"Look at that human. He's drooling like a fool."
He followed the voice and saw a woman with long purple hair. Her silver pupils narrowed at him in disdain, while her long, pointed ear revealed her as an elf.
'Wow, she's so beautiful and…'
His gaze fell into her eyes, slipped down to her lips, and wandered through the glorious canal between the mountains, and he gulped.
'…sexy.'
"Courting death!" The elf girl grit her teeth in her mind, snapping Judas from his sinful thoughts.
'Whoever chooses her will have their brain fried in a few years.'
Judas was a simple man. What he hated most in life were annoying things. This woman looked breathtaking, but marrying her would destroy his peaceful days.
His eyes drifted back to the wolf girl. She was cute and soft, almost fragile. But alas, marrying her meant he would also be bound by the duty to fight against the apocalypse.
In his previous life, he had been born without attributes. Yet he was still forced to fight. Only because of his talent for engineering—and the jet board he invented—had he survived until the bitter end.
In this life, too, he had no attributes. But at least he would never be forced to fight. Sure, he would die when humanity eventually failed to stop the apocalypse, but until then, he preferred to live quietly.
Fighting and struggling weren't for him.
'I'm sorry, girl.'
He shook his head at the wolf girl, making her puppy eyes well with tears.
For a moment, Judas almost said, 'to hell with it and chose her'—but his rational side awoke just in time to stop him.
"It seems not all men are horny for pussies."
A mature female voice echoed in his ears. He turned and saw a woman with dark hair and black eyes.
Her body was sculpted with powerful muscles, her posture calm and distant. Despite her detached demeanor, she looked just as young as the elf and the wolf girl.
Judas waited for a few minutes, hoping to hear the voices of the other women, but disappointment followed. He couldn't hear them at all.
'What's special about these three?' He furrowed his brows.
Suddenly, a soft chime rang in his head. A pink screen shimmered into existence before him.
[You have awakened the Affection System.]
[Win affection from your wives to earn Affection Points.]
[Affection Points can be used to buy skills, equipment, and potions.]
[Marry a wife and bind with her to unlock your attributes.]
[Do you want to bind with the system?] [Y/N]
For a long moment, Judas stood frozen. Then, slowly, his face split into a wide grin.
"Yes!" he laughed aloud in his mind.
[Welcome, Host, to the world of Affection!]
'System, are you intelligent?' he asked in his mind.
[As smart as you need me to be, but not as smart as having a thought process.]
'Great. Then can you tell me how you work?'
[You can hear the voices of women worthy of being your wives. By marrying them, you will gain their attributes instantly. By increasing their affection toward you, you will receive rewards at each stage.
Once their affection reaches a hundred percent, you will begin earning Affection Points, which can be used to purchase anything from the market.]
'This…' His system screen now displayed his stats and a market, though both were grayed out.
'If I marry them, I'll unlock them, right?'
[Yes.]
Judas was about to select the three of them when a haughty male voice echoed through the square.
"I'll choose first," said the burly man, striding toward the women. Judas tensed.
'What if he chooses one of the three?'
[Then you can't marry them anymore.]
'Fuck.' Judas cursed silently. 'What's the probability of meeting another woman whose mind I can read?'
[The same as seeing a white raven.]
'Oh no…'
The burly man was James. He approached the wolf girl first, and Judas's heart nearly stopped.
"A halfling?" James spat in disgust.
"Why must he show his disdain so openly? Can't he let me keep a shred of dignity?" her eyes teared up.
Then James moved to the elf.
"An elf with purple hair. A demonic breed. Beautiful, yes, but her waist is too small to bear a strong son," he muttered, shaking his head as he walked away.
"What did he mean by that? Is my waist small? How dare he!" The elf's furious thoughts made Judas bite back a laugh.
James then reached the muscular woman and smiled.
"Great body. Perfect for farm work—and carrying children…" He stopped halfway when the woman's sharp glare froze him in place.
"Too fierce for a wife," he scoffed and marched on to the fourth woman, a plump lady built like a bear.
James clapped his hands. "Wow. This one… I choose her."
Judas's jaw dropped as he looked between the woman James had chosen and the ones he had rejected.
"James, you bastard, you've got eyes for the best in the group, huh?" The village head roared with laughter while envious murmurs rippled through the crowd.
James grinned proudly and lifted the plump woman in a princess carry before walking away.
"Don't forget to deliver one hundred fifty pounds of grain every month, or you'll be drafted to war!" the soldier shouted after him. James waved without looking back.
Judas was about to step forward when another man rushed in. Then another. Time passed, and he began to wonder if every man in the village had gone blind.
Each one rejected the three women for the same shallow reasons as James.
At last, Judas stood alone.
"Judas… sigh. You'd better wait for the next batch. Choosing these three will only burden you," the village head said, patting his shoulder. Judas twitched.
"It's over. I'm going to become a plaything for soldiers," the wolf girl sobbed.
"Humans have eyes, but can't see Mount Tai." the elf muttered, though her voice trembled with unease.
"It seems my disguise will have to end today," the muscular woman sighed.
"I choose all three," Judas said, grinning.
"What?" Every head turned toward him in shock.
"Judas, don't be a fool. Marrying three means paying four hundred fifty pounds of grain each month! None of them looks capable of helping. If you can't meet the quota, you'll be drafted into the apocalypse army!" the village head warned anxiously.
Judas only shrugged. "I'm a man. Why would I need my wives to work when I can handle it myself?"
He raised his chin and looked at the women.
The wolf girl's eyes sparkled. "How handsome!" Above her head, a faint meter appeared: Affection: 15
"Sweet tongue," the elf scoffed. Her meter flickered: Affection: -10 → -5
"A man of honor," the muscular woman said with a faint smile. Her meter rose: Affection: 0 → 1
'That low?!' Judas cried inwardly.
[That's why, Host, you have a lot of work to do to win their affection!]