Dragging his fatigued body, Lief slowly returned to his room and went directly into the bathroom.
He turned on the hot water, stepping under the stream without waiting. He let the lukewarm flow fall over him like a waterfall, in a desperate attempt to wash away not only the deep exhaustion but also that faint, indescribable smell of blood that seemed to have adhered to his skin, refusing to fully dissipate.
Afterward, he dried himself off listlessly, put on clean pajamas, and dropped onto his back on the bed, hoping the physical exhaustion he felt would be enough to shut off his mind.
It was useless.
His body was relaxed, but his brain was racing a mile a minute.
The appearance of that succubus had been like a time bomb detonating in his, until then, relatively controlled world.
It wasn't just her terrifying power; it was the pressure of knowing someone like that existed: a woman who was, without a doubt, the most dangerously seductive creature he had ever seen. That combination was an invisible weight that had just landed on his shoulders, making it clear that this reality was infinitely more dangerous than he had imagined.
"Shit... I've been overconfident lately," he muttered into the room's darkness, sitting up abruptly. The physical exhaustion was instantly replaced by an adrenaline-fueled urgency.
He opened the system interface, and his gaze immediately fixed on the amount of currency he had accumulated after the camp incidents, a number that sent a wave of pride through his chest. His original plan had been to save, to accumulate enough for a large, high-quality draw.
But Dorothy's visit changed the rules of the game. He could no longer afford the luxury of doubting or being patient.
It was time to take a chance.
"System, give me a basic draw of ten," he ordered without hesitation.
As soon as he finished speaking, the interface glowed intensely. Ten luminous spheres, with a soft glow, appeared one after another, revealing their contents.
[Item: Lip Balm (Common) x1]
A trash item. "Well, that was expected," Lief nodded to himself, his initial excitement waning. "At least I can give it to Carrie. I've noticed her lips have been a bit dry lately."
But then, the next item appeared.
[Skill: Evil Containment Wave (Version without side effects)]
"..."
Lief froze. He reread the text once, and then again, making sure he wasn't hallucinating from exhaustion.
"You've got to be kidding me! THIS IS FUCKING INSANE!"
Surprise gave way to pure euphoria that almost made him laugh. The Mafuba! Master Mutaito's ultimate technique, the last resort capable of sealing incredibly powerful beings. And on top of that, he got a version without the deadly side effect? It was, literally, the perfect weapon tailored to him.
A wicked smile spread across his face. If he ever ran into someone too difficult to face directly in the future, someone like that succubus who enjoyed purification, he no longer needed to win the fight.
He could simply use this, lock her up, and then... "deal" with her calmly and on his own terms.
His excitement over the Mafuba was still intense as he continued to watch the remaining orbs.
[Item: Strawberry flavored lollipop x1]
'Well, at least Lillith will have a snack later.'
[Item: Sensual black stockings x1]
Another pair of lace stockings appeared.
An astute smile spread across his face as he rubbed his chin. 'Another one of these. I'll have to save them... to decide what to do with them the next time Jennifer is around'.
[Item: Fenrir (Motorcycle)]
Then, something incredible. The interface showed the aggressive silhouette of a low, powerful, black three-wheeled motorcycle. Lief's heart skipped a beat. He could almost feel the roar of the engine and the wind hitting his face.
Being strong is temporary, but being cool is forever.
The luck seemed to immediately balance out with an avalanche of mundane junk:
[Item: A pack of toilet paper]
[Food: Tiramisu Cake x1]
[Item: A bucket of detergent]
Lief sighed. "Something is better than nothing... I guess." Even a [Item: Jason Mask (Replica)] appeared. "Well, at least I have a trophy to hang on the wall."
The corner of his lips twitched, a mix between laughing and crying. "System, are you sure you're not including filler?"
Just as he resigned himself to the draw being a mediocre mix of genius (the motorcycle) and household garbage (the detergent), the tenth and final orb of light vibrated.
And then it exploded.
