Ligia spun in the center of the room — which was no longer white, but golden, mirrored, and full of possibilities — like a child let loose in a magical mall.
Every wall blinked with icons, selection circles, libraries worthy of a celestial court and... ah, there it was: a gleaming female combat armor whispering "wear me and destroy."
The system, yawning from atop a floating pillar, called out
"So? What are you going to choose?"
Ligia placed a hand on her chin, evaluating each option with the care of someone crafting her own legend. Her eyes skimmed through several categories until they locked on one at the very end.
• Basic Cooking
She narrowed her eyes
"...Is the cooking category here just to humiliate me?"
"No. It's for emergencies" purred the system
"But if you want to start kicking ass with elegance... I can summon someone special"
"Special how...?"
The system smiled and snapped its fingers.
The ground trembled.
The ceiling tore into a starry sky.
And with the sound of heels clicking on marble and the sensual sweep of a velvet cloak...
She appeared.
Tall. Panther-like posture. Her body wrapped in black leather and fabric as dark as liquid obsidian.
Lips red as a threat.
Eyes lined with enchantment-precision.
Hair braided and tipped with glowing jewels.
Every step was music.
Every gesture, an invitation... and a warning.
She spun a triple-pronged staff like she was toying with fate
"New student?"
Ligia felt her spine go cold
"...Who are you?"
The woman stopped in front of her, eyes half-lidded. Her voice was dark honey laced with blade
"I am Lady Asvalira. Slayer of generals. Seductress of kings. And your instructor in intimate combat and advanced body magic"
Ligia stepped back
"Combat... intimate?"
The woman smirked
"Oh, darling... if you want to survive in this world, you'll have to learn to fight with your body. With your gaze. With your skin. With the pause between words. Every powerful woman knows a well-placed whisper can be deadlier than a sword"
She turned slowly, letting the staff glide across her back like a serpent
"You have power. But you're unpolished. You still move like a princess who woke up getting punched by the world. We're going to make you walk like someone who is the punch"
Ligia opened her mouth. Closed it. Then, after a moment, nodded
"Okay. I'm in"
Lady Asvalira smiled. The kind of smile that topples empires
"Excellent"
With a snap of her fingers, the floor pulled back. Carpets appeared.
Side mirrors lit up like awakening eyes.
A soft beat began playing — pulsing, tribal, the sound of a wild heart in motion.
Ligia straightened her spine. Took a deep breath.
And when Lady Asvalira stepped forward to align her shoulders, hips, and chin...
She understood.
This wasn't a lesson.
It was a forge.
And she?
She was the metal.
---
Lady Asvalira circled Ligia like a panther in stilettos.
Her eyes assessed the student's posture with surgical precision.
"You have the blood. The name. Now tell me... what's here?"
She tapped the center of Ligia's chest, firmly, between the breasts.
Ligia swallowed
"Uh... a clavicle?"
"Charm, girl!" exclaimed Asvalira, twirling her arms like an offended diva.
"You want to enter a ballroom and make silence fall. For men to hold their breath. For women to want to be you or kill you. Preferably both"
The system purred from a magical shelf, swinging its paws like it was watching a show
"Go on, Ligia. Seduce that mannequin over there"
It pointed at an enchanted mannequin with humanoid features and magically glowing eyes.
Ligia raised an eyebrow
"You want me to flirt... with a mannequin?"
"The post doesn't judge. Unlike real men" said Lady Asvalira naturally.
The lights dimmed.
Only a magical spotlight illuminated the center.
The mannequin turned to face Ligia.
"Scenario one. Noble ball. Music. Wine. You approach. First line"
Ligia adjusted her posture, the enchanted neckline, her hips.
Walked. Two steps.
Whispers in her eyes.
Opened her mouth.
"...Nice weather today, huh?"
The system fell off the shelf. Literally. A dull thud. A meow of pain and disbelief.
Asvalira closed her eyes with dramatic slowness
"The weather? You're trying to make his underwear evaporate with meteorology?"
She turned with a look of someone questioning their faith in humanity
"Watch"
She walked up to the mannequin.
The world stopped.
Shoulders back. Chin lifted.
But eyes low — half promise, half threat.
Two fingers on the mannequin's chest
"It's unfair someone like you is alone tonight...
But lucky for me, how convenient"
The system purred like a spaceship engine
"That was a crime. An illegal flirtation in eleven dimensions"
Ligia was red to her soul
"I-I can't talk like that! I'm not like that!"
Asvalira stepped closer. Too close.
Placed her lips near Ligia's ear.
"Like this..." she whispered.
Those vowels... were spellwork.
Ligia shivered entirely.
"YOU WANT ME TO BE AN INTERDIMENSIONAL SEDUCTRESS!" she shouted, spinning around, burying her face in her hands.
"Yes" replied Asvalira, calm as ever
"You are a woman. Be the nightmare and the dream. The poison and the wine. The touch that tingles and the gaze that condemns"
"You can be embarrassed after class. Now, focus"
The class went on for hours.
Scenarios varied:
— A ball.
— A battlefield after victory.
— An interrogation.
— A library where an arrogant mage guards secrets.
In all of them, Ligia had to use her body. The pause. The glance.
She learned small gestures:
• The hand on the neck
• The thumb on the lips
• The subtle hip tilt
• The head turn, eyes over the shoulder
Every mistake was crowned by the system's jokes:
"Are you seducing or summoning a dragon?"
"Was that wink flirting or a stroke?"
"Dramatic pauses? Is this Twilight now?"
Ligia huffed. Sweated
"I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO PUT MY HAND!"
"Put it here" said Asvalira, guiding her with precision
"Now, look like he's begging... and you're deciding if he's worth it"
Attempt after attempt.
Until, on the seventh...
The system didn't laugh.
Asvalira smiled.
"Now that... just won you a count. Maybe even a throne"
By the end of the class, Ligia lay on the satin training mat, sweating, panting, hair sticking to her forehead.
Asvalira, elegant as ever, strolled with a floating enchanted wine goblet beside her
"You've got talent. A diamond covered in sarcasm, trauma, and hoodies. But still... talent"
Ligia gasped
"Can I... go now?"
"After repeating the prisoner scenario five more times"
"I'm going to die in this place..."
The system floated above, a mocking deity
"Oh, my sweet clumsy seductress... this was just the first lesson"