The door swung open.
Liora's husband stepped inside—tall, broad-shouldered, wearing dented Imperial Guard armor. His face was weathered, exhausted. A longsword hung at his hip, the leather grip worn from use.
His eyes landed on me.
"You're awake." His voice was gruff but not hostile. "Feeling better?"
I forced a smile, angling my body to hide the counter. My fingers still glistened with his wife's juices.
"Much better. Thank you for saving me."
He waved it off, unbuckling his helmet and setting it on the table with a heavy thunk. "Couldn't leave you out there. Monsters are getting bold." He glanced around. "Where's Liora?"
Beneath the counter, she flinched.
I could see her—still on her knees, dress hiked up, thighs wet and trembling, eyes wide with panic.
"She went to the market," I said smoothly. "Mentioned she forgot something for dinner."
He frowned. "Without telling me?"
Shit.
"She said she'd be quick."
He grunted, then paused. Sniffed the air.
My pulse spiked.
"Smells like..." He tilted his head. "Did she spill something?"
Yeah. All over my hand.
"Knocked over a jar earlier," I said. "Some kind of oil. She said she'd clean it when she got back."
He nodded, walking to the counter—right where his wife crouched half-naked.
"Actually," I said quickly, "the monsters you mentioned. What kind?"
He stopped, turning. "Nothing to worry yourself about."
"Thanks I guess."
"You are welcome." His eyes narrowed. "You don't look like a farmer. But not nobility either." He paused. "What were you doing in the forest alone?"
"I wish I knew."
He didn't look convinced. "Well, you're welcome to stay until you figure it out. Liora's got a soft heart—she'd never forgive me if I threw you out." He smiled. "Between you and me, I think she's just happy to have someone to talk to while I'm gone."
The irony was staggering.
"She seems like a good woman."
"The best." His expression softened. "I know I'm not around much. But she understands." He pulled a small cloth package from his pouch and set it on the counter. "Got her this. New embroidery thread. She's been wanting to fix the curtains."
He had no idea his patient, understanding wife had just cum on a stranger's fingers. That she was right there, hiding beneath him, still dripping.
Part of me felt like shit.
The rest felt powerful.
"I'll make sure she gets it," I said.
"Thanks." He grabbed his helmet. "I need to get back. Shift change in twenty minutes."
He studied me another second, then nodded. "Get some rest."
The door closed.
I exhaled.
~§~
Silence.
I looked down. Liora was still beneath the counter, trembling, eyes glazed. Waiting.
She's waiting for permission to move.
I deactivated Corrupt Vibes. The hum in my skull faded.
But she didn't stand.
"Liora."
Her head snapped up, eyes locking onto mine.
"Y-Yes... master?"
Master.
Not "sir." Master.
The corruption had rewritten something fundamental.
[CORRUPTION COMPLETE: LIORA]
[LOYALTY: 100%]
[STATUS: PERMANENTLY BONDED]
[NOTE: Deprogramming requires high-level holy magic or death.]
Permanently bonded.
No going back. She was mine.
I looked down. My cock was rock-hard, straining against my pants. I'd been on edge the whole time—fingering her, lying to her husband—and I was done pretending.
"Get on your knees."
She crawled forward instantly.
"What do you want me to do, master?"
I unbuckled my belt.
"Suck it."
~§~
She didn't hesitate.
Her hands trembled as she pulled my cock free. It sprang out, already leaking, and her eyes widened.
"It's... so big..."
Bigger than your husband's?
I didn't ask. Her face said everything.
She leaned forward, tongue darting out to lick the tip. I groaned. Her tongue was soft, warm, teasing the head.
"Good girl. Now take it deeper."
She opened wider, wrapping her lips around me. The heat was incredible. Her tongue swirled as she slowly took more.
Fuck.
I threaded my fingers through her silver hair, guiding her. She moaned, the vibration jolting up my spine.
"That's it. Just like that."
She bobbed her head, taking me deeper each time. Her lips stretched around my girth, drool leaking from the corners of her mouth. The wet sounds filled the kitchen—slurp, slurp, gag.
She gagged when I hit the back of her throat but pushed forward anyway, forcing herself to take more.
"Holy shit, Liora..."
Her eyes watered. Spit ran down her chin, dripping onto her tits. But she kept going, sucking harder, faster, desperate for it.
I looked down at her—this beautiful housewife choking on my cock—and my mind drifted.
How many times did I get rejected back on Earth?
Sarah Mitchell sophomore year. Laughed in my face when I asked her to prom.
Jessica Tran junior year. Said yes, then ghosted me.
Olivia fucking Rodriguez senior year. Led me on for months, then hooked up with Derek Morrison while I watched.
Every one of them looked at me like I was nothing.
But here?
Here I am a dark Lord.
I thrust forward, fucking her mouth. She gagged, eyes wide, but took it. Took every inch.
"You love this, don't you? Love being used like a fucktoy."
She moaned, nodding frantically.
The wet sounds got louder—gluck gluck gluck—as I picked up pace. Spit everywhere, dripping down her neck, soaking her dress, coating my balls.
"Look at you. Your husband thinks you're sweet and innocent. But you're not, are you?"
She shook her head, tears streaming.
"Say it. Tell me what you are."
I pulled out just enough for her to speak.
"I'm... I'm your slut, master," she sobbed. "I'm a dirty slut who needs your cock."
Fuck yes.
I buried myself to the hilt, grinding against her throat. She choked, convulsing, but didn't pull away.
"I'm close. You want it? Want me to cum down your throat?"
She nodded desperately.
"Then take it. Take every fucking drop."
I thrust deep and came.
