The market was halfway alive when I arrived. Merchants shouted their prices, the air filled with the smell of baked goods, smoked meat, and leather. The chatter of bargaining mixed with the clink of coins.
I wasn't here to buy much — just to see. The system had made it clear that a hundred percent loyalty with the Landlady would grant me more than her devotion. It would make me stronger. That wasn't something I planned to take lightly.
I needed to know what I was starting with before I started stacking upgrades.
[User stamina at 87%. Recovery rate normal.]
The system's voice slipped in as I moved through the crowd.
Checking in on me? I thought.
[Monitoring baseline performance. Approaching full loyalty with current primary target will trigger enhancement unlock.]
Enhanced Body I, I thought. What exactly does that mean?
[A permanent augmentation to your physical attributes: strength, speed, endurance, and recovery rate increased by approximately 20% over current baseline.]
That stopped me mid-step. Twenty percent across the board?
[Correct. Future enhancements will stack with earlier ones.]
I took the long way back to the inn. By the time I returned, the afternoon sun had dipped far enough to cast the common room in a warm amber light.
She was behind the counter again, this time talking with one of the locals. When she saw me, she excused herself without hesitation and moved toward me.
"You're back earlier than I expected," she said, smiling.
"Market wasn't much to look at," I said. "Figured I'd rather be here."
Her eyes softened at that — a small but noticeable shift.
[Bond progress: 90%.]
The voice was quiet in my head, but the number was enough to make my pulse pick up.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in the common room, talking with her between tending to customers. It wasn't just polite conversation anymore. There were touches — a hand on my shoulder when she passed, a brief brush of her fingers when setting a drink down. None of it felt forced.
By the time the last customer left, the sun had dipped below the horizon.
She locked the door and turned to face me. "You staying in tonight?"
"That depends," I said.
"On what?"
"On whether I've got company."
Her lips curved faintly, but she didn't answer. She just walked toward the back room.
I followed.
The back room welcomed us with its familiar warmth, the single oil lamp flickering on the table, casting elongated shadows that danced across the walls and shelves stocked with neatly folded linens and jars of preserves. The air was thicker here, carrying the faint remnants of the day's cooking—herbs and bread—mingled with the subtle, personal scent of her that I'd come to crave. She moved ahead of me, her hips swaying with a confidence that hadn't been there in our first encounters, stopping by the table and turning to face me, her eyes gleaming in the low light with a mix of anticipation and something deeper, more possessive.
"You've been teasing me all afternoon," she said softly, her voice a husky murmur that sent a thrill down my spine. There was no accusation in it—just raw honesty, her cheeks already flushing slightly as she leaned back against the table's edge for support.
"Teasing?" I replied, stepping closer, closing the distance until I could feel the heat radiating from her body. "I thought I was just... appreciating." My hand reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, my fingers lingering on her cheek. Desire Touch activated instinctively, sending that warm, electric pulse through the contact, making her eyelids flutter and her breath hitch almost immediately.
She didn't pull away; instead, she tilted her head into my touch, her hand coming up to cover mine, pressing it firmer against her skin. "You make it hard to think straight," she confessed, her free hand trailing down my arm, fingers tracing the muscles there with a deliberate slowness that mirrored my own explorations.
"That's the idea," I murmured, leaning in to capture her lips in a kiss that started slow, exploratory—our mouths brushing gently at first, tasting the faint sweetness of the tea she'd sipped earlier. But it deepened quickly, tongues intertwining in a familiar rhythm, her body arching toward mine as if drawn by an invisible force. My hands moved to her waist, pulling her flush against me, feeling the soft curves of her breasts press into my chest through the thin fabric of her blouse. She moaned softly into the kiss, her nails lightly scraping my back through my shirt, the sound vibrating between us and fueling the growing heat.
We broke apart only for air, her breathing ragged, eyes dark with desire as she tugged at the hem of my shirt. "Off," she whispered, her voice commanding yet pleading, and I obliged, pulling it over my head in one fluid motion. Her gaze roamed hungrily over my exposed torso, hands following suit—palms flat against my chest, fingers splaying out to feel the steady thrum of my heartbeat, then trailing lower to the waistband of my trousers. "You're... perfect," she breathed, a note of awe in her tone that made my own arousal spike.
"Not yet," I said, my voice low and laced with Desire Tongue to amplify the pull, making her shiver. I reciprocated, my fingers working the ties of her blouse with practiced ease, peeling the fabric away to reveal the smooth expanse of her skin, her full breasts heaving with each breath, nipples already hardened into peaks begging for attention. I leaned down, taking one into my mouth, tongue swirling around it in lazy circles while my hand cupped the other, kneading gently, pinching just enough to draw a gasp from her. She arched into the sensation, her hands tangling in my hair, pulling me closer as waves of amplified pleasure from Desire Touch coursed through her, making her thighs press together instinctively.
The table creaked faintly as she shifted, her skirt riding up as she wrapped one leg around my waist, pulling me nearer. I could feel the damp heat between her legs through the remaining layers, and it drove me to explore further. My free hand slid down her side, over the curve of her hip, hiking her skirt higher until my fingers brushed the edge of her undergarments. She whimpered as I teased the fabric aside, fingers dipping into her slick folds, circling her clit with feather-light strokes that had her bucking against my hand. "Please," she gasped, her voice breaking, "more..."
