Lu Han stumbled backward, still reeling from the pull of her crimson gaze. His heart thumped so violently it felt like it might shatter his ribs. Every instinct screamed run, yet some magnetic force tethered him to the Demon Princess's presence.
Kang Young grabbed his arm, steadying him. "Lu Han… are you okay? What the hell just happened?"
"I—I don't know," Lu Han stammered, still frozen. His hands trembled, and he noticed for the first time the faint hum in his mind — subtle, mechanical, almost like a whisper that only he could hear.
> [System Detected: Player Lu Han. Initialization Complete.]
[New Interface Available: Status, Inventory, Quest, Skills.]
Lu Han froze. System? That word echoed in his mind. He turned to Kang Young, but his friend's expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief. "System?"
"Yes," the voice in his head replied, soft and neutral, unlike anything human. It was precise, yet almost playful. "You have been chosen. Commands, options, and quests will be provided. Your survival depends on compliance and discretion."
Lu Han's knees nearly buckled. "I… I don't understand. What do you mean, chosen?"
> [Clarification: Player detected by high-level entity. Objective: Survive. Secondary Objective: Interact with Demon Princess without succumbing completely.]
He swallowed. "Interact… what? Survive? This is insane."
> [Warning: High-Level Entity Awareness Detected. Emotional influence probable. Caution advised.]
He glanced at the Demon Princess. She was floating a few feet away, wings folded elegantly, watching him with an unreadable expression. The red glow of her eyes pulsed faintly, as though matching the rhythm of his heart.
Kang Young shook his head. "Lu Han… I think this is beyond a prank or some virtual reality thing. We're… we're inside the book."
The thought made Lu Han's stomach twist. It sounded ridiculous, absurd. And yet, the stone beneath his feet, the glowing runes, the blood-red moon… it all screamed otherwise.
> [Option: Scan Entity — Demon Princess.]
[Option: Observe surroundings.]
[Option: Inventory Check.]
Lu Han blinked. The options appeared as a soft overlay in his vision, only visible to him. His hand twitched toward the Scan Entity command.
> [Scanning… High-Level Demon. Attributes detected: Beauty: 99/100, Power: 98/100, Influence: 100/100. Emotional Manipulation: Extreme. Danger Level: Max.]
Lu Han swallowed. "Kang Young… she's… insane. Like… ridiculously powerful."
Kang Young's eyes darted nervously toward the shadowed wings. "Yeah… that's an understatement."
The Demon Princess stepped closer, her shadows curling like liquid around her feet. "Do not fear," she whispered, voice silk and steel. "You are here because fate has chosen you. And yet…" Her smile tilted, teasing, dangerous. "I see hesitation. Curiosity. Desire."
Lu Han's heart froze. Desire. That word made a heat prickling through his chest, one he couldn't explain. The System buzzed urgently in his mind:
> [Warning: Emotional susceptibility detected. Danger of manipulation: High.]
[Advice: Exercise caution. Maintain distance.]
"I… I don't know what you want from me," Lu Han stammered, stepping back. The shadows around her seemed to stretch, drawing him forward despite his attempt to retreat.
> [New Quest Detected: First Contact.]
[Objective: Maintain composure while engaging with Demon Princess.]
[Reward: Unknown, Risk: Extreme.]
Kang Young shot him a sharp look. "Composure? Lu Han, just… survive!"
The Demon Princess's smile deepened, a mixture of amusement and predation. "Brave, yet naive. You are already mine in ways you do not understand. The more you resist, the sweeter it becomes."
Her words sent shivers down Lu Han's spine. Sweeter it becomes… What did that even mean? And yet, despite fear, a part of him ached to understand.
He clenched his fists, taking a cautious step forward. "I… I don't belong to anyone," he said, voice stronger than he felt. "Not yet."
The Demon Princess tilted her head, intrigued. "Bold. I like that. Very well… we shall test your resolve."
The System buzzed, faster now:
> [Option: Respond verbally.]
[Option: Observe her actions.]
[Option: Remain still.]
Lu Han hesitated, then chose Observe her actions. Every movement of hers was calculated, deliberate, almost hypnotic. Shadows curled, light danced across her silver hair, and her crimson eyes never left his face.
"Kang Young," Lu Han muttered under his breath, "we need to figure out the rules of this world. The System… it's giving me options, like a game, but this isn't a game."
Kang Young's eyes narrowed, scanning the horizon. "Yeah… and judging by her? The rules are dangerous. If she wants you… she gets you. And fast."
A sudden gust of wind whipped through the floating towers, carrying with it a scent of blood and spice. The Demon Princess laughed softly, a sound that made Lu Han's chest ache. "You feel it too, don't you?" she asked, voice a whisper that brushed against his mind. "The bond between us, fragile but inevitable. Do you wish to fight it… or surrender?"
The question lingered, heavy and intoxicating. Lu Han's pulse raced. The System buzzed, warning him again, but the pull was undeniable. His instincts screamed danger, yet desire tangled with fear in a way that made him dizzy.
> [Warning: High-Level Emotional Manipulation Detected. Decision-making compromised.]
Lu Han forced himself to step back, shaking his head. "I… I don't know."
The Demon Princess's wings flexed, shadows stretching in a predatory display. "Very well. Your hesitation is… amusing. But remember this, Lu Han: in my world, nothing belongs to you unless I allow it. And I…" Her eyes narrowed, crimson glinting, "…allow nothing to be ignored."
The red moon above bathed the landscape in a surreal glow. Floating towers, forests that shimmered unnaturally, rivers that gleamed like liquid silver… the world itself seemed alive, aware, and watching them.
Lu Han turned to Kang Young. "We… we need to survive. We need to understand this System."
Kang Young swallowed, his own body tense. "Yeah… but step one: don't piss off the Demon Princess."
Lu Han took a deep breath, heart pounding. Every instinct screamed warning. Every nerve screamed temptation. And yet… the story he had read so many nights, the character he had admired and feared, had become flesh, shadow, and crimson light before his eyes.
And in that instant, he realized something terrifying, exhilarating, and undeniable: nothing in his old life had prepared him for this.
Not the novel. Not the System. Not even Kang Young.
Because in this world, survival was only the beginning — and the Demon Princess had already claimed his attention, if not yet his obedience.
---
End of Chapter Two (Opening)
To be continued.....