Lewd System: Every Scream and Moan is EXP Chapter 289 : The Highest Bounty

Finally, the tournament's most anticipated showdown was on the brink of starting.

This grand event had already etched itself into history as the ultimate inter-academy tournament ever seen. Princes and princesses from mighty empires clashed in one explosive competition packed with drama no scriptwriter could conjure.

Viewership soared to new heights, with every kingdom thrilled to display their youth's power, talent, and promise to the world.

Yet, as this world's hidden truth dictates: even a banquet worthy of deities will see some gag on their own spite.

Among those sputtering bitterness sat two prominent figures at the summit.

Matriarch Sianna came first. From her VIP perch, her gaze locked onto the two professors ready to clash—or rather, ready to shatter her world. She pondered every disastrous scenario if Jax claimed victory here.

His arrogant smirk from the wager haunted her. She now believed it was crafted to dismantle all she'd built over decades. One single day under his ownership as his slave, and she'd surrender her estates, enterprises, vaults, forces, lucrative ties, and partnerships—everything earned through her blood and sweat.

Every form of ruin crossed her mind. Save for the sole ruin he intended: her pussy.

Indeed, she'd painted Jax in her thoughts as a supreme schemer. A figure who knew from the outset this precise moment was inevitable. She'd been outmaneuvered in her own scheme right from the beginning, thinking herself the strategist while Jax controlled the entire game.

With every ounce of her soul, she damned him. And precisely one other matched her venomous loathing: Zoraven, teetering on utter catastrophe.

In the VIP area, he lurked in silence, eyes glued to the broadcast feed, muttering curses at every soul or thing that entered his sight—Zharina, Jax, Lysandra, the crew, even the skies, anyone at all.

His daughter Evangeline sat behind, studying her father's grim expression. Its gravity eclipsed even the moment he'd commanded the guild amid a abrupt asura outbreak in the dungeon—a peril threatening thousands' lives.

This crisis loomed even graver.

Pity stirred in her for him. Then she glanced at her neighbor and asked, "Why lend him such a fortune when you knew about his gambling compulsion?"

Claude Aleris occupied the seat next to hers. His face stayed impassive as he savored his wine and replied, "How else do you suppose I forged my empire?"

Evangeline blinked. "Sorry?"

With the faintest hint of a smile, Claude responded, "I'm a merchant at heart, dear. Profit drives me. Your innocent father handed me a golden chance."

He savored another sip.

"Plain handouts? No interest. I'd never waste time on loans with meager returns. But learning your father was wagering anew to bury his debts—and wagering against my son-in—"

He coughed.

"Ahem. Against my daughter's squad, that is. It let me settle a score with Senior Zoraven, plus snag guild shares as security."

Evangeline fixed him with a stare. "Your kind are the absolute scum."

Claude accepted it like praise.

Then she added, "Hold on. How did you foresee this wild turn of events?"

Claude offered no reply, merely nursing his wine with the poise of victory already secured pre-bout.

Evangeline steadied her nerves and faced the screen again. "Even so, Professor Zharina holds a massive edge, I believe."

"I beg to differ," Claude countered. "If that held, your father wouldn't look this grave. He spots the prodigy in that young man, as do I."

He reclined in his seat, indulging a silent swell of pride for his prospective son-in-law.

Down in the arena, Jax gripped dual swords, clad in runic gear for defense. Across from him, Zharina donned identical gear, her hands sheathed in those familiar gauntlets from Queen Sylvie's rescue.

The siren blared.

Cheers barely had time to erupt as the duo surged forward. Their velocity defied the crowd's sight—only billowing dust and hurled rocks marked the launches from their starting points.

Jax grinned watching Zharina barrel toward him. Her approach struck him as rash. Her path was crystal clear to him: a mighty strike aimed at his core, exposing several weak spots.

From a distance, he bellowed just before their collision. "Seriously? This is what you meant by revenge? Don’t tell me you just wanted a date with me and that’s why you’re so fixated on losing. Come on, give me something better than this."

Zharina flashed a grin right back at him.

That grin unsettled Jax completely. Still, he geared up to wrap up the battle in their next clash, reading her intentions with ease. Her right arm coiled for a punch, left hand pressed firmly to her chest. A stance designed for two key advantages: amplified power from the right and a shield against any sword thrust.

Spotting the vulnerability, Jax exploited it instantly. He switched his primary sword to his right hand to parry the punch, sending his left blade toward the arm locked against her chest. Pinned there, that limb lacked time to react beyond taking the hit via the gauntlet.

No gauntlet could withstand a straight sword blow without getting punctured or inflicting intense agony to expose gaps for subsequent strikes.

Their clash erupted.

Jax targeted her chest initially, angling his blessed sword to counter the punch. All unfolded precisely as anticipated. His left sword hit her palm squarely.

Yet, rather than agony, Zharina seized the blade's tip as if it were mere wood. She shattered it within her grasp. The metal disintegrated like brittle clay in her fingers.

Next, her powerful punch slammed into Jax’s blessed sword—the one proclaimed utterly unbreakable. A tremendous shockwave exploded from the collision, hurling Jax tumbling across the arena ground.

His thoughts struggled to comprehend the scene. He’d battled Zharina previously. But now, everything felt utterly transformed. Radically altered.

He examined his blades. One lay snapped in two. Worthless. The blessed sword, bestowed by a goddess with vows of indestructibility, stood warped. Genuinely warped. Appearing ready to fracture any second.

Jax uttered. "Impossible. How—"

His gaze then fixed on her gauntlets. A golden glow pulsed around them, sheathing her hands entirely.

"What the hell is that thing?"

Zharina glanced at her gauntlets and replied. "These were gifted to me by my master. Celestial Hercules"

Jax mused. ’So there are more Celestials lurking out there after all.’

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice echoed in his mind—not his own, nor any known system.

’Of course they do. And they know about you too. In fact, you hold the highest bounty among all of them. And one Celestial has already been granted permission to play with you.’

Amusement laced the voice, teetering on outright scorn.

’Trust me, she is the most mischievous Celestial among them. Loki has already made her move.’

Internally, Jax demanded. ’Who are you? System?’

The voice answered with real bewilderment.

’What does that mean?’