His mind was in turmoil as he walked. The Tower was playing with his memories and emotions, leaking into the depths of his mind. The fact that everything was so realistic made it impossible to distinguish the simulation from the truth. Were Aselia's bright purple eyes, which had dimmed as they parted, still watching for him? And what of Eleni? After Robert left, had that blue-eyed AI reset and turned into a grey-eyed, empty shell? And now Shara... The tragic, blind queen...
His perception of time had melted away; it felt as though months, perhaps even years, had passed rather than mere hours. Every encounter ripped a piece from his soul or stitched a foreign patch onto it.
As he moved through the crimson corridor, he encountered a few more Naga entities of Shara's kind, though of different sizes. One with emerald-green scales flicked out its forked tongue and sniffed the air curiously upon seeing Robert. The young man walked past it quickly without making eye contact. He now knew what kind of danger—or potential—he was dealing with.
He paused at one point and opened the interface in his mind. Entering the 'Production' tab, he examined the 'Crystal Eye' schematic. 'Sand Crystals' and 'Balika Fluid'... Although Shara's comment about the necessary fluid being "something we shared" made his stomach turn, it had given him an idea of how to procure the material. However, the problem was the Sand Crystals. A 'Pickaxe' was required to extract them. The 'Basic Pickaxe' schematic in the menu required 'Processed Metal Ingot (x5)' and 'Wooden Handle (x1)'. His inventory was completely empty. The Tower was like another puzzle hidden within a labyrinth.
Closing the interface in frustration, he continued walking. The crimson tunnel finally opened into a wide, circular hall. Three new doors appeared ahead, but this time they weren't pink or red.
The first glowed with an ice-blue light, cold steam rising from it. The second possessed an emerald-green shimmer with vine patterns moving across its surface. The third was hewn from dark volcanic rock, with beams of orange embers leaking from its cracks.
Robert paused for a moment. Ice, Forest, Fire... Instinctively, he was drawn to the most familiar element: the flame. He remembered Tina, the suppressed fire inside the girl. He headed towards the fire door. There was no 'X' mark on it. The moment he touched it, the gate opened with a creak, and a wave of hot, scorching air hit his face.
When he stepped inside, the reign of the crimson corridor ended. This was a completely different realm. The floor was not made of smooth pink material, but of cracked black basalt rocks. The walls had been replaced by an endless, dark volcanic plain where rivers of lava flowed and smoke rose. A sharp smell of sulfur and burnt flesh dominated the air.
He looked left and right. In the middle of this hellish landscape, at the end of a narrow rock bridge over the lava rivers, he saw a solitary door standing alone. There seemed to be no other option. Moving carefully over the hot, slippery ground, he reached the destination.
Passing the threshold, he found himself in an enclosed space again. This place, like Shara's room, was semi-natural, semi-artificial. The floor was scorched, cracked earth. The walls emitted a dim orange light as if filled with burning embers from within. The atmosphere was stifling.
And right in the center, a silhouette stood with its back turned.
It was petite and delicate. Her hair... in shades of red and orange, as if woven from fire, was constantly dancing.
Robert's heart pounded in his chest like a sledgehammer. It was impossible. But the silhouette was so familiar... That short stature, the delicate build, the radiating heat...
"Tina?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
The entity was motionless, as if it hadn't heard him.
Logic had been deactivated. In that moment, neither the Tower, nor the mission, nor the countdown of 60 hours mattered. The only thing occupying his mind was the longing he felt for his teammate, that silent, fiery girl.
"TINA!" he shouted, striding across the room and starting to run toward her.
When he reached her, he made a move to wrap his arms around that familiar, tiny body, to hug her tightly.
Just as his hands were about to touch the halo of fire...
VVOOOM!
A blinding, crimson explosion of flame erupted before his eyes. A massive pressure wave slammed into his chest, throwing him backward as if he had been hit by a truck. His back slammed into the glowing, ember-like wall at the other end of the room, knocking the wind out of him.
BZZT! A red, flashing alarm appeared in the interface:
[ERROR! ERROR! UNAUTHORIZED, AGGRESSIVE PHYSICAL CONTACT ATTEMPT ON AN ENTITY WITH RELATIONSHIP LEVEL 0! PENALTY APPLIED: 500 PLAYER EXPERIENCE POINTS DEDUCTED!]
Robert was leaning against the wall, trying to sit up amidst coughs and groans of pain. The front of his jumpsuit had been scorched by the instant explosion, melted in places.
At that moment, the fiery entity slowly turned to him. Robert blinked through the smoke, looking at her.
This was not Tina.
Yes, she was short and slender. Her hair was like a crown of spiky, reddish-orange flames constantly moving around her head. But the most shocking part was her body. She was completely naked and not made of solid flesh; she was formed of shifting, translucent flames. Her skin cracked in places like the surface of cooling magma, leaking bright yellow light from beneath.
Her face was beautiful, but it didn't hold Tina's human, melancholic beauty. It was more primal, more savage. Her eyes were charcoal black, and where her pupils should have been, two small, bright balls of flame danced.
The entity tilted her head to the side and looked at Robert's miserable state. There was curiosity in her demeanor rather than hostility.
"Hello," she said; her voice was both warm and dry, like the crackling of burning wood. "Tina... who?"
Robert stared at her from where he lay in shock. "You... aren't you Tina?"
The fire girl giggled. The sound resembled breaking glass. "I am Lavi," she said. "Spirit of the Flame. And you must be that cold, fleshy thing polluting this room."
The young man scanned the girl's body, composed of dancing flames. She could still be dangerous, but the childlike, almost innocent curiosity in her voice was compelling. He sat up slightly. "I'm Robert," he said, his voice hoarse from pain. "And... I apologize for polluting your room. I just... mistook you for a friend."
DING!
[+50 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Lavi Increased: 1 / 10]
[New Actions Unlocked: Speak]
Knowing that everything in the Tower converted into experience points, he decided to talk to this AI—or whatever she was. "Lavi... Spirit of the Flame? What is that? Your race?"
