Back in my room, I locked the door. Heavy iron bolt slid into place. *Clunk.*
Safe. Finally.
Leaned against it. Wood pressed cold against my back through the shirt. Breathed out slow.
"Okay. Let's figure out what the hell this system actually does."
Focused on the icon in my vision. Blue shimmer. Thought *open* and—
*Whoosh.*
Full window expanded. Transparent blue screen hovering in the air. Crackling energy sound. Faint. Like static.
```
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
LUST ASCENDANT SYSTEM v6.9
HOST: Adrian Thornwood (Jason Chen)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
LEVEL: 1
EXP: 100/500
LUST POINTS: 0
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
STATS:
├─ STRENGTH: 12
├─ AGILITY: 14
├─ ENDURANCE: 11
├─ MANA: 8 (F-RANK CORE)
├─ CHARM: 23
└─ SEXUAL STAMINA: ∞
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
UNIQUE SKILLS:
[Essence Devourer] - NEW!
[Harem Master] - LOCKED
[Charm Aura] - LOCKED
[Adaptive Core] - LOCKED
[Infinite Stamina] - ACTIVE
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
PARTNERS: 0/∞
BOND LEVELS: None
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
AVAILABLE FEATURES:
- Status Window ✓
- Quest Log ✓
- Shop (1 LP to unlock)
- Skills (Locked until first partner)
- Inventory (Coming Soon)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
```
Stared at it. Read every line twice.
"So I need a partner to unlock most features. Great. And one Lust Point to even see the shop."
Made sense in a twisted way. Sex system needed sex to function. Couldn't just grind stats solo.
Focused on the quest log. Window shifted. *Swish* sound.
```
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
ACTIVE QUESTS:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[MAIN] RISE FROM THE BOTTOM
Rank up from F to E before academy
Time Limit: 30 days
Progress: 0/100%
Reward: 500 EXP, +10 all relationships
[HIDDEN] FIRST BLOOD
Lose your virginity
Progress: 0/1
Reward: ??? (Significant)
[DAILY] PHYSICAL TRAINING
Complete basic workout routine
Progress: 0/1
Reward: 50 EXP, +1 Strength
[OPTIONAL] ESTABLISH DOMINANCE
Prove yourself in combat or competition
Progress: 0/1
Reward: 100 EXP, Unlock [Intimidation] skill
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
```
"Hidden quest for virginity. Of course there is."
The reward was marked as significant. Triple question marks usually meant good shit in games. And this was basically a game now.
Thirty days to hit E-rank. Normally impossible for an F-rank core. Even with meditation and training, trash cores took years to advance.
But I had a cheat code. Literally.
Walked to the window. Pushed open the shutters. *Creak.* Morning air rushed in. Cool. Smelled like dew and distant flowers. Could see the estate grounds. Training yard below. Gardens beyond that. Stables in the distance.
Servants moving around. Maids in grey dresses carrying laundry. *Swish-swish* of fabric. Groundskeepers trimming hedges. *Snip-snip* of shears. Life continuing like normal.
Like the third son didn't just tell his family he'd attend the academy.
"Need to start smart. First: get stronger physically. This body's fit but untrained. Second: figure out a cultivation routine. Third..."
Paused.
"Find a willing partner."
Adrian's memories provided options. Servants mostly ignored him but weren't hostile. Some pitied him. And there was one maid who...
*Knock knock.*
Soft. Hesitant. Knuckles on wood. Light tapping.
Turned from the window. "Who is it?"
"Y-Young Master Adrian?" Female voice. Quiet. Nervous. "It's Elara. I brought fresh water and towels."
Elara.
Silver hair. Green eyes. Half-elf. Nineteen years old. Been serving the estate for two years. Adrian's memories showed glimpses of her. Always kind. Always gentle. Never mocked him like others.
"Come in."
The door opened. *Creak.* She slipped inside. Closed it carefully behind her. *Click.*
And damn. Adrian's memories didn't do her justice.
Petite. Maybe five-foot-three. Silver hair pulled back in a simple braid. A few strands escaped. Framed her face. Pointed ears peeked through. Elf heritage obvious. Green eyes. Bright. Like spring grass. Smooth skin. Light dusting of freckles across her nose.
Grey maid uniform. Simple. But it hugged curves in the right places. Modest but not hiding everything.