Thick ropes flooded her mouth. She choked, eyes shocked at the sheer volume, but swallowed. Her throat worked frantically, gulping it down.
I kept cumming—more than should be possible—but she took it all. When I pulled out, she gasped, cum and spit dripping from her lips.
"Show me."
She opened wide, tongue out. Empty. She'd swallowed everything.
"Good girl."
[+25 DARK ENERGY]
[CURRENT TOTAL: 75/100]
[LIORA'S DEVOTION INCREASED]
[NEW TRAIT UNLOCKED: ORAL EXPERT]
She collapsed forward, resting her head against my thigh.
"Thank you, master," she whispered. "Thank you for using me."
I looked down at her—debauched, covered in spit and cum, worshiping me—and felt that dark satisfaction deepen.
Yeah. I could get very used to this.
I pulled up my pants and looked down at Liora. She was still on her knees, head resting against my thigh, eyes closed like she was savoring the moment.
"Clean yourself up," I said. "Your husband could come back."
She looked up at me, those honey-colored eyes glazed with devotion. "Yes, master."
Master. The word still sent a thrill through me.
I left her there and climbed the stairs to the bedroom. Each step felt heavier than the last, not from exhaustion but from the weight of what I'd just done.
I should've felt guilty. Should've been horrified.
But I wasn't.
The old me—the Ralph who got rejected by Sarah Mitchell, who got ghosted by Jessica Tran, who watched Olivia Rodriguez hook up with Derek Morrison—that version of me would've been disgusted.
But that Ralph was dead.
This Ralph? This Ralph had power. And he was going to use it.
I sat on the bed and opened the system menu.
~§~
[DARK LORD SYSTEM]
[NAME: Ralph]
[TITLE: Dark Lord Candidate]
[POWER LEVEL: 2]
[DARK ENERGY: 75/100]
[ABILITIES:]
- Corrupt Vibes (Lv. 1) - Passive
- Dominate Mind (Lv. 1) - Active [COST: 50 Dark Energy]
[CORRUPTED FOLLOWERS: 1]
- Liora (Loyalty: 100%, Corruption: 100%)
- Traits: Submissive, Oral Expert
[ACTIVE QUESTS:]
- Survive the Heroes of Light [TIME REMAINING: 1 hour, 52 minutes]
- Dominate the Imperial Guard [OPTIONAL]
Less than two hours.
That's all I had before the "Heroes of Light" showed up to kill me.
And I had seventy-five dark energy. Enough to use Dominate Mind once with twenty-five left over. Not exactly a comfortable margin.
"System," I said aloud. "How do I survive when they get here?"
[MULTIPLE OPTIONS AVAILABLE]
[OPTION 1: INCREASE POWER LEVEL THROUGH ADDITIONAL CORRUPTION]
[OPTION 2: CONCEAL PRESENCE FROM DETECTION]
[OPTION 3: FLEE TO UNCLAIMED TERRITORY]
Flee? To where? I didn't even know where I was.
Corrupt more people? The only person nearby was Liora's husband, and that felt like pushing my luck.
That left option two.
"Conceal presence. How?"
[SKILL REQUIRED: DARK VEIL]
[EFFECT: Conceals Dark Lord presence from holy detection. Reduces visibility in shadows. Minor intimidation aura.]
[COST: 25 Dark Energy per hour]
[CURRENT STATUS: LOCKED]
"How do I unlock it?"
[FOCUS YOUR INTENT. EMBRACE THE SHADOWS.]
Cryptic as always.
But I was starting to understand how this worked. Every ability so far had been instinctive. Corrupt Vibes activated when I wanted to speak without filters. Dominate Mind was just wanting someone to obey.
Maybe Dark Veil was the same. Maybe I just needed to want to be hidden.
I closed my eyes and focused.
I need to disappear. I need to become invisible. Hidden from anyone looking for me.
At first, nothing happened.
Then I felt it—a subtle shift. Like a weight settling over my shoulders, a shroud wrapping around my consciousness. The temperature in the room dropped slightly. The shadows in the corners deepened, stretched.
[NEW SKILL DISCOVERED: DARK VEIL (LV. 1)]
[EFFECT: Conceals Dark Lord presence from holy detection. Reduces visibility in shadows. Cost: 25 Dark Energy per hour.]
[DARK ENERGY: 75/100]
I opened my eyes. The room looked the same, but I could feel the difference. Like I was wrapped in something invisible, something that made me harder to sense.
Seventy-five energy. Dark Veil cost twenty-five per hour. I could maintain it for three hours if I didn't use anything else.
The Heroes would arrive in less than two.
I should be fine.
Probably.
I was about to activate the skill when I heard it.
~§~
A sound. Outside.
Not footsteps. Something else.
Scrrrape... scrrrape... scrrrape...
Metal on stone. Slow. Rhythmic. Getting closer.
I went to the window and looked out.
The street was bathed in late afternoon light, long shadows stretching across the dirt road. A few villagers walked past—a woman carrying a basket, an old man leading a mule.
Nothing unusual.
Then I saw movement at the edge of my vision.
A figure in a black cloak walking down the road.
Moving slowly. Deliberately.
The scraping sound was coming from them—something metal dragging behind them, carving a thin line in the dirt.
I couldn't see their face. The hood obscured it completely.
But I could see their eyes. Glowing red. Like embers burning in the dark.
My breath caught.
The figure walked closer.
Closer.
The villagers didn't seem to notice them. The woman with the basket walked right past without a glance. The old man kept leading his mule.
Like the figure wasn't even there.
What the fuck...
The figure came to a halt, positioned right in front of the house. It turned its head and locked eyes with me.