It wasn't a gentle glow; it was an explosion of crimson red light, so dazzling that he had to look away.
Red!
His heart clenched. A red item, a legendary object, in a low-level basic draw? That wasn't luck… It was a goddamn anomaly against all odds!
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Blessing of the Goddess of Seduction (Rank: EX)]
Seeing that legendary reward with the "EX" suffix, Lief's breathing became ragged and he didn't hesitate for a second.
"System, use it now!"
[Using "Blessing of the Goddess of Seduction"…]
The instant he gave the order, he felt as if a huge, invisible hand closed around his consciousness and abruptly ripped him from his room, plunging him into a strange, perfumed darkness.
And in the middle of that illusory nothingness, he saw her. He saw a woman.
The first thing that caught his attention was the hat: a black, wide-brimmed hat, so exaggeratedly large that it almost completely covered her face, projecting her gaze into mystery.
The surface of the hat was not smooth; it had a rough, peculiar pattern, almost like crocodile skin, a design that seemed both luxurious and dangerously ancient.
Resting on one of her shoulders was a huge metallic structure, shaped like a giant blade or perhaps an opening black flower, radiating a cold, noble beauty.
And the woman's body was... overwhelming.
She was wrapped in an incredibly tight golden dress that adhered to her unparalleled curves, flowing without interruption into long gloves of the same color, outlining a figure that was almost too much to assimilate.
The hem of the skirt, made of heavy black pleats, swayed gently in the nonexistent wind here.
The woman turned with a deliberate slowness, and although the wide brim of her hat kept her face in the shadows, Lief felt her gaze settle upon him, as real and tangible as a caress, charged with palpable amusement.
Her lips, painted bright red, parted as she removed a long, elegant cigarette holder from her mouth.
Her movement was languid, almost hypnotic. She inhaled deeply and then blew gently in Lief's direction.
But what she exhaled was not common smoke.
It was an iridescent glow, a shimmering cloud mixed with light purple and golden motes, as mysterious as stardust floating in the void.
That magical, perfumed mist drifted toward Lief and enveloped him completely. It didn't choke him; it intoxicated him.
He felt his eyelids instantly turn to lead, and his consciousness, instead of fighting, simply dissolved into that cosmic haze, falling into a deep, absolute sleep.
…
The next morning, when the first gray sunbeam sneaked in like a golden thread through the curtain, falling softly on his face, Lief opened his eyes.
He didn't wake up startled or dazed. He woke up renewed. He felt a clarity he had never experienced before, as if he had slept for a hundred years. It was as if every cell in his body had been disassembled, polished, and nourished. He felt revitalized, full of clean, boundless energy, almost as if he had been reborn.
He yawned, stretching with satisfying laziness, and walked into the bathroom for his morning routine. He splashed cold water on his face, and when he looked up at the mirror without thinking, he froze.
The image staring back at him was still him... and yet it wasn't.
His features hadn't changed. His height was still the same, and his muscles weren't bigger. But the impression he gave, the presence he projected, was completely different.
He approached the mirror, observing himself with intense curiosity. It was his gaze. His eyes were no longer just those of a teenager; they seemed deeper, possessing an innate confidence that was magnetic, almost as if they hid secrets that invited discovery.
The natural curve of his lips was no longer neutral; it now rested in a slight, imperceptible smile, an expression that exuded a devastating, effortless charm.
His face, which still retained a youthful touch before, now seemed incredibly harmonious, as if a master sculptor had made infinitesimal adjustments that led to perfection.
It was not an obvious physical change, but an elevation of his charisma.
An indescribable charm now emanated from his entire being, like a gemstone that had always been there, but which, after being polished overnight, finally revealed a soft, captivating brilliance.
It was not a superficial change; it was a recalibration of his inner essence.
"Is this..." he murmured, gently touching his cheek, "The Blessing of the Goddess of Seduction?" The effect was much deeper and subtler than he had ever imagined.
________
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