Lavi sat cross-legged in front of Robert. The cracked earth she touched instantly dried and blackened slightly. "Not a race," she said with her crackling timbre. "Essence. I am the last breath of a star that died a very long time ago. An echo. The Tower found my wandering, cooling consciousness and gave me this form, this warmth. I am a fire that remembers."
Listening to this poetic story, Robert recalled the "Stardust Gardens" Aselia had mentioned. The creators of the Tower seemed obsessed with stars and lost souls. "So you belong here too."
"Belong?" Lavi repeated the word as if hearing it for the first time. "I don't know. I just burn. This room is my home. Warm. Safe. Outside... The pink place... Too cold."
Robert got to his feet and dusted himself off. As he continued speaking, he examined the girl's face, her fiery hair, and charcoal eyes. "So... This form of yours," he said hesitantly. "Does it not cause problems?"
Lavi tilted her head as if she didn't understand. "What form?"
He didn't know what to say. "I mean... You have no clothes on."
The entity laughed as if asked the most absurd question in the world. The sound of broken glass echoed in the room. "Clothes? Stupid fleshy being," she said with playful disdain. "Does fire wear clothes? This hot body would turn any fabric it touches to ash." She spun around theatrically. "Besides... what do I have to hide? This is me. Pure. Hot. Real."
Robert couldn't find words against this logic. In the Tower, Earth's moral rules truly lost their dominion. "Alright," he said, changing the subject. "What do you do here? I mean, in this room? All alone?"
Lavi's halos of bright yellow flame narrowed with sadness for a moment. "I wait," she said, her voice lowering. "For someone to come and... play. But everyone is afraid of me. They say my touch... burns." She looked at Robert's recently scorched jumpsuit. "I guess... they are right."
Lavi's childlike yet brutal question—"They say my touch... burns. I guess... they are right."—hung in the arid atmosphere of the room. Robert, still leaning against the wall, feeling the pain of his burning clothes and the sting of the 500 experience points he had just lost, looked at the fiery girl in front of him. This was a trap. A cruel, emotional trap built upon his longing for Tina... And he had dived right into it.
"Yes," he said, not hiding the agony in his voice. "They are right. You burn."
Lavi's bright halos narrowed for a moment at the honest answer. The expression on her face gave way once again to that childlike, grumpy curiosity. "But..." she said, her voice resembling the crackle of burning wood. "Then... do you want to play?"
She took a step toward Robert. With her, the temperature of the room seemed to rise a few degrees. The young man instinctively pressed himself further against the wall. "How are we going to do that, Lavi?" His voice was logical and calm, but it held a deep weariness. "I can't touch you. I can't even approach properly. Every contact hurts me."
Lavi's countenance, her fiery features changed instantly. The gleam in her pupils turned into a more closed, orange color as if extinguishing from within. Her fiery shoulders slumped. "I understand," she said, her voice no longer crackling, but muffled. "You will go too. Just like the others. Everyone comes. Sees the fire. And then leaves. No one plays with fire."
The sudden emotional shift in Lavi and the deep sense of abandonment she projected were enough to lower Robert's guard. This moment felt much more genuine than Aselia's artificial tears. Perhaps the Tower had thoroughly learned how to exploit his veins of empathy.
"No," said Robert slowly. "I'm not going. I'm just... thinking about how we can handle this. There must be a way."
Lavi's eyes sparkled again for a moment. "A way?"
"Yes. But first," the young man said, remembering the task in his mind. "Let me add you. Stand still for a moment. Don't move."
He took out the cool, blue Zel device from his pocket. In the crimson volcanic room, the device's technology looked awkward and alien, like a time anomaly. He pointed the screen at Lavi.
"What are you doing?" the fire girl asked curiously.
"I'm recording you. To my friend list."
Hearing the word "Friend," Lavi underwent an instant metamorphosis. Her sad, dim state was wiped away, replaced by an enthusiastic energy. "Friend? Wonderful!" She suddenly started posing like a model. She put one hand on her waist—or that curve of flames—lifted her chin, and tossed her crimson hair. "Is this good? Or like this?"
Robert couldn't help but smile at this sudden change. "You look great, Lavi. Just... stay still."
On the screen of the Zel device, the girl's fiery and wild image became clear. Robert pressed the 'save' button.
[Lavi Added to Friend List!]
[Profile Information Received: Name: Lavi. Level: ??. Species: Fire Spirit (Echo).]
He opened the 'Friends' menu. The list was now more distinct. At the top was Eleni (Level 9), below her Aselia (Level 9), below her Shara (Level 7), and at the very bottom, Lavi (Level 1).
But a detail caught his attention.
Berilda... was gone.
The guide girl's profile had evaporated; deleted as if she had never existed. Robert realized then that the Starting Room was truly just a training ground, and Berilda was disposable software withdrawn from the system once her task was done. The cruelty of the Tower slapped him in the face once again.
While Robert checked the general information, Lavi's patience ran out.
"Come on! Let's play!" she shouted. "We're friends now, it's game time!"
Suddenly, she started rushing around the room like a fireball. Her laughter echoed off the walls as she ran circles around Robert, waving her flames. Waves of hot air licked the young man's face. "You're slow! Fleshy beings are so clumsy! You can't catch me!"
Robert took a step back. This didn't resemble Aselia's flirtations; it was downright dangerous. "Lavi, stop! I can't get close to you!"
The girl suddenly nailed herself to the spot right in front of him. Only a few meters remained between them. The heat was unbearable. Her body of flame undulated provocatively. She shrugged her shoulders and placed her hands on her hips. "Why? Don't you want to touch?" Her voice was deeper now, as if trying to mimic Berilda's seductive tones. "Everyone... wanted to touch Tina... sorry, Lavi. Or... are you a coward?"
Robert frowned at this second provocation. The entity was using his weaknesses and his longing for Tina as a weapon. "This isn't Tina! And yes, I'm afraid because you are made of pure fire! Now calm down and let's talk."
Lavi's face fell like a grumpy child's at the logical answer. Her flames turned from bright yellow to a darker, fiercer orange. She sat down cross-legged on the cracked earth. She swung her fiery legs with childish anger. "I understand," she said in a muffled voice. "You are like the others too. Talk, talk, talk... But never play. You will go. Everyone goes. No one plays with fire. Fire is lonely."
