Venis walked the last three blocks to his apartment in a numb haze. The night air was thick with humidity, streetlights buzzing overhead like angry insects. His shoes scraped against cracked pavement; each step echoed the thudding in his chest. The image of Charlotte—naked, flushed, eyes wide with shock and hurt—burned behind his eyelids every time he blinked.
He climbed the stairs to his floor, key shaking in the lock. The door opened with a tired creak. Inside, the single bulb flickered on, casting long shadows over the cramped space: sagging couch, tiny kitchenette, unmade bed in the corner. It smelled faintly of stale takeout and unwashed laundry. Home. Pathetic.
He dropped his keys on the counter—clink—and sank onto the edge of the bed, elbows on knees, face in hands.
The blue window appeared without warning, hovering at eye level like an unwelcome guest.
[Libido Debuff: 18 hours remaining]Current Points: 5Reminder: Complete daily/weekly quests to mitigate penalties and unlock progression paths.
Venis stared at it, jaw tight. Sixty-eight hours. Almost three days of being… broken. And it's counting down like I have a choice. He swiped at the air; the window vanished.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand—sharp, insistent.
He grabbed it, screen lighting his face in cold blue.
Charlotte Venis… I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I thought… maybe you were just nervous, or the meds, but… It's okay if you're only attracted to beasts. Gate fiends, monsters, whatever. I get it. Some satisfiers are wired that way after years in the overflow. I shouldn't have pushed. I won't bother you again. Take care of yourself. Please.
The words hit like a slap. Then another. Then a gut punch.
Venis read it twice, three times. His thumb hovered over the keyboard—type, delete, type again. Nothing came out right.
He stood up abruptly, chest heaving.
"No," he whispered to the empty room. Then louder— "NO!"
The shout bounced off the thin walls. He hurled the phone across the room; it hit the wall with a dull thud and clattered to the floor, screen still glowing with her message.
He paced—two steps one way, two steps back—hands raking through his hair.
Only attracted to beasts? She thinks I'm some kind of monster-fucker who can't get it up for a real woman? For her? The misunderstanding twisted deeper than the shame. She was trying to be kind—understanding, accepting—and it only made everything worse. Because she was wrong. Dead wrong. He wanted her. Only her. Had wanted her for months—dreamed about her laugh, her touch, the way her eyes softened when she looked at him. And now she thought he was repulsed by humans. By her.
He sank to the floor, back against the bedframe, knees drawn up.
Tears burned hot behind his eyes. He let them fall—silent, angry, useless.
After a long minute, he dragged himself up. Opened the small metal box under his bed—his "savings." A thin stack of sati coins glinted inside: five dull iridescent discs from the last gate clear. Barely enough for anything.
But enough for tonight.
He pocketed them, grabbed his jacket, and headed out.
The night market was still open—narrow alley strung with red lanterns, stalls selling everything from bootleg essence boosters to street food that smelled like grease and hope. Venis found the exchange booth near the back: a scarred counter manned by an older man with one milky eye and a cigarette permanently glued to his lip.
"Five sati," Venis said, sliding the coins across.
The man counted them with nicotine-stained fingers. "Five coins. That's one average day's pay—manual labor, gate cleanup crew, whatever. Cash or card?"
"Cash."
A small stack of won notes slapped onto the counter. Venis pocketed them without counting, turned, and walked away before the shame could catch up.
Back in the apartment, he locked the door, kicked off his shoes, and collapsed face-down on the bed. The mattress smelled faintly of sweat and loneliness. He rolled onto his back, staring at the water-stained ceiling.
The system window popped up again—uninvited, relentless.
[Daily Quest Refresh Available in 4 hours]Current Objective Pool Loading…Tip: Virgin targets are rare in post-gate society. Consider social circles, new recruits, or sheltered civilians untouched by overflow events.
Venis laughed—a short, bitter sound that cracked in his throat.
Social circles? New recruits? Sheltered civilians? He had no circle. The guild avoided him like a bad smell. New recruits wouldn't look twice at an E-rank with five points. And sheltered civilians? In a world where gates had been spewing aphro-overflow for five years, virgins were practically endangered species. Kids grew up fast or died trying.
He rubbed his face, palms pressing hard against his eyes until spots danced.
How do I even start? Walk into a café and ask, 'Hey, are you untouched? Because a magic screen says I need to take your virginity to fix my dick'? The absurdity of it made his stomach turn.
But underneath the humiliation, a small, stubborn spark flickered.
Twenty Four Hours. Then the debuff lifts. I get one more shot. Maybe a normal quest. Something that doesn't require ruining someone's first time.
He thought of Charlotte again—her smooth, bare skin in the lamplight, the hurt in her eyes when he ran. The way she'd tried to make it okay even when it wasn't.
I can't let her think that about me. I can't let her cut me off forever.
He sat up slowly, staring at the scattered coins and crumpled bills on the nightstand.
Tomorrow. I'll fix this tomorrow. Somehow.
For now, he lay back down, fully clothed, boots still on.
The city hummed outside—distant sirens, late-night laughter, the low rumble of another gate opening somewhere far off.
Venis closed his eyes.
Sleep didn't come easy.
But the system window stayed dark.
For now.