--
The back door creaked as Alex slipped inside. Elara was waiting.
She had already kicked off her boots. The simple village dress hung half-unlaced, one shoulder bare, firelight dancing across her skin. When their eyes met, whatever words she had prepared died on her lips.
She crossed the room first.
Her mouth found his, hot and desperate. Hands tore at clothes. His ruined shirt hit the floor. Her dress followed a heartbeat later. Nothing between them now except heat and the low crackle of the hearth.
Alex lifted her easily. She wrapped her legs around his waist, nails digging into his shoulders as he carried her to the narrow bed. They fell together.
[Target arousal: 94/100]
[Consent confirmed]
[Initiating First Companion Bonding]
He kissed down her throat, tasting salt and smoke. She arched when his mouth closed over one stiff nipple, moaned when his fingers slid between her thighs and found her soaked.
"Alex," she gasped, hips rolling against his hand. "Please… now."
He didn't make her beg twice.
When he pushed inside her, the system lit up like fireworks.
[Lust Energy influx: +80 LP]
[Lust Energy influx: +120 LP]
[Bonding progress: 38% → 67% → 100%]
Elara cried out, back bowing off the bed. Her climax triggered his own surge; raw golden energy poured into him, thick and intoxicating. He kept moving through it, riding the wave until she came again, harder, dragging him over the edge with her.
[First Companion Bond complete]
[Elara Voss → Companion Rank 1]
[Permanent benefits unlocked]
- Shared Vitality Link (wounds heal 300% faster while in contact)
- Dual Cultivation (both partners gain 50% of all LP earned during intimacy)
- Emotional Resonance (sense her location/emotions within 10 km)
Elara's eyes flickered pink for a single heartbeat, then returned to their normal green. She stared up at him, chest heaving.
"What in the nine hells was that?" she whispered.
"That," Alex said, voice rough, "was me claiming you. And you claiming me right back."
She laughed, breathless and wicked, and rolled them so she was on top.
Round two started immediately.
She rode him slow at first, savoring every inch, then faster when the pleasure became too much. The headboard slammed against the wall in steady rhythm. When they came together this time, the windows rattled and the oil lamp flickered as if a wind had passed through the sealed room.
[+520 LP – Dual Cultivation bonus applied]
[Total LP: 793]
[Level up available ×2]
He spent the points without getting out of bed.
Charm Pulse → Level 3
Lust Drain → Level 2
New passive skill: Pheromone Aura (Lv.1)
Effect: All females within 25 meters experience gradually increasing arousal and lowered inhibitions. Strength scales with host level and LP spent.
Elara collapsed onto his chest, hair sticking to sweat-slick skin.
"I've never felt anything like that," she murmured against his neck. "It's like you reached inside my soul and lit it on fire."
Alex traced lazy circles on her back. "Get used to it. That was only the first time tonight."
They proved it twice more before exhaustion finally won. When they finally slept, limbs tangled and sheets ruined, the system delivered its last message of the night.
[Main Quest updated]
[Objective 1: Reach Host Level 10 and claim Willowbrook as territory – 7 days remaining]
[Objective 2: Add two more companions – 7 days remaining]
[Reward: Territory Management System + 5000 LP + Title: Lord of Desire]
[Failure penalty: Goblin Queen razes Willowbrook. Companion Elara dies permanently.]
Alex woke before dawn. Elara was already up, pulling on a fresh dress, movements quick and quiet.
"The elder is calling a council at sunrise," she said, tossing him a clean linen shirt and leather trousers from her late brother's chest. "They want to meet the man who dropped Grash with one touch. Half the village saw us disappear together. Tongues are already wagging."
He caught the clothes. "Let them wag."
She grinned, fierce and possessive. "Good answer."
They stepped outside into pale morning mist. Villagers stared openly now; some with fear, some with awe, more than a few women suddenly blushing and looking away.
At the edge of the square stood a new figure.
Tall, raven-haired, clad in dark leather armor that hugged every curve. A curved sword rested across her back. Ice-blue eyes locked on Alex and narrowed with sharp, predatory interest.
[New high-value target detected]
[Serena Blackthorn – Rogue Level 9]
[Latent desire: To submit to someone stronger than herself]
[Current arousal: 18/100 → rising fast under Pheromone Aura]
Serena smirked and started walking straight toward them.
Elara noticed, glanced at Alex, and laughed softly.
"Looks like your seven-day timer just got a lot more interesting."
Alex cracked his neck and smiled.
Let the conquest begin.
(To be continued)