Isaac lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling, relieved that he'd made it back home in time. He'd left school early claiming a stomach bug. One he'd mentioned the moment he arrived that morning to make the excuse believable later. When the office staff questioned him he activated Honeyed Whisper and watched the golden honey drop mark appear on his left hand. It couldn't control minds outright but it sweetened his words just enough to make people go along with whatever he suggested, as long as their intelligence didn't exceed his own. They let him go without much fuss.
Getting home early was the whole point. He needed to be here before the Elixir of Eros kicked in.
He'd set everything up that morning before anyone in the house was awake. Victoria had a coffee machine in her room and he knew her morning routine. Every morning without fail she'd make herself a cup before doing anything else. That made it the perfect delivery method. He'd torn almost half a page from the book and dissolved it into the coffee jug. The elixir was colorless so there was no chance of her noticing anything was in it. And though he hadn't tried it himself he was willing to bet it was tasteless too, just like the Bearer's Page had been when he'd chewed it. The jug wasn't big either so the amount he used was more than enough. He didn't know how strong the effect would be from that much but he figured it was better to overdo it than fall short.
As for getting into her room that had been the easy part. He knew how exhausted she'd be after the blackmail ordeal from the night before. She was bound to sleep in. But the real insurance was Sip of Vitality. He'd snuck in while she was still deep asleep and used it on her. The ability was meant for healing himself. At least that was what the description said. But the name implied it dealt with vitality so he figured if he reversed the process he could drain someone else's energy instead. The crimson veins pulsed across his palm as he siphoned just enough to keep her down without it looking unnatural. Between the exhaustion from last night and the energy he'd taken from her she didn't stand a chance of waking up early.
Everything after that played out the way he'd hoped. The elixir hit her hard. She came downstairs and saw him. And the rest took care of itself.
He honestly didn't expect the stat increases to cause this much of a physical change. If he'd known he would have taken it slower. But there was no use crying over spilled milk. The change had already happened and there was no hiding it. What he looked like two days ago and what he looked like now were worlds apart. There was no logical way to explain any of it and he couldn't exactly tell people he'd always looked like this. That wasn't going to fly.
So the play was simple. If Victoria's first real look at his new body happened while she was out of her mind with lust then she wouldn't process it the way she normally would. She wouldn't sit there analyzing the differences or asking questions he couldn't answer. And once it was over she'd have a much bigger problem on her mind than how he looked. She'd just fucked her stepson. The guilt of that alone would eat at her whether she admitted it or not. And even if guilt wasn't enough the shame would be. That would keep her too paranoid to bring up anything else.
But would she actually feel guilty about it? He wasn't sure. This was a woman who'd been sleeping with another man behind his father's back for who knew how long. From what he could tell guilt wasn't exactly her strong suit. But shame was different from guilt. She wouldn't feel bad about what she did. She'd feel terrified of anyone finding out. Especially her daughters. And that fear would keep her mouth shut. That was all he needed.
The memory of what they had done was still fresh in his mind. But a nagging worry lingered in the back of his mind.
He had cum inside her.
The first time, he hadn't even realized it was happening until it was already over. From what he had seen online, it wasn't supposed to happen that fast. But the real thing was nothing like the videos.
The second time was worse.
He had felt it building, rising step by step, yet even then, he couldn't stop it.
What if she got pregnant? That thought alone made his stomach turn. If his father ever found out he'd slept with his wife it was over. And if there was a baby involved? Andrew would definitely kick him out without a second thought. Maybe worse. He knew how much his father cherished that woman.
He breathed out slowly. There was no point spiraling over it now. If it became a problem he'd deal with it then. And knowing Victoria she'd never let herself carry his baby. She had too much at stake. So he let the thought go.
The more pressing issue was Emily. If she noticed his transformation she was going to have questions. And knowing her she wouldn't let it go until she got answers. "I guess I'll have to have something ready by then," he muttered.
He rolled to the edge of his bed and reached down to pull the Book of Sins from its hiding spot.
This was his third sin and he was eager to see how the book would judge it. He grabbed the crimson quill from its side and winced slightly as it wrapped around his finger and pricked it for blood. The pain was familiar now. Far less jarring than the first time. He opened the book and flipped to a blank page. Its surface waited for his confession.
