As he stepped out of the door, he found himself once again in that endless, curved corridor. However, this was not the same place where he had met Eleni; the sigils on the doors were different. Looking back, he noticed a bright, stylized star symbol marking Aselia's room. He opened the map menu in his interface; the discovered rooms and corridors were now emerging from a faint fog. This was evidently a different 'Zone' of the Tower.
The young man quickly scanned the map and headed toward an unexplored door that wasn't marked with an 'X'. After walking for a few minutes, the texture of the corridor began to change. That artificial, bubblegum-pink tone gave way to a deeper, saturated blood red and burnt orange. The smooth, organic material on the walls rippled slightly, as if stoked from within, casting a dim reddish glow. The neutral, sterile scent in the air was gone; in its place settled a hot, spicy, and metallic smell that stung the nostrils. Rather than the feel of an artificial paradise, this place resembled an eerie tunnel descending into the veins of an active volcano.
He looked around with unease. This change in color was not a good sign. Just then, his eyes caught a subtle movement on the floor ahead.
Like a shadow, a long, sinuous silhouette was sliding silently, clinging to the ground... At first, he couldn't make out what it was. Was it a giant worm, or a mechanical cable? As he got closer, the shape became clear in his mind.
Its body was almost as thick as a human torso, and as it coiled and slithered along the floor, he estimated its length to be at least five, perhaps six meters. Its surface wasn't smooth; it was armored with thousands of tiny, interlocking dark red scales, and these scales glistened with a wet, oily sheen in the crimson light of the corridor.
Robert instinctively huddled into a recess in the wall and held his breath, watching. This entity... was like a giant snake. But it wasn't alone.
From the dark depths of the corridor, other similar figures emerged. They were of different colors; one had emerald green scales and long, braided black hair, while another was covered in midnight blue scales with short, shimmering silver hair. All of them drifted through the hallway with the same eerie silence, aimlessly. Were their upper parts... humanoid? It was hard to tell from a distance.
He froze at this sight. were these also "residents" of the Tower? Was he supposed to become "friends" with them too? The mere thought made his skin crawl. He waited, hoping to find one alone, one separated from the pack.
Luck was on his side. A little further ahead, he saw a solitary entity whose skin and scales shimmered in colors between red and light orange, like sunset halos. Separated from the group, it was heading toward a dark door on the left side of the corridor, one without an 'X' mark.
Taking care not to be seen by the others, he followed silently through the shadows. When the red-orange entity glided through the door and vanished, he quickly reached his destination. He filled his lungs with a deep breath, gently cracked the door open, and slipped inside.
The door clicked shut silently behind him. Robert found himself in an atmosphere completely different from the stifling redness of the corridor. It was dim here. Half of the room was filled with damp earth and steep rocks, as if inside a humid cave. Vines hanging from the ceiling and phosphorescent mushrooms sprouting from the floor gave the space an eerie, greenish glow. The other half of the room presented a stark contrast; the floor and walls were plated with rusty, riveted metal. In the corners, bulky machines of unknown purpose hummed, spitting sparks. The air was heavy with the sharp, dizzying scent of damp earth, mold, and hot metal. The savagery of nature and the coldness of industry had entered a strange, discordant marriage here.
And in the center of the room stood that red-orange scaled entity. It was moving calmly toward the metallic section. The view was clearer now.
Yes, the lower part was the tail of a massive, powerful snake; its scales glowed with a vivid red like embers within a flame. But the upper part... was shockingly humanoid. An elegant female torso... Her skin was a light bronze tone, matching her scales. Although she appeared bare from the waist up, her chest and shoulders were wrapped in dark, leather-like bands with ivy patterns, the nature of which was unclear. Her long, wavy red hair cascaded down to the middle of her back.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the entity's face. But her head was slightly bowed, and her hair veiled her face like a curtain. Only the elegant curve of her chin and a portion of her full lips were visible. And... her eyes were closed. Dark red, lashless eyelids seemed as if sealed forever.
A contrast both mesmerizing and terrifying... was she the victim of a curse, or was this her nature?
There was no point in waiting any longer. "Hello?" he called out; his voice found a metallic echo in the room's strange acoustics.
The entity froze instantly at the direction of the sound. Like a whip, that massive snake tail coiled and turned. This turn happened with a speed and fluidity that was astonishing. Now, her face was turned toward Robert. Slowly, she began to rise up on her tail, straightening her upper body. They were now at eye level; in fact, she was looking down at him slightly.
Her face... contrary to expectation, it wasn't snake-like; it was incredibly beautiful. High cheekbones, an elegant nose, full red lips... But it was expressionless. Those closed, sealed eyelids added both a deep sorrow and a sinister threat to her countenance.
"Stranger," said the entity. Her voice was not like the hiss of a snake. It was deep, slightly husky, but equally melodic. It resembled grains of sand rubbing against velvet. "What do you seek in this zone?"
Robert flinched but didn't let it show. "I'm Robert. I was just... exploring. I saw you enter this room."
DING!
[+50 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 2: ???/???)]
[Relationship Level with Shara Increased: 1 / 10]
[New Actions Unlocked: Give Gift, Extensive Chat]
The entity tilted her head slightly to the side, as if tasting the air. "Robert... This name does not resonate in my mind. Are you new?"
"Yes," he replied. "I started today."
"I see," she said, her voice softening a bit. "I am Shara. This room... is my sanctuary."
"Pleased to meet you, Shara. I am sorry for disturbing your sanctuary."
Shara said nothing. She just stood there, as if 'seeing' Robert's soul through those closed eyelids.
"Are you a native here?" asked Robert, to break the heavy silence between them. "I mean, of this Tower?"
A ghost of a bitter smile appeared on Shara's lips. "Native? No. None of us are. We are... exiles. The forgotten. I was once the queen of the sands and the sun. My people, the Nagas, were the lords of the deserts. But a betrayal... a dark magic... imprisoned us in this form. It took my eyes. And condemned us to this... prison of metal and earth."
