Lust System: Conquering the World Beauties

Liam sighed dramatically as he folded his arms across his chest. ”Okay, this is how we’ll do it. I’ll use that pond over there,” he pointed toward the calmer stretch of water hidden beneath a cluster of trees, ”and you can have the waterfall. Everybody wins.”

Tatiana narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

”Hmm...”

Liam instantly recognized that expression. It was the same one she wore whenever she was about to say something that made absolutely no sense.

”What?”

She tilted her head ever so slightly. ”How will I know you won’t take a peek?”

Liam almost choked on his own saliva.

”...Excuse me?”

”I said what I said.” She folded her arms with complete confidence. ”What if you decide to spy on me while I’m bathing?”

For a full three seconds Liam simply stared at her.

Then he slowly looked around the empty forest.

Then back at her.

Then back at the waterfall.

Then back at her again.

”Tatiana...”

”Yes?”

”...Are you accusing me of planning a crime I haven’t even committed?”

”I’m taking precautions.”

Liam let out the longest sigh of his life.

”You know what’s funny?”

”What?”

”If you were truly worried about me peeking...”

He took a slow step toward her.

”...then why did you drag me all the way here?”

Tatiana blinked.

”Huh?”

”You could’ve left me there.”

Another step.

”You could’ve told me to wait.”

Another.

”You could’ve said, ’Liam, stay there while I wash off.’”

Another.

”But instead...”

He pointed at the dried blood still smeared through his white hair.

”...you deliberately painted my hair with monster blood, laughed at me, and then forced me to follow you into the middle of the forest.”

Tatiana instinctively took a step backward.

”I-I didn’t force you.”

”No?”

Another step.

”You begged.”

”I...”

”You hugged me.”

”I...”

”You smiled.”

”I...”

”And now,” Liam continued with a grin that was growing more smug by the second, ”you’re suddenly worried I’ll look.”

Tatiana kept retreating until the back of her calf bumped against a rock.

”Oh.”

She glanced behind herself.

No more room.

Liam stopped just a step away from her, amusement dancing in his blue eyes.

”So...”

He tilted his head.

”...could it be...”

Tatiana swallowed.

”...that deep down...”

Another tiny step.

”...you actually wanted me to come?”

Her face exploded into a deep crimson.

”W-What are you saying?”

”I’m not saying anything.”

”You are!”

”I’m simply presenting evidence.”

”There is no evidence!”

”There is plenty.”

”You made it up!”

”I didn’t.”

”You did!”

”You invited me.”

”I did not!”

”You emotionally manipulated me.”

”I—”

”You used puppy eyes.”

Tatiana froze.

”...That’s different.”

Liam raised an eyebrow.

”So you admit it?”

”I...”

”...”

”...”

”I hate you.”

Liam burst into laughter.

”There it is.”

”You really are impossible.”

”And yet,” Liam said with a smug smile, ”you’re still standing here talking to me instead of going to bathe.”

Tatiana opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

Nothing came out.

”...”

”...”

She groaned loudly before covering her burning face with both hands.

”You are such an asshole...”

Liam couldn’t stop laughing.

”I’ve been called worse.”

”I hope a bird poops on your head.”

”That’s oddly specific.”

”I hope two birds do it.”

”Ouch.”

”I hope they coordinate.”

Liam placed a hand dramatically over his heart.

”You wound me.”

”You deserve it.”

The two stared at each other for another moment before Tatiana slowly lowered her hands from her face. She wasn’t pouting anymore.

She was smiling.

A small smile.

The kind Liam had begun seeing more often around her.

Without another word she folded her arms beneath her chest, unconsciously drawing herself up with quiet confidence, mirroring Liam’s own stance. Neither of them spoke. They simply stood there in complete silence, staring straight into each other’s eyes.

Liam noticed it first.

She wasn’t looking away.

Normally she would have broken eye contact within seconds.

Today...

Nothing.

She simply smiled back at him.

”Hm.”

”Hm,” she replied.

”You know...”

”What?”

”If you don’t want me looking...”

She raised an eyebrow.

”...look me in the eyes and tell me.”

Tatiana’s smile twitched.

”Tell you what?”

”Tell me you don’t want me looking.”

She looked directly into his eyes.

Bright blue met brilliant emerald.

Neither of them blinked.

Tatiana knew exactly what would happen if she lied.

Liam had an irritating habit of reading every tiny expression on her face.

He’d catch it instantly.

Her heartbeat betrayed her.

The tiny movement of her pupils betrayed her.

Even the slightest hesitation betrayed her.

So instead of lying...

She simply stayed quiet.

The silence stretched.

Liam waited.

Tatiana smiled even wider.

She wasn’t answering.

She wasn’t denying it either.

She simply stood there with her arms folded, meeting his gaze head-on with surprising determination.

Liam couldn’t help chuckling.

”Clever.”

Tatiana’s smile became a little more triumphant.

”I learned from the best.”

