In the bathroom, cold water splashed over Vic's burning cheeks, but it couldn't seem to extinguish the heat that had erupted from his core and spread through his entire body.
It felt like Enid's soft, fatally seductive whisper was playing on an infinite loop in his ears.
Every word was like a tiny hook, scratching at his heart until it trembled.
[Let's add some stakes, shall we? If you win, the loser has to do anything you say~ Including the kind of things Tyler and the Siren lady are doing~]
"Oh, god..."
Vic shook his dripping wet hair, sending droplets flying.
He looked up at his reflection in the mirror—face still flushed, eyes darting nervously—and couldn't help but groan.
Not only was his nose feeling a bit warm (a sign of an impending nosebleed), but his whole body was inexplicably restless.
A strange, indescribable impulse was flowing through his veins, making it impossible to sit still.
"BWAHAHAHA—!"
Venom's raspy, mocking laughter exploded in his mind.
Several black tentacles extended uncontrollably, waving wildly on his shoulders like seaweed in a storm, expressing sheer joy.
"Look at you! You're pathetic, bro! One whisper from your little girlfriend leaves you red-faced and on the verge of a nosebleed! And you call yourself enlightened by the Succubus Seduction Guide? You are a disgrace to succubi everywhere!"
Vic rolled his eyes at his reflection—or rather, at the gloating entity inside him.
"Shut up! I'm not a real succubus! That guide... even Mavis barely understood half of it. Her teaching got more and more ridiculous until it went completely off the rails!"
Thinking about this made Vic even angrier.
Back in the day, Mavis had mistakenly believed the esoteric Succubus Seduction Guide (Authentic Han Dynasty Edition)—which she allegedly got from an ancient Eastern mystic—would turn him into a "heartthrob." She was so excited to train him.
The result?
The theory sounded amazing—stuff like "Strike the Heart with Truth" and "Sincerity is Key."
But when it came to practice, Mavis herself would freeze up. She'd gesture at the illustrations for ages, usually ending with—
"Uh... this pose might not fit modern aesthetics," or "This step sounds like it might hurt your kidneys."
The final result of the training was that Vic mastered the art of "begging for food with sincere puppy eyes" and "looking pathetic after causing trouble to make Mavis and Dracula soft-hearted."
As for the second half of the guide, the profound chapters on "Union of Soul and Flesh" and "Ascending to Bliss together"...
Mavis blushed so hard reading them that she became incoherent. She promptly locked the book in the bottom of a chest, claiming, "Rated R. Wait until you're older."
And he had been waiting until now.
Vic thought indignantly: I'm older now, but my critical knowledge is still stuck at the "move them with your eyes" beginner stage! How am I supposed to handle this high-level gameplay?!
"Kee-hee-hee-hee—!"
Hearing Vic's internal rant, Venom laughed even harder. His tentacles slapped Vic's consciousness, nearly suffocating him.
Venom clearly remembered the hilarious scenes of young Vic being forced by Mavis to practice "Succubus Posture," looking confused but trying his best to imitate.
And the scenes where Mavis would get embarrassed herself, stammer, and finally declare in a huff, "Class dismissed for today!"
"So, my dear brother~"
Venom finally stopped laughing, though his tone was still full of mockery.
"A giant in theory, a dwarf in practice? Now you regret not studying harder, huh? Do you need me to give you a live crash course on the knowledge points regarding 'what Tyler and the Siren might be doing'?"
"Get lost!"
Vic snapped out of embarrassment. He turned off the faucet and rubbed his face vigorously with a towel, trying to lower the temperature physically.
He took a few deep breaths facing the mirror, trying to calm down.
No, I can't panic!
I've seen plenty of storms in my life. How can I let one sentence from my girlfriend break my defense?!
Although... that sentence really packed a punch.
He adjusted the collar of his Hawaiian shirt, trying to put on a calm, composed expression, even though a trace of blush still lingered on his brow.
Vic took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door.
When he faced his two girlfriends in the room again, Vic wore his familiar, slightly manic, sunny smile, as if the guy who fled in panic a moment ago wasn't him.
But his slightly shifting gaze and the subconscious touch of his nose betrayed his inner turmoil.
