The translucent interface flickered faintly.
One notification after another continued appearing.
[Character Affection Level Changed]
…
[System] : Host! Can you see this?!
[System] : What’s going on?! What’s happening right now?!
Half asleep and half awake, Xue Zhao’s consciousness finally recovered by a fraction.
At the same time, the illusion began collapsing.
Crack.
The flowerpot they were hiding inside split apart.
It broke completely into two pieces and toppled outward.
The surrounding grass flattened.
Brilliant sunlight poured down over them.
Bathed in the warmth of the sun, enveloped by the sweet fragrance of the person holding him, Xue Zhao became drowsy again.
Closing his eyes, he rubbed his cheek lightly against the fingertips resting there.
Xiu Jixin’s expression remained completely blank.
The strength in his hand increased slightly.
Refusing to allow Xue Zhao to continue moving around.
[Character Affection Level Changed]
Another notification appeared.
This one was even clearer.
Unable to produce actual sound, the system could only convey its desperation through an endless line of exclamation marks.
The sheer panic practically leapt out from the text.
Xue Zhao froze.
At last, he fully woke up.
The illusion completely shattered.
The giant grass disappeared.
The sunlight vanished.
The familiar clinic corridor returned.
Yet the embrace before him remained.
And this time, it felt even more real.
Xue Zhao’s consciousness cleared completely.
Only then did he realize that he had somehow collapsed onto the ground.
And Xiu Jixin was holding him.
More accurately,
He himself was sprawled in Xiu Jixin’s arms.
The two of them were seated together on the floor.
Their posture was even more intimate than the last time Xue Zhao had emerged from the wardrobe.
This was nothing like the dream.
Burying his face against Xiu Jixin’s chest, Xue Zhao inhaled the rich scent surrounding him.
“Food” slowly began flowing into his body.
[System] : What’s going on? What’s happening?
[System] : Did this human enter your dream too?
For someone as young as Xiu Jixin to have already become a priest, he clearly possessed considerable ability.
Dreamwalking wasn’t particularly difficult for a person like him.
Inside his mind, Xue Zhao answered softly.
“Mm…”
[System] : You… what exactly did you do inside the dream?
The system was deeply worried.
If Xue Zhao’s true identity had been exposed, Xiu Jixin would have ordered the black cat to attack immediately.
He certainly wouldn’t have helped him wake up from the nightmare.
“I didn’t…” Xue Zhao replied guiltily. “I didn’t do anything.”
Probably…
Right?
“You’ve woken up?”
Xiu Jixin’s voice sounded right beside his ear.
His tone was somewhat low.
Xue Zhao’s entire body stiffened.
Remembering the affection notifications he had seen before regaining consciousness, he grew increasingly nervous.
Had Xiu Jixin…
started disliking him again?
After hesitating for a long while, Xue Zhao slowly raised his head.
The moment he noticed the cool, distant look on Xiu Jixin’s face, his anxiety deepened.
Yet the hunger inside him remained.
Caught between these conflicting emotions, he didn’t know what to do.
A trace of grievance surfaced in his eyes.
The system, which had suddenly gone silent earlier, finally spoke again.
[System] : The side mission was the third mission.
[System] : It’s already been completed.
[System] : The detailed affection values can be viewed now.
Before Xue Zhao could react, a ranking list popped up on the panel.
Each page displayed fifteen names.
The fifteenth-ranked person had an affection value of 35.
Beside it was the note:
“One-Time Acquaintance.”
Higher up the list, many people fell within the range of thirty-five to forty-five points.
That indicated an average impression, not particularly good, but not bad either.
To Xue Zhao, all of these people were unfamiliar.
They were merely townsfolk he had encountered a few times.
Then he saw Aunt Huai’s name.
She ranked second.
Her affection value was 55.
The accompanying description read:
“Compassion.”
And ranked first…
was actually,
Xiu Jixin.
[Rank 1]: Xiu Jixin
Xue Zhao froze.
For a moment, he genuinely thought he had read it wrong.
Through the translucent panel, he looked up at the man before him and slowly blinked.
[System] : What the hell.
[System] : How is his affection value even higher than Aunt Huai’s?
No wonder Xue Zhao loved the scent surrounding him so much.
In theory, the higher a person’s affection level, the richer and more nourishing the “food” that could be absorbed from them.
While Xue Zhao remained dazed, Xiu Jixin lowered his eyes slightly.
Then he spoke in a low voice.
“Get up.”
Under normal circumstances, Xue Zhao would have scrambled out of his arms immediately and retreated several steps.
But now…
After seeing that affection value,
Not only did he fail to let go,
he instinctively tightened his arms around Xiu Jixin even more.
Xiu Jixin remained silent.
