Episode 36
The Grand Hall of Crimson Lights was unlike any place Ethan had entered before. Towering obsidian pillars glowed with crimson runes, casting long shadows that flickered with seductive illusions. Velvet drapes danced to an invisible tune, releasing a heady aroma of jasmine and desire. At the center, a banquet table stretched longer than his eyes could follow, adorned with golden platters and overflowing chalices.
> [Location Discovered: Hall of Crimson Lights] [Special Event Triggered: The Crimson Banquet] [System Update: Lust Trials Phase 2 Initiated]
He entered slowly, and the moment his boots touched the crimson-carpeted floor, the system buzzed.
> [New Quest Available: Claim the Crimson Chalice] Objective: Seduce one of the Banquet Maidens before midnight. Reward: Charm +50 | New Skill: Crimson Touch
A sensual melody filled the hall, and figures began to emerge from the shadows. Women in translucent silks, eyes glowing faintly with the same runes as the pillars, walked toward him. Each one radiated potent lust energy, their presence igniting a slow burn within Ethan's core.
"Welcome, Sinbound One," said a voice, deep and hypnotic.
From the end of the table, a woman with hair like liquid night rose from a throne of red crystal. Her dress shimmered between reality and fantasy, revealing curves that teased and disappeared as she moved.
"I am Lady Nyxara, Keeper of the Crimson Chalice. If you wish to drink... you must play the game."
Ethan bowed slightly, his confidence steady despite the sensory overload.
"And what game would that be?"
Lady Nyxara's lips curled. "You must withstand temptation... and inflict it."
> [Sub-Quest Activated: Trial of Dual Seduction] Task: Choose a partner. Seduce her fully while resisting seduction attempts by others.
He scanned the room and locked eyes with a red-haired maiden whose beauty was fierce and wild, like a flame barely tamed. She gave him a smirk and beckoned with a finger.
Name: Seraphine Affinity: Fire & Lust Temptation Resistance: Medium
He approached.
The moment their hands touched, Ethan felt her magic. Warmth seeped through his fingers and spread like wildfire. She pressed against him, whispering in his ear.
"I burn, Ethan. Can you handle the flame?"
He didn't respond with words. Instead, he activated the system.
> [Skill: Sinful Caress | Lust Damage +15%]
His fingers traced her bare arm, each stroke igniting tiny sparks across her skin. She gasped but didn't pull away. Her challenge deepened. She countered with a kiss, laced with fire magic that tried to invade his thoughts.
> [Mental Resistance Check: Passed]
Ethan smirked. "You'll have to try harder than that."
They danced—not just with their bodies but with seduction itself. Each touch, each whisper, was part of a dangerous rhythm. Behind them, other maidens circled, trying to interfere, trying to distract. One grazed Ethan's neck with her lips, another reached for his waist—
> [System Warning: Temptation Overload Imminent]
He shut it down with a burst of aura.
> [Aura Pulse: Sinful Surge | Pushback Success]
With the distractions gone, he turned back to Seraphine.
She was breathless now, trembling.
"Do it," she whispered. "Claim me."
> [Final Skill Combo: Crimson Touch + Lust Infusion] [Success] [Seraphine: Fully Seduced] [Charm +50 | Skill Unlocked: Crimson Touch]
As they collapsed into each other in the velvet cushions, the system announced:
> [Quest Complete: Claim the Crimson Chalice] Reward Received: Crimson Chalice | Charm +50 | Skill: Crimson Touch
Lady Nyxara stood and walked over. She handed Ethan a goblet glowing with a deep red liquid.
"You have passed the second phase. Few do. The final banquet... is darker."
He drank.
Power surged through him.
> [Stats Increased: Charm, Strength, Vitality, Sin Energy]
But even as he savored the victory, Ethan sensed it: this was merely a taste. The next trial would strip him bare.
And he would need more than charm to survive
The crimson chamber pulsed with the throb of magic and lust. Ethan stood at its center, still breathless from the previous encounter. The walls glowed a deep scarlet, the color of sin incarnate. He could still feel the heat of the temptress's touch fading from his skin, the last trial's rewards surging through his bloodstream like liquid fire.
> [Trial Passed: Crimson Chains of Submission - Lust +40 | Charm +20 | Sin Points: +200]
He clenched his fists as the system pulsed another notification.
> [Next Trial Unlocked: The Depths of Desire] [Warning: This challenge will test more than your body. Your soul is at stake.]
The obsidian arch ahead parted with a hiss, revealing a spiral staircase descending into darkness. A warm, heady scent drifted up—jasmine, sweat, and something darker. Ethan descended, each step echoing into silence.