This third move, the displayed childish and manipulative sadness, broke Robert's resistance. Eleni's awakening, Shara's tragedy, Aselia's fear of abandonment... Every female entity in the Tower seemed to feed on the same fundamental pain: Loneliness.
He took a deep breath. "No," he said wearily. "I'm not going. But to play... we have to find a safe way."
He checked the interface. Even the tense interaction with Lavi had advanced the relationship level. They had reached 70% of Level 1. He had to maintain the dialogue.
Slowly, he sat down opposite the girl, at a safe distance. "Alright... Tell me a bit more about yourself. Before the Tower... How was your life as a 'star'?"
Lavi shrugged with a bored demeanor. Her halos rippled slightly. "It was boring. Just... burning. Growing. Then shrinking. Changing color. It was very... quiet." She lifted her head, her bright yellow eyes meeting Robert's. "Then... I exploded. That was fun! I scattered everywhere. Then I cooled down. And stayed in the darkness. For a very long time. Then the Tower found me. Gave me this form. And this room."
"Do you like it here?"
"It's warm," Lavi said simply. "Outside is cold. The pink place is like ice. The red place is cool. Here... is like home. But home... is boring when you are alone."
This simple, childlike logic stung Robert's heart. He told her about the 'cold' places, the pink corridor. Whenever Lavi heard the word 'cold,' she stoked her flames even more as if she were truly freezing.
DING!
[+150 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 2: 200/800)]
[Relationship Level with Lavi Increased: 2 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: Suppressed Fire (Special Interaction)]
Robert was surprised when he saw the notification. He quickly read the description:
[Suppressed Fire (Special Interaction - Lavi)]
Description: A special interaction type for Lavi. Temporarily 'Suppresses' the Fire Spirit's instinctive burning aura, making contact and physical interaction possible.
Conditions: The ability must be mentally approved not only by the user (Robert) but also by Lavi.
Activation: Once the ability is activated, it is sealed with a wet kiss on any part of Lavi's body. (Even a tiny peck is a trigger, only saliva is required).
When Robert read the description, he felt his blood run cold. Saliva. A wet kiss. The system was officially mocking him. Was he going to "contain" an entity created from pure fire with wetness? It was madness.
He looked at Lavi. Unaware of the notification, the girl was watching the cracks in the ground with boredom. "What happened? Why did you go silent?"
"A new... game has opened, Lavi," he said hesitantly.
The girl's head shot up instantly. "Game? What game? Come on, let's play!" She jumped to her feet.
"Its name... is 'Suppressed Fire'."
Lavi paused upon hearing the name. "Suppressed... fire?" Her voice was full of curiosity. "What kind of game is that?"
"I don't know. But... we need to try it. If we want to play."
"Then let's play!" she said impatiently. "Come on! Are you a coward?"
Robert activated the ability from the interface in his mind. On the screen, the text "Waiting for Partner Approval..." appeared.
"Lavi," he said in a serious tone. "You will feel a question in your mind now. A request for approval. If you want to play with me 'safely,' you need to accept this."
The Fire Spirit paused for a moment, closing her eyes. Her body flickered. Then she opened her eyes. "I approved! What do we do now? Are we going to fight?"
Just then, Robert, standing opposite Lavi, felt the ability engage. The wave of scorching heat around the girl broke instantly. It was still hot, but no longer a burning, unbearable hellfire; it resembled a hot summer day.
And Robert remembered the activation instruction: Saliva.
"Lavi... Are you... touchable?"
The girl was surprised by this question. "If I want to be, why not?" She did something incredible before Robert's eyes. Her constantly dancing, translucent body suddenly condensed. As if her flames were poured into an invisible mold, she became more solid, more opaque. Her surface still glowed like embers, but it now resembled skin. A skin of fire. "There, that's it," she said, her voice still crackling but proud. "Come on. Let's play."
Robert extended his hand hesitantly. First, he touched the sleeve of his scorched jumpsuit to the girl's shoulder. It didn't burn. It was just... warm.
Emboldened, he extended his bare hand. His eye caught on that fiery skin. He touched his fingertips to Lavi's hand.
The sensation was strange. Between liquid and solid, a jelly-like but hot, flexible surface... And yes, it was hot but didn't burn. He pulled his hand back in shock.
"Are you scared, fleshy being?" Lavi said, giggling.
"No," he said with determination. "I'm just... surprised. Can you lift your hand?"
The girl lifted her hand curiously, showing her palm.
Robert remembered that crazy instruction. There was no other way. He wetted the corner of his lips with his tongue, gathering some saliva in his mouth. Then, with a quick, decisive movement, he leaned in.
He pressed his lips to Lavi's warm, fiery palm.
PSSSSST!
A slight hissing sound was heard. The wetness on Robert's lips evaporated the moment it touched the girl's skin. But that one second of contact was enough. He pulled back.
And an instant change occurred in Lavi.
Her bright yellow eyes widened enormously. Her body shook violently. Robert felt the heat radiating from the girl drop for a moment, the room seemingly cooling down a bit.
Lavi wasn't looking at Robert, but at her hand that had just been kissed. At that spot, the color of the flames had turned from orange to a pale blue for a split second, then evolved back to normal.
But her expression... It had transformed. That childish defiance was gone from her face. In her eyes, shock, disbelief, and most importantly... the addiction of a new emotion she had never tasted before could be read.
"This..." she whispered. "What was this?" Her voice was no longer crackling, but trembling and breathless.
"That... was coolness."
Lavi lifted her head. Her eyes locked onto Robert's lips. "Do it again," she said, her voice a command. She extended her hand toward the man's mouth. "Come on, play! Come on, do it! Now!"
Robert pulled back in surprise. The girl took a step toward him, waving her hand at his face. "Kiss! Kiss it! Come on!"
In that moment, Robert understood. Tina had been relieved by that wet kiss. Shara had been poisoned by Balika Fluid. But for Lavi... For the Spirit of the Flame, 'wetness', 'saliva', or 'water' was not a relief, but pure addiction. That 'coolness', felt for the first time by an entity that had been burning for billions of years, was the strongest drug for her.
