Ashan gasped sharply as Lia suddenly threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace without any warning.
The unexpected warmth of her body pressed against his chest sent a jolt through him.
"W-What the… What are you doing?" he stammered, his voice cracking slightly in surprise.
Lia only hugged him more fiercely, her face buried against his chest.
"I'm thankful. Really thankful," she whispered, her voice thick with genuine emotion.
"You might think lightly of what you did, but for me… it's nothing short of a miracle. You healed a painful wound that had been festering inside my mind for so long. I will definitely make sure to repay this kindness, one way or another."
Ashan hesitated for a moment before gently patting her head, his fingers threading lightly through her hair in a soothing rhythm.
"It's alright," he said softly, a small, reassuring smile tugging at his lips.
"I didn't do it to make you feel indebted to me. If you want, you can think of it as an investment… for building a good, friendly relationship between us."
After a few more heartbeats, Lia slowly released him from her hold.
Ashan stepped back, adjusting his clothes while discreetly bringing the fabric closer to his nose. He inhaled and immediately wrinkled his face.
"These clothes… they smell like you," he muttered, half to himself.
"I need to get rid of this scent as soon as possible. There are people around me with extremely sharp senses. If they catch even a trace, I'll be in serious trouble."
Lia's face flushed a deep, vivid crimson at his words, embarrassment coloring her cheeks instantly.
Just as he turned toward the door, she gathered her courage and called out, her voice trembling slightly.
"Hey… before you go, I have to ask you something."
Ashan paused and turned back to face her, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"What is it?"
Lia pinched the pale skin on the back of her hand, her gaze fixed on the floor as she struggled to find the right words.
"Don't get any weird thoughts, okay? I'm only asking this because I'm curious… nothing more."
She took a shaky breath.
"Weren't you… plotting to do it with me? I mean… I felt like you were about to, but then you stopped because I managed to get past your guard."
Ashan's lips curved into a knowing grin, his eyes sparkling with a mix of amusement and teasing intent.
"Don't misunderstand," he replied calmly, crossing his arms.
"I wasn't planning anything like that from the very beginning. I only wanted to teach you a proper lesson for using that succubus skill against me earlier."
"Besides… why would I even consider doing something like that with you?"
Lia bit her lower lip hard, a wave of embarrassment and unexpected sadness washing over her features.
She looked down, her shoulders slumping slightly.
"I know… You must find me disgusting, right? Because I'm just a strange old woman. That was to be expected."
Ashan's eyes widened in genuine amazement at her words. He took a small step closer, his expression softening.
"Why would I disgust you simply because you're older? There are countless men out there who would gladly give their lives just for a chance to be near you. You're a unique person, that's all. Age has nothing to do with it."
Lia slowly raised her head, her eyes now filled with raw curiosity and a hint of fragile hope.
"Then… why?"
Ashan reached for the door handle, but before opening it, his cheeks suddenly flushed with a faint red tint.
In that brief moment, his mind drifted back to Narasha, the way he had spent his first intimate time with her.
Even though she is a vampire, it hadn't mattered to him in the slightest. What he had sought, that deep comfort and overwhelming pleasure, had been hidden within the warmth of her embrace.
He gave Lia one final glance, his voice steady yet carrying an undercurrent of honesty.
"You are definitely a seductive woman. There's no doubt about that," he admitted quietly. "But you don't have what it takes to make my heart race… to create those special feelings."
"Simply put… you are not my type."
With those words hanging in the air, Ashan stepped out and gently closed the door behind him, leaving Lia alone in the room.
She stood frozen for several long seconds, her face growing redder and redder until it felt like it might burst into flames.
'What did he mean by that?' she thought, her mind spinning wildly.
'I don't have what it takes to seduce him? Despite being older, I still have a young and pretty body. If age isn't the problem for him, then what is? What exactly is his deal?'
The full weight of her earlier question suddenly crashed down on her. Realization hit like a tidal wave.
She quickly dropped to the floor, burying her burning face between her knees and hugging her legs tightly. Her ears turned an even deeper shade of red.
"Waaa… what did I just do?" she whimpered internally, her heart pounding with mortification.
"I actually asked him why he didn't have sex with me… This is insane. Have I completely lost my mind? This is so damn embarrassing!"
"Someone… just come and kill me right now!"
…
Ashan avoided making eye contact with anyone as he hurried through the corridors, his steps quick and purposeful until he finally reached his own room.
The moment he stepped inside, he slammed the door shut and leaned against it, letting out a long, relieved breath.
"I almost turned one mess into an even bigger disaster," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair.
'I'm really lucky it ended this cleanly. But one thing is certain, she won't breathe a word about me to anyone else. I think I introduced myself properly enough that she won't try messing with me again."
He quickly stripped off his clothes, setting them aside in a pile.
As the fabric fell away, a huge, insistent erection sprang free, throbbing heavily and refusing to be ignored any longer.
"Ahh… this is really nuts," he groaned, staring down at himself in disbelief.
"To think I got this hard just from her scent lingering on me. Why isn't it going down? It feels like it's about to explode."
He could feel the built-up frustration radiating through his body.
No wonder it felt like his own flesh was cursing him, he hadn't relieved himself for days. The tension had only worsened after stopping things midway with Narasha and then teasing Lia so mercilessly before walking away.
"Damn it… I'm so horny."
His hand instinctively reached down, wrapping lightly around his throbbing manhood.
The moment he touched it, the pain and pleasure spiked sharply, making his breath hitch.
"Tch…"
He released it almost immediately, shaking his head.
'This won't do. First, I need to take a proper bath and freshen up. I have to remove every trace of Lia's scent from my body as soon as possible.'
If Narasha figures this out… I'm completely done for.
