Chapter 10-2 (Craving)

The sun was just peeking over the horizon, casting a brilliant pink and orange glow across the sky. The birds, their melodic chirping pierced the quiet stillness, were flitting from tree to tree in search of their breakfast. As the dewdrops glistened on the leaves, a sense of freshness and renewal permeated the air.

As the village stirred to life, a group of restless teens assembled in the wide open field for their daily swordsmanship practice. Little did they know that on this morning, something momentous was about to occur— a new dawn, and a new beginning for all.

The sun rose, casting long shadows across the field and the teens were already hard at work. Sweat dripped down their faces as they lunged and parried, their wooden blades ringing out in a deadly symphony of steel.

Sera stood on the dusty training field, her wooden sword held loosely in one hand. She looked disinterested, distant, as if her mind was elsewhere. Meanwhile, everyone around her was drenched in sweat, their swords whistling through the air as they trained with complete focus.

Wyca, her muscles rippling beneath her black tank top, darted back and forth with lightning-fast agility against other members of the group. Her swordsmanship improved exponentially ever since her victory against Sera a while ago, it appeared as if she managed to overcome a mental block that’s been holding her back all these years. The red haired demoness has became even more peerless than before. Despite failing to grasp another victory ever since, she never doubted herself that as long as she kept on improving herself, another victory would be hers.

Yet Sera didn't seem to notice or care for her existence. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon, as if she was searching for something. For a moment, the world around her seemed to quiet, the only sound the soft whisper of leaves as a gentle breeze stirred through the field. She was absent minded— clueless of her own surroundings. Seeing this, Wyca became irritated.

It wasn’t that long ago that Sera seemed to be sick. Now that she has recovered from her sickness, her fighting spirit and vigor seemed to disappear as if there was nothing there in the first place.

‘What happened to her? Is she still distraught that I broke her undefeated record?’

Wild assumptions appeared in Wyca’s mind. She believed that Sera was still stuck in the past— of her victory over her. After all, at that time Sera did snap and lost control to the point of almost choking her to death. Wyca remembered the exact moment when Sera had snapped, her gaze turning crazy and feral as she tackled Wyca to the ground and began to choke the life out of her… it was all still so vivid, so real.

‘That was…’

It was terrifying— was what she wanted to say, yet, she couldn’t. There was something else that she felt inside her stomach, deep down in her base. The sensation of Sera's fingers pressing down on her neck, the air being forced out of her lungs. But there was something else there too, something deeper.

As Wyca thought back to that merciless, unreasonable beast that had looked out at her from Sera's eyes, she realized that there was something more about it— primal and almost intoxicating. Something dark and forbidden, but undeniably thrilling—

‘Urgh—! What’s wrong with me…? Every time I think about that time, I feel weird…’

There was an indescribable ‘thrill’ that she felt crawling up her spine every time she recalled that moment. Wyca reached her hand up to her neck and touched the spot where Sera had choked her, and caressed over it.

A shiver ran through her body as she remembered the feeling of Sera's fingers tightening around her neck. It was a feeling she'd never forget, no matter how hard she tried.

The fear—

The ‘thrill’—

And the undeniable ‘excitement’—

“Grh—!!”

Wyca gnashed her teeth and slapped herself on the cheek.

‘S-snap out of it!!’

She grasped her wooden sword even harder and tighter, turned around from her confused opponents and walked straight towards Sera.

“Hey you.”

Wyca said, calling out to Sera in a hostile and rough tone. "What's wrong with you?" she spat, her voice tinged with irritation. "Can't you see we're training here? Or is pouting and staring off into space the latest trend in sword fighting?"

Sera didn't respond. She didn't even seem to hear her. Her eyes were far away, fixed on some distant point in the sky. And for a moment, Wyca felt a flicker of pity for her. She knew what it was like to be consumed by obsession, to cling to a dream that would never come true.

‘I was like that too, back then…’

Way back in the past, when they were nobody but innocent children, Wyca and Sera were already a tight rival. It was a story that everyone in the village was familiar with. They grow by competing against each other, keeping one another in check, thus the growth of their skills are much faster compared to their peers.