And Robert was now the sole source of that drug.
The Tower's cruel logic etched itself into his mind once again. He had given Tina coolness. Shara lust... But to Lavi; he had offered her exact opposite, her absence, her greatest desire, like giving water to a fire. And now, with this power in his hand, he could hold the reins.
"Alright," he said in a calm but authoritative tone, trying to soothe the girl's crisis state. "But... calm down."
He grabbed Lavi's right hand, which was waving in the air, again. The Fire Spirit didn't pull her hand back this time; on the contrary, she opened her palm eagerly. Robert pressed his lips again. This time harder, longer. He sucked thoroughly. That warm, jelly-like "fire skin" was the consistency of a soft pillow that collapsed slightly inward under the pressure of his lips.
Lavi threw her head back and moaned with pleasure. "Yes... yes..."
As Robert deepened his kiss and let more saliva flow between his lips, the fire girl let out a delirious, ecstatic laugh. "You are strong, fleshy being! It sinks inside! Hahaha! Crush me... cool me!"
Emboldened by Lavi's encouragement, the young man didn't just kiss; he stuck out his tongue and began to lick that strange, near-solid liquid. It had no taste; the only sensation left on the tongue was pure, suppressed heat.
Lost in the feeling of relief, Lavi extended her other hand too. "This one too! Both of them! Please!"
Giggling, Robert grabbed her other wrist as well. He was now holding both her hands. While sucking one, he pressed the other against his cheek. Then he switched. He kissed, licked, and lightly bit both hands alternately as if they were ripe fruits. Lavi was struggling to stand, her knees trembling, her whole body convulsing under that sweet, cool invasion. Her fiery hair danced brighter and wilder than ever.
Right at that moment, that familiar notification sound echoed in his mind.
DING! DING!
[+400 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 2: 600/800)]
[Relationship Level with Lavi Increased: 3 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: Fire Games (Special Interaction)]
Robert released the girl's hands and pulled back, wiping the corner of his mouth. Lavi moaned like an addict in withdrawal at the sudden cessation of that coolness. "No! Why did you stop? Coward! Continue! Play!"
She tried to push her hands toward the man's mouth again. Pure hunger could be read in her bright yellow eyes.
Robert gently held her wrists. "One second, little fire," he said laughing. "I think... the system gave us a new game."
Snapping his fingers, he opened the interface. Hearing the word "Game," Lavi forgot her momentary withdrawal, her eyes sparkling. "What game? Let's play!"
Robert entered the newly opened 'Fire Games' menu. He was faced with strange names, mostly locked: "Flaming Blind Man's Bluff (Level 5 Required)", "Ember Skipping (Level 7 Required)", "Magma Path (Level 9 Required)". Only the top option was bright white and selectable.
[Flame Dance (Level 3+)]
He read its definition with curiosity: "Chasing Game with Cost and Reward."
"Do you know the Flame Dance?"
"My favorite! My favorite!" screamed Lavi. "Catch me! Come on, catch me!"
Robert laughed. "Hold on a second, I'm looking at the rules." He focused on the 'i' icon in the interface.
[Game Description: Flame Dance]
Objective: Catch Lavi within 30 seconds.
Rule (Win): If the Leader (Robert) catches Lavi, he can perform any desired action (within current relationship level) on Lavi for 30 seconds.
Rule (Loss): If the Leader fails to catch Lavi, 200 XP is deducted from the Main Experience Bar AND Lavi can apply any desired 'punishment' (non-lethal) to the Leader for 30 seconds.
He swallowed when he read the rules. Losing XP was a serious risk. And he didn't even want to think about what Lavi's 'punishment' could be.
"Scared, fleshy?" said Lavi, seeing the hesitation on Robert's face. Her sly, provocative smile had returned. Her flames shone defiantly. "You can't catch me. And when you can't... I will burn you." She created small, dancing fireballs at her fingertips.
Robert looked at his scorched jumpsuit, then at the girl's daring face. "I'll risk it. Setting the round count... to 5. Start."
The text [FLAME DANCE STARTED!] appeared in capital letters on the interface.
Robert walked to the center of the room. Lavi was bouncing excitedly in place like a runner a few meters away from him.
[ROUND 1/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
"Come on then, fleshy!" shouted the girl and started running.
But in the first round, under the influence of victory and excitement, she made a mistake. She ran in a simple circle around the room, very slowly, very predictably. Robert saw this amateur move. He didn't even run. He just calculated her route, made a diagonal move, and caught her in mid-air with open arms just as Lavi passed by him.
"Gotcha!" he shouted. Lavi's warm, soft, jelly-like body slammed into his arms.
DING!
[ROUND 1 WON! REWARD TIME: 30:00]
"You cheated!" chirped Lavi, struggling in his arms. But she was laughing. "You were too fast!"
"Reward time, little fire." He held her tightly. There was only one thing in his mind: Reinforcing that 'coolness' addiction. He bowed his head, burying it in Lavi's fiery, messy hair. First, he ruffled it slightly. Then he pressed his lips and planted a kiss as wet and audible as possible.
PSSSSST!
Lavi froze instantly. Her body tensed. The sensation of pure, unfiltered relief spread through her entire nervous system. "Do it..." she whispered. "Come on... do it... continue..."
Robert heard this plea just as he was about to pull back. The 30-second timer on the interface was ticking. He didn't hesitate. He brought his lips to her hair again, and this time, he didn't just kiss, he started licking.
It was an incredibly strange feeling. Her hair felt like hot, silky cotton candy in his mouth. It had no taste, just pure heat. But as it made contact with Robert's saliva, the girl's body trembled with pleasure. And then he noticed something even stranger. Lavi's hair seemed to move of its own volition, bouncing toward Robert's mouth and lips with small, rhythmic bursts—like a heartbeat or a tiny geyser eruption. Even the strands of hair desired that coolness, that wetness, wanting more. He continued this strange, sensual feeding until the second was up.
BEEP! Time was up.