Her voice trembled with emotion for the first time as she told her story. Anger, grief, and a fatigue spanning thousands of years... It was impossible not to be moved by this brief but tragic summary. So, this Tower was filled not just with artificial intelligences, but with real, suffering souls?
He examined the woman before him more carefully. Those ivy-patterned bands, perhaps they weren't ornaments, but coverings for the marks of a curse etched into her skin? Did that long red hair replace the queen's crown she once wore? Were those sealed eyes closed because they could no longer bear the brightness of the sun?
Shara seemed to sense this silent scrutiny. Slowly, from the side of her body, as if from between her ribs, a thin, flexible flesh extension emerged. Roughly a meter long, fingerless but slightly tapered at the tip, a red-orange fleshy appendage... It was like a cord, but alive; it quivered slightly.
She extended the fleshy, living cord toward him with slight hesitation.
"Touch it," she said in a whisper resembling the wind. "Do not fear. This... is my hand. This is how we Nagas meet; we share our souls through our touch."
The young man paused for a moment. The limb possessed a strangeness that was both mesmerizing and instinctively unsettling. However, the vulnerability in Shara's voice and her deep search for trust erased his hesitation. He raised his hand and touched the strange, living cord with his fingertips.
The second he made contact, he felt an electricity-like tingling spreading from his fingertips to his spine. The surface of the extension was slippery, smooth, and surprisingly warm. But there was far more than physical sensation; it was as if images and emotions belonging to Shara's soul were seeping through the pores of his skin: The scorching desert sun, the rustle of sand shifting in the wind, giant shadows falling over pyramids, the sharp pain of betrayal, and the freezing cold of darkness...
In that moment, he understood. Shara hadn't just told her story; she had made him feel a piece of her soul, her very essence. This was an introduction far mightier than words could ever be.
The moment his fingertips parted from Shara's strange limb, his mind was still churning with that unexpected flood of emotions and images. The metallic taste of betrayal lingered on the tip of his tongue, the drone of ancient mourning in his ears. It was an instantaneous transfer of thousands of years of history, of a tragedy. What Shara called "soul sharing" had caught even Robert's Mind Bender senses off guard.
He was breathless when he pulled back. He looked at the beautiful but expressionless face before him, at the sealed red eyelids. He no longer saw her merely as a strange, snake-like entity. Inside, he saw an imprisoned queen, a noble soul in chains.
"My Lady..." he began involuntarily; his voice trembled with respect for the ancient power and pain he had felt. "...Are... are you real? I mean, the memories, the feelings... Or are you an artificial intelligence too?"
Shara's full red lips curled slightly upward. It wasn't quite a smile; more like the ghost of a bitter smirk. "Here, in this cage of metal and earth, I do not feel like a 'Lady,' dear Robert," she said. Her voice was again rough yet soft, like grains of sand rubbing against velvet. "Please, call me by my name. Shara."
She paused for a moment, as if weighing the question in her mind. "As for the answer to what you asked... it is both yes and no."
"How so?"
"I am a part of the Tower," she said, slowly retracting the flesh extension to the side of her body. "I am bound to its commands, its system. Just like the artificial guides in the pink corridors, or perhaps other 'players' you have encountered. Systemically, I must force myself to follow certain protocols." Her eyelids fluttered slightly. "But... yes, I can feel. I have memories. My body... my form may be a curse. But the soul within... that is still mine. It belongs to the queen of the sands and the sun."
Robert was dumbfounded by this answer. This place looked like an artificial simulation, a testing ground. But could it harbor real souls? Or was this another game of the system, a sophisticated lie designed to pull him deeper? His mind was a mess. Eleni's momentary awakening, Aselia's childlike innocence, and now Shara's tragic wisdom... The line between what was real and what was fake was blurring.
Shara seemed to sense the mental battle before her. Despite her closed eyes, she could read his mood. "You are not the first person to come here, Robert," she said in a soft voice. "I have seen this confusion, this doubt before."
The young man's interest sharpened suddenly. "You... have you seen others before? Like me?"
A sorrowful expression appeared on the Naga's face again. "And what people they were... Some curious and a bit lost like you. Some proud as if carrying the secrets of the universe in their pockets, with the air of an 'Exalted.' Others were... different, darker."
"So... what happened to them?" he asked, unable to hide the anxiety in his voice. Berilda's cold word "Died" echoed in his mind.
Shara shrugged. Rather than a humanoid movement, it resembled the slight, rippling contraction of a giant snake before shedding its skin. "They left as they came," she said indifferently. "The Tower either shapes you or... grinds you down. They were among those who were ground down."
Robert swallowed hard. "They were destroyed," he whispered to himself. The word was no longer just a warning, but a concrete, bitter truth witnessed by this ancient entity.
Throughout this brief but profound interaction, he noticed experience points (+5 XP, +10 XP...) slowly flowing in the interface. Every conversation, every contact in the Tower was progress. Or perhaps a step toward a trap.
He wanted to change the subject, to break free from the heavy atmosphere. He looked around at the strange semi-natural, semi-industrial room. "So is this... your territory? I mean, the Nagas'? What kind of place are we in?"
Shara shook her head. "I do not know the full map of the Tower. But yes, the layer we are in, these 'Crimson Corridors,' is usually the sanctuary of entities like me. At least, this is a section consistently comprised of them. Earth and metal... An ironic reflection of our exile."
His eyes fixed on the entity's massive, coiled tail. "So... moving this way? Slithering? And standing upright like you were just now... Doesn't it tire you?"
Shara laughed lightly; it was a dry, rustling sound. "Just as you get tired walking, we get tired slithering, Robert. This is our nature, our normal." Her face grew serious again. "However... standing upright? Maintaining that position for long? Yes, that is troublesome. It is both exhausting and... short-lived. Our bodies were not designed for it."