”Was that a compliment?”

”Maybe.”

”I’ll take it.”

”You shouldn’t.”

”I’m taking it anyway.”

”...You’re unbelievable.”

Another few seconds passed before both of them suddenly started laughing.

The tension vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Liam shook his head with an amused smile.

”Go wash before you change your mind.”

Tatiana pointed a finger at him.

”And no peeking.”

”I’ll be busy trying to scrub monster blood out of my hair.”

She giggled.

”You do look funny.”

”I blame you.”

”You should.”

”I do.”

”Good.”

With one last playful smile, Tatiana turned and walked toward the waterfall, humming softly to herself, while Liam headed toward the quiet pond in the opposite direction, still muttering under his breath about troublesome werewolves and the dangers of accepting hugs from girls with blood-covered hands.

Liam watched Tatiana disappear behind the curtain of falling water before he finally let out a quiet breath. He stood where he was for another few seconds just to make sure she was truly gone, then shook his head with an amused smile.

”Paranoid wolf...”

The words escaped under his breath as he began undoing the straps of his clothes. They had only bought them yesterday. Piece by piece, he set everything neatly on a flat rock near the edge of the pond before carefully stepping into the water.

The moment his foot broke the surface, his eyebrows rose.

”...Warm?”

He had expected mountain water to be freezing, especially with how cool the air around the waterfall felt, but instead it was pleasantly warm, almost like a natural hot spring. The warmth spread through his sore muscles instantly, making him release a long sigh before sinking deeper until the water reached his shoulders.

”So this world’s weird too...”

The pond wasn’t large, but it was crystal clear. Smooth stones covered the bottom, polished over countless years by the flowing current. Tiny silver fish darted between the rocks without showing the slightest fear of him, occasionally brushing past his legs before disappearing into patches of emerald-green plants that swayed gently beneath the surface.

Liam leaned his head back against a smooth rock.

For the first time since arriving in this world...

Everything was quiet.

No monsters.

No portals.

No witches chanting.

No missions from his system.

Just the soothing sound of moving water, distant birds he’d never heard before, and the breeze rustling through unfamiliar trees.

His shoulders slowly relaxed.

”I needed this...”

He scooped up handfuls of water and poured them over himself, washing away the dust from the long journey. Every movement felt easier than it had earlier that day. The reward from his completed mission had restored his body completely, but only now, sitting peacefully in the warm pond, did he truly feel refreshed.

His thoughts wandered back over everything that had happened.

Two days unconscious.

Dragged away by a monster without even knowing it.

Tatiana finding him before it was too late.

His now snow-white hair.

He reached up and absentmindedly ran his fingers through it.

”...Still feels weird.”

He pulled a few strands forward where they caught the sunlight.

Pure white.

Not gray.

Not silver.

White.

He honestly couldn’t decide whether he liked it or hated it.

Kelly would’ve laughed.

Lana would probably tease him for looking like an old man.

Lilith...

He chuckled to himself.

Lilith would probably spend five minutes pretending she hated it before secretly admitting it looked good.

Thinking about everyone back on Earth made the smile on his face soften.

”I wonder what they’re doing...”

He hoped Dickson wasn’t getting himself into trouble.

Actually...

He immediately corrected himself.

”He’s definitely getting himself into trouble.”

The only question was whether Lilith had already caught him.

Liam laughed quietly to himself, the sound echoing gently across the pond.

”You better still be alive when I get back, idiot.”

A cool breeze drifted across the water, carrying with it the scent of wet earth and wildflowers. Somewhere nearby, the waterfall continued its endless roar, though softened by distance until it became almost soothing.

He dipped beneath the surface for a few moments before resurfacing, slicking his wet white hair back with both hands.

”...Much better.”

He stayed there for several more minutes simply enjoying the silence.

His eyes wandered across the unfamiliar forest.

Everything here felt...alive.

The trees were taller than anything back home, their trunks so wide that three grown men probably couldn’t wrap their arms around one. Strange vines climbed toward the canopy, glowing faintly with tiny blue flowers that only opened whenever sunlight touched them.

Even the birds were unusual.

One landed briefly on a nearby branch.

It had emerald feathers, a long golden tail, and four tiny wings instead of two.

The creature tilted its head curiously toward Liam before chirping twice and flying away.

”...I’m definitely not on Earth anymore.”

His gaze drifted upward.

The sky itself somehow looked clearer than Earth’s, a richer shade of blue that made everything beneath it seem more vibrant.

For a few precious minutes...

He simply existed.

No responsibilities.

No fighting.

No danger.

Just peace.

Then...

Crunch.

Liam’s eyes opened.

A twig had snapped.

His relaxed expression disappeared instantly.

Another sound followed.

Soft.

Measured.

Footsteps.

Someone was approaching the pond.

Liam slowly turned his head toward the trees, his senses sharpening in an instant as every muscle in his body tensed.

”...Who’s there?”