[ROUND 2/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
Lavi slowly came to her senses from that drunkenness of coolness. As her eyes looked at Robert, she was no longer just playful, but also hungry. She didn't run slowly this time. She shot from one end of the room to the other like a fireball. She climbed the ember-like rocks on the walls, hung from the ceiling. Robert couldn't catch up to her.
BEEP!
[ROUND 2 LOST! PUNISHMENT TIME: 30:00]
[Score: 1-1]
[-200 Player Experience Points Lost!]
Robert groaned with the pain of XP loss. "Alright... What's my punishment, little fire?"
A sly smile appeared on Lavi's face. "Scared, fleshy? Now it's punishment time!"
Robert thought she would throw a new fireball and tensed up to defend himself. But Lavi created just a tiny, single grain of ember at the tip of her finger. This wasn't an innocent game like Aselia's. It was a real, burning ember.
She approached slowly. Robert didn't dare move. The girl began to hover that hot grain of ember in the air, just a millimeter away from the man's face. Robert could feel his skin scorching, the hairs at that spot burning. It was incredible pain, but there was no contact. Lavi drew an invisible circle on his cheek with the ember, then brought it to the tip of his nose, lowered it to his chin. Every second was torture. When the thirty seconds were up, she extinguished the ember. Robert was covered in sweat.
[ROUND 3/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
"Come on, fleshy! Are you going to give up this easily?" shouted Lavi provocatively as she ran to the other end of the room. She was looking over her shoulder, shaking her hips—or that curve of flames. She wanted to be caught.
Robert understood her game but didn't fall for the trap. As Lavi ran toward the left side of the room, he sprinted in the exact opposite direction, to the right. He planned to cut off the girl's path using the curved wall of the room.
His calculation was perfect. When Lavi turned the corner, she came nose to nose with Robert. Neither could brake.
The collision wasn't hard. The young man felt like he had crashed into a warm, soft pillow, not a wall. Lavi's solidified flame body absorbed the impact. They both fell to the cracked earth floor in an instant, arms and legs—and flames—entangled.
Robert found himself in an advantageous position. He was on top of the girl. He could feel that naked, warm, soft body underneath him. He immediately wrapped his arms around her waist, refusing to let go.
"Gotcha!"
Lavi tried to get out from under him, but Robert's weight held her fixed. She started laughing. She wrapped her arms around the man's neck and rested her head of flame on his chest. "Yes, you caught me, big man," she said in a muffled voice.
DING!
[ROUND 3 WON! REWARD TIME: 30:00]
[Score: 2-1 Robert]
Robert stood up, holding the girl by the waist. Lavi was light as a feather.
"Well? What's your reward?" asked the fire girl, still clinging to his neck. "Are you going to 'grope' me again?"
Robert bounced her slightly into the air. "I think... I'll do better." With this movement, Lavi instinctively wrapped her legs around Robert's waist from both sides like a whip.
At that moment, his point of view shifted down over the girl's shoulders. When her legs opened to either side to wrap around his waist, he glimpsed the groin area for a moment. And he froze in surprise.
There was nothing.
Neither a female organ nor anything else. Just a smooth, uninterrupted area formed of dancing flames, curving slightly inward. Just like the palm of her hand. Completely flat. This entity wasn't even female in the biological sense. She was just... a form.
Lavi noticed Robert pausing. "What is it, fleshy?" she said, giggling. "Looking down below? Pretty, isn't it? That's my hottest spot! Want to touch?"
Robert ignored this question, which was as innocent—or ignorant—as it was provocative. "My reward," he said, burying his face in the girl's fiery hair again. When the thirty-second time limit expired, he had to forcibly detach Lavi from his arms. The Fire Spirit didn't want to break away from that cool contact, moaning like a whining child whose toy had been taken away. "No! Don't stop! More!"
[ROUND 4/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
The young man gently set her down. However, Lavi was angry that the game had paused. "You dropped me!" she shrieked, darting away. This time she was truly fast. Like a spark bouncing around the room, she leapt from wall to wall. Before Robert could track her chaotic movements, the time melted away.
BEEP!
[ROUND 4 LOST! PUNISHMENT TIME: 30:00]
[Score: 2-2]
[-200 Player Experience Points Lost!]
Robert groaned with the pain of losing XP again. "Alright... What are you going to do this time?"
Lavi stopped in the middle of the room. A sly smile settled on her face. "You made fun of me," she said. "Your punishment... will be big."
Slowly, she joined her hands in front of her. A small, orange ember appeared between her palms. Then she started to grow this ball. It swelled, expanded... Contrasting with her petite body, she was now holding a watermelon-sized, roaring, sizzling sphere of fire.
Robert's eyes widened in horror. "Lavi! Stop! That... that's lethal! It's against the rules!"
"Coward!" giggled the fire girl. "Just a game!" And she hurled the fireball at the man with all her might.
Robert thought his end had come. He squeezed his eyes shut and raised his arms to protect himself. He felt the intense heat of the flame on his face. It struck.
...and nothing happened.
When he opened his eyes, there was no trace of the flame. The moment the massive fireball touched him, it had exploded like a water balloon, turning into a harmless cloud of cool steam. Only his jumpsuit was slightly dampened.
The sound of laughter echoing from the other end of the room hit the walls. Lavi was rolling on the floor, unable to stop herself from laughing. "You were scared! Scared! Your face... Hahaha! You should have seen your face! Big, cowardly fleshy being! You nearly wet yourself!"
Robert gritted his teeth with the anger of being tricked. "Very funny," he hissed.
[ROUND 5/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
Final round. Score 2-2. This round would decide everything.
Lavi started running to the other end of the room, still giggling. Robert was furious this time. He was driven. He was no longer calculating like an engineer, but focusing like a predator locked onto its prey.
He sprinted just as the girl ran towards the machines in the corner. But he didn't try to catch her from behind. He cut off her route with a diagonal move from the center of the room. When Lavi noticed Robert, it was too late.
He caught her in such a way that it resembled an attack more than a game. He grabbed her in mid-air and didn't let her fall to the ground. He wrapped her up with his whole body; entwined his arms and legs around that tiny, warm torso. As if wanting to claim every single particle of her, he completely captured her.
DING!