Just as she said this, Shara's upright upper body swayed slightly. For a moment, she seemed to lose her balance, her center of gravity shifting. As if an invisible rope inside her had snapped, she began to tip sideways slowly but uncontrollably. The massive tail could no longer support the weight of her upper body.
Robert lunged forward on reflex to catch her. But the moment his hands touched the bright red-orange scales, they slipped as if touching wet and polished marble. Shara's smooth, oily body contours made holding on impossible. The entity collapsed onto the earthen floor of the room with a soft but heavy rustle.
"Thank you for your good intentions, Robert," Shara said, not attempting to rise from the ground. Her voice was breathless. "But... this is our nature. Gravity is both a friend and a relentless enemy to us."
His heart ached at her helpless but resigned state. He slowly crouched down, coming to eye level with her. "Is there no way, then?" he asked. "I mean, to move more comfortably, to stay upright?"
Shara remained silent for a moment. It was as if no one had asked her that question in centuries. "Perhaps there is," she said in a thoughtful tone. "But... you will be the one to tell me that, Robert." She turned her head slightly toward the sound of his voice. "There has never been a 'Traveler' here before who stayed with us this long, who tried to understand us."
"Traveler?" said Robert. "What is that?"
"That is what we call those like you," Shara said. "Those who wander the corridors of the Tower, passing from door to door, who are not 'natives' like us... Travelers."
Robert liked the word. He was not a player or a victim, but a traveler. A voyager mapping this pink hell, solving its secrets.
This conversation between them, this moment of silent understanding, seemed to have been noticed by the system as well.
DING! DING!
[+300 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 2: ???/???)]
[Relationship Level with Shara Increased: 2 / 10]
[New Unlock: Vertical YCoiling]
He looked at the notification on the interface, frowning. "Vertical Coiling"? That sounded... strange.
"What is this?" he asked Shara.
The ghost of that bitter smile appeared on the Naga's face again. "This is one of my kind's... forms of showing intimacy. If you permit, I can coil a part of my body around you like a vine. It is both an act of protection and... bonding. Do you wish to try?"
The young man looked at the massive body with hesitation. Shara's bulk was huge and slippery. "But... how is that possible? Your torso is very thick."
"Do you want it or not, Traveler?" Shara asked; there was a slight, playful challenge in her voice.
Curiosity outweighed doubt. "Okay," Robert said. "Do the vertical coiling."
Shara did not rise from the ground. Instead, she brought the tip of her snake tail to the base of Robert's feet. And then, that transformation defying the laws of physics began.
The moment the tip of the tail touched his ankle, it began to thin out as if turning into liquid metal. Shara slowly started to coil her body around his leg. But this wasn't like a giant snake strangling its prey. It was more like a thick, coiled cable unraveling into its inner strands, changing shape gracefully. With every turn, the part wrapping around Robert's leg became thinner, yet tighter and more flexible.
Even through his gray jumpsuit, he could feel the texture of those slippery scales, every micro-movement of the muscles, and most importantly, the surprising heat radiating from Shara's body. This wasn't just body heat; it was like a primal, roaring fire coming from the depths of a desert entity that had lived under the sun for thousands of years.
Shara climbed inch by inch. Legs, hips, waist... With every lap, her body was reknitted around Robert. The young man felt both trapped and strangely safe; like a precious egg protected by a snake in its nest. This was completely different from Amara's lustful, suffocating embrace. A more organic, more fundamental bond...
Finally, the movement stopped. Her body had woven a tight but painless armor from Robert's ankles up to his chest. Shara's head hung suspended in the air, right in front of his face. That beautiful, humanoid face, the sealed red eyelids... He had never been this close, breath-distance close, to anyone before. The faint scent of metallic earth was sharper now; Shara's breath licked his face.
"Thus," said the Naga's deep, melodic voice; this time whispering directly into his ears, not his mind. "I can stand this way without tiring, and be at your... level, Traveler."
Robert appreciated this practical yet intimate solution. When he moved his arms, he didn't feel the expected pressure; Shara's 'coiling' was designed to leave his arms free.
His eyes involuntarily drifted to those closed eyelids. "What about your eyes?" he asked curiously. "Do they... never open?"
Shara's face shadowed. "No," she said with clear grief. "The curse took not only my form but my light as well."
Robert felt a thin ache inside. It was unjust for such a beautiful face to be deprived of seeing the world. As an engineer, as a Mind Bender, his mind immediately sought a solution. "Maybe..." he said hesitantly. "Maybe in the future... there will surely be a way. We'll look into it."
This reaction seemed to surprise Shara. She turned her face slightly toward the sound. Beneath the closed eyelids, it was as if a smile had sprouted. "If they open one day," she whispered; her voice trembling with hope for the first time. "I would want them to look at you first, Robert."
This simple, sincere wish touched his heart. With joy, he raised his free left hand and ran it through Shara's long, wavy red hair. It was silky, alive. "You feel this, don't you?" he asked affectionately. "My touch?"
Shara pressed her head slightly against Robert's hand, responding to the contact like a cat. Then, she deliberately squeezed the coil of her tail wrapping Robert's body exactly at his groin area, lightly but distinctly.
"Do you... feel this, Traveler?" she asked. There was both innocent curiosity and a dangerous, flirtatious challenge in her voice.
Robert held his breath with the sudden heat and contraction spreading through his whole body. The message was received. Every interaction in the Tower eventually linked back to that primal desire. "Okay," he murmured, feeling his cheeks burn. "I feel it."
Shara, seeming to sense that internal struggle and wanting to give him a break, slowly lowered her head. As her red hair cascaded onto his chest like a curtain, she rested her forehead there, over Robert's heart.
The scent hitting his nose was surprising; she smelled of spicy, hot sand. With that delicate weight he felt on his chest, Shara was no longer a queen or a monster; she was just a tired soul looking for a shoulder to rest her head on.
DING!