---
The descent felt endless, his mind drifting in the intoxicating scent. When the stairs ended, he stepped into a massive subterranean temple lit by burning braziers. The walls were etched with glowing runes, and at its center was a throne made of obsidian and bone. Upon it sat a woman wrapped in crimson silk, one leg draped over the armrest. Her skin was a soft gold hue, her eyes like molten rubies.
> [New Entity Detected: Lilix, Priestess of the Depths | S-Rank Seductress | HP: ??? | Role: Gatekeeper of Desire]
"You've come far," she purred. "But your journey through sin is only just beginning."
Ethan's body responded to her voice before his mind could catch up. The seductive aura radiating from her was unlike anything he had faced.
> [System Warning: Seduction Aura - Active | Mental Resistance Check Passed]
He steadied himself. "What is this trial?"
Lilix stood, her robes slipping off her shoulders to reveal flawless curves. Chains snaked from the walls, some coiling lazily at her feet.
"You will indulge. You will resist. You will surrender. Or you will die."
> [Trial Activated: The Depths of Desire] Objective: Survive 3 rounds of Seduction without surrendering your will.
---
Round 1: The Dance of Fire
The room darkened. Music filled the air—slow, rhythmic, primal. Shadows came to life, forming dancers. Four figures—men and women—moved around Ethan, their bodies glistening with oil and magic. Each touch left sparks on his skin.
> [Temptation Rating: Moderate | Resistance Holding]
They whispered promises, fantasies he'd buried deep. One kissed his ear; another trailed fingers down his chest. Lilix watched from her throne, one hand drifting suggestively over her body.
Ethan inhaled deeply. He called upon the system.
> [Skill Activated: Focus of the Flameborn | Mental Clarity Boosted]
He stepped through the dancers, resisting their siren calls. Their whispers grew frantic, but he reached the center—an altar with a burning rose.
> [Round 1 Cleared: +100 Sin Points | Lust +10 | Resistance +5]
---
Round 2: Chains of Memory
Lilix stepped down from her throne. With a flick of her fingers, Ethan was bound in glowing crimson chains. They didn't hurt—they teased. They caressed. They remembered.
Suddenly, visions filled his mind. Selene—the vampire assassin he seduced. Liora—the elven priestess who cursed and kissed him. And Althea—the one who trusted him most. All appeared, naked, beautiful, whispering in unison.
> "Stay with us... Just feel. No more pain. No more burden."
The chains pulsed with every word. Ethan's breath grew ragged. His body strained toward the illusion, every inch craving touch, release.
> [Lust Overload Approaching: 82%] [Critical Decision: Resist or Embrace]
His hand hovered.
He growled, focusing on Althea's last words. "Not all chains are made of metal."
He screamed, pouring aura into his core.
> [Skill: Wrath Break | Lust Rejected | Chains Shattered] [Round 2 Cleared: +150 Sin Points | Lust +20 | Dominance +10]
Lilix's eyes narrowed. "You are more than I expected."
---
Round 3: The Offering
The altar rose from the floor again, now with two figures kneeling upon it—twins. Identical in face, opposites in aura. One radiated innocence, the other raw, carnal hunger.
> [System Choice: Seduce the Innocent | Seduce the Fallen | Reject Both]
"Only the true master of sin can dominate both sides of desire," Lilix said, voice trembling.
Ethan stepped forward. He bent to the innocent first, touching her chin gently.
"Do you trust me?"
She nodded.
He turned to the fallen.
"Can you obey?"
She smirked. "Try me."
> [Skill Activated: Dual Seduction | Aura Split Initiated]
His body moved between them, each kiss releasing divine fire. The air thickened. Moans echoed. Pleasure twisted with power. Time blurred.
> [Lust at Max | Seduction Perfected | Dual Submission Achieved]
Lilix dropped to her knees.
> [Final Round Cleared: +300 Sin Points | Lust +30 | Charisma +25 | Unique Reward: Mark of the Twin Flame]
---
The chamber faded. Ethan stood alone now, his power burning like a sun within. The system spoke.
> [Trial Passed: Depths of Desire Complete] Reward Unlocked: Skill - Ecstasy Command | Temporarily enthrall up to 2 targets with a kiss]
Lilix's voice returned, softer now.
"You've tasted the abyss... and made it kneel."
A new doorway appeared.
> [Next Trial: Hall of Illusions]
Ethan stepped forward, shirtless, sweaty, marked by kisses and magic—but more powerful than ever.
The seduction system wasn't just evolving him.
It was awakening something ancient inside.