The morning arrived quietly, seeping into Kyle's tiny, broken-down hut on the dusty, poor side of the Savanna village. The thin light did little to warm the cold, hard earth floor. Kyle shifted on the rough furs in morning dizziness.
The dull ache in his chest from Torin's strike yesterday was a physical reminder to him about how close he was to death.
But well… He was alive and kicking. Though relieved, Kyle was now more determined to grow strong – fast, and as soon as possible. The world would not wait for him to grow stronger with time. There were dangers lurking everywhere in this dangerous world.
As if that was not enough. He was transmigrated into a human– not as elf, dragon, demon or a beastkin.
But as a human. A race which was the weakest among all the other races on the Fingerland. A race so weak that other races treated them as slaves… Some even treated them as livestock too.
To save themselves from this cruel fate, humans went into one of the 5 dead zones in the world– "The Dark Forest"
A forest with thick long trees which entirely covered the 1//3 region of the "Boobylon Continent"
Where humans and beastkin lived.
If someone ever looked at this region from above…they would only see a dark mass of vegetation, lurking with dangers, monsters, ancient ruins and god knows what.
The monsters especially were too strong and intelligent, which made it very hard to survive.
When the whole human population migrated to this dead zone. They were slaughtered every day by monsters in this forest. The other races just kept watching… After all, the scene of humans thinking they can survive in forests when they can't even survive among the other races was too funny for them.
But destiny played a crucial role. Even when they were slaughtered and their population was declining rapidly they kept pushing forward and after 6 months of this…
When humans dwindled to 1/10 of their initial population.
They were finally successful in getting hold of some area in the forest and started living there.
They were scattered all over the outer region of the forest making small settlements which later on became villages.
The deeper the village was inside the forest… stronger they were. After all these guys were successful in getting deep into a dead zone.
Humans became scarce now all over the continent. Other races didn't even try to enter the forest after seeing such a big massacre and experiencing the real horror of the dead zones firsthand.
The only humans remaining among them were either slaves or living as domesticated livestocks under some races.
Knowing this… Kyle was certain that he was probably the weakest existence in this world.
He quickly opened the system interface and looked at his bank balance and saw that it only had 10 Dickies now.
But then his eyes caught a pending notification over the Quest section.
He quickly clicked on it… afterall to grow strong fast, the system's quest was the only thing which could help him.
The screen flickered and changed. A NEW Quest popped open.
......…
< Sub-Quest 2: Claiming Your Love >
Task - Have sex with your childhood crush 'Rina Nippleborn'
Completion Reward - 50 Dickies
Additional Reward - Increase in favorability with Rina and Decrease of bad rumours about you by 10%.
Penalty - Chances of Rina getting married to another man increases
......…
The small, dusty hut went silent
Gears of Kyle's mind were already reeling after reading the System's notification: Sub-Quest 2: Claiming Your Love. Reward: 50 Dickies.
That was the goal. But how could he get laid with RinaNippleborn, the tribe's genius and make her agree to the act of intercourse?...That was the question his mind didn't have answers to.
He was still turning the problem over in his mind—the logistics of framing an erotic quest as a logical duty—when the door of his hut was gently pulled aside.
Rina walked in, and the harsh light of the morning seemed to soften around her. She was dressed simply, in her usual light-blue tunic, but her posture was less rigid than he expected and in her hands was a small, tightly woven pouch.
"Kyle," she said softly, her ruby eyes studying his face with deep concern. "How are you feeling now? Did you manage to get some rest? After all Torin hit you hard yesterday."
"I am feeling much better, Rina," Kyle assured her, giving her a small, weak smile. He stood, allowing a subtle tremor to run through his frame, just enough to sell the weakness. "Your timely intervention saved my life, and that kiss... it bought me time."
Rina blushed faintly at the mention of the kiss, quickly looking down at the pouch in her hands.
"This is a low-grade recovery potion," she explained, holding it out. "It's mostly for bruising and inflammation, but it will help your strength return faster. Drink it all."
