Fuck! A statement of fact delivered with mixture of surprise and something darker that made his aura intensify further. The confirmation of her arousal was affecting him, feeding back into the passive ability until warmth between them became almost suffocating.
Rem whimpered despite her best efforts to stay silent, a sound of pure need that escaped before she could bite it back. His hand tightened on her shoulder in response while his other arm wrapped more securely around her waist, pulling her fully against his side until no space remained between their bodies.
"I've been thinking about you..." Kaisen confessed in that same low tone, words tumbling out like he couldn't stop them now that he'd started. "Since that sparring match yesterday. When I had you pinned beneath me, both of us breathing hard, your face red just like it is right now..."
Each word made things exponentially worse, painted pictures in her mind of that moment when she'd reversed their positions when she'd been on top with her hands pinning his shoulders. The way he'd looked at her then with newfound respect mixed with something she hadn't wanted to identify at the time.
[Objective 3: Sleep within 5 feet of Kaisen - 50% COMPLETE]
[Continue proximity to finish requirement]
The notification mocked her with progress she was making accidentally, sitting here trying desperately to resist while his confession pushed her closer to edge she couldn't fall over without completely humiliating herself in front of him.
"Kaisen—" she started, not sure if she was protesting or pleading.
"Tell me to stop if you want," he interrupted while his hand slid from her shoulder down her arm in touch that felt electric through her shirt. "Tell me you don't feel this too."
But she couldn't tell him!! it was not because of the quest, or that fucking system, it was because..... her body was responding to his in ways she couldn't hide no matter how much willpower she applied. The storm of need overwhelmed every rational thought she could muster.
His hand reached the edge of her cloak, hesitating there for moment before sliding underneath to find her waist through the shirt. Rem gasped at the contact despite the fabric acting as a barrier, feeling the warmth of his palm seep through the cloth to brand her skin beneath.
"Is this okay?" he asked quietly while his thumb traced small circles against her side, testing her reaction. "Tell me to stop and I will."
She should tell him to stop. Should pull away and retreat to the wagon before this escalated beyond salvaging their working relationship. Should remember that he was supposed to be collecting a harem that didn't include her, that she was just a corrupted observer trying to survive in the story she'd written without considering the consequences.
But [Objective 4] chose that exact moment to unlock in her vision with requirements that made her want to scream:
[Objective 4: Let Kaisen witness your arousal]
[He must see you in state of need]
[You cannot hide your arousal, but cannot fully explain]
[Must allow him to see your need]
"Fuck," she breathed while understanding crashed through her. The quest demanded vulnerability, demanded she let him see exactly how desperate she was without being able to explain the reasons driving her responses. Running away now would fail the objective and reset her progress of the entire quest, she would have to go through this again, she whimpered
"Rem?" His voice held concern mixed with arousal, clearly taking her curse as potential rejection.
"Don't stop," she whispered before courage could fail her. "Please don't stop!!"
The permission unleashed something in him—his hand moved higher under her cloak, sliding up her ribcage with agonizing slowness while his other arm held her firmly against his side. When his palm found her giant mounds, he cupped her breast through the sleep shirt, Rem couldn't suppress the moan that escaped her lips despite Marcus sleeping maybe fifteen feet away. Fuck!!
"Shh," Kaisen murmured against her ear, his breath hot on sensitized skin. "You have to be quiet. Can you do that for me?"
She nodded frantically while his thumb found her nipple through fabric, circling the hardened peak with pressure that made her see stars. The simple touch shouldn't have affected her this intensely, but corruption amplification combined with lingering arousal from earlier encounters made every sensation overwhelming.
His other hand joined the first, both palms kneading her breasts through cloth with increasing confidence as he discovered what made her gasp versus what made her bite her lip to stay silent. He was learning her responses, cataloging what affected her most, using that knowledge to systematically destroy her composure.
"You're so responsive," he whispered while pinching both nipples simultaneously through the shirt. "God, I could do this for hours just watching you react."
Rem's hips bucked involuntarily at the sensation, seeking friction against seam of her sleep pants that provided minimal relief. Her body was building toward orgasm from breast stimulation alone—something that should've been impossible but felt inevitable given how sensitized corruption had made every nerve ending.
"That's it," Kaisen encouraged when he felt her shaking intensify. "Let go. I've got you."
