The Temptation Gauntlet wasn't just a dungeon.
It was foreplay incarnate.
The deeper we went, the worse it got. Moaning echoes slithered across the walls like whispers, licking at our ears with wet tongues of sound. The pink mist was thicker here, denser, sweeter. Every breath made my blood run hotter, and the girls weren't doing much better.
Raven walked stiffly, her gun gripped in both hands, but her thighs rubbed together with every step. Aria was chewing her lip, cheeks flushed. Lira clung to my back like she needed my scent just to survive, and Iris... Iris had already undone her top two buttons.
Mei was the only one somewhat grounded, but only because she'd just had a level-up-fueled power burst that seemed to calm her jitters. Her new skill, Heatstep Rush, glowed faintly beneath her skin like coiled embers.
[Dungeon Zone: Trial Corridor - Lust Mirage Layer]
[Challenge: Focus under Duress – Mental Check Threshold: 32]
We moved in pairs, holding hands. My CHA stat helped, but even that didn't stop my pants from feeling like a second skin. The corridor narrowed into a circular chamber lit by low red torches and thick satin curtains draped everywhere like a bordello maze.
Then we heard it.
A woman's voice.
"Welcome, seekers of pleasure."
[Lust Avatar Manifested – Temptation Echo]
A tall, unreal beauty stepped from the mist. Her body shimmered with illusion magic—long legs, wide hips, deep cleavage, and eyes that glowed like twin aphrodisiac moons. She was naked except for see-through lace that covered absolutely nothing.
I gulped. The girls tensed.
"To proceed, you must face your desires. One at a time. Come, who among you will step forward first?"
Nobody moved.
Until Raven did.
"I'll go," she muttered, walking up with her chin high.
"Raven—"
"I can handle it."
The Lust Avatar smirked and opened one curtain with a snap. "Follow me, archer of shadows. Let's test your aim."
They disappeared behind the silk.
Ten long minutes passed.
Raven came back flushed, hair messed up, but steady.
"I won."
She didn't elaborate. I didn't press.
Next was Lira. She went in quiet, came back walking funny and smiling.
Then Aria, who muttered something about "tantric shadow clones" as she exited.
Iris practically bounced in.
We heard moaning.
We definitely heard giggling.
When she came out, she just winked at me and said, "Best solo dungeon ever."
Then Mei.
She went in without a word. The chamber went silent.
Five minutes later, the curtain burst open—Mei dragging a glowing red crystal and panting hard.
[Trial Reward: Lust Crystal Fragment x1 – Enhances Libido-linked Skills]
"I... I think I broke it," she mumbled.
My turn.
I stepped through the curtain.
It closed behind me like lips sealing a kiss.
Hiro vs. Himself
The room was empty, save for a mirror.
Then the mirror shimmered.
Out stepped… me.
But not just me—me with glowing eyes, a cocky grin, and a confidence that oozed like syrup.
"Sup, me," Mirror-Hiro said.
"Oh no."
"You sure about this class? It ain't just about banging hotties. It's about owning it. Leading them. Controlling the tempo. You gonna step up or just enjoy the ride?"
He stepped forward. I braced.
We didn't fight with fists.
We fought with intent.
The mirror cracked.
I stepped through.
[Lust Trial – Passed]
[Bond Strength +1 with All Partners]
[Passive Skill Awakened – Harem Pulse: Slight buffs to team when in proximity and aroused]
[Level Up! Hiro – Level 17 → 18]
+3 Stat Points | +1 Skill Point
The Next Floor Awaits
We regrouped.
Everyone looked a little worn, but grinning. The trial hadn't broken us. It had… tuned us.
A platform shimmered into view ahead, floating upward like an elevator made of rose petals and moonlight.
[Phase Complete – Next Dungeon Floor: Trial of Pleasure & Pain]
I turned to the girls.
"Everyone good?"
"Better than good," Iris purred.
"Let's move."
We stepped onto the platform as one.
Up we went, into deeper heat.
End of Chapter 30