It had been a week since that tearful confrontation with Crystal. A week since he knelt before her and begged for forgiveness not as the Adam of this world, but as a man willing to take responsibility for the sins of the one who came before him. A week since he completed the system quest [I'M SORRY, SISTER!] and received the unexpected reward—a random +10 increase to one of his base stats. It had landed in Charm.
Which meant that, for the first time, one of his stats hit the elusive milestone of fifty.
The changes had been immediate. Subtle… but undeniable.
Standing shirtless before the full-length mirror in his room, Adam narrowed his eyes as he slowly turned to examine himself under the soft morning light filtering through the window.
His body hadn't changed much in terms of musculature—he was still slender, still soft in the thighs, still faintly androgynous in the way this world seemed to prefer its men. But there was a new sharpness around the jawline now. A slow definition to his neck and collarbones. His eyelashes looked longer. His lips seemed glossier without balm. His hair, once just soft, now framed his face like silk, trailing around his neck in a way that almost seemed... suggestive.
And that was the issue.
No matter how still he stood, no matter what expression he made—there was an air about him now. A dangerous one. Every tilt of his head, every casual breath, every shift in posture was laced with something hot, something rich, something that dripped with appeal.
Not the innocent kind.
But the kind that made even a gentle smile feel like an invitation.
His system chimed softly, almost smugly, as he opened his stats again.
[Status]
Strength: 30
Physique: 40
Speed: 25
Endurance: 30
Wisdom: 20
Charm: 50 ★ (NEW)
Mana: 1000
Aura: — Locked
Trait: — Locked
Sub-Skills:
• [Youthful Beauty] —→ [Mature Beauty] (Passive)
• [Charm] (Active) [0/1]
• [Sex Appeal] (Passive) → Fills every single one of your movements with the sex appeal and grace of an imperial courtesan
Mana Gates Opened: 10/100 ★
School of Magic: Color Magic
• Colors Unlocked: Red, Yellow, Blue
Adam let out a slow sigh, lifting his shirt to examine the way his waist dipped now, lean and 'feminine'—hips curving in a way that made every pair of pants cling to him like sin. His thighs, toned but thick, had taken on the softness and firmness of ripe fruit, and no matter how many tunics or cloaks he layered on, they always made noise when he walked—soft, whispering friction that reminded him with every step that his body was no longer just his.
The [Sex Appeal] passive skill was no joke.
He remembered when it first kicked in—he had bent down to pick up a training spear and half the guardhouse stopped sparring to stare. A female servant in her forties tried to corner him in the hallway, licking her lips. Another slipped into his bathhouse and pretended it was an accident. Both were beaten bloody and cast out of the estate by Laylee and Crystal within the hour.
He wasn't some clueless anime protagonist. He knew his sisters were watching too.
Laylee—always the more reserved one—had been holding his waist too tightly during their horse rides. Her gloved fingers sometimes drifted... lower. Just slightly. Crystal, on the other hand, had become quieter during their joint study sessions. Her gaze wandered—to his lips when he spoke, to his hands when he flipped pages, and definitely to his rear when he bent over to pick something up. He'd caught her staring more than once, those sharp twin-tails twitching like antennae of denial.
But they hadn't said anything.
Not yet.
Still, he could feel it. A warmth. A closeness. Something dangerous coiling behind their soft expressions, like steam building up behind a sealed kettle.
And it always made him laugh whenever they tried to act like they weren't doing it. Anyway, he was just happy that at the very least, the cold frigid air of the Blake Household had melted, and he had two sisters he cared for very much.
+
Adam exhaled slowly, a sheen of sweat glistening across his collarbone as he wiped his brow with the edge of his towel. His chest rose and fell steadily, breath deep, calm, satisfied.
His morning run was finished. Ten kilometers. Uphill and down. A few sprint bursts toward the end.
The old Adam wouldn't have survived the warm-up.