Through rivalries and competition, neither lowered their guards and kept on improving, pushing themselves to the limit and beyond.

However, what about before that? Before their rivalries? This was a past that nobody else knew nor remembered but Wyca herself. Her closely guarded secret, the days where she lived her daily life in ignorance— the day where her journey in swordsmanship began.

‘It was all because of you—’

That’s right, she tread the path of the sword all because of Sera.

She, who was ‘invincible’ among her peers.

She, who was blessed with talent and physique.

She, who was undefeated.

Sera, the huntress.

At the time, being the naive child she was, Sera looked dazzling— brighter than any stars she has ever seen in her life. She was her role model, the person that she looked up to the most. Because of that very reason she also wanted to follow the same path as her.

The path of the sword.

Wyca began to pick up the wooden sword and practice her swings. Naturally, she was bad at it. Even with guidance, she was underperforming compared to her peers, but she never gave up and kept on improving herself, in the hope that one day her idol would look her way. However, contrary to her expectation, Sera wasn’t amused.

Sera, whose skills were recognized by everyone in the village, was often showered with praises by the people around her. Her ego was inflated, and she took Wyca’s increasing performance more as a sign of ‘rebellion’ rather than a challenge to improve herself.

A rebellion of her position as number 1 in the entire village.

Because of that, Sera didn’t even think of recognizing Wyca as an equal, but more of an ‘obstacle’ to get rid of as soon as possible.

‘Those days were harsh…’

And so they clashed, and Wyca lost. They would clash again, and she would lose again. These series of events would repeat itself again and again until the present day where the chain of defeat was finally undone.

It was in that singular, life-altering moment that Wyca was truly ‘freed’ of this cage called ‘Sera’. The ceaseless dance of following Sera's intricate trails, shadowing her every pathway, every stride, had at last concluded. No longer would she remain a silent specter, constantly trailing in the wake of Sera's every journey, her every footfall. Her life was no longer dictated by another's trajectory— she would follow her own way, carve her own path and leave her mark in this world.

And so, the moment she laid eyes on Sera’s aloof face, looking as if nothing else matters in this world anymore— it irked her.

For Wyca who has spent the rest of her waking life puking her guts out to chase after her back, and succeeding to do so, Sera’s spiritless demeanor after losing to her once was the same as spitting on all her hard work.

‘Were you always that weak? The person that I’ve been chasing all these years? Fallen so easily after one defeat… You disappoint me…’

"...”

Sera, who has been quiet all this time, twirling her wooden sword around her fingers, suddenly lifted her head, matching her eyes against Wyca.

“...?”

“...What are you looking at? Wanna fight?”

Sera lifted her sword and pointed the dull tip at her neck in one swift motion, her blank eyes seemed to regain its fervor and spirit in an instant.

“...!”

Seeing the glow in her eyes return, Wyca felt her heart thumping loudly. Something clicked in her brains, and the gears began to turn—

‘Yes! This is it! The very same look that she gave me that day—!’

Wyca immediately recognized the gaze in Sera’s eyes. It was reminiscent of the day where Sera almost choked her to death—

“I’ve beat you once. I’m sure I can do it for the second time.” Wyca taunted, her sword casually perched on her shoulder while her hand confidently settled on her hips.

“...”

Sera's gaze pierced Wyca with a growing intensity, the flicker of unknown determination in her eyes ignited into a fiery blaze. In deliberate silence, she shifted her weight, lowering her center of gravity, and assumed a poised stance, gripping her wooden sword with the utmost composure.

“You asked for it.”

“Heh, overconfidence will be your greatest downfall.”

Wyca had challenged Sera after her recent victory and lost every single one of them. But she didn’t lose heart, and instead improved on her technique and patience. This time was no different. To her, losing to Sera no longer bothered her. It will serve only as a reminder that there was still room for her to grow and become even stronger.

“......”

