The iron stink of blood filled Arianna Cole's nostrils when she woke.
Cold stone pressed into her back, and her wrists were bound above her head by rusted chains. Her head throbbed, her throat was dry, and when she tried to move, metal bit into her skin.
"Where… am I?" she croaked.
The last thing she remembered was screeching tires, glass shattering, then a black void. Now she was in a dungeon — not a police cell, but a medieval nightmare. The walls dripped with condensation, and somewhere nearby, rats scurried.
A man's voice barked orders outside the iron door. "Bring the prisoner. Execution at dawn."
Her heart stopped. Execution? For what?
Before panic could take over, a new sound rang in her ears. A chime — mechanical, clear — and then a woman's voice, sweet as honey, echoed inside her skull.
> [System Activated.]
Welcome, Host #003.
World: Drakovia Empire, Year 782.
Starting mission: Seduce your jailer before sunrise. Failure = death.
Arianna froze. "…What the hell?!"
> [Clarification: Your soul transmigrated at the moment of death. This is your new body.]
[To survive, you must complete Seduction Missions. Each success grants skill points, power, and beauty.]
[Timer: 6 hours.]
A glowing blue countdown appeared in her vision: 05:59:54.
This is insane, Arianna thought. I'm hallucinating.
The door clanged open.
A tall man stepped inside, torchlight glinting off his breastplate. He was broad-shouldered, scarred, and scowling — the kind of man who'd slit a throat without blinking. His nameplate read Captain Darius.
"You're awake," he said flatly. "Good. Makes it easier to drag you to the gallows."
Arianna's mind raced. Seduce him? Are they insane? This guy looks like he eats nails for breakfast.
> [Hint: Host must engage in physical seduction. Light touch acceptable. Explicit escalation grants bonus rewards.]
[Penalty for failure: Permanent death.]
Her body trembled, but not from fear alone. There was something different about this new body — heat pooled low in her belly, like someone had turned on a switch she never knew existed.
Damn this system, she thought. If this is the only way to live, I'll play dirty.
"Captain…" she whispered, voice hoarse, "don't I even get a last request?"
He glanced at her — first suspicious, then curious. "What kind of request?"
"Come closer," she murmured, tilting her head just enough to make her chains clink. "I want to… confess."
He stepped forward, cautious but intrigued. Up close, he smelled of leather and steel, not unpleasant. His gaze dragged down her torn shift, the thin fabric clinging to curves that hadn't been there in her old body.
> [System Notice: Charm +10. Current physical appeal: 65%.]
Arianna forced a shaky smile. "You're the last man I'll ever see. Shouldn't I die with a kiss?"
He barked a laugh. "A kiss? You think I've never seen a whore's trick before?"
"Then let me show you a better trick," she purred.
Before he could react, she shifted forward, pressing herself against him. The chains allowed just enough slack for her lips to graze his jaw. He stiffened, torn between anger and desire.
"Stop," he growled. But his hands didn't push her away.
Her voice dropped lower, breath hot against his ear. "You don't have to tell anyone… Just unshackle me for a moment. I promise I'll make it worth your while."
> [System Notice: Host engaged in Level 1 seduction.]
[Progress: 34%.]
His breathing deepened, the torchlight dancing over his face as his resolve cracked. With a muttered curse, he unlocked one of her wrists, just to test her.
Arianna moved fast — but not to run. She slid her freed hand over his chest, fingers tracing the hard lines of muscle under his armor. "You're strong," she murmured. "Stronger than any man I've met."
"You're insane," he muttered — but his voice had gone hoarse.
"Maybe," she whispered. "But I'm also dying tonight. Don't you want to know how a desperate woman begs?"
His lips crashed against hers before she finished.
> [System Notice: Seduction Level 2 engaged. Bonus reward unlocked if Host proceeds.]
His kiss was rough, hungry, almost angry — and Arianna met it with fire. Every instinct told her this was wrong, but the system purred in approval as his hands explored her body, yanking at the torn shift until the fabric bared her shoulder.
She gasped against his mouth. "Harder…"
Darius cursed under his breath and shoved her back against the wall, making her chains rattle. His mouth trailed down her neck, teeth grazing skin.
> [Progress: 78%. Time remaining: 04:52:31.]
"Tell me you're not playing me," he growled against her collarbone.
"I don't have time to play," she panted. "Touch me, or they'll kill me."
Her hand slipped lower, finding the buckle of his belt. His breath hitched — and the system's voice practically moaned:
> [Progress: 95%. Final stage unlocked.]
"Damn you," Darius rasped, shoving the torch into a wall sconce as his mouth claimed hers again, his hands roaming freely now. The cold dungeon air mixed with the heat of their bodies, sweat and steel tangling with her ragged moans.
> [Mission complete. Reward: Seduction Skill +1, Body Enhancement +1.]
[Secondary mission unlocked: Target — Crown Prince Lucien Draxon.]
Arianna's vision swam as pleasure and fear tangled inside her. The system's voice whispered silkily in her mind:
> "Good girl. You live another day… but your next target won't be this easy."
And just as Darius claimed her mouth again, the dungeon door slammed open.
"Captain!" a soldier shouted, eyes wide. "The Crown Prince is here to see the prisoner!"
Darius froze. Arianna licked her swollen lips and smiled faintly, her pulse racing.
So this is how the game begins.