"Pacing's getting better," he muttered to himself as he stretched, twisting from the waist and rolling his neck. His black training shirt clung to his frame in all the right places now. His soft curves were still there—this world didn't seem to favor masculine, bulky muscle—but now they were framed in tone and discipline.
That was when he saw her.
Laylee.
She stood across the small courtyard, half-shadowed beneath the curling branch of a willow tree. Arms folded, one boot tapping absently against the stone, her hair tied up in a high ponytail that swayed ever so slightly in the wind. Her gaze, however, was locked squarely on him.
And it wasn't exactly sisterly.
Her eyes trailed from his neck, down his glistening clavicle, past the dip of his shirt's collar... and settled for far too long on his waist, where his training pants clung sinfully tight.
Adam blinked. "Sister... are you enjoying the view?"
Laylee flinched slightly, caught red-handed. A faint flush dusted her cheeks, and she looked away with a light cough. "I was checking your posture," she said with a straight face, but her voice betrayed her. "You're improving."
He laughed. "At this rate, maybe I'll be the one running faster than you soon."
"Hmph." Her smile softened, touched by that familiar, gentle grace he'd always admired. "Maybe."
They shared a quiet laugh—natural, easy. The kind of moment he used to dream about when they were younger.
But then... her expression turned serious.
"I'll be heading out soon," Laylee said, voice lowering. "There's been a rise in goblins near the western forest. I've been assigned to lead a small culling party. Three knights, two mages, and me."
Adam's smile faltered.
Oh shit.
That mission. He remembered it from the game—Elysium: Dawn of Empire. It was a minor side event early in Laylee's story route. A relatively simple monster culling job, until it wasn't. If Laylee went on that mission without having formed a contract with the Elder Fire Spirit, Ignis, she would end up confronting something far worse than they were prepared for—a Goblin Lord hiding deep in the woods. A bad ending.
The player was never meant to stumble onto it that early. But Laylee had been just strong enough to survive... barely.
But now, she was stronger. Which meant the Goblin Lord would sense her power sooner. He'd strike harder. And Laylee... might not come back.
Adam straightened.
"When are you going?" he asked, voice too calm to be casual.
"In a few days," she replied. "Two or three, depending on weather and the scouts."
He nodded thoughtfully, then smiled. "Alright. Before you leave, I'll give you a present."
Laylee tilted her head. "A... present?"
"A good luck charm," Adam said breezily, waving over his shoulder as he turned to go. "Don't head out until I give it to you, alright?"
She chuckled softly, clearly amused by the idea. "Sure. I'll wait."
But behind his easy smile, Adam's heart was racing.
+
The moon was high, cloaked behind a veil of thin clouds. The manor lay quiet, shrouded in that midnight stillness that only came when every candle had been blown out, every last servant retired to their chambers. Adam stood before his mirror, dressed in black from head to toe. His tunic was fitted, his trousers tight but maneuverable, and his boots laced soundlessly.
He looked... like a shadow.
Like someone with a purpose.
A familiar voice echoed in his mind—ancient and primal.
Foll$JF the... S*OKream.*
That voice had guided him once already. The stream where Laylee fought the Lizardling. That's where it began. The event had gone awry thanks to him, yes. But that didn't mean it couldn't still be salvaged.
He had to find Ignis.
With that thought, he raised a hand and muttered, "Color Magic: Blue."
A soft pulse shimmered through the air. Blue mist coiled around him, latching onto his skin like water vapor. A second later, the system chimed:
[BUFF ACQUIRED – BLUE: STEALTH (30 Minutes)]
Your movements will generate no sound, and your presence will be obscured from those weaker than your Wisdom stat.
Adam grinned.
"I love this magic."
With a quiet breath, he pushed open the window. Not the door—too risky. The window led to a balcony, which led to the northern ivy trellis that no one bothered patrolling anymore. The route was old, almost forgotten, but it had been there in the game.
And now, it was his.
He dropped soundlessly onto the gravel path, adjusted his cloak, and ran, soundless.