Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System

Yuna's chest tightened as she watched Jae press a kiss to Elise's forehead. It wasn't just the affection. it was the way Elise leaned into him so naturally, like she belonged there. Yuna's fingers clenched.

Before she realized it, her feet were moving, her pace quick and sharp as she headed toward the front of the group where the path opened wider.

"Yuna, where are you?" Sun's voice came from behind, but she didn't answer.

Shadows from jagged rock walls stretched over her as she entered a side tunnel, following the faint sound of movement deeper within. A low growl rumbled from the darkness, followed by skittering footsteps across stone.

Two hulking shapes lunged from the shadows, monsters with thick gray fur and claws that scraped the walls. Yuna lifted her staff, heart hammering, and shot out two quick wind slashes, cutting through the damp air.

The blades of wind sliced across the first beast's shoulder, but the second dodged nimbly, its arm swinging forward and smashing into the rock beside her with a deafening crack. Stone shards flew, forcing her to stumble back.

Before she could gather her footing, thick strands of sticky silk shot from the corner of the cave and wrapped around her arm.

Her eyes widened. "What?"

The webbing tightened instantly, yanking her toward a nest tucked in the shadows. She jerked her staff up, but the monster's grip on the web held firm, dragging her helplessly.

"Sun! Jae!" she shouted, panic flooding her voice.

The sound of rapid footsteps and shouting answered her, echoing sharply in the cavern.

"Yuna!" Sun's voice roared behind her, and moments later Jae darted into view, his mana blade igniting in his hand with a flare of light.

"Hang on!" Jae sprinted forward, leaping over a jutting boulder as he slashed cleanly through the strands binding Yuna. She fell forward, catching herself with one hand as Jae twisted to meet the incoming monster's attack.

The beast's claws struck his blade in a spray of sparks. Jae spun, sliding under its swing, then drove his blade up into its torso. It screeched, writhing, before collapsing with a heavy thud.

The other monster tried to retreat, but Sun's shadow magic lashed out, locking its limbs long enough for Ryn to punch through its ribs with his gauntlet.

Yuna exhaled shakily, rubbing her wrists where the silk had burned faint red marks. "Thank you," she said softly, turning toward Jae.

He reached out to steady her by the elbow, his eyes scanning her quickly for injuries. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." She forced a bright smile, stepping closer until she was almost toe to toe with him. "Really. Thank you."

Before he could step back, she leaned in and brushed a quick kiss against his cheek.

The simple motion was deliberate, and her eyes didn't leave his as she straightened back up.

Jae blinked, caught off guard by the sudden closeness, but it was Elise's reaction that made the air shift.

She stood a few steps behind, her hands frozen at her sides. For a moment she didn't say anything, but her jaw tightened slightly, and there was no mistaking the way her gaze locked with Yuna's in quiet warning.

Yuna didn't break the stare.

Sun cleared his throat loudly, his patience wearing thin. "Yuna. Back in formation. Now."

Yuna tilted her chin up slightly, but she obeyed, walking back toward the group with measured steps.

As the teams resumed their path through the dungeon, Yuna didn't leave Jae's side.

Every time a monster appeared, she darted forward, firing sharp blades of wind alongside Jae's strikes. Each time his blade cut through a beast, she cheered, her voice light and teasing in a way that drew more than a few curious glances.

At one point, after Jae finished off a hulking wolf-like creature with a single slash, Yuna grinned and impulsively wrapped her arms around his neck in a brief, excited hug.

Elise's scoff was quiet, but it carried enough bite to make Yuna glance at her out of the corner of her eye.

Elise didn't say anything, but she shifted to Jae's other side, brushing her shoulder against his arm as they walked. It wasn't as blatant as Yuna's affection, but she kept nudging him lightly, enough for the motion to feel casual but constant.

The rest of the students couldn't help but notice.

"Wow," one boy muttered to his teammate, his tone full of disbelief. "Is it just me, or are we watching an actual competition right now?"

"Two beautiful girls fighting over the same guy," another whispered back with a grin. "I didn't think real life was this entertaining."

Sun's face darkened further with each passing minute.

"Yuna," he said under his breath, his tone edged with irritation. "You're being reckless. Knock it off."

She didn't respond, nor did she slow her pace beside Jae.

"Yuna," he said louder, but she acted as if she hadn't heard him.

By the time the group reached the deeper section of the cave, Sun's irritation had boiled into a low simmer. His voice, when he finally addressed Ryn, was tense but even.

"It's getting late," Ryn noted, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Do you think we can clear this whole place before the day ends?"

Sun shook his head curtly. "No. We'll need to regroup. Turn back."

The group began retracing their steps through the winding tunnels. Their boots scraped against uneven stone, the sound echoing faintly as they passed through narrow corridors lit only by their glowing mana crystals.

For a while, the journey back was silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts. But after nearly thirty minutes of walking, Sun's brows drew together in confusion.

"Wait," he muttered. "Where's the exit?"

The others paused, glancing around at the unfamiliar rock formations. The twisting paths all looked the same, gray stone walls lined with faint moss and trickling water droplets that fell from the ceiling.

Ryn turned in a slow circle. "Did we… miss it?"

"No," Sun said, his tone sharp. "We came straight down this tunnel."

They walked further, but after another turn they found themselves back at a cave they had already cleared, the corpses of monsters still lying where they had fallen.

"Unbelievable," Sun muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.

After another ten minutes of futile searching, the group finally stopped, accepting the reality.

Jae broke the silence first. "Maybe this isn't an ordinary cave," he said slowly. "What if we're not allowed to leave until we clear it completely? Like a condition… a goal we have to finish before it lets us out."

Sun turned sharply toward him, his eyes narrowing. "And how would you know that?"

Jae shrugged, trying to keep his tone casual. "Just makes sense."

"Have you even been in a dungeon before?" Sun pressed, suspicious.

Jae couldn't exactly tell him about the system. "No," he admitted, "but I read."

A few of the students chuckled quietly at the blunt reply.

The simplicity of it made Sun's question sound unnecessarily dramatic, and the faint snickers echoing through the cave did nothing to improve his mood.