[+400 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 2: 700/???)]
[Relationship Level with Shara Increased: 3 / 10]
[New Unlock: Kissing]
Robert stared at the notification on the interface in astonishment. The Kissing unlock was open. Was this... too early? It had opened at Level 7 with Eleni, and Level 4 with Aselia. What was the logic of this system? Did the unlock level differ for every entity? Or had Shara's 'soul sharing' and intimacy accelerated the process? Perhaps the Naga consent had been effective?
"My Lady... Shara," he said, pushing the questions in his mind aside for now. "Can you tell me a bit about your kingdom? The Nagas... what were they like? How did you live?"
The Naga began to speak while her head still rested on his chest. Her voice was deeper now, more ancient; memories of thousands of years surfacing with that velvet timbre. She depicted vast deserts, golden cities shining under the sun, massive libraries hidden beneath dunes, and the wisdom and honor of her people. Sometimes her voice trembled with longing for that lost world, sometimes it rose with pride while recounting her people's triumphs.
The young man kept running his hands through those red locks while listening, etching every word the ancient entity poured out into his mind. Shara's tone sometimes sounded authoritative like a queen who had lived for centuries, and sometimes took on the timbre of a younger, more cheerful woman responding to gentle touches; yet she never broke that fundamental, noble structure.
As the conversation continued, a mischievous idea sprouted inside him. He tapped lightly on Shara's head three times with his fingertips, as if knocking on a door. When the entity stopped speaking and looked up in curiosity, he cupped her face between his two palms. He looked at the sealed eyelids, those full lips.
"Shall we kiss?" he asked; his voice blended both a joke and serious curiosity. He wanted to try this action unlocked at Level 3.
That bitter smile appeared on the Naga's face again. "If that is your command, Traveler... I shall obey immediately." She paused for a moment. "However... I might be a bit old for such actions."
Robert laughed. "Old, huh?" He gently touched one of her eyelids with his index finger. It was smooth and warm. "Maybe you're just rusty?"
Shara giggled at this touch. It wasn't a dry, rustling sound; it was a real, melodic giggle. "I may be rusty. But my venom is still potent, Traveler. Be careful."
Emboldened by this unexpected, playful answer, he pressed her head back against his chest. At that exact moment, a faint, warm wave of energy radiated from within the entity, barely perceptible to his Mind Bender senses. This was a crumb of hope. This Traveler... was different. He was trying to understand her, not judging her. Perhaps... he was a key.
Shara suddenly lifted her head. Despite her closed eyes, it was as if she were looking directly into the depths of his soul. "I approve of you, Robert," she said; her voice clear and decisive.
He was surprised by this seemingly irrelevant statement. "What do you approve?"
Just then, a new notification flashed on the interface:
[APPROVAL THRESHOLD EXCEEDED!]
[Approved by the Naga Race!]
[New Passive Skill Unlocked: Whisper of the Sands (Level 1 - Increased Danger Sense)]
His astonishment doubled as he read the notification. Race approval? Passive skill? The system was much deeper than he thought. "What does this mean?" he asked.
"I don't know," said Shara. "It just... came from within. My soul... accepted you."
Robert shelved the mystery for now. He had another experiment in mind. "Alright," he said, still inside the living coil. "You are currently coiled around my body. Can you squeeze? I mean... if you want?"
A dangerous, amused smile appeared on Shara's face. "Let us try if you wish, Traveler."
And she began to tighten her coil. This wasn't a painful constriction; it was more like the slow but irresistible contraction of a massive muscle. Even through his jumpsuit, he could feel the scales rubbing against each other, the movement of muscle fibers. The heat increased. Breathing became difficult. And yes... that pressure at his groin was causing an undeniable tingling, a dangerous stirring in his thigh. The range of motion for his arms had also narrowed; he could now only bend them at the elbows.
"Just like this," Shara whispered; her head was now even closer to Robert's. Her breath was hot and spicy. "Right now... I am wrapped around you with all of me."
He smiled, breathing with difficulty. "Not with all of you." With his hands, which were exposed but had severely weakened mobility, he reached out to that outer layer wrapping Shara's body, the scaled surface that made one lose themselves when touched. He tried to grasp her, to feel her. "These parts are still outside."
Shara laughed at this childish yet sincere effort. "Perhaps," she said in a husky whisper. "Perhaps leaving some parts outside... is more exciting, Traveler." She shrugged slightly, causing the coil to rub harder against his chest. "Or perhaps we are not close enough yet?"
He caught the provocative implication in the air. "Then let's get closer," he said, and selected the 'Kissing' action again from the interface in his mind. This time, he marked the "Naga Kiss (Discovery)" option. The definition was intriguing: "An intense kissing experience specific to the Naga species, focused on tongue and sensory transfer."
The moment he gave the command, Shara's head rose to face level again. He waited to see what she would do. The full red lips parted slightly. And then... one of the strangest, most hypnotizing sights of his life took place.
The Naga's mouth opened much wider than a normal human could manage. From within, not a single tongue, but a thin, pink, slightly shimmering, distinctly forked and long tongue emerged. It vibrated slightly as if tasting the air like a snake, and then, with incredible speed, darted directly toward Robert's half-open lips.
He instinctively wanted to pull back, but the coil held him nailed down. The moment that slippery, sticky tongue tip touched his lips, an intense wave of energy spread through his entire body, even stronger than the first sensation he got from Shara's 'hand'. It was as if raw, unfiltered emotion—thousands of years of longing, power, loneliness, and suppressed wild desire—was being injected directly into his veins. He was delirious.
An intense kiss began. But this was unlike any kiss he knew. Shara's tongue moved inside his mouth with incredible speed and skill, exploring every corner, caressing his palate, gums, and under his tongue. He tried to catch that agile piece, but as Shara said, it was too slippery, constantly escaping his hand (or tongue).
