With a dead, hollow stare stripped of all emotion, Mina made her way down the narrow stairs leading to the alchemy workshop.
Every single step was a fresh, humiliating trial.
Her new, monumental breasts bounced heavily and suppley with every stride - a motion that was infuriatingly obnoxious, yet in some hard-to-define, primal way... perversely satisfying.
She had to tread with utmost care, clutching a large earthenware pot in both hands, filled to the brim with a dense, steaming, milky-white fluid.
“I milked myself... like a common cow,” she grated into the stairwell, before casting her eyes toward the ceiling and adding with boundless bitterness:
“And I was fucking moaning the entire time like a cheap porn star.”
Her body had been sensitive before, but what had occurred after unlocking the skill crossed every line of decency.
Her breasts - most notably her engorged, erect nipples - throbbed with an overwhelming, searing hypersensitivity.
Throughout the entire half-hour spent on the cot with the pot clamped between her knees, every squeeze of her fingers and every pulsing spurt of milk had sent waves of pleasure crashing through her loins so shameless she had been forced to bite down on a pillow just to keep from waking the neighbors.
“Pious liturgy and incense by morning, milking my own udders in the attic by night. A true Daughter of Light, no doubt about it,” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head.
“I really did land in a fucking eroge.”
Stepping into the workshop, she kicked the door shut behind her and set the pot down on the stone workbench.
She lit the oil lamp, then, donning an utterly deadpan, professional expression, began gathering the prepared reagents.
Even though her cheeks were still blazing with a crimson flush, she recited the measurements with loud, mechanical discipline:
“Fifty grams of Mist Mushrooms... Fifty grams of Blood Pepper... Fifteen grams of Blue Root... One hundred and fifty grams of Mountain Basilisk Meat slices... Three hundred and fifty milliliters of Pink Slime Nectar... Two liters of fresh water.”
She dumped everything into the copper cauldron and stoked the hearth fire using Mana Control.
As the concoction came to a boil, frothing with thick, murky foam, Mina looked over at the earthenware pot of milk.
“And lastly... three hundred milliliters of Mina-brand milk,” she said with a dry sigh, measuring out the white liquid and slowly pouring it into the cauldron.
There was still just as much left in the pot - fresh, premium-grade raw material straight from the local Mina Ranch.
The moment the milk merged with the brew, the alchemical temperature spiked dramatically.
The liquid hissed as it drank in her essence, its hue shifting from muddy copper to a radiant pink.
Keeping her eyes glued to the cauldron, she followed the instructions of the newly unlocked tutorial for Vigor Elixir (Milky Version) step by step.
She stirred patiently, regulating the energy flow and keeping the slime nectar from scorching against the bottom.
After over an hour of rigorous brewing, the thick pink broth stabilized, glowing with faint, crimson ribbons of light.
Using a glass funnel, Mina carefully filled five heavy test tubes, sealing each with a waxed cork.
A golden prompt flared before her eyes at once:
[Successfully Crafted: 5x Vigor Elixir (Milky Version)]
“Success...” Mina breathed, leaning against the edge of the table and dabbing the sweat from her brow.
She stared at the five pink vials sitting in the wooden rack.
A slow, predatory smile curled her lips, the tip of her tongue unconsciously tracing her lip.
“One vial ought to fetch at least ten gold coins.”
In this world, magical items and potions intended for Apprentice-level mages were typically priced in silver coins - ordinary artisans or laborers could afford them if they pinched pennies and saved for several weeks.
However, services and goods crafted by Adept or Expert mages existed in an entirely different financial stratosphere.
A single cast of an advanced spell capable of curing a lethal illness commanded a king's ransom in pure gold, making it something the common rabble could only dream of.
The Vigor Elixir fell into that very same elite tier.
According to the game's mechanics, this draught wasn't a temporary fix - regular consumption semi-permanently bolstered the user's vitality, stamina, and mana circulation.
A wealthy nobleman or merchant imbibing this elixir could effortlessly dominate high-society bedchambers, transforming into an untiring salon stallion whom countesses would duel over.
On the black market, where genuine Toadfolk brews were scarce, a single bottle routinely broke the twenty-gold-coin barrier.
And Mina, armed with the walkthroughs she had absorbed from the forums, possessed a ready-made rolodex of underworld contacts.
The following day unfolded in routine fashion: morning mass, the hypocritical confessions of artisans, cleaning the sacristy, and afternoon liturgy.
