After hours of waiting, Lilian finally stepped out of the Pleasure Hub, ending her shift for the day. She moved with a lazy grace, casually draping a long coat over her bare body. When her eyes landed on Shin standing at the entrance, she raised a brow, amused.

"You've been waiting for me, Mr. Shade?"

Shin unfolded his arms and gave a small nod. "And I see you didn't even bother today. Just threw a coat over your work uniform(her bare skin)."

She chuckled softly. "Yeah… can't exactly walk around in public naked like I do at work, you know."

"Or maybe last time you dressed up all sexy just for me," he said with a smug grin.

"Don't flatter yourself." She rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips. "I'm just too tired to dress up when I'm going straight home to pass out."

She started walking, and Shin fell in step beside her, letting her take the lead.

"Well," he said, hands in his pockets, "I suppose I could walk you home. I'm a little curious where you live."

Lilian shot him a glance, her tone teasing as her voice dipped. "Just curious, Mr. Shade? Or are you hoping for a repeat of last time? I wouldn't mind having a little fun even if I'm dead tired."

Shin shrugged. "Maybe I came for the fun. Maybe I didn't."

They walked on, weaving through the streets. The more he talked with her, the more Shin began to piece together how this world worked—how these NPCs were wired. Eventually, they reached her place: a tiny room, noticeably smaller than his. Inside, there was only a single bed and a small wardrobe with a sparse collection of clothes. Not surprising. She spent most of her time naked at work, relying on her long hair to cover what little it could.

Shin sat down on the edge of her bed as she slipped off her coat without hesitation, letting it fall to the floor, casually exposing her curvaceous body to him.

"So?" she asked, tilting her head. "You here for fun, Mr. Shade?"

Tempting as it was, Shin reined himself in. No way he was wasting more coins on pleasure that didn't give him any tangible benefit like skills since it only leveled him up. What he wanted now was knowledge—leverage. He needed to understand this world inside out if he was going to survive it… and break it.

"I've got a question," he said, turning toward her, eyes steady. "Do you sleep with anyone after work like you did with me? As long as they pay?"

Lilian lowered her gaze, a soft smile playing on her lips as she shook her head. "No, I don't. The voice of God whispers in my mind—it tells me what I can and can't do. When someone asks to sleep with me, and the voice says no, my body just... won't let me. I freeze up. And sometimes, even if I try to force it, I can't. Everything shuts down. Even my holes close tight. No one can force their way in, no matter how hard they try."

Shin's lips parted slightly, caught off guard—but he didn't show it. He let her speak.

"Only the ones God deems special can be with me," she continued. "I get summoned to this space... it's called the High Class. That's where I service the elite—the ones the voice tells me to obey. They can sleep with me however l want, and the voice will tell me to pleasure them however l can."

High Class, huh? Shin thought. That's the tier that's supposed to be for politicians and VIPs those drunkards at the bars where babbling about. So those government bastards summon NPCs like her for their pleasure. Figures. And this 'voice of God'... could most likely be just the system.

And it made him wonder if this was the case for all NPCs? At least not the ones at the Pleasure Hub who were created for this. And more importantly, was he one of those "special" ones since this voice allowed him to sleep with Lilian?

He remembered the system calling him the FilthBound—a title still shrouded in mystery. Heck... it even said 'congratulations' to him back then. Maybe that's why the rules bent for him. Maybe that's why he felt like a king around these NPCs.

But he didn't let it get to his head. Not fully. Something in his gut warned him—this Filthbound status could come with a price since he was literally the only Filthbound in the world. Whatever power he had, it was going to cost him eventually. Or at least that's what his gut told him.

Time for the second experiment.

"So, Lilian," he asked, his voice casual, "have you ever tried walking through the gate?"

She shook her head. "No. God forbids it."

As expected. No NPCs had ever been seen beyond the gates of the Safezone. But if he was special, it couldn't hurt to push the boundaries. Right?

He stood up, a glint in his eye. "Get up, Lilian. Get dressed."

She obeyed, confused. Maybe she thought he wasn't attracted to her today. Maybe he didn't find her sexy enough today even though she had been naked for him. But Shin had something else in mind.

The sky was dimming; the streets were quieting down. Most vendors had already closed up shop. Shin led her straight toward the gate. Lilian hesitated, but she followed, curious.

Then it happened.

The moment she tried stepping out, her entire body locked up. A violent jolt surged through her as if electricity coursed through her veins. Her eyes rolled back, and she looked like she might collapse.

He quickly pulled her back from the threshold, and she dropped to her knees, gasping for breath, her body trembling.

"Sorry about that," Shin said, not sounding entirely apologetic.

He stepped in front of her again, that same grin tugging at his lips. Then, he extended his hand.

"As the FilthBound," he said, voice steady, "I order you to follow me through that gate. NOW!."

Still shaking, Lilian reached for his hand. Shin could see how badly hurt she had gotten, and

If this killed her, then so be it. She was just a test subject after all.

Her legs wobbled beneath her as she stood. NPCs were weak to authoritative commands, especially from someone like him. As long as the command didn't cause harm to players or incite violence, most would comply—especially when issued by someone with elevated status.

Shin suspected his voice carried the weight of a High Tier Player. Maybe even more. And that made him feel dangerous.

He glanced around, ensuring no one was watching.

Then, gripping her hand, he dragged her through.

[You have left the Safezone]

[Other players are permitted to kill you now without suffering consequences]

A smirk crept onto his face. I fucking knew it. I am special.

He had done what no one else had—he'd pulled an NPC out into the ruins of the old world. What remained of Tokyo loomed around them, silent and broken.

It was time to find out—would the rules still apply out here? Would he still lose coins for doing whatever he wanted to Lilian?

This was the beginning of his next experiment.

TBC