A faint blush spread across Xue Zhao’s cheeks as he tried hard to explain himself.
“I… I don’t feel well. I don’t have any strength.”
At that moment, two assistants approached.
“Father…”
Xiu Jixin raised a hand, signaling for them not to interfere.
Then he reached out and checked Xue Zhao’s forehead once more.
“Dizzy?”
Xue Zhao nodded.
“Mm.”
As he answered, he secretly studied Xiu Jixin.
In front of the townspeople, Xiu Jixin was usually patient and composed.
Yet he was not someone who smiled often.
Whenever his face was expressionless, he appeared cold and distant, as though no one could ever guess what he was thinking.
Just like now.
The lighting in the corridor was somewhat dim, making his sharp features appear even colder and more detached.
After thinking for a while, Xue Zhao gathered his courage.
Just as he had done inside the dream, he lightly brushed against the back of Xiu Jixin’s hand.
“I feel a little better now…” he said softly.
At the same time, he carefully observed Xiu Jixin’s reaction.
Xiu Jixin still looked calm and indifferent.
Without saying anything, he withdrew his hand.
[Character Affection Level Changed]
Xue Zhao immediately opened the panel to check.
The affection level had increased from 60 to 61.
[System]: Alright, alright! Get up already!
[System]: If you stay like this any longer, people are going to get suspicious!
After being held for so long, Xue Zhao had absorbed a considerable amount of “food.”
His life value had already risen to six.
Only then did he reluctantly climb out of Xiu Jixin’s arms and allow himself to be helped to his feet.
There were roughly twenty poisoned people inside the clinic.
Other than Xue Zhao, every affected victim had been knocked unconscious one after another by the black cat.
After being moved against the wall by the assistants, they gradually woke up on their own.
Aunt Huai was among them.
The moment she regained consciousness, she hurried over to Xue Zhao.
“Zhaozhao, are you alright?”
She gently comforted him.
“Don’t be afraid. It was only a dream.”
Xue Zhao nodded obediently.
“Mm. I know.”
Seeing that he was fine, Xiu Jixin turned and walked away to inspect the condition of the others.
The resident responsible for tending the furnaces had also awakened.
Believing the accident had been entirely his fault, he lowered his head and accepted the assistant’s criticism.
Again and again, he promised he would be more careful in the future.
Afterward, Xue Zhao returned home together with Aunt Huai.
She boiled water and prepared a cup of calming tea for him.
“Drink this and get some proper rest.”
Once she had finished speaking, she returned to her own room.
The instant she left, Xue Zhao immediately set down the teacup and hurried to the window.
Outside the clinic, nearly all of the poisoned residents had already gone home.
Xiu Jixin was nowhere to be seen.
The two remaining assistants packed up the last few items and left in a hurry as well.
Not seeing the person he wanted to see, Xue Zhao slowly returned to the table.
He wrapped his hands around the warm cup of tea, completely distracted.
Every now and then, he opened the status panel again.
[System]: Hmph. What did I tell you? Humans who act differently on the inside and outside are everywhere.
This result had genuinely exceeded the system’s expectations.
It had never imagined that someone who appeared as cold as ice would somehow have reached an affection level of sixty-one.
[System]: He’s still too young.
[System]: How much life experience could he possibly have?
[System]: But he’s still a priest. You absolutely can’t lower your guard around him.
Xue Zhao remained lost in thought.
After a long pause, he gave a slow response.
“Mm…”
[System]: Also, after being poisoned by Demon Grass, what exactly did you dream about?
System notifications only remained visible for one day.
Anything older disappeared permanently.
Yet during the short time Xiu Jixin had entered Xue Zhao’s dream, his affection level had risen by a total of eight points.
The largest single increase had been a staggering five points.
The numbers were astonishing.
Resting his cheek against his arm, Xue Zhao tilted his head.
“Nothing much…”
He remembered being frightened at first.
He had been running from the giant insects.
Then later…
he had become hungry.
To be honest, Xue Zhao wasn’t particularly accustomed to intimate physical contact.
Things like hugs made him nervous.
Back when he had been closest to Little Grass, they would merely brush the tips of their leaves together whenever they met.
Perhaps everything had changed after arriving here.
Now he possessed a new identity.
Different racial instincts had blended together inside him.
He was a succubus now.
And succubi were supposed to obtain “food.”
After struggling internally for a long time, Xue Zhao finally spoke.
His words came out hesitant and uncertain.
“Then… can I seduce him now?”
Xue Zhao fiddled with the handle of his teacup.
His eyelashes trembled lightly.
“I’m still a little hungry…”
The interactions inside the dream didn’t count.
Even after staying in Xiu Jixin’s arms for so long, his life value had only barely increased to six.
He wasn’t full at all.
Even the tail wrapped around his wrist had become restless again.