[ROUND 5 WON! REWARD TIME: 30:00]
[Score: 3-2 Robert]
Lavi was momentarily stunned by this sudden and harsh capture within his arms. But within seconds, that expression full of desire and addiction appeared on her face again. "You caught... you caught me, fleshy..." she whispered. "You are rough... I like it more this way. Come on... give me my reward. Cool me down."
Robert checked the timer on the interface while holding her tightly. 30 seconds. He had to make this final reward unforgettable.
His eyes locked not on the girl's fiery hair or cheeks, but on her neck. He lowered his head and sealed his lips onto the most sensitive point of that fiery skin, the hollow of her neck.
This time he didn't just kiss. He licked, sucked, sank his teeth in slightly. He focused that dose of "coolness" onto a single point as intensely as possible.
Lavi's reaction was instantaneous and violent. Her eyes rolled back, her body convulsed in Robert's arms. A high-pitched, pleasure-filled scream that couldn't be put into words tore from her mouth. This was different from the deep, spiritual union Shara felt; it was a pure, raw, physical explosion of pleasure. The coolness had invaded her entire nervous system.
"Come on... fleshy..." she moaned, her voice unrecognizable. "More... much... Do it! Don't stop! Meat... yes... there!"
Robert didn't stop until the last second of the duration. He claimed that spot as if signing his signature.
When he separated the fiery body from his arms, that intense, wild 30-second reward time was up. But Lavi's reaction did not accept that the game was over. As Robert took a step back, the girl's tiny body was still trembling with the effect of that final explosion of pleasure. The spot on her neck where he had attached himself shone with a pale, almost blue color for a moment due to contact with the coolness of the saliva, then returned to a roaring orange.
"Come on..." whispered Lavi, her voice hoarse and pleading. Her bright yellow eyes were now locked on the man's lips, not his eyes. "Why did you stop? Do it... do more! Please!"
Robert breathed heavily, "Time is up, Lavi," he said.
"Screw the time!" shouted the girl, her childish anger returning. "Play again! Come on! Coward! I want that cold thing!"
The Tower's cruel genius had come to light once again. This was not a game; it was a psychological laboratory that found the deepest weakness of every entity and turned it into a control mechanism. Lavi's weakness was the exact opposite of her nature: Freshness. And Robert was the sole source of that drug.
He looked at the interface in his mind. Time was flowing. It was around 55 hours. The relationship level with Lavi was still at 3, filled around 40%. He needed to do more to complete the mission, to reach Level 7. He had to satisfy this little, fire-addicted entity.
"Should I play again?" he thought. He seemed to have no other choice. "Alright, little fire," he said, cloaking his voice in that playful tone again. "Since you're itching for it... Another 5 rounds."
He selected 'Flame Dance' again.
Lavi's face lit up like a lightbulb illuminating a dark room. "YES!"
[FLAME DANCE STARTED!]
[ROUND 1/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
Lavi showed not the slightest effort to escape this time. Before Robert could make a move, she screamed "Catch me!" and threw herself directly at the man's chest. Robert staggered back a step with the impact as he caught this tiny, hot fireball in mid-air.
"Gotcha," he said, laughing at this absurd situation.
DING!
[ROUND 1 WON! REWARD TIME: 30:00]
"Come on! Do it!" Lavi fluttered impatiently; her arms were wrapped around the man's neck. "Give that cold kiss! On my face! My eyes!"
Robert didn't make her ask twice. The reward time was ticking. Holding the girl tightly, he lowered his head. He pressed his lips to Lavi's cheek. PSSST! With the sound of evaporation, a moan of pleasure rose from the girl. Robert moved from there to her eyes. He licked her closed, fiery eyelids. Their texture was like warm, smooth glass. His saliva evaporated instantly on that surface, offering Lavi the freshness she sought. The Fire Spirit threw her head back, leaving herself completely to the mercy of Robert's mouth. Robert kissed, sucked, and licked every inch of her face until the last second of the duration.
BEEP! Time was up.
[ROUND 2/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
Robert made a move to put Lavi on the ground, but the girl didn't allow it. "No!" she giggled, jumping from his lap and landing on the floor. But instead of running away, she began to roll her body on the ground provocatively. She circled around the man's feet like a ball of embers, rubbing against his legs. Suddenly, she hit Robert's calves from the side, throwing him off balance.
The young man was caught unprepared and fell flat on his back. Without losing a moment, Lavi climbed on top of him and settled on his chest. "Gotcha!" she said triumphantly. "No, you caught me!"
Robert didn't mind this new position, he laughed. "Yes, you caught me. But I also..." He wrapped his arms around that tiny, warm body sitting on top of him.
DING!
[ROUND 2 WON! REWARD TIME: 30:00]
"Give me my reward!" commanded Lavi, still on top of Robert.
As Robert wrapped her up and sat up, he began planting wet, audible kisses rapidly towards the girl's shoulder and neck. Every PSSST sound drew a moan of delight from Lavi. She was beside herself. Throwing her head back, she opened more space for the lips. Her body of flame snuggled into Robert's as if wanting to merge with him. "Yes, fleshy... cool me... Make my skin ice cold... Hahaha!" Her hands, wandering over Robert's body, roamed over his jumpsuit as if wanting to absorb his coolness.
Right at that moment, Robert experienced a level up with the intensity he felt.
DING!
[Relationship Level with Lavi Increased: 4 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: Flame Line (Special Action)]
He saw the notification but didn't have the chance to examine it. Lavi, sensing the reward time was about to expire, suddenly threw her body upward and latched onto Robert's lips. This was more of a collision than a kiss. Warm, jelly-like lips completely covered Robert's. The girl's body was like an automatic geyser throwing itself towards his lips. Robert responded, licking that hot, strange taste.
BEEP! Time was up.
[ROUND 3/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
Robert separated the girl from himself. "I need to look at the new ability..."
"No! Game!" shouted Lavi, throwing herself into his arms again. "You caught me! 30 seconds started!"
Robert sighed. He couldn't resist this girl. "Alright!" Reward time had started. This time he focused on the front of her torso. Holding her tightly, he sank his teeth lightly into the spot just below her shoulder, where her chest began. The fire skin stretched like hot gum between his teeth. He began to bite and suck that spot. Lavi responded to this hard, savage contact with moans. Her tiny flame body pushed against Robert's; demanding more pressure, more "coolness." "Yes! Bite! Hurt me! But don't stop!"
