I, the slave boy, awaken with the most potent seed!!

As the glow of the stat screen materialized before Zafron's eyes, he leaned in, his breath catching in anticipation. The familiar menu appeared, revealing his updated attributes:

-- --Name:-- Zafron

- --Potency Level:-- 5

- --Vitality XP:-- 150/500

- --Physical Attributes:--

- --Strength:-- 65

- --Endurance:-- 60

- --Agility:-- 55

- --Vitality:-- 20

- --Eros Attributes:--

- --Virility:-- 15

- --Pheromone Production:-- 16

- --Reproductive Health:-- 17

- --Social Attributes:--

- --Charm:-- 15

- --Confidence:-- 14

- --Attraction:-- 13

- --Eros Skills:--

- --Stamina:-- 15

- --Technique:-- 12

- --Intimacy:-- 14

- --Status:--

- --Overall Health:-- 70/100

- --Potency:-- 80/100

- --XY Virus Resistance:-- 50%

Zafron's eyes widened as they drifted to the significant increases in his strength and endurance. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, a flicker of hope igniting in his chest.

"Well, would you look at that," he murmured, running a hand through his hair. "Seems like all those bruises weren't for nothing after all."

[Indeed, my lord,] Calista chimed in, her tone a mix of approval and caution. [Your physical attributes have seen notable improvements. However, I feel compelled to remind you that raw strength might not be the most advantageous asset in some of your upcoming... engagements.]

Zafron's brow furrowed, his earlier elation dimming slightly. "Yeah, I get that, Calista. But with my slime acting up lately, I might have to rely on good old-fashioned muscle power." He paused, a thought occurring to him. "Hey, have you figured out what's causing the slime to go haywire?"

There was a moment of silence before Calista responded, her voice tinged with frustration. [I'm afraid there's no literal explanation for the phenomenon, my lord. It could be related to the environment, but without further data, it's impossible to say for certain.]

Zafron sighed, splashing some water on his face. "Great. Just great. Well, we'll have to work with what we've got, I guess."

After cleaning himself up, Zafron made his way out of the bathroom. As he passed the kitchen, he noticed Matilda wasn't there. 'Huh, where'd she go?' he wondered, a small frown creasing his forehead.

His question was answered moments later when he heard the soft clicking of utensils coming from the outer room. Following the sound, he found Matilda arranging the table, plates of steaming food already set out.

"Matilda?" Zafron blinked in surprise. "Did you finish cooking already? Or did I spend way more time in the bathroom than I thought?"

Matilda looked up, a small smile gracing her features. "Oh, no, you weren't in there for too long. I just realized those stubborn vegetables would take forever, so I switched gears." She gestured to the spread before her. "Whipped up something quicker. Figured you'd be starving after training, and I don't trust those bar drinks to keep you going."

Warmth bloomed in Zafron's chest at her thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Matilda. You didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"It's no trouble," she replied, waving off his gratitude as she sat down. "Come on, let's eat while it's hot. We need to talk anyway."

As Zafron took his seat, he noticed the tension in Matilda's shoulders, the way her eyes darted around the room. She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Zafron, I don't like how the twins are behaving," she began, her words rushed and urgent. "They're so... nonchalant about everything. It's like they only care about their own interests, everyone else be damned."

Zafron nodded, understanding her concerns. He'd had similar thoughts himself.

Matilda continued, her eyes constantly scanning the room for any sign of the twins. "We need to find that cart and get out of here before things spiral out of control. This fight with Draco... it's too dangerous. We're in over our heads."

Zafron reached out, placing a comforting hand on Matilda's arm. "I get it, I do. But we need to play along with the twins for now. If we show them we're not on board, who knows how they might react? We need to gain their trust, find out where the cart is and how the repairs are going. As soon as it's fixed, we're out of here.

Promise."

Matilda didn't look entirely convinced, but she nodded reluctantly. "I suppose you're right. I just hope—"

Her words were cut short as the twins emerged from their room, their eyes lighting up at the sight of food.

"Well, well," Whisper drawled, sauntering over to the table. "Looks like someone's been busy in the kitchen. I thought those veggies were giving you trouble, Matilda?"

Matilda shrugged, her earlier tension hidden behind a casual facade. "Changed my mind. Decided to go with something quicker."

