[Congratulations!]
You have slain a Camouflage Goblin—a stealth-class variant known for ambush tactics.
This achievement has been recorded by the system. Future encounters may adjust difficulty accordingly.
_
So that's what this was.... I thought the goblins would just change like usual, but it seems like this was my difficulty adjustment. I don't know if I'm supposed to be flattered that the tower thinks this is my best counter or not.
Sarythra leaned in close, her lips brushing his ear. "Oh, you feel like you're already getting excited," she whispered. "... even more so than before~"
Her tail coiled behind him, drawing him closer as violet flames of demonic charm licked at the edges of his vision.
Zhang Rui smirked.
"So that's how it is," he said. "Complete the quest… or everyone dies."
His hand rose—not trembling, not hesitant—but steady.
Then he grabbed Sarythra by the throat and pushed her back beneath him.
Her eyes widened in surprise—and pleasure.
"Oh?" she laughed breathlessly. "You still dare to act dominant in front of me?"
"No," Zhang Rui said, his voice low and dangerous. "I'm not acting."
A shadow moved across his eyes—lust, sharpened with lethal intent. Something inside him had already shifted the moment he saw the system message.
If this world wanted him to become a monster, he would become one that ruled monsters.
His hands slid along her body—not gentle, not hesitant—but deliberate, commanding. Her back arched involuntarily at his touch. Her aura pulsed—crimson hunger swelling. She thought she had him under her curse. Thought she had control.
She was wrong.
He didn't resist the sin burning in his blood.
He embraced it.
Her breath hitched. "Y-Yes—just like that—"
"No," he cut her off, lips tracing her neck, voice dark as abyss. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not doing this to satisfy you."
His tongue flicked across her skin, savagely slow.
"I'm doing this—"
He pushed deeper—making her gasp, her tail curling violently as pleasure stabbed through her.
"—to win."
Sarythra shuddered, her smirk twisting into exhilaration. "Ahahaha… show me then, human. Show me how you plan to survive."
The countdown flashed again.
00:09:05
Zhang Rui lowered his head, hands already moving with ruthless rhythm.
"Fine," he said, lips curling. "Let's play."
Sarythra's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second, caught off guard by Zhang Rui's unexpected shift in tone. His words hung heavy in the air, dripping with dark promise and unspoken threats.
She had expected defiance, perhaps even futile attempts at resistance. But this... This was something else entirely. A cold calculation that made her blood run hotter.
With a low chuckle, she reached up to wrap her fingers around his wrist, halting his tightening grip against her neck. "Oh? And what exactly do you plan to win from me?" Her voice was husky, laced with amusement and anticipation.
The countdown continued its relentless march forward—00:08:40—and yet neither of them seemed to notice or care. In this moment, time itself felt irrelevant.
"I can offer you power beyond your wildest dreams," Sarythra purred, leaning into his touch as if savoring the sensation of being restrained by him rather than the other way around. "Immortality... dominion over countless souls... the secrets of the cosmos laid bare at your feet."
Her eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light as she pressed on, each word dripping with seductive allure. "All I require in return is your surrender... Your will bent to mine."
Zhang Rui's expression remained impassive—a mask hiding whatever thoughts churned beneath the surface—but Sarythra could sense the turmoil within him. The hunger warring with restraint.
"Make no mistake," he said finally, his voice low and menacing despite the tender way he held her throat between his fingers. "I'm not interested in your fleeting pleasures or empty promises."
A thrill ran through her at his boldness—the audacity of thinking he could refuse her so outright—and yet there was something undeniably alluring about it too...
"You're playing a dangerous game," she warned him softly, even as she arched into his grip like a cat being petted just right.
"Yes." His response was curt—almost dismissive—as if acknowledging danger wasn't worth dwelling on when faced with such tantalizing prospects.
Sarythra couldn't help but smile again—this time without any pretense of mockery or manipulation. There was something undeniably captivating about watching this man dance so precariously close to temptation's edge...
"Then let us see how long you last before succumbing," she whispered back challengingly.
His hips lifted, and his length throbbed, his glans sinking into her depths.
"Ah—!" Her back arched sharply as he sheathed himself fully inside her, claws digging into his shoulders. So rough... and yet... "You—hh—move well for a human," she gasped, tail lashing against the floor.
Her hips rolled up to meet his thrusts, each one deeper than the last. "Faster," she demanded, nails scraping down his spine. Let's see if he can keep this pace. "Or are you already—nn—faltering?"
His heart pumped hotter with every snap of his hips. "Nine minutes," she taunted, breath hitching. "Better make them count." He won't last half that.
