The Heart System

Chapter 525

She sat with her legs crossed, the heavy wood creaking under her weight. I’d always known she was built differently, but seeing her here, in the flesh, was something else. She was thick, properly thick, with hips that seemed to defy the laws of physics and an ass that made Kayla’s look modest by comparison. Her short brown hair was neatly combed, framing a face that was as beautiful as it was cold.

She wore a red dress that was aggressively short, the hem riding so high up her soft, heavy thighs that the slit of her pussy, a plush pink against a landing strip of dark brown hair, was almost entirely visible. The fabric was thin, clinging to the slight, soft curve of her belly and straining over her massive breasts. The material was practically see-through at the peaks, her dark, stiff nipples poking through the red silk like twin warnings.

"Mana..." I muttered, my voice sounding small in the vacuum of the room. "What’s happening? Why are you here?"

"I thought I would offer you a little clarity," she said, her voice like velvet sliding over glass. She shifted, her massive thighs rubbing together with a soft sound. "Other goddesses... we have our methods. I didn’t want you getting all heated when you realized the math wasn’t adding up."

"Huh? What math?"

"The little seeds you’ve been planting," she said, a cruel, lazy smile touching her lips. She snapped her fingers. "Poof. They’ve been reclaimed."

The air left my lungs. "The fuck do you mean? Reclaimed? What are you talking about?"

"I have... ’integrated’ them," she explained, leaning back on her palms so her breasts strained even harder against the red fabric. "A new life, Evan... you have no idea the raw, unrefined energy a beginning soul contains. To you, it’s a ’baby.’ To us? It’s a concentrated battery of potential. I’ve simply siphoned that essence into my own reservoir."

"You... you killed them?" I whispered, the horror of it sinking in. Kim, Delilah, Minne...

"Don’t be so dramatic," she sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "They weren’t even fully formed. A soul at that stage is like a blueprint without a building. It hasn’t gathered memory, or ego, or sin. It’s pure, distilled power. Why let it waste away in a mortal womb for nine months when I can use that spark right now to maintain the fabric of this reality? You’re a mortal—a literal dog in the grand scheme. You wouldn’t understand the economy of the heavens."

"Mana..." I stepped toward her, my fists clenching. "Give them back. Right now."

"They’re gone, Evan. Digested. Part of me now." She uncrossed her legs, giving me a deliberate, lingering view of her wet heat before standing up. The dress barely covered her as she stepped toward me. "But look on the bright side. Keep doing what you’re doing. Keep pumping these women full of your potential. Get them pregnant again. Every time you do, you’re essentially handing me a gift. And the more powerful I become, the more ’perks’ I can drop into that little system of yours."

"That’s fucked up... that’s the most twisted shit I’ve ever heard."

"Maybe," she shrugged, her thick hips swaying as she turned away. "But it’s the game we’re playing. Now I see why Karamine was so interested in you. You’re a high-yield producer, Mr. Henrik. A very efficient little stud."

"That’s—"

"Bye, Evan."

"WAIT!"

I blinked.

The purple haze vanished.

Delilah, Kim, Minne... the lives we were supposed to be building. Just erased? Just used as fuel for some goddess’s power trip? I stood there in the center of the room, my skin crawling. Mana claimed she was the most powerful, and if this was how she operated, what the hell were the others doing?

I looked down at my hands. It wasn’t just a game. We were being farmed. And the worst part? I didn’t know if I could ever stop.

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Evan Marlowe [Level 20]

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Age: 21

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 76 kg

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EXP: 448/ 19901

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Mana... she was insane. Completely unhinged.

Delilah wasn’t pregnant anymore, which meant she and Ivy had moved past that whole situation. Literally forgetting about the pregnancy. Their relationship was still messy, but at least they were on somewhat better terms now. Not fully, though. I was pretty sure Ivy still resented her mother for butting her nose in her life and pushing everything that led to Chase being exposed.

I sat there quietly, sipping my mocha while waiting for Ivy. The weather was perfect for once. No rain, no snow, just clear skies and sunlight. It almost felt like the world was mocking me. With everything going on in my head, I couldn’t enjoy any of it.

Mana’s words kept circling back. Eating baby souls to get stronger? Or whatever the hell she meant. I didn’t even know if she was serious, but the way she said it... it stuck. It made my stomach turn.

"Evan."

A hand touched my shoulder, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Ivy said as she sat across from me.

"Hey. It’s fine," I replied.

She studied my face for a second. "You look pale. What happened? Don’t tell me you found another psychopath."

"Nothing like that," I said with a weak smile. "I just... don’t know."

"Mm," she hummed. "So why did you call me?"

"I, uh... you know. Just wanted to talk."

She raised an eyebrow. "Whenever you say ’you know,’ it means you’re lying. Try again."

"Alright," I said with a sigh. "I got fired. Figured I needed some fresh air."

She blinked. "Wait. Your girlfriend got you that job, right? Nala? The CEO?"

"Yeah," I said. "She fired me."

"What? Why?"

"We broke up," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "So... yeah. That’s that."

"Damn," she muttered, leaning back. "What happened?"

"I don’t know," I said. "Things just... went bad."

She looked at me for a moment, then tilted her head. "Have you been working out?"

"Huh?"

"You look different," she said. "Like... a little bigger."

"Ivy, seriously," I said. "I just broke up with my girlfriend. Can we not focus on that?"

"Fine," she said, raising her hands. "But you’re not telling me anything useful either. How am I supposed to react here?"

"I told you, I don’t know," I said.

"You’ve been saying that a lot lately."

"Because I am lost," I replied, shaking my head. "Everything’s a mess right now."

She let out a small breath. "Yeah... looks like both of us are going through it. Chase on my side, your girlfriend on yours."

"We should start a podcast," I said. "Call it Miserables. Sounds about right."

She snorted. "Yeah, we’d just sit there crying the whole time."

We both laughed, though it didn’t last long.