Lust System: Conquering the World Beauties

Those four words were enough.

The witch immediately understood.

There would be no negotiation.

No mercy.

She laughed weakly.

”So...”

”This is how I die.”

Liam didn’t answer.

His free hand slowly formed into a fist.

The witch closed her eyes.

Bang.

The punch landed.

For a fraction of a second...

Nothing happened.

Then her head exploded into a crimson mist.

Her body went limp instantly.

The countless illusions filling the cavern disappeared all at once.

The vines stopped moving.

The oppressive pressure vanished.

Silence.

Complete silence.

The headless corpse slipped from Liam’s grasp and struck the cave floor with a dull thud.

At the same moment, a fist-sized emerald crystal rolled out from the shattered remains of her neck before coming to rest near his feet.

Liam stared at it for a moment before bending down and picking it up.

The crystal was unlike any he had collected so far.

It pulsed slowly.

Almost...

Like a heartbeat.

Then the familiar voice echoed inside his mind.

Ding!

[Enemy Eliminated.]

[High Spawn-Tier Witch Beast defeated.]

[Obtained: Witch Core Crystal.]

[Experience Awarded.]

Liam let out a slow breath and looked around the devastated lair.

The cave that had nearly become their grave was finally quiet.

The nightmare was over.

Liam stood in the quiet aftermath of the battle, his breathing finally beginning to settle as the cave fell into an unfamiliar silence. Moments ago the entire chamber had been alive with shrieking illusions, twisting vines and murderous intent. Now there was nothing except broken crystals scattered across the floor, shattered stone pillars and the faint glow of the remaining mana that lingered in the air like mist after a storm. In his hand rested the emerald crystal that had rolled out of the old woman’s body. He turned it over slowly between his fingers, studying the way the light inside it pulsed gently. It looked exactly like every beast crystal he had collected before, yet something about it refused to make sense. His brows gradually furrowed as he stared at it a little longer.

”...I don’t understand.”

His voice was quiet.

”Wasn’t she human?”

He looked back at the headless corpse lying several metres away before lowering his eyes to the crystal again.

”If she was a human...”

”...then why does she have a beast crystal?”

The familiar mechanical voice answered almost immediately.

Ding!

[Information Requested.]

[Dark Cultivators are humans who abandon conventional cultivation and willingly practice forbidden forms of magic fueled by blood, death, curses and corrupted mana.]

[As corruption deepens, their humanity gradually deteriorates.]

[Their bodies begin undergoing irreversible mutations similar to magical beasts.]

[Heart, bones, blood and mana pathways evolve into beast-like biological structures.]

[One of the final stages of corruption is the formation of a Core Crystal.]

[At this stage, Dark Cultivators are no longer recognized as ordinary humans.]

[Classification Updated.]

[Species: Corrupted Beast-Human.]

[Reasoning, morality and emotional stability deteriorate rapidly.]

[Instinct gradually replaces rational thought.]

[Bloodlust, slaughter and consumption become primary behavioral impulses.]

[Recommendation.]

[Treat advanced Dark Cultivators as magical beasts.]

Liam blinked twice after reading the explanation.

”...Seriously?”

He lowered the crystal again, looking thoughtfully toward where the witch’s corpse still lay.

”So humans can actually become beasts...”

He let out a slow whistle.

”That’s...”

”...completely new.”

The information sat heavily in his mind. Until now he had always believed there was a clear distinction between humans and monsters. One was born a beast while the other chose the path they walked. Yet according to the system, there came a point where a person could willingly descend so far into darkness that even their body abandoned its humanity. They didn’t simply become evil. They literally transformed into another species altogether.

He looked at the crystal once more before storing it away.

”I guess there’s always something new to learn in this world.”

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the tunnel behind him.

Liam turned just as the rest of the group entered the lair.

Leonid walked at the front with Gregor unconscious across his back, supporting him effortlessly despite the man’s size. Gregor still hadn’t regained consciousness, though his breathing had become much steadier than before. Behind them came Agatha, Irina and Mary, each one quietly taking in the state of the chamber after the battle.

Tatiana barely spared the surroundings a glance.

The moment she saw Liam standing there, she hurried toward him.

”Liam.”

There was relief in her voice that she hadn’t bothered trying to hide.

She immediately began checking him from head to toe, her hands gently running across his shoulders, arms and back while searching for injuries. His shirt had several tears in it, dried blood covered parts of his sleeves and there were stains all over his hands from the battle.