Kyle took the potion and drank the bitter, earthy liquid immediately, meeting her gaze with a warmth that felt genuinely grateful.
"Thank you," he murmured.
Rina sighed, her worry momentarily overriding her mind. "I was so worried about you, Kyle. When you disappeared into the Dark Forest... days went by, and no one knew where you were. I even asked my mother, but she couldn't find any trace. I kept hoping you had just taken off to train alone, but..." She trailed off, unable to voice the fear she'd held.
"But a demon found me instead," Kyle finished for her, his voice low. He kept his smile gentle, projecting the image of a traumatized survivor who was trying to be strong. "I am okay now, Rina. The strength is unstable, yes, but the demon and my worries are gone "
Rina's face instantly brightened with relief, but then, Kyle seized his opening. He let his smile fade, replacing it with a look of sudden, profound fear and exhaustion.
"Physically, I am okay" Kyle whispered, his eyes wide and fixed on the corner of the hut, as if reliving a horror. "But before it let me go, the demon left a piece of its malice behind. It put a curse on me, Rina. A curse that never lets me rest."
Rina's relaxed posture vanished. Her eyes flashed with immediate worry, and she rushed forward, taking his hands. "A curse? What kind of curse, Kyle? Tell me everything. We can fight it! My mother knows a great deal about curses."
Kyle shook his head slowly, squeezing her hands, radiating vulnerability. "It's not a curse of the body, Rina. It's a curse of the mind." He dropped his voice to a near-whisper, forcing his eyes to well up slightly with fabricated pain. "It gives me nightmares, Rina. Continuous, endless nightmares. Every time I close my eyes, I see my parents. Their final moments. I see the demon's shadows laughing at me. The curse forces me to relive the darkest day of my life, over and over."
Rina's face became instantly pale, the blood draining from her cheeks. Her dearest childhood friend, the only person who had ever truly seen her, was now trapped in an endless loop of pain. Kyle's parents' death had been the defining tragedy of his youth, and Rina had seen firsthand the profound impact of that loss.
"Oh, Kyle," she gasped, her hands clenching his. Her expression was one of pure, heartbreaking empathy. "You poor thing. You have suffered enough." She looked frantically around the hut. "You said you know the cure, though? Tell me! We cannot let this poison your mind. Should I bring the Elder here? Or should I run and ask my mother?"
"No!" Kyle said sharply, then immediately softened his voice. "No, Rina. Don't worry about them. The demon's curse... it's unusual. It targets loneliness and fear. I learned the only cure for it while I was fighting it in the forest."
Kyle hesitated, letting his entire body language convey deep embarrassment and worry. He pulled his hands away, stuffing them awkwardly into the pockets of his tunic.
"The only way to break the curse," Kyle mumbled, looking down at the ground, "is... is through an act of total devotion. The demon feeds on isolation, Rina. The cure... it demands I have sex with a woman I love dearly. It's the only way to prove my mind isn't alone and break the cycle of nightmares."
Rina instantly blushed, the word 'sex' hitting her like a physical blow. But her scientific mind and her personal concern quickly stabilized her emotions. She became completely serious, the sadness returning to her eyes.
"Sex?" Rina confirmed, her voice barely a whisper. She straightened her shoulders. "I understand. The cure targets the very mechanism of the curse. The demon used loneliness, and you must counter it with absolute connection. That makes a terrible, logical sense."
She looked at him with an immense tenderness that was laced with a hint of sorrow. Kyle knew why: she had loved him for years, but now his life depended on another woman.
"Do you have someone like that, Kyle?" Rina asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Someone you love so dearly? Tell me her name. I will help you, Kyle. If your life depends on it, I will help you bring her here. I will stand guard. We will make sure this curse is broken."
Kyle remained silent, his gaze fixed on her. He let the beautiful, self-sacrificing sadness in her eyes wash over him.