Mina maintained the pristine, unblemished poise of a Daughter of Light, though beneath her loose habit, her lush bust swayed with every bow, and her thoughts revolved exclusively around the coming night.
Once she locked up the church and threw the iron crossbars, she waited patiently until midnight.
In place of priestly vestments, she donned a modest, slightly worn dress of coarse linen and threw a voluminous, dark gray cloak with a deep cowl over her shoulders.
She looked every bit the suspicious figure slipping through the shadows toward the harbor.
Her long golden hair was bound into a tight ponytail so as not to hinder her stride.
The church on Wax Lantern Street sat on the grim border between the harbor district and the slums, whereas her destination - Pale Leaf Street - lay on the right-hand side of the Red Lantern District.
The trek took over half an hour of brisk, vigilant walking hugged against the masonry.
At last, she arrived.
Looming before her was a monumental, five-story edifice boasting an opulent, decadent facade.
Above the massive double doors blazed an immense neon sign powered by magic crystals, casting an intoxicating, golden radiance across the cobblestones:
“The Pink Haven”
It was the most exclusive nightclub in the entire district, and in years past, the most renowned pleasure house in the imperial capital.
It offered everything under the sun: gourmet dining, high-stakes gambling, private baths, massage parlors, and the company of the most exquisite courtesans.
Though its golden age had waned following the magical revolution and the district's decline, the old adage held true: a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.
The Pink Haven remained a bastion of luxury for the wealthy seeking discreet pleasures.
Mina involuntarily shuddered at a memory from the game’s forum.
If the heroine fell behind on her debt payments five times over the course of the campaign, it triggered a Bad End where she wound up here as the highest-priced Bunny Girl servicing the aristocracy.
“Not a chance in hell. Not with me,” she muttered resolutely beneath her cowl.
Flanking the main entrance were two young, insanely sensual women.
The girls wore skimpy satin corsets that barely skimmed their buttocks, fishnet stockings, and stiletto heels.
With every passing patron, they swayed their hips, falling into languid, tantalizing poses.
Etched across their smooth, bare backs were twin tattoos of dainty black bat wings.
Mina had no intention of entering through the front doors, however.
She veered left, slipping down a narrow, dim alley hugging the club’s flank.
Tucked beneath an exterior fire escape, she spotted a plain wooden door fitted with a small, wire-reinforced glass pane.
Warm amber light spilled from within, pooling softly over the stone flags.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside, the delicate chime of a brass bell announcing her arrival.
The interior was surprisingly serene, warm, and refined.
The space was appointed like an upscale café merged with a private library - shelves lined the walls, though instead of tomes, they displayed silk pouches of exotic coffee beans.
A rich aroma of roasted beans, cinnamon, and vanilla permeated the air.
Adjacent to the entrance stood a tall, polished bar of dark timber fronted by a row of barstools.
Seated behind the counter was a woman whose beauty was downright breathtaking.
She had a glorious cascade of thick crimson hair spilling over her shoulders, porcelain skin, and emerald, feline eyes.
Her dark purple velvet gown boasted a neckline so brazenly plunging that her lush, perfectly sculpted bust was displayed in all its glory.
The woman was lazily leafing through a hefty leather-bound ledger.
At the chime of the bell, she looked up, a slow, intoxicating smile gracing her full lips:
“Welcome, dear guest. You certainly look new to these parts~”
An icy shiver raced down Mina’s spine.
The woman’s voice was so sweet, velvety, and dripping with raw sensuality that the very air seemed to thicken.
Liliane...
According to the forum guides, this red-haired siren was one of the pivotal figures within The Pink Haven, overseeing the black market for elixirs.
She had a reputation as a tough yet scrupulously fair broker - provided one adhered to two golden rules.
First: never mention the Addiction Elixir in her presence, an item she despised with every fiber of her being.
Second... a beautiful, innocent maiden should never, under any circumstances, be left alone with her.
After all, Liliane was a pureblooded succubus.
And succubi in this universe, burdened by a catastrophically low birth rate, didn't waste their time dallying with human men.
They preferred hunting exceptional young maidens - seducing them with sweet promises and tender caresses, until the naive victims ended up in tears, carrying a litter of succubus spawn in their wombs.
Mina, while oblivious to the finer nuances of their biology, knew one thing for certain: she had to remain strictly professional.
