Master of Lust

"What did you bring me?" Rick quietly asked himself while pointing at a piece of grass. He was talking to a rabbit. This was the first thing the rabbit had given him since they entered the Whispering Wetlands, and the little thing looked  really excited about it.

[Flashback]

After Rick finished shopping and hoped he would survive his journey through the Whispering Wetlands, he followed a group of people through a narrow passage between mountains. As he walked further, the passage that had initially been about 200 meters wide at the entrance started getting smaller. By the time he neared the end of the passage, it was only about 60-70 meters wide.

But that wasn't the strangest thing he saw. What really surprised him was the enormous gate in front of him at the end of the road. It was as wide as the entire passage and stood impressively tall, roughly 70 meters or maybe even a bit more.

And below the giant gate, there were 7 or 8 small buildings on each side of the passage. Each building had a sign that said "REGISTRATION" in big letters, and there were long lines of people waiting in front of each office.

Rick, standing at the entrance to the Whispering Wetlands with his rabbit on his shoulder, was confused by the scene. He couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity at the sight of the massive gate and the long line of people waiting to register. His rabbit was nestled on his shoulder, and compared to him, his rabbit was way more relaxed.

As Rick looked at the people working at the registration counters, he wondered if someone owned the Whispering Wetlands. It seemed possible because of how organized everything was. But as he observed, he noticed that the people working at these offices came from different backgrounds and groups.

There were no signs on the buildings indicating who owned them, but the workers had uniforms that were unique to their building. This made Rick uneasy because it was a mix of people from various places, and he couldn't quite figure out what was going on.

Rick had many questions swirling in his mind. He wondered if registering with one group would put him in danger from the others. In a mysterious place like the Whispering Wetlands, he couldn't afford to make the wrong choice.

The line ahead of him inched forward, and Rick decided to ask someone of the process. He tapped on the shoulder of the man in front of him. The man turned and a frown appeared on his face when he looked at Rick. The handsome young boy  irked  him.

"What do you want?" Scrunching his slightly crooked nose, the man asked. One of his eyebrows sat a little higher than the other, giving his face an uneven look. And his skin was pockmarked with old acne scars, which added to the rough texture of his complexion.

"Excuse me," Rick began, his tone polite and cautious. "I'm new here. Can you tell me what this registration is all about?"

"If you are new go sit in your mother's lap and let her change your nappy," For no reason at all, the man lashed out at Rick, "I know no shit and you better not talk to me again. Or I will rip that mouth of yours and make you beg at the crossroads of Slorida. You understand?"

The sudden and violent outburst of the man scared the shit out of Rick. He couldn't help but nod vigorously at him. When the man was done lashing out and turned to look forward, Rick wasted no time to get out of the queue, and jump to the other line. Only after he had jumped the queue did Rick breathed in relief. And after that, he decided not to ask anyone anything and just go with the flow.

As Rick moved closer to the front of the line, he couldn't stop thinking about the different groups and powers that might be at work in the mysterious Whispering Wetlands. He had a feeling that deciding which group to register might bring him some unwanted troubles his way, and it could have important consequences in this strange place.

As Rick inched closer to the front of the line, the tension in the air grew palpable. He couldn't help but notice the small, foreboding office just beyond the gate, where a dangerous-looking man sat behind a desk. The man's bald head gleamed under the dim lighting of the office, and a prominent scar ran jaggedly through his left cheek, giving him a menacing appearance.

When it was finally his turn, Rick hesitantly entered the office. The atmosphere within was thick with unease, and he felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine. The man behind the desk had a low, intimidating accent that sent chills down Rick's spine.

The man leaned forward, his piercing eyes locking onto Rick's as he began a series of questions, each one delivered with a tone that oozed danger.

"Name?" the man demanded, his voice low and gravelly.

"Ri... Sam... Sam Petroda," Rick replied, looking at the dangerous men all around him, he decided to take precautions.

"First time in Whispering Wetlands?"

"Yes," Rick nodded.

"Place of origin?"

"Slorida."

"Slorida?"The man's gaze bore into Rick, his scarred cheek twitching slightly. "Affiliations?"

Rick hesitated for a moment before answering cautiously, "None."

The man's lips curled into a menacing smile, "And what's your purpose for entering the Whispering Wetlands?"

Rick considered his response carefully. He didn't want to reveal too much, "Exploration," he replied simply, "I have long heard about the Whispering Wetlands. You see, I am a stud---"

But the man had no interest in listening to Rick's background. With a show of his hand, he shut him up, and he leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him. Then, without warning, he demanded, "Five thousand dollars."

Rick's eyebrows shot up in bewilderment. "Five thousand dollars? What's that for?"

The man's face darkened, and he slowly rose from his chair, towering over Rick with an intimidating presence. "You ask too many questions, boy," he growled, his accent adding a sinister edge to his words.

Taken aback and feeling the weight of the man's intimidating glare, Rick stammered, "I

—I just thought the Whispering Wetlands were public property. Why the fee?"

The man said nothing, his eyes locked onto Rick's with a malevolent intensity that sent shivers down his spine.

Gulping nervously, Rick decided that it was better not to push his luck. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a wad of cash. Counting out five thousand dollars, he placed the money on the desk before the man.

The man snatched the money with a swift, practiced motion, his fingers closing around the bills like a vice. He then leaned back in his chair, entering some information into his computer. Finally, he produced a laminated card, which he slid toward Rick.

