CHAPTER 36: WHO?

Vale had finally amassed the 20 Satisfaction needed to summon a second Champion.

A normal human would need time to recharge after that session, but Vale’s virility was anything but normal. While his desire may be curbed, his ability to become aroused hadn’t suffered in the slightest. He could go on, so why dawdle? The faster he could enlist this new Champion, the sooner he could aim his sights higher and accomplish essential tasks. Depending on their base strength and ability, they could challenge Level 1 as soon as tomorrow.

Well, that was assuming the Champion submitted to Vale.

’After what those two put me through... I think I have what it takes to please any woman...’

Salome and Toy still lay tapped out on the floor, cuddling one another. Vale left the two behind and began a march toward the core. As he stepped into the white expanse, he summoned the store page.

’Store’

Recruitment:

Champion: [20 Satisfaction]

Worker: [1 Aether]

Warrior: [10 Aether]

Archer: [15 Aether]

Mage: [100 Aether]

Random: [25 Aether]

Items:

N-Mystery box: [5 Aether]

C-Myster box: [10 Aether]

R-Mystery box: [20 Aether]

???: [1000 Aether]

’Here goes nothing...’

[Would you like to purchase a champion for 20 Satisfaction? Y/N?]

"Yes..."

[Captivate the Champion to claim them!]

’Captivate?’

Something felt off...

Before Vale could even register the system’s change in diction, a thundering shock rippled throughout the white expanse as if the floor was a liquid subject to the capillary wave.

In the next moment, a titanic red crystal dropped from the endless above and floated down to Vale’s level, stopping in line with him a little ways from the ever-growing pile of rubble. Once it was stationary, Vale was able to make out the form of the crystal...

’A huge rose head.’

One whose corolla curled in, and yet to bloom, but was still plucked from the stem.

The crystal began to rumble, then crack and split. Then, the incandescent red gemstone petals shifted — the vitreous velvet leaves blooming and unfurling.

As the screeching of the rocks halted, a beautiful woman stood revealed in the middle of the rose.

She had two mounds of fur poking out of her head... Surrounding each mound of fur was a tourmaline ornament.

’Are those her ears?’

Her hair was long, thick and jade green. It was tied back by an opulent ornament much like the tourmaline one tied around her apparent ears.

Her breasts were on the larger end; a little bigger than Toy’s, but a little smaller than Salome’s.

As for her eyes... they were a beautiful carmine. Crystal-like in appearance, they seemed to reflect like the rose she had just appeared from. Her pupils seemed to be more vermillion, but they still retained their crystallized structure.

Her outfit was also peculiar. It seemed to be made entirely out of crystal as well, with parts covering her delicate bits thicker and opaque, while the rest of the bodysuit was thin and transparent.

Finally, she wore a fabric shash that floated slightly around her as she walked, weaving in and out of her figure, around her arms, and behind her torso. It flowed around her continuously like a Möbius strip.

"Please..."

The woman’s voice was soft, honeyed, but also honest and proud.

"...Identify yourself, the one who wishes to be my master."

Vale slowly replied to the lavish woman.

"It is I... you may call me Vale."

The scintillant woman whose red eyes reflected the world slowly approached Vale

"Vale... prove your worthy..."

Vale was hesitant... Not because he was shy or anything. But because the wording of the system had changed...

Before, he’d been asked to prove his worth by ’performing coitus’ with Salome to ’satisfy’ her. Surely the system’s wording wouldn’t change without reason.

In a way, it made sense... assuming that Salome was not a made-up creature by the system and truly from a different world and self-autonomous, it made sense for each unique Champion to want something different from their master, or see different qualities worthy of being called a leader.

So then...

’What is it you want?’

"Please, tell me your name."

The girl raised her delicate hand, showcasing ruby fingernails, and gave a brisk smile. But despite the friendly gesture, her face was stoic as if her skin were stone.

"I am Ximena, Princess of the Crystal Owl tribe..."

’Owl? Is she supposed to be an owl woman? A crystal owl woman?’

Vale slowly approached the regal woman and looked down at her, who was a couple of centimeters shorter than Salome.

"Pleasure to meet you, Princess Ximena."

While Vale would have naturally assumed, as the dungeon of Lust’s Master, the next course of action would be ’coitus,’ the cold look in Ximena’s eyes betrayed that notion. While it didn’t look to be the last thing on her mind, it definitely wasn’t the first.

Vale looked calmly upon the delicate girl with pale quartz-like skin and said:

"Tell me... tell me of the world you came from."

Ximena’s indomitable expression stayed firm, but she seemed pleased by his question.

"The world I come from... It would be pronounced Kaldora in your language."

’The same world as Salome...’

Ximena continued:

"The Chrys Commonwealth... It was a vibrant and proud nation. I was a princess next in line to inherit the Owl’s throne, but as fate would have it, the Scourge would see us fall before my reign was ever made official. But not just our land, the entire world was taken by foul beasts..."

Vale smiled at the crystalline woman.

"Speaking of my language... how much do you know about your current situation?"

Ximena didn’t seem perturbed by the question, but she didn’t show any joy either. She still wasn’t showing much emotion at the moment. So, Vale found it hard to gauge her proper reaction to his question.

As for his question... he already knew the system was the reason for her ability to speak his language, but he wanted to know what else she knew without her seeing or knowing anything, unlike Salome. He was also curious to know if there was any difference between the knowledge retained or allowed compared to Salome.

"Revenge... I’m here to fight the Scourge."