Maya's fingers trembled slightly as she unbuttoned her shirt, but her eyes never wavered from Daemon's. There was no shame in her gaze, no hesitation—only calm determination and something that might have been curiosity.
"Before we begin," she said, letting the shirt slip from her shoulders, "you need to understand what's happening. This isn't just sex, Daemon. It's cultivation. Energy exchange. Your System will guide you, but you need to stay conscious of the process."
Daemon swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry despite the water he'd just drunk. The runes on his chest were glowing brighter now, pulsing in time with his racing heart. He could feel the System stirring inside him—a presence that was both part of him and separate, ancient and hungry.
"What do I need to do?" His voice came out rougher than he intended.
"For now? Just feel." Maya moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed beside him. Her skin seemed to glow in the candlelight, and Daemon noticed faint scars along her collarbone—evidence of a life he knew nothing about. "The System will respond to your desire, to our connection. Let it flow naturally. Don't fight it."
She reached out and placed her hand over the runes on his chest. The moment her skin made contact, golden light flared between them.
[CULTIVATION PARTNER DETECTED]Maya - Healer, Age 35Compatibility: High (82%)Willingness: ConfirmedBeginning Initial Bonding Sequence...
Daemon gasped as sensation flooded through him. It wasn't painful—far from it. It felt like every nerve ending in his body had suddenly come alive, hypersensitive to even the slightest touch. Maya's hand on his chest felt like fire and silk at the same time.
"You feel that?" Maya asked softly. Her own breathing had quickened. "That's the resonance. Our energies recognizing each other. The System is creating a bond between us."
"It's... intense."
"It's going to get more intense." Maya's other hand came up to cup his face, her thumb tracing his jawline. "The first cultivation is always the most powerful. You're essentially imprinting on a partner. Creating a connection that will last as long as both of you live."
She leaned in, her lips hovering just inches from his.
"Last chance to back out," she whispered. "Once we start, the System will take over. It won't let us stop until the cultivation is complete."
Daemon thought about his uncle's satisfied smile. About Elena in Marcus's arms. About dying alone in the forest while the people who betrayed him celebrated.
He closed the distance between them.
The kiss was electric. The moment their lips met, the golden light exploded outward, wrapping around them both like living chains. Daemon felt the System surge inside him, no longer dormant but active, hungry for power and connection.
[CULTIVATION INITIATED]Partner Bond: FormingEnergy Exchange: ActiveRecommendation: Remove Physical Barriers
Maya pulled back slightly, her eyes glowing with reflected golden light. "The System is guiding you now, isn't it? Telling you what to do?"
"Yes," Daemon breathed. His hands were already moving, following instincts that weren't entirely his own. "It's like... like it knows exactly what needs to happen."
"That's because it does." Maya helped him pull off the bandages around his ribs, careful not to aggravate his injuries. "The Primordial Lust System has existed for thousands of years. It knows every technique, every method of cultivation. It's going to teach you through experience."
She stood up long enough to remove the rest of her clothing, and Daemon's breath caught. Maya was beautiful in a way that had nothing to do with youth—mature, confident, with the kind of curves that spoke of a woman who knew exactly who she was.
"Your turn," she said, reaching for the loose pants he wore.
The golden light intensified as the last barriers between them fell away. Daemon could see the energy now—actual visible threads of power coiling in the air around them, connecting his glowing runes to Maya's skin wherever they touched.
[PHYSICAL CONTACT ESTABLISHED]Calculating Optimal Cultivation Path...Energy Synchronization: 34%Partner Arousal: RisingTechnique Guidance: Activated
"Lie back," Maya instructed, guiding him gently against the pillows. "Let me lead at first. You're still injured, and I need to show you how energy circulation works."
She straddled him carefully, mindful of his broken ribs, and Daemon felt his breath stop entirely. The golden threads between them multiplied, weaving a complex pattern that seemed to pulse with power.
"Focus," Maya said, her hands on his shoulders. "Feel the energy building. That's your cultivation base—raw power that the System is drawing from our connection. The more we both feel, the more power you'll gain."