Her thighs clamped around his waist, forcing him deeper. "Look at me," she snarled, yanking his hair. I want to watch his resolve crumble. "Show me those pretty eyes when you break."
A particularly brutal thrust ripped a moan from her throat. "Harder—!" Damn him. Her fangs grazed his shoulder. "Or are you afraid—ah!—to truly claim me?"
The timer flashed—00:06:17—as her laughter dissolved into ragged panting. "Tick-tock, hero." Let's burn this memory into his soul. "Make me scream... or watch them die screaming."
"You talked too much for a glorified sex doll," he taunted back, his free hand reached up her shirt and began groping her breasts.
Insolent little— Her breath hitched as his fingers dug into her flesh. "Glorified?" She laughed, the sound dark and throaty. "You'll regret that choice of words." Her heels locked around his hips, forcing him deeper with each thrust.
Her claws raked down his back, drawing faint lines of blood. "Call me a doll again," she purred, rolling her hips up to meet him. "I dare you."
Let's see how long that arrogance lasts.
"You're mine for nine minutes," she whispered against his lips. "And I intend to use every second." Her teeth grazed his neck, not quite biting—yet.
Her tail coiled around his thigh, squeezing just enough to make him gasp. "Too slow," she taunted, nails digging into his shoulders. "Or are you actually already spent? Pathetic."
Hmph. "This bitch," Zhang Rui muttered.
He snarled, fingers digging harder into her flesh. "You're just a pretty face with a filthy mouth." His thrusts grew harsher, the rhythm turning savage as he wrestled for control—over her, over himself.
"Isn't that the exact definition of a sex doll?" His grip on her breast tightened as he thrust harder, his free hand moving to her other tit and roughly squeezing it.
"You think you're in control here, but I'm the one who's been playing with fire this whole time." He leaned down and bit her earlobe hard enough to make her yelp.
She chuckled softly, licking his neck. "If you're in so much control, why haven't you broken my curse yet? "You're all bark, but no bite." She pulled back and kissed his lips as he let go of her ear. "I'd rather you show your claim than spew it, make my legs weak, make my insides open wider, paint me from the inside out."
He chuckled darkly, the sound sending shivers down her spine. "Patience is a virtue." His fingers danced across her skin—teasing, tormenting—before gripping tight once more.
"I'll claim every inch of you when I'm good and ready," he promised, his breath hot against her ear. His hips moved faster, harder, each thrust a promise of the pleasure to come.
"You want weak legs and open insides?" He nipped at her jawline. "Then hold on tight." His fingers slid from her breasts to wrap around her throat—a gentle reminder of his power.
The chains manifesting on his wrists glowed brighter as he pushed deeper inside her and the timer ticked. "I'll paint you my colors," he whispered against her lips. "And when I'm done, you'll be begging for more."
"You talk big, but I don't see any action," she purred, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just a face with empty threats." She rocked her hips against him slowly. "I've heard it all before."
"Unlike the others, I've got you right where I want you," he purred, his hips grinding against hers in a slow, deliberate rhythm. "And I'm going to make sure you remember this moment for a long time."
He leaned down to capture her mouth in a deep, dominating kiss as his free hand roamed over her curves possessively. The timer flashed—00:04:23—but neither seemed to notice or care about the passing seconds anymore.
—
Liu Qiang, Chen Hao, and Liang Xiu sat frozen, the pavilion suddenly colder despite the dim firefly lights. Their eyes were locked on Bai Lian's screen, wide and unblinking as the footage shifted.
What had started as them gathering to see what their next trial would be about—after overhearing what she was watching and not wanting to miss potential insight—had quickly devolved into something else entirely. Their breaths caught, expressions twisting as realization struck. The sounds. The rhythm. The closeness. It was undeniable.
This was no longer just a stream. It was intimate—far too intimate.
"Hahaha, that's my Zhang Rui~!" Bai Lian cheered, delighted. She calmly wrote the character for health on rice paper using a brush dipped not in ink but in mustard, tomato sauce, soy sauce, and beef broth. "You can do it! I believe in you! You've got this!"
"I can't believe I'm watching this…" Liu Qiang muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "How did it devolve into this?" He shook his head but didn't look away from Bai Lian's glowing blue Live View panel.
"You can say that again. From the yoga to this—it feels like I just watched the foreplay leading up to a porno," Chen Hao said, lowering his sunglasses. He nudged Liang Xiu. "Hey, Little Boss, do you think I could beat that phase of the tutorial? Before, I wouldn't have tried taking on a demoness, but look at your uncle now, finally putting some real meat on his bones. Think I'd be her opponent~?"