His words combined with perfectly timed pinch pushed her past point of resistance. The orgasm crashed through her with force that made her bite her fist to muffle sounds threatening to wake the entire camp, body convulsing against him while waves of pleasure rolled through every nerve. His hands kept working her breasts through the aftershocks, drawing out sensations until she was gasping for air and trembling like she'd run a marathon.
[Objective 1: 2/3 Complete]
[Objective 3: COMPLETE - Proximity maintained long enough]
[Objective 4: COMPLETE - He witnessed everything]
[Only one more orgasm needed for full quest completion!]
The notifications appeared cheerfully while Rem tried to remember how breathing worked, her body still shaking from intensity of what had just happened. Kaisen's hands had gone still on her breasts, his own breathing ragged while processing that she'd just climaxed from nothing but him touching her through clothes.
"Did you just—" His voice held awe mixed with disbelief. "From me touching your breasts?"
Reality crashed back with mortifying clarity. She'd just come in front of Kaisen from breast play alone, had proven exactly how desperate and corrupted she'd become, had failed to maintain even pretense of normalcy between them.
Suddenly his hands withdrew like he'd been burned, pulling away from her body with jerky movements while he stood up so fast he almost knocked her over. "Fuck, I'm sorry."
Rem looked up at him in confusion, seeing guilt and self-recrimination warring across his features in firelight. "What—"
"I shouldn't have done that," he said while running hand through hair with clear distress. "That was completely inappropriate. You came out here upset about something and I just... took advantage when you were vulnerable."
Understanding dawned—he thought he'd forced her, thought he'd coerced her into something she hadn't wanted, was beating himself up for crossing boundaries while she'd actually been completing quest objectives.
"Kaisen, you didn't—" she tried to reassure him.
"I did though." He paced beside the fire, refusing to look at her directly. "You were clearly dealing with something, probably what happened earlier with Marcus, and instead of being supportive I just... put my hands on you."
Wait, how did he know about Marcus? Had it been that obvious when she'd returned from the forest?
"What kind of person does that?" he continued while guilt colored every word. "You trusted me enough to sit here, to not be afraid of me, and I violated that trust by touching you when you weren't in right headspace to consent properly."
"Stop." Rem stood too, approaching him despite trembling legs that barely supported her weight. "I wanted it. You didn't force anything."
"You say that now but—"
"I wanted it," she insisted more firmly while catching his arm to make him face her. "You asked permission multiple times. I could've said no at any point and you would've stopped immediately. This wasn't you taking advantage, this was... mutual."
Even if she couldn't explain the corruption driving her responses, couldn't tell him about quests and auras and LST thresholds, she could at least give him truth that he hadn't done anything wrong.
"I'm still sorry," he said quietly while finally meeting her eyes. "We'll... talk about this later. When you're not dealing with whatever else happened tonight."
Before she could respond, he turned back toward the fire to resume his watch, clearly ending the conversation by refusing to engage further. The dismissal stung more than it should have, made her feel used despite knowing he was trying to be honorable about the whole situation.
"I should go back to the wagon," Rem said to fill awkward silence stretching between them.
"Yeah. Probably best." His tone remained carefully neutral, giving nothing away about what he was feeling beyond the guilt still evident in his posture.
She fled without another word, practically running back to the covered wagon where Elise hopefully still slept peacefully unaware of everything that had just transpired. The canvas parted under her hands while she climbed inside, finding the noblewoman exactly where she'd left her—curled in her bedroll facing away, breathing even in apparent sleep.
Rem collapsed into her own bedroll with mind racing too fast for any chance of actual rest. Two orgasms in one night—Marcus's dominance in the forest and now Kaisen's flustered exploration by the fire. Both men had touched her, had made her come, had seen her vulnerable in ways she'd never intended.
And tomorrow she'd have to face both of them while pretending everything was normal.
"Fuck my life," she whispered into darkness while her body finally started coming down from the high. One more orgasm needed for objective completion, then she'd get the rewards and hopefully some temporary reprieve from Aria's torment.
Just had to survive until then.
Dawn arrived far too quickly for someone who'd barely slept, grey light filtering through canvas to illuminate Elise's already-dressed form sitting in her bedroll while watching Rem with undisguised amusement.
"Sleep well after your midnight walk?" the noblewoman asked with knowing smile that suggested she'd been awake for Rem's return, had probably heard everything despite pretending unconsciousness.
