Chapter 3: Stats of a New Man
I woke to warmth.
Silver hair spilled across my chest, soft as silk. Drishia's head rested in the crook of my arm, her breathing steady, lips curved faintly in a dream. For a moment, I almost forgot the world, the quests, the System.
Then the notification shattered the silence.
[System Update: Productive night detected.]
[All basic stats increased by +4.]
My breath caught. The air shimmered, and blue text filled my vision:
[Stats Updated]
Strength: 4 → 8
Agility: 6 → 10
Endurance: 6 → 10
Intelligence: 3/100 → 7/100
Mana: 0 → 4
[Skills/Authorities Gained]
Devour
Basic Swordsmanship
The System pulsed again, displaying a full status screen:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Name: Rin Kazuki
Age: 18
Title: —
Level: 1
Harem Count: 2 (Drishia, Succubus Queen)
Strength: 8
Agility: 10
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 7/100
Mana: 4
Skills/Authorities:
Devour
Basic Swordsmanship
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
I stared at the glowing panel, half in awe, half in dread. Last night hadn't just been pleasure. It had changed me. The weak, pathetic body I had carried through my old world was already something else.
I carefully shifted away from Drishia, tucking the sheets around her. She stirred faintly, murmured something I didn't catch, and settled again. I stood, my legs still trembling faintly, but stronger than they had ever felt.
The elven city was alive in daylight. Bridges stretched between great trees, lights pulsing through their trunks like veins. Elves moved gracefully through the paths, their gazes lingering on me with distrust. I ignored it, walking slowly, taking it all in.
I thought to myself, I need a weapon.
Porngames, RPGs—hell, anything I ever wasted time on always started the same way. No weapon, no future.
I found a shop tucked between two tree roots, its sign carved with the shape of a blade. Inside, weapons gleamed along the walls. And there, resting proudly on a rack, was a katana. Simple, curved, elegant—perfect.
I gripped the hilt lightly. It felt right. Balanced. Like it belonged in my hand.
The shopkeeper, an older elf with sharp eyes, cleared his throat. "That one is not cheap, human."
I sighed, setting it back carefully. "I'll come back for it. Soon."
His expression said he didn't believe me.
As I stepped back into the street, the System chimed.
[Side Quest Generated.]
Hunt five monsters in the forest barehanded.
Reward: Stat growth + Skill chance.
I almost laughed. "Barehanded, huh? You're really enjoying this."
But I went anyway.
The forest was thicker here, shadows stretching long. It didn't take long before I saw them—four goblins, their green skin slick with filth, and three larger hobgoblins trailing behind.
One spotted me. Its beady eyes narrowed, and with a shriek it lunged, dagger raised.
I moved before I even thought. My body flowed faster than it ever had, my senses sharp. I sidestepped, grabbed its wrist, twisted. The dagger fell into my hand, and I drove it into the goblin's nape with a sharp thrust.
The creature collapsed with a wet gurgle.
The System pulsed.
[Devour Activated.]
[Goblin absorbed.]
[+6 Stat Points.]
I gasped as the energy surged through me, my muscles humming.
[Allocate points?]
I focused, and the numbers shifted.
Strength: 10 (allocated +3 → 13)
Agility: 12 (allocated +3 → 15)
Endurance: 12
Intelligence: 9/100
Mana: 6
[New Skill Unlocked: Sex Gaze.]
Description: View the sex gauge of females, their affection level, and stats of monsters/females only.
I grinned, panting. "Now that's useful."
The other goblins shrieked and charged.
The fight blurred into motion. I dodged, struck, snapped necks, drove daggers into throats. The hobgoblins fought harder, but they fell the same way. Each time, I devoured, pulling their strength into mine.
By the time the last one hit the ground, the System blazed across my vision.
[All targets eliminated.]
[Level Up: 1 → 6.]
[Stats increased beyond 20.]
I wiped blood from my cheek, panting, staring at my hands. Stronger. Faster. Deadlier. I wasn't the same Rin Kazuki anymore.
Back in the city, I dragged the goblins' drops into the guild. The elves looked at me with shock as I tossed the proof on the counter. A bag of coins slid back to me, heavier than I expected. Enough.
Enough to buy the katana.
When I held it again, purchased and mine, it felt like the final piece clicking into place. The blade slid smooth in its sheath, and my reflection curved along its steel.
With the rest of the coins, I rented a small room in an inn. Simple. Quiet. Mine.
I sat on the bed, staring at the katana against the wall. My thoughts spun not toward weapons or quests, but the faces of the elves. Lythiel. Serin. Araveen. Naeya.
And Drishia, still sleeping back at her chamber.
The System's quest burned in my skull. Two more. Soon. Or I die.
I clenched my fists, forcing down the heat rising in my chest.
"Tomorrow," I whispered. "Tomorrow, I'll have to move. Quickly."
Because hesitation meant death.
In that moment I got a knock on the door. I didn't know who would knock at a human's door at night.
I was quite bewildered at whom I saw at the door.
It was——