exclaimed since he wasn't expecting that. Even Ben was astonished since he figured that he would have at least created an opening for Frank to follow up with a ball of flames; however, Zefer's dodge left them speechless for a second.
"Well, I mean, it isn't going to be that easy. So, let's chalk that one up to luck, okay?" Ina remarked, which caused Zefer to sigh inside before resetting his focus on the battle.
"Holy shit, did you see that!?" Someone on the outside said.
"That was sooo fucking cool!" Another person added.
"Hey, who is that person anyways!?" Another inquired.
"I don't know, but he's super hot right now. Maybe I can get his number after this." Another voice pitched in.
"You are just sooo cool, Zeffy." The petite girl squirmed as her eyes remained glued to Zefer. Still, when she heard someone talking about getting Zefer's number, her entire personality flipped from timid to batshit crazy as she walked over to the girl.
A crazy smile curved across her lips as he approached the girl and tapped upon her shoulder. "Excuse me, but are you trying to hit on Zeffy?" The petite girl inquired innocently.
The random chick who said something about getting Zefer's number looked at the petite girl before her, "Uhh... Zeffy? You mean that hot dude over there?" The girl asked, pointing at Zefer.
"Ah, so you were..." The petite girl said without even having to follow the girl's finger. Instantly the small girl created a dagger of ice in her hand, which she pressed against the girl's throat, her eyes open, giving off this crazy look in them with a soft shimmering and creepy glow. "I'll let you off just this one, but if you even try to touch my Zeffy, I will be sure to gut you like a fish, understand?"
Everyone around the chick and the petite girl were speechless, and the chick being threatened could do nothing but nod in silence as she felt both a warm and cold sensation near her neck. A nick in the neck could be seen with a silver of blood running down.
"Good. Now off with you. You can have any boy in the school, but Zeffy is mine." The petite girl turned away, dismissing her dagger as her personality changed again, becoming innocent as she watched Zefer continue his fight against the three boys.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
R_V_R
R_V_R OOF! 3 vs 1?
Don't you think you are a little in over your head, Zefer?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone