Hana exhaled, her eyes still hazy and her body trembling from her release.

She rested her head on his shoulder. Twenty thousand points. That’s Good. With all the effort she put into it, she definitely deserved that bonus.

Then, after catching her breath, she started to pull away, her mind already shifting to the water filtration system and the logistics of the next day.

She began to slide off him, intending to get dressed and head back to the den.

"Wait," Kulu whispered.

His voice was different. It wasn’t the voice of the soldier or the poet. It was raw.

Hana looked at him. He hadn’t moved. He was still sitting against the rock, but he had reached out, his fingers interlacing with hers to stop her from leaving.

Then, slowly, he slid off the stone and onto his knees before her.

He looked like a kicked-out puppy. His head was bowed, but his amber eyes were looking up at her through his lashes, filled with a desperate plea.

And there was that thing between his legs that had not receded despite just ejaculating.

"Hana, please," he rasped. "I... I was a coward. I let you do all the work because I was afraid of hurting you, of failing you. But I know now. I know how you feel, how you breathe. And where you like it the most."

Hana tilted her head. That was a bold claim. If Raiden had said something like that, she would have believed it, but this was Kulu. The Kulu who was on a long quest to prove that he was useful.

Did he know what he was saying?

Kulu reached out, his hand hovering near her waist but not touching. "Let me redeem myself. Let me hold you this time. I want to be the one to give you pleasure, not just receive it from your hands."

Hana stared at him, her eyebrows raised. "Kulu, I got what I needed. We can do this again in two days. You’re my mate, not a machine. You don’t need to prove anything tonight."

Even now, he was still trying to prove he could do better.

But even after Hana’s words, Kulu didn’t move. He stayed on his knees, his wings drooping slightly, the silence between them heavy with his silent begging. He looked so pathetic, yet so fiercely determined.

Hana looked at the horizon now being bathed by the glow of the moon and the stars, then back at him.

Usually, she’d be cold. She wouldn’t hesitate to tell him to get up and forget it. But for some reason, the iron in her heart felt a little soft.

Maybe it was the success of the power grid, or maybe it was just the fact that her waist didn’t actually hurt. She wasn’t even that tired; the protein from the deer was still fueling her.

Or... Maybe it was because she was slowly becoming a good person like the system wanted, having a soft spot for the men who were standing by her side.

She couldn’t get it. And she wondered if this was going to be a problem.

Why am I getting soft on these beasts? she wondered, irritated with herself. It’s just a waste of time.

But then she looked at his hands—the hands that had held the solar panels steady in a mountain gale without a single flinch.

Maybe she should just let him have his way since he was such a great help. And unlike the rest who have spent other nights with her, it was his first time today. He still hasn’t soaked up that feeling of having her in his grasp.

She could just compromise once again.

"Fine," Hana sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "One more. But if you’re clumsy, we’re stopping. Get up."

The moment the words left her lips, a familiar chime echoed in her mind. A new window flickered into existence, glowing a soft, warm gold instead of the usual cold blue.

> [HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: THE BENEFACTOR’S MERCY]

> Condition: Agreeing to a favor even when no logical need exists.

> Description: Choosing to prioritize a partner’s emotional fulfillment over personal efficiency is a mark of true companionship. Making another person happy is, in itself, a good deed.

> Reward: +10,000 Karmic Points.

> Current Balance: -991,880

Hana stared at the screen, surprised at first, and then a genuine, amused grin spread across her face.

Well, what do you know? She thought, feeling the weight of her debt lighten by another ten thousand points just for being ’nice.’

If she had known being ’soft’ paid this well, she might have stopped being a hard-ass years ago. Sadly, this was just a special case.

Being nice and kind never paid in the apocalypse, after all.

Hana looked back at Kulu, her grin turning a bit more predatory. "It seems the world likes it when I’m good to you, Kulu. Don’t make me regret it."

The change in Kulu was instantaneous. He didn’t just stand; he surged upward. The submissive shadow vanished, replaced by the predator ready to rule the heights.

He didn’t wait for her to guide him this time. He stepped into her space, his hands firm as they gripped her hips and lifted her.

He backed her up against the stone wall of the peak, his movements silent and predatory. He didn’t kiss her gently this time. He captured her lips in a deep, demanding heat, his tongue sweeping through her mouth as if claiming new territory.

"I won’t be clumsy, Hana," he whispered against her mouth, his voice a low, dangerous rumble.

He lifted her legs, and she wrapped them around his waist. Hana’s eyes were fixed on his hard cock, which looked even thicker than before, the blood rushing more actively as his primal instinct took over.

Then, he positioned the tip of his cock in the entrance of her push and slowly pushed in. He said he wouldn’t be clumsy, but he couldn’t act like an animal from the start.

So, slowly, he filled her, but as soon as he hit the wall that stopped him from pushing the rest of his cock in, he took that as a signal to move.

He didn’t wait for her to adapt. He pulled out and thrust in, deep and hard, a single, powerful motion that buried him to the hilt.

"Ah!" Hana gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

That came out of nowhere, but she didn’t stop him. Just now... that thrust wasn’t just mindless. It actually made her feel something. It felt good.

Kulu watched her reaction, knowing he was on the right path and didn’t stop.

He found a rhythm that was breathtaking—literally. He was fast, but every thrust was targeted. He watched her intently, his amber eyes dilated and glowing in the dark, watching the way her breasts bounced with his movements and how her skin flushed.

He wasn’t just mating; he was hunting for her pleasure.

He used his thumb to find her clitoris, rubbing it in a gentle, expert rhythm that sent stars across Hana’s vision.

"Kulu," she called amidst a moan, her voice breathless, and he sank his lips on her left breast.

Her nipples were so pretty. Her breasts were so soft. As soft as the pillow on the memory mattress. But unlike the bed, he wanted to actually bury himself in this softness and not get found.

He was slowly losing himself, and in the process, he grunted out,

"You’re mine,"