Master of Lust

"..."

"..."

"Need me to send a raven to your great Uncle Joe for the grand reveal?"

"Come on, I haven\'t got all day. Tell me what\'s so important inside the cave. But please, spare me the cliché about your dying grandfather, some mysterious plant or herb that can save his life and that mysterious herb can only be found inside that cave," Rick threw his hand in air and looked annoyed.

"I have read too many cliche stories to know better," Rick smirked.

"Ummm..." Evelina hesitated, her expression conflicted. It seemed that Rick\'s worst suspicions might just be confirmed.

And when Rick saw the difficulty on her face he could not believe in his luck. That was actually the case?

Rick couldn\'t believe his ears. He had to ask again just to be sure. "Wait, seriously? Is it actually the dying grandpa needs a magical herb from this cave story?" Evelina\'s admission took Rick by surprise.

Evelina met Rick\'s gaze with a touch of unease, her eyes reflecting a hint of nervousness as she began to explain the purpose of their visit to the cave, "You see, inside the cave, I\'m supposed to find a medicinal herb known as called \'Sunfire Lotus\'. It\'s incredibly rare and powerful," she stated.

"Sunfire Lotus?" Rick was in the dark about this particular plant, so he turned to his ever-reliable companion, "Any insights on what that is?"

Rick\'s ever-reliable companion, the Rabbit, stepped in with a wealth of knowledge, explaining, "Sunfire Lotus is a rare and radiant herb, with vivid crimson petals that glisten like flickering flames in the sunlight. It thrives in cold, damp environments and is particularly effective when dealing with the effects of a cold poison, especially for women."

Rick nodded, absorbing the information. "Alright, so she is after this Sunfire Lotus."

As the Rabbit provided insights to Rick, Evelina observed their exchange with a sense of bewilderment. Although she couldn\'t hear the Rabbit speak, the sight of a man and a rabbit appearing to engage in a conversation was undoubtedly peculiar.

"Wait a minute," Rick\'s eyebrows shot up in surprise as he addressed Evelina, "You mentioned your grandfather was unwell. How does a woman being poisoned fit into this?"

"When did I say that?" Evelina corrected Rick, shaking her head, "I never said it was my grandfather. It\'s actually my grandmother who\'s unwell, and that\'s why we need that herb for her."

Rick couldn\'t help but chuckle at the twist in the tale. "Well, well, isn\'t this becoming quite the cliché comedy of errors," he commented, finding humor in the situation.

With an amused shake of his head, Rick chose to take a seat in a corner against the wall. Evelina watched him curiously, puzzled by his unexpected decision. She was wondering why they weren\'t attempting to force the door open.

Evelina, observing his actions, couldn\'t help but ask, "What are you doing? Didn\'t you say if I tell you what was inside you would break the door? Hurry, we don\'t have..."

"Shhsh..."

Rick motioned for Evelina to hush, gesturing for her to remain silent for a moment as he made some preparations.

With a raised hand to signal her to wait, Rick said, "Hold on a second. I need to get ready."

Without wasting any time, Rick accessed the system and headed straight to the shop. He didn\'t bother checking his progress or rewards. He had to first search for something that could break the door.

As Rick perused the shop\'s offerings, he found an array of options at his disposal: "Master Thief Key," "James Bond Chewing Gum," "Blasting Cap," "C4 Explosive," "TNT," and "Semtex."

However, as he scrutinized the imposing iron door before him, Rick quickly realized that anything less potent than "TNT" or "Semtex" would be insufficient to break through. Yet, using such high-powered explosives carried the risk of dire consequences. There was a high chance that he was planning for his own grave, and if he somehow manged to stay alive, he might potentially draw unwanted attention.

After considering the repercussions of a noisy explosive, Rick abandoned the idea of utilizing such a dramatic method. Scratching his head, he muttered to himself, "This won\'t do. I need something less conspicuous."

Rick shifted his focus, aiming to discover an item that could aid in invisibility or even better, something to pass through solid objects. He knew his inventory might offer a few alternatives. He quickly scanned through the inventory for such tools.

