Lust System: Conquering the World Beauties

The walk back toward the inn was unusually peaceful.

The streets were still alive with merchants calling out their wares, children running between market stalls, and adventurers wandering from one shop to another after completing their morning commissions. Yet despite all the noise surrounding them, Liam couldn’t help but notice something else entirely.

Tatiana.

She hadn’t taken her eyes off him once.

He could literally feel her gaze burning into the side of his face.

At first, he ignored it.

After another minute...

Still there.

Another minute...

Still staring.

Finally, Liam sighed before turning his head.

”...Ask.”

Tatiana’s beautiful face immediately lit up.

”Good!”

A delighted smile spread across her lips.

”I have so many questions.”

Liam already had a rough idea where this was going.

She raised a finger.

”First.”

”How did you suddenly get completely better yesterday?”

”You were barely standing.”

”Then I killed the Bone Burrower...”

”...and somehow you recovered almost instantly.”

Before Liam could even answer, another finger went up.

”Second.”

”How can you suddenly understand their language without Agatha’s spell?”

”And not only understand it...”

”...you’re actually speaking it.”

She narrowed her emerald eyes suspiciously.

”Yesterday you couldn’t understand a single word anyone was saying.”

”But today...”

”You’ve been talking to everyone normally.”

Another finger.

”Third.”

”How did you know what that woman was thinking?”

”You answered thoughts she never even spoke out loud.”

Tatiana folded her arms beneath her chest.

”There are way too many weird things about you.”

She stared directly into his eyes.

”And don’t even try changing the subject.”

Liam looked back at her for a few seconds before letting out a quiet laugh.

”So...”

”That’s what’s been bothering you.”

Tatiana nodded immediately.

”Very much.”

Liam rubbed the back of his neck.

”If it’s all that...”

”I’ll explain everything tomorrow.”

Tatiana stopped walking.

”...Tomorrow?”

”Yeah.”

She blinked.

”...Why tomorrow?”

”Because.”

Liam answered without even looking back.

”...I said tomorrow.”

Tatiana puffed out her cheeks.

”...That’s not a reason.”

”It is.”

”It isn’t.”

”It is.”

”It definitely isn’t.”

She quickly caught up to him.

”No.”

”You can’t just leave me hanging like this.”

She moved even closer.

Close enough that her shoulder gently bumped against his arm.

Liam immediately knew what she was trying to do.

Here she goes again...

Another second later, she was holding onto his arm while looking up at him with those large emerald eyes.

”Liaaam...”

”No.”

”Please?”

”No.”

”I’ll be good.”

”I know.”

”So tell me.”

”No.”

”I’ll give you a kiss.”

Liam almost laughed.

”You’re negotiating now?”

Tatiana nodded seriously.

”Very seriously.”

”No.”

She pouted.

”What if I hug you?”

”No.”

”I’ll hug you twice.”

”No.”

She looked genuinely offended now.

”You’ve become immune.”

”I’ve adapted.”

Tatiana narrowed her eyes.

”...I don’t like that.”

”I know.”

She tried one last time, leaning slightly closer as though proximity alone would change his mind.

”Liam...”

”No.”

”Please...”

”No.”

She sighed dramatically.

”You’re mean.”

”I’ve been told.”

”You enjoy seeing me suffer.”

”A little.”

”You admitted it!”

”I did.”

Tatiana huffed before crossing her arms again.

Liam smiled.

Before she could continue pestering him...

He suddenly pointed ahead.

”Look.”

Tatiana followed his finger.

”...The inn.”

She looked back at Liam.

Only to realize he’d already begun walking toward the entrance.

”...Hey!”

”Not fair!”

Liam merely waved lazily without turning around.

”It worked.”

Tatiana could only stomp her foot once before hurrying after him.

”...Asshole.”

She mumbled under her breath.

The moment Liam pushed open the inn’s wooden doors...

A wave of warmth greeted him.

The smell of cooked meat instantly filled the air.

His stomach reacted before his brain did.

Growl...

”...Yeah.”

”I am starving.”

Inside the inn, the atmosphere was lively as usual.

Several merchants and adventurers sat around drinking while exchanging stories about their latest hunts.

The innkeeper hurried from table to table carrying steaming dishes.

Near one of the larger tables...

Liam spotted several familiar faces.

Irina.

Agatha.

Gregor.

Leonid.

The four of them were gathered around a table covered with plates of food, talking among themselves while eating.

Without thinking twice...

Liam walked straight over.

”Hey, guys.”

The conversation immediately stopped.

All four pairs of eyes turned toward him.

Agatha smiled first.

A warm, motherly smile.

”There you are.”

”We were wondering where you’d disappeared to.”

Irina leaned back in her chair before folding her arms.

”...Where have you been?”

Her tone was calm.

But Liam could already tell she wasn’t asking casually.