The both of them took a stance in the middle of the training ground. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky. Unlike the usual schedule where they have to run 10 laps around the village, today was a full sparring practice. They have the entire day for themselves to enjoy, and Wyca had no intention of letting Sera go just like that.

“Hah—!!”

With a fierce cry, Wyca launched herself at Sera, her wooden sword whistling through the air with deadly precision. But Sera was quick to parry, her own wooden sword flashing through the air like a streak of lightning.

—Thwack!!

In a flurry of motion, the two divas clashed, their weapons ringing out like a chorus of steel against wood.

All around them, the other members stopped what they were doing, staring in awe and admiration at the display of skill and athleticism before their eyes. But then, as if sensing an imminent danger, they quickly scurried back, giving Wyca and Sera plenty of room to spar. This was not uncommon— whenever the two of them went at it, it was a high-stakes battle royale with no holds barred.

Thankfully, Treo, the instructor, was around to keep an eye out if the spar gets too heated up.

‘Oh? It seems like Sera’s back to her usual self now? That’s good.’

Their clash continued to escalate and the winner was soon decided.

—Thwack!!

Sera swung her wooden sword at Wyca with all her might. The blow slammed into Wyca's hip with a resounding thud, causing her to gasp and stumble back.

“Gaah—!!”

“Hah… I won.”

Sera said as a matter of factly, a cold expression across her face. Her chest heaved as she sucked deep, ragged breaths of air. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead.

“N-no! Not yet!”

Wyca rubbed the spot she was struck, thinking how bad the bruise might become by tomorrow, and stood up. Taking another stance with her wooden sword, she faced Sera once again.

“Stubborn, aren’t you?”

Sera herself wasn’t looking very good. Through their short and brief clash, she felt it.

‘Wyca… this bitch is way stronger than last time…’

Though she won’t show it on the surface, Sera had a hunch that she might actually lose in the future if this kept on going. Despite having her body altered by Gin, she didn’t receive any enhancement like her parents, Teressa and Collette. Only her sense of taste and perception was changed, but her true nature was still intact. Her competitiveness and hate of losing was blazing fiercely as always.

Ever since she completely fell for Gin’s hypnosis and became his zealot, Sera had been distracted at training, only thinking when to drink his semen and urine, daydreaming and looking for an opportunity to masturbate. In other words, she has been slacking, hence no wonder, then, that Wyca's progress seemed so sudden, so overwhelming.

Now that she realized that her defeat was imminent, Sera felt her chest burning in seething anger.

Wyca stood up and have another go at her—

—Thwack!!

This time, Sera managed to win for the second time.

“Gasp—!!”

Sera managed to land another strike at her waist and won the match. However, not without price.

“Haah…! Haah…!”

She fell on her knees as beads of sweat covered her entire body. Her crop top that exposed her midriff was completely drenched, the same with her black booty shorts. Covered in dust and grime, Sera was beyond irritated, but she still tried to keep her cool.

“See…! I won again…! Now leave me alone!”

“No, not yet! Are you running away now, you coward!?”

Then, to the surprise of no one, Wyca stood back up again. Her words echoed through the entire field, challenging Sera once again for another match.

Sera gritted her teeth and finally lost her last shred of composure—

“—Do you know no shame!? You’ve lost twice and you called me a coward!? You dumb bitch!”

“Oh? So you are chickening out then?”

“Grhh—!!”

And with such a simple provocation, Sera stood up after Wyca, readying her wooden sword for a third successive match.

—————

———

—

…

‘Hmm, I wonder what happened here…?’

Finally, at noon, Gin reached the training field. On his back was a huge backpack carrying dozens and dozens of vials containing his essence with a mix of ‘fruity’ flavor that Mora produced. It took him a while to make since he was enjoying the process a bit too much, so he was slightly late.

When he arrived, he saw the group of the usual late teens practicing their swords. The other peculiar thing he noticed was the absence of the blond haired boy— Laven, and the two familiar figures resting under the shelter on the side.

