"Wait, hold on—what did you just say?" Jun's voice cracked as he scrambled backward, his palms scraping against rough bark. The girl—no, the fox-eared *creature*—tilted her head, her amber eyes glinting with something between amusement and hunger.
He'd woken up face-to-face with her, her breath warm against his lips, her fingers already tugging at the waistband of his pants. "My name is Nina," she'd purred, as if that explained everything. It didn't. None of this did. One second, he'd been halfway through a convenience store sandwich, the next—here. Wherever "here" was. Trees too tall, air too sweet, and a girl who looked like she'd stepped out of a fantasy game, if fantasy games involved aggressive flirting and zero personal space.
A screen flickered into existence in the corner of his vision, neon pink and obnoxiously loud.
[WARNING: HOST ENERGY DRAIN IMMINENT.]
Jun's stomach dropped. Nina's tongue dragged over her lower lip, and he didn't need the flashing [DANGER! DANGER!] text to know he was in trouble. He twisted away, his back hitting a tree trunk. Nina pouted. "Aw, come on. Just a little taste?"
The system's voice echoed in his skull, dripping with sarcasm. "Oh wow, what a shocker. You're horny and also about to die. Classic combo." Jun barely had time to process that before another notification popped up:
[SURVIVAL PROTOCOL INITIATED. OBJECTIVE: COLLECT ESSENCE FROM 15 FEMALES TO STABILIZE ENERGY RESERVES.]
Jun's pulse hammered in his throat as Nina leaned closer, her fox ears twitching with predatory interest. "Wait, wait—system, what the hell does 'collect essence' even mean?" he hissed under his breath, pressing himself flatter against the tree bark. The system's response was almost cheerful. "Oh, you know. Flirt. Charm. Maybe let them nibble on you a little. Just don't let them drain you dry—unless you're into that, which, hey, no judgment."
Nina's fingers traced his collarbone, and Jun swatted her hand away with more force than intended. She blinked, then grinned, sharp canines glinting. "Feisty. I like that." Before he could react, she darted forward, her mouth brushing his earlobe. A shiver ran down his spine—half panic, half something else entirely—as another notification flashed:
[ESSENCE ACQUIRED: NINA (1/15)].
"See? Easy," the system chirped. "Now run before she decides round two involves more than just your ear." Jun didn't need telling twice. He ducked under Nina's arm, stumbling into a sprint as her laughter chased after him.
The forest blurred around him, sunlight dappling through leaves too vibrant to be real. His lungs burned, but the system's voice was annoyingly calm. "Pro tip: Next time, maybe don't panic-sprint into unknown territory. Just saying." Jun skidded to a halt, chest heaving, as the trees abruptly gave way to a dirt road. At the end of it stood a shabby apartment building, its paint peeling like sunburnt skin. A faded sign above the door read "Golden Cypress Inn" in wobbly letters.
Jun's fingers dug into his thighs as he crouched behind a rusted-out wagon, the scent of old wood and damp earth thick in his nose. Nina's laughter had faded into the forest behind him, but the system's voice was a constant itch in his skull. "Congrats on not dying in the first five minutes. Here's your prize: more terrible life choices." A new notification pulsed:
[SAFE ZONE DETECTED: GOLDEN CYPRESS INN.]
[ESSENCE HARVESTING OPPORTUNITIES: HIGH.]
"Opportunities?" Jun hissed, pressing his back against the wagon's splintered planks. "You mean *traps*." The system sighed, the sound like static. "Semantics. Look, the inn's your best shot—controlled environment, less chance of getting devoured mid-conversation. Probably." Jun grimaced. "That's not reassuring." - "Wasn't trying to be."
A creak of hinges snapped his attention forward. The inn's door swung open, and a woman stepped onto the porch, her silhouette backlit by flickering lantern light. She stretched, arms arching over her head, and Jun's breath caught. Not because of the way her shirt rode up—okay, maybe a little—but because of the twin serpent tails coiled lazily around her ankles. "Oh, come on," he muttered.
