Show Me Your Stats!

As soon as Janus handed back the research journal, Ayra swiftly tucked it against her chest like something precious.

"Hmm. So this is the powder those ma-beasts ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ go absolutely crazy for."

Janus shook the fairly hefty glass jar in his hand. The shimmering powder inside, glowing faintly in a prism of colors, swished with a delicate sound. Ayra’s fingers twitched with the urge to snatch it back.

"Careful. The moment it touches another substance, it reacts—but the effect only lasts ten minutes..."

The ridiculously short duration was precisely why Ayra hadn’t sprinkled it on the food before returning home. If she had done it too early, the effect would’ve worn off, ruining any meaningful results. Like all ingredients used by mages, it was also prohibitively expensive.

With a pop, Janus uncorked the jar and sniffed at it, frowning slightly in curiosity at the lack of any discernible scent. Tilting his head, he poured a small heap onto his palm. He poked a finger into the pile, then brought it to his lips with a sharp slurp. Ayra watched anxiously as Janus rolled the powder around in his mouth, clearly testing the flavor.

And then—without warning—Janus flicked the remaining powder straight into Ayra’s face.

"Ack! My eyes!"

The sudden attack sent powder flying into her eyes and mouth. Ayra stumbled back, blinking furiously, hands coming up to shield her face as her body was suddenly lifted into the air—then thud, dropped somewhere soft. Janus had scooped her up and flung her onto the bed.

When she finally managed to pry her stinging eyes open, she found Janus straddling her.

"Wh-what are you...?!"

Still disoriented from the irritation, Ayra squeezed her eyes shut again. As she struggled to cover her face, Janus seized both her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head. He bent down and gave her cheek a slow, wet lick. His hot, damp tongue swept over her red lips, her pale forehead, even the lashes soaked with reflexive tears, sparing no part of her face.

"Ugh, w-wait, just—mmph!"

He sucked on her lips, then her eyelids, even—shockingly—her actual eyeballs. Ayra let out a horrified scream. She flinched and twisted her head from side to side to escape, only for him to bite her cheek hard enough to make her cry out again.

Like a dog tasting everything it touched, Janus licked and groped all over her. At first, Ayra thought he was just trying to undress her, but then she realized he was also rummaging through her pockets. Eventually, he found what he was looking for and pulled something out—a crystal mineral Ayra had been using like a personal summoning device.

"This fucking signal stone."

With a low, ominous mutter that hinted at long-harbored resentment, Janus gripped it tightly—and with a crack, the crystal shattered.

"Think of it like I took the day off because I’m too pissed to hold back anymore."

With more crunching and cracking sounds, the mineral disintegrated completely between his fingers. Ayra, tears streaming from the powder still stinging her eyes, stared in disbelief at the scene before her.

'Did he just crush that with his bare hand...?'

Come to think of it, after unlocking her Physical Attack stat, she had never actually checked Janus’s stats. While he brushed the broken shards onto the floor, Ayra hastily summoned his Stat Window.

His HP and physical attack were all lined with 9s. Stats so broken they’d be absurd even for a final boss. Ayra was momentarily speechless. No wonder killing a dragon was next to impossible...

While she was marveling, Janus grabbed the glass jar once again, still full of that iridescent powder. Dread crept into Ayra’s eyes as he flashed a wicked grin.

"Let’s see if it’s for observation or experimentation today. If we use it all up, we’ll get some kind of result, right?"

"No—!"

Did he have any idea how expensive that powder was? Even knowing it was cheap by “dragon rage prevention” standards, Ayra screamed internally. Before she could stop him, Janus scooped another handful and flung it.

She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting more facial assault—but this time, thankfully or perhaps not, the powder landed on her bared chest. Still trying to process the situation, she flushed with a mix of indignation and sorrow for the wasted powder—right as Janus opened his mouth and bit down hard.

"Ah! That hurts!"