Ethereal Visor: The visor lets you peep through stuff for about five minutes, but remember, don\'t be a creep and spy on your neighbor\'s apartment. It\'s a compact gadget, easy to handle, but keep your voyeuristic tendencies in check

Ero Points: 15,000

Invisibility Cloak: This item, more like a cloak made from the hide of a mystical creature, grants the user the power of invisibility. using it, one could become unseen for a certain amount of time, enabling him to move without being detected. The original owner, a magician, used it to dodge death multiple times. But it seems like his lucky descendants were a useless bunch.

Ero Points: 230,000

Shadowmeld: With this nifty skill, the user can become one with the shadows, practically vanishing into thin air. He could slip by obstacles and foes undetected, like a ninja on a stealth mission. And the best part? This skill lasts a solid ten minutes after you fire it up!

Ero Points: 35,000

Ethereal Phasing: With this slick skill, one could go all ghost mode, passing through solid stuff like it was no big deal. He could stroll through walls and barriers like a phantom on vacation, and the best part was, it lasted for a whole five minutes after activation!

Ero Points: 55,000

Looking at the options in front of him, Rick pretty much had an idea of what he was going to buy, but the cost of each skill bleed his heart, feeling like his wallet was on life support. But hey, no pain, no gain, right? He had to do it. Millions of dollars were on the line even if he found nothing behind the door.

After a moment of thought, Rick turned to Evelina and said, "Alright, I am done."

In a flash, a card materialized in his hand. The sudden appearance of the card caught Evelina by surprise. Evelina did a double-take, thinking she\'d walked into a magic show by mistake. She wasn\'t sure if she was watching a live performance or if she needed an eye check!

Rick examined the card and weighed the pros and cons for a hot second. Then, with a confident swoosh, he swiped it through the air like a debit card at a Black Friday sale. The card disappeared into the ether, and in the blink of an eye, he was bestowed with the selected skill.

Rick, now armed with his newfound skill, faced Evelina with determination. "Alright, let\'s explore and see if there\'s another way to access whatever is hidden behind that door."

Evelina was taken aback by Rick\'s insistence. She was under the impression that they had thoroughly explored everything in the cave. However, he motioned for her to continue and gently guided her to face the sealed door. Reluctant but curious, she turned to face the door, still wondering what he had in mind. But to her astonishment, Rick suddenly vanished from her sight, as if he had become invisible.

As Evelina spun around, scanning the surroundings for any sign of Rick, a hint of anxiety gnawed at her. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air. The idea that he might have run away crossed her mind, though she quickly dismissed it. "No way he could be that fast, could he?" she pondered, her uncertainty lingering in the cave\'s eerie silence.

Evelina\'s anxiety mounted as she searched for any sign of Rick. Her heart raced, and she couldn\'t shake the unease that had taken hold of her. She wondered where he had vanished to.

Then, her gaze fell upon the rabbit, the same one that had been with Rick all along. The little furry creature sat nonchalantly on the cave floor, its legs stretched out as it happily nibbled on a plant it had gathered earlier. It appeared completely unconcerned, as if nothing unusual had occurred.

The sight of the rabbit gave Evelina some relief. If the rabbit was there, it was highly likely that Rick was nearby, hidden from view by some trick or skill.

"If the rabbit is here, then Rick must be around somewhere," she muttered to herself.

"Hey... Where are you?" Evelina called out, her voice tinged with worry and annoyance. She searched around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rick but found no trace of him. Her mind raced with thoughts of confusion and disbelief.

Evelina tip-toed like a detective on a donut stakeout, creeping up to the rabbit with her gaze darting left and right for any hint about why Rick had pulled a Houdini act. "Hello, little fur-ball, where\'s your boss at, huh?" she inquired.

But that fluffy rascal just went on munching its grub, giving her the cold shoulder, acting like she was yesterday\'s news.

"Here I am, having a chat with a bunny," Evelina mumbled, shaking her head in disbelief.

"This kid\'s sprinting off on me, and I haven\'t even got a clue what his name is."

* * * * *