Master of Lust

58  Whispering Wetlands [2]

Chapter - 58

Settling down, away from prying eyes, Rick opened his system. First he looked at his own information. There wasn't much change there, except that now he had Quests in progress, and that too not one, not two, but three. He had three quest piled up at this  moment.

[

Host's Name: Rick Smith

Age: 22 years (Expected: 95 years ; Limit: 125 years)

Gender: Male

Cultivation Level: Mortal (39%)

System Level: 1

Experience (EXP): 9900/10000

Skills: ---

Summons: 1

Sexual Encounters: 1

Harem: ---

Quests in Progress: 3

]

Rick was fully aware of the three quests he had, and he had come here to complete one of them. However, this particular quest was also the riskiest of the three. Therefore, Rick decided to use up all of his resources before entering the dangerous Whispering Wetlands.

Rick's only hope was that this journey would justify the significant expenditure he was about to make.

With this in mind, Rick didn't waste any time checking his character statistics. Instead, he opened his inventory. It wasn't his intention to spend the money he had; there wasn't anything within the system he could purchase with it. He had something else in mind.

Rick felt excited as he accessed the system's inventory because he had been saving a special item for an occasion like this. It was a unique scratch card he had earned earlier. When he tapped on it, a digital card appeared on the screen, shimmering with anticipation.

Rick couldn't resist the thrill as he virtually scratched off the card using his finger. This action revealed a hidden image beneath the sparkling surface of the card. As he continued to scratch, the card emitted a gentle, magical glow.

As Rick removed the last bit of the scratch-off layer, a stunning design emerged before his eyes. The brilliance of it temporarily dazzled him, and it took a moment for his vision to adjust. When the brightness faded, he found himself staring at a "Wooden Shield" decorated with intricate patterns.

However, Rick's initial excitement turned into disappointment as he gazed at the shield. It appeared entirely ordinary and utterly unimpressive, lacking any hint of extraordinary qualities. His smile faded away as he realized it didn't seem useful at all.

The only positive aspect Rick could find in the seemingly useless shield was that it might be handy for cutting through vines and bushes.

"Hasshhh... This useless system,"  Frustrated with the unhelpful system, Rick closed the prompt in 11:05

front of him and exited the inventory. The first attempt had been a complete letdown, but he still had "Hasshhh... This useless system,"  Frustrated with the unhelpful system, Rick closed the prompt in front of him and exited the inventory. The first attempt had been a complete letdown, but he still had a few more chances left.

With determination, Rick clicked on the Lottery icon, which displayed a playful image of a spinning wheel surrounded by various prizes.

Rick decided to give the lottery another shot. He had three spins remaining, and the potential rewards were too tempting to resist. He tapped on the lottery icon, and a colorful wheel appeared before him amidst a burst of digital fireworks.

The wheel was divided into different colorful segments, each representing a different prize. Rick was already familiar with the prizes, so he quickly clicked on the wheel. As soon as he did, the wheel started to spin.

"Let's see..." Rick cheered, his fingers tightly crossed as he stared at the wheel, hoping for a good outcome.

As the wheel spun, it created a mesmerizing display of vibrant colors and patterns, resembling a digital kaleidoscope. Rick watched with growing excitement as the wheel picked up speed, building suspense with each passing moment. It felt like a thrilling virtual carnival ride, and he was fully immersed in the experience.

Gradually, the wheel began to slow down, the colorful segments blending together before eventually coming to a stop with a satisfying clicking sound. Rick's heart raced as he anxiously examined the result. The pointer had landed on the "Standard Reward" section.

[Standard Reward: Ethereal Venom.]

A pleased chuckle escaped Rick's lips as he celebrated his stroke of luck. With a swift tap on the screen, he claimed his prize, and before him appeared a defensive-type skill: a unique, colorless poison. It sounded both intriguing and potent, sparking his curiosity about its potential applications.

Rick, not one to settle for just one spin, decided to give the wheel another go. With a mental tap, the wheel spun once more, its colorful segments whirling before him. This time, it came to a halt on the "Basic Reward" section. His prize?

[Basic Reward: Tent.]

A simple yet practical "Tent," a valuable item for finding shelter and rest during his adventures.

"Oh Fuck... I actually forgot about this," Rick was actually more pleased with the tent. If not, he would have had to sleep in the open, with god knows how many predators searching for their prey.

Now, with things going his way, Rick decided to use the last spin as well.

With a surge of excitement, he set the wheel into motion once again. It spun faster than before, the segments blurring with a world of possibilities. Finally, the wheel stopped on yet another "Standard Reward" segment, leaving Rick eager to discover what awaited him.

[Standard Reward: Mirrored Mirage Barrier (Uses: 3 Times)]

Rick's heart raced with excitement as he received his prize, which turned out to be another defensive skill. This skill allowed him to create illusionary duplicates of himself, confusing his enemies and making it incredibly hard for them to figure out his real location. Attackers would be left striking at mere illusions while Rick can hide somewhere, completely unharmed.

But it was a pity that unlike the Venom he "earned" earlier, this skill was limited to only three uses. Still, it was better than  nothing.