"How do you know all this?" Daemon managed to ask, even as his hands found her waist.
"Because twenty years ago, I was married to a System Bearer." Maya's expression flickered with old pain. "Not the Lust System—he had the Life System, which worked differently. But I learned the basics of cultivation before he died. How energy flows, how bonds form, how power transfers between partners."
She leaned down, her lips brushing his ear. "He taught me that cultivation is about more than just physical pleasure. It's about connection. Trust. Surrender."
[ENERGY SYNCHRONIZATION: 58%]PARTNER SATISFACTION: 45%TECHNIQUE IMPROVEMENT: +2
Maya began to move, slow and deliberate, and Daemon felt the world narrow down to just the two of them. The golden energy swirled faster, brighter, wrapping them in a cocoon of light.
"That's it," Maya breathed. "Feel how the energy flows when we move together? That's circulation. It's building inside you, gathering strength. When we climax, it'll breakthrough into your cultivation base and make you stronger."
Daemon could barely think straight. Every sensation was overwhelming—the warmth of Maya's body, the pulse of the golden light, the strange feeling of power building inside him like pressure in a dam ready to burst.
The System interface flickered constantly in his vision:
ENERGY SYNCHRONIZATION: 67%PARTNER SATISFACTION: 71%TECHNIQUE: 10 (+2)CULTIVATION PROGRESS: 34%
"Don't hold back," Maya urged, her pace increasing. Her hands braced on his chest, careful to avoid his injured ribs. The runes beneath her palms blazed like small suns. "The more we both feel, the stronger your breakthrough will be. Give yourself over to it."
Daemon's control snapped. His hands gripped her hips harder, guiding her movements, and the energy between them exploded into a frenzy. The golden light was so bright now he could barely see anything else.
ENERGY SYNCHRONIZATION: 84%PARTNER SATISFACTION: 89%WARNING: BREAKTHROUGH IMMINENT
"Together," Maya gasped, her body trembling. "We have to—together—"
SYNCHRONIZATION: 92%PARTNER SATISFACTION: 96%CULTIVATION BREAKTHROUGH IN 3... 2... 1...
The world shattered into golden light.
Daemon cried out as power flooded through him in waves. It felt like every cell in his body was being torn apart and rebuilt stronger. The runes on his chest burned themselves deeper, spreading across his shoulders and down his arms in intricate patterns.
Maya shuddered above him, her own body glowing with residual energy. The golden light wrapped around them both, binding them together in a web of power that pulsed and thrummed with life.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]FIRST CULTIVATION COMPLETETIER 1 CULTIVATOR - FULLY AWAKENED
BREAKTHROUGH BONUS:
All Stats +10 New Ability Unlocked: Desire Sense (Rank 1) Partner Bond Established: Maya (Level 1) Cultivation Points Gained: 15/100
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:First cultivation successful. Partner bond created. Maya can now draw on a portion of your power, and you can sense her emotional state. This bond will strengthen with continued cultivation.
The light finally faded, leaving them both gasping for breath in the dimness of the cabin. Maya collapsed against Daemon's chest, careful of his injuries, her body still trembling with aftershocks.
"That was..." she breathed against his skin. "That was incredible. I've never felt anything like that. Your System is incredibly powerful, Daemon."
Daemon was still trying to process what had just happened. His body felt different—stronger, more alive, like he'd been walking around half-asleep his entire life and had just woken up. The pain from his injuries was muted now, distant. He could feel Maya's heartbeat against his chest, and beneath that, something else.
Her emotions. Not her thoughts, but her feelings—a mixture of satisfaction, wonder, and something warmer. Affection, maybe. Or the beginning of it.
"I can feel you," he said wonderingly. "Not just physically. I can sense what you're feeling."
"That's the bond." Maya propped herself up on one elbow to look at him, a strand of dark hair falling across her face. "It's one of the benefits of the Lust System. Every partner you cultivate with, you create a connection. The stronger the connection, the more you can share—emotions, sensations, even power in extreme circumstances."
She traced one of the new runes on his shoulder, her touch making it glow softly. "You're beautiful like this. Powerful. No one would recognize the beaten man I found in the forest."