She held a basin of water. Steam rising. Smell of lavender soap. Stack of white towels draped over her arm.
"I—" She paused. Looked at me. Eyes widened. "You're... different today, Young Master."
"Different how?"
Her cheeks flushed. Pink spreading. Pretty. "You seem... taller? No, that's not it. You just... feel different."
Transmigration must've changed something. Posture maybe. Confidence. Old Adrian was broken. Defeated. I was neither.
"I'm done hiding in this room, Elara. Things are changing."
She set the basin on the dresser. Water sloshed. *Splash.* Placed the towels next to it. Careful. Precise movements.
"I heard about breakfast." Her voice got quieter. Almost a whisper. "The servants are talking. You really demanded to attend the academy?"
"Yep."
"But..." She turned to face me. Worried. Genuinely worried. "Young Master, the academy is dangerous. The nobles there, they're cruel to anyone beneath them. And you're..."
"F-rank trash?"
She flinched. "I didn't mean—"
"It's fine. It's true. Right now." Walked closer. She tensed. Just slightly. Not fear. Something else. "But I'm going to change that."
"How?" She looked up at me. Had to crane her neck. This body was tall. She was small. "Cores don't just... improve. Especially not F-rank."
"I have my ways."
Met her eyes. Held the gaze. She didn't look away. Seconds stretched. Her breathing quickened. Subtle. Chest rising and falling faster under the uniform.
**[CHARM AURA DETECTED]**
**[PASSIVE EFFECT ACTIVE: +23 CHARM BONUS]**
**[TARGET: ELARA MOONWHISPER]**
**[CURRENT AFFECTION: 25/100 (FRIENDLY)]**
Oh. So the system tracked this automatically. Interesting.
"Young Master..." Her voice came out breathy. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like..." She swallowed. *Gulp.* Audible. "Like you're seeing me for the first time."
"Maybe I am."
Took another step. Close now. Could smell her. Clean soap. Hint of lavender. Something else underneath. Natural. Sweet. Her breathing hitched.
"Elara." Kept my voice low. Calm. "How long have you worked here?"
"T-two years, Young Master."
"And in those two years, have I ever thanked you? For being kind. For not treating me like garbage."
She blinked. Surprised. "You... you don't need to thank me. I'm just doing my job."
"No. You're not." Reached up. Slowly. Gave her time to pull away. She didn't. Tucked one of those loose silver strands behind her pointed ear. Soft. Silky texture. Her breath caught. Sharp inhale. "Other servants whisper. Mock. Avoid me. You never did."
"Because it's not fair." Her words rushed out. "They judge you for something you can't control. Your core rank isn't who you are."
"Most people don't think like that."
"Then most people are stupid."
Laughed. Couldn't help it. Sharp bark of sound. She jumped. Then smiled. Small. Hesitant. But real.
**[AFFECTION INCREASED: 25 → 32]**
"You really are different today," she said. Softer now. "I like it."
"Yeah?"
"The old you was... sad. Broken. This you seems..." She paused. Searched for words. "Alive."
"I am. For the first time in a while."
Wanted to kiss her. Right there. System was practically screaming at me to make a move. But rushing it felt wrong. Adrian's memories showed Elara was cautious. Careful. Probably been hurt before.
Rushing would scare her off.
So I stepped back. Gave her space.
"Thank you for the water, Elara."
She blinked. Confused. Expected something else maybe. "O-of course, Young Master."
Turned to the basin. Splashed water on my face. Cold. Shocking. Felt good. Droplets ran down. *Drip drip.* Grabbed a towel. Rough cotton. Dried off.
Behind me, fabric rustled. *Swish.* She was still there.
"Young Master?"
"Hmm?"
"If..." Pause. "If you're serious about the academy. About getting stronger. I could help."
Turned. She was wringing her hands. Nervous gesture.
"Help how?"
"I know the training yard schedule. When it's empty. And I..." She looked down. "I know some basic mana circulation techniques. From my mother. She was a full elf. Before she..."
Died. Adrian's memories filled in the blank. Elara's mother died when she was young. Father was human. Dead too. Left her orphaned. The Thornwood family took her in as a servant.
"You'd teach me?"
"If you want. I'm not very good but—"
"I want."
Her head snapped up. Eyes wide. "Really?"
"Really. When?"