One of them was obviously Sera. She sat on the ground, resting her head on her knees. Gin couldn’t tell what sort of expression she was having, but he doubted it was anything too cheerful.

The other one was the girl he saw in Sera’s dream. The red haired girl who bested her in a match. She was sitting on the opposite end of Sera. She looked tired and exhausted, but there was a clear satisfaction written on her face.

‘Something happened between them? Could it be, Sera lost again to her? Well, well, well…’

Truth be told, Gin had a thought about transforming Sera’s physique to be like Teressa and Collette. To have more power, more agile and dexterous. That way, she could defeat anyone she wanted with a breeze. However, he had no intention to do that at all.

‘All those times I’ve made you drink my piss and cum, getting you addicted to it, becoming my follower, it was all just the first step. After all the annoyance you caused me, letting you off this easily would be too anticlimactic. I’ve still got plans for you… although, maybe I can use this red haired girl...’

There was a reason why he hadn’t taken Sera’s virginity yet.

Sera’s existence in the beginning was like a thorn by Gin’s side. She was against giving him shelter, always denying his efforts and trying to sabotage his hunting. She also bad-mouthed him behind his back in the village. Fortunately, his effort of doing odd jobs in the village didn’t go unnoticed as nobody believed Sera, even though they should’ve. In other words, Gin hadn't had his fill.

‘This obedient and puppy-like Sera isn’t bad, but I miss the old Sera who’s bratty, fierce, and a bitch. Wouldn’t that Sera be so much more fun to play with?’

That time will come, he thought to himself.

With that in mind, Gin approached the one in charge of the whole group— Treo.

“I have something to share for everyone in the group. A gift from Mora.”

“O-oh? Really? What is it?”

Using his hypnotic voice, Treo immediately believed his lies without much of a second thought.

“It’s a new type of drink. It will energize anyone who drinks it, the fruity taste is also pretty good.”

“Energize anyone who drinks it? So it’s like a stamina potion? Hm, but stamina potion has a foul taste, but this one is fruity you say? That sounds too good to be true, but since it’s a gift from Mora, then maybe we can give it a try.”

“Sure. There’s enough for everyone and more.”

“Ah, thank you… wait, is it safe…?”

“Obviously. Would Mora give you something poisonous…?”

Suddenly, a seed of doubt began to grow within Treo's mind, taking root and refusing to let go. The crack of Minor Hypnosis began to show itself. Was it just him, or was there something fundamentally unsettling about Gin? His very existence seemed strange, almost otherworldly, and Treo couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in his gut like a boulder.

It wasn't like this when they first met, months ago. Back then, Gin had been just another outsider with amnesia, trying to survive who also happened to be a hard worker. But now, something has shifted. Treo found himself questioning Gin's motives, his true intentions, yet—

‘—I just can’t refuse anything he asks of me…’

And it was all thanks to Gin's overwhelming amount of Mind stats.

Everything that Gin did lately was suspicious. From claiming to solve any kind of problems, to changing genders, and now he was offering free, ‘energy drinks’ to everyone.

Truth be told, Treo wasn’t the only one. Almost everyone in the village thought that was the case, but they just couldn’t do anything. Whenever they met Gin face to face, they felt powerless and complied with anything he said. Then again, it wasn’t like Gin asked anything crazy or did anything harmful to anyone. So far, nobody has suffered anything. Not even Collette— at least to the villagers, Collette did it to herself.

“... Right, no way Mora would do that, hahaha!”

“Here, take it.”

Gin handed Treo one of the vials containing his and Mora’s essence. The vial itself was made of transparent glass, showing the viscous and forbidden liquid inside of it.

“O-oh…”

With that, Gin immediately turned around and walked to the middle of the training field where everyone could hear him loud and clear.

“Alright gather ‘round everybody!”

At his words, everyone stopped whatever they were doing and followed his words. Although most of them were clearly confused as hell, they complied with his order. Both Sera and Wyca were no exception.

Sera snapped her head up and immediately stood up, chasing after the familiar figure in the middle of the field, while Wyca’s reaction was significantly more delayed.