The system chuckled. "Meet Liora. Essence potential: spicy. Literally—she's part salamander." Jun's palms were sweating. "Is that supposed to mean something?" ,"Means don't let her kiss you unless you enjoy third-degree burns. Also, she's the innkeeper. So. Good luck with that."
Jun's fingers dug into the dirt as he watched Liora yawn, her forked tongue flicking out lazily. The system's voice buzzed in his skull like a mosquito he couldn't swat. "She's got a thing for travelers. Play up the 'lost, helpless stranger' angle—just don't mention the whole 'fox girl tried to suck my soul out' thing. Unless you're into trauma bonding."
Before he could respond, a pebble skittered under his knee. Liora's head snapped toward the sound, her slitted pupils dilating. Jun froze. For a heart-stopping second, he swore he saw flames dance behind her irises. Then she smiled, slow and knowing. "Well, well. What do we have here?"
The system snorted. "Smooth. Real smooth." Jun swallowed hard as Liora sauntered forward, her serpent tails weaving through the tall grass like living smoke. Up close, her skin shimmered faintly, scales catching the lantern light. "You lost, pretty thing?" she murmured, reaching out to tilt his chin up with a clawed finger. The contact sent a jolt of heat through him—not painful, but uncomfortably intense, like standing too close to a bonfire.
Jun's voice came out strangled. "Uh. Yeah.
Jun's pulse spiked as Liora's claw traced the line of his jaw, her touch leaving a trail of prickling warmth. The scent of burnt cinnamon clung to her, thick and heady. "I—I just got here," he managed, leaning back just enough to avoid her fingertips brushing his lips.
Liora's grin widened, revealing a row of needle-sharp teeth that glistened in the lantern light. "Got here *where*, exactly?" she purred, her serpent tails looping around his ankles like living shackles. Jun's breath hitched as one tail slithered up his calf, the scales strangely cool against his skin despite the heat radiating off her. The system's voice was a frantic whisper in his skull: "Do not—repeat, do not—let her tail go any higher unless you want to find out what spontaneous human combustion feels like."
Jun jerked his leg away, nearly toppling sideways into the dirt. "Forest," he blurted, gesturing vaguely behind him. "Came from the forest. Which is—uh—full of trees. And… shadows. Definitely shadows." Liora arched one scaled eyebrow, unimpressed. The system groaned. "Wow. Poetry."
Before she could call him out on his terrible lying, the inn's door slammed open again, and a second woman barreled out, her hooves clattering against the porch steps. Jun's eyes bulged. Hooves. "Liora, you promised you'd wake me for fresh meat—oh!" The newcomer—a towering figure with curling ram's horns and a frankly obscene amount of cleavage—skidded to a halt, nostrils flaring as she zeroed in on Jun. "Well, hello there, *snack*."
Jun's spine pressed harder against the wagon. The system's notification flashed like a strobe light:
[ESSENCE TARGET LOCKED: MARA (MINOTAUR/SUCCUBUS HYBRID). WARNING: EXCESSIVE PHYSICAL CONTACT MAY RESULT IN CRUSHING OR UNWANTED LACTATION.]
Jun's mouth went dry. "What."
Mara's nostrils flared again, her pupils dilating into thick, black pools as she took a step forward. Jun's fingers scrabbled against the wagon's splintered wood, his mind racing faster than his heartbeat. Unwanted lactation? The system's cackle echoed in his skull. "Hey, some guys pay extra for that. Just saying."
Liora's tail tightened around Jun's ankle like a warning. "Mara, *down*," she sighed, flicking her forked tongue. "He's not on the menu."
"Yet," Mara purred, her hooves kicking up dust as she circled him. The scent of warm milk and hay hit Jun's nose—oddly comforting, if not for the way her fingers twitched like she was mentally measuring his ribcage. "But look at him. *Terrified*. It's *adorable*." Her grin widened, revealing a flash of fang. "Bet he tastes even better."