"Go to hell," Rem muttered while dragging herself upright, body aching in ways that had nothing to do with the hard wagon floor.
Elise's quiet laugh followed her out of the bedroll while she changed into traveling clothes, hyperaware of eyes tracking her movements in ways that felt different after last night's unexpected kiss. Every gesture felt loaded with subtext now, every glance carrying weight that hadn't existed before.
"For what it's worth," Elise said while Rem was pulling on boots, "I think you handled both situations admirably. Not many people could navigate that much attention without losing themselves entirely."
Rem froze mid-lace. "You know."
"I know Marcus followed you. I know you were gone considerably longer than perimeter check required. I know Kaisen was flustered and guilty when he woke me for watch change." Elise stood with fluid grace. "I also know you're dealing with something beyond normal attraction, but I respect your privacy enough not to pry."
The acknowledgment should've been mortifying but instead felt oddly... relieving. Having someone else aware of the situation without demanding explanations lifted weight Rem hadn't realized she was carrying.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Don't mention it." Elise moved toward the wagon's exit. "Now come face the music. Breakfast should be interesting."
That was understatement of the century.
Outside, Marcus was already cooking over rebuilt fire while Kaisen sat apart from everyone, staring into flames with expression that suggested he'd slept about as well as Rem had. Both men looked up when the women emerged from the wagon—Marcus with his usual knowing smirk, Kaisen with guilt-ridden avoidance that made Rem's stomach clench.
"Morning," Marcus greeted cheerfully like nothing unusual had happened, like he hadn't fingered her against a tree less than twelve hours ago. "Sleep well?"
"Fine," Rem lied while refusing to meet his eyes, moving to sit as far from both men as the small campsite allowed.
Breakfast passed in excruciating silence broken only by Elise's occasional attempts at normal conversation that fell flat against the tension. Kaisen wouldn't look at anyone, Marcus kept shooting amused glances between Rem and the other man like he'd figured out exactly what had occurred, and Rem wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ash-covered forest.
[Objective 2: Make someone aroused through proximity alone]
[Status: COMPLETE]
[Kaisen's continued discomfort confirms lasting effect]
The notification appeared while she was choking down food she didn't want, confirming what she'd suspected—his flustered state and inability to look at her proved her Seduction Basics had worked exactly as intended. He was still affected by last night, still aroused by memory of touching her, probably replaying the whole encounter in his mind the same way she couldn't stop remembering.
Breaking camp happened with mechanical efficiency, everyone eager to get moving and escape the awkwardness. Rem climbed onto the wagon top gratefully, needing distance from both men while processing everything that had happened over the past day.
Hours of travel blurred together while the wagon rolled through endless white ash forest, Marcus steering below while Kaisen scouted ahead with distance that suggested he was avoiding her deliberately. Fine. She needed space too, needed time to figure out what the hell she was supposed to do about the situation she'd accidentally created.
The rocking of the wagon provided steady rhythm that should've been soothing but instead made her mind wander to places it shouldn't go. Memories of Marcus's fingers pressing through soaked fabric, finding exactly where she needed pressure most. Kaisen's hands cupping her breasts while his voice encouraged her to let go. Even Elise's unexpected kiss added itself to the mental replay, soft lips against hers in gesture that had lasted barely seconds but felt burned into her consciousness.
Three people had touched her intimately within span of hours. Three different encounters that proved her corruption was advancing faster than she'd anticipated, changing her responses in ways she couldn't control.
Her body started responding to the memories despite logic insisting she shouldn't be ready again after two orgasms in one night. But LST 15 didn't care about logic, only about amplifying every sensation until arousal became constant companion rather than occasional visitor.
The seam of her travel pants pressed against her through rocking motion, providing friction that should've been ignorable but felt maddeningly good with corruption enhancement. Her breathing grew shallow while thighs clenched around the pressure, seeking more despite knowing this was terrible idea.
[Objective 1: 2/3 Complete]
[Final orgasm needed for quest completion]
[Current stimulation: Insufficient but building]
Alone on wagon top where no one could see, Rem let herself rock with the motion instead of fighting it. Just memories and movement, no touching required, letting external stimulation do work while she thought about everything that had happened.
Marcus's dominance—"Come for me like a good girl."