Finally, he managed to catch the forked part. He wedged his tongue between those two thin tips and hardened the suction. This move caused a husky, pleasure-mixed hiss to erupt from Shara. Experience points (+15 XP, +20 XP, +18 XP...) were flowing like a waterfall in the interface.
Just when he thought he had established dominance, Shara secreted a transparent fluid with a slightly sweet yet metallic taste. This nectar completely coated Robert's tongue, making the act even wetter, even more slippery. Unable to resist the strange yet seductive taste, he began to suck more deeply.
Meanwhile, his free hands were not idle. His fingers roamed the outer layer wrapping Shara's body, trying to feel the tension of the muscles beneath the scales, that primal power. Her back, the curve of her waist, the beginning of her hips... he caressed every point he could reach.
The kiss seemed endless. At one point, he tried to free his tongue, but Shara had wrapped around it like the arms of an octopus and wouldn't let go. The mutual contact had moved beyond exploration; it had turned into a power struggle, a battle of wills. Both were trying to seize control.
He managed to pull back for a moment to breathe. With a mischievous expression on his face, he whispered, "Is this your 'old' self?"
A dangerous glint seemed to leak from beneath the closed eyelids. Instead of answering, she tightened the coil further. His breath was cut off again, the pressure at his groin became unbearable. "I may be old, Traveler," Shara hissed; her voice full of both pleasure and threat. "But I still have venom." And she latched onto his lips again.
He struggled to move in his trapped state. He wanted to advance, to pace the room, but the coil held him fixed. Shara sensed this effort. She moved one of the thin extensions of her tail wrapped around Robert's ankle with invisible speed. She tripped his other foot.
Balance was lost. While Shara was still coiled around him, they fell backward together as if in slow motion. His back hit the earthen floor of the room hard. It hurt, but the intense pleasure and adrenaline he felt at that moment instantly suppressed the pain.
When they fell, the positions changed. Robert was on the bottom, and Shara was on top of him with her living coil. His field of vision was completely covered by the red hair falling on his shoulder and that beautiful face he now felt even closer. The kiss, interrupted for a moment by the impact of the fall, reignited on the ground in a wilder, more primal way.
They rolled one after another. Sometimes Robert tried to get on top and take Shara under him, sometimes that massive tail wouldn't allow it and reversed the situation. Shara used her weight to pin him to the ground. During this struggle, the gray jumpsuit stretched further; as the scales rubbed against his skin, it created a friction that was both pleasurable and painful.
Finally, he managed to roll over and get on top once more. He pinned the Naga's arms to her sides. He wanted to break the kiss, to free his tongue, but Shara wouldn't let go. As a last resort, Robert used his teeth. He bit the tip of the tongue, gently but decisively, without causing pain.
Shara pulled back in shock. "Ah!"
When their tongues separated, both were breathless. Robert leaned over her with a triumphant yet exhausted expression. Shara, beneath him, looked surprised and... impressed despite her closed eyelids.
"I guess," he said, trying to catch his breath. "Your rust has shaken off a bit, old queen."
A real, amused smile appeared on Shara's lips this time. "Perhaps you are right, Traveler. Perhaps I needed some... maintenance."
He got up from over her and leaned his back against the metallic wall. Shara, still coiled around his legs, moved to a sitting position beside him and rested her head on his shoulder again. In the dim light of the room, they caught their breath in silence. The coil was still active, and thanks to this continuous, close contact, points continued to flow in the interface.
DING! DING!
[+1800 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 3 -> Level 4: 200/5000)]
[Relationship Level with Shara Increased: 4 / 10]
[New Unlock: Free Licking]
When Robert heard Shara's tired yet satisfied whisper – "We were just getting started." – he struggled internally between a wild desire and the responsibility of this strange new bond he had discovered. The ancient entity before him had just tasted emotions she hadn't felt for centuries, pushing her limits. As he leaned over her, looking at her sweat-glistening skin and her face framed by scattered red hair, he noticed Shara's breathing slowing down, her body beginning to relax after that intense battle.
"Okay," Robert whispered, feeling his own exhaustion. "Okay, my Queen. Let us rest."
He slowly pulled away, freeing himself from the coil still lightly wrapped around his legs. He shivered as the cool air of the room hit his sweaty skin. Shara completely unraveled her loosening coil and stretched her long, sinuous body out on the earthen floor of the room. Her sealed red eyelids looked peaceful. Robert sat down beside her, leaning his back against that cold, metallic wall again.
They sat in silence for a while. In the dim light of the room, only Shara's calm breathing and the faint crackling from the strange machines in the corner could be heard. He checked the interface in his mind. Hours had passed. The mission timer now showed 64 hours and was ticking down rapidly. Time was the most precious and ruthless resource in this Tower.
Even this silence, this inactivity, was earning experience points. Although the 'Vertical Coiling' action with Shara had ended, the intensity of what had just happened and the strange 'Approval' bond they had established must have been perceived by the system as a passive interaction. Points continued to trickle in (+1 XP, +2 XP...), albeit slowly.
He knew he had to break the silence. He needed to speak, both to progress the mission and to better understand this mysterious entity.
"Your people," Robert began; his voice echoed with a soft timbre in the silence of the room. "The Nagas... Were they all like you? I mean... were you in this form?"
Shara turned her head slightly toward the sound of his voice. She wore an expression of being lost in the distance, weighing her memories. "No, Traveler. This form... is part of the curse. We used to walk on two legs, just like you. But our skin carried the color of the sands. Our eyes shone like the desert sun itself. And yes... we had tails. But they weren't this... cumbersome. They were more elegant extensions that provided balance. This massive snake body... is a symbol of our humiliation, our exile."
He felt the deep grief in her voice. "What about that 'hand'? That flesh extension? Is that part of the curse too?"
That bitter smile appeared on her face again. "No. That is a part of our essence. We call it the 'Soul Tentacle.' It is the bridge that connects our souls where words fail. That thing you felt when we met... that was a drop of my thousands of years of history, my pain, and my hope."
