Yukon lay in his room, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts racing toward tomorrow. Only twenty-four hours remained before the Hunter trials began.
He grinned to himself. "I'll show them the real power of pussy."
The last day had been nothing but grinding. Jessie's body had become his training ground, five rounds in total. Four of them gave him fifteen stick points each, but the third one had triggered a milestone achievement, rewarding him with an extra five. Ninety points in his account now, to Yukon, it felt like sitting on a mountain of gold.
Now came the real choice: upgrades or weapons.
His blood thrummed with anticipation. With ninety points, he could finally boost his combat skills or invest in something lethal to carry into the trials. Unlike normal Hunters, he didn't have to empty his bank account in shady shops or auctions. The system itself provided him with a store, tailor-made for his awakening.
In the outside world, a single low-grade Hunter's weapon could cost a man his car, his house, or a lifetime of debt. The stronger the rank, the deadlier the weapon, and the richer the Hunter who wielded it. Agencies threw fortunes at them, and the elite Hunters lived like kings.
Yukon smirked, eyes glowing faintly in the dark. And all I need to buy in is sex.
Yukon smirked as the Sex Store tab flickered open before his eyes, the familiar holographic interface unfolding with a soft chime.
[ Upgrades: Core Battle Attributes ]
1. Raw Strength (Tier I – 20 SP)
Current RS – 2%
2. Vampiric Speed (Tier I – 20 SP)
Current VS – 27%
3. Endless Stamina (Tier I – 25 SP)
Current ES – 4%
4. Battle IQ Upload (30 SP)
Current BIU – 1%
5. Predator's Aura (35 SP)
Current PA – 0%
6. Reflex Matrix (40 SP)
Current RM – 4%
7. Bloodline Amplifier (50 SP)
Current BA – 2%
8. Unholy Regeneration II (60 SP)
Current UR – 3%
9. Instinctive Combat (75 SP)
Current IC – 0%
10. Vampire's Apex Mode (100 SP)
Current VAM – 0%
His eyes roamed over the list. The only stat that didn't look completely pathetic was his Vampiric Speed, the first upgrade he had ever bought. And now that he thought about it, he hadn't even properly tested it out, though lately he did feel lighter on his feet, quicker.
But with 95 points saved up, today was different. Today he could sculpt himself into something dangerous.
If I don't choose wisely, all those hours of grinding Jessie were for nothing.
He rubbed his chin, weighing the choices. "Speed's nice," he muttered, "but speed without power? That's just running circles. I need to hit hard."
He tapped Raw Strength.
[Purchase Confirmed: Raw Strength – 20 SP]
[Balance Remaining: 75 SP]
Heat flooded through his veins, muscles tightening as if they were being rewoven from the inside out. His fists clenched unconsciously, already heavier.
Yukon exhaled through a grin. "Yeah… that feels good."
Now came the hard part. His gaze lingered on Battle IQ Upload.
He'd always been the nerd in school, top of his class, but academics didn't mean jack in a dungeon. He'd never been in a real fight, except the stupid scraps with Donny, and being a hunter meant one wrong decision could get him gutted. He could be fast, strong, and still die if he didn't know what to do.
"Thirty points…" he muttered. "Damn system's bleeding me dry. But if I go in dumb, I'm already dead."
With a frustrated click of his tongue, he tapped the option.
[Purchase Confirmed: Battle IQ Upload – 30 SP]
[Balance Remaining: 45 SP]
Yukon jerked in his bed as a white-hot surge tore through his skull. For a second, he thought his brain was splitting in half. His temples pounded, eyes rolling back as flashes of unfamiliar memories and combat simulations flooded into him.
He saw himself dodging blades, anticipating punches before they landed, countering enemies three times his size with surgical precision. Situations he had never lived through burned themselves into his mind, dungeon raids, ambushes, desperate last stands.
"F-fuck...." he gasped, gripping his sheets until his knuckles whitened. His breath hitched as the storm of data slowed.
[Battle IQ Upload Complete.]
[Combat Awareness: +12%]
[Situational Analysis Speed: +18%]
His head throbbed, but there was clarity now. A sharpness he had never felt before. Like his instincts had been rewired into something predatory. He looked at his hands steady, precise, like he already knew how to throw a killer punch.
Yukon exhaled a shaky laugh. "Holy shit… my brain just got juiced."
He leaned back, scanning the menu again.
[Balance: 45 SP]
Speed? Already his strongest stat. Strength? Just boosted. Stamina? Useful, but he still had a little juice in the tank. His eyes caught on Predator's Aura. The description pulsed faintly, as if daring him to touch it.
A presence that bends weaker wills, shakes enemies, and makes prey submit.
Yukon smirked. "Imagine walking into the trials and making every bastard in there feel like prey…"
Yukon leaned back, eyes locked on the glowing interface. 45 SP, just enough to make him itch for more.
Weapons were tempting, but even the cheapest blade looked like a crown jewel. The system's prices were insane.
Guess I'll have to grind Jessie again… or maybe Tracy.
His pulse spiked at the memory of her in the shower yesterday. The thought alone made him burn with anticipation, he could hardly wait to test her.
He exhaled, scrolling through the upgrades one more time. One in particular caught his eye: Predator's Aura.
Almost instinctively, he tapped it.
[Purchase Confirmed: Predator's Aura – 35 SP]
[Balance Remaining: 10 SP]
A weight slammed into his chest, like a mountain had been dropped inside him. Then it shifted, stretching outward, spilling into the room like smoke made of shadow.
The air around him seemed to chill. His skin pricked. Anyone else in the room would feel it, the same way prey froze beneath a wolf's gaze.
He drew a slow breath, feeling the aura pulse around him, a low silent growl humming through the air.
Yukon's grin widened. "Now that's more like it. Let's see who dares laugh when they start trembling before I even lift a finger."
Tomorrow, he'd show everyone exactly how paying attention to sex could make him unstoppable.