I obliged, slipping one finger inside her, then a second, curling them to hit that sensitive spot deep within as my thumb continued its relentless pressure on her nub. Her walls clenched around me, hot and wet, her moans growing louder, unrestrained in the privacy of the room. The sounds she made—throaty pleas and breathless sighs—filled the space, mingling with the wet rhythm of my movements. Her body trembled, building toward release, and I watched her face intently: eyes squeezed shut, lips parted in ecstasy, a flush spreading from her cheeks down her neck and chest. Sweat beaded on her skin, glistening in the lamplight, and the scent of her arousal thickened the air, intoxicating and primal.
She came with a shuddering cry, her body convulsing around my fingers, nails digging into my shoulders as waves of pleasure crashed over her. I held her through it, kissing her neck, murmuring encouragements that Desire Tongue wove into her subconscious, deepening the bond with every word. But I wasn't done—far from it. As she came down, panting and pliant, I withdrew my hand, tasting her essence on my fingers before shedding the rest of my clothes. Her eyes widened at the sight of my erection, hard and ready, a bead of pre-cum glistening at the tip.
"Turn around," I said softly, guiding her with gentle hands. She complied, bending over the table, her skirt bunched around her waist, presenting herself to me with a vulnerability that was utterly trusting. I positioned myself behind her, rubbing the head of my cock against her entrance, teasing until she pushed back impatiently. Slowly, I thrust in, inch by inch, groaning at the tight, welcoming heat that enveloped me. She gasped, gripping the table's edge, her knuckles whitening as I filled her completely.
The rhythm started slow—deep, deliberate thrusts that allowed us to savor every sensation, the slap of skin on skin echoing softly. But it built, my hands gripping her hips for leverage, pulling her back onto me with increasing intensity. Desire Touch amplified the pleasure for both of us, making each movement electric, her walls fluttering around me in response. I leaned over her, one hand sliding around to tease her clit again, the other cupping her breast, rolling her nipple between my fingers. She met my thrusts eagerly, her moans turning into cries of "Yes... harder... don't stop," her body slick with sweat, hair sticking to her neck in damp strands.
We shifted positions seamlessly—her turning to face me, legs wrapping around my waist as I lifted her onto the table's edge, thrusting deeper now, our eyes locked in a gaze that bared everything. Her vulnerability was profound: whispers of affection spilling from her lips, "I need you... all of you," her hands roaming my back, pulling me closer as if afraid I'd vanish. The bond pulsed between us, growing stronger with every shared breath, every peak of pleasure. She climaxed again, clenching around me so tightly it nearly undid me, her cry muffled against my shoulder.
Finally, I flipped her once more, this time onto her back on the blanket we'd dragged to the floor earlier, hovering over her as I drove in with renewed vigor. The angle allowed me to hit that spot repeatedly, her legs trembling, heels digging into my back. "Come with me," I whispered, Desire Tongue making the command irresistible. She did, shattering around me with a final, keening moan, her body arching like a bowstring. The sensation pulled me over the edge—I thrust deep one last time, spilling inside her with a groan, waves of release crashing through me, leaving us both spent and intertwined.
We lay there afterward, her head on my chest, fingers tracing lazy patterns on my skin as our breathing synchronized. The exhaustion was profound but satisfying, the bond humming with completion.
Later, we sat in the back room, the oil lamp burning low. She was leaning against me, her head resting lightly on my shoulder, her breathing slow.
"You're different," she murmured.
"How so?"
"Most people… they take. You give something back."
I didn't answer right away. I could feel the weight of her words — and the truth in them.
[Bond progress: 100%.]
The voice hit the moment she spoke, clear and final.
[Full loyalty established. Target is now incapable of betrayal. Emotional and physical devotion constant.]
And then:
[Enhanced Body I unlocked.]
It hit me all at once — a rush of energy, heat blooming in my chest and flooding my limbs. My senses sharpened, my muscles tightened, and every breath came easier, fuller.
It wasn't painful, but it was intense — like my body had been tuned up, every part of it operating just a little better than it had a moment ago.
[Attributes increased: — Strength +20% — Speed +20% — Endurance +20% — Recovery rate +20%]
[Permanent enhancement applied.]
I flexed my hand slowly, feeling the subtle difference in how the muscles responded. Everything was faster, cleaner, more precise.
She stirred beside me. "You alright?"
"Better than alright," I said.
"You've got that look," she said, smiling faintly.
"What look?"
"Like you just figured something out."
I chuckled softly. "Maybe I did."
I stayed with her a little longer, letting the quiet settle between us, before finally heading upstairs.
The system's voice came again as I closed my door behind me.
[Note: Primary target's bond now serves as a passive stamina buffer. All system ability costs reduced by 5% while bonded target is within close proximity.]
That was another bonus I hadn't expected.
This was only the first step. If one woman's loyalty could give me this much of a boost…
I was already thinking about who'd be next.