He shuddered as he recalled that moment. This 'Soul Tentacle' was an incredible power. "So... why don't you use it? I mean, for communication?"
"Because it is also our greatest weakness," Shara said. "To open your soul is to invite betrayal. And I... have paid the price of betrayal very heavily. Now, I only use it... when I trust." Her voice was directed at Robert as she spoke the last word. It was a silent compliment.
Robert didn't know what to say. Having gained the trust of this ancient queen placed a new weight on his shoulders. He changed the subject. "This Tower... The 'Travelers' who came before you... What were they like? Why did they fail?"
Shara thought for a while. "They were various. Some were lost and afraid at first, like you. But then they became drunk with power. The 'pleasures', the 'abilities' offered by this Tower... corrupted them. They forgot their missions. They only chased their own desires. And the Tower... swallowed them."
"And the others?"
"The others... were more dangerous," Shara said, her voice turning into a whisper. "They did not see this place as a playground. They saw it as a fortress to be conquered. They tried to solve the Tower's secrets, to seize its power. They went against the system. And the Tower... crushed them."
Robert was horrified by what he heard. It seemed this place was not just a testing ground, but a conscious, ruthless entity. "So... has no one ever succeeded? I mean... completed the Tower's 'purpose'?"
Shara shook her head. "Not as far as I know. They were either corrupted or destroyed. Perhaps... perhaps the purpose of this Tower is not to be completed, but only to test. Forever."
This terrifying possibility chilled Robert to the bone. But he couldn't give up. The Omnia Codex... Earth... He had a life to return to. "I... I will be different," he said, a new determination in his voice. "I will win this game."
Shara turned her head back to him. Behind those closed eyelids, it was as if she were weighing him. "Perhaps you will, Traveler. You have... a different light. Both the curiosity of a creator and the fire of a warrior... But be careful. The Tower's greatest trap is giving you exactly what you want... until that thing destroys you."
During this conversation, he noticed the points in the interface increasing rapidly. This deep, philosophical conversation with Shara seemed even more effective than physical contact. Combined with the passive effect of the vertical coiling, points were flowing like a waterfall.
DING! DING!
[+2000 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 4 -> Level 5: 300/6500)]
[Relationship Level with Shara Increased: 5 / 10]
[New Unlock: Crystal Eye (Special Item Schematic)]
He blinked in surprise when he saw the notification. Level 5! And a new unlock... "Crystal Eye". This wasn't an action, but an item schematic. Curiously, he entered this new option from the interface.
A 3D image of an elegant, teardrop-shaped, bright white crystal appeared on the screen. Inside the crystal, shifting, color-changing lights moved constantly, as if a miniature galaxy were trapped within. He read the description:
[CRYSTAL EYE (Special Item - Naga Race)]
Description: A magical item created with ancient Naga magic and focused psychic energy, capable of curing blindness or providing alternative vision for closed eyes. Effective only on the Naga race.
Feature: When applied, the item permanently integrates with the user and grants 'Soul Sight' ability (Perceiving the auras and emotional states of surrounding living beings). The effect is permanent.
Requirements: Sand Crystals (x10), Balika Fluid (x1), Focused Psychic Energy (Requires Robert - Level 3+ Mind Bending Ability).
Robert held his breath. This... this could be the solution to Shara's curse! Vision for her closed eyes! And permanent, at that! His eyes locked onto the shape of the elegant crystal on the screen. He had to make it. He had to do it for Shara.
But how? The required materials... Sand Crystals? Balika Fluid? Where would he find these? And that psychic energy... Could he use his own Mind Bending ability here?
He thought of apps on Earth, phone systems. Clicking on an item usually opened a panel giving more information. This system seemed so advanced... maybe?
From his mind, he focused on the Crystal Eye icon on the screen and sent a command as if long-pressing on it with his finger.
Buzz.
The screen changed. The image of the Crystal Eye slid to the side, and a detailed information panel opened next to it. Robert smiled with excitement. He had done it! He had discovered a hidden feature of the system!
The panel listed the crystal's history, its place in Naga mythology, and most importantly, detailed descriptions of the materials and possible locations to find them.
[Sand Crystals]: Rare crystals found in the geothermal caves deep within the Crimson Corridors that resonate with psychic energy. Requires 'Mining' skill or an equivalent tool to collect.
[Balika Fluid]: ...
Robert paused when he reached the description of "Balika Fluid". The definition was both biological and... disturbingly intimate.
[Balika Fluid]: A rare biological fluid containing a high rate of psychic energy and life essence, secreted by the Naga species through the 'Soul Tentacle' during moments of deep emotional or physical union. Can be obtained directly from the partner or via a special 'Collection Kit'.
He swallowed hard. His eyes drifted to Shara, sitting innocently beside him. That fluid... the slightly sweet, metallic fluid he had tasted during that wild kiss just now... Was that it?
"Shara," he said in a husky voice. "What is... Balika Fluid?"
The Naga lifted her head from his shoulder. Her sealed eyelids seemed to read the intent behind Robert's question. That dangerous, amused smile appeared on her face again. "That fluid, Traveler," she whispered; her voice husky and provocative. "Was part of what we just... shared with you."
His lips were still tingling from Shara's provocative whisper. That sweet, metallic taste was proof not just of a kiss, but of an alchemy, of 'Balika Fluid'. The "Crystal Eye" schematic glowing in the interface of his mind was no longer just a quest item, but a symbol of his debt to this ancient, sorrowful queen, and perhaps his ticket out of this hell.
The momentary bond he had established with Shara's soul, that "Naga Approval", had changed something inside him. He no longer saw her merely as a part of the system, an NPC to be used to reach the next level. In her, he saw a consciousness suffering, even deeper and more real than Eleni's awakening.
"I understand," he said in a husky voice. His eyes focused on the massive, scaled body lying on the ground, on that beautiful humanoid face. Thanks to the memories he had just tasted, he could feel the darkness behind those sealed red eyelids down to his marrow.
