Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System

The situation was a mess, and Jae's heart pounded as he stared into the crater where Amira and Jeon were flailing in thick, sticky mud. The stuff looked like tar, sucking at their legs as they cursed and struggled, their voices echoing up the jagged walls.

Amira's face was red with fury, her hair plastered with gunk, while Jeon just looked annoyed, like he'd rather be anywhere else. The air was heavy with the damp, earthy smell of the forest, mixed with the sour stench of the mud below.

Jae's mind raced, they had ten minutes to get Elise and make it back. Amira's dumb bridge plan had crashed and burned, and now it was on him to save the day. He couldn't waste time pulling them out; Elise was out there, playing the injured target, and he had to go get her.

Jae yanked the map from his pocket, his fingers smudging the paper as he scanned it under the dappled shade of the trees.

Amira's shouting "Get us out, you idiot!" faded as he focused, tracing the lines with his eyes.

There was another path, longer but safer, winding around the crater's edge through a dense patch of woods. It'd eat up time, but it beat falling into that mud pit.

"Hang tight," he called down, his voice firm, though he knew Amira wouldn't listen. He took off, his boots crunching over fallen leaves, the forest air sharp in his lungs.

Branches snagged at his uniform, but he pushed through, his legs pumping as he followed the map's twisty route, the shed's location burned into his brain.

The shed came into view, a rickety wooden shack half-covered in vines, and Jae's chest loosened when he spotted Elise lying on the ground outside, playing her part as the injured target.

Her dark hair fanned out on the dirt, and her eyes lit up when she saw him.

He grinned, waving as he jogged over, the tension easing for a second. "Hey, you're okay," he said, catching his breath.

Elise smiled back, her voice soft. "Where's Amira and Jeon?"

"Stuck in a mud crater," Jae said, shaking his head. "No time to get them out. We gotta move before the timer's up. Come on."

He reached for her hand, but Elise shook her head, her cheeks turning pink. "I can't," she said, glancing at her leg. "I'm supposed to have an injured leg. You have to carry me."

Her voice was shy, her eyes flicking up to his, and Jae's heart did a little jump. Carry her? For a second, he froze, picturing how close they'd be, her warmth against him.

"Okay, no problem," he said, pushing the thought aside. He bent down and scooped her up like she weighed nothing, his boosted Strength making it easy.

Elise let out a surprised squeak, her hands grabbing his shoulders. "You're so strong!" she exclaimed, her face redder now, her voice a mix of awe and embarrassment.

Jae chuckled, his own cheeks warming as he adjusted his grip, her body light and warm in his arms. "Let's go," he said, and took off running, the forest blurring around them.

Amira's distant curses "You're leaving us, commoner?!" chased him, but he ignored her. Saving Elise was the priority, and he wasn't about to let her or the team down.

As Jae ran, Elise clung to him, her face close to his chest. She kept stealing glances up at him, her dark eyes wide and soft, and Jae could feel her breath against his neck.

For Elise, every jolt of his steps sent a tingle through her, her heart racing not just from the speed but from being so close to him.

His arms were steady, his focus intense, and the way he'd rushed to save her made her chest feel warm and fluttery. I like him, she realized, the thought hitting her like a spark.

The tingles spread, her skin hyper-aware of every point where they touched, and she bit her lip, hoping he didn't notice how flustered she was.

Jae hit the edge of the woods just as the buzzer blared, signaling the end of their ten minutes. He set Elise down gently, his arms burning but his grin wide.

They'd made it, barely. The teacher nodded from the clearing, scribbling on her clipboard, while Amira and Jeon, now dragged out by another team, glared at him, covered in mud. Jae didn't care. He'd done his part, and Elise's shy smile was worth it.

xxxx

That evening, after classes wrapped, Jae was heading out of the academy, the air cool and smelling of grass and freedom. His legs were heavy, his mind replaying the drill and that moment with Elise in his arms.

He was almost at the gate when a familiar voice stopped him. "Jae!" Elise jogged up, her cheeks pink, her dark hair bouncing. "I just wanted to say goodbye before I head out," she said, her voice soft but warm.

Jae's heart did that jump again, and before he could overthink it, he threw caution out the window. "Hey, you wanna come see my room tonight?" he asked, his voice a little too eager.

Elise's eyes widened, her blush deepening. "I'd love to, but… I'm a girl. We're not allowed in the guys' dorms," she said, glancing away.

Jae grinned, leaning closer. "I've got a way to fix that," he said, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. "Meet me tonight, same time we ran into each other last night."

Elise bit her lip, then nodded, her smile shy but excited, and Jae felt a thrill shoot through him.

That night, after the Lust System dragged him out for another monster-killing mission, Jae slipped back to the academy, his body slick with sweat and monster slime he hoped wasn't too obvious.

The air was chilly, biting at his damp skin, and he was beat, but the thought of Elise waiting kept him moving.

He found her outside the dorms, sitting on a bench, her hands fidgeting in her lap. She stood when she saw him, her face lighting up, and started to lean in for a hug, but Jae stepped back, laughing nervously.

"Whoa, I'm all sweaty and gross from training," he said, his voice light to cover the lie. No way was he telling her about the spider guts. "You don't wanna hug this mess."