Without wasting another second, Ashan headed straight for the bath. He scrubbed himself thoroughly, making sure every inch of skin was clean and free of any lingering fragrance.
Afterward, he changed into comfortable night clothes. He even soaked his worn garments in a strong soap solution, letting them steep so the scent would completely vanish.
'That should take care of the clothes. As for my body, a strong spray of perfume should mask anything that remains.'
Satisfied with his precautions, he stretched his arms. "First things first, now it's time to check my reward."
With a swift hand sign, Ashan created a shadow clone that immediately settled onto the bed, pretending to nap.
'To test the Adamantine Sealing Chains properly, I'll need enough open space without drawing any attention.'
'The Kamui dimension is perfect for that. I'll leave the clone here in case someone comes looking for me. Can't risk raising suspicions.'
In an instant, the intricate patterns of his Mangekyou Sharingan spun into view within his pupils. The space around his right eye twisted violently, forming a swirling vortex that sucked him into the void.
Ashan stepped out into the Kamui dimension.
The ground beneath his feet was unnaturally solid yet completely lifeless, stretching endlessly in every direction.
There was no sky, no sun, no horizon; only an endless expanse of dull gray that seemed to have had all color and life drained from it. The air hung perfectly still and silent, with no wind, no echoes, and no sense of time passing at all.
He crossed his arms, a faint shiver running down his spine.
"No matter how many times I come here, this haunted feeling never really leaves my mind."
Taking a long, deep breath, he allowed himself a moment to shed the burdens weighing on his shoulders and regain sharp focus. His eyes narrowed with determination.
Suddenly, four thick, solid chains materialized entirely from his chakra, bursting forth from his body.
They writhed and moved around him with lively, serpentine grace, floating freely in the air as if they had a will of their own.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
A powerful rush of dopamine surged through Ashan. He couldn't suppress the wide, excited grin that spread across his face.
'This is freaking awesome,' he thought, his heart racing with exhilaration. 'With this kind of power, do I even need to worry about any monsters anymore? Just like my Susanoo, I could create a massacre without moving an inch.'
'But to use it properly, I'll need to keep my will strong and focused.'
His thoughts then drifted to the formidable opponent he would eventually have to face.
The memory of that future event struck him, instantly wiping the smile from his face and replacing it with grim seriousness.
'To stop that thing, this alone won't be enough. I need more power. I'll keep placing my faith in the system.'
He dispelled the chains with a thought and prepared to return.
'I've decided. Whenever I want to train my techniques or practice sword arts, I'll come here. Last time, Lunara accidentally discovered the Twin Fang Art. I can't let something like that happen again.'
Just as he was about to leave, a familiar system window materialized before his eyes. Its contents sent another wave of excitement coursing through him.
It was the System Store, appearing after what felt like an eternity.
—-----------------------------------
..System Store..
1. Inverted Spear of Heaven
A cursed anti-technique weapon that nullifies and cancels all supernatural abilities upon contact, ignoring durability and defenses. Effective even against mana-based techniques.
2. Chakra Scalpel (Kabuto)
A precise medical ninjutsu that forms chakra blades around the hand, capable of cutting muscles, nerves, and organs without leaving external wounds.
3. Contractual Re-Creation (Reggie Star)
A binding ability that recreates objects or effects based on strict contractual conditions agreed upon beforehand.
4. Reverse Gender Pills (5 pieces) – Special
A mana-based pill that temporarily reverses the user's gender for one hour, fully altering physical traits while maintaining abilities.
5. Infinite Darkness Technique
A genjutsu that plunges the target into absolute darkness, erasing all vision and severely disrupting spatial awareness.
6. Mystical Palm Technique
An advanced medical ninjutsu that accelerates cell regeneration, allowing rapid healing of injuries through precise chakra control.
7. Poison Mist Technique
A technique that releases toxic mist into the surrounding area, weakening, paralyzing, or poisoning targets over time.
8. Madness Potions (3 pieces) – Special
An enhancement potion that pushes the body to its absolute safe physical limit, doubling energy output and absorption at the cost of inducing extreme madness.
9. Playful Cloud
A special-grade weapon that amplifies raw physical strength instead of cursed energy, growing more destructive in the hands of physically powerful users.
10. Water Release: Water Surface Walking
A basic chakra control technique that allows the user to walk, stand, or fight on water by maintaining constant chakra flow under their feet.
—--------------------------------------
"…What the hell?"
Ashan muttered, eyes widening in disbelief and delight.
"It's the System Store. What have you been doing all this time? I've been waiting forever for new items to appear so I could spend my points. There's some really good stuff here…"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"No need to rush and buy everything at once. Who knows… if I clear it out now, the store might stay empty for another long period. I'll buy one or just a few items at a time."
A deep yawn escaped him as exhaustion finally began to settle in.
"I'm so sleepy… I'll decide what to buy tomorrow after getting a proper long rest."
Ashan teleported back to his room using Kamui once more. His shadow clone was still lounging comfortably on the bed, pretending to nap.
Upon sensing his return, the clone raised a lazy thumb in approval before dissolving into a puff of smoke.
"Hmm… it seems no one came looking for me. Good."
The comforting coolness of the room washed over him after the lifeless gray of the Kamui dimension.
He stretched his body happily, muscles loosening with relief.
But then, once again, his manhood rose insistently to full attention, throbbing painfully against the fabric of his night clothes and demanding release.
Ashan slammed his forehead with the palm of his hand, groaning in frustration.
"Is this thing for real?" he muttered under his breath.
"What are you asking me to do.. go beg Narasha to let me put you in?"
He paused, taking a slow breath to calm himself. His hand moved down almost instinctively, lightly grasping his still-throbbing length.
"Should I… just take care of it now?"