Ren glanced at the flickering violet window out of the corner of his eye. Breeding protocols? he thought, a flicker of dry amusement crossing his mind. Does this system seriously want me to have sex with a woman I just met?
He had been playing the part of the cold-blooded villain—the "Willow" who took what he wanted—mostly because acting was the first lesson every high-rank assassin learned. If they were scared of him, they wouldn't try anything stupid. But the system was taking his "performance" a bit too literally.
Taking a breath, Ren carefully pushed Elize off him and onto the soft moss. He stood up, brushing the dirt from his clothes and killing the dark mana glow in his eyes. The sudden shift from "predator" to "normal guy" was jarring.
"Sorry," Ren said, his voice losing its lethal edge. "Guess I acted a little out of character there."
He ran a hand through his hair and let out a long, tired sigh, looking between the panting, flustered Elize and the Princess still hiding in the pool.
"Look, I'm being honest now," he said, his posture relaxing. "I was only acting scary so you'd think twice about shooting more arrows at me. The truth is, I'm not even from this world. It sounds weird, I know, but I... I died back where I came from. Someone, or something, gave me a choice to live again, and I woke up in this forest."
He looked at his hands—the hands that were no longer shaking, no longer pale with sickness.
"I don't know why I'm here or what this 'system' is," Ren continued, glancing toward the Princess. "I'm just trying to figure out how to survive without catching a stray arrow. I'm not your enemy unless you make me one."
Elize stayed on the ground for a moment, her face still a bright, burning red, her chest heaving as she tried to process the change in his energy. The "soul" she had felt earlier—the one that tasted like death—hadn't disappeared, but it was being suppressed, tucked away behind a mask of weary honesty.
The Princess slowly rose a bit higher out of the water, her golden eyes searching Ren's face for a lie. "Transferred... from another world?" she whispered. "A 'Returned' soul?"
---
[ SYSTEM NOTE ]
Subject 'Princess' is analyzing your claim. Detection of 'Honesty' has lowered the immediate threat level.
"Yeah, exactly. A returned soul," Ren said, leaning his back against a thick silver tree. "But my soul didn't go back to where I came from. My old body was... let's just say it was past the point of repair. Rotted from the inside out. I woke up here in this one instead."
As he spoke, a soft rustling came from the edge of the pool. The Princess had finally decided to trust his words—or at least his lack of immediate violence. She stepped out of the sapphire water, her wet skin glistening like polished marble in the dappled sunlight.
Ren cleared his throat and pointedly looked toward the canopy, but he couldn't help a stray glance. She was drying herself with a white silk cloth, her back turned to him. As she reached down to pull on her delicate, form-fitting undergarments, the curve of her waist dipped into the swell of her hips, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of the line of her butt.
Ren snapped his head away, staring intensely at a random leaf. "Anyway... about this 'system' thing. You really don't have one? It's been talking in my head since I got here."
The Princess began buttoning her bodice, the rhythmic click-click of the fastenings filling the quiet air. "We know nothing of a 'system'," she said, her voice regaining its royal composure, though a hint of breathlessness remained. "But in Aeterna, we have legends. We believe the World Tree sometimes pulls souls from worlds that shouldn't exist—realities far beyond our stars. We called it a myth... a bedtime story for initiates."
She finished the last button and turned around, her silver hair still damp and clinging to her shoulders, framing her full chest which was now partially hidden by the high-collared elven silk.
"However," she continued, looking at the shredded remains of Elize's vines and then at the strange, dark gauntlet still fading from Ren's arm. "Seeing your weapons... the way you consumed mana... and the fact that you haven't killed us yet despite having every chance... I think it is time we start believing the myths."
Elize finally stood up, her face still flushed as she adjusted her rumpled robes, glaring at Ren with a mix of lingering arousal and deep suspicion. "Even if he's a 'Returned,' he's a dangerous one, Your Highness."
"Dangerous, yes," the Princess agreed, stepping closer to Ren until he could smell the scent of jasmine and lake water on her skin. She looked up at him, her golden eyes searching his. "But perhaps a necessary danger. My name is Elodi. And if you truly have no home in this world, then you are a ghost. And ghosts usually need a guide."
---
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
Quest Updated: The Guide of Aeterna.
Objective: Escort Princess Elodi to the Elven Capital.
Potential Reward: High-Elf Racial Skills & Increased "Compatibility" levels.
