My Scumbag System-Chapter 272: My Saliva is Now an S-Rank Narcotic

Skylar and I found ourselves alone on the upper deck. The night air was cool. Carried the salt-tang of the ocean and the faint smell of rain that hadn’t yet fallen. The city behind us was a mess of light and shadow. Towers of glass and steel against the night sky. The engine thrummed beneath our feet. A steady heartbeat that vibrated through the metal deck.

"So," Skylar said finally. Leaned against the railing. The wind caught her hair. Lifted the indigo and pink strands away from her face. Her profile against the city lights was striking. "That happened."

"Very articulate."

"Shut up."

I grinned. She didn’t.

Before I could respond with something appropriately obnoxious, my vision filled with shimmering pink and gold. Like someone had dumped a vat of glitter directly into my retinas. The air in front of me rippled like heat waves off summer asphalt. Suddenly the chibi avatar of Aphrodite materialized before my eyes. Her tiny, perfect face beamed with delight. Her disproportionately large eyes sparkled with mischief. She wore a miniature version of a Greek goddess outfit. Complete with a golden laurel crown that kept tilting precariously to one side.

"Bravo, my little champion! Bravo!" Her voice sounded like tiny bells and honey. Sickeningly sweet and completely at odds with her words. Each syllable came with a small eruption of heart-shaped bubbles. "A truly inspired performance! You chose the difficult one, the one with walls. Oh, the gods just adored the drama! The tension! The buildup! The almost-rejection followed by surrender! Absolute cinema!"

I blinked. Looked at Skylar. She was watching me with a raised eyebrow. Clearly unable to see the miniature goddess having a conniption fit in the air between us. Her head was tilted to one side. Violet eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Are you having a stroke?" Skylar asked. Crossed her arms over her chest. "Because your face is doing something weird."

Before I could answer, Aphrodite blew me a kiss. It manifested as a shower of pink and golden sparkles that swirled around me like a fairy tale tornado. Complete with miniature singing birds and dancing woodland creatures. The chibi goddess flitted around my head. Planting tiny, enthusiastic kisses on my cheeks, my forehead, my nose. Each one accompanied by a high-pitched "mwah!" sound.

Each "kiss" felt like a spark of warm electricity. A jolt of intoxicating energy that shot through my entire nervous system. Left the taste of honey and wine in my mouth. I tried to swat her away. Which only made her giggle harder. A sound like crystal wind chimes in a summer breeze.

"Stop it," I growled under my breath. Tried to maintain what little dignity I had left.

"Who are you talking to?" Skylar’s voice had taken on an edge of genuine concern. She’d straightened from her casual pose against the railing. Her eyes scanning the empty air around me.

"System stuff," I muttered. Still trying to dodge Aphrodite’s affectionate assault. "Just give me a second."

Aphrodite finally stopped her attack and hovered before my face. Filing her nails with a glowing pink file that materialized from nowhere. The file was almost as big as her entire arm. Yet she wielded it with casual skill. "Oh, don’t be such a spoilsport. I gave you exactly what you needed. A little gratitude wouldn’t kill you. Though it might give you hives, considering your personality."

As if cued by her words, a series of System notifications appeared. Glowing with an iridescent pink light instead of the usual clinical blue. Each letter seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat. Tiny animated hearts dotted the i’s.

\[+250 SP ADDED. CURRENT SP: 480\]

\[TRAIT UPGRADE: Charming Eyes -> Siren’s Gaze (Silver)\]

\[TRAIT UPGRADE: One Size Fits All -> Nectar of the Gods (Silver)\]

I focused on the first upgrade. Willed the description to expand.

\[Siren’s Gaze: Your gaze now carries a subtle, hypnotic quality, making it harder for targets to resist your suggestions or break eye contact. The effect is most potent on those already attracted to you. Intensity scales with Charisma and creates a cumulative effect with prolonged exposure. Warning: Overuse may cause suspicion in high-intelligence targets.\]

Then I read the second trait description.

My breath caught in my throat like I’d swallowed a marble.

\[Nectar of the Gods: All bodily fluids you produce (saliva, sweat, etc.) now carry a subtle, addictive property, inducing feelings of euphoria and dependency in those who ingest them. Initial exposure creates a mild, pleasant sensation. Subsequent exposures intensify the effect, eventually creating a genuine physical and psychological dependency. Effects are cumulative and scale with exposure. Note: Different individuals may exhibit varying levels of resistance based on willpower.\]

Holy shit. Holy actual shit.

Aphrodite, you magnificent, terrifying bitch.

This was a war crime in trait form. This wasn’t just an upgrade. It was a goddamn superweapon.

Anyone who kissed me. Anyone exposed to any part of me in certain contexts would develop a physical dependency. An addiction. To me. This wasn’t just manipulation. This was biochemical enslavement with a cute pink bow on top.

Aphrodite giggled. Clearly reading my thoughts. Her tiny form spun in a graceful pirouette. "You’re welcome, darling. Use it wisely... or don’t. The show is much more entertaining when you’re naughty." She blew me one last kiss. Her miniature lips forming a perfect pout. Then vanished in a cloud of rose-scented sparkles that temporarily obscured my vision and left my nose tickling.

I blinked. My vision clearing. Skylar was staring at me. Her arms crossed over her chest. One foot tapping an impatient rhythm on the deck. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? You’ve been staring into space with the weirdest expressions for like two minutes. First you looked annoyed, then shocked, and then you had this creepy smile that honestly made me consider pushing you overboard."

I looked at her. Really looked at her.

Her violet eyes reflected the city lights behind us. Turned them into a galaxy of personal constellations. The wind had mussed her perfectly styled bob. Gave her a slightly wild appearance that suited her better than the perfection from earlier. Her usual mask of boredom had slipped. Revealed genuine curiosity. And something else. A lingering hunger from our kiss, perhaps? The faintest echo of desire that she couldn’t quite suppress?

A test subject, my scumbag brain immediately suggested.

A perfect opportunity to see exactly what this new trait could do. A living, breathing lab rat for my divine chemical weapon.

I stepped closer to her. "Sorry about that. Just processing some... new information."