"Tonight? After dinner service. The training yard is empty then. We could—" She caught herself. Blushed harder. "I mean, if you don't mind being seen with a maid."
"Elara." Waited until she met my eyes. "I don't give a shit about status. You're offering to help me. That matters more than any noble title."
**[AFFECTION INCREASED: 32 → 41 (ROMANTIC INTEREST)]**
She looked like she might cry. Happy tears. Eyes getting wet. Shiny.
"Thank you, Young Master."
"Call me Adrian. When we're alone."
"I couldn't—"
"I insist."
She bit her lip. Nervous habit. Teeth pressing into soft pink flesh. "Then... Adrian. Tonight. Training yard. After dinner."
"It's a date."
Her eyes went huge. Face turned scarlet. Red spreading down her neck. Disappearing under the uniform collar.
"A-a date?! I didn't mean—that's not—we're not—"
Grinned. Couldn't help it. She was adorable when flustered.
"Relax. Figure of speech. Training session. That's all."
"Oh. Right. Of course." She smoothed her dress. Unnecessary. Already perfect. "I should go. Duties. Lots of duties."
Practically fled. Door opened and closed. *Whoosh-click.* Fast.
Gone.
**[QUEST UPDATE: POTENTIAL PARTNER IDENTIFIED]**
**[ELARA MOONWHISPER - AFFECTION: 41/100]**
**[RECOMMENDATION: BUILD TRUST. PROGRESS SLOWLY. FIRST TIME BONUS AVAILABLE.]**
"Yeah. Figured that much."
Walked back to the window. Watched her exit the manor below. Grey dress swishing. She glanced back up. Saw me watching. Waved. Hesitant. Small movement.
Waved back.
She hurried toward the servant quarters. *Swish-swish.* Fast steps.
Smiled.
Thirty days to rank up. System needed a partner to unlock features. Elara needed time to trust me completely.
Perfect alignment.
"Alright. Step one: physical training. Step two: cultivation practice with Elara. Step three: don't fuck this up."
Pulled off the fancy shirt. Tossed it on the bed. *Flump.* Started stretching. Body was stiff. Needed work.
System chimed. *Ding.*
**[DAILY QUEST ACCEPTED: PHYSICAL TRAINING]**
**[COMPLETE: 50 PUSH-UPS, 50 SIT-UPS, 50 SQUATS, 2 MILE RUN]**
**[TIMER STARTED: 23:47:32]**
"Gamification. Love it."
Started with push-ups. Down. *Huff.* Up. *Huff.* Down. Up. Arms burned after twenty. Ignored it. Kept going.
Muscles screamed. Sweat formed. Dripped. *Plink-plink* on the floor. Breathing got heavy. *Hah-hah-hah.* Sharp inhales.
Thirty. Forty. Fifty.
*Thud.* Collapsed. Chest heaving.
**[PUSH-UPS: 50/50 ✓]**
No rest. Rolled onto back. Started sit-ups. Abs clenched. *Grunt.* Up. Down. Up. Core burned. Old Jason never worked out. This body was fit but untrained. Virgin muscles.
Fifty done.
**[SIT-UPS: 50/50 ✓]**
Squats next. Legs trembled. *Shake-shake.* Down. Up. Thighs screamed. Ignored them. Twenty. Thirty. Forty. Fifty.
**[SQUATS: 50/50 ✓]**
**[FINAL TASK: 2 MILE RUN - USE ESTATE GROUNDS]**
Changed into simpler clothes. Found running boots. Leather. Worn but functional. Laced them up. Tight.
Headed outside. Afternoon sun hit hard. Warm. Bright. Smell of grass and flowers.
Started running. Boots pounded dirt paths. *Thud-thud-thud.* Rhythmic. Breathing matched pace. *Hah-hah-hah.*
Servants stared. Whispers followed.
"That's Young Master Adrian—"
"Is he... exercising?"
"Since when does he leave his room?"
Ignored them. Focused on breathing. On movement. On the burn in lungs and legs.
Lap one around the estate. Chest tight. Lap two. Legs heavy. Lap three. Everything hurt.
But felt good. Alive. Pushing limits.
Finished the run. Collapsed against a tree. Rough bark. *Scrape.* Against my back. Slid down. Sat hard. *Thump.*
Breathing ragged. *Hah—hah—hah.* Sweat everywhere. Shirt soaked. Stuck to skin. Salty taste on lips.