Daemon caught her hand, holding it against his chest. "Thank you. For saving my life. For this. I know you didn't have to—"
"I told you. I know what it's like to lose everything." Maya's expression grew distant. "My husband was killed by people who feared his power. They burned our home, destroyed everything we'd built together. I've been alone for twenty years, hiding what I know because knowledge of the Systems is forbidden." She focused on him again. "So when I found you—when I saw those runes—it felt like fate. A chance to help someone else survive what he couldn't."
"What happened to your husband's System when he died?"
"Systems don't die. They go dormant, waiting for the next compatible soul." Maya sat up, reaching for her discarded shirt. "That's why they're so feared. They can't be destroyed, only passed down. The Church has been hunting System Bearers for centuries, trying to prevent any from awakening."
"Why? What's so dangerous about them?"
"Because System Bearers can become gods." Maya pulled her shirt on, then looked at him seriously. "At the highest levels, a fully cultivated System Bearer transcends human limitations. They become forces of nature. Immortal. Unstoppable. The Seven Ancient Systems were created by beings who wanted to leave their power behind for future generations. And people in power don't like the idea of peasants potentially becoming their equals—or their superiors."
She stood up, moving to the small table where she'd left her book. "That's why you need to keep this secret. If the Church discovers you, they'll send Inquisitors. If the Empire finds out, they'll try to control you. And if other System Bearers learn about you..." She shook her head. "Let's just say competition between Bearers tends to be fatal."
Daemon sat up carefully, testing his body. The pain in his ribs was still there but manageable. Everything else felt better—stronger, faster, more alive. He could feel the power humming beneath his skin, waiting to be used.
"There are other System Bearers?" he asked.
"At least two that I know of in the Empire. Rumors of others abroad." Maya returned with a leather-bound journal, sitting back down on the bed. "The seven Ancient Systems are: Life, Death, Lust, War, Knowledge, Nature, and Void. Each one grants different abilities and requires different cultivation methods. Your Lust System is unique because it requires—and rewards—intimate partnerships."
She opened the journal, revealing pages of careful notes and sketches. "I've been researching them for years. Most of what I know came from my husband's teachings and forbidden texts. But the Lust System specifically is mentioned in something called the Codex of Desire—an ancient manual supposedly written by the System's first Bearer."
"Do you have this Codex?"
"No one does. It was destroyed centuries ago by the Church. But fragments survived. One of them mentioned that the Lust System has seven tiers, with the final tier granting near-godlike powers over desire itself." Maya looked up from her journal. "Right now, you're at Tier 1. To advance, you need to accumulate cultivation points through successful encounters. The System told you that much, yes?"
Daemon focused on the interface still hovering at the edge of his vision.
CURRENT STATUS:
Tier: 1 (Awakened) Cultivation Points: 15/100 Partners Bonded: 1 (Maya - Level 1)
"I need 100 points to reach Tier 2," he confirmed.
"And you'll get points through cultivation, but the quality matters as much as quantity." Maya tapped her journal. "A deep emotional connection gives more points than a casual encounter. Multiple partners at once provides bonuses. Difficult seductions—people who wouldn't normally be interested in you—grant larger rewards." She met his eyes. "The System is essentially gamifying intimacy and desire. The more challenging the cultivation, the greater your growth."
Daemon absorbed this information, his mind already racing. If he needed partners to grow stronger, and if quality mattered more than quantity...
"My uncle," he said slowly. "He has a wife. A beautiful woman named Vivienne who hates him but stays for the money and status."
Maya's eyes sharpened. "You're already thinking about revenge."
"They tried to kill me. They took everything I had." The runes on Daemon's chest pulsed brighter, responding to his rising anger. "The System gave me power. I'd be a fool not to use it."
"Be careful. Revenge has a way of consuming people." But Maya didn't look disapproving—more like she understood. "Still, if you're determined to go after your uncle, you'll need to be much stronger. A Tier 1 Bearer is powerful compared to normal people, but your uncle has money, guards, and political connections. You'd need to reach at least Tier 3 before you could challenge him directly."
