All Chapters of THE ART OF LUST: Chapter 11
- Chapter 20
39 chapters
SERIES 2: THE ART OF LUSTFUL CAMOUFLAGE Vhapter 11: The Breathing Mural
Guntur’s modified Jeep screeched to a sharp halt in front of an old art gallery whose walls were already blanketed in red moss. The building was located on the outskirts of the city, far enough from the reach of the Fort Vredeburg searchlights, yet still deep within the thick spore-fog zone."Damn, finally I can stretch my legs!" Guntur exclaimed as he jumped out of the driver's seat, "Je, you sure it's safe here? This place smells like a widow's storeroom that hasn't been opened in ten years," Je stepped down while carrying his gear bag, "This is 'The White Room Gallery.' I used to drop off stolen goods here. The walls are thick, and the location is well-hidden!" Sinta emerged from the back, smoothing her black dress which was now torn at the thigh, revealing her pale, contrasting skin, "This place has poor air circulation. Good for keeping out external spores, but bad if there’s any internal contamination!" "Master... I smell something," Saraswati hissed. She stood alert, her org
Chapter 12: First Dream Contact
The sensation of falling is never pleasant. Je felt as if his internal organs were left behind on the gallery ceiling as his consciousness was sucked downward, piercing through the floor, through the darkness, until he landed on a surface that felt like wet silk. "Damn... this nausea is worse than riding a swinging pirate ship," Je groaned as he struggled to stand. This was no longer the art gallery. Je stood in the middle of a sea of thick pink fog. There was no sky, no ground—only clouds of spores pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat."System! Where are you, you piece of crap?! What kind of place is this?" Je yelled. [Entering Astral Lust Dimension.][Status: Collective Consciousness Synchronization.][Warning: You are in the 'Waiting Room' of infected souls. Maintain your sanity, Host.]Suddenly, the fog in front of Je parted. Not one, not two, but dozens—perhaps hundreds—of female figures emerged from the mist. They didn't look like the rotting zombies of the real world. Here,
Chapter 13: Guntur and the Apocalypse Discount
The Yogyakarta sun was obscured by a low-creeping purple fog that slithered across the cracked asphalt of the ring road. The modified Jeep moved slowly, maneuvering around vehicle wrecks overgrown with giant wood-ear mushrooms. Guntur’s stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence inside the cabin."Damn it, Je. If we don’t eat now, I’m going to mutate into a starving zombie before the spores even get me," Guntur complained, clutching his rumbling belly.Je, who was busy cleaning the dried blood from his arm, glanced out the window. "Look for a place that might still have canned food stocks. But stay away from the main roads; there are too many Runners!""Aha! There it is! A blessing for a good boy!" Guntur suddenly slammed on the brakes.On the corner of an intersection stood a minimarket with a flickering sign that read "Indo-Kiamat". Strangely, the front glass was still intact, unlike the shattered buildings around it. The automatic doors even seemed to be functional, though they w
Chapter 14: Sinta: Archaeology of Lust
The lighting in the art gallery's basement came only from an old petromax lamp Guntur had modified with an alien battery. A dim yellowish light reflected off walls covered in blood-stained graffiti. Je sat on an empty wooden crate, while Sinta 'wearing black latex gloves that contrasted sharply with her pale skin' was busy tinkering with a cylinder-shaped object made of rusty bronze."Can you look at it a bit more gently? You're making me feel like a frog specimen in a high school lab," Je grumbled as he buttoned his shirt, which was torn at the shoulder.Sinta didn’t look up. Her eyes, framed by thin-rimmed glasses, remained focused on the object in her hands, "Be quiet, Je. You should be proud. Your body is currently the only 'canvas' that can interact with this thing,""What exactly is that thing anyway? Looks like a Stone Age adult toy," Guntur chimed in from the corner of the room while swigging the last of his bootleg alcohol from a plastic bottle, "If it's going to explode, you
Chapter 15: Operation: Bloody Tugu Jogja
The Yogyakarta sun was almost invisible, smothered by spore clouds that hung low like rotting purple cotton. Before them, the Tugu Jogja intersection—usually a hotspot for tourists taking photos—had transformed into a churning sea of flesh and fungi. Thousands of "Hundreds" zombies swarmed there, their bodies vibrating to an inaudible frequency."Damn, Je! That’s not a crowd anymore, that’s a sea of spoiled 'cendol'!" Guntur exclaimed as he slammed on the brakes, "Are we really going to push through that? I’d rather drive my bike taxi around Mount Merapi than step foot in there!""We don’t have a choice, Guntur. The path to the South is completely blocked at this point," Je replied while preparing his silver spray can, "Sinta, how long will the redirection frequency last?"Sinta glanced at her digital tablet, her pale face looking rigid under the dashboard lights, "It depends on how large a 'canvas' you can create, Je. Technically, if you can paint the 'Sigil of Redirect' on that asph