**[QUEST COMPLETE: PHYSICAL TRAINING]**
**[REWARDS: +50 EXP, +1 STRENGTH]**
**[NEW STATS: STRENGTH 12 → 13]**
**[CURRENT EXP: 150/500]**
*Ding.*
Felt it. Actual physical change. Subtle. Muscles felt denser. Stronger. Just by one point but noticeable.
"Holy shit. It actually works."
Gamification wasn't just visual. Stats translated to real physical changes. Meaning if I kept grinding...
Grinned. Wide. Probably looked insane.
"This is going to be fun."
Spent the rest of the afternoon in my room. Meditation practice. Cross-legged on the floor. Trying to sense my core.
Adrian's memories provided the technique. Focus inward. Feel the mana center at solar plexus. Breathe with it. Circulate energy through meridians.
Problem: F-rank core was shit. Barely any mana. Like trying to fill a bucket with a leaky cup.
Still tried. Eyes closed. Deep breaths. *Inhale. Exhale.* Slow. Controlled.
Felt... something. Faint. Weak pulse. Deep in my chest. Like a dying ember.
That was my core. Pathetic.
But not for long.
---
Dinner came. Skipped the formal hall. Ate in my room. Servant brought a tray. Not Elara. Older woman. Didn't talk. Left quickly.
Food was good. Roasted meat. Vegetables in butter. Bread. Still warm. Ate fast. Tasted rich. Savory.
Watched the sun set through the window. Orange and pink bleeding across sky. Beautiful.
When darkness fell, headed out.
Training yard was empty. Just like Elara said. Torches lit the perimeter. Flickering flames. *Crackle-pop.* Cast dancing shadows. Smell of burning oil.
Practice dummies lined one side. Wooden targets. Scarred from sword strikes. Weapon racks on the other. Blades gleaming in torchlight.
Waited.
She appeared from the shadows. Grey dress replaced with simple pants and tunic. Easier to move in. Hair still braided. Silver catching moonlight.
"Adrian." She smiled. Nervous but genuine. "You came."
"Said I would."
She approached. Stopped a few feet away. Looked around. "No one will bother us here. Night shift patrols avoid this area."
"Good." Gestured to the open space. "So. Teach me."
"Right. Okay." She took a breath. Steadied herself. "First: sensing your core. Can you feel it?"
"Barely. It's weak."
"That's normal for... um..."
"F-rank trash. You can say it."
"For beginners," she corrected. Firm. "Everyone starts somewhere. Even S-ranks were weak once."
Smiled. She had fire underneath the gentle exterior.
"Fair point. So what's first?"
"Breathing technique. Mana flows with breath. You need to synchronize."
She demonstrated. Slow inhale through nose. Hold. Exhale through mouth. Smooth. Controlled.
I copied. Breathed with her. *Inhale.* Hold. *Exhale.*
"Feel your core. That ember in your chest. Imagine it growing with each breath. Brighter. Warmer."
Closed my eyes. Focused. Inhale. The ember flickered. Faint. Exhale. Tried to push warmth into it.
Nothing.
Again. Inhale. Exhale. Focus.
Still nothing.
"It's not working."
"It takes time. Sometimes weeks before you feel real progress."
Great. Weeks I didn't have.
Opened my eyes. She was close. Watching. Worried.
"Can you... show me? Directly?"
"What do you mean?"
"Place your hand here." Touched my chest. Solar plexus. "Guide the flow. Sometimes physical contact helps. Right?"
She hesitated. Biting her lip again. Nervous habit.
"That's... that's usually done between teacher and student. Or partners. It's intimate."
"Is it a problem?"
"N-no. Just... we should be careful. If anyone sees—"
"No one's here."
She looked around. Verified. Empty. Just us. Torches. Darkness.
"Okay. But only for a moment."
Stepped closer. Small hand reached up. Pressed against my chest. Right over the solar plexus. Warm. Soft pressure. Could feel her palm through the thin shirt.
Her eyes closed. Concentrating.
Then... warmth. Real warmth. Spreading from her hand. Into my chest. The ember responded. Flickered. Grew. Just slightly.
"Feel that?" Her voice was soft. Barely above whisper. "That's mana flow. My core helping yours. Follow the sensation."
