The explosion didn't give Nick Arven much time to think.
One moment, he was standing at attention during morning military drills. The sun was beating down, sweat dripping down his temples. The next moment, a blinding light erupted across the sky, so bright it burned away everything else.
Then there was nothing at all.
"Nick... Nick, please wake up..."
The voice came from far away, muffled and distant. Someone was shaking his shoulder, their hand trembling against his arm.
"Nick! Please, please wake up!"
His eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw was the damp stone ceiling of a cave, water dripping steadily from cracks in the rock above. Drip. Drip. Drip. Nick pushed himself up on his elbows, his head spinning, the world tilting at strange angles.
His black shirt was soaked with moisture, clinging uncomfortably to his chest.
Where am I? What happened?
"Oh thank God, thank God you're awake!"
Nick turned his head. A woman was kneeling beside him, her dark hair wet and plastered to her shoulders. She wore a bikini top that barely contained the generous curves of her chest, the fabric straining against full, round breasts. Below that were matching bottoms that hugged shapely hips and a curved ass.
She was in her late twenties, her skin glistening with moisture. Her eyes were wide and red from crying.
Nick stared at her for a moment, his mind sluggish and confused.
Then it all came flooding back.
Not memories of his military service. Older memories. Deeper ones. Memories of a different life. A different Nick Arven.
Trisha.
His father had married her when Nick was still in his late teens. She was beautiful, kind, and had always tried to make Nick feel welcome. But the original Nick had been cold to her, distant, resentful. His anger at his father had manifested as indifference toward Trisha, even though she didn't deserve it.
She'd loved him anyway, quietly and without complaint.
Now, looking at her tear-stained face, Nick felt something shift inside his chest.
"I... wasn't I dead?"
His voice came out hoarse and rough.
"You scared me half to death!"
She sobbed, her hands grabbing his face, her fingers trembling against his cheeks.
"We were on the cruise, remember? I was sunbathing, and you were reading that book, and then we saw this light in the sky, and everything just went white, and I woke up here, and I thought you were—"
Her voice cracked, breaking into another sob.
"I thought you were gone. I thought I was alone."
Nick looked around at the cave. Primitive stone walls. Moss creeping along the edges. No technology. No electricity. No sign of the modern world at all.
Just stone and water and darkness.
"Where are we?"
He asked slowly.
"I don't know."
She whispered, her hands still trembling as they rested on his shoulders.
"When I woke up, you were already unconscious. I've been trying to wake you for hours, and I was so scared, I thought maybe you were dead, and—"
She bit her thumbnail nervously, her eyes darting around the cave as if expecting something horrible to emerge from the shadows at any moment.
Nick slowly got to his feet, his legs unsteady beneath him. His mind felt fractured, pieces of two different lives trying to fit together.
A notification appeared in his vision. Translucent blue text floating in the air like something only he could see.
[PRIMAL VITALITY INTERFACE - INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
[Welcome, Host. This system will guide your survival and growth in this new world.]
[Current Status:]
HP: 92/100Stamina: 65/100Essence: 0/100
[Tutorial: Intimate contact with compatible partners generates Primal Essence. Use Essence to unlock abilities, craft items, and strengthen bonds.]
[Warning: This world is dangerous. Form alliances. Survive.]
Nick blinked, trying to make sense of the floating text.
A system? Like in those web novels?
But this wasn't the time to figure out mechanics.
"Nick? Are you okay?"
Her voice pulled him back to the present. Her hand was on his arm, steadying him.
"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine. Just dizzy. Help me up?"
Trisha offered her hand, and Nick took it. Her skin was soft and warm, her grip steady despite her obvious fear. As she helped him to his feet, the scent of seawater and sunscreen washed over him.
His eyes involuntarily dropped to the pale curve of her breasts where they swelled above her bikini top.
He quickly looked away, feeling heat rise in his face.
But a notification appeared anyway:
[Accidental Visual Contact (Female Partner - Intimate Area)][+2 Essence Points]
Are you serious?
Nick thought, feeling his face grow even hotter.
Suddenly, Trisha's body tensed. Her arms crossed over her chest instinctively, and she let out a small gasp.
"What's... what's wrong?"
Nick asked, confused by her sudden reaction.
She looked flustered, her face flushed a deep red.
"I don't know. I just... felt something. Like... like a touch on my—"
She trailed off, clearly embarrassed.
What?
Nick's eyes widened. He hadn't touched her there. He'd only looked. But the system had generated points for visual contact. Could the system actually be creating physical sensations on her body?
Trisha wrapped her arms tighter around herself, her eyes darting toward him with a mixture of confusion and... was that something else?
"Are you okay?"
He asked carefully.
"Yeah, I... I think so. I just felt weird for a second."
She said softly, still holding herself.
Nick's mind raced. The system was clearly more powerful than he'd initially thought. And if it was affecting Trisha without his intention, he needed to understand how to control it.