"Accepting a quest... it really does feel like a game," Ren thought, watching the violet text shimmer in his peripheral vision. He shook his head slightly, trying to reconcile his dark past as an assassin with this new, strange reality.
"You said the World Tree pulls souls from other realms," Ren said, looking toward Elodi. "Does every soul that gets 'pulled' end up here in this forest?"
"No, human," Elize cut in, her voice still sharp, though she was no longer reaching for her bow. She crossed her arms, trying to regain her dignity after being pinned to the moss. "The World Tree's reach is vast, but random. When it successfully anchors a soul to Aeterna, the Great Tree glows with a light that can be seen for leagues. But it isn't always the Tree's doing. Sometimes... it is the work of those who dwell above us."
"The gods, huh?" Ren remarked, a cynical edge to his voice. He'd never had much use for gods in his old life.
"Precisely," Elodi—the Princess—said softly. She began to walk past Ren, her silk garments whispering against her skin. "We are merely the stewards of what they—"
Suddenly, her foot hit a patch of the slick, wet moss near the waterfall's edge. With a small, surprised "Oh!", her balance vanished.
Ren's reflexes, honed by years of killing and now supercharged by Mana, reacted instantly. He didn't just catch her; he moved like a shadow. He stepped in and swept his arm out, catching her mid-air before she could hit the rocks.
Elodi gasped as she landed firmly in his arms. Because of her height and the way she fell, Ren's hand didn't find her waist—it slid directly under her bare, damp thighs.
The sensation was electric. Her skin was incredibly soft, still cool from the pool but warming rapidly against his palm. The thin silk of her dress had bunched up in the fall, leaving her long, shapely legs completely exposed to his touch. Ren's fingers sank slightly into the yielding flesh of her inner thigh, feeling the delicate trembles of her muscles.
Elodi's breath hitched, her chest—still heavey and full—pressed right against Ren's shoulder. He could feel the rapid, frantic thudding of her heart against his own. She looked up at him, her golden eyes wide and clouded with a sudden, dazed heat.
"I... I have you," Ren murmured. He didn't pull her back to her feet immediately. Instead, he let his hand linger, his thumb tracing a slow, unconscious line across the silky skin of her thigh.
The Princess let out a soft, melodic whimper, her hands gripping Ren's neck for support. The scent of her—damp jasmine and something primal—filled his senses. For a moment, the "scary villain" act was forgotten, replaced by the heavy, suffocating tension of the [Compatibility] the system kept screaming about.
"Your Highness!" Elize shouted, though she stood frozen, her own face turning a deep shade of crimson as she watched the "Ghost" hold her Princess so intimately.
---
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
Current Action: Physical Contact (High-Level)
Observation: Princess Elodi's heart rate has exceeded 140 BPM.
Status: Compatibility synchronization is increasing.
Ren stood there, his arm still supporting the heavy, soft weight of Luthien's thighs. The sound of Elize's frantic shouting seemed to fade into a muffled hum for the Princess; she was so flustered that her world had shrunk down to just the sensation of Ren's heat and the firm grip of his hand on her skin.
Suddenly, the violet window flashed directly in Ren's line of sight, more intrusive than ever.
---
[ DETAILED SCAN COMPLETE ]
Target A: Elodi (High Elf Princess) — Status: 100% Virgin
Target B: Elize (Royal Guard) — Status: 100% Virgin
[ SYSTEM NOTE ]
Purity detected. Mana veins in virgin High Elves are 'unsealed,' making them the ultimate conduits for your Infinite Mana. Integration via physical union is highly recommended for maximum power evolution.
---
What the heck is this note? Ren thought, his brow twitching. The System was being aggressively blunt, treating these women like high-tier loot drops rather than people.
Meanwhile, Elodi was experiencing a sensation she couldn't name. As a Princess, she had been pampered and protected, but never touched like this. The way Ren's thumb moved against her inner thigh sent waves of warmth straight to her chest. A strange, honey-like ache began to pool in her lower stomach. For a split second, a traitorous thought crossed her mind: I want him to move his hand higher... I want to know what else those hands can do.
She felt an animalistic urge to be explored by him, to see what lay beneath that "Ghost" persona, but only if they were far away from Elize's prying eyes.
"Are you okay, Princess?" Ren's voice broke the silence, pulling her back from the edge of the abyss. "You look a little lost in thought."
