The air between Park So-Hee and Yuna didn't just vibrate. It screamed. On my left, the Ice Queen of the Baekho Guild radiated a frost so intense the asphalt of the Gangnam highway was cracking. On my right, my childhood friend looked like she had crawled straight out of a vengeful ghost story, her purple aura flickering with the unstable rhythm of a heartbeat.
"Jin-Woo is mine," Yuna repeated. Her voice was a low, jagged rasp that made the hair on my neck stand up. "I spent two years in that Hell-Gate thinking of his face. I didn't survive just to watch some corporate hag put a collar on him."
So-Hee let out a dry, melodic laugh. She didn't look threatened. She looked hungry. "A collar? My dear, I'm offering him the world. You're offering him a basement. One of us provides growth. The other provides stagnation."
I looked at my system interface, which was blinking red. The tension was at 98 percent. If it hit 100, they would clash, and I would be the prize caught in the middle of a nuclear explosion.
"Stop it," I said. My voice was deeper now, bolstered by the level 99 stats. It carried a weight that actually made them pause. "Both of you."
I didn't wait for their permission. I reached into my spatial inventory and crushed the glass vial of the [Fragrance of Forbidden Desires].
A thick, pinkish mist erupted from my palm. It didn't smell like perfume. It smelled like every secret craving I'd ever had. It smelled like power, like sweat, and like the skin of someone you shouldn't want. The wind caught it instantly, swirling it around the two women.
[Item Activated: Fragrance of Forbidden Desires.]
[Effect: Aggression converted to Primal Attraction.]
[Targeting: High-Level Females in proximity.]
Yuna's katanas of shadow wavered. The murderous light in her eyes softened into something far more dangerous. She took a sniffing breath, her nostrils flaring. Her face went from pale to a deep, burning crimson.
"Jin-Woo..." she whimpered. The jagged edge of her voice was gone. Now it was soft, wet, and desperate. "Why do you smell like... like that?"
So-Hee wasn't faring much better. The Ice Queen was melting. She dropped her crystal dagger, her hand flying to her throat as she tried to loosen her silk collar. Her breathing became heavy and labored. She looked at me, not as a Hunter or a specimen, but as the only source of oxygen in a vacuum.
"What did you do?" So-Hee gasped. She took a shaky step toward me, her heels clicking unevenly. "This isn't... this isn't mana. It's... ah..."
This was my chance. I activated the second item: [Cloak of Partial Invisibility].
The system took my 50 million EXP and gave me a shimmer. To the rest of the world, I was a blur. But to them, the cloak had a specific, perverse enchantment. It made my clothing appear translucent, highlighting the raw power of my level 99 physique while leaving just enough to the imagination to drive them insane.
[EXP x10,000 Multiplier Passive: Indecent Aura.]
[The users' current appearance has triggered a 'Critical Lust' status in all targets.]
I walked toward them. I felt like a predator, but a different kind. I grabbed So-Hee by the waist and pulled her flush against me. She let out a small, choked sound of surprise. At the same time, I reached out and caught Yuna's wrist before she could lung at me.
"You both want me?" I asked, my voice vibrating against So-Hee's ear. "Fine. But I don't belong to guilds, and I don't belong in basements. If you want to be near me, you follow my rules. You behave."
Yuna fell to her knees, still holding my hand, pressing her cheek against my palm. "Anything. Just... don't send me away. Don't leave me again."
So-Hee leaned her head back, her eyes fluttering. The dominant CEO was gone. In her place was a woman overwhelmed by a level of pheromones the world hadn't seen since the age of myth. "I can... I can give you the artifacts. I can give you the keys to the S-Rank dungeons. Just stay... stay close."
[Quest 'The Pervert's Choice' Updated.]
[Condition Met: Both targets neutralized without bloodshed.]
[Reward Issued: SSS-Rank Artefact 'Chains of Submission'.]
The heavy, golden chains appeared in my inventory. They weren't for binding wrists. They were soul-bonds. If I used them now, these two powerhouses would be tethered to me forever.
But as I looked down at them, a new notification appeared. It wasn't gold. It was pitch black.
[Warning: Your 'Pervert' activity has alerted the High Constellations.]
[The 'God of Chastity' is disgusted by your existence.]
[A Divine Executioner has been dispatched to your location.]
The sky above Gangnam split open. A bolt of white, holy lightning struck the center of the highway, throwing us all back. From the light emerged a man in silver armor, his face hidden behind a mask of marble. He carried a spear that hummed with a frequency that made my level 99 blood run cold.
"Degenerate," the Executioner spat. The word carried the weight of a mountain. "Your path ends here. The Heavens will not tolerate a hero fueled by filth."
I looked at the two women. They were still dazed by the perfume. I looked at my bank account of billions of EXP. I looked at the golden chains in my hand.
I smiled. It wasn't a hero's smile. It was the smile of a man who had just realized that being the "bad guy" was going to be much more fun.
"Hey, So-Hee. Yuna," I called out, standing tall as the Executioner leveled his spear at my heart. "Wake up. A god just showed up to ruin our fun. Let's show him why the Earth is currently under new management."
I spent another 200 million EXP instantly.
[Skill Purchased: Harem Resonance - Level 1.]
[Effect: Your harem's power is multiplied by your 'Indecency' score.]
The pink mist around us turned into a swirling storm of golden and violet energy. My two predators stood up, their eyes refocusing with a new, terrifying purpose. They didn't look at the God. They looked at me, waiting for the word.
"Kill him," I commanded.