Chapter 157: Broken Brain?

Just like always, three distinct choices materialized before Fredrinn’s eyes.

Three unique system paths he could bestow upon Andrea to turn her into his newest voluntary thrall.

The choices hovering in translucent text were:

[ Option 1: The BDSM System ]

[ Option 2: The Harem Queen System ]

[ Option 3: The Bully System ]

They were wildly different paths, and their growth mechanics varied drastically.

Right off the bat, the BDSM System felt like the least productive option. It sounded entertaining on paper, but practically speaking, it was way too situational. How was it supposed to scale in the middle of a brutal zombie apocalypse?

Rose already had the Best Wife System, which generously rewarded her simply for being an obedient, loving partner in everyday life.

Jenny possessed the Awakener System, which gave her direct combat progression—earning raw experience points, leveling up her stats, and granting skills by slaughtering hordes.

The BDSM System, however, relied entirely on intimate sessions. That wasn’t something they could afford to engage in all the time.

The apocalypse was messy, unpredictable, and constantly demanding their attention.

Even if Fredrinn wanted to indulge whenever he pleased, real-world situations simply wouldn’t allow it.

Additionally, if he was going to engage in the ’BDSM’ things, he would rather do it for his and her enjoyment only, not for some mere rewards.

That left him with the remaining two choices.

Honestly, Fredrinn felt quite conflicted between the Harem Queen System and the Bully System. Both possessed immense potential, but their core purposes were entirely opposed.

Rubbing his chin in contemplation, Fredrinn focused his thoughts inward.

’Lust, if she gets the Harem Queen System, does she receive a cut from Jenny and Rose’s reward pools?’ he asked curiously.

[ <LUST> replies: Affirmative. ]

’And as her master, I still receive double the total rewards generated by my voluntary thralls, correct?’

[ <LUST> replies: Correct. ]

Fredrinn tapped his foot, calculating the numbers. ’Then let’s set up a scenario. Say Jenny gets 20 mana cores today, and Rose gets 50 mana cores through her tasks. How many would Andrea actually receive if I select the Harem Queen System?’

A heavy silence followed before the text flickered.

[ <LUST> shakes its head. Detailed parameters cannot be fully divulged until the respective system has been finalized. ]

’Don’t be stingy, just give me a rough estimate!’ Fredrinn pressed back.

A soft chime rang in his mind.

[ <LUST> groans in mild frustration. At the baseline tier, Andrea would receive approximately 25% of the primary rewards earned by other bound thralls. Note: This percentage scales alongside the system’s tier upgrades. ]

A smirk curled Fredrinn’s lips.

’Interesting math,’ he calculated rapidly. ’If they earn 70 cores, Andrea takes roughly 17.5 extra cores just by sitting pretty. With my double multiplier, my personal cut would be like... 140 plus 35...’

He paused, letting the initial greed settle.

Upon deeper reflection, simply hoarding more of the exact same resources he was already getting didn’t seem truly optimal.

Sure, the Harem Queen System would carry Andrea right now while she was completely unawakened and physically vulnerable. In the far future—when his circle of bound beauties expanded past five or six women—the passive gains would snowball into an avalanche of free loot.

’At this current stage, it’s not the smartest move,’ he reasoned.

If Andrea picked that path, she would essentially become a parasite.

She would be completely reliant on her sister wives, leeching off their hard-earned labor while contributing very little of her own firepower to the group.

The Bully System, on the other hand, sounded far more dynamic.

Instead of sitting back and waiting for leftovers, it offered Andrea an active way to cultivate her own distinct abilities. It would grant her self-reliance, giving her the tools to survive even if she was separated from the pack.

Furthermore, Fredrinn genuinely despised unnecessary politics.

Granting one woman a title called the ’Harem Queen’ was practically inviting toxic hierarchy into his circle.

Comparison was the fastest way to breed resentment, jealousy, and infighting among women. He wanted a cohesive unit, not an internal civil war.

Besides, given Andrea’s feisty personality, bullying sounded right up her alley.

With his mind set, Fredrinn dismissed the doubts and locked in his choice.

"Confirm the Bully System," he commanded in his mind.

[ Command Recognized. ]

[ Bestowing The Bully System upon the Voluntary Thrall: Andrea Wilson... ]

The moment the transaction was locked, Andrea’s limp body twitched slightly atop the messy bed.

She was sprawled out completely naked over the soft sheets, glistening with sweat and looking thoroughly drained of every drop of energy.

Her slender limbs lay flat like those of a fallen corpse, her soft skin flushed a deep shade of pink.

Every muscle in her thighs and lower back was trembling.

Unlike Fredrinn—who possessed an absurd 200% physical stamina boost during sex—Andrea was merely a regular, unenhanced human woman.

She had been pushed far past her mortal limits.

As she drifted on the edge of unconsciousness, faint mechanical chimes began echoing directly inside her skull.

Ding!

Groaning weakly, Andrea forced her heavy eyelids open by a fraction. Hovering right in the middle of her blurred vision was a crisp, glowing blue window.

[ Congratulations to Host Andrea for awakening The Bully System! ]

[ Host: Andrea Wilson ]

[ System Tier: Level 1 ]

[ Scanning the memories for Bullying Targets... ]

[ Scan Complete. Two Valid Targets Found. ]

[ Target 1: Rhea Wilson — Host’s biological younger sister. ]

[ Target 2: Fredrinn Winchester — Host’s romantic partner. (System Recommended Choice!) ]

[ Note: The Host may unlock additional bully slots once the system level is upgraded through successful infractions. ]

Andrea blinked slowly, her glazed eyes staring blankly at the floating digital interface.

She didn’t gasp. She didn’t scream in shock. She didn’t even have the energy to lift her arm to swipe at the glowing text.

Her mind was completely fried, her core was sore, and she was simply way too exhausted to deal with whatever hallucination her broken brain was cooking up.

A single, bitter thought drifted lazily through her foggy consciousness:

’Fuck that massive-cocked, shameless, inhumane monster... He really went and broke my brain. Now I’m hallucinating video game screens in thin air...’

Without sparing the floating blue screen another glance, Andrea let her eyelids fall shut, burying her face into the plush pillow and drifting straight back into deep, dreamless sleep.