Elodi blinked, snapping back to reality. Now that she was this close, she noticed things she hadn't before. With his hair slightly messy from the fall and his bangs parted, she realized Ren wasn't just intimidating—he was devastatingly handsome in a sharp, rugged way. His eyes held a depth of experience that made her feel like a curious child.
"I... I am quite alright!" she squeaked, her voice an octave higher than usual.
She scrambled to her feet, her legs feeling like jelly as she stood on the moss. She frantically smoothed down her silk bodice, trying to hide the fact that her nipples were clearly visible through the thin fabric, hardened by the cool air and the sudden rush of adrenaline.
"I just... the moss is very slippery today," she stammered, refusing to look him in the eye while her ears burned a bright, vivid pink.
Elize finally reached them, looking like she wanted to explode. "You! Keep your hands to yourself, monster! Your Highness, we must leave this place immediately before... before something else happens!"
---
[ SYSTEM STATUS ]
Current Atmosphere: High Tension / Lingering Desire.
Potential Path: You can suggest making camp as night falls, or follow them to the Elven outpost.
"Can I ask a question?" Ren said, leaning back as he watched Elize fuss over Elodi. "Are we in the Great Tree forest right now?"
Elize shot him a look, still smoothing out her ruffled robes. "No. But we are close. Very close." She pointed toward the dense, glowing thicket behind them. "If you walk in the opposite direction of where we are headed, you'll reach the outskirts. It takes two full days to reach the trunk of the World Tree. It is the most guarded site in Aeterna; when it glows to signal a 'Returned' soul, messengers use teleportation circles to alert the Kingdom instantly."
Ren looked up at the sky. The sun was dipping lower, casting long, amber shadows through the silver-barked trees. "Since it's still a little early, shall we set up camp and continue tomorrow?"
"Are you crazy?!" Elize barked, her hand reflexively flying to her empty quiver. "It's dangerous here! The monsters that lurk at night are ten times worse than the ones during the day."
"Exactly my point," Ren said, his voice dropping into that calm, logical tone he used when planning a hit. "It's dangerous to keep walking when the predators are active and you're blind in the dark. Better to fortify a camp now, while we can still see, than get caught in the middle of a trail with monsters on all sides."
"Do you want the Princess to sleep in the dirt?!" Elize yelled, her face reddening again. "In the middle of a forest full of filth and beasts?"
Elodi, who had been uncharacteristically quiet while stealing glances at Ren's profile, finally spoke up. "I-it's okay, Elize," she said softly, her voice still a bit shaky. "Ren is right. And... I'm rather fatigued. The mana drain from earlier has left me weak."
Elize let out a long, dramatic sigh of defeat. "As you wish, Your Highness," she muttered. She snapped her head toward Ren, her eyes narrowed. "And don't think for a second I'm agreeing with you! I'm just following orders! Don't you dare get any ideas just because we're staying put!"
Ren gave a dry, lopsided smirk. "Who said I'll let you two sleep on the ground? Stay here. I'll be back."
He turned and disappeared into the dense treeline to gather wood.
---
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
Skill Activation: [Structural Manifestation] (Basic Level)
Goal: Create a 'Comfortable' environment to increase [Compatibility]
---
Ren moved through the brush with effortless grace. He didn't just pick up sticks; he used his Infinite Mana to slice through fallen cedar and oak with his bare hands. After a few minutes, he returned to the clearing carrying a massive load of timber.
He didn't just build a fire. He used his mana to shape the earth, raising a platform of stone and covering it in thick, magically softened moss that felt better than any silk mattress. He channeled a tiny bit of heat into the base of the platform, creating a "floor heater" effect.
As he worked, his shirt stretched across his back, showing the ripple of his muscles. Elize watched him from a distance, biting her lip and looking away every time he caught her eye, while Elodi sat on a nearby rock, her golden eyes following his every move with a hunger she didn't quite understand yet.
"There," Ren said, wiping a bit of dust from his hands. "A bed fit for a Princess. And a guard, I suppose."
"I... I could have done better with my plant magic!" Elize huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, which only served to emphasize the curves Ren had been gripping earlier. "But... I guess this is acceptable. For a human."
Elize stepped onto the raised platform, her boots sinking into the unnaturally soft, warm moss. She did a quick lap around the perimeter, her eyes wide. "Wait a minute! There's only one bed!"
