“Ding-dong. The host has actively addressed the horned demon master as [Husband]. Reward: five million Humiliation Value.”
“Total Humiliation Value: twenty-one million five hundred seventy thousand.”
‘It worked!’
A brilliant golden panel exploded in her mind.
The massive number made her dizzy for a moment.
In her heart, Su Nian fiercely gave herself a “yeah” for her “brilliance.”
She had already achieved more than twenty percent of the way toward her ultimate goal of one hundred million Humiliation Value.
At the same time, inside the dungeon, Chu Tian’s originally steady and rhythmic footsteps abruptly halted right at the doorway.
‘Mmm…?’
‘Had the horned demon actually heard my mosquito-like tiny shout?’
‘Makes sense. With how cunning that damned system was, if the Master hadn’t heard, it definitely wouldn’t have judged the task as completed.’
‘Wuuu…’
He heard it, her plan to exploit the system… completely failed.
So humiliating.
She wanted to die.
He was clearly her archenemy—the big bad who had possessed her, bullied her until she was utterly broken!
And yet now, she had called him “husband” in such a shy voice, as if she had been completely conquered.
Before Su Nian could be fully drowned by this overwhelming shame, she felt a scorching gaze pierce through the dim air, pinning her firmly in place.
The tall figure that had already reached the door had, at some point, turned around.
A pair of dark, profound eyes—seemingly capable of swallowing all light—were locked unblinkingly on the girl.
In that gaze was a trace of shock she had never seen before.
Incredulity.
And a flicker of… a pitch-black flame of desire that ignited in an instant, fierce enough to burn her body and soul to ashes.
The next second, without the slightest hesitation, Chu Tian decisively activated his space magic.
In the previous moment he had been at the door; now his figure blurred and then vanished completely.
Before Su Nian could even react, a powerful, aggressively cold scent of dragon saliva perfume enveloped her entirely.
A massive shadow loomed over her, blocking the dim yellow glow of the magic crystal lamp.
Chu Tian’s low voice rang out almost directly against her earlobe.
The tone was extremely hoarse, as though he were desperately suppressing something.
“You… what did you just call me?”
Su Nian stared at the man who had suddenly appeared before her.
Her mind went completely blank.
Right now, this guy looked exactly like a dormant ferocious beast, ready to devour her whole.
‘So scary!’
And the horned demon lord was asking her directly.
Maybe she could gamble—he hadn’t actually heard clearly what she said…
After all, secretly calling him “husband” to complete the task was not something she could just openly admit.
Su Nian shook her head vigorously.
Her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, brushing across her burning red cheeks.
“N-nothing! I didn’t say anything… I was just talking to myself. Master, you misheard!”
The girl’s voice was rapid and panicked, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Chu Tian did not reply immediately.
He simply looked at the stunningly beautiful girl before him.
The corners of his mouth slowly curved into a cold, dangerous arc.
“Oh? Misheard?” His deep voice echoed in the dungeon, carrying a hint of playful amusement.
“My hearing has always been excellent. Especially… for certain ways of addressing me.”
The horned demon master’s tall figure completely blocked the dim yellow magic crystal lamp, shrouding her entirely in his shadow.
He did not act right away.
He merely looked down at her from above, his aggressively invasive gaze dissecting her inch by inch from head to toe.
At this moment, Su Nian was somewhat flustered and helpless—her lightly bitten lips, her chest rising and falling dramatically from tension, and her snow-white, adorable toes curled beneath the hem of her skirt.
“Say what you said earlier again. Or else, you know the consequences.” Chu Tian spoke once more.
His right hand lifted the girl’s chin.
His voice was pressed very low—like a lover’s whisper—yet carried an undeniable command.
The calluses on his fingertips felt rough and scalding, as though an electric current raced across her skin and through her entire body.
Su Nian’s body trembled uncontrollably.
Consequences.
Of course she knew the consequences.
The cold [Lover’s Prison Collar] around her neck was the clearest reminder.
This man had countless ways to make her submit—until she was crying and begging, saying whatever he wanted to hear.
‘Wuuu…’
The “Star-Moon Saintess” who had once ridden a giant dragon on the battlefield, slain demon generals, and saved hundreds of thousands of lives was now, in front of this man, like a lamb awaiting slaughter—completely toyed with in the palm of his hand.
The enormous contrast brought an even more intense wave of humiliation.
“Ding-dong. Humiliation Value +63000.”
“Ding-dong. Annoyance Value +63000.”
“I…”
She knew her resistance was only deceiving herself.
Rather than being punished and then saying it in even greater humiliation… she might as well go along with it.
Anyway… she was already planning to carry out the “wife” strategy.
Calling the man in front of her “husband” might actually speed up the process.
If she could coax this guy into a good mood…
Perhaps she could turn the tables and make the horned demon work for her instead.
Just as Su Nian hesitated, that cold system notification rang out once again in her mind with a boom.
“Ding-dong. Unlocked long-term daily quest [Call Master Husband].”
“This is a staged reward quest. Actively address the horned demon master as ‘husband’ once per day to receive twenty thousand Humiliation Value.”
“Accumulate ten calls of ‘husband’ per day for an additional fifty thousand Humiliation Value.”
“Accumulate one hundred calls of ‘husband’ per day for an additional one hundred thousand Humiliation Value.”
‘Huh?’
‘A staged reward quest?’
Su Nian’s brain—almost stalled from shame—suddenly froze.
In other words, she could just call him once a day to complete the minimum stage and easily earn twenty thousand Humiliation Value.
Or… she could call him one hundred times a day and receive a massive total of one hundred seventy thousand Humiliation Value.
And this was a daily quest.
She could complete it every single day.
But calling him “husband” one hundred times a day…
That was way too weird, right?
Would she really not go insane?
Would this affect her mentality after she earned one hundred million Humiliation Value and became a god?
It probably wouldn’t!
Su Nian quickly hypnotized herself internally.
No matter how many times she said it, it was just acting—just a meaningless form of address.
Her goal was to efficiently accumulate Humiliation Value while also raising her status in front of this damned horned demon.
That way, perhaps she wouldn’t have to endure his various excessive “punishments” anymore.
The girl’s long lashes trembled violently like butterfly wings before finally drooping powerlessly, giving up all futile resistance.
She parted her cherry lips slightly and, from deep in her throat, forced out two words with great difficulty.
“Hus… band.” Her voice trembled.
Every syllable drained all the strength from her body, so light it was like a wisp of smoke about to dissipate.
“Ding-dong! Completed quest [Call Master Husband] Stage One. Received twenty thousand Humiliation Value.”
“If the host addresses the horned demon master as ‘husband’ nine more times, Stage Two will be achieved, granting an additional fifty thousand Humiliation Value.”
This perverted system was starting to manipulate her like this again.
Although the first “husband” had already been shamefully forced out, the rest might not be quite so difficult.
But inexplicably calling him nine more times—or even ninety-nine more—was just too strange.
There was absolutely no reason for it!