Ayra screamed again. With every bite, his parted lips revealed abnormally white, sharp canines. Janus left a round imprint of teeth in her soft skin, then suckled hard enough to make a slurp sound. He moved over and repeated it beside the first mark, leaving a trail of red welts.

Ayra squirmed, still reaching for the jar clutched in his hand. But Janus effortlessly undressed her with the other. His hands moved with practiced ease—so fast and deft, she was completely naked in moments.

After stripping her bare, Janus scattered another handful of powder across her chest. He stuck out his tongue and licked the faintly shimmering powder clean. The warmth and wetness of his flesh made Ayra’s body twitch.

He licked her like the powder was sugar. Ayra’s lips trembled as she tried to speak—but then bit down on them. As he finished licking every speck of powder, his lips curled up into a sly grin.

"Your chest tastes better than your face."

His sharp eyes narrowed, crimson irises glowing under his half-lowered lids. Then, without warning, he pinned her down and dumped more powder on her nipples. At this point, Ayra’s tears weren’t from eye irritation, but the sheer heartbreak over wasted ingredients.

"Ah...!"

A scorching tongue darted out and traced her areola. Then he sucked—so hard she thought the flesh might rip off. She tried to push his face away, both hands clutching at his head, but he didn’t budge.

'Something’s wrong with this feeling...'

That thought flickered through her as a moan escaped her lips. His tongue flicked firmly against her hardened nipple, pinning it down and rolling it relentlessly. Then he moved to the other side, repeating the process until both were painfully erect.

"Mmh, nn..."

A quiet moan slipped from between Ayra’s parted lips. She had never once considered nipples to be a sexually sensitive area. To her, they were just useless organs attached to the body. But now, something warm and unfamiliar was blooming low in her belly.

As he teased the swollen buds with his tongue and fingers, her nipples grew firmer. When he gently scratched at them with his nails, her lower abdomen clenched. It was a mix of pleasure and ticklish discomfort—an unsettling but oddly satisfying sensation.

Her fingers, once gripping his hair, went limp. Being suckled like this was unexpectedly stimulating. Trying to focus on anything else—like the precious powder—Ayra gently combed through his crimson hair. She traced the rim of his ear with a fingertip. Janus suddenly froze.

His ear felt far too... human. Soft. Warm.

When he raised his head, Ayra seized the chance and kissed him. She’d slept well, the stimulation had been nonstop—and now, the long-forgotten flicker of lust finally reared its head. She entwined their tongues, every ridge of his small, rough nipple buds still tingling on her lips.

Meanwhile, Ayra’s other hand crept slowly, carefully. Just as her fingers brushed the glass jar by the pillow, Janus snatched it away.

"Nice try, but no."

Ayra wilted. She should’ve expected it—the smug curve of his red lips said as much. Still unwilling to give up, she lunged again, and Janus—growing a little tired of the game—picked up her fallen waist belt.

He gave it a flick. Somehow, with one fluid motion, the belt snapped tightly around her wrists. She barely had time to react before her hands were bound.

"N-no, wait—!"

Janus gazed down at the feast laid before him with great satisfaction. In the blink of an eye, Ayra was tied to the bedframe, completely naked. It was her first time in such a humiliating position, and she couldn’t help but panic. Sure, she was a mage—she could easily escape if she wanted. But all she could think about was protecting the powder. So she chose a different strategy.

"If you use all of it, I’m serious... please, don’t. It’s expensive and impossible to get..."

Whether his lover begged or not, the tone-deaf dragon hummed a tuneless melody and poured another generous layer of powder across her trembling belly. A scream of despair burst from the mage’s throat—he had never seen anyone waste such a precious ingredient so senselessly. But what followed... was a moan.

Janus spread the fine powder all across her body, sprinkling it over every inch. Then, he licked and sucked until every last sparkle was gone from her skin.

No—he didn’t just clean it off. He devoured it. Insatiably.