"Kyle? Tell me the woman's name," Rina insisted, her voice soft with encouragement.
Kyle shuffled his feet, then brought his gaze up to meet hers. He had to look utterly tormented, like the name was ripping itself from his soul.
"Rina," Kyle whispered, his voice cracking. He swallowed hard. "It's... it's Rina Nippleborn." He immediately shook his head sideways, looking away, his face flooding with a powerful, feigned blush of shame. "I know it's impossible... You are the daughter of the tribe's strongest warrior, and I'm just an orphan with no money and no power. I should never have said it, but the curse... it demands the truth..."
Rina's mind went completely blank. Her ruby eyes lost focus for a moment, and then the color returned to her face with a vengeance. A deep, scorching blush started at her neck and rapidly covered her entire face, reaching the tips of her ears. She was frozen, reeling from the twin shock of his confession and her own sudden, absolute relief.
Then, Rina's logical control snapped, overridden by years of suppressed devotion and the fierce, protective instinct of her rank.
"Idiot!" Rina exploded, her voice tight with furious, loving embarrassment. She grabbed his tunic, pulling him close. "Don't you dare say you are an orphan and undeserving of me! As a matter of fact... I'm very much deeply in love with you!"
The last four words were blurted out in a rush, a fierce, desperate confession torn from her soul. The moment the words left her mouth, Rina's eyes went wide, and she let go of his tunic, clamping her hands over her mouth, blushing harder than ever. She couldn't believe she had said it.
Kyle's own face, which had been painted with anxiety, broke into a wide, genuine smile. It was the first honest moment he'd had since arriving in this world. He was manipulating her, yes, but the truth was he also loved her. Seeing that feelings were mutual he was very happy.
"Rina," Kyle said, his voice husky with honest emotion. "I love you too. I always have." He reached out and gently took her hands away from her mouth. "But... Rina, you know right? We can't have sex. It's too early. Your life... our future..." He was laying the trap, offering the perfect objection for her to overcome.
Rina, her love now confessed and her scientific mind already engaged in the logistics of the 'cure,' narrowed her eyes with determination.
"Why are you chickening out, Kyle?" she challenged, her voice firm despite the heavy blush. "I said I love you. It's obvious that I will have sex with you! It is a bit earlier than I ever imagined, but the curse demands it. Our love is the cure, and we must begin the ritual now, before the nightmares return!"
Kyle let out a breath, his smile now one of triumphant relief. "Thank you, Rina," he whispered, pulling her close again. "Thank you for saving my mind."
Before he could say another word, Rina cut him off. Her eyes closed with fierce determination, and she rose onto her toes, pressing her mouth hard against his.
This was not the gentle, desperate kiss of yesterday. This was a kiss of confession, of relief, of duty, and of a lifetime of waiting.
Rina's hands flew up, not to touch his face, but to grip his shoulders, holding him steady as she poured all her pent-up emotion into the act. Her lips were soft, but her mouth was demanding, opening immediately. Her tongue tentatively met his, then grew bolder, tracing the inside of his mouth with an urgent, clumsy exploration. She had confessed her love, and now she was claiming him, driving back the demon's curse with the power of her devotion.
Kyle responded instantly, his hands wrapping around her waist, pulling her flesh against his body. He let his C-Charm focus entirely on validating her courage, making her feel the profound rightness of her choice.
He deepened the kiss, letting his pleasure and gratitude flow into her. Rina groaned softly into his mouth, the sound vibrating deep in her chest, a noise of pure physical surrender mixed with emotional relief.
When they finally broke the kiss, Rina's breathing was ragged. Her eyes were glazed over, but her expression was one of intense, absolute focus. In her mind only one thing was there. The clear goal of curing Kyle's curse.
"We must start now," Rina commanded, her voice husky. "The few texts I have read about curses says that cure must be always be completed in one attempt"
She gently took his hand and led him towards her chest and with a deep blush said
"We can start now. I don't know much about sex so you can take the lead".