Three days after the monster hunting competition, Jimmy's reputation at the academy was blazing like wildfire. Not only had he secured first place single-handedly, but the spectacle of him standing atop a Class-B monster's corpse had reached the ears of professors, nobles, and even the upper council.
> [Academy Fame +12]
> [Passive Skill: Charisma of the Predator – Enhanced social influence over high-status targets.]
He had rested well. Lana, now reconditioned to near-perfect submission, had spent the last two nights silently sharpening his gear, absorbing dream fragments Jimmy fed her, and whispering in her sleep—"Master, take me again."
But today, Jimmy walked alone.
The Academy had declared a small ceremony and banquet in honor of the competition's top scorers. Nobles, instructors, and several foreign delegates had been invited.
Among them: a visiting dignitary from the distant Beastkin Tribes of the Sunridge Wastes.
Her name was Princess Zephyra.
---
The ballroom shimmered in golden light. Floating lanterns drifted overhead, casting soft hues across silk-draped tables. Beastkin guards stood at the room's periphery, feline eyes constantly scanning.
Jimmy entered wearing dark crimson robes adorned with subtle black embroidery—a blend of noble fashion and danger.
As always, he turned heads.
But his silver eyes locked immediately onto her.
Princess Zephyra.
A tall, panther-eared beauty with caramel skin, emerald slit-pupiled eyes, and long black hair cascading down her back. She wore tribal regalia—gold-lined bands on her arms, a decorative fang necklace, and a crimson backless gown that clung to her athletic curves.
She noticed his gaze.
And held it.
> [Target Acquired: Princess Zephyra of Sunridge]
> [Affinity: 4% | Emotional Status: Amused Curiosity]
> [Weakness Detected: Prideful Dominance | Interest in Stronger Males]
Jimmy approached with a wine glass in hand, casual and smooth. He stood beside her but said nothing.
Only after a beat did she smirk and purr, "Are you staring because I'm exotic or because I'm gorgeous?"
"Why not both?" he replied. "Though beauty alone wouldn't hold me. Power, now that's what tempts me."
Her smirk deepened. "Then you must've enjoyed my little cousin's tantrum during the duel trials."
"Watched him get thrown across the field. Twice," Jimmy said with a grin.
She chuckled, amused. Her tail flicked behind her. "You're the dream boy everyone talks about."
"And you're the wildcat whose reputation leaves claw marks across every noble's ego."
"Sharp tongue," she said, taking a sip of wine. "But can it bite as well as flatter?"
> [Affinity: 11%]
Jimmy leaned in just slightly, his voice a low murmur. "I bite. But only when asked."
---
Later that evening, as the music softened and crowds thinned, Jimmy caught Zephyra near the garden balcony. She was alone, watching the moon.
He approached again, no hesitation.
"I find the full moon calming," he said.
"I find it tempting," she replied. "In my culture, it's considered the hour of confessions."
"Then I confess," Jimmy said, stepping behind her, "I've been imagining how you'd look purring beneath me."
Her ears twitched.
Then she turned and kissed him.
Hard.
Their lips met in a clash of dominance and hunger. She bit his lower lip.
He growled into the kiss, lifting her slightly onto the marble rail.
> [Passive Skill: Charm Enhanced – Beastkin Affinity Modifier Triggered]
> [Princess Zephyra - Affection: 24% | Corruption: 6% | Fantasy Alignment: Mutual Combat Seduction]
---
They didn't return to the dormitories.
Instead, Zephyra led him to her private guest suite—an opulent space filled with incense, pelts, and tribal ornaments.
As the door closed, she spun, pushing him against it. Her claws raked gently down his chest.
"Strip," she commanded.
Jimmy grinned. "Only if you growl again."
She growled.
Clothes fell. Mouths clashed again.
Jimmy pinned her to the wall, his hand at her throat, careful but firm. She arched into it.
"Harder," she whispered. "Show me you're not just pretty eyes."
He lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around him. Their bodies met, friction building until neither of them held back.
> [Dream Parasite - Passive Seeding Attempt Initiated]
> [Mental State: Receptive – Fantasy Alignment: High Submission Under Resistance Play]
He took her against the wall, against the furs, and finally on the carved wooden bed beneath flickering red lanterns. Every moan was a challenge. Every thrust, a conquest.
She clawed his back. He bit her collarbone. They kissed like enemies and lovers.
Until finally, she lay panting, her tail twitching with aftershocks, her sharp eyes now softened.
"You fight like a beast," she whispered.
"I devour dreams," he said.
> [Princess Zephyra – Corruption: 17% | Dream Parasite Planted (Dormant)]
---
Before dawn, she stirred beside him.
"I leave in two days. Will I see you again?"
Jimmy brushed her hair back, kissed her shoulder, and whispered, "You'll dream of me forever."
Then he vanished before the guards arrived.
---
Back in his dorm, Jimmy reclined on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
> [Dream Parasite Targets: 63 (Latent)]
> [High Value Targets Added: Princess Zephyra (Beastkin Heir)]
Lana stood at his door.
"You smell like sweat and exotic incense, Master."
"Beastkin purr louder than they bite," he said with a smirk.
Lana's eyes glinted. "I want to bite too."
He patted the bed.
"Then come. I've got enough dominance for all my pets."
And as the academy awoke, unaware of how many of their futures now belonged to the Sleepless Novice, Jimmy continued building his kingdom.
One mind.
One body.
One dream at a time.