Playboy Cultivator in the Apocalypse

"The OG emperor is back!" An athletic man with short blonde hair announced as Kaze walked into Molecular Biology class.

"Yes, your emperor is back." Kaze said with a slight smile.

The classroom buzzed with giggling women and chuckling men. Countless whispers rippled through the area as he strode to his desk and sat down.

A cute brunette with neck-length feathered bob-cut hair, even at all sides, said. The haircut was similar to Evalyn's but was wavy with minor curls.

Her name was Kylie, and she was the second most popular amongst the school's football cheerleaders due to her looks alone.

"Um… Kaze. We want to know if your transformation… is it the result of cultivation?" Kylie asked nervously.

Kaze turned to her with a charming smile that froze the women in the area.

"If you're speaking of my acne and muscles, yes. If you're asking about my charm, style, and combat skills, I'm afraid cultivation cannot help you with that." He replied smoothly.

The women burst into giggles, and then the men smiled wryly.

"What techniques did you use?" A young man with a lanky body asked.

"Ancient ones." Kaze chuckled.

Everyone laughed again, this time in bewilderment. His prior reputation was so thrashed that everyone assumed he was joking.

He continued smiling and glanced at all the women in the room, giving slightly narrowed eyes to some he found attractive.

"Ahem!" Professor Roybock coughed to gain everyone's attention. The petite woman wore a black pencil skirt, white heels, and a matching shirt.

"Welcome back, Kaze." She said coldly, "I'm glad you decided to grace us with your presence again."

"Many people have said that in my life, but I never imagined you'd be one of them, Lady Roybock." Kaze replied with a cheeky smile.

The classroom burst into laughter and giggles, leaving the woman flushed in annoyance. He had disappeared for the last two classes unannounced; now, he was back and hijacked her class again. It was beyond frustrating.

"About your language, Kaze. My name is Professor Roybock." She said sternly, "I'd appreciate it if you stopped calling me [Lady Roybock]."

"Why? It seems like you like it." Kaze replied charmingly, "Surely it's preferable for people to address you with a title befitting of your character."

More giggles and whispers spread through the classroom, mortifying the poor professor who closed her eyes to prevent her students from seeing them trembling.

"Kaze. Please see me after class." She ordered, "We must discuss your recent breach of student-teacher boundaries."

"I would be my pleasure." Kaze replied with a hypnotic voice.

Laughter erupted in the room as if a floodgate had broken. Professor Roybock closed her eyes in humiliation, reeling from his wit.

Somehow her order against harassment turned into a sex joke, validating her point.

She reluctantly recovered and continued her lecture, desperately trying to avert Kaze's gaze. He watched her, soaking up her words with a level of attention she had never seen in her life.

His slight smile and attention weren't uncomfortable. On the contrary, it made her feel listened to and appreciated.

"Kaze, can you summarize what this section covers?" Professor Roybock requested.

"The section covers antigenic shifts and how slight mutations prevent the development of immunity to RNA-based viruses." Kaze replied with a smile.

"Your approach is to focus on how different mutations change the nature of the virus, causing ripple effects in how it spreads between humans and cross-species."

Professor Roybock blinked twice with a perplexed expression. "What made you come to the latter conclusion."

"In your third lecture, you spoke of the environment of bacteria and how it transfers from individuals, spreading diseases through relationships." He said with a slight smile.

"In your fourth, fifth, and seventh lecture, you spoke of different bacteria and how they evolved to meet the social environment that spread them.

You spoke in the same language when addressing this topic, so it's only reasonable to assume that you planned a similar approach. I look forward to it, as always."

The classroom fell silent, stunned by Kaze's answer. He sat with a slight smile, demonstrating the profound usage of his hyperthymesiac memory to charm women into believing he hung on their every word. Shameless; but effective.

Professor Roybock gulped nervously. She wasn't prepared for such a detailed answer and could hardly call him a stalker for listening to her!

