Velas didn't sleep that night.
He lay on the straw bed, staring at the damp ceiling, watching shadows crawl in the corners. But it wasn't fear keeping him awake.
It was need.
---
[Lust Energy: 33%]
Quest: The Forbidden Flame – Progress: 0.65 / 1 Conquest
Warning: System evolution halted. Lust threshold not met.
Time Remaining Until Energy Decay: 23 Hours 14 Minutes
---
That timer haunted him.
He didn't understand every detail of the System, but one thing was crystal clear—if he didn't act, he'd lose everything the Legacy had given him. The strength. The healing. The second chance.
The system fed on desire—and his first "partner" was already within reach.
Mara.
The sweet, conflicted servant girl. She cared. She came. She stayed. And today, she lingered longer than ever.
When she touched his hand to change the bandage, her fingers trembled.
When their eyes met, she didn't look away.
And when he said nothing, the silence between them burned hotter than fire.
She wanted him. But she didn't know how much.
Yet.
---
Late morning.
The cellar door creaked open again. Mara entered, carrying a basket this time. Fresh clothes. A wet cloth. And a small satchel of cooked meat and hard bread.
"Brought you more than scraps today," she said softly.
Velas sat upright, shirtless, back braced against the wall. "You spoil me."
"I had leftovers from the guard's meal." She paused. "Figured you earned something better."
He didn't thank her. He just watched her with those piercing golden eyes—eyes that glowed faintly in the gloom, predatory.
Mara set the basket down and fidgeted with her fingers. "You're healing fast."
"Faster than normal."
"You're not… like other men, are you?"
Velas smirked. "What gave it away?"
"I don't know," she admitted, eyes searching his face. "There's something in your voice now. In the way you look at me. It feels like… heat. Like pressure."
He stood.
Mara flinched, but didn't move back. She was too caught between fear and curiosity.
Velas stepped close, slowly enough to give her the chance to leave.
She didn't.
"You said I wasn't like other men," he murmured. "You're right."
His fingers brushed her cheek. "I'm something new. Something… dangerous."
"You're not scaring me," she whispered.
"I should."
She looked up at him. "Then why don't you?"
Velas leaned down, his breath warm against her ear.
"Because you want to be claimed."
Her lips parted. A soft gasp escaped her—but she didn't move.
Velas tilted her chin up.
Her cheeks were flushed. Her breathing uneven. But her gaze was locked on his lips now.
And the System pulsed behind his eyes like a drumbeat.
---
[Lust Energy: 47%]
Threshold Approaching… Claim her. Take control. Unlock Evolution.
---
He kissed her.
Not soft. Not gentle.
Mara stiffened for a heartbeat—but then melted into him, lips parting. Her hands reached for his arms, unsure, trembling, yet hungry. When he pulled her closer, she let out a quiet moan against his mouth.
The scent of her filled his senses—heat, innocence, suppressed desire finally let loose.
He pressed her against the stone wall, lips trailing down her neck, his voice a whisper in her ear.
"Tell me to stop."
She didn't.
Instead, she clutched his shirt, pulling it tighter, burying her face against his shoulder as his hands slid beneath her apron, fingers gliding over the curve of her thigh.
---
[Lust Energy: 74%]
Final Threshold Approaching – Partner Submitting…
---
"Mara," he murmured. "I'm not the man you saved anymore."
"I know," she whispered. "But I don't care."
Her voice cracked—torn between guilt and desire—but her body was honest. She leaned into him, desperate, needy.
Velas didn't rush. He let her tremble. Let her surrender.
He stripped away her resistance piece by piece—kissing her shoulder, teasing her skin with his breath, letting his fingers trace every sensitive inch of her.
And she let him.
When he finally laid her down on the straw, her apron already undone and her breath coming in shaky gasps, Mara reached up and touched his face.
"You feel… hotter," she whispered.
Velas didn't reply.
But the System did.
---
[Quest Completed – Forbidden Flame]
Lust Energy: 100%
Partner Claimed: Mara (Affinity: 82%)
Rewards Unlocked: Partial Incubus Form | Ability: Touch of Desire (Lv. 1)
Body Enhancement: +1 Charisma | +1 Vitality
System Stability: Secure
---
His vision blurred for a moment.
A rush of power filled his limbs, his senses. The world grew brighter, sounds sharper, his body stronger. He could feel Mara's heartbeat. Her thoughts. Her pleasure.
Something inside him had awakened.
And it wanted more.
But Velas pulled back.
Mara lay beneath him, flushed and dazed, her fingers tangled in his hair, her breathing ragged.
She didn't speak.
Neither did he.
He sat beside her, chest rising and falling. The hunger inside him had dulled—but not vanished.
She reached for his hand.
"I don't know what just happened," she said quietly.
Velas turned to her, golden eyes glowing faintly.
"Neither do I," he said. "But it's just the beginning."
---
[New Quests Unlocked]
Conquer the Noblewoman – Progress 0/1
Reward: Gold + Seduction Upgrade
Expand the Harem (2/10)
Reward: Incubus Trait Level-Up
Awaken the King's Presence (Locked)
---
To be continued...