The night was still and quiet, cloaked in deep blue shadows. The moon hung low behind the city's skyline, veiled by drifting clouds.
Liam stirred awake to the faint sound of muffled sobs. His eyes fluttered open, hazy with sleep, and the world came into slow focus… the dim room, the soft sheets tangled around him, and the faint scent of whiskey and warmth lingering in the air.
Then he saw her.
Xena.
She was sitting upright beside him on the bed, her knees drawn close under the thin sheets, her blue hair cascading down her bare shoulders like liquid moonlight. Her eyes shimmered with tears. They rolled silently down her cheeks, glinting faintly before falling to the sheets.
Liam was stunned, but he was also troubled to see her like this. She didn't notice him at first, lost in whatever ache had seized her.
His gaze softened. He reached out a hand toward her. "Xena?"
She flinched, a small gasp escaping her lips as if she'd been caught in a secret moment.
In an instant, the vulnerability vanished, replaced by a brittle facade. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and straightened up, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Hey," she rasped, her voice unnaturally bright. "Why aren't you asleep?"
Liam smiled faintly, his voice low and warm. "I could ask you the same thing."
Xena shrugged, trying to play it off. "I'm a Vonite," she declared. "I don't need much sleep." Her tone was casual, almost teasing. "So what's your excuse?"
Liam chuckled quietly. "I find it hard to sleep…" he said softly. "…especially when the girl beside me seems troubled."
Xena scoffed lightly, folding her arms. "I'm not troubled. I'm totally fine." She pulled the sheet higher, using it as some sort of shield.
Liam tilted his head, his expression gentle. "It didn't look like that when I woke up." His voice softened, almost a whisper.
Xena froze for a heartbeat, then shook her head with exaggerated confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about." The denial was swift, defensive.
Liam sighed, the sound soft and weary. "You were crying, Xena." He stated it plainly, gently, leaving no room for her constructed reality.
"No, I wasn't." She retorted fast.. too fast.
Liam let out a small chuckle. "Okay, if you say so," he muttered softly. "But it's fine if you wanna talk about it."
Xena sighed, her tone turning sharp. "I said I'm fine, Liam. And just because we had sex one time doesn't mean we're suddenly buddies."
Liam smirked. "What does it mean then?" he teased, his voice dropping to a low murmur that vibrated in the charged space between them.
Xena recoiled as if physically struck. "It was just a one-night stand and nothing more," she said quickly, looking away.
Liam smiled faintly. "So you're saying it's never going to happen again?"
Xena blinked. That caught her off guard. "I… I didn't say that," she stammered, her cheeks instantly flooding with crimson.
"Oh?" Liam pressed, his expression shifting to mock innocence. He tilted his head, a predator feigning harmlessness. "So you want it to happen again?"
"What?!" Xena eyes widened. She flinched at the accusation, a raw nerve Liam had deliberately brushed.
Her uptight expression faded, a flush creeping up her neck. "I… maybe, I don't know… shut up!" She turned her gaze away, embarrassed.
Liam burst into laughter, unable to contain himself. He'd successfully navigated the minefield of her defenses, turning pain into playful chaos.
Xena frowned when she realized she'd been played. "How dare you mock me, human?" she gritted.
That only made him laugh harder… rich and full-bodied, until it choked off mid-breath.
Liam froze, eyes widening in horror as his left arm lifted stiffly into the air, palm open, completely independent of his will.
His hand was frozen upright, completely stiff. He tried to pull it down, but it wouldn't move. Panic flickered in his chest until he caught the smirk tugging at Xena's lips.
"Let's see how you like it," she purred coolly.
Liam swallowed hard, the dryness scraping his throat. "Um, Xena…" he began. "Please don't do anything rash."
She didn't answer. But the wicked grin on her lips said enough.
"Come on, let's talk about this. I was only joking," Liam claimed, wary now. "Please, I'm sorry." He tried pleading, his eyes locked on hers, searching for mercy.
But there was none.
"It's too late for that," she declared, her tone flat and final.
Before Liam could form another word, his own hand whipped through the air with brutal force.
SLAP!
The sharp crack echoed like gunfire in the small room. Pain exploded across his cheekbone, hot and stinging.
Before he could gasp, the arm jerked again.
SLAP!
And again. And again. Each impact was a jarring shock, his head snapping sideways with relentless force.
Liam began to taste copper, he saw flashes of light behind his eyelids. Pleas became choked gasps, drowned out by the rhythmic, brutal percussion of his own palm striking his face.
Ten slaps. Fifteen. Twenty.
Xena watched impassively, a silent queen meting out punishment. Only after the twenty-fifth blow, his left cheek a throbbing, crimson ruin, did the invisible grip vanish. His arm dropped like a dead weight, fingers twitching uncontrollably.
Liam slumped on the bed, a low groan escaping his swollen lips. He cradled his burning face, the world spinning.
Xena leaned close to him, her expression suddenly playful. "Next time, you'll think twice before messing with me."
"Ow… Ow… Ow!" Liam winced in response, each sound escaping his lips like a battle cry.
Xena burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ow.. ow.. ow!" she teased, mimicking him with a playful twinkle in her voice.
Even through the soreness, Liam let out a chuckle. It hurt, but he couldn't help it. The laughter escaped involuntarily.
Hearing him laugh through the pain only fueled Xena's mirth. Her laughter grew… rich, loud and genuine.