Not that she would. She had never felt so valued for her teaching.

"You… are correct." Professor Robock said while pushing a lock of brown hair from her eyes.

"That is what I'll be teaching on Wednesday. So come prepared, everyone."

The class erupted into giggles and whispers as everyone stood up but Kaze, who patiently waited for everyone to pass him.

"Oh, by the way, emperor." The blonde athlete said, "There's a party on Friday; you're invited."

Everyone in the classroom and hallway froze, awaiting the emperor's response.

"That's a coincidence." Kaze replied with a slight smile, "I'm throwing a party that day. You're all invited. Bring your friends, especially if they're ladies."

The area devolved into pandemonium and chaos as students messaged their friends.

"Right on. I guess I know where I'll be." The man said, "I'm Brad, by the way."

"Kaze." Kaze replied, "But you can continue calling me Emperor if you wish."

Brad scoff-laughed in amusement. "You're something else, Emperor. See ya, next class. Our teacher will kill us both if I don't leave."

The area burst into a frenzy as everyone walked away, texting everyone they knew.

"It seems I'll need to procure a block." Kaze chuckled.

"Ahem!" Professor Roybock coughed, giving him a murderous glare with her sharp tan eyes.

"Don't worry, Professor Roybock." He said with a charming smile, "I'd never forget to provide the attention I promised a woman."

She turned away to avert her gaze. His smile and perfect face and body made him impossible to ignore. "Your language suggests that there's no student-teacher relationship barrier between us, and it's not professional and befitting of your environment."

Kaze scoff-laughed and turned away. "I only spoke a fact. Your denial that being a woman has intrinsic value in all aspects of life does not necessitate my language breaks the rules."

Professor Roybock narrowed her eyes. "I'm a professor; my sex doesn't change that."

"Sure it does." He laughed, "It means you're a female professor. It just doesn't say anything about your skill in teaching, mind, or professionalism."

Her eyes widened in astonishment, causing a mocking smile to develop on his face.

"As you've seen, I listen to your lectures carefully and find your insights charming." Kaze asserted with a slight smile, "I respect you in the areas you seek; so what exactly is the problem?"

Professor Roybock opened and closed her mouth twice. "I just don't see how my sex is relevant."

"Why? Because I'm a man." He chuckled breathlessly, "Even if our relationship is professional, it doesn't change the natural dynamic between our sexes."

"Mr. Lexicon, I believe that language pushes against the boundaries I speak of." She replied nervously.

"Is it that you believe my status as your student jeopardizes your career?" Kaze asked with a magnetic smile, "If that's the case, allow me to test out of the class and worry yourself no further."

Professor Roybock's eyes widened in shock. "W-Wait, what? Are you confident you can even do that?"

She was confused and curious if he was being genuine, beyond his possible insinuation.

"Of course." Kaze said with a slight smile, "I can test out of all of my subjects. I only sign up for your classes because I enjoy your teaching."

She blushed and turned away, uncertain what to say.

"Would you like me to test out, so I can call you Lady Roybock, professor?" Kaze asked with a charming smile.

"You understand anything I say could be misinterpreted, right?" Professor Roybock replied bitterly, still averting her gaze.

"If both options are equally problematic, then just say yes like you want to." He chuckled.

The woman turned to him to snap but froze at his hypnotic gaze.

"You're a workplace environment ticking timebomb, Kaze." Professor Roybock said, "So meet me tomorrow at 1 pm and I'll set up the test."

"I look forward to it, [Professor] Roybock." Kaze chuckled while turning around and walking out the door.

Professor Royback followed his broad back until it disappeared before snapping out of her daze. She turned around, put her hands on her desk, and took a deep breath, feeling like he had put her under a spell.

After a few deep breaths, she packed up and headed to the academic building to fill out paperwork to allow him to test out of her class. During that period, she tried not to convince herself of her actions, as anything she thought to herself felt incriminating.