BEEP!
[ROUND 4/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
Lavi didn't break the routine in this round either. She threw herself. Robert took her into his lap and collapsed onto the table in the corner of the room with fatigue. He sat the girl on his lap.
DING!
[ROUND 4 WON! REWARD TIME: 30:00]
"Where is the line?" he asked with feigned weariness.
Lavi giggled and spread her legs. "Here!" she said, pointing to her tiny fire legs.
Robert bowed his head. For 30 seconds, he rapidly tended to the girl's legs. Her kneecaps, her thighs... he kissed, sucked, licked everywhere he could reach. Lavi, head thrown back in his lap, eyes closed, beside herself; moaned quietly as if she had almost reached the point of saturation.
DING! DING!
[+1500 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Lavi Increased: 5 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: Trust Lock (Passive)]
Another level up. "Trust Lock". This resembled the 'Special Game' lock opened with Aselia.
"Last round, Lavi," said Robert.
[ROUND 5/5. CATCH!]
TIMER: 30:00
The pair were still sitting. They didn't stand up. Knowing she was going for one last time, Lavi hurled herself rapidly at the man. But this time she aimed not for his chest, but for his face.
Since Robert was sitting, he was caught unprepared for this move. The girl leaped like an acrobat, opening her fiery legs to the sides like a whip and wrapping them around his neck. The insides of her calves hit his cheeks. Her flat, organless, smooth crotch buried itself in Robert's face, lips, and nose.
SMACK! The sound of her feet joining behind his neck rang in the room.
"You caught me, fleshy..." whispered Lavi; her voice muffled and full of victory. "Come on... take your reward."
DING!
[ROUND 5 WON! REWARD TIME: 30:00]
With his face buried in Lavi's hottest, most intimate place, Robert knew what to do. Closing his eyes, he surrendered himself to this absurdity. From behind, he wrapped up the girl's tiny body and pressed her closer to himself. And he began to lick and suck that flat fire surface as if burying himself in it.
This was the most intense relief Lavi had felt up to that moment. Her whole body convulsed. A high-pitched, pleasure-filled scream that couldn't be put into words tore from her mouth.
Robert didn't want this moment to end. 30 seconds was too short. Holding Lavi in his lap, still locked in that position, he jumped up. He ran towards the wall of the room. The girl screamed, leaving a magnificent trail of fire behind her with the effect of the airflow.
He pinned her with her back against the wall. And without stopping the licking and sucking, he maintained the pressure.
When Lavi's back touched the cool, smooth wall and Robert's mouth was still working on her, she let out a fiery moan. "YES! MEAT... FLESHY! MORE! MORE! DO IT!"
BEEP! Time was up. But Robert didn't let go. One more second... Two more seconds...
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
[SYSTEM WARNING! REWARD TIME EXCEEDED! IF ACTION CONTINUES, PENALTY WILL BE APPLIED!]
Robert pulled back angrily. Lavi slid down from the wall like a tired heap of fire at the peak of satisfaction and fell to the ground. Robert collapsed beside her, breathless.
For a while, the room was filled only with their rapid breathing and the girl's satisfied, crackling purrs.
Just then, a new notification, different from the confirmation with Shara, appeared on his interface.
[Racial Acknowledgement Threshold Exceeded: Level 2 (Fire Spirit)]
[Passive Ability Updated: Refreshment of Fire (Level 1 - Immunity to low-level fire damage. Offers 'Cooling' ability upon active contact.)]
"Racial Acknowledgement... Level 2?" whispered Robert. "What does this mean?"
Fatigued, he let himself fall onto his back on the cracked and hot earth. The Tower was consuming him both physically and mentally. But... at least he was alive. And the mission was progressing.
Robert, on the cracked and scorching earthen floor, was trying to regulate his breathing with exhaustion after the crazy 'Flame Dance' that had just occurred, those wild contacts, and the shocking 'relief' reaction in Lavi's body. The tiny, fiery entity beside him was no longer vicious or provocative. A pure, childlike serenity, never seen before, dominated her face. Her bright yellow halos were half-closed, her body of flame glowing and fading rhythmically, calmly, like embers in a fireplace. In the silence of the room, instead of Lavi's familiar crackling sound, a low, full hum resembling the purring of a satisfied cat could be heard.
The young man was examining the 'Racial Acknowledgement Level 2' notification that appeared in the interface in his mind. 'Refreshment of Fire'... Immunity to low-level fire damage. This meant that the next interaction with Lavi would be much less painful. The system had officially made him more resistant to this Fire Spirit, encouraging him to be the source of this addiction.
Then, in the complex menu in his mind, he remembered that lock he had won in the second round but hadn't had the opportunity to examine amidst the chaos: [Flame Line (Special Action)]. Curiously, he opened the ability's definition.
What he saw surprised him once again. This was not a simple action like 'Free Licking' or 'Kissing', but a permanent upgrade.
[Flame Line (Special Upgrade - Lavi)]
Description: Provides a permanent form change for the Fire Spirit Lavi. Fixes the 'Suppressed Fire' form, transforming her body into 'Flame Skin' and completely neutralizing her burning aura.
Effects: Lavi can wear physical clothes. She can lengthen and shorten her body within certain measures—without breaking her form (for example, she can bring her height closer to an adult level). Effect is permanent.
Requirements:
* Fire Essence (x1)
* Phoenix Talisman (x1)
* Crimson Staff Touch (x1)
He froze when he read the list. This didn't resemble Berilda's or Eleni's leveling mechanics; it looked more like those 'modification' plans he designed in the Bending Machine at the Academy. It was a real, complex crafting quest. "Fire Essence... Phoenix Talisman..." The names sounded legendary. Where would he find these in this Tower? And... "Crimson Staff Touch"?
His mind went to that moment at the Academy, to the blue-knobbed, red-and-black staff he had given Tina. "Crimson Staff"... Could it be a coincidence? Or was the Tower connected to his memories, to the real world, to the Academy? This thought caused a cold fear to settle in his stomach. If the system could read his memory, how safe was he?