I did. Focused on the warmth. How it moved. Spiraled inward. Fed the ember.
The dying flame grew. Small. Still weak. But brighter than before.
**[SKILL LEARNED: BASIC MANA CIRCULATION LV.1]**
**[CORE PROGRESS: 2%]**
*Ding.*
She gasped. Hand pulled back. Fast. Eyes wide.
"Did you—did you just—"
"Yeah. I felt it. Your technique worked."
"That fast?" She stared at her hand. Then at me. "That's... that shouldn't be possible. Beginners take weeks to sense even basic circulation."
Shrugged. "Maybe I'm a natural."
Or the system boosted learning. Probably that.
She looked impressed. Surprised. Something else in her eyes too. Admiration maybe.
**[AFFECTION INCREASED: 41 → 48]**
"You really are different, Adrian."
"Told you. I'm done being the family failure."
She smiled. Genuine. Bright. "Then let's keep going. We have all night."
We trained for hours. She taught me stances. Proper footwork. *Thud-thud* on packed dirt. How to hold a practice sword. Wooden blade. Worn grip. Weight distribution.
My body was clumsy. Untrained. But I learned fast. Muscle memory from her demonstrations. Mimicked movements. Adjusted.
"No, like this." She moved close. Adjusted my grip. Fingers repositioned mine. Warm touch. "Thumb here. Wrist straight. Good."
Sweat dripped. *Plink.* Hit the ground. Her scent mixed with it. Soap. Lavender. Hint of exertion. Natural. Sweet.
Every touch sent the system pinging.
**[AFFECTION: 48 → 51]**
**[AFFECTION: 51 → 54]**
Slow climb. But steady.
By the time moon was high, we were both exhausted. Sat on the ground. Breathing hard. *Hah-hah-hah.*
"You're a quick learner." She wiped sweat from her forehead. Glistening. "Surprisingly so."
"Good teacher."
She blushed. Even in darkness, could see it. "I'm really not. My mother was better. She could've—" Voice caught. Sad.
"She'd be proud of you."
She looked at me. Eyes wet. Shiny. "You think so?"
"Know so. You're kind. Strong. Smart. Teaching a hopeless case like me." Grinned. "That takes patience."
She laughed. Light sound. Musical. "You're not hopeless. Just... late to start."
"Thirty days. That's all I've got."
"Then we'll train every night."
"Every night?"
She nodded. Determined. "Until the academy. I'll help you get stronger."
Reached over. Took her hand. Small. Fit perfectly in mine. Calluses on her palms. Working hands.
She didn't pull away.
"Thank you, Elara."
"You don't have to keep thanking me."
"I do. You're the only one who believes in me."
She squeezed my hand. Gentle pressure. Warm.
**[AFFECTION INCREASED: 54 → 60 (LOVER THRESHOLD REACHED)]**
**[NEW STATUS: ROMANTIC INTEREST → POTENTIAL LOVER]**
**[RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE BUILDING TRUST. FIRST INTIMATE MOMENT APPROACHING.]**
We sat there. Under stars. Hand in hand. Comfortable silence. Just breathing. Existing.
Eventually she stood. Pulled me up. "I need to go. Before morning patrol starts."
"Right."
Walked her to the edge of the training yard. She turned. Looked up at me. Moonlight on silver hair. Green eyes reflecting light.
"Same time tomorrow?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
She hesitated. Then stood on tiptoes. Quick kiss on my cheek. Soft. Warm. *Smack.*
Gone before I could react. Running toward servant quarters. *Swish-swish.* Fast footsteps fading.
Stood there. Hand on my cheek. Where she kissed.
Grinned.
"Yeah. This is definitely going to work."
**[DAILY SUMMARY]**
**[EXP GAINED: 150 TOTAL]**
**[SKILLS LEARNED: BASIC MANA CIRCULATION LV.1]**
**[RELATIONSHIP PROGRESS: ELARA 60/100]**
**[CORE ADVANCEMENT: 2%]**
**[TIME REMAINING: 29 DAYS]**
Headed back to my room. Collapsed on bed. *Flump.* Soft mattress. Exhausted but satisfied.
"Day one. Success."
Closed my eyes. Sleep pulled fast.
Tomorrow: more training. More progress. More Elara.
The game had just begun.
**[END CHAPTER 2]**
---