‘That black-haired guy… he’s back here again. What is he trying to do now? And why is Sera so excited to see him…?’

Wyca recalled that it was no secret that Sera hated this black-haired man ever since his arrival. What changed?

She wanted to stand on the side and watch, but his words somehow carried ‘weight’ that she could not disobey. Her legs pushed her to stand, and her feet began to carry her to gather around him, along with the others.

‘Why… am I…?’

It didn’t take long before the whole group gathered around Gin. The late teenagers were around the age of 18 to 19. Some were about to reach the age of 20, like Sera and Wyca. They have trained in the path of the sword for years, some even their whole life. They all have good physiques, every single muscle in their body was trained to fight— a real fight to the death.

‘... A damn shame that is, the moment they reach their adulthood, they would probably leave the village to venture out, fight some beasts and monsters, probably hunt some wanted criminals and lose their life in the process. This world is rough, isn’t it? Then again, so does my old world, in a different kind of way.’

Gin sighed as he rubbed his temple. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. It's not like he had no faith in any of them surviving in the wild out there, but the chances were slim. Too slim, especially since they don't venture outside the village often, if at all.

‘Well, good thing I’m here. Every single one of these villagers, I will make sure they will be able to live ‘comfortably’ in this world, under my guidance and authority, of course.’

“...?”

“Listen close, and listen well. I have a gift from Mora, a new type of drink that should help you guys feel more ‘energized’. It has a fruity flavor, so it shouldn’t taste bad at all. Mora wanted you guys’ opinions about the new drink, so make sure to finish them all, okay?”

“Uhh…”

“O-ok, I guess?”

“From Mora? Really? Isn’t she stingy?”

“Well, free drink is free drink!”

“Fruity… flavor? That seems expensive…”

“For free, huh?”

“A new product to sell later…?”

As expected the reaction was mixed. But Gin already anticipated this, and he didn’t give them much time to think. He reached into his large backpack and pulled a vial and handed it to one of the late-teens near him.

“Take it and drink it. Now.”

Then Gin would do the same to the next person, and so on and so on. There weren’t that many members studying the path of the sword. Including Sera and Wyca, there were roughly 15 people in total. Only Laven, the 16th member, was absent.

In the end, there were more than half of the vials left in the backpack. But this was to be expected. These vials aren’t for them.

The members were looking at each other in hesitation, not sure what was happening to them. Should they drink it? Or shouldn’t they? In their mind, there was no real reason to refuse. But they couldn’t help but to feel a weird omen that the moment they drink the unknown so-called energy drink, something big would happen.

It wasn’t until the last person to be given the energy drink, which was Sera, began to speak out.

“What are you guys waiting for? It’s a gift from Mora. Just drink it.” And without further ado, Sera opened the cork of the vial and gulped down the viscous liquid in a single shot.

“Aah…”

Her face turned red almost in an instant, her eyes rolled upward, and her legs trembled. Fortunately, because the quantity wasn’t that large, Sera managed to hold her sanity in check and didn’t piss herself as usual.

“S-see? It’s a-all good. It’s sweet like an a-apple.”

Meanwhile, the people around her watching was captivated by her reaction—

‘Hey, why is her face turning red from drinking it?’

‘Why does she look so lewd…?’

‘I don’t get it, what’s in the drink that made her roll her eyes like that…?’

Wyca who was standing next to Sera got the best view of them all— how Sera’s whole body shivered, the moment her eyes losing its focus, how the red blush covered her entire face, and how her thighs shook against each other—

‘W-what was that, Sera!? I—’

Before Wyca could even say anything, Gin came up to her so suddenly, and said, “Now that you’ve seen she’s alright and feeling energized, it’s your turn to drink yours.”

This time Gin was a bit more direct. Specifically towards Wyca. It was as if his pitch-black eyes could see right through her, straight into the core of her very being. Wyca found herself averting her gaze, feeling like she was being stripped bare under that intense scrutiny.

