Damien spent the next four hours preparing.
He reviewed his stats. Checked his system wallet. Tested his skills one by one. Pheromone Release was passive now. Desire Reading was active. Confidence Aura was off cooldown. Voice Modulator was equipped.
He had $742 in his system wallet. The free outfit from the system covered his clothing. He didn’t need to buy anything else.
But he wanted to.
[Level 3 System Shop - New Items:]
[Liquid Courage (Tier 1) - $40 - A shot-sized drink that temporarily removes all social anxiety and doubles Charm for 30 minutes. Does not impair judgment. One use per night.]
[Desire Spike (Tier 1) - $60 - Sends a sudden pulse of arousal to a specific target within visual range. Target experiences a warm flush and heightened attraction for 5 minutes. Cannot be detected consciously.]
[Scan (Tier 1) - $30 - Allows Host to scan a room and see all available targets, their arousal levels, and relationship statuses simultaneously. Duration: 10 minutes.]
Three items. One hundred thirty dollars total. He’d have $612 left after.
The Liquid Courage was tempting. Walking into a party full of people who had seen his meme and Chad’s posts was going to be brutal. But the Confidence Aura already handled anxiety. Double Charm for thirty minutes could be the difference between blending in and standing out.
The Desire Spike was a scalpel. One target. One pulse. Five minutes of heightened attraction. If he timed it right, he could use it on Sophia at the perfect moment.
The Scan was strategic. Seeing every woman in the room, their arousal levels, and their relationship statuses would let him map the entire party before making a move.
He bought all three.
[Total spent: $130]
[Remaining balance: $612]
At 8:30 p.m., Damien stepped out of his apartment and walked toward Greek Row.
The night air was warm. Los Angeles in late September held its heat like a grudge. The streets were alive with music and laughter and the sound of expensive cars engine-revving for no reason.
Greek Row was a stretch of mansions near the north end of campus. Each house belonged to a fraternity or sorority. Sigma Chi’s house was the largest. Three stories. White columns. A lawn that looked like it was mowed with scissors.
The party was already raging when he arrived. Cars lined both sides of the street. Music thumped from inside the house so hard the windows vibrated. A crowd of students spilled onto the front lawn, red cups in hand, laughing and shouting and doing the things college students do when their parents are paying tuition.
Damien stopped at the edge of the lawn.
He activated Scan.
[Scan activated. Duration: 10 minutes.]
The world shifted. Every person in his visual range got a tag. Not just women. Everyone. The men showed up as red tags. The women showed up as blue tags with arousal percentages and relationship statuses.
He scanned the front lawn first.
[Woman, 21, blonde. Arousal: 8%. Status: Single. Attraction profile: Funny guys, tall.]
[Woman, 22, redhead. Arousal: 3%. Status: In a relationship. Attraction profile: Dark hair, confident body language.]
[Man, 23, jock type. Aggression: Low.]
[Woman, 20, Asian. Arousal: 12%. Status: Single. Attraction profile: Muscular arms, good smile.]
[Man, 21, preppy. Aggression: Moderate.]
Dozens of tags. Too many to process. He filtered the men out and focused on the women. The blue tags floated above heads like halos.
Then he found her.
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 41%. Status: In a relationship. Attraction profile: Tall men, dark eyes, sharp jawlines, confidence, sense of humor, men who take charge.]
[Note: Target’s attraction profile matches Host’s current physical traits at 87% compatibility.]
Eighty-seven percent compatibility. The system was practically gift-wrapping her.
She was standing near the front door with a group of girls. Brunette hair loose past her shoulders. Athletic body in a tight black dress that ended mid-thigh. Brown legs. Full lips. Big brown eyes. She was laughing at something one of her friends said.
Then she looked up and saw him.
Her laughter died. Her eyes widened. Her tag spiked.
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 41% → 56%.]
Just from seeing him. The Pheromone Release was working. The outfit was working. The Body Enhancement Pill was working. Everything was working.
Sophia broke away from her group and walked toward him. Her hips swayed with each step. Her dress clung to curves that he’d spent entire lectures trying not to stare at.
"You came," she said. Her voice was warm. Slightly breathless.
"I said I would."
"I know. But people say a lot of things." She was close now. Close enough that her perfume reached him. Something floral and expensive. "You look different from what I expected."
"Different how?"
"Bigger. In person." Her eyes traveled down his body and back up. She caught herself and blushed. "I mean. You know. Taller."
"I get that a lot apparently."