Rick reached for the card, but as he tried to take it, the man's menacing warning cut through the air like a knife, "You better watch your back, boy. Keep this attitude, and you won't last long."

The threat worked fairly well on  Rick. He nodded quickly, his heart racing, and snatched the card from the desk.  Without another word, he practically bolted out of the office.

[Flashback End]

"That bloody pigfucker," the memory of that ominous encounter was still fresh in Rick's mind. But his irritation subsided momentarily as he turned to his rabbit companion. "What is this, buddy?" he asked, holding the peculiar grass in front of him.

The rabbit, as usual, hopped up on its hind legs and threw its front paws in the air, as if in response, "That, Master, is Rustleaf Herb."

"Rustleaf Herb?" Rick echoed, intrigued. He glanced at the plant, waiting for more information, "What do I use it for?"

The rabbit, now eager to share what it knew, said, "Yes, Rustleaf Herb is a special plant with rust-colored leaves. People use it to treat small wounds and skin irritations. It doesn't have any magical powers, but it's good for soothing."

Rick raised his eyebrows and nodded, appreciating the information from the rabbit. The herb was good, but the rabbit had the same effects, and if you ask Rick, the rabbit was actually better.

But the rabbit didn't stop there; it went on to explain the specific conditions needed for Rustleaf Herb to grow well. It needed moisture, a certain level of humidity, and the unique whispering winds of the Wetlands.

As the rabbit talked, it seemed excited to share its knowledge with Rick. When it finished talking about the herb's properties and characteristics, it looked at Rick expectantly, its small nose twitching.

Rick couldn't help but smile at the rabbit's enthusiasm. It really wanted to try the grass it had just described in so much detail. However, Rick decided to have a bit of fun. With a casual wave of his hand, he made the Rustleaf Herb in his palm disappear.

In an instant, the strand of Rustleaf Herb vanished from his hand, leaving the rabbit confused. It looked around, sniffing the air to find the herb, but it had disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared.

The rabbit turned to Rick with wide eyes, silently asking what had happened. Rick playfully shrugged and offered an apologetic smile.

The rabbit was surprised, and it made quick, high-pitched sounds. It jumped up from the ground, held onto Rick's clothes, and climbed onto his shoulder. The rabbit looked all around, trying hard to find the herb, but it was gone, just like that.

The rabbit turned to Rick, looking confused with its cute face. Rick couldn't help but laugh at how adorable it was.

"Don't worry, my friend," he said to the rabbit, "We're in the Whispering Wetlands now. I'm sure we can find more Rustleaf Herb."

The rabbit blinked at Rick and nuzzled his cheek lovingly.

Rick chuckled as he looked at his rabbit companion on his shoulder, which seemed a bit upset. He gently scratched behind the rabbit's ears and teased, "Come on, buddy, I promise you'll get your treat later. Right now, we have some things to do."

The rabbit let out a soft sigh and still had a pleading look in its eyes, but it seemed to understand Rick's decision. It settled down on his shoulder, seeming to accept that it would have to wait a bit for its special snack.

Rick, with the rabbit running in  front of him, went deeper into the Whispering Wetlands. Despite its spooky reputation, the forest turned out to be surprisingly peaceful. There were many creatures around, but most of them were gentle. Rick saw deer munching on green plants and colorful birds flying among the trees.

Rick spent hours exploring the Whispering Wetlands, and he was seriously loving it! The forest was so darn beautiful and peaceful. Plus, with his trusty rabbit sidekick, he collected a bunch of herbs. He even aced the quest from the system, and now every herb he found was actually a bonus.

As they kept on trekking deeper into the forest, Rick and his rabbit buddy used the rabbit's know-how to find those magical herbs they were after. It was kind of crazy, but they didn't bump into any scary animals, even though there were plenty of them around. It was like the forest's critters just didn't want to mess with them.

The scenery around them kept changing as they ventured further. They saw these huge trees that had funky moss and vines all over them, making a sort of green roof that let bits of sunlight peek through. And dang, the whole place smelled like a garden of blooming flowers, with a carpet of colorful mushrooms on the ground.

As the sun began to set, Rick figured it was time to find a spot to crash for the night. His rabbit buddy, acting like a champ, decided to be the scout. The little furball sniffed around like a dog and led the way.

Before long, the rabbit brought him to a nice flat piece of land that was just perfect for setting up camp. There was enough space for Rick to pop up his tent without any hassles, and a chill stream nearby added some relaxing background noise with its flowing water.

Rick gave the spot a thumbs-up and said to the rabbit on his shoulder, "Not bad, buddy. You've got a knack for finding great spots."

With their camping location sorted, Rick took out his tent from his stuff. He pulled it out of the system and started putting together the lightweight, sturdy thing. While he was doing that, the rabbit went all handy and gathered dry branches and twigs for the evening fire.

Once the tent was good to go, Rick turned to the rabbit, who was back to wood collecting duty. "All right, pal, I think we're ready to kick back for a bit," he said, giving the rabbit a pat on the head.

"How about we check out our loot from today?" Rick asked with a grin.

And hearing him, the rabbit got all excited at the idea of counting their stuff. It hopped around, its little tail wiggling with joy. Rick couldn't help but laugh at the rabbit's infectious energy.

"Lets see."

*  *  *  *  *