Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System

Jae was quickly proving himself to be the most efficient fighter in the group. His movements carried the calm precision of someone who had been in far too many battles, each strike measured as if he had already run through the outcome in his head before acting.

The recent boost to his stats only sharpened that edge, turning his skill into something almost terrifying to watch.

His mana blade flashed in arcs of pale light, cutting cleanly through the thick hides of the creatures they faced. Each swing had weight behind it, yet he never wasted energy. When a monster charged, he met it with a gravity punch that landed like a collapsing boulder, sending the enemy skidding backward across the cave floor.

If an attack came too fast to block, he simply wasn't there anymore. His phantom step blurred him from sight, leaving the air where he had stood still rippling. One moment a claw would be inches from tearing into him, the next he would reappear at the creature's flank, already mid-swing. The few blows that did connect glanced harmlessly off him, his iron skin absorbing the worst of the force.

The combination of these techniques made him feel unstoppable, and for the first time since entering these caves, Jae allowed himself a brief, steadying breath. The fight was still dangerous, but it no longer felt like they were barely holding on.

As they pushed deeper into the tunnels, Jae began noticing a pattern. More than once, Yuna somehow ended up in trouble just as he was nearby. A paw swiped toward her head, and he was there, catching her by the wrist and yanking her clear. A loose chunk of ceiling broke free, and his hand was already on her shoulder, shoving her to the side before it struck.

No one else seemed to notice the strange frequency of it, but Yuna knew exactly what she was doing. She was testing her limits. Or maybe testing him, seeing how far his willingness to protect her went.

It became almost like an unspoken dance. Her body leaned a fraction too far into danger, and his hand was there to pull her back. Her footing slipped near a jagged rock, and his arm circled her waist just long enough to steady her before he let go. Their eyes met once, mid-battle, and she gave a faint, unreadable smile before turning away again.

Elise, on the other hand, was finding her rhythm in a very different way. The hesitant movements she had shown earlier were gone. Now she stepped forward with measured confidence, her staff glowing faintly at the tip. She wasn't just healing anymore, she was fighting.

The offensive technique she had recently discovered wasn't perfect yet, but she was beginning to understand how to use it. When a hulking Sasquatch charged, Elise ducked low and drove her staff into a point just beneath its ribs. Light burst from the strike, and the monster froze mid-step, its massive limbs stiffening as though invisible chains had bound it.

The rest of the group didn't waste the opening. Blades and spells tore into the immobilized beast until it collapsed.

When it was over, Elise's eyes were bright, her breathing quick but steady. She looked almost startled at her own success before her lips curved in a small, proud smile.

Sun noticed, but instead of being impressed, his brows pulled into a slight frown.

"Why are you putting yourself in danger?" he asked, his tone sharper than usual. "You're supposed to stay back and be our healer."

Elise turned to him, the glow still fading from her staff. Her voice was calm but firm. "We have another healer now, ever since the other team joined us. And I can do more than stand behind you all. I want to help in every way I can."

For a moment, no one spoke. The only sound was the faint dripping of water somewhere deeper in the cave. Then, one by one, the others nodded.

Sun frowned and his shoulders eased slightly, and though he still looked reluctant, he said, "Alright. If it works, it works."

They moved on, felling the last of the monsters in their path. The bodies dissolved into mist, leaving behind the shimmering crystals that scattered across the stone floor. The group bent down to gather them, the faint glow reflecting off their faces and armor. The air felt still now, almost peaceful.

Then a sharp, splitting sound tore through the calm.

It was deep, heavy, like the earth itself groaning under unbearable strain.

Before anyone could speak, the ground trembled beneath their feet. The vibration was subtle at first, a low hum in their bones, but it swelled into a violent shaking that sent pebbles bouncing and dust falling from above.

"Move!" someone shouted.

The ceiling groaned, and small rocks rained down, clattering against armor and echoing through the chamber. The trembling became so fierce that the ground cracked open in jagged lines, one of them stretching toward the group with alarming speed.

Jae's focus sharpened instantly.

A boulder broke loose from above, and he lunged forward, grabbing Elise's arm. He pulled her toward him and twisted away from the falling debris.

Her palms pressed against his chest, her heartbeat thundering so hard he could feel it. She clung to him for half a breath before forcing herself to stand on her own again.

He didn't wait. His eyes found Yuna, who was frozen near another crack splitting the floor. He sprinted across the shaking ground, his boots slipping slightly on loose gravel, and caught her hand just as a section of rock gave way behind her.

The roar of the earth splitting apart filled his ears, but he kept his grip firm, dragging her toward more stable ground. She stumbled into him, her breath quick and uneven, her eyes wide but focused on his face for a moment before looking away.

When the tremors finally eased, the dust began to settle in heavy clouds. The air smelled of raw stone, sharp and dry, and the faint glow of the crystals was now dimmed by the haze.

The cave had been torn apart. A deep, jagged chasm now cut through the middle of the chamber, so wide that even with a running start, no one could leap across.

The group had been split in two.

On one side stood Sun, Ryn, and three others. On the other side were Jae, Elise, Yuna, and another girl with pale cheeks but a determined set to her jaw.

Yuna's eyes locked on her brother instantly. She took a step toward the edge of the chasm, her boots sending a few loose stones tumbling into the abyss.

"Sun!" she called, her voice trembling just enough to betray the tightness in her chest. "Are you okay?"