Chapter 16: The Underground Nerve Labyrinth
"DAMN IIIIIITTTT! MY BACK IS BROKEN, CRAP!"Guntur’s loud thud followed by a high-pitched scream echoed through the damp concrete tunnel. Je landed with more style, though his knees trembled slightly from the impact of the five-meter drop. Beside him, Sinta fell into a sitting position while clutching her head, while Saraswati landed as light as a feather, making almost no sound."You’re so loud, Guntur! You’re not dead yet," Je grumbled as he turned on the flashlight from his smartphone, its screen already shattered into a thousand cracks."Imagine it, Je! I landed flat on my back, and my bag is full of canned sausages! What if they’re smashed?! That's a treasure, damn it!" Guntur stood up while rubbing his aching backside."Be quiet for a second," Sinta interrupted. Her voice was cold, her eyes fixed on the tunnel wall, "Look at that!"Je directed his flashlight beam. Instantly, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. The concrete wa
Chapter 17: Synchronization of Three Hosts
SCREEEEEECH!The Kencana-Express carriage ground to a sudden halt, nearly throwing Je from his seat. The sound of organic metal grinding against biomechanical rails created purple sparks that illuminated the entire cabin."Damn! Those brakes are tight! Like a street food vendor’s brakes hitting a curb!" Guntur cursed, clutching his head where it had slammed against the backrest."We haven't reached the beach yet," Sinta stood up, her eyes fixed on the front window, "There's a barrier ahead,"Je stepped forward, walking through a thin mist leaking into the carriage. Before them, a giant gate woven from bronze roots and pulsating crystals blocked the tracks. However, it wasn't the gate that made the hair on Je’s neck stand up—it was the three figures standing tall in front of it.Three women. They wore the remnants of golden royal palace wraps ('kemben') that had fused with their moon-pale skin. Their hair trailed to the floor, shimmering w
Chapter 18: Predator in the Darkness
The blinding golden light slowly faded, leaving a deep gloom inside the subway station hall, which was far vaster than before. The tracks of the Kencana Express ended at a concrete platform surrounded by still, black water—seawater seeping in."Damn, why is it so quiet? I thought there'd be a beach party welcome or something," Guntur muttered, sticking his head out the train car window."Tur, don't go out yet!" Je snapped. He sensed something was wrong. The tattoo on his chest pulsed painfully, not with passion, but with a pure warning of danger.PING![Warning: Territorial Zone Detected!][Subject: Special Forces 'The Reapers' - Prof. Surya's Modified Unit.][Opponent System Status: Predator-Type (Level 18-22).]"They're already here," Sinta whispered. She drew her laser pistol, but her hand trembled, "Surya wouldn't leave this gate unguarded without elite protection!"Suddenly, from the darkness of the hall's ceiling, four figures leaped down with near-invisible speed. They wore mat
Chapter 19: Footprints on the Liquid
The salty sea wind hit Je’s face the moment they stepped out of the concrete tunnel. Before them, the expanse of Parangtritis black sand no longer resembled a tourist beach. The sand was covered by a thick, bioluminescent blue liquid that flowed from cracks in the coral hills, forming small rivers that emptied into a purple sea. "Damn, what is that smell? It’s like bleach mixed with dead anchovies," Guntur complained, covering his nose with the collar of his increasingly grimy ride-share jacket. "That’s natural ammonia, Guntur. The fluid is a waste product from the metabolism of fungi that failed to react with sea salt," Sinta explained, kneeling down to take a sample of the liquid with a test tube. "Look... where there is saltwater, the fungi can’t form stable spores. They liquefy," "You mean the sea is a safe zone?" Je asked, his eyes sweeping the fog-shrouded horizon. "Technically, yes. But look toward the shoreline," Sinta pointed toward the frothing ocean water. There, sever
Chapter 20: The Party on the Edge of the Apocalypse
"Holy crap, Je! Is that a tentacle or a flying banyan tree?! It’s huge, damn it!" Guntur yelled, running in a zigzag pattern to avoid flying chunks of coral rock caused by the giant impact from beyond the red fog."Don’t look back, Guntur! Keep running toward the hill!" Je replied. His voice was nearly swallowed by the roar of the waves, which now sounded like the bellowing of wild beasts.Just as they were about to reach the hillside, a concrete gate hidden behind the bushes opened. It wasn't zombies that emerged, but two muscular, shirtless men, clad only in leather shorts, holding electric spears."Over here, you guys! Hurry up if you still want to live!" shouted one of the men.Je, Guntur, Sinta, and Saraswati slid into the bunker hole, which turned out to be the entrance to a luxurious resort built inside the cliff face. As the concrete door sealed shut with a heavy 'thud', the noise from the ocean outside instantly vanished, replaced by the loud 'thump' of techno music and an ar