Chapter 7: The Warlord's Tithe
The System's Level 2 upgrade had changed everything. As Han Chen ascended from the basement, his steps no longer echoed with the hollow sound of a scavenger; they thundered with the weight of a conqueror. Beside him, Lin Mei walked with a dazed, flushed expression, her body still humming from the "recharge" in the dark.
[SYSTEM STATUS]
[LEVEL: 10]
[POINTS: 4,200]
[SKILL ACTIVE: PHEROMONE_CONTROL (Level 1)]
As they reached the 120th floor—a neutral trading hub between the lower "slums" and the upper "villas"—Han smelled something other than salt and rot. He smelled fear.
In the center of the atrium, a group of survivors huddled in a circle. They were being surrounded by men in jagged, scrap-metal armor, carrying harpoon guns and electrified clubs. These were the "Black Tide Raiders," a gang that thrived on the misery of others.
"I said, hand her over!" a scarred man roared, his voice echoing through the atrium. He was pulling a young woman by her hair.
She was breathtaking, even covered in soot. She wore a tattered white robe with a medical cross on the sleeve. Her skin was like porcelain, and her eyes were a startling, clear emerald green.
[DING! TARGET DETECTED.]
[NAME: SU LAN (RANK: ELITE HEALER / PURE VIRGIN)]
[LOYALTY: 0% | FERTILITY: GOD-TIER (SPECIAL TRAIT: SACRED_WOMB)]
[STATUS: Captured / Terrified]
[MISSION: THE HEALER'S SANCTUARY]
[OBJECTIVE: Rescue Su Lan and claim her as your Second Consort.]
[REWARD: SYSTEM_EXPANSION (Medical Wing) & 2,000 Points.]
"She's the only one who can stop the Water-Cough!" an old man from the survivors pleaded. "Please, don't take her to Boss Grom!"
"Boss Grom needs a new wife to bear him sons," the raider laughed, his hand sliding down Su Lan's back, squeezing her rear roughly. She let out a sob, flinching away from his touch. "And a healer with a body like this? She'll be busy in his bed for weeks."
The Intervention
Han Chen stepped into the light. The Pheromone\ Control was already working; the women in the survivor group suddenly looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes, while the raiders felt an instinctive, primal urge to back away.
"Let her go," Han said. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the vibration of a Level 10 powerhouse.
The lead raider turned, sneering. "Who the hell are you? A scavenger who found a clean shirt?"
Han didn't waste breath. He raised his hand.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: HYDRO_KINESIS]
The stagnant water in the decorative fountains and the puddles on the floor suddenly rose, forming jagged, rotating spears of ice-cold brine. With a flick of his wrist, the water-spears whistled through the air.
Squelch.
The spears pinned three raiders to the wall through their shoulders. They screamed as the salt water burned their wounds.
"Han! Look out!" Lin Mei moved like a flash of silver, her laser-blade decapitating a raider who tried to aim a harpoon at Han's head. She was faster now, her body perfectly synced with Han's energy.
In seconds, the remaining raiders fled, leaving their wounded behind.
The Reward of the Savior
Su Lan fell to her knees, gasping. Han walked toward her, his shadow falling over her small, trembling frame. He reached down and gripped her chin, forcing her to look up.
Up close, she was even more delicate. Her scent was like jasmine—a rarity in this drowned world.
"You saved me," she whispered, her emerald eyes searching his. "Who... who are you?"
[DYNASTY EYE PROMPT: SU LAN'S HEART RATE IS 140 BPM. ATTRACTION INCREASING DUE TO 'HERO SAVIOR' ARCHETYPE.]
"I am the man who owns this building," Han said, his thumb brushing over her lower lip, pulling it down slightly to reveal her white teeth. "And from today, you work for me. You will heal my people, and you will give me the lineage this world needs."
Su Lan blushed a deep crimson, her breath hitching. She had heard of warlords, but Han didn't feel like a thug. He felt like... a King. His touch sent a spark through her that made her knees weak.
"I... I will do whatever you ask," she murmured, her head bowing in a slow, budding submission.
Han looked at Lin Mei, who was watching Su Lan with a spark of jealousy in her eyes. The system chimed.
[NOTIFICATION: SECOND CONSORT ACQUIRED (PRELIMINARY).]
[REQUIREMENT FOR FULL BOND: INTIMACY IN THE 'SAFE ZONE'.]
Han smirked. He grabbed Su Lan by the waist, pulling her flush against his hard, muscular chest. Her soft breasts pressed against his ribs, and he could feel her heart hammering like a trapped bird.
"Mei, take her to the Nest," Han commanded. "Prepare the bath. Tonight, we celebrate the expansion of the Dynasty."
Progress Report
* Consorts: 1. Lin Mei (Loyalty 45% - Warrior)
2. Su Lan (Loyalty 20% - Healer/Virgin)
* System Points: 4,000 (Saved for Level 2 Serum)