We returned to Safezone 17 battered, horny, and emotionally unstable.
The best kind of party bonding.
Mei skipped ahead, humming like nothing had happened. Lira vanished toward the healer tents to "process spiritual resonance levels" (whatever that meant). Iris flirted with two guards and stole a pouch of jerky in the same breath.
And Raven?
She didn't speak to me.
Not a word.
Just walked ten feet ahead the entire way back, shoulders tense, fingers twitching near her holster like she wanted to shoot something — maybe me.
[Bond Status – Raven: Emotional Suppression Active]
Warning: Suppression overload may trigger unintended intimacy or violent outburst.
Suggestion: Engage directly… or stay out of melee range.
Great.
Later That Night – MC's Tent
The tent was small, musty, and barely had enough room for my gear and battered cot.
But somehow, all three women decided this was the room to visit.
At once.
Lira arrived first — calm, graceful, dressed in a loose nightgown that was more suggestion than fabric.
"I wanted to check your aura for leftover dungeon effects," she said innocently.
Then Iris sauntered in right after, licking her lips and flopping onto my cot like it was hers.
"I wanted to check your stamina. Repeatedly."
Then Raven stormed in behind them both, saw the scene, and glared at me like I was a kid caught with his pants down and his soul on fire.
"You can't keep doing this," she hissed.
"Doing what?! I live here!"
"You're letting them walk all over you!"
Iris smirked. "I can literally walk all over him if you want. I have boots."
"Not helping."
[Tension Levels: High]
Erotic Potential: Dangerous
Suggestion: Defuse with honesty, or escalate with dominance
I cleared my throat. "Okay, look. I didn't plan for this. My class just… it feeds off this kind of connection. If I don't build bonds, I don't grow. But I'm not trying to be a player."
Lira watched me closely.
"You're not trying," she said softly, "but you're becoming one."
That hit harder than I expected.
I paused. Looked around.
Three women. Three different kinds of danger.
Iris, licking her lips, like she'd pounce the second I blinked.
Raven, fuming and flushed, fists clenched, jaw tight.
Lira, still. Watching. Calculating.
And me?
Hard as hell, emotionally wrecked, and exhausted.
"I didn't ask for this class," I said finally. "But I've got it. So yeah, I'll use it. I'll grow. I'll fight. And if bonding with all of you helps us survive? Then… I'll bond. But not like this. Not just like this."
Silence.
Then—
"I respect that," Lira said, standing. "Which is why I won't stay tonight."
She walked to the exit. Paused. Looked back.
"But when you are ready to truly link with me... let it be more than hunger."
She left.
Iris pouted. "Buzzkill."
Then smiled. "Guess I'll go too. For now."
She winked at me. "But if you ever wanna try leveling up again the fun way…"
She traced her fingers down her chest and moaned playfully.
Then skipped out.
Leaving me alone.
With Raven.
Still flushed.
Still breathing hard.
Still... not leaving.
Midnight – Intimacy Close Enough to Burn
"You gonna go too?" I asked, voice hoarse.
She shook her head.
"I couldn't sleep."
"Because of me?"
"…Because of you."
Silence stretched.
Then she sat beside me on the cot.
Our thighs touched. Warm. Tense.
"I'm not like them," she said softly. "I don't flirt. I don't seduce. I shoot things."
I nodded.
"And you," she continued, voice breaking slightly, "you're surrounded by all this chaos. And you're adapting to it. I just… don't want to lose you to it."
"You won't," I said.
She turned to look at me.
Eyes dark.
Lips parted.
I leaned in.
So did she.
Then our lips met.
Not wild. Not desperate.
Just real.
Warm.
Honest.
Her hand slipped up my shirt. My fingers tangled in her hair.
We didn't go further.
Not yet.
But that kiss?
Felt like more than anything else.
[Bond Update – Raven: 34% → 42%]
Emotional Anchor Established: [First True Kiss]
Trait Gained: "Trust-Link – Gunslinger's Loyalty"
Passive Bonus: +8% Accuracy when Raven is in the party
She pulled away, cheeks flushed.
Then stood.
"I still don't like your class," she whispered. "But I like you."
She left before I could reply.
Leaving me alone in the dark.
Heart pounding.
And for the first time in this world, I didn't feel like a joke.
I felt wanted.
By more than just the system.