He didn’t answer.

Instead...

He casually grabbed an empty chair from a nearby table.

Dragged it across the floor.

Sat down directly beside Irina.

Reached across...

...and pulled her plate toward himself.

Irina blinked.

”...Excuse me?”

Liam ignored her.

”I’m hungry.”

He looked down at the food.

”...This doesn’t look like anything I’ve eaten before.”

Several thick slices of dark meat rested on the wooden plate, lightly coated in herbs and some kind of rich brown sauce. Steam rose gently from each piece, carrying an aroma unlike beef, pork or chicken.

It smelled...

Wild.

Yet strangely inviting.

Agatha smiled.

”That’s beast meat.”

Liam looked up.

”...Beast meat?”

She nodded.

”Very nutritious.”

”It contains far more energy than ordinary livestock.”

”Most adventurers eat it regularly.”

”Oh.”

Liam picked up a piece using the wooden fork beside the plate.

”...Let’s see.”

He bit into it.

The moment his teeth sank through the surface...

His eyes widened.

The outside had a slight crispness from being roasted over an open flame.

But the inside...

It was unbelievably tender.

The meat almost dissolved the moment it touched his tongue, releasing a rich, buttery flavor that spread throughout his mouth. It was juicy without being greasy, carrying a deep savory taste unlike anything he had ever eaten on Earth. The herbs added a subtle fragrance while the natural sweetness of the meat lingered pleasantly after each bite.

For a brief second...

Liam completely forgot where he was.

”...Whoa.”

His eyebrows shot upward.

”This...”

He immediately took another bite.

Then another.

Within seconds he had forgotten every ounce of dignity.

”Wow.”

He looked down at the remaining meat in genuine disbelief before stuffing another piece into his mouth.

”This is ridiculously good.”

Tatiana quietly walked over and pulled out the chair beside Leonid before sitting down without asking. Leonid barely acknowledged her presence. He simply glanced at her once before returning to his thoughts. The plate in front of him hadn’t even been touched much, and Tatiana didn’t hesitate in the slightest. She picked up a piece of the roasted beast meat with her fingers and casually began eating from his plate. Leonid merely sighed and pushed the plate a little closer to her. He clearly wasn’t interested in the food anyway.

Liam watched the exchange with amusement before shaking his head lightly. ”Poor Leonid.”

Tatiana looked up innocently while chewing. ”What?”

”You stole the man’s lunch.”

”I rescued it,” she corrected with complete confidence. ”He wasn’t eating.”

Leonid finally spoke in his usual calm voice.

”She isn’t wrong.”

That made everyone around the table chuckle quietly.

For a few more minutes, the group simply enjoyed the warm meal in relative peace. The inn buzzed with conversations from other travelers and adventurers, wooden mugs clinked together every now and then, and the smell of roasted meat, fresh bread, and hot stew filled the room. Compared to the constant fighting and tension of the last few days, the atmosphere was strangely relaxing. Liam leaned back slightly after finishing the last bite from Irina’s plate, letting out a satisfied breath while rubbing his stomach.

”That was good.”

Agatha smiled softly.

”I told you beast meat is different.”

”It definitely is.”

After wiping his hands on the cloth beside the table, Liam’s expression gradually became more serious. He shifted his attention toward Agatha, who had been quietly observing everyone during the meal.

”It looks like you’re actually the one in charge here.”

Agatha blinked before immediately shaking her head.

”Irina is leading us.”

Liam looked at her for several seconds before letting out a small laugh.

”Let’s cut the bullshit.”

The entire table became quiet.

He folded his arms and continued calmly.

”You’re the reason we’re even here. You’re the only one who actually knows what we’re looking for. You’re the only one who’s been to this world before. You know the people, the dangers, the geography, the customs... everything.”

His eyes swept across everyone seated around the table.

”So why exactly would all of you let Irina, who’s just as clueless as I am, lead this group?”

Nobody answered.

Because... he wasn’t wrong.

Gregor scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

”When you put it like that...”

Leonid gave a slow nod of agreement.

”Makes sense.”

Even Tatiana looked toward Agatha expectantly, waiting for her response.

Irina herself was the first to sigh before shaking her head with a helpless smile.

”Liam’s right.”

Everyone turned toward her.

”I’ve been pretending because someone had to make decisions after we got here, but truthfully...” she shrugged lightly, ”...I’m making guesses more often than plans.”

She looked directly at Agatha.

”You should be the one calling the shots.”

Liam glanced toward Irina.

”No offense.”

A rare smile appeared on Irina’s usually cold face.

”None taken.”

The small smile surprised even Gregor.

”There it is again...”

”What?”

”You smiled.”

Irina immediately wiped the expression away.

”I did not.”

”You absolutely did.”

”I didn’t.”

Gregor burst into laughter while everyone else smiled at the interaction.