The morning sun filtered through the dusty blinds of Chloe's apartment. Adrian lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The heavy, warm weight of Chloe's thick thigh was draped over his legs, her massive chest pressed flush against his side as she slept deeply, a soft, contented smile on her face.
Adrian carefully slid out from under her, making sure not to wake her. He pulled on his jeans and t-shirt, feeling the lingering hum of the [Level 1 Endurance Boost] fading from his muscles.
"System," he whispered.
The blue screen materialized.
[Host Status:] Level: 1 Lust Points (LP): 500 Wealth: $24
He had points to spend, but his bank account was a glaring vulnerability. Power wasn't just about dominating women in the bedroom; it was about controlling the world around him. And in this world, money was the ultimate leverage. The Tycoon Tree was locked until Level 5, which meant he had to hustle using his base stats until he leveled up.
"Open Skill Tree," Adrian commanded. "Purchase [Level 2 — Dominant Aura] from the Dominance Tree, and [Level 2 — Magnetic Smile] from the Charm Tree."
[Ding! 350 LP deducted. Skills Unlocked.] [Level 2 — Dominant Aura: Host naturally projects an invisible field of authority. Weak-willed individuals will instinctively hesitate to challenge you, and peers will feel a subconscious pressure to defer to your judgment.] [Level 2 — Magnetic Smile: Host's smile triggers a micro-release of dopamine in the target's brain, making interactions highly memorable and persuasive.]
A heavy, grounding weight settled into Adrian's bones. He felt anchored to the earth. When he looked in the mirror, the aura was palpable. He didn't just look confident anymore; he looked like a man who owned whatever room he walked into.
He left Chloe a note on the nightstand—Get some rest. I'll call you.—and walked out into the morning air.
He needed cash. Fast. His Intelligence stat was a solid 5 (Average/Above Average), but combined with his new Dominance, he saw an angle he had been too terrified to exploit before.
He walked to the edge of campus to a high-end coffee shop frequented by Marcus Vance. Marcus was a senior, a slick-talking club promoter who ran the VIP lists for the biggest college nightlife venues in the city. In the past, Marcus had treated Adrian like a peasant, once spilling a drink on his shoes and laughing about it.
Adrian spotted Marcus sitting at a corner table, typing furiously on his laptop, stressing over a guest list.
Adrian walked over and sat down directly across from him, uninvited.
Marcus looked up, annoyed. "Excuse me, bro? I'm working. Find another table."
Adrian didn't move. He let the [Dominant Aura] flare outward, leaning back in his chair and locking eyes with Marcus.
Marcus's annoyance faltered. The words he was about to say died in his throat. The kid sitting across from him looked vaguely familiar—wasn't this the simp who followed Olivia Carter around?—but the energy radiating off him was suffocating. Marcus suddenly felt like he was sitting across from a cartel boss, not a sophomore.
"You're struggling to fill the VIP booths at The Apex for this Friday," Adrian stated, his voice a low, smooth rumble.
Marcus blinked, thrown off balance. "How do you know that?"
"Because you rely on the same tired frat guys every week, and they're tapped out," Adrian said, leaning forward. "I can bring you the top-tier sorority girls. The ones who usually ignore your texts. If they show up, the rich guys will follow, and they'll buy out your bottle service."
Marcus scoffed, trying to regain his footing. "You? Bring top-tier girls? Right. And what do you want for this miracle?"
"Twenty percent of the table sales they generate," Adrian said, flashing his new [Magnetic Smile].
The smile hit Marcus's brain like a subtle drug. It was disarming, charismatic, and completely confident. Marcus looked at Adrian's unblinking, dominant gaze and felt an overwhelming urge to agree. The aura was pressing down on him, making his usual aggressive negotiation tactics evaporate.
"Ten percent," Marcus countered weakly.
"Twenty," Adrian repeated, his voice dropping a fraction, leaving absolutely no room for argument. "Or I take them to your rival at The Neon Room."
Marcus swallowed hard. "Fine. Twenty. But they better be tens, Vale."
"They will be," Adrian said, standing up. He had just secured his first stream of income. Now, he just needed the girls. And he knew exactly where to start.