Liang Xiu turned to the large, bald man beside him, giving him a flat look. Ever since awakening his traits, Chen Hao's physique had become something even bodybuilders would weep over. Liang Xiu snorted. "That's what you're paying attention to? Even if you've got meat on your bones now, who says you won't break your back when you go back to normal size?"
"It says I can last an hour like this," Chen Hao grinned, flexing shamelessly. "If I get the same nine minutes he did, she'd be the one hurting."
Liu Qiang and Chen Hao were still bickering over moral decay and spinal durability when a cascade of pinging chimes erupted behind them.
Bai Lian's Live View interface lit up—comments flooding in so fast they blurred into a waterfall of text. She tilted her head slightly, surprised, as a new window flashed across her screen:
[Congratulations on reaching a towering milestone.]
[LIVE VIEW: PUBLIC BROADCAST]
Viewers: 10,287
Likes: 5,114
Current Ranking: #1530 (Global Tower Stream)
"Oh," Bai Lian blinked softly. "There are a lot of people here now."
Liu Qiang slowly turned, horrified.
"…Wait. You've been streaming this publicly?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" she said, as if the idea of not streaming intimate dungeon progression and her lover's sex life was absurd.
The chat flew by in rapid fire—with the users' real names, most of them Chinese, with some foreign viewers mixed in:
Zhao Lei: Is that her boyfriend???
Wang A-Mei: Wait—didn't she say earlier that guy was her HUSBAND??
Guo Tianhao: That dude is literally in another girl's arms right now…
Emily Parker: Girl, run.
Takeda Masato: CONFIRMED—Simp Queen of the Tower?
Jean Moreau: Bro is cheating in another dimension, and she SUPPORTS IT. 💀
He Yuxin: This is so sad to watch tbh.
Bai Lian lifted her eyes from her talisman work and blinked at the screen. "What are you all talking about?"
Comments popped up immediately:
Liang Ruo: Didn't you say earlier that guy is your HUSBAND?
Hina Sugiyama: Isn't this basically him cheating??
Zhang Moli: Sister, no man is worth this humiliation.
Chen Luo: Someone record this; this is wild.
Bai Lian smiled gently—honestly puzzled by the question.
"Yes," she nodded without hesitation. "He's my husband."
The chat exploded:
Wei Long: ??????
Qin Mei: DOES SHE NOT SEE WHAT HE'S DOING?
Ross McKinley: Nah, this girl is broken.
Li Rui: Sister, blink twice if you're being controlled.
Chen Hao rubbed his temples. "They don't get it. They think you're—uh—being cheated on."
"Oh, that." Bai Lian tilted her head. "No, it's fine. Zhang Rui can do what he wants."
Silence. Even the chat slowed down, stunned.
She continued in her calm, melodic voice:
"Zhang Rui is better than anyone. He's strong, decisive, and passionate, and he never abandons his goals. If it came down to it, he'd kill for me—and if I were in danger, he'd save me. He's also shown me he can keep his promises. If he desires warmth along the way, I won't deny him that. It only means he's still human."
She said it like it was obvious—like everyone watching was simply too slow to understand.
Fang Yuehua: Wow…
Ouyang Zhen: She's actually loyal to the bone.
Miriam Duval: This is some yandere energy.
Sun Xinyi: Terrifying but honestly kind of romantic??
Arjun Desai: I think I'm scared.
Li Fen: No woman on earth talks like this.
Bai Lian ignored the chat now. She dipped her brush into a bowl of thickened beef broth and bone paste and drew the final character stroke by stroke with perfect control.
Her voice softened into a whisper:
"This one should work," she murmured, finishing the talisman.
The rice paper glowed green, releasing a faint pulse of healing energy.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
You have successfully crafted a low-grade healing talisman.
She held it up, pleased. "See? I told you."
The chat froze—then exploded again.
Duan Haoran: SHE MADE THAT WITH SAUCE???
Wu Yiyi: How the hell—
Professor Yan: That brush technique is terrifyingly precise.
Nathan Cole: I don't know whether to be impressed or afraid.
Lin Suyin: Someone marry her before she kills us all.
Bai Lian glanced at the chat again and smiled sweetly.
"Also," she said in a gentle, cheerful voice, "would any of you like to be my friends?"
For an entire heartbeat, 10,000 viewers shivered at once.
Yamada Rin: … I feel like if I say no, I'll disappear.
Zhou Ping: Why do I suddenly feel unsafe?
Huang Feifei: She's cute, but I can tell she buries bodies.
Artem Volkova: Girl, I will be your most loyal follower. PLEASE DON'T HURT ME.
Tao Jin: Brothers… We must answer carefully.
The atmosphere shifted. The stream had become a phenomenon—half terrifying, half inexplicably alluring. Bai Lian's legend had begun.