Gathering Husbands with a System in a Game Like World [BL]

Kai woke to the bright light of early morning filtering through the thin curtains of his inn room and for a brief moment everything felt peaceful. His body still carried the lingering awareness of his new skill, a hum beneath his skin that reminded him the skill was real. He flexed his fingers experimentally and felt the difference, but the memory of yesterday’s humiliation with Elias immediately flooded his mind and his face darkened.

”Of all the people to run into...”

He sat up, rubbing his face, determined that today would be productive—training, a quest, anything that didn’t involve an S-Rank Assassin with zero sense of personal boundaries. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and froze when a soft knock sounded against the window. Kai stood up to go check it out.

A golden hawk perched on the outer sill, feathers gleaming in the morning light, a sealed letter tied carefully to its leg. Kai’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the crest pressed into the wax. The seal of the knights Caelum Draven!

He opened the window. The hawk waited patiently while he untied the letter, then took flight the moment it was free. Kai broke the seal and unfolded the parchment. The handwriting was precise and elegant, but there was a warmth beneath the formal strokes that made the letter feel less like an official report and more like something written by a man who actually cared.

To Kai Valerius,

*I received your letter. Your decision to forgo the Imperial Academy has been noted, and I will not waste words attempting to dissuade you. The Academy is a path, not a decree. If the road of an Adventurer calls to you more strongly, then walk it without hesitation. A man who chooses hisown direction is far more dangerous—and far more interesting—than one who simply follows the map laid before him. I find myself curiously proud of that choice, though I will not admit it aloud.

As for my own circumstances, I remain occupied with duties that require my presence at the capital. Certain matters of the Kingdom demand attention that cannot be delayed. You need not concern yourself with the details, but know that my time is not idle, and that I think of you more often than is strictly professional.

There is, however, a matter that does concern you. Reports have reached me of a creature discovered near thenorthern borders exhibiting signs of abnormal corruption. The symptoms match the description you provided of the Mistfang Tyrant and the energy observed within Emeraldwood Forest—the same unnatural mana, the same violet residue, the same deviation from known magical patterns.

The Kingdom has begun a formal investigation. Specialized units have been deployed to examine the phenomenon. Your report was taken seriously. You were not dismissed. Whatever force is driving these creatures from their territories, it is no longer a local curiosity. It is a threat under active scrutiny, and I am grateful you brought it to my attention.

Continue as you see fit. Should further information become necessary, I will contact you again. Do not recklessly place yourself in the path of matters beyond your current strength. Curiosity is a virtue. Suicidal curiosity is not. Take care of yourself, Kai. The world is darker than either of us would prefer, and I would rather you remain in it.

Caelum Draven

Captain of the Royal Knights

Kai finished reading and let out a quiet breath as relief settled over him. The Kingdom knew. Caelum knew. Someone else with actual authority was investigating the corruption, and for the first time since Emerald wood he wasn’t carrying the entire mystery alone. A small smile tugged at his lips.

[SSS-Rank Husband Candidate: Caelum Draven]

[Affinity Increased: 10% to 19%]

[Reason: Mutual concern and acknowledgment of shared trust]

Kai blinked at the notification, then smiled a little wider. Nineteen percent. That was big progress.

”You’re smiling.”

Kai’s blood turned to ice. He knew that voice. Slowly, very slowly, he turned around.

Elias stood in the middle of his room, leaning casually against the wall as if he belonged there, and Kai’s soul nearly left his body.

”Elias.”

Elias smiled, eyes already roaming over him with open appreciation.

”Good morning, beautiful.”

”How did you get in here?”

Elias glanced around the room with lazy amusement.

”Through the door.”

”The door was locked.”

”Then I suppose someone unlocked it.”

Kai looked at the door. It was locked. He looked back at Elias. The System activated with unusual urgency.

[Warning.]

[High-threat individual detected.]

[Target: Elias.]

[Threat Level: Extremely High.]

[Distance: Extremely Uncomfortable.]

Kai’s eye twitched.

”Why are you here?”

Elias pushed off the wall and began walking closer, voice dropping into a low, intimate tone that made Kai’s skin crawl.

”To see you. To smell you. You’re even prettier in the morning, you know that? Soft. Warm. Makes me want to—”

”Stop.”

Elias didn’t stop. He kept coming until he was only a step away, leaning in just enough to inhale near Kai’s neck like a man tasting the air around something he intended to devour.

”You smell good,” he murmured. ”Clean. Expensive. Like something I want to ruin.”

Kai stepped back.

”Get out.”

Elias smiled wider, completely unbothered.

”Why would I leave when the view is this good?”

Kai pointed at the door with more force than necessary.

”Out. Now.”

Elias tilted his head, eyes dark with something far too hungry.

”You’re adorable when you’re angry. Do you know that? Most people are terrified of me. You just get mad. It’s... exciting.”

Kai’s patience snapped.

”Leave or I will make you leave.”

Elias’s smile turned filthy. Without any warning he reached down, unbuckled his belt, and shoved his trousers down far enough to free himself. The System flared red.

[Warning: Designated sexual assault experience detected.]

[Recommendation: Immediate physical retaliation.]

Kai’s eyes widened in pure horror as Elias held himself with open pride, already half-hard and thick, the size of it impossible to ignore even in the brief second before Kai reacted. He didn’t think. He just kicked. Hard. Infinite Strength flared and Elias went flying backward, trousers still around his thighs, crashing into the opposite wall with a heavy thud.

Kai’s face burned. He had only caught a snippet, but it had been more than enough. Thick. Heavy and Disgustingly large. He wanted to bleach his eyes.

”You fucking pervert!”