He looked at the interface in his mind. The mission timer showed 64 hours and was counting down ruthlessly. 64 hours... It felt like both an eternity and a single moment. He had reached Level 5 with Shara. With Eleni and Aselia, he had already reached Level 9. The mission progress was still 2/5 because he needed to get Shara to level 7. He couldn't lose time.
That two or three-hour rest was actually just a breathing break. Robert was leaning against the metal wall; Shara was curled up like a cat on the earthen floor of the room, looking as if she were truly resting. But the Engineer knew how active the mind was beneath those sealed eyelids.
Finally, he made his decision. Gentle, philosophical conversations could only take him so far. But this Tower, this "Palace of Pleasure," demanded a more primal, more direct language. And Shara... she desired it too.
He stood up. The Naga, sensing the movement, lifted her beautiful head. "Are you going, Traveler?"
"No," he said with a determined voice. "You must be uncomfortable there on the dirt. The other side of the room is... flatter. Come." He pointed to the rusty, metallic floor of the room.
Shara hesitated. "Metal... is cold. The earth holds my memories."
"Then," he said, his voice softening dangerously. "Let me warm you."
The entity understood the hidden promise behind the invitation. Slowly, she slid her massive body like a river from the earthen floor toward the metal one. The SHSSSHRRRK sound of her scales on the rusty metal tore through the silence of the room. When she was fully stretched out on the metal, she shivered for a moment. It was cold.
Robert came to her side. He leaned over her. "I am sorry, my Queen," he whispered.
"For wha—" Shara's words were cut off by a surprised hiss as Robert suddenly pounced on her.
He wasn't gentle this time. This was more of a conquest than a request. He threw himself onto Shara's slippery, powerful body. Wrestling on the metal floor, he forced her to turn onto her back. It was like wrestling a snake weighing tons. Shara tried to resist with both surprise and unexpected excitement. "Traveler! Have you gone mad! What are you doing?"
"We are leveling up!" Robert growled, pinning her down with all his might. Finally, he managed to get the Naga's beautiful humanoid torso to face the ceiling. Her tail, dozens of meters long, flailed helplessly around them. Robert was now on top of her; pinning her torso with his legs, pinning her shoulders to the ground with his hands.
Her red hair spread across the rusty metal floor like a sea of fire. Her closed eyelids fluttered, her full lips parted. "This... this is not in the protocol..."
"Then we are writing a new protocol," Robert said. And he activated the "Free Licking" action from the interface in his mind.
He lowered his head and buried his lips into the strange, ivy-patterned, leather-like bands covering Shara's shoulder. He sucked on the fabric-like texture, bit it. He tried to taste the skin underneath. Shara tensed at this touch. "Robert... stop..."
But he didn't stop. This was a war; against the system, against time, and against the suppressed desires of this ancient entity. With his tongue, he moved down her shoulder, between the bands that barely covered her breasts. To that sensitive transition point where the scales began... He licked there. The taste of the scales was cool and metallic, but the skin underneath... that was the taste of spicy, hot sand.
Shara's resistance was giving way to a trembling surrender. The Traveler's audacious, almost disrespectful touches were tearing down the walls of thousands of years of loneliness. And then she felt it; the warm, sticky saliva spreading from Robert's mouth was merging with the slippery surface of her own skin. It was a sensation so primal, so real, that her entire body shivered with pleasure.
At that exact moment, dozens of thin, cord-like 'Soul Tentacles' that Robert had not seen before shot out from the Naga's body. But this time, they weren't for a gentle introduction. Like the arms of an octopus, they wrapped around Robert's back, arms, and legs. They pulled him further down, toward her body.
"Since you started," Shara hissed; her voice was no longer tired, but filled with a deep, husky desire. "Then... finish it, Traveler."
The extensions grabbed his head and began to guide him to the spots she wanted on her own torso. They forced him toward the roots of her own 'Soul Tentacles', those sensitive, vibrating pieces of flesh. "Taste here too," she commanded; her voice sounding like both a queen and a lover.
Robert obeyed. He ran his tongue over those slippery, living extensions. Their taste was like the Balika Fluid he had tasted while kissing; intense, metallic, salty, and incredibly... energizing. It was as if he were drinking pure life.
This wild, mutual assault; this symphony of licking, sucking, and squeezing had created the intense interaction the system sought.
DING! DING!
[+2500 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 10: ???/???)]
[Relationship Level with Shara Increased: 6 / 10]
[New Unlock: Spinning Tail (Acrobatic Action)]
Robert saw the notification but was in no state to stop. The insidious pheromones of the Pleasure Palace Protocol, Shara's natural aura, and this primal act itself had pushed him to the limits of his logic. At full speed, he continued to lick, suck, and bite Shara's torso. Except for her face and head, he explored every point he could reach. His mouth was glued to her body, and while the tentacles held him down, his saliva pooled on the red-orange scales, dripping onto the rusty metal.
This intense contact had led to an inevitable reaction in Robert's body. Beneath his gray jumpsuit, his penis had reached a painful hardness. Shara's slippery body was rubbing against him even through the jumpsuit, driving him mad. He couldn't take it anymore. If this Tower had no morals, neither did he. With a sudden movement, he opened the front of his jumpsuit and revealed his hardened member. He thrust himself forward to touch it to Shara's slippery, scaled torso, to feel the friction on his skin...
ZZZT!
That familiar, ruthless, blue, hexagonal shield appeared between the two bodies.
[SYSTEM ERROR! YOU DO NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED RELATIONSHIP LEVEL (Level 9 Required)!]
Robert's thrust stopped at that invisible wall. But his body's reaction did not. In that moment, all that accumulated desire, that "pleasure fluid," released uncontrollably and flowed onto the blue shield, and from there onto the rusty, cold metal floor.