Enid watched Vic trying to act cool while full of holes. She exchanged a knowing look with Wednesday, the corners of her mouth twitching upward.
And Vic caught that detail.
His gaze swept keenly between Enid's shy yet expectant face and Wednesday's seemingly calm demeanor, noting the subtle curling of her fingertips.
In a flash, clarity struck him!
Son of a...!
All this time, that soul-striking "Whisper Critical Hit" was orchestrated by Wednesday, the strategist behind the curtain!
He knew it! Enid, the innocent little wolf who usually turned red to her neck when he casually flirted with her, couldn't have suddenly achieved enlightenment and unleashed such a "lethal" move on her own!
There was a master guiding her from the shadows!
A mix of competitiveness, playfulness, and a refusal to be "outsmarted" surged in Vic's heart.
No way! Since when am I so easily manipulated? Especially in this "domain"! I have to reclaim my ground!
The Genius Brain Battle of Love starts now!
The corner of Vic's mouth hooked into a dangerous, charming arc. The lingering embarrassment in his eyes settled into something deep and aggressive.
His long fingers moved slowly, tugging at the collar of his Hawaiian shirt. The already loose collar was pulled wider, revealing a stretch of exquisite, pale collarbone.
His entire aura shifted abruptly. From the pure, flustered boy a moment ago, he seamlessly switched to a mode of wicked control.
His eyes, like a precise predator, locked onto his "prey." Every micro-expression was textbook seduction.
"Enid~ Wednesday~"
His voice dropped a few octaves, rasping with magnetic charm. He spoke slowly, his tone filled with unquestionable confidence and a hint of provocation.
"Let's get one thing straight. About those stakes... I'm taking them seriously."
He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping slowly over both their faces like a feather scratching across a heart, inducing a tingling shiver.
"You guys... still have one last chance to back out~"
The end of his sentence curled up, carrying an ambiguous hook thrown straight at them.
Enid froze under Vic's sudden, aggressive gaze and posture.
It felt like a faint electric current shot up her spine, bringing a strange, heart-skipping numbness.
Panic flashed in her blue eyes, but deeper down, there was a throb of attraction—and a hidden anticipation for what would happen next.
A small voice screamed in her heart: Vic like this... is so hot! So dangerous! But... I love it!
Even the always-composed Wednesday felt her heart skip a beat under Vic's full-power stare. Her abyssal eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.
She clearly felt her pulse miss a rhythm. Her fingers unconsciously tightened, gripping the sheet beneath her.
For the first time, a feeling called "miscalculation" crossed her mind.
That tease just now... might have been a bit too effective?
Did we stoke the fire... a little too high?
It seems... we might get burned ourselves?
She maintained her iceberg-like calm on the surface, but her slightly tightened jawline and quietly reddening ear tips revealed she wasn't as tranquil as she looked.
Vic took in their reactions. The little victory dancer in his heart was already breakdancing, but his face maintained that easy, "dangerous" smile.
Good. I've taken back the rhythm!
He struck while the iron was hot, stepping forward. His tall figure brought a slight sense of pressure as his gaze burned.
"So... Ludo. Are we still playing?"
"O-Of course we're playing!"
Enid blurted out. Her voice held a barely detectable tremor, but her eyes were incredibly bright, filled with the excitement of the challenge.
Wednesday took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She met Vic's provocative gaze and spoke flatly. Her voice was still cool, but it lacked a bit of its usual ease.
"We play. Why would we not?"
She just silently adjusted her sitting posture, moving a little further away from the box of Ludo—the "root of all evil."
The smile on Vic's face grew even brighter, like a cat that got the cream.
"Excellent~ Then..."
He reached out, his fingertip tracing through the air above the Ludo board before gently tapping the starting position.
Vic looked up at his two girlfriends, his eyes filled with the confidence of inevitable victory and... an unhidden anticipation for the "stakes."
"Let the game begin. The loser... better be obedient."
The air in the room seemed to become thick and hot from the silent electric collision between the three.
This "Love is War" Brain Battle triggered by a board game had officially entered the white-hot phase! Who would emerge victorious was anyone's guess!