"O-okay," she stammered, trying to uncork the drink without spilling it.

Almost immediately, she felt herself shaking with an uneasy feeling. The alarm bells in her head began to sound, urging her to resist, to fight back. But something about Gin's presence made it impossible for her to do so.

With trembling hands, she lifted the vial to her lips. But as soon as her tongue touched the rim, a wave of horror crashed over her. She felt as if she were drowning, as if her entire world was slipping away from her.

The intensity of the feeling was so great that Wyca's eyes flew open, frantically looking for a way out. But try as she might, she was powerless to resist Gin's orders. Under his intense pressure, she couldn't escape.

She could only stand and watch idly as she lifted up the vial upside down to her oral cavity, letting all the viscous liquid enter. And then the taste hits her—

‘—I-it’s sweet! Sweet like an apple! S-Sera wasn’t lying!’

“...”

“...”

Everyone around her watched Wyca for a reaction, but she just stood there, frozen. Her other free hand could be seen twitching subtly.

“—Gulp!”

Finally, they heard a gulp from her.

“—Gulp!!”

Then another gulp.

“—Gulp…!”

And then, a final gulp.

“...”

“W-Wyca… are you alright?” Asked one of the other members watching. They were curious, and mystified by her stiff reaction. Was the drink bad after all? Should they drink it or not?

“......It’s…”

Wyca finally opened her mouth after a prolonged silence. The vial dropped from the clutches of her fingers and fell to the ground.

“...!?”

“It’s… actually…taste… very good…”

Everyone looked at her for another second and finally let out a collective sigh together once they heard Wyca’s response.

Gin smiled in return, and gave her a pat on the head, “Atta girl!” And then proceeded to pinch her cheeks.

“U-uhhh—!?”

Wyca’s eyes snapped wide open. In any normal circumstances, she would have slapped Gin’s hands away ages ago, yet, once again, she couldn’t resist his advances. Something wasn’t right, she thought to herself, but at the same time she couldn’t ignore that his touch felt nice.

‘W-what’s wrong with me!? I-I need to step away from him—!’

But before she could even do such a thing, Gin already pulled his hand away.

“...”

“You heard the girl, now it’s your turn!”

The other members looked at each other for a second before uncorking their drinks and began to gulp them down. Sera stood on the side, looking happy and proud, very contrast to her depressed state from before. Meanwhile, Wyca simply looked dumbfounded by what just happened. She touched her cheek which had just been pinched by this strange black-haired man.

‘W-what was that all about…?’

Gin smiled in satisfaction. His plans seemed to have gone smoothly. The drinks in the vials were a bit special. It didn’t actually just contain his and Mora’s fruity essence, but there was an extra ingredient.

‘I added a bit of my blood in it.’

It was something that he learned from experimenting with Collette before. He tried using his blood, which was the most potent form of his essence, probably secondary to actually consuming his flesh and bones(?), to turn Collette into his follower in almost an instant. Using that knowledge, he used the same method and poured some of his blood into the batch of energy drinks.

But because the quantity was little, the effect wasn’t as effective as it was on Collette, instead it only made the consumption effect to be instant.

Unlike the normal method like he used on Mora and Teressa who had to consume his essence and wait until they fully digested it, mixing it with his blood gave an almost instant effect.

The moment Wyca dropped her empty vial, Gin received new notifications from the system.

Ping—! Ping—! Ping—!

-Wyca has fully absorbed the divinity contained in your seed!

-Your divinity has created a sacred bond between you and Wyca!

-Your influence over her psyche has grown significantly!

-Minor Hypnosis has evolved into Medium Hypnosis!

-Wyca’s Trust has increased from 3 [Doubtful] to 5 [Neutral]!

-Wyca has been added to the [Subjects] list!

Ping—!

Subjects:-Teressa (Zealot)-Sera (Zealot)-Collette (Zealot)-Mora (Zealot)-Wyca (Non-Believer)

Gin looked at the list of his subjects with pride and joy.

‘This list is about to get a whole lot bigger.’