Elias groaned from the floor, then laughed, low and delighted, making no effort to cover himself.

”Worth it. Did you see? I wasn’t exaggerating.”

Kai didn’t answer. He spun on his heel, yanked the door open, and stormed into the hallway screaming for the innkeeper. The man appeared almost immediately, looking alarmed.

”Is there a problem, young master?”

By the time they returned to the room, Elias had already pulled his trousers back up and was leaning against the wall again as if nothing had happened. The moment the innkeeper entered, Elias’s entire demeanor shifted. He straightened, offered a polite smile, and spoke with perfect composure.

”No problem at all. I was simply visiting a friend.”

Kai’s face went blank.

”Friend?”

Elias looked at him with pure innocence.

”Yes.”

”We are not friends.”

Elias’s smile widened just enough to be dangerous.

”Not yet.”

Kai nearly exploded. The innkeeper, completely misreading the situation, bowed apologetically and left, murmuring something about not wishing to interrupt. The door closed. Silence filled the room. Elias looked pleased. Kai slowly turned toward him, voice low and shaking with rage.

”You did that deliberately.”

”Did what?”

”You know exactly what you did.”

Elias smiled, eyes still gleaming with filthy amusement.

”I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Kai realized something horrifying. Elias wasn’t simply strong. He was also shameless. Kai grabbed his cloak, pulled the hood over his head, and headed for the stairs. Elias followed. Kai stopped halfway down.

”Why are you following me?”

”I’m going downstairs.”

”Then go downstairs separately.”

Elias’s voice remained low and warm, almost intimate.

”Why? You’re going to the same place I’m going. Outside. The Guild. Breakfast. I can keep you company.”

Kai slowly turned.

”You are not eating with me.”

Elias smiled.

”Why not? I promise I’ll behave. Mostly.”

Kai turned inward to the System.

Can I kill him?

[No.]

[You would likely lose.]

Kai gritted his teeth.

Shit!

Downstairs, Kai attempted to eat alone. Elias sat across from him without asking. Kai moved to another table. Elias followed. Kai changed tables again. Elias sat down and leaned in close enough that Kai could feel the warmth of his breath.

”You’re beautiful when you’re trying to ignore me,” Elias murmured. ”Makes me want to see how long it takes before you look at me.”

Kai finally snapped.

”Are you a fucking stalker?”

The entire inn went silent. Elias considered the question, then smiled.

”I prefer persistent admirer. And before you ask—yes, I am this obsessed with you. You’re beautiful. Your personality is entertaining. And you’re the first person in a long time who has treated me with genuine hostility without being afraid of me. Most people fear me. You’re just annoyed. That fascinates me.”

Kai’s blood ran cold. He had accidentally become interesting to an S-Rank Assassin. He leaned forward, voice low and firm.

”I am not interested.”

Elias nodded as if he understood.

”I understand.”

Kai relaxed for half a second.

”But I’ll continue trying. And next time, I’ll make sure you get a better look.”

Kai’s relief evaporated.

Throughout the ordeal, Caelum’s letter remained in his pocket. Kai’s mind returned to it more than once—the corrupted animal, the Kingdom’s investigation, the possibility that whatever had driven the Mistfang Tyrant was spreading. Elias noticed the shift in his mood and asked what was wrong. Kai considered telling him for a brief moment, then immediately rejected the idea. He barely knew Elias. And Elias was an S-Rank Assassin. He wasn’t about to hand over information about a mysterious corruption phenomenon. The System quietly approved.

[That information should remain confidential.]

For once, they didn’t argue.

Eventually, Kai managed to escape back to his room. He locked the door. Then checked it. Then checked it again. He sighed in relief and sat down, taking out Caelum’s letter once more. His expression softened as he reread the section about the corrupted animal. The Kingdom was investigating. The mystery was bigger than Emeraldwood. But at least he wasn’t alone.

Knock.

Kai froze. Another knock. He slowly turned toward the door.

”Who is it?”

”Me.”

Kai’s eye twitched.

”Go away.”

”I’m hungry.”

”That’s not my problem.”

”Can I come in?”

”No.”

”Why?”

”Because I said no.”

Silence. Kai waited. Nothing. He relaxed. Then Elias spoke again, voice soft and far too knowing.

”Goodnight, Kai.”

Kai’s blood ran cold. He hadn’t told Elias his name. The System activated immediately.

[Warning.]

[Unknown method of identity acquisition detected.]

[Elias should not have known your name.]

Kai stared at the door. His face darkened. For the first time, the situation stopped being merely annoying. Elias wasn’t just a persistent scumbag. He was an S-Rank Assassin. And somehow, he knew more about Kai than he should.

”ELIAS!”

Laughter echoed down the hallway, then silence. Kai yanked the door open. Nobody was there. He looked down. A small piece of paper lay on the floor. He picked it up. One sentence was written on it.

See you tomorrow, beautiful. Next time I’ll let you hold it.

Kai’s eye twitched violently. He crumpled the paper.

”Leave me alone!”

Somewhere down the corridor, Elias laughed. Kai slammed the door, locked it, and shoved a chair against it for good measure. The System spoke.

[Recommendation: Consider relocating.]

Kai stared at the door.

”That’s the first useful thing you’ve said all day.”

[I have said several useful things.]

”Not now.”

[Understood.]

Kai fell backward onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. His new Adventurer life had lasted barely a day. He had already acquired an S-Rank stalker who had flashed him, and the worst part—the absolute worst part—was that even now, with his face burning and his pride in pieces, he couldn’t stop remembering how thick and heavy it had looked in that single, horrifying second.

”...He really did have a big cock.”

The System remained silent. This time, it wisely chose not to comment.