The warmth of the sun gently embraced him through the cracked window.
Zane shuffled around under the blanket, refusing to wake up from his hard-earned sleep.
“Ugh…” A groan escaped his cracked and bruised lips.
Even when he struggled to balance the three jobs the original body left for him, he didn’t feel this achy.
His throat felt parched from all the fucking and sucking they did.
Two large, able-bodied men went at it for hours, like animals in heat of sorts.
System, make me feel better.
It wasn’t so terrible that Zane couldn’t move, but he didn’t want to do anything after all of that chaos.
[Drink from the vial to your left.]
Don’t wanna.
Too lazy to move.
His eyes were still tightly shut as he lay there on his back.
The system watched its lazy host throwing a tantrum, wondering if it should step in.
A gentle breeze brushed his bangs aside.
It felt like cold fingers gently caressing his chin, causing him to frown.
A sudden chill touched his lips, parting them and filling them with an equally cold liquid.
Zane swallowed it out of instinct before his eyes burst open in fright.
What the fuck was that?
His lips were dry to the touch, the broken skin now as smooth and soft as before, showing no signs of last night’s mischief.
He hadn’t noticed that the aching had long disappeared, thinking only that the chill he felt must have been some form of delusion.
[…] The system couldn’t begin to fathom its host’s thoughts.
It wondered how Zane had worked under the network with that pea-sized brain of his.
Even so, the system remained quiet.
“Where’s Clyde?”
[Answering: TARGET Clyde is currently helping the villagers prepare breakfast.]
What a goody-two-shoes.
Although that only applies outside of bed.
“Did you feed me the vial?” He looked to his left and found nothing there.
Zane sat up, causing the blanket to slip off his body and reveal his shirtless state.
His back felt fine, as if nothing had happened last night.
But Zane knew better than to think that it was all a dream, because the progression of the mission was brightly shining in front of his face.
Did you?
Not hearing an answer, Zane probed the system again.
He had originally thought that systems couldn’t manifest in the world they were tasked with, so they had to rely on hosts to complete the missions.
I did the ritual for nothing?
He suddenly blushed at the embarrassment he had to endure when he inquired about how to make offerings from the villagers.
Don’t let me catch you, you shitty system!
[I enjoyed the food.]
His body was spotless, looking as perfect as it did the day before.
Does it also heal bruises like hickeys?
[No, only physical pains that hinder your everyday life.]
Zane silently praised Clyde for having enough self-control and quickly showered.
So…why did the progression skip to 65?
The movements of wiping dry his wet hair stopped once the question crossed his mind.
He stood still in front of the closet, completely naked, without a care.
[Answering: TARGET Clyde feels repulsed at the thought of engaging in sexual relations with the protagonist.
At this time, there is no chance of the two getting together.]
Oh…
He did say he felt disgusted.
“Hahaha.” Zane let out a dry laugh as he rummaged through the clothes.
All of a sudden, the door to his cabin was pulled open.
The cool morning breeze rushed into the room along with someone.
“Huh?”
“…” Michael stood there in silence for a good five seconds before shutting the door behind him.
He stood there, unsure of what to say, until Zane shrugged his shoulders and broke the silence.
“What’s up?” Zane grabbed a pair of underwear and quickly slipped them on.
He’s not going to claim sexual harassment because I’m naked, right?
[Master should use this chance to seduce TARGET MICHAEL.]
Are you crazy?
“Clyde sent me to check on you…” Zane could feel Michael’s gaze scanning him from head to toe.
“Did he?” Zane felt his face heat up again.
He wondered if Clyde had told Michael about it.
“Give me that.” Michael walked over and took the towel.
Zane raised his head to look at him with confusion, his hair still dripping wet from the shower moments ago.
“You’ll get sick if you leave it like that.”
His movements were gentle, just like when he helped Zane wash away the clay.
As someone who spent a lot of time in water, Michael was taught wiping techniques to help him avoid damaging his hair and skin.
“The mornings here are a lot colder than in the city.” The movements were so satisfying.
It felt like head massages every time Michael increased the pressure in certain areas.
He spoke softly, barely a whisper, nearly lulling Zane to sleep.
The fresh scent of shampoo and body wash filled the space between them.
Michael couldn’t help but take a closer look at the man before him.
“Yesterday, something happened between C and Oliver.
“So I heard…” Something about the way Zane spoke made his eyes fall to those lips.
The sudden image of Zane and Clyde kissing that day flashed into his mind.
“Did something happen?” Almost instantly, those pale ears turned a shade redder.
Michael stopped wiping.
So something did happen.
Michael gazed at Zane’s reaction thoughtfully.
Originally, he thought that Clyde just needed space away from Oliver, and the best place to do that was to sleep in one of the special cabins.
But his thoughts changed when he bumped into Clyde during his morning runs.
Not only was his friend a clean freak, but he would never attempt anything that was a high risk of injuring his precious hands.
To see him handling a knife and working with hot oils, pans, and fire was incredible in itself.
So when Clyde asked him to check on Zane and wake him up for breakfast was even more incredible.
“How’s your body?” Michael disregarded the bewildered Zane.
Both Clyde and Michael had all been in relationships with others before this, so he knew Clyde’s preference when it came to sex.
He knew that Clyde liked to kiss a lot.
He also knew that Clyde was obsessed with mapping out the person’s body.
He could become a bit tyrannical and controlling at times.
Zane felt his hand groping his waist and back, as if checking for any stiffness or injuries.
It wasn’t until Michael reached for his ass that Zane smacked his hand away.
“Why are you assuming that I was the bottom!?” Aside from the hoarse voice, he looked completely fine.
“I mean, you’re right…but damn!
Making me feel all delicate and shit…” Zane suddenly felt annoyed.
He pushed the other away and quickly put on a pair of matching shorts and a t-shirt.
Something about his proportions made it hard for Michael to look away.
Is it because of those lips?
Michael had thought about it a lot, how the sudden shift in their dynamic seemed to begin with Zane kissing Clyde.
Clyde no longer tolerated Oliver, and even Michael himself started to feel some annoyance with Oliver’s behavior.
Must be soft…
Due to displeasure, Zane’s lips were pressed together, making it seem like he was pouting a little.
Before he knew it, Michael had already reached out to stop Zane, who was about to leave.
“Give me a kiss, too.”
[TARGET Michael’s current goodwill towards Master is 45%.]
[TARGET Clyde’s current goodwill towards Master is 80%.]
So easy?
For the first time, both the system and Zane shared a thought.
The system suddenly found Zane’s claim of succeeding in three days to be true.
Its facial expression showed slight acknowledgment of the host’s talent, but it would never admit that to its host.