"Then I'll reach Tier 3."
"It's not that simple. Higher tiers require increasingly difficult cultivation. You'll need multiple partners. You'll need to form deep bonds. And..." Maya hesitated. "The System will start pushing you toward more intense experiences. Riskier situations. The Lust System feeds on desire in all its forms, including forbidden desire. As you advance, it'll tempt you with corruption—offering greater power if you're willing to cross certain lines."
"What kind of lines?"
"I don't know specifically. Every System Bearer's path is unique. But the fragments I've read suggest the Lust System has a corruption mechanic. The more taboo your encounters, the more power you gain—but the more you risk losing yourself to it." Maya closed her journal. "My husband's Life System had a similar mechanic. It offered him greater healing powers if he was willing to sacrifice life force from others. He refused. That choice made him weaker than he could have been, but it kept him human."
She looked at Daemon seriously. "You'll face that choice eventually. Power at the cost of your humanity. Just... remember what you're fighting for when the time comes."
Daemon nodded slowly. He understood the warning, but right now, humanity seemed like a small price to pay for the power to destroy his enemies.
A sudden sound from outside made them both freeze—horses on the road, multiple riders.
Maya moved to the window instantly, peering through a gap in the curtains. Her body went rigid.
"Guards," she whispered. "Your uncle's house guards. Four of them."
Daemon's heart lurched. "They found me already?"
"They're probably searching the area. You were supposed to die in the forest—they need to confirm there's no body." Maya turned back to him, her expression grim. "Get dressed. Quickly. If they search this cabin—"
"Can I fight them?" Daemon stood up, ignoring the protest from his ribs. "I'm stronger now, right? The cultivation made me more powerful?"
"You're stronger than you were, yes. Faster, tougher. But you've had one cultivation session. You're barely Tier 1." Maya tossed him his pants. "Four trained soldiers with swords against a newly awakened Bearer with broken ribs? Those aren't good odds."
"What do we do then?"
Maya bit her lip, thinking. Then her eyes lit up. "Your new ability. Desire Sense. Can you activate it?"
Daemon focused on the System interface. The ability was there, glowing softly.
DESIRE SENSE (RANK 1)Detect the emotional and sexual desires of those nearby. Effective range: 20 feet. Can sense: attraction, lust, fear, aggression.
He pushed mental energy toward it, and suddenly his awareness expanded. He could feel Maya's presence like a warm flame—satisfaction, lingering arousal, concern for him. And beyond her, outside the cabin, four other presences. Harder, colder. Aggression. Duty. And underneath...
"One of them is bored," Daemon said, surprised. "He doesn't want to be here. He's thinking about a woman in town, wishing he was with her instead of searching the forest."
Maya's eyes widened. "That's more detailed than I expected from Rank 1. Your System must be particularly strong." She grabbed her healer's bag. "Here's what we do. I go out there as a harmless healer gathering herbs. You stay hidden. If they search the cabin, I'll distract the one who's already distracted—use your Desire Sense to tell me what he wants, and I'll promise him... something. Enough to get them to leave."
"You'd do that? Put yourself at risk for me?"
"I'm bonded to you now." Maya touched his chest, where the runes still glowed faintly. "The System connects us. Your survival is in my interest. Besides..." A hint of a smile crossed her face. "I haven't had this much excitement in twenty years. I'm not letting your uncle's thugs ruin it now."
The sound of horses grew closer. Maya took a deep breath, smoothing her clothing and grabbing a basket.
"Stay here. Stay quiet. Use your Desire Sense to feed me information, and I'll handle this." She paused at the door. "And Daemon? Welcome to your new life as a System Bearer. It's never boring."
Then she was gone, leaving Daemon alone in the cabin with his new power humming beneath his skin and four armed men outside who wanted him dead.
He pressed himself against the wall beside the window, focusing on his Desire Sense. The ability sent information flowing into his mind—emotions, desires, weaknesses.
Outside, he heard Maya's cheerful voice: "Good evening, gentlemen! Can I help you with something?"
And Daemon realized that his first real test as a System Bearer was about to begin.