As the sun sunk into the horizon hundreds of meters away to bath the world into a crimson hue, a figure clad in blue robes, black trousers visible near black boots emerged on top of a hill. Silver hair and a strange shoulder bag were visible too, making one wonder what this person was doing alone in this deserted place.
As the figure approached a group of gargantuan rocks which seemed to have once been one rock, panting sounds could be heard, a sign that the owner might have made a long journey to reach there.
One could ask himself whom the lone human was talking to, but soon, the lone human laughed out of nowhere, saying something after that, almost as if whoever he had asked before had answered him.
"Goddess of Beauty, the night has fallen," Byron asked as he came to a halt, feeling all the pain and fatigue from walking all day long assaulting his body at once. "Do I have to keep pushing forward?"
"Keep going!"
The goddess's answer made Byron feel more pain. There is no way he could keep standing on his sore feet, let alone taking more steps forward.
"Ha! No way! Even if it could be only one step, I don't know if I can take it."
With that, Byron lowered himself to sit on the dusty ground near the rocks, lying on his back after ward. He put the bag under his head as if a pillow, letting out a prolonged sigh, a sign that he was satisfied.
He then heard Goddess of Beauty's voice.
"Oh! I was kidding. How can I tell you to keep walking at night? This might be your only time to have some rest."
The goddess was right. From when he left the castle, he hadn't encountered any Infected Monster. Those parts were deserted and near the cliffs so the monsters could not stay there for they would starve.
However, things were bound to change once he ventures further and further. Plus, he was going somewhere where plants and Normal Monsters were abundant. A hunting ground for all Infected monsters around the area.
That's why Byron could not help but feel frightened by the fact that only today might be his good day outside the Drumline Castle.
He stared at the sky, reflecting on his past two days. One second he was a superstar in one world, dead another and thrown off a cliff minutes after in another world. He then met the Goddess of Beauty, fought some vile creatures and killed one of them, met his new family and lost his virginity.
'Gods!'
That was only one day. As for today, things were not that spicy except the drama with his brothers over Gillian and water. Now, thinking about the journey ahead, about the Venomous Beauties who might have spotted him by now, he couldn't help but feel frightened and... excited?
'Let's find something to eat first!'
He really was hungry. His mom had gave him a package of several small candy-like things... uh... what was their name? She had said they were... Ulcers. Yeah! Ulcers.
'What a weird name!'
That was his thought when he received them and put them into a pillow-like bag he had just turned into a shoulder bag by adding a cloth strap to it.
Now, he grabbed the shoulder bag and fetched some candies. The Patriarch had told him that only one can be enough to quench one's hunger. However, being a rich-kid as he was, Byron couldn't help but keep the sweet flavor into his mouth.
'You're going to reach the Dungeon of Desires soon and have some fruits... maybe roast a rabbit. Didn't they say there are several of them there?'
Though talking to the Goddess of Beauty had help him to kill boredom during the entire journey to these mysterious rocks, having something sweet inside his mouth had also been helpful.
Goddess of Beauty who had been silent for quite some time as if she was busy with something in her realm finally returned online.
"Are you done eating?"
Byron didn't know why, but this felt as if Goddess of Beauty had some other plans rather than letting him sleep.
That's why he asked, "Then what?"
"Settle your body in a comfortable position and come!"
'I knew it!' Byron said it internally as if to hide it from the goddess, but it was of no use. She had already heard it.
"Oh! That's good then." She teased. "It won't be difficult for me to convince you."
"Convince me what? Do you think I can accept to leave my body out here? Never!"
"Don't take it that way! It's not leaving it there... uh... I mean, not completely. You're going to enter your Soul Sea, take a lesson or two and sleep."
"I can't!"
"Oh tough guy, don't be too stubborn. You can always feel when something approaches your body."
Byron knew she was not lying. Entering his Soul Sea was only shifting a big percentage of his concentration there. He could always be connected to his physical body. However, the implications of her words.
[Come... take a lesson or two and...]
'Damn it!'
He knew what kind of lessons she was talking about and he was in dilemma. Even thinking about it gave him some excitement and shrills?
"Listen, Beauty Goddess! I'm tired. Let's do that when I return at the castle or maybe..."
A system notification cut him off.
*Ding!
[Side Mission: Enter your Soul Sea.
Deadline: 10 seconds.
Reward: Goddess of Beauty's kiss.
Penalty: Feel extreme coldness all night long.]
With a sigh, Byron found himself on the shores of a tranquil sea with pristine waters, a sun burning far above.
"What was that?" he asked as he pushed through the portal into Goddess of Beauty's white realm.
"Did you think I don't have ways to control you? I know humans. You can be stubborn most of the times. That's why I put there that Side Mission function."
Whatever she was saying, Byron was not fully hearing her. His gaze was fixed on a beauty with two ruby burning eyes, her usual white dress now a pure darkness, her cleavage as breathtaking as belonging to a goddess could be.
Byron could see that something else had changed. Her usual alabaster skin, so blinding and gradually glowing like a dying star had turned into a colour of honey, making Byron gulp at the thought of how she would look like while naked.
This time, he didn't open his mouth.
'This is a dream, right?'
Come to think of it, she had once tricked him into fight jllusional monsters. Could it be that she could change her features by the use of that illusion technique of hers?
'Gods!'
Seeing his stupefied gaze, the beauty with ruby eyes giggled, her long fingers playing with her black hair.
"It's bad to keep giving a man the same type of meal, don't you think? It really is bad! I can tell by how satisfied you are seeing me like this. I guess I will have to use this trick a lot."
Before Byron could say anything, she untied what he could call a belt. The next second, her black dress plummeted toward the white floor.
Touching her breasts, the goddess said, "Tough guy, it's time you take the lead and practice how you'll handle the Venomous Beauties. Remember there's a bed, okay?"
'Oh Gods!'