Strangely enough, it had behaved best while he was lying in Xiu Jixin’s embrace.
The system struggled for quite some time.
Eventually, it surrendered.
“Fine. You can try.”
“But you must, must be careful!”
“No matter what, he’s still a church priest. He’s not one of those ordinary humans you can fool casually.”
“If he discovers your identity, the consequences will be extremely serious!”
Xue Zhao immediately sat up straight.
His expression became both serious and obedient.
“Mm.”
[System]: And don’t rush.
[System]: You need to take things slowly.
The system had already thought this through.
As a priest, Xiu Jixin was an important figure in the storyline.
If Xue Zhao wanted to locate the sacred relics and complete future missions, interacting with him would be unavoidable.
Besides, Xue Zhao was so weak.
His abilities were still limited.
And what if…
What if a succubus’s natural abilities really did work on him?
The system rapidly analyzed countless possibilities.
[System]: His affection level is currently 61. The next stage begins at 70.
[System]: For the next few days, don’t do anything reckless.
[System]: Gather information first.
[System]: Find out what this human usually does, what hobbies he has, what interests him.
[System]: I’ll also keep records and try to determine the reason behind every affection increase.
Xue Zhao yawned.
Sleepiness filled his expression.
Tilting his head, he slumped back onto the table.
“Mm…”
The next day, before Xue Zhao could find an opportunity to go out on his own, one of the church assistants arrived at the house.
“You were both at the clinic yesterday, correct?” the assistant asked.
“Father has arranged a scripture recitation session in the assembly hall. It will help remove any lingering toxins from the body.”
Aunt Huai nodded immediately.
“Of course. We’ll come right away.”
After the assistant departed, Xue Zhao asked curiously,
“Are we going to the church?”
“Yes,” Aunt Huai replied.
“Though we’ll be going to the hall beside the church.”
Apart from the priest and his assistants, no one was allowed to enter the church itself freely.
Whenever public activities were held, they took place in the assembly hall outside.
Thus, Xue Zhao grabbed his scarf and left with Aunt Huai.
Along the way, she explained the process.
“You only need to sit and listen.”
“When you feel you’ve heard enough, you can leave whenever you want.”
Listening to scripture helped calm the mind and eliminate the negative effects left behind by Demon Grass.
However, after entering the hall and sitting down, Xue Zhao lasted less than ten minutes before feeling uncomfortable all over.
[System]: You’re a demon. Of course you’re not going to like this.
At that exact moment, a new mission appeared.
[New Side Mission Available!]
[Mission Details]: Survey the terrain surrounding the church.
[Mission Reward]: Villain Points +2
Xiu Jixin wasn’t present.
One of the assistants stood at the front instead.
Xue Zhao looked around.
Everyone else appeared completely focused on listening.
The seats inside the hall were spaced far apart.
Aunt Huai sat on the opposite side with her eyes closed, quietly resting.
Taking advantage of the situation, Xue Zhao rose to his feet.
Without attracting attention, he slipped out through the nearest rear door.
The hall stood very close to the church.
Only a narrow path separated them.
There were guards near the main entrance, so the system chose another route, guiding Xue Zhao around the back.
Hardly anyone was outside.
Most of the residents remained inside the hall.
Xue Zhao moved smoothly along the path beside the surrounding wall.
The mission progress quickly reached sixty percent.
As he rounded the opposite side of the church, he discovered a small building connected to the rear courtyard.
Just as he was about to take a closer look, the door opened.
A familiar figure emerged.
It was Xiu Jixin.
Xue Zhao’s eyes lit up instantly.
The system immediately sent a warning.
[System]: Be careful! Remember what we discussed!
Xiu Jixin was alone.
When he noticed Xue Zhao standing there, his steps paused briefly.
Then he walked toward him.
“The scripture recitation has ended?”
Only then did Xue Zhao remember that he had secretly slipped out.
He answered honestly.
“No…”
Xiu Jixin asked another question.
“Then why are you here?”
The location was relatively secluded.
Aunt Huai was nowhere nearby.
As Xiu Jixin drew closer and closer, Xue Zhao desperately searched for an excuse.
“I…”
After a long pause, he finally forced one out.
“I wanted to see the little cat.”
“It saved me last time.”
“The little cat?”
Xiu Jixin stopped directly in front of him.
Something shifted subtly in his eyes.
“As it happens, it just returned.”
The moment he finished speaking, the black cat leaped down from the wall behind Xue Zhao.
It landed gracefully on the ground.
Then it dropped whatever it had been carrying in its mouth.
The object struck the ground.
A sharp scream immediately rang out.
Startled, Xue Zhao nearly jumped.
He hurried behind Xiu Jixin for protection.