She stepped up to the counter and attempted to perch onto the high barstool with cool, dignified poise.
And in that exact moment, her plan crumbled to dust.
Between her petite stature and the sudden, explosive expansion of her bust, her massive new “forward armor” bumped against the hard edge of the bar with a dull thud.
Losing her balance, Mina wobbled, and with no other way to keep from tumbling off the stool, she cupped both breasts in her hands and simply... plunked them down onto the bar counter.
Two gigantic, pillowy mounds in an E-cup spilled across the polished wood right before Liliane’s eyes, while the gaping lapels of her cloak shamelessly laid bare the priestess’s glistening skin. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Liliane froze, the ledger slipping from her fingers to thump against the counter.
The succubus's emerald pupils narrowed into vertical, predatory slits, and from beneath the folds of her gown emerged a long, sleek tail tipped with a spade-like barb, twitching with uncontrollable, electric anticipation.
The languid veneer vanished from her voice in an instant, replaced by a thick, feverish purr:
“My sweet, little guest... Tell me, what strikes your fancy tonight?~”
Mina clocked the sudden shift in the air with mounting unease.
Flustered and slightly unnerved by the woman’s predatory gaze, she hurriedly reached beneath her cloak.
She pulled out an oblong wooden box and set it on the bar beside her resting bosom.
When she opened the lid, five glass vials lay nestled upon black velvet inside.
The pink liquid swirled hypnotically, ribbons of crimson luminescence drifting through it like living blood vessels.
“I didn't come here for a drink,” Mina said, trying to drop her voice to a firmer register. “I came to sell magical potions.”
Liliane arched an eyebrow, her gaze tearing away from the girl’s cleavage with palpable reluctance to settle on the vials:
“This is a café, little blossom. If you're looking for a buyer for your homebrew, you should run along to the city apothecary on the corner...”
Mina flashed a knowing smirk.
Exactly as the player had described in the forum guide!
This was the cue for the secret passkey that would unlock the game's hidden black-market menu.
“Mother of Creation Isolde brought me here,” she recited in a confident, even voice.
Sliding the box toward the succubus, she added solemnly:
“This is a standard magical Vigor Elixir. Peak quality and unblemished purity. A commodity in staggering demand.”
And sure enough - at the mention of Isolde’s name, Liliane’s emerald eyes dilated violently, before narrowing into icy, lethal slits.
She knew that name all too well.
Yet the reaction that unfolded a fraction of a second later bore zero resemblance to the polite merchant menu promised in the walkthrough.
Liliane flicked her wrist.
SLAM!
The heavy wooden entrance doors crashed shut with a deafening boom, the iron deadbolts sliding into place of their own accord with a metallic shriek.
The warm amber lamps guttered out, surrendering the café to a sinister, purple gloom.
A monstrous, chest-crushing aura belonging to an Expert-rank mage detonated in the air.
The sheer pressure of the alien mana slammed into Mina like a falling boulder.
The air was violently wrenched from her lungs, her heart seizing in her throat.
“Speak!” Liliane’s voice rang out, vibrating with ice-cold fury, stripped of every trace of sweetness.
“Where did you learn that name?! A petty nun from Wax Lantern Street has no right to even utter that title!”
With those words, four spectral chains shimmering with ethereal light coalesced from the strange purple mist.
Before Mina could even scream, the magical shackles coiled tightly around her wrists and ankles, brutally lashing her to the high barstool and locking every limb in place.
Another chain cinched tightly across her torso, biting deep beneath her monumental bust and crushing it into merciless prominence.
Mina thrashed in sheer panic, feeling the suffocating constriction across her ribcage.
Thank all the gods I milked these damn tits completely dry before leaving! the wild, hysterical thought flashed through her mind.
Had her glands still been full, that kind of crushing pressure would have sprayed a fountain of milk across the entire counter...
Yet relief over averting a lactational catastrophe lasted barely a fraction of a second, instantly wiped away as pure, boundless terror washed over Mina's pale face.
Hot, helpless tears welled in her eyes.
The screenshot from the forum flashed in her mind’s eye, along with that cursed post:
“Pick this dialogue option, trust me, you'll thank me later!”
The guide was fake?! she screamed internally, suffocating beneath the weight of the purple aura.
That fucking internet troll wrote that just to screw over other players?!
Why?!
Why did people from Earth have to be such spiteful pieces of shit even in another world?!