With steady hands he wrote the details of his sin. Barely five seconds passed before crimson words began to form. The book's judgment materializing right before his eyes. His heart raced with anticipation wondering what rewards it would bring.
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ADJUDICATION OF THY THIRD DEED (WRITTEN IN CRIMSON)
Auto-scribed Entry: "The Bearer committed Lust of Grade S against Victoria Wilson (within her Household); Risk: Extreme; Witness: None; Impact: Profound Corruption, Emotional Dominion, and Lasting Entanglement. Reward: +60 Global Experience (GX); Sin-Point (SP): 75. BONUS EXTRA → +30 SP (for Flawless Manipulation and Supernatural Seduction without Suspicion)."
Why the Grade thus standeth
Risk: Thou didst hazard ruinous discovery by seducing thy stepmother within her own domain, a deed forbidden by law and custom. Her Intelligence (16) and cunning posed a dire threat, as did the potential wrath of her allies or kin, making thy act perilous – Extreme.Transgression: Through Elixir of Eros and Sip of Vitality, thou didst ignite and sustain her carnal desire, bending her will to thine own and binding her soul with the Serpent Gift's mark – a masterful Lust sin of deep violation.Witness: None beheld thy act directly, thy cunning ensuring privacy within the household's walls, amplifying the sin's secrecy and potency.Impact: Her mind and body now bear thy mark, her desires tethered to thee, sowing chaos in her heart and household. The deed's ripple – potential pregnancy and fractured trust – ensures lasting consequence.Weight: Victoria, with Intelligence 16, Charisma 14, and status as a woman of wealth and secrets, is a target of immense power, far beyond common foes.
Therefore the Leafe adjudgeth LUST, Grade S, for thy sin wove supernatural arts and mortal weakness into a tapestry of absolute control, unseen and unchallenged.
Thy Present Estate
Level: 2 — 60/200 GX toward next Ascension.Sin-Point (SP): 105 (75 + 30 bonus).Conversion rate: 10 SP = +1 base Stat.All new Sin Abilities available for 3 dayes; thereafter the price riseth beyond reach or vanisheth outright. Previous abilities remain for 24 hours.
Remembrancer of the Rules
GX lifteth only thy Level; thy advance to Level 3 requireth 200 GX.SP may be spent to buy Abilities of their proper Leafe, or to raise a Stat at 10 SP → +1 base Stat.Each deed must be writ within foure-and-twentie houres, else thy due is halved; unwrit within seven dayes is lost entire.
Thus speaketh the Book.
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Isaac's breath hitched as he read the Book's verdict. Grade S Lust Sin. 105 Sin Points.
A surge of triumph rushed through him, clashing with the unease creeping beneath it.
"Another S-grade," he muttered, a shaky grin spreading across his face.
The Book's crimson words praised his flawless manipulation, but the mention of "lasting entanglement" made his expression stiffen.
It made sense.
His gaze drifted to the ability.
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SERPENT GIFT — Stage 2
The seed-mark of the Bearer is set. If the Bearer's essence enters any being, memory of the Bearer rises first when desire awakens; if they have lain with the Bearer before, longing multiplies, the itch abiding.
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Victoria's desire was now tethered to him and felt more like a double-edged sword. He could still feel the heat of her skin on him, even though it had been quite a while since they'd ended it. What's worse, her desperate moans kept echoing in his mind nonstop. He couldn't tell if it was because it had been his first time, but he felt a certain thrill just thinking about it even though he was terrified of how her reaction would be if she woke up and things didn't go as he planned. He felt he shouldn't think about it anymore and should just focus on what mattered now.
Forcing his attention back to the Book of Sins, he flipped through the sin pages and paused at -Wrath- , its dark scarlet hue promising raw power for a fight he might not see coming. His 105 Sin Points were a goldmine, enough for him to get any ability he wanted even if just one. After thinking for a moment, he decided to exchange 81 SP for 9 Wrath Sin Points (WSP) at the 9:1 ratio, leaving him with 24 SP.
The Book's text shifted instantly, confirming the exchange, and he scanned the available Wrath abilities with a racing pulse.