Ethan drove back with a deep frown on his face.
"That bastard Lucas… why does no one put him in his place?"
[Because that's your job. Or do you want someone else to steal your revenge?]
Ethan clicked his tongue. "Then tell me how to destroy them."
[Options:
Easy and fast: you ruin them, but you'll have the cops breathing down your neck.
Slow and painful: you'll enjoy it more, but it takes patience.
My favorite: a mix of both. Guaranteed chaos.]
Ethan gave a bitter smile. "Yeah, I can already guess which one you'll be pushing all the time…"
[Good, you're learning fast, third-gen host.]
Ethan rolled his eyes. At that moment, he slowed down a little—he recognized a silhouette on the side of the street.
"…Sara."
She wasn't alone. A guy was following her a few meters behind, way too close to be a coincidence. Ethan turned the wheel and pulled closer, lowering his window. The man glanced at the car, froze for a second, then bolted like a rat in the night.
Sara turned in surprise. "Ethan?"
He stepped out of the car. "Are you okay? That creep looked like he was following you."
"I saw him… but I didn't think it was serious," she admitted, still a little shaken.
Ethan swallowed. "Hey… before anything… about the other day… I was a total idiot. That whole 'emergency' thing…" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It was stupid. I'm sorry."
Sara stared at him in silence for a few seconds before sighing. "Yeah, it was pretty weird. But… it's fine."
[Surprise: you survived an apology. Achievement unlocked: 'Not a total dumbass after all.']
Ethan pressed his lips together, holding back a laugh. "…Thanks for accepting it."
A short silence followed. Then he lifted his chin toward the car. "Want me to drive you home?"
Sara crossed her arms, hesitating. "I don't know, Ethan…"
[Plot twist: critical rejection. Want to spend luck points for a reroll?]
Ethan almost laughed again. "I promise I'll behave this time. Just a ride home, nothing else."
She raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"
"Positive." He opened the passenger door for her.
Sara still hesitated, but finally stepped forward. "Fine, but only because I don't want to walk alone."
[Success! Persuasion +1. Sincerity +0.5. Libido +10.]
Ethan let out a discreet sigh of relief as he got back into the driver's seat.
Sara was already settled in when he started the engine. City traffic rolled past them, but his eyes kept drifting toward her.
"So… that thing about dying if you didn't have sex… what was that exactly?" Sara asked, brows furrowed with curiosity and concern.
Ethan sighed, glancing sideways at her. "It was just… something that happened. Don't think too much about it. It's not like it was real."
She kept her eyes on him, unconvinced. "I can't just ignore that… you sounded like you'd gone crazy."
Ethan frowned and spoke to the system in his mind. "If I tell her the truth, am I gonna die or something?"
The system burst out laughing. "What, do you think this is one of those mangas where people die if they spill the secret? Ha! Well… you're right, you die…!!!"
Ethan's eyes went wide, and he momentarily lost control of the wheel. The car swerved between lanes before he slammed the brakes and steadied it.
Sara let out a sharp yelp, grabbing the seat. "Ethan!"
Ethan breathed hard, trying to calm down while the system kept laughing. "Seriously? You believed that? Ha, I almost saw you piss yourself!"
"That's not funny!" Ethan snapped, gripping the wheel. His heart was still racing, caught between anger and disbelief.
Sara looked at him with a mix of alarm and amusement. "You're such a mess…"
Ethan groaned, half frustrated, half amused. "Yeah, yeah. Hilarious."
[HAHAHA. Nothing like watching my favorite human almost die from manga-level paranoia. Confirmed: panic level +200%.]
"I'll be more careful this time, I promise," Ethan muttered as he drove off again.
Sara frowned. "But… what was that about dying if you didn't… you know… with me?" she pressed.
Ethan shook his head. "Don't think about it. It was a mess I got into, but it's not your problem."
She leaned closer, still not convinced. "No, I want to know. Why did you say that? You sounded serious."
Ethan exhaled, giving up. "I got involved with a group of people who give out challenges… some dangerous, others just weird. If you complete them, you get rewards. But if you fail… you could die."
Her eyes widened, though there was a strange spark of excitement in them. "And… did you complete them?"
"By sheer luck. Someone took pity on me despite how I looked, and I barely pulled through," Ethan said with a crooked smile.
Sara lowered her gaze, whispering, "Sorry… I thought you were exaggerating. But looking at your car, and the way you went from looking like a total bum to wearing luxury clothes… I guess it's all true." She murmured almost to herself, "It must be… thrilling."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Didn't catch that last part."
She blushed and shook her head quickly. "Nothing, nothing."
[The system: Looks like she's into thrills… her panties are already soaked.]
Ethan glanced over and noticed her skirt slightly lifted, a faint wet spot showing. His pants instantly pitched a tent.
Sara noticed, yanked her skirt down fast, and cleared her throat. "So… these other missions… what else happened?"
"I can't say much. It'd be dangerous for you," Ethan replied, watching her bite her lip, clearly hooked.
Then, a new notification appeared in front of his eyes:
[New Mission: Bad Boys Don't Hesitate]
[Accelerate to 170 km/h and hold the speed to make Sara Horny]
[Reward: 5 Lux]
Ethan smirked and pressed down on the accelerator.
At first, Sara screamed, clutching her seat. "You idiot, be careful!"
But soon, her fear melted into exhilaration. She laughed, sticking her head out the window, shouting with pure adrenaline.