Liam jolted upright with a gasp, eyes bulging open. His hand instinctively flew to the side of his gut, but it was smooth. No blood, no stab wound. Just bare skin.
He sat there for a moment, scanning the dimly lit walls of his bedroom. He looked down… his clothes were clean, a fresh shirt clinging to his skin.
Liam blinked. "What the hell…" his voice rasped in the silence.
His mind scrambled back to the images of the night… the thugs, the girl's desperate eyes, the knife, the strange blue light in his chest before darkness swallowed him. He remembered it all too vividly.
But it didn't make any sense. He was in his room. Alive. Without a sign of alleyway violence.
Then it dawned to him.
"Oh! It was just a dream," he muttered to himself, exhaling slowly, a wave of relief washing over him.
Dragging himself to his feet, he walked toward the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His face looked pale, but whole. No cut. No blood. Just exhaustion.
"…God, what a nightmare," he sighed, still shaken by his supposed dream. It had been so vivid, so terrifyingly real.
He splashed water over his face, hoping to wash away the clinging dread, but it didn't help. The memory felt too sharp. But he shook it off his mind, and trudged to the kitchen.
The refrigerator creaked open. He pulled out the carton of milk and raised it to his lips, letting the cold liquid soothe his throat.
Then it happened.
Ding.
A metallic chime detonated inside his skull. Liam choked, spraying milk across the counter. His eyes widened as something impossible unfolded in front of him.
A blue, holographic screen flickered into existence before his eyes.
[Initialization Complete]
[Congratulations! You have received the Universal System]
Liam choked again, spitting more milk onto the floor. "The fuck…?!" He stumbled backward.
He rubbed his eyes. But the screen didn't vanish. It remained there, as if carved into his vision.
Hands trembling, he reached out for the screen. But his fingers passed through it. Like a projection.
Suddenly, the screen flickered… then blinked out of existence.
Liam blinked. Then he let out a nervous laugh. "Oof… for a second there, I thought I was losing my mind to…"
Fwoom!
The screen reappeared, larger. And it carried another set of information.
[Welcome, Host, to the Universal System. The ultimate tool that will help you achieve everything you desire]
[Please select a system module to activate]
Liam flinched, his heart nearly leapt out of his chest. And below the prompt, three distinct options pulsed:
[Lust System: A path of allure, pleasure, and carnal power]
[Warlord System: A path of conflict, carnage, and strategic warfare]
[Hero System: A path of righteous strength, unwavering resolve, and selfless protection]
Liam's breath caught. "Is this some kind of game? No. No, this... this is crazy. I must still be dreaming." he claimed.
But deep down, he knew the truth. This wasn't a dream. The screen, the texts, the inexplicable presence of it all… was real.
His mind raced, a torrent of frantic questions. Universal System? System Modules? What did any of that mean?
He remembered the girl from his dream… her breathtaking presence, her mystical glow. This was her. It had to be.
Without much of a choice, Liam glanced at the screen again, his eyes darting across the options. They were all kind of vague but he was able to understand a thing or two.
"Hmm, so this is like those rpgs where I get to pick a class," he thought. "Well, this should be fun."
Liam reread through the information, his brain trying to pick up anything he'd missed the first time. And that's when he realized something… his brain had completely missed the first option.
The name and the info were so odd that he disregarded the option the first time. But now, he was reading it thoroughly. And for a split second, he froze, amused and stunned.
His dry lips parted. "Lust System…?" he voiced out. "Why is this even an option?"
The system responded with a chime. But it didn't reply with an answer to his question… it was a response to his first remark.
The screen flickered. The other two options, Warlord and Hero, faded instantly, replaced by a single, bold declaration:
[Selection Confirmed: Lust System]
"Wait… what?!" Liam froze, his eyes wide with horror. "I didn't choose this. So why…" He paused, suddenly coming to a grave realization.
He had mentioned "Lust System" earlier. And the system must have taken it as a selection.
Liam eyes bulged. His blood ran cold. "Wait, no, that was an accident!" He shouted at nothing, waving his hands as if he could undo it.
But it was too late. The System, indifferent to his protests, continued to scroll, presenting him with new, equally dumbfounding messages:
[Lust System Activated]
[Module Syncing with Host's physiology…]
[Sync Complete]
[Lust System Functions have been Unlocked]
Then another screen opened beneath the main one, neatly organized.
——————
[Welcome to the Lust system. A module that would bring out your innermost desires and help you fulfill them. Become stronger through acts of seduction, temptation and raw intimacy.
Every lustful act rewards certain amounts of lust points. And lust points assist in the functioning of certain skills.
Build your harem and grow in strength. Bond with partners and get extra rewards.
Become the ultimate champion of lust by seducing and humping your way to the top]
*Grade: Epic
*Lust Points (LP): 0
[Costs 5000 LP to unlock]
None
Core Rules:
-Gain Lust Points by fulfilling Lust Quests, engaging in acts of intimacy, or deepening bonds with chosen partners.
-Harem members amplify Lust Point generation and grants host special perks
(See more info after unlocking Harem)
-Lust points are used to activate the Lust System Attributed Skills. And they can also be converted into shop points.
-Quests are compulsory. Failure to complete them may result in certain penalties.
⸻———
Liam's jaw slackened. He stared at the glowing text, the words sinking in like blades.
"This… this isn't real. It can't be real…" he muttered. But the words on the screen glowed with cold certainty.
And then the final message appeared.
[Alert!]
*New Quest Available:
"To become the ultimate champion of lust, you must take the first intimate step in your carnal journey:
[Lay with a woman and lose your virginity within 24 hours]
*Reward: +500 Exp, +250 LP
*Failure: Death
[TIME REMAINING: 23:59:58]