The wood nymphs closed in slowly, their naked bodies swaying hypnotically through the dappled sunlight.
Their skin shimmered like fresh bark, curves exaggerated and inviting—full tits bouncing with each step, hips wide enough to make a man forget his name.
The lead one licked her lips, her eyes glowing with that predatory charm. "Come now, little humans. Let us show you the pleasures of the forest. You'll never want to leave."
Mei Ling and Lin Yue tensed beside me, weapons ready. Lin had an arrow nocked, her bowstring creaking under the strain, while Mei Ling's hands glowed with circulating qi.
I could feel the charm effect trying to worm its way into my head, making my cock twitch despite the danger.
But the system was holding it back, giving me a clear head.
"Both of you," I said, my voice steady but urgent. "Charge your qi as much as possible. Pour everything into it—don't hold back."
Lin Yue glanced at me, her green eyes confused but sharp. "What? Why? We need to fight these things!"
Mei Ling looked just as puzzled, her face flushed from the nymphs' aura. "Tianlong, are you sure? I can feel their power—it's pulling at me."
"Trust me," I insisted. "Do it now."
They exchanged a quick look, then nodded. Lin Yue kept her arrow trained on the nearest nymph but began channeling her qi, her body glowing with a faint green aura that matched the forest around us.
Mei Ling closed her eyes briefly, her qi surging like a river—blue and steady, amplified by our dual cultivation bond. I joined in, pushing my own energy to the max, feeling the vitality overflow mix with it into something explosive.
The nymphs tilted their heads in unison, like curious animals. Their leafy hair rustled softly. "What are you doing, little ones?" the leader cooed, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "You can't fight the forest. The forest always wins."
I ignored them, scanning the underbrush. The system's counter-seduction was giving me ideas, but fighting head-on was suicide.
These things could drain a man's life force through sex alone, turning him into a withered husk. No thanks. Time for plan B.
"Lin Yue," I said, keeping my voice low. "Lift me up. We need to run."
She blinked, lowering her bow just a fraction. "What? Lift you? Tianlong, you're not making sense—we can fight!"
"Just do it," I urged, meeting her eyes. There was confusion there, but also that newfound trust from when I'd saved her ass in the rift. "But... I hope you don't get angry."
"Angry? What are you—" She shook her head, deciding not to argue.
With a grunt, she slung her bow over her shoulder and hoisted me onto her back piggyback-style, her strong arms hooking under my thighs.
She was taller than Mei Ling, built like a warrior, and damn if her back didn't feel solid against me.
But as she adjusted her grip, my body shifted—and my hard cock, still raging from the system's constant boosts, pressed right against her ass.
It wedged there for a split second, the thin leather of her pants doing nothing to hide the heat, before sliding up to rub along her lower back.
She trembled, her whole body going stiff as a board, a small gasp escaping her lips.
"W-what the—?!" Her face turned beet red, and I could feel her muscles tense like she was about to drop me and punch my lights out. "Tianlong, you—!"
"It seems those nymphs had done it," I cut in quickly, playing innocent. "Their charm aura must be messing with me. Damn things—making an old man act up like this. Sorry, but we gotta move!"
She paused, glancing back at the nymphs who were still approaching with those eerie smiles. Realization hit her—yeah, it was possible.
Their seduction magic could make men do all kinds of crazy shit.
She clenched her jaw, burying whatever anger was bubbling up, and nodded stiffly. "Fine. But if this is some trick—"
[Deceptive Intimacy: Vitality +15]
[Harem Points +10]
[Lin Yue Bond Upgraded: B-Rank]
The system loved my bullshit, rewarding me for the sneaky grind. Lin Yue took off sprinting, with me bouncing on her back like some perverted backpack.
Mei Ling kept pace beside us, her qi still charged and ready, confusion written all over her face. "Tianlong, what's the plan? Where are we going?"
"Just run!" I shouted over the growing rustle of the nymphs giving chase. Their laughter echoed through the trees, light and musical but edged with something hungry. "Trust me—it's coming!"