While he was lost in these thoughts, Lavi's voice pulled him back to reality. Her purr had turned into words. "You didn't go..." she whispered, her eyes still closed. "Game over... but fleshy being didn't go."
Robert looked at her. At that serene, almost innocent face.
"I didn't go, little fire," he said in a tired voice. "I'm just... thinking."
Lavi straightened up slightly from where she lay. Her solidified flame body moved into a sitting position with a flexible movement. "Thinking is boring. Playing is good. You... you played well. You didn't run away like the others."
The young man got stuck on this mention of 'others'. "Others? Before me... did others come to this room too, Lavi?"
The fire girl shrugged. Her hair undulated. "Yes. Long... very long ago. One... long, shiny thing came. Just looked. It was cold. Then left." (The description resembled Syla). "Then... one more. Dark. Purple eyes. She looked too. Whispered. Then she left too." (She was pointing to Uhura). "But you... you were scared. You burned. But... you didn't go. You played."
Robert wondered if the Tower was testing the other entities from the Academy as well, or if this was also part of Lavi's fictional story. "I like to play," he said, lying. "Especially if the reward is good."
Lavi giggled at this answer. That cracked glass sound echoed in the room. Getting up from where she lay, she crawled over to Robert. The young man was still leaning his back against the wall. The girl climbed into his lap without hesitation. Just like Aselia... But while Aselia's was a childish show of affection, Lavi's was a more instinctive, animalistic search for warmth. She curled up on Robert's chest, resting her head on his shoulder. Her suppressed, stove-like heat could be felt even through the jumpsuit. The passive point flow (+2 XP, +3 XP...) started again in the interface.
"You're hot," whispered Robert, instinctively bringing his hand to stroke the fiery hair.
"You're cold," murmured Lavi, rubbing her head more against his neck. "That... wet thing... very cold. Very... nice." Her voice was like the whisper of an addict.
"I want to open that 'Flame Line' for you, Lavi," said Robert, changing the subject. "So you can wear clothes. Maybe then... you won't be cold."
Lavi lifted her head. Her bright yellow halos locked onto the man's. "Clothes? Like the girl in the pink room? Or like the one with the purple skirt?"
It was surprising that she knew the names. "Yes. Like them. Wouldn't you want that?"
She thought for a moment. "I don't know. Clothes... cover the fire. Fire should be seen. Should burn." Then she looked at Robert's face. "But... if you want... If this means more 'cold kiss'... then I want it."
Robert smiled at this simple logic. "I can't promise. I need to find the materials. 'Fire Essence', 'Phoenix Talisman'..."
"Fire Essence is mine!" said the girl proudly. Sitting up in his lap, she puffed out her chest. "I am the essence of fire! Take it! Take it from me!"
"It's not that easy, little fire. But 'Crimson Staff Touch'... Perhaps that is closer than I thought." His mind went to Tina's staff again. The Tower really must be reading his mind.
This long conversation filled with intimate and physical contact was the final drop the system was looking for.
DING! DING!
[+2000 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Lavi Increased: 6 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: Free Licking]
He wasn't even surprised when he saw the word appearing in the interface. He sighed. "Free Licking"... The Tower's imagination apparently consisted only of 'groping' and 'licking'.
"What happened?" said Lavi, shifting. "New game? Did it open? Come on, let's play!"
Robert knew he had to go. Time was working against him. But Lavi being at Level 6 wasn't enough to complete the task. The target was Level 7.
"Okay," he said wearily. "Not a game. But... I think you'll like this."
"What? What? What?" Lavi was bouncing with excitement.
Robert held her tightly in his lap. He activated the 'Free Licking' action. And under the girl's pleading, waiting gaze, he bowed his head.
But this time not his lips, but his tongue went into action.
"Come on... fleshy... play..." whispered Lavi.
Robert touched the tip of his tongue to the girl's cheek. PSSST! Instant evaporation and a moan of pleasure from Lavi... He proceeded from there to her forehead, chin, and the roots of her fiery hair with small, wet, cooling strokes. This wasn't like Aselia's playful tickling or Shara's wild exploration. It was like giving controlled, small doses of a drug to an addict.
Lavi, eyes closed in his lap, head fallen back, had completely surrendered herself to this sensation. Her small body of flame convulsed with every cool touch of saliva, emitting crackling groans.
This ritual lasted for minutes. Robert was tired, but Lavi was insatiable.
"Enough," he said, finally pulling back.
"No!" objected the girl, opening her eyes instantly. "Not yet! I want more! Please!"
Robert sighed. "I have to go, Lavi. I have a mission."
"Screw your mission!" shouted the Fire Spirit; the yellow flames in her eyes stoked with anger. "Don't go! Give me cold!"
He couldn't resist her childish anger. "Alright. One last time. But then... I really have to go."
He put her down from his lap. There was a sly smile on her face. "Promise me," she said. "Promise you'll come back."
"I promise."
"Then... take your reward," Lavi said and closed her eyes.
Robert looked at this strange child of fire one last time. And he kissed her in the most intense way up to that moment. This wasn't a vampire kiss, it was the kiss of a Dream Bender, an engineer. Focusing all his will, the image of 'coolness' in his mind, into his saliva, he latched onto the girl's lips.
This was less a relief for Lavi and more a shockwave. Her body shook more violently than ever before.
DING!
[+1000 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Lavi Increased: 7 / 10]
[MAIN QUEST UPDATED! Progress: 4/5]
He had succeeded. Level 7.
He pulled back. Lavi was still under the influence of that intense 'overdose'. Eyes closed, lips parted, and an expression of pure happiness hanging on her face. She looked satisfied.
"I'll come back, little fire," whispered Robert.
"I know," murmured the girl in a sleepy voice. "Because... no one else... can cool me..."
Smiling at this answer, Robert walked toward the exit at the other end of the room, which he hadn't noticed before and which looked as if it had just opened. When he passed through the door, he found himself in that red corridor again. But this time, at the end of the corridor, an area glowing in a different color that he hadn't seen before was waiting for him.