Kai's time with the Savage Creed followers had been frustrating in multiple senses.

There had been a part of him that had hoped he would show up, learn a few tricks about the Savage Heart, and instantly gain access to a full transformation. Instead, though everyone was impressed by how much he'd grown, it apparently just took a lot of time and practice.

And tapping into his savage desires, of course. Kai still sided with Gorutiel against the Savage Creed: he was a monster, not a beast, and he wouldn't succeed by following the same path. But he couldn't say that, so the challenges continued.

Now that he had a stronger understanding of what Zae Zin Nim called dual cultivation, Kai saw Tyorcut's actions for what they were: less seduction than strategic pressure. Her Savage Yoni ability was sex-based, so presumably she was open to having sex with people for power and wanted him on some level. But there was absolutely nothing more than lust, and he wasn't sure that was stronger than her desire to gain power from him.

Every day she gave him a new chakra drink, which flowed into his spirit and increased the "lingam" energy he carried, which also meant his sex drive. In theory he could absorb it and strengthen himself a little, as he'd done the last time, but that was never the goal. Instead she wanted him to fail so that she could harvest all of it for herself.

Now that he was a married man he wasn't tempted in the same way... but he was still a man. Being determined not to do something did not make him immune, so he struggled to maintain physical control and resist the impulses. If she hadn't also been advising him on the Savage Heart, he'd have been tempted to abandon her challenge and leave.

Currently he sat in a gully wearing nothing but pants. Actually, it was the Beggar King's Rags, but since Tyorcut had insisted he wear little, he had made them shrink. He was surrounded by bowls of incense that formed a haze around him that made it hard to think.

"Your self-control is impressive, but why resist?" Tyorcut prowled behind him, occasionally brushing against his back so he could feel her heat. "Are you one of those fools afraid of losing your essence? Don't be, you know your strength. Go on, take what you want."

Fuck, he wanted Zae Zin Nim. Kai wanted to think back to their time at the Kama Altar, but in his current state that might make him lose control altogether.

"What's going on here?"

With no warning whatsoever, Omilaena strolled into the gully. She was wearing a dress again and it looked absolutely amazing. Kai had been resisting so hard that seeing a woman who actually wanted him back nearly undid him entirely. Fortunately, her arrival seemed to disrupt things and Tyorcut stalked away, so he stood up to get out of the incense.

"This has nothing to do with you," Tyorcut snarled.

"Is that Kai Clanless?" Omilaena strolled toward him with a faked expression. "Damn, are you still refusing to give it up?"

"You know him?" Tyorcut hesitated, looking between them.

"Oh yeah. Haven't seen him in years, but he's always been a stubborn one. Isn't that right?"

Kai had no idea what she was trying to do or why she was lying. He currently wasn't thinking very clearly at all, actually. The best he could do was growling, "Get away, temptress."

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

"Still so aggressive!" Omilaena raised her hands in mock fear. "You're not going to get this one with bait like that, believe me."

After considering for a time, Tyorcut shook her head sharply. "We won't throw you out, stranger, but you'd better not interfere. Kai, we'll pick this up tomorrow."

They remained silent until she left, going back to the main Savage Creed community. Just in case they were being watched Kai resisted the urge to whirl on Omilaena, but he still fixed her with a gaze. "What are you doing here? Is Zae Zin Nim alright?"

"Relax, she's fine. Fully recovered within two weeks, and it should only take her about a month to bring the Pure Yin Shroud to its full strength."

"Good. Then what are you doing here and why are you meddling?"

"Can't I have any fun?" Omilaena's eyes danced, but he saw that she was being serious. "I wanted to come bring you back, of course, but I also had plans to strengthen both of us. And as soon as I saw this set-up, I changed those plans. Do you have a thing for being tempted by strange, dangerous women?"

"Believe me, I don't." Kai groaned and ran his hands through his hair. "I need more strength to fight Gorutiel and this is the fastest way to get it. If I understand all this right, she's trying to take advantage of me?"

"One hundred percent. There are more cases of men taking advantage, but it can go the other way in certain circumstances. It's not exactly predatory, not like a Silver Demon who would take everything. But if I'm reading all this chakra right... you'd get a little fun and she'd get all the permanent benefits."

"And what are you doing, then?"

"Making it worse! I'm tempting her to use even more valuable resources, which I'm pretty sure she will. You're going to be facing an ugly challenge here, but I believe in you." Omilaena turned and reached out, almost as if she was going to touch him, but pulled back as they might be watched. "Just hold on until the perfect moment. Then I promise you, I will blow your mind."

Kai groaned, but if Omilaena was really his wife then he needed to trust her. So he went back to his training and did his best to ignore her manipulations. The next day Tyorcut brought him a powdered root that lit a fire deep in his belly, so it must be working. There was more chakra flowing in him than ever before.

"I've never met a man with your self-control," Tyorcut said as she stalked around him. "But are you really this stubborn? Believe me, losing will be better than winning."

"Not yet," Kai grunted. He saw Omilaena over a nearby hill, tapping her goggles and then looking toward Tyorcut.

So he actually let his eyes wander over her, as if he was being overcome by lust. Tyorcut kept feeding him new resources and teasing him further, and it should have been more than he could take. The only thing that kept him under control was Omilaena, whether it was just a glimpse of her or a coy wink from a distance. Now he wasn't being seduced, he and Omilaena were seducing Tyorcut together, convincing her to pour more resources into him.

But how long could that go on? Kai thought he had decent willpower, but he was only human.

One day as Tyorcut walked away, her fur robes swishing around her wide hips, he realized that he was really staring, not pretending. The Savage Heart ability was going wild and he felt more like an animal than a person. Surely, surely it had to be soon...

"I get it." Omilaena appeared beside him and he was so taken off guard he jumped. "Nice figure, amazing abs. If there wasn't so much at stake, I'd say fuck her."

"You cannot be serious," Kai growled.

"I mean, obviously I don't want you to break poor Zae Zin Nim's heart. I'm just saying I wouldn't personally care. I get it."

"None of this is helping. Go away unless-"

"It's time, I was just waiting for everyone to get out of sight." Omilaena turned to him, eyes playful but no longer teasing. "You have terrible luck with women wanting something from you, huh? But you know how long I've wanted you."

She leaned up on the tips of her toes to kiss him, surprisingly chastely. Kai wanted to grab her, but if he started he wasn't sure he could stop. "Then... what happens now?"

"I'll take the energy Tyorcut has put so many resources into. Don't worry, after that I'll pay you back, I guarantee it." Omilaena reached up to touch his chest gently. "Maybe you'd prefer to stop thinking about her? I'm pretty sure I can make you forget."

"Wait... wait... a long time ago, you said something about a poison vagina?"

Omilaena laughed. "Right, I did! I do have ways to weaponize sex, but this isn't about that, despite all the preparation. Really, Kai... this can be about just the two of us."

He finally grabbed her, pulling her off the ground into a kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and for a while their embrace was gentle and sweet.

But not for very long.