Okay," I said, steadying my thoughts inside her. "First order of business: movement test."
Selene blinked. "Movement… what do you mean?!"
"Look, I need to know how much I can control this body. Otherwise we're dead in sixty seconds."
She grimaced. "You're not… touching me—"
"Oh, for crying out loud, it's symbiosis, not fondling!"
Still, my nerves thrummed. I focused, reaching into the link the system had created between us.
> [ User Control: Partial (20%) ]
Her right arm twitched. Then jerked upward. Then flailed like a puppet.
Selene yelped. "W-what are you doing?!"
"Testing controls! Hang on, I'm lagging—ah, shit, input delay!"
Her body staggered forward, nearly tripping. When she tried to steady herself, my instincts kicked in and I overcorrected, sending her tumbling face-first into the stone floor.
Our noses slammed together. Pain exploded in both our heads.
"OWWW!" she screamed.
"OWWW!" I echoed.
Then we both froze. "…Wait. Did we just scream in sync?"
Selene's cheeks flushed. "This is humiliating…"
---
I tried to calm down. "Okay, rule number one: we share pain. Don't slam into walls."
"You're the one who slammed me! Pervert worm!"
"Hey, you think I wanted to face-plant with your boobs squished against the ground?!"
She gasped. "Y-you felt that?!"
"Yes, unfortunately! Shared Senses, remember?!"
Her entire face turned scarlet. "T-this is… indecent! W-we can't—"
"Lady, indecent or not, those goblins outside aren't gonna wait for you to finish blushing!"
---
A new notification appeared.
> [ Tutorial Guidance: Synchronize with Host ]
[ Tip: Higher intimacy increases Symbiosis efficiency. ]
I choked. "Wait. Did it just say intimacy?!"
Selene's eyes widened. "Intimacy…?!"
"Nope. Not happening. Not today. Not ever."
The system box blinked cheerfully, as if mocking me.
---
Shadows lengthened at the cave mouth. The guttural growls were clearer now. Dozens of goblin males, stomping closer, voices jeering.
Selene stiffened. Her nails dug into her palms. "They'll kill me… they'll drag me back… I'll be nothing but—"
Her thoughts cut off. Shame, anger, terror—all of it bled through the link into me. I felt her panic as if it were mine.
And something in me snapped.
"No," I whispered. "Not while I'm here."
She gasped. "Wh-what?"
"I said, not while I'm here. You're my host. My partner. My… player two. And nobody gets to trash my team."
---
I reached deeper into the link.
> [ Symbiosis Boost Activated ]
Strength: +2
Agility: +3
Vitality: +2
Her body surged with heat. She staggered, clutching her chest. "Wh-what is this feeling?!"
"That's the power-up, sweetheart. Congratulations—you've just been patched into the Parasite Beta Test."
She shot me a bewildered look, but her trembling slowed. Her breathing steadied. Her eyes narrowed with new resolve.
---
Comedy Ecchi Training Montage (Short)
We had seconds before the enemy arrived, but I forced a crash course.
"Punch that rock."
"What?!"
"Punch it!"
She swung awkwardly. My control nudged her fist. The rock cracked. Her eyes widened.
"Now kick."
She hesitated. I overrode her hesitation. Her leg shot up—too far, too fast. She yelped, lost balance, and landed flat on her back, skirt flipping.
I felt everything.
"Oh, for god's sake—"
Her scream echoed. "STOP LOOKING!"
"I CAN'T NOT LOOK, I'M LITERALLY IN YOUR BODY!"
We argued, blushed, and cursed each other—but in that mess of chaos, something clicked. Our movements synced. She began to anticipate my pushes, I began to soften my tugs.
By the time the shadows fully blocked the cave's light, we could stand. Not gracefully. Not elegantly. But ready.
---
The first goblin male stepped into the glow of fungus. Taller, bulkier, his yellow teeth bared in a savage grin. Behind him, more shadows spilled into the cave. Ten, twenty, maybe more. Clubs, rusty blades, crude spears clattered in their hands.
Selene's heart hammered. My hunger roared.
The lead goblin growled something in their tongue. His eyes fixed on her. On us.
Selene flinched. "I… I can't—"
"Yes, you can."
I forced calm into the link. "Listen. You're not alone. You've got me now. And together?"
I grinned inside her mind.
"We're gonna turn this into one hell of a tutorial boss fight."
---
Cliffhanger
The goblin horde roared, rushing forward. Their shadows swallowed the cave. Their eyes glinted with hunger and cruelty.
Selene raised her fists, trembling—but not with fear this time. With fury. With defiance.
Our voices overlapped in perfect sync:
"Bring it on."
> [ Quest Update: Defend Host → Survive Encounter ]
[ Combat Initiated ]
And just like that, the game began.