The assault boat continued cutting through the flooded streets. After traveling for a while longer, Wendy entered a partially submerged commercial district when the system’s voice suddenly rang out in her mind.

[A nearby mission has been detected. Would the host like to accept the mission?]

"A mission?" Wendy blinked in surprise. "What kind of mission?"

She had not expected the system to issue a task so quickly. Even less had she expected one to trigger in this area.

It felt strangely similar to playing a game, complete with quests and prompts. The novelty of it made her curious.

[Would the host like to accept the mission?]

The system ignored her question entirely, mechanically repeating the prompt.

Wendy thought it over for a moment. The system had no reason to harm her. It had just saved her life earlier. Besides, completing missions would help the system level up, and if the system became stronger, she would benefit too.

After reaching that conclusion, Wendy answered decisively.

"I accept!"

[Mission accepted successfully.]

[Please interact with the designated target within one hour.]

"Interact?"

Wendy froze.

A target? Interaction? Did that mean she had to make contact with someone?

She quickly opened the mission details to check more carefully, only for her eyes to widen in disbelief.

Touching. Hugging. Kissing.

Wendy nearly screamed.

What kind of mission was this?!

And she was supposed to do it with a complete stranger she had never even met before?

"System, what exactly is this supposed to mean?!" she shrieked internally.

[Mission objective confirmed.]

The system’s reply was cold and emotionless, like a machine simply stating facts.

"...Is this even a proper system?"

Wendy was genuinely on the verge of breaking down now, because by the end of the mission description, it became painfully obvious that the system wanted her to sleep with someone.

[Is there a problem?]

"Yes! There’s obviously a problem!" Wendy exploded. "What kind of system are you exactly? Why are your missions so shameless?!"

[Lust System.]

The system answered in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.

The words hit Wendy like a thunderbolt.

For a moment, she felt as though the sky had collapsed over her head.

"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!" she roared internally.

[...You never asked.]

Wendy fell silent.

It was true. Back when the notification first appeared in her head, she had instantly shouted "Bind!" without thinking twice.

But how was she supposed to know she would end up binding herself to a system like this?!

The girl and the system both lapsed into silence for several seconds. Then the system asked another devastating question.

[Isn’t this an adult novel world?]

Wendy nearly exploded for real.

Damn it.

She had completely forgotten.

Since life had been relatively normal until now, she had almost forgotten what kind of world this actually was.

This was an explicit novel universe... And she was the female lead.

The heroine, who, across ninety percent of the original story, spent her time tangled up with various male leads in endless intimate scenes.

When viewed that way...binding to a Lust System suddenly did not seem that strange after all.

The real issue was that the plot had already derailed so badly that it was beyond repair.

She had not slept with a single male lead yet. Worse still, all the male leads treated her with indifference. As the supposed heroine of the story, her life had become genuinely miserable.

[Isn’t it?]

The system repeated itself calmly.

Wendy answered with difficulty.

"...It is."

[Then there’s no problem.]

This time, she had no rebuttal left.

More importantly, regret was useless now. She had already accepted the mission. And if she failed, who knew what kind of punishment awaited her.

"System...can’t we negotiate?" Wendy asked cautiously. "Can this mission be canceled?"

[No.]

The cold reply shattered the last sliver of hope she had been clinging to.

"But I still need to find Suzy," Wendy protested unwillingly.

She had finally learned Suzy’s location. If she missed this opportunity, there was no guarantee she would get another one.

[Complete the mission first.]

Wendy sat in silence for a full five minutes before finally giving in.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "I’ll do the mission."

Time was running out. Left with no choice, Wendy temporarily abandoned her hunt for Suzy and followed the system’s directions toward the mission target instead.

"If the guy’s ugly, I’m abandoning the mission anyway," she muttered darkly.

She was the heroine, after all. It wasn’t as though just anyone qualified. At the very least, he had to be on the level of Thomas or Leonard.

[It won’t be that bad.]

The system’s tone remained light and indifferent. Oddly enough, that single sentence made Wendy feel a little better.

At least the system seemed to have standards. And after hearing that reassurance, a flicker of anticipation unexpectedly stirred inside her.

She suddenly found herself curious about the person the system had selected.

Following the navigation instructions, Wendy eventually stopped outside a room.

The system informed her that the target was inside.

The surrounding area was deathly quiet. There was no sign of life anywhere nearby.

Wendy tightened her grip on the weapons in her hands: a knife and a canister of pepper spray.

If anything happened, she would spray first and stab second.

After recent events, she had become surprisingly experienced with that little combo.

"System...will I be in danger if I go in?" she whispered.

[Relax. There is no danger inside.]

With that reassurance, Wendy finally let out a breath and slowly pushed the door open.

The hinges creaked softly. The room was unlocked.

Darkness swallowed the interior, silent and still, as though abandoned.

Wendy narrowed her eyes. With a thought, a flashlight appeared in her hand.

The beam sliced through the darkness, illuminating the room as she stepped cautiously inside.

Soon, she spotted a figure curled up in the corner.

Her heart skipped.

So this was the target the system had mentioned...

The person was hunched over, making it impossible to see his face clearly, but judging from his frame, he looked tall and lean.

Wendy walked toward him quickly.

Just as she bent down, the man abruptly lifted his head. A sharp dagger flashed in his hand, aimed directly at her.

"Get lost!!"

His voice sounded weak and hoarse, making the threat lose most of its intimidation.

Wendy instinctively stepped back while the flashlight beam landed fully on his face.

The sudden brightness made him squint.

And the moment Wendy saw him clearly, her eyes lit up.

The man was...surprisingly handsome.

It seemed the system actually had decent taste after all.