We dashed through the underbrush, vines whipping at our faces, roots trying to trip us up. Lin Yue was fast, her warrior build carrying my weight like it was nothing, but every stride made her hips shift, rubbing my cock against her back in a way that was pure torture—for both of us.
She was breathing harder now, not just from the run, but from the embarrassment, her cheeks flushed and jaw still clenched.
I could feel the heat building between us, the friction turning accidental into something way more intentional.
Then, the real show started. A massive rumble shook the ground behind us, like thunder rolling through the earth. The nymphs' laughter turned to panicked shrieks.
"What is that?!" Mei Ling yelped, glancing back.
"Run now—that's here!" I yelled, pointing ahead. "Don't look back!"
The underbrush exploded as a tidal wave of devil rats surged out—thousands of them, each the size of a large dog, with red eyes glowing like embers and teeth like jagged knives.
Their fur was matted black, dripping with some kind of acidic slime that burned the plants they trampled.
Devil rats—nasty little bastards that swarmed in hordes, devouring everything in their path.
In the novel, they were a natural predator to wood nymphs, drawn to their floral qi like moths to flame.
But since nymphs concealed their qi, I needed a boost and that boost was our own qi.
The nymphs scattered in terror, their seductive grace turning to desperate flight as the rat horde descended. Screams filled the air as the first nymphs were overwhelmed, the rats tearing into them with savage glee.
"Holy shit!" Lin Yue gasped, picking up speed. "How did you know?!"
"Old knowledge!" I shouted back, which wasn't entirely a lie. But as we ran, I took full advantage—my hands "slipping" from her shoulders to grab her boobs, those tight, perky mounds filling my palms perfectly.
They bounced with each step, firm and warm under her leather top, nipples hard against my fingers. She let out a strangled yelp but didn't stop—life or death, after all.
[Blatant Groping: Vitality +20]
[Harem Points +15]
[Lin Yue Arousal Detected: Bond Upgrade Pending]
"T-Tianlong!" she hissed through gritted teeth, face burning red. "What the hell?!"
"Slippery grip—sorry!" I lied, squeezing just a bit harder as her hips kept that torturous rhythm, my cock grinding against her back with every bounce. Embarrassment radiated off her like heat, but she powered through, focused on survival.
Mei Ling shot me a weird look but kept running, her own qi shield deflecting a few stray rats that got too close.
The horde was gaining, the ground shaking under thousands of scampering feet. But up ahead, I spotted it—a dark opening in a rocky hillside, half-hidden by vines.
"There! Enter it now!" I barked.
Lin Yue didn't hesitate, diving through the cave mouth with me still on her back. Mei Ling followed right behind, sliding in just as the first rats slammed against the entrance.
The cave was narrow—too tight for the horde to follow en masse.
A few squeezed in, but Mei Ling blasted them back with a qi palm, while Lin Yue set me down (none too gently) and turned her bow on the stragglers.
We backed deeper into the cave, the sounds of the rat swarm fading as they focused on the easier prey outside.
The three of us collapsed against the cool stone walls, breathing hard, covered in sweat and dirt.
Lin Yue was the first to speak, her face still flushed, hands clenched around her bow. "That... that was too close. But Tianlong, what the hell was all that back there with... with you on my back? And your hands?!"
I leaned against the wall, playing the exhausted old man card while the system tallied up my rewards. "Must've been the nymph aura lingering. Messed with my head. Sorry about that—got a bit handsy trying to hold on."
She opened her mouth to argue, but Mei Ling cut in. "He's right. Those things were affecting all of us. I felt it too."
Lin Yue grumbled but let it drop, though her eyes kept flicking to me with that mix of suspicion and something hotter. The cave went quiet, but outside, the rats were still rampaging.
And deeper in the cave, I heard something else—a low growl that sounded way too big for a rat.
"Uh oh," I muttered. "We're not alone in here."
The growl grew louder, and glowing eyes appeared in the darkness. Whatever it was, it was coming straight for us.