---
Trevor closed his eyes, ready to embrace his deepest fear as the creature drew closer.
This is it… what a worthless life I've lived, he thought, trembling. The beast sniffed around the truck, hunting the human scent it had picked up earlier.
And before long, it found him.
Trevor stuttered backward, his legs giving out as he fell to the ground. Helpless, he watched the monstrous figure approach. His eyes began to close—his body shutting down. He didn't want to be eaten alive, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move.
Finally, his fading consciousness surrendered as the creature's outline blurred.
---
[System Awakening…]
[Scanning Host…]
[Host Found: Trevor Lane — Status: Weakling. Virgin. Abandoned.]
[Warning: Host potential at risk of permanent collapse.]
Trevor gasped, clutching his chest as a bright screen flickered before his eyes. Around him was nothing but pitch darkness.
[Activating: Primordial Seed System…]
[Core Principle: Sexual essence is the highest form of mana. By planting your "seed" in partners, you harvest power, skills, and attributes.]
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host.]
[You have awakened the forbidden path: Lustbound Evolution.]
Rule 1: Release essence through intercourse to gain EXP and rewards.
Rule 2: Partners gain temporary buffs and permanent marks from your seed.
Rule 3: Refusal to complete mandatory missions will result in energy backlash (host body deterioration).
Trevor's eyes widened. Where am I? Did I survive? Am I dead? What the hell is this?
Then another line seared into his vision:
[First Quest Assigned!]
Quest: Break your chains of weakness.
Objective: Lay with a partner within 72 hours.
Reward: +10 Strength, +10 Magic, Unique Skill [Seed of Renewal].
Failure: Mana collapse → gradual death.
Trevor's heart raced. What the f**k is going on? Am I alive or not? Why is everything dark?
Without warning, pain exploded through his skull. His thoughts scattered as consciousness slipped away again.
---
Trevor's eyes snapped open. He was still lying by the garbage truck. His vision swam until it landed on the creature in front of him.
It was gone. Completely vaporized.
Only then did Trevor piece it together—he had awakened something within himself. His essence had annihilated the beast.
But questions tore at his mind. Since when does essence have anything to do with… sex? How did I even awaken a system?
Shaking, he pushed himself to his feet. His legs were numb, forcing him into a staggering walk toward his house. With every step, he prayed not to encounter another monster.
Normally, humans awakened their essence by the age of nine. Thirteen was considered late. Anything beyond that was labeled weak. Trevor, now eighteen, had long given up hope of awakening at all.
He had resigned himself to living a pathetic, perverted life, expecting to eventually drop out of school and die to circumstances just like tonight.
But things had changed. He had awakened. Yet his essence… was something he could never speak about. At least, not yet.
He increased his pace. After a long minute, he unlocked the door—only to be pulled into a tight embrace.
"Trevor, where have you been?" his mother sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Trevor hugged her back tightly. If not for this strange power… I'd be dead right now.
When she finally released him, he looked at her properly. Mia, his mother, stood slim and sharp-eyed, her red hair tied back. She wore a purple suit, a sword gripped in one hand, and a bag of tools strapped across her shoulder.
Trevor froze. His mother hadn't touched a dungeon in years.
"I was coming for you," Mia sighed, exhaustion heavy in her voice. "I thought you were in danger." She set the sword aside and dragged the bag into the house.
She was a retired S-Rank dungeon explorer.
Trevor sat down in the living room, flicking through channels, though his mind was far from the television. His thoughts replayed the madness of tonight.
"Six people confirmed dead in an S-Rank dungeon mission," the news anchor's voice said.
Trevor's face fell. He read the details: a government-sponsored mission.
Rage flared inside him. That was exactly what they had done to his mother years ago when she resisted their greed. The government demanded seventy percent of her dungeon rewards. When she refused, they forced her and her team into an impossible mission—an SSS-Rank dungeon.
It was a death sentence.
Her entire group was wiped out. Only Mia barely survived, cursed, her essence slowly devouring her life.
Trevor slammed his fist onto the table, fire burning in his chest.
Things were different now.
He had the Primordial Seed System.
And with it, the government would pay.
---
Trevor switched off the television and retreated into his room.
It was a small, cramped space. Ever since his mother's retirement, the government had confiscated her estate, forcing them to relocate to a secluded district on the city's edge. Poverty had followed naturally. In a world where dungeons dictated both the economy and politics, losing one's power meant losing everything.
Sitting at the worn chair beside his bed, Trevor pulled out his spellcasting notebook. He flipped through its pages, eyes skimming the scribbled formulas and diagrams.
"Well, now that I've unlocked an essence," he muttered, "my spellcasting should get better."
But then the thought hit him—he had a mission to complete.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. It wasn't just a mission. It was a death sentence. He had seventy-two hours to accomplish it, or he'd die.
And the mission itself?
Lay with a partner.
Trevor's chest tightened, panic stirring inside him. His reputation was already in ruins—or perhaps, it was more accurate to say he never had one to begin with. Girls avoided him. Some mocked him. Most didn't even acknowledge him.
"How on earth am I supposed to manage this…?" Trevor whispered, his heartbeat quickening.
He leaned back, staring blankly at the cracked ceiling. Then, in the middle of his spiraling thoughts, a spark of inspiration hit.
Why not just ask?
The system had given him the quest. Maybe the system could also give him a way to complete it.
Still, doubt clouded his mind. Had he really awakened? Or was all of this just some cruel dream?
Cautiously, he spoke aloud.
"System… can I ask a question?"
For a moment, silence pressed around him. Then, a voice echoed in his head as a bright screen flickered before his eyes.
[You may. I will answer to the best of my abilities.But be warned your timer is still ticking 71 hours 31 minutes 24 seconds]