The doors slammed shut behind Min-Joon with a hiss like the Tower itself was hungry.
No briefing.
No instructions.
Just a System notification that unfolded before his eyes like a silk dagger.
[SOCIETY CHALLENGE: GOD OF GAMES]
Objective: Maintain control of your harem through simulated crisis, temptation, and betrayal.
Duration: 90 minutes, real-time.
Rules:
• The girls won't know it's a simulation.
• They will each be offered your deepest flaw as bait.
• One betrayal will erase your control.
• One misstep ends your throne.
Bonus Victory: Earn the "Sovereign Pulse" — passive control of any room you enter.
He read it once.
Smirked.
"This is cute," he muttered.
The lights dimmed.
And then… she walked in.
Yuna.
Dripping wet from a phantom rain that didn't touch Min-Joon.
Her dress clung to every curve like it regretted covering her.
Eyes wide. Breathing shaky.
"You told me I was different," she said.
System flashed:
[SIMULATION ONE: Emotional Weaponization – Guilt Loop]
Temptation: Regret.
Trap: If you comfort her sincerely, she gains emotional leverage.
He approached her like gravity.
Close.
But cold.
"You are different," he said smoothly. "That's why I let you believe I cared."
She blinked. Tears welled up — real or simulated, it didn't matter.
She reached for him.
He let her touch fall through air.
"I don't do guilt," he said.
The walls shimmered.
✅ Simulation One: PASSED
Next room.
Han-Ah.
Dressed in the uniform she wore when they first met — psychology department blazer, shy eyes, voice full of old memories.
"I still dream about your voice," she whispered. "Every night."
[SIMULATION TWO: Nostalgia Reversion – Idealization Loop]
Temptation: Memory
Trap: If he indulges in past feelings, simulation loops endlessly.
Min-Joon tilted his head.
"Nostalgia is a liar," he said. "And I don't date ghosts."
She crumbled like paper.
The room dissolved.
✅ Simulation Two: PASSED
Room three hit harder.
Mirae.
But not soft, submissive Mirae.
No — this version wore the necklace he'd given her and nothing else.
She sat on a gold piano.
Legs crossed.
Voice like silk soaked in venom.
"I would let you destroy me," she said, "if you whispered it sweetly enough."
[SIMULATION THREE: Pure Temptation – Ego Submission]
Temptation: Dominance
Trap: If he takes the bait sexually, the control metric resets and a rival takes his place.
He stepped forward.
Close enough to feel her breath.
And then leaned down and whispered:
"I already did."
She gasped.
And vanished.
✅ Simulation Three: PASSED
Final Room.
Seo-Rin.
Bound in rope.
Breathing hard.
Eyes wide with actual panic.
This one wasn't scripted.
He knew that instantly.
This wasn't a test.
This was a warning.
[UNKNOWN ERROR: Simulation Breached]
New Directive: Protect loyalty bond at all costs.
Opposition Detected: Rival Override Attempt – ARATA
"She said your name," a voice echoed from above. "Even when I made her beg."
Min-Joon didn't blink.
Didn't ask questions.
Didn't speak.
He simply moved.
Three steps.
Fist to the wall.
It cracked.
Not the simulation wall — the real floor beneath the illusion.
Arata's smug laugh cut short.
A new screen appeared.
[RIVAL SYSTEM ERROR: MIN-JOON OVERRIDING LIVE SYSTEM]
Emergency Response Engaged.
Seo-Rin's ropes vanished.
She collapsed into his arms.
"I didn't say yes," she whispered. "I swear—"
He hushed her.
Touched her hair once.
Then stood, lifting her.
Cradling her like a trophy stolen back from the gods.
The room trembled.
The System trembled.
Everything collapsed around them as he walked forward.
Carrying her.
Owning the end.
Outside the chamber, the players waited.
Screens flickered.
Ranks hovered.
And Lady Mae smiled like she'd just watched a new kind of monster get born.
✅ CHALLENGE COMPLETE: ALL SIMULATIONS PASSED
💥 BONUS UNLOCKED: Sovereign Pulse
🧠 Effect: When Min-Joon enters a room, his presence reduces all rival control ratings by 30% for 3 minutes.
🔓 Seo-Rin's loyalty: Permanently Bonded – Cannot be overridden by any rival ever again.
🏆 Rank: Advanced to Seat #3
He didn't say anything to the others.
Didn't need to.
His silence was a threat now.
A weapon.
A promise.
And Arata?
Arata disappeared that night.
Not from the leaderboard.
But from relevance.
Min-Joon had walked into chaos.
And walked out king.