Shadow leaned in, inhaling deeply. "Smells amazing. How'd you manage to get it right? We've tried making this a dozen times and it always turns out like shoe leather."

"Just a knack, I guess," Matilda replied, a hint of pride in her voice.

Just then, a sharp knock at the door cut through the conversation. Shadow made her way to the entrance with a cautious stride.

As she approached the door, her eyebrows raised slightly at the sight of the Governor's guard standing there, a small box in his hands. 'Well, well, what have we here?' she thought, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Good evening," the guard said, his voice gruff. "A gift from the Governor, for Matilda."

Shadow's smile widened as she accepted the box. "How thoughtful. I'll make sure she gets it."

As she closed the door, her mind raced. 'That old womanizer, he's fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. This is almost too easy.'

Triumph surged through her as she sauntered back to the others.

She announced, "It's for you, Matilda. From the Governor."

Zafron's head snapped up, a surge of annoyance flooding through him. "The Governor? Why the hell is he sending you gifts?"

Shadow placed the box on the table, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Oh, this could be good. The Governor's got his eye on our little Matilda, huh? We could use this to our advantage."

"Absolutely not," Zafron growled, his earlier resolve to play nice momentarily forgotten. "Matilda's not some pawn for you to use in your games."

Whisper rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. In the Undercity, you use what you've got to survive. It's not personal, it's just smart."

Matilda's voice cut through the tension, sharp and clear. "I'm not a tool for anyone to use. Neither is Zafron. We're people, not bargaining chips."

The twins exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them. Finally, Shadow spoke, her voice uncharacteristically serious.

"Listen, you two. I get that you're still struggling to get a hold of how things work around here, but you need to wise up fast. Everyone in this cesspit is looking out for number one. If you want to survive, you've got to be willing to take risks, to use every advantage you've got."

Whisper nodded, adding, "The Governor's interest in Matilda? That's an advantage. We'd be idiots not to use it."

With that, the twins made their way to the kitchen, leaving a stunned silence in their wake.

As the twins retreated to the kitchen, Zafron's jaw clenched. 'You manipulative bastards,' he thought bitterly. 'This was your plan all along, wasn't it? Parading Matilda in front of the Governor like some prize.'

The realization stung, but he forced his face to remain neutral. 'How did I not see this coming? I've got to be smarter than this.'

His mind raced, torn between his anger at the twins' callousness and the need to keep up appearances. 'We need to play it cool,' he reminded himself. 'At least until we get that damn cart fixed.'

He turned to Matilda, his voice low and urgent. "We'll figure this out, okay? For now, I need to focus on this match. Once that's done, we'll deal with the Governor and get you out of his crosshairs."

Matilda nodded, her face a mask of determination. "Alright. But Zafron? Be careful. I've got a bad feeling about all of this."

As they sat there, the untouched gift from the Governor looming between them like a ticking time bomb, Zafron couldn't shake the feeling that they were balancing on a knife's edge.

One wrong move, and everything could come crashing down around them.

[My lord,] Calista's voice echoed in his mind, a note of concern in her tone. [Perhaps it would be wise to consider our next moves carefully. The stakes seem to be rising with each passing moment.]

'You're telling me,' Zafron thought back, his eyes fixed on the innocent-looking box. 'We're in deep now, Calista. Let's just hope we can swim our way out before we drown.'

As the sounds of the twins rummaging in the kitchen filled the air, Zafron steeled himself for what was to come.

The fight with Draco, the Governor's interest in Matilda, the twins' schemes – it was all coming to a head.

And he had a sinking feeling that this was just the beginning of their troubles in the Undercity.

'One step at a time,' he reminded himself, taking a deep breath. 'First, survive the fight. Then, we'll deal with everything else.'

But as he glanced at Matilda, her face etched with worry, and then at the gift from the Governor, Zafron couldn't shake the nagging doubt that had taken root in his gut.

With a heavy sigh, he turned his attention back to his meal, forcing himself to eat despite his churning stomach.

Whatever came next, he'd need his strength. The Undercity had thrown its worst at him so far, but something told him the real challenges were just beginning.

[Focus, my lord,] Calista's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. [One challenge at a time. The fight with Draco takes precedence.]

Zafron nodded imperceptibly, grateful for Calista's steady presence. 'You're right,' he thought back. 'But after that... we've got a lot of work to do.'