"Did I look like Linda when I offered to help Samita?"
Damn it. She couldn't have refused my offer for that reason… right?
Tch, why is Samita stuck in my mind?
"System, what will happen if I refrain from sleeping with Linda today?"
I asked while waiting for the system's response, completely ignoring the movements Linda was making to seduce me.
[There are no penalties for daily missions. Refusing a mission grants Self-Resistance, a permanent effect that helps you control the lust caused by prolonged system usage. However, you will lose the chance to obtain additional rewards.]
I grabbed Linda's hand before she could undo the button of my pants.
"Listen to me, little girl. You're beneath me—I wouldn't even look at you, let alone sleep with you. What bothers me is the way you throw yourself at me. I don't like free things. And besides, you won't benefit me in any way."
She jumped up to slap me, but I caught her hand and twisted it until I forced her to kneel in front of me.
"Careful, little girl. Go find yourself another game."
I let go of her hand, grabbed my leather jacket, and turned away. I could hear her screaming and cursing behind me, but I didn't bother listening.
[Your Resistance has increased to 4]
[To avoid losing control of your lust, your Life Points must not fall below 100]
I read the system notifications and left the apartment, heading down the stairs. I needed air—distance from everything.
That was when I saw her. Mary. She was surrounded by a crowd of reporters at the entrance of the building. I paused, watching from a distance.
"Is it true you're going to separate from your husband?"
"What will you do about the accusations against you?"
"Will you reveal the identity of the man you cheated on your husband with?"
"Mrs. Mary... Mrs. Mary!"
That was the last thing I heard before something slammed into the back of my head.
Everything went black. A warm, sticky sensation dragged me back to consciousness.
Blood. I felt it running down my head.
When I opened my eyes, my arms were bound. My legs too.
A gun was pressed against my neck.
A masked girl removed her black mask, her long black hair falling over her shoulders.
"Vikas Alexander. I am Mr. Derek, head of the Derek Group—more precisely, the husband of Mrs. Mary Derek, whom you dared to betray with trash like yourself."
The girl held a tablet in front of my face.
A video call.
'Damn it… what kind of mess had I fallen into?'
I had no idea how long I'd been unconscious, but this situation was clearly not in my favor. The girl removed the blindfold from my eyes.
"Blackie," Derek said coldly, "if he has a final wish, grant it before you eliminate him."
The call ended.
The girl stared at me silently for a long moment.
"What time is it?" I asked, my gaze drifting to her lips.
She was attractive—hard to believe she was the one who knocked me out.
"Ten p.m. You were unconscious for eight hours. How do you want to die?"
She moved the gun away and stepped beside a lamp.
"I want to sleep with a stunning woman before I die."
Pain exploded in my neck as blood trickled down again.
That damn woman—she didn't realize I was used to threats… just not execution.
"It was your master's order to fulfill my last wish," I said hoarsely. "It's not like I asked you to sleep with me."
She punched me so hard I fell off the chair. A sharp ringing filled my ears.
"Shut up, trash!"
She hesitated, her finger trembling on the trigger.
I laughed hysterically.
So this is how I die…?
"Listen carefully. If I don't sleep with someone before midnight, I'll be forced to masturbate until my Life Points drop to zero. I'm not saying this because I want to—this is the system's will."
She froze.
Her punches stopped when she noticed the bruises on my body disappearing the moment they appeared.
[10 Life Points have been consumed to repair physical damage]
[10 Life Points have been consumed to compensate for blood loss]
[Warning: Life Points must be increased before the end of the day…]
"Shut up!" I shouted, cutting off the system voice echoing in my head.
The girl stepped back, pulling out a communicator.
"What are you…? Who are you?"
She was shaking now.
"No power will save me. I'll be dead within minutes," I said, staring into her eyes. "Do you think I enjoy living like a puppet controlled by this cursed system? I hate it. I don't want to live like this—but I don't want to die yet. Not before I get my revenge."
She hesitated, then stepped closer and untied my hands. Relief washed over me.
"We're on a deserted island in the middle of the Atlantic," she said nervously. "The helicopter won't arrive until one a.m. Even if I call now, it'll take two hours."
"I'll be dead by midnight," I said quietly. "You look like someone with dignity and a kind heart. Why do you do this kind of work?"
She swallowed.
"My father was a bodyguard for the Derek family. I'm his only daughter. To protect my mother and keep his position secure, I continued working. I'm usually only assigned to dispose of bodies… This is the first time I've been ordered to kill someone."
I almost laughed. A girl with a dagger in one hand and a gun in the other—alone with me on a deserted island.
What insane luck.
"I'm sorry to drag you into this," I said calmly. "You can turn away. I don't want a girl looking at me with pity while I die… ah—not like that."
I saw hesitation flicker in her eyes.
"I can grant your wish," she said softly. "And I want to hear your story."
She stepped closer. Her lips touched mine slowly. Her hands were trembling.
"Is this your first time?"
Her cheeks flushed as she nodded.
Damn it, Vikas… you really can't take her first time like this.
"I never had a lover because of my work," she whispered. "My mother is in a coma after my father died on a mission. I've been busy ever since…"