Kaisen's wonder—"God, I could do this for hours."
Elise's teasing—"You're beautiful when you're desperate."
The memories combined with wagon's steady rocking pushed her closer to edge she desperately needed to fall over for quest completion. Her hips moved with rhythm now, grinding subtly against seam that provided just enough pressure to tip her toward release.
This was it—third orgasm from nothing but thoughts and movement, proving exactly how corrupted she'd become when fantasy alone could make her come.
The orgasm rolled through her more gently than previous two, building slowly before cresting in waves that made her bite her fist to stay silent. No one below noticed her shaking, no one saw her gasping into her hand while pleasure spread through every nerve ending.
[QUEST COMPLETE: ARIA'S ATTENTION]
[All Objectives Finished!]
[Performance Rating: EXCELLENT]
[Calculating Rewards...]
The notification blazed triumphantly while Rem tried to recover her breath, body still trembling from aftershocks of third climax in less than twenty-four hours. Done. Finally fucking done with Aria's degrading quest requirements.
[Rewards Granted:]
[+500 LP (New Total: 1325 LP)]
[Special Item Acquired: Aria's Kiss]
[LST Locked at 15 for ONE WEEK]
[BONUS: Skill Tree Unlocked - Path of Desire]
New windows exploded across her vision with information that made her forget the lingering pleasure:
[Aria's Kiss - Enchanted Lipstick]
[Effect: +5 CHA for 2 hours when applied]
[Side Effect: Makes wearer's lips irresistible to kiss]
[Charges: 10 uses remaining]
[Warning: Extremely addictive to frequent users]
[PATH OF DESIRE - Choose Specialization:]
[Option 1: Sensual Domination - Control others through seduction]
[Option 2: Willing Submission - Gain power through surrender]
[Option 3: Balanced Corruption - Equal mix of both paths]
[Note: Choice is permanent and affects future skill availability]
Rem stared at the options while wagon continued rolling, trying to process implications. Domination path would give her control but lean deeper into corruption. Submission would make her powerful through giving up agency. Balanced seemed safest but might leave her weaker than specializing.
"Balanced," she decided after several minutes of internal debate. "Need versatility more than raw power. Can't afford to become one-dimensional."
[Path Chosen: Balanced Corruption]
[New Skills Unlocked for Purchase:]
[TIER 1 SKILLS:]
[Charm (Active) - 200 LP: Make target more receptive for 10 minutes]
[Allure (Passive) - 300 LP: Constant weak attraction aura]
[Desire Sense (Active) - 250 LP: Feel others' arousal levels]
[Sensual Grace (Passive) - 150 LP: Movement becomes unconsciously hypnotic]
[TIER 2 SKILLS - LOCKED]
[Requires: LST 20+ OR Complete 5 Seduction Quests]
With 1325 LP available, she could afford multiple skills. The question was which ones would prove most useful for surviving the next three weeks of journey while keeping companions alive.
Before she could decide, the wagon rolled into clearing where Marcus called halt for evening camp. Second night in White Ash Forest, still days away from exiting into plains beyond.
Rem climbed down from wagon top while everyone began familiar routine of making camp, trying to avoid eye contact with both men who'd touched her last night. But avoidance only worked for so long in close quarters.
Marcus approached while she was checking supplies, voice pitched low enough that others wouldn't hear. "We need to talk. About last night."
Before she could respond, Kaisen appeared from opposite direction with determination on his face. "Rem, can I talk to you? About... everything."
Both men standing there expecting answers she couldn't give, watching her with expressions that demanded acknowledgment of what had passed between them.
And then, because Aria's timing was always perfect for maximum torment, final notification blazed across her vision:
[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE]
[ARIA'S FAVORITE - Special Quest Chain]
[Part 1 of ???]
[WARNING: This quest will fundamentally change your journey]
[Refusal is not permitted]
[Accept to view requirements]
[Y/N]
Rem stared at the prompt while both men waited for her attention, while Elise watched from beside the wagon with that knowing smile, while the forest grew dark around them and something rustled in trees that might've been wind or might've been monsters.
One week of LST locked at 15. One week before corruption could climb higher. One week to figure out how to handle the mess she'd created with her party members.
And Aria wanted to play more games.
"Fuck," Rem whispered while her hand hovered over the [Y] option she knew she'd have to select. "Fuck my entire life."