Seeing his reaction, the black cat flicked its tail.
Then it casually pushed the object farther away.
Gripping Xiu Jixin’s sleeve, Xue Zhao carefully peeked out.
“What is that…?”
The thing lying on the ground was pitch-black.
About the size of a palm, it resembled a lump of flesh wrapped in a net-like layer.
It writhed and twisted continuously.
“It is the demon that attacked you.”
Xue Zhao’s entire body stiffened.
The color drained from his face.
The demon that had attacked him…
had already been captured?
[System]: This is bad. What if it exposes your identity?
As though confirming the system’s fears, the black mass continued screaming.
Then it began inching toward Xue Zhao.
Xue Zhao became even more alarmed.
Instinctively, he moved closer to Xiu Jixin.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Xiu Jixin raised a foot and firmly stepped on the writhing black creature.
“It can’t do anything now.”
The instant Xiu Jixin touched it, the demon’s screams became even more horrific.
The black cat scratched its ear lazily.
Then it sauntered over, smacked the demon once with its paw, picked it up in its mouth and ran off.
Xue Zhao’s face turned even paler.
He watched as the cat carried the demon into the small building Xiu Jixin had emerged from earlier.
Noticing where his gaze had gone, Xiu Jixin explained,
“Below it is a dungeon used to imprison demons.”
[System]: There’s actually a dungeon?!
Xue Zhao’s breathing trembled.
Digging his fingernails into his palm, he asked quietly,
“Demons that are imprisoned… do they die?”
Xiu Jixin lowered his eyes and looked at him.
Several moments passed before he finally answered.
“These demons that cause harm must first undergo purification.”
“They are cleansed with holy water and branded with sacred scripture, removing most of their demonic energy.”
“Only afterward are they executed.”
His tone remained calm and indifferent, as though the thing he had just described was no more remarkable than discussing the weather.
The more Xue Zhao listened, the more frightened he became.
He stood rooted to the spot, his eyes rapidly filling with tears.
Noticing that he looked as though he were about to cry at any moment, Xiu Jixin stepped closer.
He likely assumed that Xue Zhao was frightened of the demon, the one suspected of creating the altar and attacking him before.
“Don’t worry,” Xiu Jixin said.
His gaze settled on Xue Zhao’s damp eyelashes, focused and unwavering.
“It can’t escape.”
At the same time, another notification appeared.
[Character Affection Level Changed]
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Behind every translated chapter is someone who probably needs caffeine.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · [Mission Identity]: SuccubusChapter 2 · Let him copy the scriptures fifty more timesChapter 3 · Can I seduce him?Chapter 4 · Can I have a bite?Chapter 5 · I wasn’t full at allChapter 6 · This is its original formChapter 7 · Xue Zhao slowly licked it againChapter 8 · If something is discoveredChapter 9 · Because he is… a succubusChapter 10 · Are you trying to seduce me?Chapter 11 · That’s right, a cage to lock up the devilChapter 12 · Can I keep you company for a while?Chapter 13 · Only one kiss a dayChapter 14 · Uncomfortable?Chapter 15 · Day of RepentanceChapter 16 · It’s the last bit left, silver halideChapter 17 · Current Form: SuccubusChapter 18 · This is your… original form?Chapter 19 · What would you like to eat?Chapter 20 · I’ll show you my tail… okay?Chapter 21 · The premise is that he didn’t lieChapter 22 · It has a light, pleasant fragranceChapter 23 · Demons typically have a limited dietChapter 24 · Don’t touch me…Chapter 25 · MaturityChapter 26 · Touch What?Chapter 27 · I never imaginedChapter 28 · “I’ll feed you until you’re fullChapter 29 · You’d better keep having this kind of luckChapter 30 · Anyway, I’ve already touched it onceChapter 31 · Like a kitten begging for extra food.Chapter 32 · [Skill “Charm” in effect]Chapter 33 · [You have entered the “Mature Stage”]Chapter 34 · He wanted Xiu Jixin to feed him….Chapter 35 · You’re trying to seduce me againChapter 36 · He seems… even more off now.Chapter 37 · Xue Zhao blushedChapter 38 · The fallen Holy SpiritChapter 39 · [Health points have reached maximum]Chapter 40 · [Corruption Value]: 63%Chapter 41 · Besides seducing me, what else can you do?Chapter 42 · Can we take the NPC with us?Chapter 43 · Horror Comics: The Murder DollChapter 44 · [Task Details]: Find a new owner for your itemsChapter 45 · The skill “Entering Dreams”Chapter 46 · The thought of making him cryChapter 47 · With a rather wicked interest.Chapter 48 · I’ll buy you new clothes, little bunnyChapter 49 · I should say, thank you, MasterChapter 50 · Do toy bunnies go into heat?