She laughed. The tag above her head pulsed.
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 56% → 61%.]
"Come inside," she said. "I’ll introduce you to some people. But maybe avoid the kitchen. Derek’s in there doing shots with his teammates."
Derek. The refrigerator-shaped boyfriend. Damien made a mental note.
"And maybe avoid the back patio," Sophia added. "Chad’s out there with Victoria and his boys."
Two danger zones. Kitchen and patio. Which meant the living room and the second floor were the safe zones.
"Got it," he said. "Kitchen and patio are off-limits."
"You’re taking this surprisingly well."
"I’m a survivor."
She laughed again and grabbed his hand. Her fingers were warm. She pulled him through the front door and into the chaos.
The inside of Sigma Chi was exactly what he expected. Expensive furniture being destroyed by drunk students. A DJ in the corner blasting music so loud his ribcage vibrated. Keg stands in the dining room. A dance floor packed with bodies grinding against each other.
Sophia led him through the crowd. Her hand never let go of his. Every few seconds, someone would recognize him and whisper to the person next to them.
"Is that the barback guy?"
"That’s him. The one from the post." This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
"No way. He looks way different in person."
"He’s kinda hot actually."
"Isn’t Mia Chen’s ex trying to kill him?"
The whispers followed him like a shadow. But he kept walking. Head up. Face neutral. The Confidence Aura was doing its job.
Sophia pulled him into the living room where a group of girls were sitting on couches around a coffee table covered in red cups and playing cards.
"Guys, this is Damien," Sophia announced. "The one I told you about."
Five faces turned to look at him. Five tags appeared.
[Woman, 21, Rachel. Arousal: 9%. Status: Single.]
[Woman, 22, Jenny. Arousal: 14%. Status: Single.]
[Woman, 20, Priya. Arousal: 22%. Status: Single.]
[Woman, 21, Megan. Arousal: 6%. Status: In a relationship.]
[Woman, 22, Ashley. Arousal: 18%. Status: Single.]
Five women. Four single. All checking him out with varying degrees of interest.
"Hi," Damien said.
"Hi," they all said back in unison.
Rachel patted the couch cushion next to her. "Sit. We’re playing Never Have I Ever. You’re joining."
Damien sat. Sophia sat next to him. Close. Her thigh pressed against his. She didn’t move it.
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 61% → 65%. Proximity bonus active.]
"Okay rules," Rachel said. She was blonde with a round face and a wicked grin. "One statement. If you’ve done it, you drink. If you haven’t, you don’t. If everyone drinks, the person who said it has to drink twice. Questions?"
"Let’s go," Jenny said. She was tall and lean with dark skin and sharp cheekbones. "Never have I ever hooked up with a coworker."
Everyone looked at Damien.
He picked up a red cup and drank.
The girls erupted. Laughing and clapping and pointing. Sophia’s face went red but she was laughing too.
"How did they know?" Damien asked Sophia.
"I might have told them," she whispered.
"You told them?"
"They’re my best friends. I tell them everything."
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 65%. Trust: 45% → 52%.]
"Okay my turn," Priya said. She was Indian with long dark hair and full lips. "Never have I ever been in a fight."
Damien drank again.
More screaming. More laughter. Rachel nearly fell off the couch.
"Wait wait wait," Megan said. She was the quiet one. Glasses. Brown hair. "Never have I ever fought someone with a baseball bat."
Damien drank.
The room went silent for three seconds. Then exploded.
"Okay that’s a lie," Jenny said.
"It’s not," Sophia said quietly. "I saw the posts. He fought off Mia’s ex who came to her apartment with a bat."
"You fought a guy with a bat?" Rachel’s eyes were huge. "And you’re still alive?"
"He’s the one who’s not doing great," Damien said. "I’m fine."
[Social reputation updated. Status: Local legend.]
[Charm bonus from social reputation: +1. Effective Charm: 10.]
His Charm had hit 10. Average. For the first time in his life, he was average at something. And average was enough to keep the room’s attention.
"My turn," Damien said. The room went quiet. "Never have I ever checked out the new guy at a party within five seconds of meeting him."
Silence. Then every single girl in the circle picked up their cup and drank.
Even Megan. The quiet one with the glasses.
[Group arousal increase: +4% across all targets.]
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 65% → 71%. Jealousy factor detected.]
Sophia’s hand found his thigh under the table. She squeezed gently. A territorial gesture. The other girls were looking at him and she didn’t like it.
