Six years.
It had been six years since he opened his eyes in this unfamiliar world.
No glowing screen. No robotic voice. No sign of a cheat.
Just… cold, reality.
The boy who once lived in a modern world had died in a car accident. When he woke up, he was inside the body of a six-year-old orphan in Douluo Dalu. At first, panic consumed him. But as the memories of the original body merged with his own, he calmed himself and pieced things together.
"I… really transmigrated," he had whispered then, staring at his small, frail hands.
Like every protagonist in those novels he once read, he did the obvious thing next.
> "System, come out!"
"Cheat ability, golden finger, anything!"
"I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!"
But he shouted in vain.
There was nothing.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
---
Six years passed.
He turned twelve. Life didn't stop for someone without a cheat.
No miraculous power-up. No divine bloodline.
Just hard training, day after day.
When he was brought to the city's Martial Soul Hall at age six for awakening, the master overseeing the ritual had been stunned.
> Martial Soul: Steel Spear!
Innate Soul Power: Rank 7
That was higher than most sect geniuses, and certainly unheard of for an orphan.
The Steel Spear was jet-black with faint silver veins and an ominous, sharp aura. It was heavy, resilient, and perfectly suited for both offense and defense. Not as flashy as the Blue Silver Grass or any spirit beast-type martial soul, but it screamed potential.
Even so, no one offered to take him in. Without background, without connections, he remained just another nameless child in a vast city.
He didn't give up.
He kept training, refining his spear techniques in the empty alleyways and open grounds of White Horn City, doing odd jobs to feed himself. While others sought glory in the big academies, he told himself:
> "If the heavens gave me no system… then I'll just forge my own path with this spear."
---
Until that morning.
The sun had just risen, warm light spilling into the small room he rented near the market square. He was lying half-asleep in bed, thinking about whether to take a delivery job or hunt weak soul beasts for coins.
And then—
> Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully awakened the [Lust System]!
The voice echoed directly in his mind.
His eyes flew open.
"…Huh?!"
He jumped out of bed, nearly tripping on his boots, eyes wide with disbelief.
"System?! Is that you?!" he shouted, shaking. "You're real?!"
> Affirmative! The Lust System has successfully synchronized with your soul. Host is now eligible for missions, charm upgrades, and conquest rewards!
His mouth opened… then closed. He stared at the ceiling blankly.
"…It's been six years," he muttered. "Six. Whole. Years. Where the hell have you been?!"
> Ah. About that...
> There was traffic.
"…Traffic?" he echoed numbly.
> Yep! Astral Soulbound Network congestion. Hundreds of transmigrators trying to bind systems at once. You were queued right behind a guy who got reborn as a cat in a world of fox girls. Took forever.
The boy's eye twitched.
"You're telling me… I trained like a dog, nearly starved, got rejected by every sect, and spent six years selling roasted meat sticks because YOU were stuck in divine traffic?!"
> To be fair… you did pretty well on your own. Honestly, I'm impressed. But now it's time for some fun.
"…Fun?"
> Welcome to the [Lust System]—a cultivation path unlike any other. Through charm, seduction, and emotional bonds, you'll grow stronger, unlock unique skills, and build a harem of spirit beauties!
"…You're kidding."
> I never joke about lust.
He was silent for a long moment. Then he looked at his palm, where the faint glimmer of his Steel Spear martial soul flickered into existence.
"…After six years of waiting," he muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips, "you'd better not be useless."
> Don't worry, Host. With me here, you'll never be alone again.
> Mission 001: Seduce your landlord's daughter. Completion reward: Lust Point +10, Minor Charm Boost, First Skill Unlock!
"…System," he muttered as he pulled on his jacket and picked up his spear. "You're insane."
> Correction: I'm traffic-delayed, not insane. Now go melt hearts, soldier.
---
[To Be Continued…]