Victor's new routine was blissfully simple: wake up, corrupt a few small animals or plants for a minor stat boost, observe the increasing desperation of the survivors from a distance. The monster attack had shattered their fragile society completely. Now, they were just a huddled, terrified mass on the beach, jumping at every shadow.
'Pathetic,' he thought, munching on a piece of fruit he'd corrupted to perfect ripeness. 'But useful. Fear makes people so... agreeable.'
His solitude was interrupted by a panicked scream from deeper within the jungle, followed by the sound of crashing undergrowth and frantic, pleading voices. It was closer than the beach. Curiosity, and the faint hope of finding something new to corrupt, drew him in.
He moved through the dense foliage with a silence that surprised even him, a side effect of his steadily increasing [Lesser Agility I] skill. He peered through a thicket of ferns into a small, muddy clearing.
The scene was one of pure cowardice. A group of three survivors—two men and a woman—were scrambling away, their faces masks of terror. They were abandoning someone.
Left behind, stumbling and falling into the mud, was a young woman. And she was... stunning.
Even covered in grime and panic, her beauty was unreal. She had a cascade of silky, bubblegum-pink hair that was now tangled with leaves. Her eyes, wide with fear, were a piercing, crystalline blue. Her frame was slender, but curved in all the right places—a generous, heaving chest and a perfectly sculpted backside that was currently struggling to find purchase in the slippery mud. She was dressed in what was left of a stylish, expensive-looking tracksuit, now torn and dirty.
Whoa. Victor's inner pervert immediately sat up and took notes. An idol? A model? Did a J-Pop group get on my flight? Talk about a premium resource.
His assessment was cut short by a guttural snort. From the opposite side of the clearing, a creature emerged. It was the size of a large boar, but that's where the similarities ended. Its hide was a mottled, rocky grey, covered in sharp, bony protrusions along its spine. Its eyes were tiny, red, and buried deep in its skull, and its mouth was a nightmare of overlapping, tusk-like teeth that dripped with acidic saliva, sizzling where it hit the mud.
It was a monster straight out of a dark fantasy game. A "Rock-Tusk Boar," Victor's mind helpfully supplied.
The pink-haired girl let out a whimper, scrambling backward, her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears. "Please... someone..."
The Rock-Tusk Boar lowered its head, ready to charge and gore her.
Victor didn't feel heroism. He felt opportunity. This was a perfect chance to test his combat skills, gain more power, and acquire a stunningly beautiful... asset. A living trophy that would make the other survivors look at him with a new kind of awe.
He stepped out of the foliage, not with a shout, but with a calm, almost bored demeanor.
"Tsk. Making such a mess," he said, his voice cutting through the girl's sobs.
The boar-monster paused, its red eyes shifting from the girl to him. The girl stared, her mouth agape in shock.
Victor focused. The blue text appeared over the creature.
[Target: Rock-Tusk Boar - Health: 200/200]
[Condition: Aggressive. High physical defense.]
[Weakness: Underside.]
[Initiate Corruption? Y/N]
'Two hundred health? This should be fun.'
The boar, deciding this new arrival was a bigger threat, charged. It was fast, a blur of grey rock and tusks.
Victor didn't flinch. He waited until the last possible second, then sidestepped with his enhanced agility. As the beast thundered past, he lunged, not with his hands, but with his will. He placed a palm on its rocky flank and unleashed a concentrated stream of corruption.
A wave of freezing energy shot from his hand. The grey, rock-like hide under his touch turned black and brittle, cracking like old pottery. The beast let out a screech of pain, stumbling. The health bar in Victor's vision dropped to 150/200.
'It works!' He grinned. 'My corruption bypasses its armor!'
The enraged boar twisted, trying to slam him with its tusks. Victor jumped back, but not fast enough. A tusk grazed his arm, drawing a line of fire. He hissed in pain.
'Okay, enough playing around.'
He focused again, this time on the beast's legs as it tried to regain its footing. "[Corrupt]!"
The creature's front leg buckled, the joint turning black and necrotic. It crashed to the ground, squealing in agony. Health: 80/200.
Victor walked over to the struggling monster. It tried to lift its head, its red eyes filled with primal hate. He placed his foot on its head.
"Ugly thing," he muttered, and poured the last of his corruptive energy into it.
The screeching stopped. The entire body of the boar seized up, then rapidly desiccated, turning into a crumbly, blackened statue of its former self. A moment later, it collapsed into a pile of ash and bone.
[Corruption Complete!]
[Experience Gained.]
[New Skill Acquired: [Lesser Vitality I] - You feel a bit more alive! Slight increase to stamina and recovery.]
[Item Acquired: [Rock-Tusk] - A material. Maybe useful for something?]
Victor took a deep breath, the familiar warm energy washing over him, healing the cut on his arm and replenishing his stamina. He felt powerful. Invincible.
He turned to the girl. She was still on the ground, staring at him as if he were a god or a demon. Her pink hair was a mess, her clothes were soaked, and she was trembling. She looked utterly helpless. And utterly gorgeous.
"T-thank you," she stammered, her voice a melodic whisper, even now. "They... they left me..."
"I know," Victor said, his voice smooth as he walked towards her. He offered a hand, but his eyes were roving over her body, cataloging every curve. "People are predictable in their cowardice. My name is Victor Valentine."
She took his hand, her grip weak. "H-Hana... Hana Sakura. I... I was an idol back in Japan." She said it like a confession, as if it mattered here.
'An idol. Perfect.' Victor's mind was already spinning. The ultimate symbol of purity and innocence, stranded and dependent solely on him. The corruption possibilities were... intriguing.
He helped her to her feet, but he didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he focused. He looked into her stunning blue eyes and activated his system.
[Target: Hana Sakura - Health: 30/100 (Dehydrated, Exhausted, Terrified)]
[Condition: Mortal. Soul: Pure.]
[Initiate Corruption? Y/N]
Soul: Pure. The words flashed in his vision like a challenge. He could feel the system humming, eager. What would happen? Would she become his mindless slave? A powerful corrupted servant? Would he gain a new skill from tainting something so beautiful?
A wicked smile touched his lips. "Don't worry, Hana," he said, his voice a low, manipulative purr. "You're safe with me."
His intent focused. He chose "Y".
A cold sensation started to flow from his hand into hers. Hana's eyes widened slightly, a faint shiver running through her. But then...
[Error!]
[Target possesses a 'Pure' designation. High-grade Corruption resistance.]
[Corruption Failed. Insufficient Power.]
The system message flashed red and vanished. The cold energy fizzled out.
Victor's smile didn't falter, but internally, he was shocked. 'It failed? She resisted it?'
Hana just looked up at him, confused, her pure blue eyes blinking. "Is something wrong, Victor-san? Your hand is very cold."
He looked at her, at this beautiful, fragile, yet strangely resilient creature. The failure didn't anger him. It excited him. She wasn't just another resource to be easily consumed. She was a challenge. A rare, premium collectible.
He let go of her hand, his plan evolving.
"No, nothing's wrong," he said, his arrogance returning tenfold. "You're just... more interesting than I thought. Come on. I have a safe place. You're under my protection now."
He led the trembling idol away, his mind racing. He couldn't corrupt her directly. Not yet. But he could corrupt her situation, her dependencies, her very sense of reality. He would make her so reliant on him, so devoted, that her "pure" soul would willingly taint itself for him.
And that, he decided, would be a far more satisfying corruption.