"My turn," Ashley said. She was the boldest one. Brunette. Green eyes. A body that her tight top was struggling to contain. "Never have I ever thought about sleeping with someone in this room right now."
She stared directly at Damien when she said it.
Three girls drank. Ashley. Jenny. And Sophia.
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 71% → 78%.]
[Ashley. Arousal: 18% → 34%.]
[Jenny. Arousal: 14% → 29%.]
Three women in the circle were thinking about sleeping with him. One of them was his quest target with a boyfriend in the kitchen. The other two were her best friends.
This was a minefield.
"Okay we need more alcohol," Rachel announced. "I’ll get shots. Nobody move."
"I’ll be right back," Damien said. "Bathroom."
He stood up and walked away from the group before anyone could object. He needed a moment to think. The party was moving fast. Sophia’s arousal was climbing. The game was accelerating things. But Derek was in the kitchen and Chad was on the patio and one wrong turn could end everything.
He found the bathroom on the second floor. Locked the door. Leaned against the sink.
[Quest timer: 3 hours and 42 minutes remaining.]
[Target Sophia Russo. Arousal: 78%. Trust: 52%. Relationship status: In a relationship.]
[System recommendation: Isolate target from group. Find private location. Escalate physical contact.]
Isolate. Escalate. The system made it sound like a military operation.
He checked his inventory. Liquid Courage. Desire Spike. Confidence Aura. All ready.
His phone buzzed. A text from Mia.
Mia: How’s the party?
Damien: Loud. Crowded. Sophia is here.
Mia: Sophia Russo? The one from your Lit class?
Damien: Yeah.
Mia: She has a boyfriend Damien.
Damien: I know.
Mia: Be careful.
He pocketed his phone and looked in the bathroom mirror. The person staring back was calm. Composed. Ready.
Then someone knocked on the door.
"Occupied," he called.
"Damien? It’s me."
Sophia’s voice. Muffled through the door.
He opened it. She stood in the hallway. Her cheeks were flushed. Her breathing was slightly fast. Her eyes locked onto his.
"I followed you," she said.
"I noticed."
"Everyone’s looking for you downstairs. Rachel came back with shots. But I wanted to..." She trailed off. Her hand reached out and touched his chest. "I wanted to talk to you alone."
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 78% → 84%. Isolated from group.]
"About what?" he asked. Though the tag above her head told him exactly what.
"About why I invited you here tonight."
"Why did you?"
She bit her lower lip. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his v-neck. "Because I saw the video. The one from Mia’s apartment building. And I thought... I thought you looked like someone I wanted to know."
"The video where I fought a guy with a bat?"
"The video where you looked like a completely different person than the guy who sits two seats away from me in Lit and never talks to anyone." She stepped closer. Her chest almost touched his. "You’ve been right there the whole time. And I never noticed you."
"I’m hard to notice."
"Not anymore." Her voice dropped. "Damien. I have a boyfriend."
"I know."
"Derek is downstairs doing shots and I’m up here following you into a bathroom and I don’t know why."
**[System recommendation: Do not encourage target to acknowledge moral conflict. Redirect focus to physical sensation.]**
"I know why," Damien said softly.
"Why?"
He activated the Desire Spike.
[Desire Spike activated. Target: Sophia Russo. Effect: 5 minutes of heightened arousal.]
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 84% → 94%.]
Her pupils dilated. Her lips parted. A visible shiver ran through her body. She gripped his shirt with both hands and pulled him toward her.
"Because I can’t stop looking at you," she whispered.
Then she kissed him.
Hard. Desperate. Her mouth was hot and her tongue was hungry and her hands were pulling him closer. He backed her into the hallway wall and she moaned against his lips. Her leg hooked around his calf.
[Sophia Russo. Arousal: 94% → 97%. Quest completion imminent.]
[Fertility Control: Active. Pregnancy risk: 5% per internal ejaculation.]
[Host has not purchased Contraceptive Aura.]
[Remaining system balance: $612.]
[Contraceptive Aura price: $50.]
$612. The Aura was $50. He could buy it. Right now. Two taps in the system interface. Zero risk.
But Sophia’s tongue was in his mouth. Her hands were under his shirt. Her hips were grinding against his. And her tag was screaming 97%.
Then a voice from the stairs.
"Sophia? You up here?"
Deep. Male. Angry.
[Threat detected: Derek Holloway. 6’2". 240 lbs. Aggression level: High. Approaching stairs.]
[He is looking for his girlfriend.]
[He will reach the second floor in approximately 15 seconds.]