Before Aquarius could even process the system quest or that ridiculous failure consequence, the creaking sound of a rusty hinge cut through the silence.
The door slowly opened, inch by inch, until the dim light revealed her.
"Gee, what's with all this noise in here?"
The voice was rough yet smooth—feminine, commanding, carrying the kind of tone that could hush a battlefield.
When the door fully opened, Aquarius froze.
It was her.
Her!
The one who started from the dirt, crawled through blood and ash, and climbed her way to become the most powerful existence in this entire novel.
The main character, Kianna Xondrin.
Her long silver hair shimmered faintly with orange tints like dusk bleeding into night. Her light caramel brown skin glowed under the flickering torchlight, and her piercing light-orange eyes were sharp enough to slice the air itself.
Her face was angular, beautiful, but cold. She wore the hardened look of someone who'd seen hell and spat in its face.
Behind her swayed three fluffy silver-orange tails, smooth and immaculate despite the dirty, torn rags clinging to her frame.
She looked half-starved, half-divine..like someone the world had tried to break but failed miserably.
"The hell are you looking at?" she said, eyebrow raised, glare sharp enough to skin a dragon alive.
And that's when it happened.
[Harem Choices has activated!]
A bright notification exploded across Aquarius's vision, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
[Since you have met your first Monster Girl (Kianna Xondrin), Harem Choices are now available.]
The screen shimmered, text burning in divine gold. Beneath it, four glowing options appeared, each one screaming pick me and die stylishly.
[You seem like you have a lot of common sense, Aquarius! Choose wisely!]
'Huh?!'
[First Impression Mode Active.]
[Harem Choices: Kianna Xondrin (Initial Encounter)]
1. [Smooth Talk Her]
"Do my eyes deceive me? Because I thought I was looking at my future wife for a second…"
Effect: +30 Affection Points, +10 Trust Points
Warning: May result in tail-based strangulation.
2. [Play Dumb & Respectful]
"Sorry, didn't mean to stare..didn't expect to meet someone like you here."
Effect: +15 Affection Points, +20 Trust Points
Unlocks [Pathetic but Kind] Archetype.
3. [Be a Smartass]
"Oh nothing..just looking at a mean-looking fox with a badass attitude."
Effect: +100 Anger Points, +25 Respect Points (If you survive.)
4. [Be Shy & Reserved]
"M-My bad for looking..didn't mean to upset you."
Effect: You will forever be seen as a pussy by Kianna.
Aquarius took a deep inner breath.
'Kinda obvious which one to pick..' he thought, eyeing the lethal beauty glaring at him like a ticking time bomb.
Hand on hip. Eyes narrowed. Stance: "say something stupid and die."
He, of course, picked Option One.
[Choice Confirmed: Smooth Talk Her]
He hopped down from the ragged bed, brushing the dust off, and strolled toward her with confident, deliberate steps.
Her gaze never left him. She was sharp and ready, expecting the usual racist remark or a cocky insult.
But then—
He gently took her hand.
The movement was so sudden she actually froze.
Aquarius leaned in just enough that their reflections merged in each other's eyes, his newly dark-purple gaze flickering with cosmic glimmers.
"Do my eyes deceive me?" he said softly, smiling.
"Because I thought I was looking at my future wife for a second.."
And then he kissed her hand.
Her entire body locked. Cheeks flared crimson. Tail twitched violently.
A single moment of stunned silence..
BOOM.
Aquarius flew left like a bullet, crashing into the wall with cartoon-level force, his head partially embedded in the stone.
"Y-You..why would you say something like that to me?! You think I'm soft?!" Kianna's voice cracked between rage and embarrassment, her tails puffed up like she was both furious and flustered.
[+30 Affection Points]
[+15 Trust Points]
'Worth it…' Aquarius thought weakly, peeling himself out of the wall. He groaned but still managed to flash a grin.
"No, I don't. I just can't hide the fact that you're fine as hell, that's all. My name's Aquarius, what's yours?"
[+1 Affection Point]
[Wow, you're a natural!]
'Just going with the flow, System. Not like I've never spoken to a woman before.'
Her blush deepened. "Shut up. No I'm not. And my name's Kianna Xondrin..I found you asleep outside my place."
"Asleep, huh? Well, I appreciate that. Not many would've helped a stranger, especially in a place like this."
"Hmph. No reason not to. You haven't pissed me off..yet."
Aquarius chuckled. "Good to know. You got a bathroom? I need to check something."
She pointed down the hall. "Left at the end. Try not to break anything."
"Got it. Appreciate it." he said, heading out.
The hallway was dark, lined with flickering torches. He found the bathroom—cracked mirror, chipped tiles, but cleaner than expected.
He stepped in, shut the door.
"And you better not be playing with yourself in there!" Kianna's muffled voice echoed from the other side.
"Of course not!"
He stifled a laugh as he heard her scoff and walk off.
"Yeah..she's definitely something else." he muttered, smirking.
Kianna Xondrin's rough attitude was a facade to hide the fact that she was broken on the inside.
Cast aside by her own family for being unawakened, she was left to die and rot in the 5th Zone.
But what they didn't realize was that she was special..she secretly had an SSS-Ranked Talent that only needed to be unlocked under certain circumstances.
Which was her being on the brink of death.
Aquarius turned toward the mirror.
Yeah..he definitely didn't look the same anymore.
Short silver-white hair with faint purple streaks. Dark purple eyes glimmering like molten amethyst. Peach-caramel brown skin. Lean but powerful frame. Black shirt, blue jeans, black sneakers—simple, but oddly fitting.
"Not bad at all.." he murmured. "Guess I'll look even better when I start upgrading my stats."
His reflection stared back with quiet intensity.
"System, activate Eyes of Oblivion."
Ex-Rank Talent [Eyes of Oblivion] has activated.
His eyes shifted.
The sclera melted into liquid void..not color, but absence.
The irises became swirling nebulae of violet, crimson, and ghost-white stars orbiting collapsing singularities.
The pupils expanded and contracted like miniature black holes, bending light itself.
His perception surged. Every particle, every speck of dust became clear to him.
He could literally see the bacteria on the mirror.
"Holy..shit," he whispered. "Didn't expect to get my own Dojutsu in this world, but this is-"
PULSE.
A sudden stab of searing agony ripped through his skull. He barely covered his mouth in time to muffle the scream.
[Eyes of Oblivion Deactivated.]
[Your Essence Capacity is too low to sustain activation beyond 15 seconds.]
He groaned, rubbing his eyes until the burning faded. "Would've been nice if you mentioned that before I turned them on…"
He exhaled, gaze darkening. Weak. Too damn weak.
But that was about to change.
He remembered his Ex-Rank skill.
He raised his right hand.
"A millionfold equivalent exchange..of anything, right?" he muttered.
He snapped his fingers.
SNAP.
Ex-Rank Skill [Millionfold Multiplier Active.]
Snaps [1 / 1,000,000]
A low hum reverberated through the air as invisible power began coiling around him like a storm.
Aquarius smirked.
"Sorry, Kianna..but it's about to get hella noisy."