"It's large enough, isn't it?" Ren replied, leaning against the doorway of the makeshift shelter. He watched as the two elves stood in the center of the massive, heated moss pad. "I didn't want to waste too much wood or mana, and besides, it's just for one night."
Elize's face went from pale to a nuclear shade of crimson in a split second. She clutched her robes tightly over her chest, her mind clearly racing back to the way Ren had handled her earlier. "Do you... do you mean to say you intend to sleep here? With the two of us?!"
Elodi's ears twitched violently at the suggestion. She looked down at the soft moss, then at Ren, her imagination clearly running wild with the idea of being sandwiched between the warm, powerful body of the "Ghost" and her guardian. The thought made her knees feel weak all over again.
Ren just let out a dry, short laugh and shook his head.
"Relax," he said, turning his back to them. "I'm standing guard outside so you two can sleep well. My 'soul' doesn't need much rest anyway."
He stepped off the platform and looked out into the darkening woods, where the shadows were beginning to stretch and twist into monstrous shapes. "I'll go hunt some food. Stay inside the perimeter I marked. If anything crosses the line, I'll know."
Without waiting for an answer, Ren vanished into the thicket, moving like a silent blur of violet-tinted shadow.
Inside the shelter, the two women stood in silence for a moment, the only sound being the crackle of the mana-warmed hearth Ren had built.
"He's... he's so arrogant," Elize muttered, though there was no real venom in her voice. She sat down on the edge of the moss, feeling the soothing heat seep into her tired muscles. "But he's standing guard... for us."
Elodi sat down beside her, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked out at the spot where Ren had disappeared. "He's not like the others, Elize. He treats us like... like people, not just a Princess and a Guard." She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And he's very strong."
---
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
Hunter Mode: Active.
Scanning for Prey: High-Protein / High-Mana beasts detected nearby.
Current Objective: Secure a "satisfying" meal to further impress the targets.
Ren crouched on a massive, overhanging branch, his dark eyes locked on the clearing below. There, a hulking beast stood over seven feet tall, its body a grotesque map of bulging muscles and coarse fur. It paced on two thick, hooved legs, swinging a rusted iron mace that looked like it weighed as much as a small car.
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
Target: Greater Minotaur (Rank: D)
Danger Level: Moderate.
"A Minotaur, huh?" Ren whispered. He stood up, the wind whipping through his hair. "The gauntlet was fun for defense, but I think it's time for something a bit more... traditional."
As he jumped, the obsidian gauntlet on his arm dissolved into shimmering violet dust, scattering into the air. Ren landed silently in the center of the clearing, twenty feet from the beast.
"So, I can only manifest one major construct at a time?" Ren noted, his voice calm even as the Minotaur let out a bone-shaking roar. "One disappears to fuel the next. Neat, but weird."
He held his left hand out to his side and his right hand across his chest, as if grasping an invisible hilt.
"Let's try a classic. Build-up: [Vanta-Steel Katana]."
His infinite mana surged, screaming out of his pores and condensing with terrifying density. In less than three seconds, the light solidified.
In his left hand, a scabbard materialized—matte black, wrapped in charcoal-grey silk. In his right, the hilt of a katana. The blade was a masterwork of mana-engineering: the edge was sharpened to a single-atom thickness, capable of slicing through the very air. The steel was patterned with 'Hammon' lines that looked like frozen lightning.
As Ren slowly slid the blade into the sheath, the air began to vibrate.
[ SYSTEM SKILL ACTIVATED: OVERLOAD DRAW ]
Description: Funneling mana into the sheath creates a localized particle accelerator. The longer the blade remains sheathed, the higher the kinetic discharge.
Ren poured his mana into the weapon. Bright, jagged bolts of violet lightning began to arc from the hilt to the scabbard, smelling of ozone and scorched earth. The metal groaned under the pressure of the energy he was forcing into it. The blade wasn't just sharp anymore; it was humming at a frequency that could shatter stone.
The Minotaur charged, its hooves thundering against the ground, the massive mace raised high for a crushing blow.
Ren didn't flinch. He lowered his center of gravity, his hand tightening on the lightning-shrouded hilt. The glow from the sheath was now so bright it illuminated the entire clearing in a ghostly purple light.
"Experiment start," Ren muttered.