Jemil should've known something was off the moment they left the hot spring.
The birds had gone silent. The sunlight seemed heavier. Even Lyra's ears twitched uneasily, her tails flicking side to side like nervous pendulums.
"We're being watched," she murmured, sniffing the air. "And it's not just a squirrel."
Jemil tightened the straps on his half-dried cloak. "I'm voting we don't meet whatever lives out here."
[System Alert: Unique Beast Aura Detected]
[Rank: D+]
[Species: ???]
[Mood: Curious. Mildly aroused. Vaguely hungry.]
[…Yes, really.]
"Why does that mood list sound like someone on a blind date at a buffet?" Jemil muttered.
Lyra's ears perked. "It's close."
"I noticed," he whispered.
Then the vines moved.
Thick green tendrils slid out from the underbrush like lazy snakes—one wrapped around Jemil's ankle before he could react.
"LYRA—!"
He was yanked upside down with a shout, dangling from a tree like an unwanted offering to a very touchy god.
Lyra flared into flames, leaping forward to slash the vine, but more shot up—dozens, wrapping her mid-air and dragging her toward a massive oak.
Then something stepped from the shadows.
Correction: Someone.
She stood barefoot in the grass, glowing with faint green light, her hips swaying with every step. Vines trailed from her arms and legs like living jewelry. Her curves were wrapped in thin, leaf-like silks that did absolutely nothing to hide the fact that she was clearly… very blessed by the forest.
Long, moss-green hair flowed behind her like ivy caught in the breeze. Her eyes gleamed an eerie emerald as she looked Jemil up and down—slowly.
"Well," she said in a sultry, honeyed voice. "A man. With a system mark. Delicious."
[New Beast Detected: Sylfa, the Blooming Dryad]
[Rank: D+]
[Mood: Still Curious. Still Hungry. No longer Mildly.]
[Warning: Unique Temptation Aura Active – Control Resistance Down by 15%]
[…Suggest immediate negotiation. Or running. Or both.]
Jemil twisted helplessly in the vines. "Hey, uh, Miss Dryad—Sylfa, right? Let's talk about this!"
She smiled and glided forward, petting a vine like it was a cat. "You're quite pretty for a human. I usually feed on mana, but you… have a different flavor."
"I'm not on the menu!"
"Oh, sweet little sprout," she purred, "you absolutely are."
Lyra growled, struggling against the vines. "Touch him, and I'll turn your tree into a campfire!"
Sylfa's eyes flicked toward her. "A flame fox? Interesting. Possessive too." She snapped her fingers, and Lyra's arms were pinned behind her back by two writhing branches. "You're his first, I assume?"
Lyra snarled. "Back off."
Sylfa turned back to Jemil and stepped close, her vines gently tugging his shirt loose. "You've bonded, but only once. Your aura's still… green." She leaned in and sniffed him. "So fresh. So awkward. So… easily flustered."
"I'm not flustered," Jemil lied, very flustered.
[Warning: Heart Rate Elevated]
[Arousal Resistance: Failing]
[System recommends… coping mechanisms. Deep breathing. Cold water. Hysterical screaming.]
"Alright," Jemil said, eyes darting. "Let's—let's not do anything viney, okay?"
"Too late," she said sweetly.
Then she kissed him.
Not on the lips. The forehead.
Soft, warm, and yet electric.
And with that one kiss, his bond mark glowed—the one connected to Lyra. But new tendrils of light branched out… toward Sylfa.
[Unorthodox Bond Attempt Detected]
[Would you like to initiate Beast Taming Protocol: Sylfa, Blooming Dryad?]
[Note: Her method involves… photosynthesis. And… emotional domination. But mostly vines.]
"I DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH ANYTHING," Jemil shouted.
[Input registered as: YES.]
"STOP DOING THAT!"
The vines lowered him gently to the ground. Lyra thrashed.
"You bitch," she spat. "You're trying to claim him!"
Sylfa tilted her head. "Of course I am. He's rare. Sweet. Ripe. He reeks of chaos and mischief. My favorite flavor."
[Initiating Dual Bond Protocol]
[WARNING: Beast Jealousy Rising]
[Side effect: Incoming catfight may involve claws, vines, fire, and accidental nudity.]
Jemil stumbled to his feet. "Okay! Everyone calm down! I'm not a fruit basket! And I'd like to leave with all of my blood inside me!"
Lyra flared, breaking free of one vine. "You want a fight, tree witch?!"
Sylfa smiled like it was her birthday. "Oh, I was hoping you'd say that."
What followed could not be called a "battle."
It was a magical, mostly-naked, girl-on-girl brawl involving fireballs, exploding leaves, entangling roots, flaming tails, and at one point, Jemil getting accidentally whipped across the butt by a vine lash.
"Ow!"
[Minor damage received. Dignity: -3]
[You've unlocked the achievement: "Caught in the Crossfire of Lust."]
[+1 Intimacy Point]
"Why does everything give me intimacy points?!"
Eventually, Sylfa's vines caught fire, and Lyra nearly passed out from overusing her flame mana. Both women collapsed in the clearing, panting, bruised, and—Jemil noticed with intense stress—glistening with sweat.
Sylfa turned her head toward him. "Okay… maybe… maybe a little nap first."
Lyra coughed smoke. "Next time… we wrestle naked."
"W-what do you mean next time?!" Jemil shouted.
[Beast Bond Successfully Established: Sylfa – Blooming Dryad]
[Bond Level: 1]
[Special Trait: Entangle – Vines can be used for combat, defense, or playful mischief (interpret as you will).]
[Sylfa has joined your harem party.]
[New Trait Gained: "Floraphile."]
[You now gain +10% resistance to plant-based seduction, and +5% weakness to green-haired girls.]
Jemil dropped to his knees.
"I'm going to die surrounded by beautiful, insane beast women."
Lyra leaned against him, eyes heavy-lidded. "We wouldn't kill you…"
Sylfa crawled over, curling up on his other side. "We'll just wear you down until you beg for mercy."
"…I want to go back to the dungeon."
That night, Jemil had to share a blanket with two clingy, half-dressed beast girls.
Sylfa wrapped vines around his waist like a jungle seatbelt. Lyra draped her tail across his neck possessively.
He didn't sleep. He just stared at the stars. Wide-eyed.
[Congratulations, Host. You are now officially a Rogue Beast Tamer with multiple illicit bonds.]
[Upcoming Challenge: Survive your own party without being devoured, seduced, or roasted alive.]
[New Quest Unlocked: Tame a third beast]
[Optional Challenge: Keep them from killing each other in the process.]
Jemil whispered, "This is hell."
Lyra snored and snuggled deeper into his side.
Sylfa giggled in her sleep.
And the system? The system just winked at him again.
✅ Call to Action:
🔥 Enjoying the chaos? Want to see what happens when the third beast appears—and brings even more problems (and curves)?
💬 Drop a comment and hit that power stone if you think Jemil will survive Chapter 4:
"The Minotaur Girl Who Mistook Me for Her Mate (and Her Dinner)"