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Home / System / THE ART OF LUST / Chapter 19: Footprints on the Liquid
Chapter 19: Footprints on the Liquid
Author: Dwinda
last update2026-01-04 00:32:55

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
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  • Chapter 39: Footprints on the Liquid

    The 'Kencana-Ascent' train let out a long hiss of steam as it stopped at a hidden underground station within a crevice of the Merapi slope. The air outside the carriage was no longer cold; a humid heat smelling of pungent sulfur immediately rushed in when the automatic doors opened."Damn, is this a station or a giant sauna? It’s sweltering, bastard!" Guntur stepped out while fanning his face with his hand, "Je, are you sure we got off at the right place? The floor here is... squelchy?"Je stepped out, his boots sinking a few centimeters into a clear, neon-blue bioluminescent liquid. The liquid covered the entire station floor, flowing slowly toward the neural wall crevices, "This isn't ordinary water, Tur. This is 'Synaptic Fluid'. Surya uses this to transmit raw data from thousands of hosts to the heart of the mountain!""This place really is like a large intestine," Guntur muttered. He shivered, seeing his reflection in the liquid—a reflection that appeared slightly distorted.Sint

  • Chapter 38: Predator in the Darkness

    The walls of the 'Kencana-Ascent' vibrated violently as the organic steam carriage ascended the steep slopes of Merapi. Inside the control cabin, the air felt thick and hot, filled with the intoxicating scent of sweat and golden steam. Je was just about to take a long breath after the synchronization ritual with Sinta when suddenly all the lights inside the carriage turned a deep red.BEEP! BEEP![Security Warning!][Intrusion Detected: 'Void-Reaper' Predator Unit Has Entered the Rear Carriage.][Status: Enemy has Skill 'Energy Predation' – Absorbs Aura Energy within a 10-Meter Radius.]"Damn! Can't even get a moment's peace before another uninvited guest shows up!" Je cursed. He quickly pulled up his pants, while Sinta was still panting on the driver's seat, her body still glowing silver."Je... don't break the connection..." Sinta whispered, her voice hoarse, "If you stop now, this train’s engine will die and we’ll slide down into the crater!""Sinta, there’s a monster in the back!

  • Chapter 37: Synchronization of Three Hosts

    SCREEEEEECH!The metal wheels of the 'Kencana-Ascent' shrieked as they rubbed against the organic rails coated in lubricating slime. The steam carriage came to a sudden halt in a vast underground hall, right at the heart of the neural pipeline leading to Merapi. Before them, a giant gate resembling a weave of muscle and crystal blocked the path."Damn! Those brakes are sharp; I almost lost my teeth!" Guntur yelled from the back carriage as he crawled out, "Hey, Je! Are we there yet? I’m full of the sounds of your and Sinta's moaning!"Je stepped out of the control carriage, buttoning his messy shirt while still breathing hard. Beside him, Sinta walked with a slightly shaky step, her pale face flushed."Guntur, be quiet if you still want to live," Sinta hissed. Her silver eyes immediately scanned the gate before them. "Je, we have a big problem, This gate doesn't respond to a single frequency!""Meaning?" Je sharpened his gaze.Suddenly, from the darkness beside the gate, three female

  • Chapter 36: Underground Nerve Labyrinth

    The sulfurous heat began to seep through the pores of the now dark-red nerve walls. Je coughed, his chest feeling as if it were being squeezed by invisible concrete. The golden light in his hand flickered, showing that his 'Lust Aura' was struggling against the increasing sulfur density."Damn, that smell... this isn't Merapi anymore, it's dragon farts with acid reflux!" Guntur grumbled, covering his nose with a scrap of his jacket, "Je, can't you paint a fan on this wall to cool things down?!""Shut it, Tur! Just breathe slowly!" Je barked. He turned to Sinta, who was walking with stiff steps, "Sin, oxygen is low. My system says this isn't just sulfur, but a high-dose hallucinogenic gas!"Sinta stopped, her silver eyes blinking wildly, "This is 'Melancholy Spores'. Surya dumps all the negative emotions he harvests

  • Chapter 35: Low-Frequency Hallucination

    Their footsteps echoed stiffly against the tunnel floor, which felt like a giant tongue—wet, slightly rough, and constantly making small movements. The golden light from the nerve walls began to fade, replaced by a cold, pale blue glow. The sweet spore aroma that had been thick was now mixed with a pungent ozone smell, a sign of high biological electrical activity ahead."Damn, why is it getting so cold? Earlier when you and Sinta were 'exercising', it was hot as an oven," Guntur muttered, pulling his 'ojol' jacket tight—though it could no longer ward off the cold, "I feel like someone’s blowing on my neck from behind, Je. Seriously, it’s creepy!""Don't scare yourself, Tur. Focus on what’s ahead," Je replied. His eyes, now possessing a thin golden streak, continued to monitor the energy flow on the walls, "Sinta, why did the frequency change to blue? Shouldn't the main path be red?"Sinta stopped for a moment, touching a swollen nerve node on the wall. Her silver eyes blinked rapidly

  • Chapter 34: Neural Labyrinth: The Bloody Silk Road

    The darkness inside the Japanese Cave was not pure black. The coral rock walls had been coated in a network of organic fibers glowing a dim purple, pulsing slowly as if following the earth's heartbeat. The air inside was extremely humid, smelling like a mixture of wet moss, rusted iron, and an intoxicatingly sweet aroma—the signature scent of 'Curator' spores."Damn, are we entering a cave or the throat of a giant?" Guntur muttered. He raised his homemade rifle, using a flashlight tied with rubber bands to the end of the barrel. The light swayed, illuminating walls that looked like flayed muscles, "Look at that, Je! The walls move when the light hits them! It creeps me out, dammit!""That’s not an ordinary movement, Guntur. It’s a phototropic reaction from Surya’s collective nerves," Sinta replied. She walked beside Je, her steps calm though her silver eyes continued to scan every corner, "This Silk Road is the main aorta connecting the South and the North. Surya uses this path to sen

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