Codex of Predation: Is It Wrong to Steal Goddesses’ Hearts?

"Huff... haaaah... that was intense," Dante panted, feeling his entire body as heavy as lead, every muscle throbbing with pain and exhaustion after the massacre of the rabbits.

Grimacing, he stood up, his knees and shoulders cracking. His body was covered in scratches and bites, some still bleeding, but most already dry, forming crusts mixed with dirt and foreign blood.

It was as if he were wearing a second skin — made of filth, sweat, and violence.

But when he looked more closely, he noticed something… strange.

His wounds were healing.

Not at an absurd speed, but fast enough to be beyond normal. Within minutes, small cuts had vanished, and even deeper bites were already scarring over.

"Accelerated regeneration?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow.

However, considering everything that had happened — dying in a plane crash, meeting a bizarre entity named "Love", being reborn naked in a forest and having to kill demonic rabbits — this seemed like the least of the absurdities.

And honestly, it was a blessing. A body that healed faster? He'd take that with a smile on his face.

But at that moment, a gentle breeze brushed against the lower part of his body — bringing with it a sudden sense of… exposure.

He looked down.

"Ah… great," he muttered. "The makeshift loincloth is gone."

It had probably come loose while he was rolling on the ground during the fight.

But what truly caught his attention wasn't the loss of the cloth — it was what now hung freely and proudly between his legs.

He blinked. Then, smiled.

"Hmm… that's… unexpected."

Dante remembered very well what he had before he died. It was normal. About 6 inches or so. Nothing to be ashamed of, but not something that drew gasps of delight with just a glance.

But now…

"You've grown, haven't you, buddy?" he said with a mischievous grin.

Then, with zero shame or dignity, he grabbed his penis and began spinning it like a helicopter blade.

"Hahaha! At least I'm well-endowed, huh, partner?" he laughed, casually talking to his member while twirling it with childlike enthusiasm.

It was ridiculous. Absurd. Completely out of context.

But for some reason… liberating.

However, at that very moment, as if the universe decided he'd had enough fun, the air around him shimmered with a warm, blinding golden light.

Reflexively, he shut his eyes and raised his arm in front of his face.

The brightness lasted only a second… then vanished.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes — and what he saw made his breath catch.

There, standing before him, was a woman. No. A goddess.

There was no other explanation.

Long pink hair cascaded down her bare back in perfect waves. Her eyes, a passionate red, seemed to set everything they gazed upon ablaze. Her nose was small and delicate, and her full, glossy lips were slightly parted as if silently calling out for a touch.

Dante swallowed hard.

He wanted to taste those lips. Bite them. Savor every inch of them.

Then his eyes drifted lower.

The woman's body was a divine sin.

Voluptuous. Abundant. Unapologetically feminine.

Large, round, and firm breasts that subtly bounced with her breath, begging to be touched. Her fair skin, tinged with a rosy hue, looked like living marble.

Her waist was narrow, contrasting perfectly with wide hips and a perky, round butt that moved with the subtle rhythm of her steps — as if she danced with every slight motion.

She wore a red silk dress clinging to her body, with a neckline plunging between her breasts, revealing just enough to drive one mad — and hiding just enough to torture.

Dante shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He took a deep breath, stepping cautiously back. He held the rabbit horn like an improvised sword.

"W-who are you?" he asked, wary.

Because, as beautiful as she was — and she was the living definition of lust — an appearance like that, out of nowhere, could never be normal.

Aphrodite, for her part, noticed how the human's eyes swept over her body from head to toe. She felt the desire in his gaze — pure, hot, shameless desire.

She lifted her chest with pride. It was natural. It was divine. It was… her.

'No one resists my charm,' she thought, with pride and a hint of narcissism.

But when she saw him step back, the caution in his eyes and the way he gripped the rabbit horn like a weapon… something inside her flared.

It was irrational, but she felt rejected. Offended.

She was a goddess.

She was desire incarnate.

And he… dared to treat her with suspicion?

"Before asking someone's name, wouldn't it be polite to give yours first, human?" she replied firmly, looking him up and down.

Even as she tried to maintain her poise, inside she was trembling. Not from fear… but from him.

The face of that man was… beautiful. Perfect. Virile.

The kind of wild beauty that could make even a goddess shiver.

But she would never let that show. Her pride wouldn't allow it.

"Dante," he finally said. "My name is Dante. And yours?"

He felt the pride drip from her words even before she spoke.

"I am Aphrodite," she said in her warm, enthralling voice. "Goddess Aphrodite."

Dante's eyes widened.

He felt an electric jolt shoot through his body.

She saw the shock on his face — and smiled.

A satisfied smile. Superior. Gorgeous.

'D-damn… she's a g-goddess? If that's true… what am I compared to her?'

A thousand thoughts raced through Dante's mind in seconds. But even with his heart pounding, he forced himself to stay in control. Kept a neutral face.

Or at least tried to.

Aphrodite, with her countless years of experience, saw through it.

She saw everything.

Even if he hid it, even if he fought it… she saw the fear. The doubt. The fascination.

She might not have access to her divine powers — to Arkanam — while in the mortal world. But that wasn't necessary. A mere mortal could never deceive her.

But, to her own surprise… she didn't care.

Not in that moment.

She took a step forward, her voice sounding like music.

"Dante… become the first member of my family."

"Huh?" he blinked, confused. "What?"

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