Her heart sank for a moment.

Then she looked closer.

The wounds...

Were gone.

Only the blood remained.

She knew about Liam’s healing ability, but seeing it in person still amazed her every time.

She released a long breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

”You scared me.”

Before Liam could say anything, she wrapped both arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Liam smiled before returning the embrace.

”I’m alright.”

”I know.”

Tatiana buried her face against his chest for another second anyway.

”I just wanted to make sure.”

A short distance away, Irina quietly watched the scene.

Her expression remained as composed as ever, yet after only a brief glance she turned her face toward another part of the cave, pretending to inspect the walls instead. There was no reason for her to continue staring. They cared about each other. That much had never been in doubt.

Mary slowly walked into the center of the chamber, looking around at the extensive damage left behind by the battle.

Collapsed pillars.

Cracked walls.

Crystal fragments covering almost every inch of the floor.

The cave had become nearly unrecognizable.

She folded her arms thoughtfully before speaking.

”It’s late.”

Everyone looked toward her.

”We’ve all been through enough today.”

Her gaze briefly settled on Gregor’s unconscious figure.

”And we’re exhausted.”

She offered a small smile.

”I think we should stay here for the night.”

Leonid looked around at the devastated chamber before slowly raising an eyebrow.

”...Here?”

His eyes wandered over the enormous cracks spreading across the ceiling.

”I don’t know about the rest of you...”

”...but I don’t think anyone in their right mind would choose to sleep inside a cave that looks like it’s about to collapse.”

He pointed toward one of the fractured crystal pillars.

”That thing looks like it’ll fall over if somebody sneezes.”

Liam couldn’t help laughing.

He looked toward Leonid with an amused grin.

”So...”

”You don’t know, do you?”

Leonid blinked.

”Know what?”

Before he could answer, Irina quietly shook her head.

”No.”

Liam’s smile widened.

”Just watch.”

Mary stepped forward until she reached the center of the ruined chamber.

She slowly closed her eyes.

The air became still.

Unlike battle magic, there were no dramatic waves of mana or violent fluctuations.

Instead, everything became peaceful.

Mary brought both hands together before whispering an ancient spell so softly that even Liam couldn’t distinguish the words.

The mana flowing through the cave responded immediately.

Tiny streams of pale blue light emerged from every crystal surrounding them.

One after another.

Then hundreds.

The glowing strands drifted through the air like floating threads before weaving themselves throughout the damaged chamber.

Leonid watched in complete silence.

The first crack in the wall...

Closed.

Stone slowly slid back into place as though time itself had reversed.

Broken crystal fragments lifted gently from the floor before returning to the pillars they had once belonged to. Jagged edges fused together seamlessly until it became impossible to tell they had ever shattered. Rubble floated upward before settling back into the ceiling exactly where it had broken away.

Everywhere he looked...

The cave repaired itself.

Not rapidly.

Not violently.

Gracefully.

Like watching water flow backward into a river.

Leonid’s eyes widened.

”...You’re kidding me.”

He couldn’t stop staring.

Within minutes the chamber looked completely different.

The destroyed pillars stood proudly once more.

The fractured walls became perfectly smooth.

Even the countless cracks spreading across the ceiling vanished one after another until there wasn’t the slightest sign a battle had ever taken place here.

Liam folded his arms with a grin.

”I know, right?”

He looked at Leonid, whose expression still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

”The witches.”

He gestured proudly toward Mary and Agatha.

”Everything they do is so cool.”

Leonid slowly looked from the restored cave to the two witches.

Then back again.

After several long seconds he simply shook his head.

”...I honestly don’t even know how to respond to that.”

A quiet chuckle escaped the group.

The tension that had followed them through the entire day finally began to melt away.

Only one thing still looked out of place.

The old witch’s headless corpse.

It lay near the back of the chamber, untouched by Mary’s restoration magic.

Agatha’s expression became serious.

She stepped forward.

For the briefest instant...

Her eyes glowed a deep crimson.

She raised one finger.

A tiny crimson flame appeared at its tip before drifting silently toward the corpse.

The fire landed gently upon the old woman’s robes.

There was no explosion.

No roaring inferno.

The flames simply spread in complete silence.

Within moments, the body crumbled into fine grey ash.

A soft breeze flowing through the cave entrance carried the ashes outside, scattering them into the night until nothing remained.

The lair was finally clean.

The battle had ended.

And for the first time since entering the cursed cave, peace truly settled over them.