Both their laughter were melodic, breaking through the tension. And drawn by the shared, bizarre moment, Xena leaned even closer without realizing it, her face just inches from his.
Their eyes met… and the laughter died instantly.
The sudden proximity was electric, charged with the raw intimacy of shared pain and unexpected connection. They froze, suspended in the thick silence, breaths mingling.
Then, like startled birds, they both jerked violently backward. Xena scrambled away, cheeks flaming scarlet, while Liam sat up stiffly, his own face burning beneath the sting of the slaps.
The air between them thickened with quiet, awkward tension until Xena finally broke it.
"So… have you received the rewards for completing the quest?" she asked.
"Yeah," Liam replied, still rubbing his sore cheek. "I saw it just before I fell asleep."
"Cool, let's check it out," she said, just before snapping her fingers.
Instantly, the familiar blue holographic screen blinked into existence before him, glowing faintly in the dark.
Liam blinked in surprise, but then he remembered that she could see and touch the screen. So it only made sense that she could summon it as well.
He let out a dry chuckle. "Should I be worried that you have access to the system? Afterall, it's connected to my very soul."
Xena smiled slyly. "Nope. You have nothing to worry about," she chuckled darkly. "As long as you hold your end of the bargain and help my people, I won't have any reason to deactivate the system and kill you."
Liam's amusement died instantly. "Wait, I thought you said you couldn't deactivate it." he frowned.
"No," she corrected calmly. "I said the system was integrated with your soul, and deactivating it would kill you. But I never said I couldn't do it."
Liam's heart skipped. His throat went dry. Shock, terror, and a grudging awe warred within him.
Xena watched his reaction, a predator assessing prey. She let out a chuckle, clearly amused.
"Don't worry, Liam," she said, her tone softening into something almost gentle, yet chillingly pragmatic. "I won't kill you. I need you."
She flashed a sharp grin. "Just think of it as an insurance… should you try to betray me. After all, you humans have betrayed us once before."
Liam sighed, resigned. He had already expected something like this to happen. Because he knew the Vonites wouldn't be stupid enough to trust humans so blindly again.
This was their fail safe.
He forced a smile. "Alright. I guess that's fair."
"Good," she said lightly. "Now let's see what you got from the system." Then she snapped her fingers again.
This time, text began scrolling rapidly across the glowing blue screen.
[Alert! Lust points from earlier sexual activity have been calculated]
[You have received 1000 Lust Points]
[Virgin Bonus Activated: Lust points gained have been doubled]
[1000 >> 2000 LP]
[Current Total LP: 2250]
Liam blinked. "I saw this right before I passed out, but I didn't know what it meant."
Xena smiled knowingly. "It means that's the total amount of lust points you earned from our time together… the kisses, the touching, the… main act. Every single intimate act earned you a certain amount of points."
Liam nodded slowly. "I see. So that means I can earn lust points just by kissing or touching… without needing to have sex?"
"Yes," Xena replied. "But sex earns you more. And if it's with a virgin…" she glanced at him with a small smile, "…you earn double."
Liam exhaled, then glanced at the next line of notifications.
[Exp: 550/100]
[You have leveled up]
[Exp: 450/200]
[You have leveled up]
[+10 total points have been added to all stats]
[HP: 100 >> 200 >> 300]
[Shop has been unlocked]
You have unlocked the skill: Charm Aura]
[You have unlocked the skill: Arousal Amplification]
[Exp: 250/400]
Liam chuckled. "Wow. I leveled up twice,"
"And you got two new skills," Xena added, crossing her arms smugly. "Not bad."
Liam hummed, then stared at the screen thoughtfully. "So my health increases by a hundred every time I level up."
"That's right," Xena said. "And all your stats increase by five too."
Liam smirked. "That's not so bad."
"Really?" Xena scoffed. "That's all you're going to say?"
"What else should I say?" Liam teased. "Thank you for your kindness?"
"Yes," she replied seriously. "The level up reward points makes things easier for you, because your stats and health points will get better and better even if you don't complete quests. You just have to level up," She explained. "So yes, I expect you to show a little more gratitude."
Liam chuckled. "Alright, your majesty. Thank you for your divine generosity." He bowed theatrically.
Xena rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "You didn't have to make a scene out of it."
He grinned. "Sure I did." Then his gaze shifted back to the screen. "Oh hey, the shop's finally unlocked."
"Yeah, you can check that later," she muttered with a bored expression. "Let's look at the skills first."
Liam nodded. "Okay, but there isn't any info on them."
Xena furrowed her brows. "It's probably just a glitch," she said calmly. "Let's check the lust system module. It should be there."
Then, she snapped her fingers. And another tab appeared instantly, this time with an entirely different but familiar interface.
*Grade: Epic
*Lust Points: 2250
*Charm Aura (Passive):
This skill boosts the Charm stat by 100% and Increases host's attractiveness, making people drawn toward him. (Costs 20 LP per minute)
Note:
-The higher host's charm stat, the higher the effectiveness of the skill.
*Arousal Amplification (Active): Temporarily heightens a target's arousal, builds up sensual excitement, and increases their sexual desires. (Costs 5 LP per use)
Note:
-Stronger effects occur if the target already has some attraction toward host.
-Skill is more effective if host makes intimate contact with target.
-Overuse risks addiction or obsession from the target.
[No Available Quests]