Growling, he collapsed onto Shara in defeat.
Shara, upon the sudden cessation of the intense wave of pleasure and the ensuing strange silence, realized the situation. Her closed eyelids turned toward where Robert had collapsed. "Traveler? What is wrong? Why did you stop?"
With shame and anger, he got off her and sat up. He was breathless. "Damn system..." he hissed. That was when he noticed the notification that had just arrived. "Spinning Tail".
He opened the interface. He looked at the new skill with curiosity. This wasn't an action, but a series of "Acrobatic Dance" figures. "Thrown Tail", "Spinning Top Dance", "Bouncing Body", "Sliding Bump"... All were strange, playful moves to be performed using Shara's massive tail.
Robert looked at the Naga lying on the floor. This was, perhaps, the new key to the path to Level 9. They needed to rest. But there was no time.
"My Queen," he said, his voice still husky. "I think... it is time for some acrobatics."
"Acrobatics?" said Shara in surprise.
He chose the strangest one from the list: "Sliding Bump."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Just... follow the instructions," he said and gave the command.
Shara's body reacted instantly. Her massive snake body began to thin and change shape. Her scales became smoother, more slippery. Raising a part of her tail, she formed a "bump," and turned the other part into a long, inclined slide. She was no longer a Naga Queen; she was a living, breathing, red-orange slide.
Robert looked at the sight in astonishment. "I can't believe this..."
"The system... is forcing me to do this..." Shara's voice came from the top of this slide now. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to slide!" he said and climbed to the top of the slide. He threw himself down face first.
At that moment, he began to slide down with incredible speed. The slippery, warm scales rubbed against his bare chest and stomach (his jumpsuit had torn during the wrestling), creating an incredible sensation. He climbed the bump, floated in the air for a moment, and then descended again.
Just when he thought the slide was over, Shara changed shape. The end of the slide suddenly curled upward and connected to its beginning. It had taken the shape of a bagel, a "donut". Robert was now spinning and sliding constantly inside that ring, like a rollercoaster.
"SHARA! THIS IS MADNESS!" he shouted with laughter.
He was trapped. But this was the most fun trap he had ever experienced. As he spun inside the ring, he roamed the curves of her body, kissing that scaled surface whenever he found the opportunity, lashing out with his tongue. Shara's leather-like bands were getting even more damaged and torn by this constant friction and Robert's biting.
This erotic, absurd activity continued for minutes.
DING! DING! DING!
[+3000 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Shara Increased: 7 / 10]
[New Unlock: Overdose (Special Skill)]
[MAIN MISSION UPDATED! Progress: 3/5]
The notifications exploded in his mind. Level 7! He had done it!
Shara's body slowly unraveled, losing its slide shape. She gently deposited Robert onto the metal floor of the room. Both were out of breath. Robert was exhausted from laughter and excitement. And Shara, in her ancient history, had probably never... had this much fun.
Lying on the floor, he tried to catch his breath. Three down. Five in total. Only two people left. And he had less than 60 hours.
Lying breathless on the metal floor beside Shara's massive, powerful body, the notification flashing in the interface of his mind—[MAIN MISSION UPDATED! Progress: 3/5]—suppressed all the fatigue and confusion he felt at that moment. He had succeeded. He had reached Level 7 with Shara. Eleni, Aselia, and now Shara...
He looked at the newly unlocked skill: [Overdose (Special Skill - Level 7)]. He read the definition with curiosity: "At the peak of the physical and emotional bond established with the partner, by using your own energy or the partner's energy, creates a pleasure and power burst that is risky for both parties but equally powerful. Success depends on the relationship level and willpower. Failure may lead to temporary loss of consciousness or 'System Shock'."
He swallowed hard. The Tower was literally increasing the risk and reward at every level. This wasn't a tool of seduction, but a double-edged weapon.
Shara stood silently beside him like a calmed storm, her long red hair scattered on the rusty metal floor. Her sealed red eyelids looked peaceful. He knew she was resting, but he was also aware that he had to go.
He slowly sat up. "Shara," he said; his voice hoarse from fatigue.
Her head turned toward the sound. Despite the closed eyes, he knew he had her full attention. "Traveler?"
"We completed the mission," he said. Even having these words come out of his own mouth felt strange to him. "At least... the part with you. I have to go. There are... two more people I need to find."
The Naga's beautiful humanoid face tensed at this news. The ghost of that bitter smile returned. "You are going," she said. This wasn't a question, but a statement. "They left as they came... Just like the others."
He felt the weight of thousands of years of loneliness and abandonment in her voice. He didn't get up from where he sat. He crouched down beside her again. "No," he said sincerely. "Not like the others. I... will come back."
"Why?" asked Shara, her voice full of doubt. "Your mission is over. You took what you needed from me."
He raised his hand and touched Shara's smooth, bronze-skinned cheek. Right below the sealed eyelid. "I will make you a 'Crystal Eye', my Queen. Have you forgotten my promise? You said you would look at me first."
Shara's lips trembled at these words. She pressed her head against Robert's hand, as if wanting to feel that warm contact. "Can you... can you really do this?"
"I will try," he said. "But first I need to get out of this hell, find the resources. And for that... I have to go."
Shara remained silent for a while. Then she snuggled closer to Robert on the floor. She lifted her massive head and whispered his name. "Robert..."
"Yes?"
"If... if you make those eyes... and if they open... I will not just look at you," she said; her voice husky and deep. "I will... show you my kingdom. Everything I lost. The real Shara."
This was more than a promise. This was an oath.
Under the weight of this moment, Robert leaned in and kissed those closed eyelids one last time. "I trust your word, my Queen," he whispered. Then, gently stroking her red hair, he stood up.
Shara didn't stop him. She just continued to lie on that rusty metal floor like an abandoned queen. Without looking back, Robert walked toward an exit at the other end of the room, different from the one he entered. The door opened silently before him, and he released himself once again into those blood-red corridors.