Still exhilarated by his recent lottery successes, Rick took a moment to consider his growing stash of Ero Points. He had collected nearly 85,000 of them, and he realized it was high time to invest in something that could enhance his combat abilities in this strange and dangerous virtual world.

The shield he had obtained earlier had proven to be utterly useless, so he needed something more for his protection. But not just for defense, he wanted something for offense. With this in mind, Rick opened the shop interface, where he saw various icons representing different categories of items. This time, his attention was captivated by the weapons section. He believed that having a dependable weapon at his side would be a wise choice, enabling him to launch powerful surprise attacks.

When Rick clicked on the weapon icon, a bunch of choices popped up on his screen. Each weapon had its own special description, statistics, and, of course, a price tag in Ero Points. Sadly, with the amount of Ero Points he had, he could hardly afford any of them, barely scratching the surface. It was quite disappointing. He realized he needed to step up his game.

After thinking it over, Rick narrowed down his options to three intriguing choices:

1. Phantom Dagger

A sleek dagger with a dark ebony handle, emitting a mysterious aura. This weapon was renowned for its quick strikes and the ability to get past enemy defenses.

- Price: 40,000 Ero Points [One Time Use (30 minutes)] ; 400,000 Ero Points [Permanently own it]

2. Silver Blade

A finely crafted longsword featuring a blade with a captivating silver hue. Its frosty aura could freeze enemies on contact, leaving them immobilized briefly.

- Price: 55,000 Ero Points [One Time Use (30 minutes)] ; 750,000 Ero Points [Permanently own it]

3. Venomous Fangs

Six venomous needles made from the fangs of a fearsome serpent. These needles were coated with a paralyzing toxin capable of incapacitating foes.

- Price: 60,000 Ero Points [One Time Use per needle] ; 1,000,000 Ero Points [Permanently own them]

Rick couldn't resist the allure of the third option—those Venomous Fangs sounded like a party trick gone wild. The thought of brandishing six needles dripping with paralyzing venom tickled his strategic fancy. It seemed like the perfect solution for taming unruly foes or executing a swift getaway when things got dicey.

Without wasting another second, Rick clicked on the Venomous Fangs and gave the system the green light to make the purchase. He felt like he had just ordered a box of absurdly oversized needles from a questionable online store. As he confirmed the deal, a rush of exhilaration surged through him. He couldn't wait to unleash these peculiar weapons and see what chaos they would create in the unpredictable terrain of the Whispering Wetlands.

With his new and unusual acquisition, Rick exited the shop interface, feeling strangely prepared for whatever wacky challenges the Whispering Wetlands had in store for him.

Now with his attack and defence settled, Rick was ready to strike.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Amanda was sprawled on her couch, her phone screen the target of her exaggerated pout. She couldn't wrap her head around Rick's text, where he casually mentioned going on a solo adventure. "Really?" She mumbled to herself, tapping her phone like it had personally offended her.

Her reply to Rick was a mix of scolding and teasing annoyance. "Rick, you can't just vanish like that without a heads-up! What if you get lost in the wilds? You are nothing but a kid..."

But when she wrote that last line, her mind couldn't wander off and a blush appeared on her face, 'Well, he is certainly not a kid.'

"Ugghh..." With a dramatic sigh, she cleared her message and flung her phone onto the couch. Folding her arms, Amanda couldn't help but imagine where Rick could have gone to. She giggled to herself at the thought of the man she had fallen for, who seemed to have a knack for being unpredictable.

'What if he gets seduced by some witch? Lisa already has her eyes in him.'

Now there was another worry for Amanda.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Emily, on the other hand, had read Rick's message with a different mix of emotions.  As she bit her lip, her brows knitted in thought. Rick's reply seemed casual, but to her, it felt like a subtle change. Had their romantic connection already set sail and was now navigating uncharted waters?

She typed out a response, her fingers trembling a bit as she carefully chose her words. "Rick, I hope everything is alright."

Her message came across as polite and friendly, but deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that Rick might be moving on. It hurt to think about it, but she understood that sometimes, people needed to go their own ways.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gloria's face twisted into a scowl as she read Rick's message. Suspicion gripped her, leaving her uncertain whether Rick genuinely couldn't meet her or if he was avoiding her for some sneaky reason, trying to plot something. Her fingers darted across the keyboard as she composed her response.

"Rick, I know you're scheming something, aren't you? Don't think I can't see through your little schemes. But whatever they might be, they aren't going to work on me.  Your little plans don't fool me."

She hit send with a sigh, her mind raced with thoughts of what Rick might be plotting, 'Is he going to blackmail me?' Gloria couldn't help but have this thought.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lastly, a middle-aged man sighed deeply as he read Rick's message. His face showed a glimpse of Rick's features.

He glanced at the message and then cast a worried look at the room, behind him. His life had been relatively quiet until... Huh... The man shook his head.

"How am I going to explain this to him?" The man muttered to himself. His gaze lingered on the phone, waiting for any further messages.

* * * * *

[A/N: And with this chapter, I have finally written more than 100k words. Thank you to everyone who made it so far.]