18 - A good chapter for R18!

Dexter carried the sleeping 'Princess' Stella, sliding one arm behind her back and the other on her poplit, lifting her the way a prince carries his princess.

As Dexter kicked the door open, Gridlock called out to him.

"Dex… Tomorrow, come back here. I'll give you something to help you survive Ludiversum."

Dexter stared at him, unsure how to respond. The alcohol's influence left him dizzy and confused.

'Ludi… what? Am I hearing things now?'

"Okay, old man… Of course, I'll see you before I leave…"

Dexter paused, then added,

"And… thank you for everything you've done, old man… especially for being like a father to me…"

Dexter's past was no secret to Gridlock. Over the three years they had spent together on Tutorial Island, they had shared nearly everything—laughing and crying over their experiences. Of course, Dexter had told his stories in his own way, the Archmagus way, bending the truth just enough.

Dexter left the hut, and Gridlock watched him go, staring at his now-broad shoulders before smiling to himself. Then, he turned and walked… slowly toward his room.

…

Dexter walked along the white sandy beach, the moonlight and stars guiding his path despite the darkness.

After kicking open the door of his modest house—or rather, Stella's personal mansion—he laid her gently on the bed. The alcohol pounded in his skull, the headache far worse than slamming his head against an unfinished wall.

'I feel like vomiting… Tsk, too much alcohol is really bad for your health.'

Dexter slumped onto the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on Stella's face.

'She's so beautiful… It's like looking at an angel every time I see her—yet with a devilish, succubus-like body.'

He grinned, then suddenly slapped himself so hard the sound echoed through the silent night.

"Damn it, Dex… What the hell are you thinking? Are you seriously developing feelings for an AI?"

Dexter sighed, trying to clear his mind.

'Maybe I'm just drunk… I should leave…'

He got up, but as he turned to go, Stella—surprisingly awake—stopped him.

"Dex… won't you stay with me tonight?" she murmured.

"Stella, if you were awake, why did you let me carry you all the way here?"

She sat up, gripping Dexter's hands as she tried to pull him closer.

But he didn't give in.

'Damn it… I didn't sign up for an R18 game as my tutorial. What's happening now? Did the AI get a major patch?'

"We've lived together for almost three years now… Why can't you see me as a woman? Do I look like a child to you?" Stella stood up, her breath ragged.

'Damn… The AI's drunk. It's glitching.'

Stella stepped closer with slow, deliberate movements, her eyes locked on his. A playful smile curved her lips as she suddenly hugged Dexter, burying her face against his muscular chest and inhaling deeply.

"What do you want?" Dexter asked, tense.

"I want you… tonight," Stella panted, her voice thick with desire.

'Oh my god! I'm not losing my virginity to an AI!'

'...That damn old man! Did he spike this lunatic's drink with aphrodisiacs?'

Dexter pushed Stella back—hard. The difference in their strength nearly sent her tumbling onto the bed.

Then he pulled it out, his hard—big headed rod… and pointed it to Stella who was having a hard time staying calm.

The Holy Staff.

"Cure."

A surge of emerald light engulfed Stella, her eyes widening in shock. By the time the glow faded, Dexter was already striding out of the room.

"What… was that?" Stella whispered to the empty air.

…

Dexter sprinted to the coconut tree where his favorite hammock swayed in the breeze.

"Damn it, Stella… I almost lost my virginity back there…" He clutched his chest, his heart pounding so violently he could hear it thundering in his ears.

"Thank god for my iron self-control… That crazy princess nearly got me."

But his thoughts soon spiraled:

'Wait… would it really be so bad?'

'No! She's an AI!'

'Does it even count if it's artificial? Probably not, right?'

'But the experience would feel real… so maybe it does?'

His inner angel and demon bickered relentlessly. Staring up at the starry sky, he swayed absently in the hammock—one moment grinning, the next scowling—lost in a whirlwind of what-ifs.

Then he noticed it—the Moon was being blocked by dark clouds suddenly, without warning.

Thunder roared, lightning struck, smashing through the entire starting area at random.

"What the fuck is happening?!" Dexter shouted, casting Invulnerability, Shield, Heal, Skill Reset, Mana Regen, Refresh—everything that could protect him from the random lightning strikes.

[!!!]

[System Alert: Player '!@#$$%^&*' Server: !@#$%^&* Channel: !@#$%^&* Timeline History Malfunction.]

[Deleting All Player '!@#$$%^&*' Server: !@#$%^&* Channel: !@#$%^&* Timeline History.

[Failed.]

[Failed.]

[Failed.]

[Changing Succeeding Newbie Guide Quest for New Players.]

[Failed.]

[Success.]

[System Patch Note: Starting Area relocated to Small Village entrance. Newbie Guide Quest will now be assigned in Small Village for succeeding New Players.]

"SO WHAT, YOU FUCKING SYSTEM! IT'LL BE SEVEN WHOLE YEARS BEFORE ANOTHER PLAYER COMES!"

"STOP THE LIGHTNING!"

But no matter how much Dexter thrashed, the lightning didn't stop.

…

Inside the house, Stella—oblivious to what was happening outside due to the soundproofing of her "Princess Mansion" (a gift from Gridlock)—was struggling to process what had happened between her and Dexter.

"That idiot! Can't he see I'm already making the first move…?" she muttered, hugging a pillow as she sat. Occasionally, she punched or slammed it in frustration.

Stella sighed. The tricks she'd learned from the village moms—pretending to be drunk, all their teachings over the past three years—hadn't worked. Not even a flinch from Dexter.

Stella knew—and admitted to herself—that she was in love with Dexter.

She didn't know when it had started. Maybe it was his helping hand, the food he gave her, the house he built (though he never stayed in it—it was his, after all). Or perhaps it was the moment he opened up to her, showing his vulnerability. She truly didn't know.

"I hate that guy… but still…" She clenched her chest, remembering Dexter's random rumbling—his feelings for an AI. Even though she didn't fully understand what it meant, she knew he was talking about her.

"Someday… I will have you. Nothing has ever escaped me. Everything I want… slowly becomes mine—mine alone!"

And as a princess, she did have it all: money, beauty, power, influence—name it. Except Dexter.

Just as she was lost in thought, there was someone who kicked the door open.

It was Dexter—now completely naked due to the random lightning strikes he had endured.

Stella blushed, covering her face, though she kept her fingers slightly parted, peeking at Dexter's bare body.

"Wh-what's going on?! I'm not ready yet!" Stella said frantically.

"Stella! Heal me… I'm out of mana…" Dexter panted.

With a thud, he collapsed, losing consciousness.