Focus on something else. Anything else.
"We need to figure out what's going on. Look around, see if there's anything we can use. Any supplies, any tools, anything."
As Trisha turned to search the cave, Nick let out a slow breath, trying to compose himself.
The system felt like it was actively working against his better judgment, rewarding him for the exact kind of behavior that the original Nick had been guilty of. But worse than that, it seemed to be affecting Trisha without her understanding why. He couldn't deny the strange sensation building in his chest—a warmth, a tingling energy he'd never felt before.
I need to figure out how to turn this off.
They spent the next few minutes exploring the small cave. There was nothing useful. No food, no tools, no signs of previous inhabitants. Just stone and water and darkness.
Nick's mind was still reeling from what had happened. The system had actually caused a physical reaction on Trisha's body. That was beyond anything he'd expected.
He looked at her shivering in that thin bikini, and his stomach tightened. She needed actual clothes. Something to protect her from the elements.
Nick mentally pulled up the system shop, scrolling through available items.
Most things were expensive. Way too expensive with only 7 essence points.
But then he found it. A repellent robe—lightweight, semi-transparent but functional. It would keep insects away and provide some coverage. The price was reasonable: 5 essence points.
He made the purchase.
A small notification appeared:
[Repellent Robe Acquired][Stored in Inventory]
He pulled the garment from thin air, the system manifesting it into his hands. Trisha's eyes widened.
"What... where did you get that?"
"Long story. Here, put this on. You need protection from the jungle."
He handed it to her.
"For me?"
She looked genuinely shocked. The original Nick had never given her anything, had never shown her this kind of care.
"Yeah, well, I can't exactly wear it, right?"
He looked away, giving her privacy.
Trisha turned her back to him and began to slip the bikini top off. Her bare back was exposed, smooth and pale. Nick's eyes flickered toward her involuntarily, catching a glimpse of the side curve of her breast before she pulled the robe over herself.
But the moment he looked, a notification appeared:
[Visual Contact with Partner's Exposed Skin][+3 Essence Points]
[Quest Available: Continue Observation During Vulnerable Moment][Reward: Sandals + Injury Prevention Card]
Nick felt that pressure again—that insidious whisper in the back of his mind, pushing him to look more, to peek, to cross boundaries he shouldn't cross.
No.
He firmly thought, closing his eyes tight.
He could hear the soft rustle of fabric as she finished changing, the faint sound of her breathing. The system was actively trying to get him to spy on her, offering rewards for violating her privacy.
I'm not doing this.
Nick mentally pulled up the system settings again, finding that corner menu:
[SYSTEM SETTINGS]
[Auto-Quest Enable: ON][Passive Point Generation: ON][Physical Reaction Trigger: ON][Involuntary Sensory Feedback: ON]
He disabled both "Auto-Quest Enable" and "Involuntary Sensory Feedback." The pressure in his mind lifted immediately, like someone had turned down the volume on a constant noise he hadn't even realized was there.
"I'm done."
Trisha said softly, and Nick opened his eyes.
She was wearing the semi-transparent robe, which clung to her damp skin but provided actual coverage. She looked more comfortable, less vulnerable. More like herself.
"How does it feel?"
He asked.
"It's... nice. Really nice, actually."
She smiled at him, genuine gratitude in her eyes.
"Thank you, Nick. I don't remember you ever... I mean, you've never been this nice to me before."
The words stung a little. The original Nick had been such a bastard to her.
"Things are different now."
He said simply.
"We need to get out of here. Stay close to me."
Nick took charge, pushing past the moment.
"Okay."
She nodded, her voice small and obedient, but there was something different in how she looked at him now. Less like a stepmother he tolerated. More like someone he actually cared about.
As they moved toward the cave entrance, sunlight began to filter through. Nick's eyes adjusted, revealing dense jungle beyond. Massive trees with thick trunks towered above them. Vines hung like serpents. Vegetation so dense it seemed alive.
The air was warm and humid, carrying scents of earth and decay.
This wasn't Earth. Or if it was, it was Earth as it had been millions of years ago.
They walked carefully through the jungle for about fifteen minutes, with Nick taking point and Trisha following closely behind. She stayed so close he could hear her breathing, feel her presence at his back.
Every crack of a branch made her flinch.
"Nick?"
Her voice came softly.
"Yeah?"
"I... I need to find a bathroom. Do you mind if I...?"
Nick gestured to a cluster of thick bushes nearby.
"Stay in sight. Don't go far."
She nodded and hurried over, disappearing behind the vegetation. Nick stood guard, listening to the jungle sounds. Bird calls. Insect chirps. The distant sound of running water.
A notification appeared immediately:
[Peek Quest Available: Observe partner during vulnerable moment][Reward: Sandals + Injury Prevention Card]
Not happening.