Jun's fingers dug into the edge of the rickety wooden table as he hissed under his breath, "System, guide me. What the actual fuck is happening?" The inn's common room smelled like stale ale and something suspiciously like burnt sugar, but the real problem was the way Mara's hooves kept tapping closer behind him.
A new notification popped up, this one bordered in pulsing gold:
[SYSTEM INTRODUCTION INITIATED.]
The voice that followed was smoother now, less sarcastic—almost *corporate*. "Welcome, Host, to the modified multiplayer simulation 'LOL: Lovers of Lust.' Formerly a single-player dating sim, now repurposed for competitive essence harvesting.
Your objective: attain sufficient popularity to escape the beginner stratum. Failure results in—"
Jun's knee jerked under the table, rattling a chipped mug. "Wait, game? This is a game?" His voice cracked. Across the room, Mara's tail flicked with interest.
The system sighed. "Correction: it *was* a game. Now it's a trial period for new arrivals. Think of it as... ah, let's call it *auditions*. Those who aren't assets get—"
"—finished off," Jun finished flatly. The words tasted like ash. Outside, the wind howled through the inn's cracked shutters, carrying the scent of something floral and *hungry*. Liora's scales gleamed as she leaned against the bar, watching him with slitted eyes.
"Bingo," the system chirped.
"But look on the bright side! You've already got one essence. That's, uh... 6.666% of your goal!"
Jun's forehead thunked against the table. The wood smelled of old spills and desperation. "So let me get this straight," he muttered, fingers curling into his hair. "I'm trapped in a modified dating sim turned survival horror, where my only way out is to flirt with creatures who want to *drain me dry*—literally—and if I suck at it, I die?"
A pause. Then, almost sheepishly: "Well. When you put it like that..."
Jun lifted his head just enough to glare at the empty air where the system's voice emanated. Across the room, Liora idly twirled a lock of her flame-kissed hair around a claw, her serpent tails coiled beneath her chair like living ropes. Mara, meanwhile, had taken up residence at the bar, her hooves propped up as she sipped something that glowed faintly pink. Every few seconds, her gaze flicked to Jun like he was a particularly tempting dessert.
The system cleared its throat—if it even had one. *"Minor correction: they won't *all* drain you dry. Some might just... nibble. Or, you know, adopt you. Mara's got a soft spot for strays."
Jun's eye twitched. "That's worse."
"Debatable." A new screen materialized, displaying a pixelated progress bar labeled
[ESSENCE COLLECTION]. The first segment glowed faintly pink—Nina's contribution.
"Think of it like a loyalty program. Get enough 'points,' and you unlock the next stratum. Easy peasy."
Jun's fingers drummed against the table. "Except the 'points' are literal life force, and the 'loyalty program' is a death trap." He glanced at Mara, who winked, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. "System, *please* tell me there's a way to cheese this."
The system hummed. "Well. There *is* one loophole." Jun perked up. "You could always seduce the dungeon master."
Jun's face went slack. "What."
"Kidding! Mostly." The system's laughter echoed like wind chimes made of knives.
"But seriously, Host, this isn't rocket science. Charm them. Flirt a little. Maybe let them lick you—strictly PG-13 areas, obviously."
Jun's fingers twitched toward his collar. "Define 'PG-13 areas.'"
"Ears. Maybe neck. Definitely not the—"
"Got it!" Jun hissed, cutting it off as Mara's hoofsteps thudded closer. The minotaur woman leaned over his table, her cleavage casting a shadow over his lap. "So," she purred, "what's a tasty little morsel like you doing all alone?" Her breath smelled like honey and something dangerously alcoholic.
The system whispered:
Option A: Play dumb.
Option B: Scream.
Option C: Flirt back.
Choose wisely.