Chapter Two- Goal
Huh? Where am I?
"Young... fell!"
"...all...ess!!...!"
I heard them. What are these sounds? So alien, yet somehow... I can understand them. And this throbbing in my head—it just won't stop!
Ugh! All this darkness still isn't going anywhere. I feel like I'm riding a roller coaster inside a black hole or something!
Bruh, my consciousness... is about to slip... again!?
'.....'
System BOOTING...
Adjusting host compatibility...
Aligning system according to host...
Ready to...
Booting...
Managing...
And...
****
Bink
"..."
"Burry." That's the first thought that comes to my head as I regain consciousness.
My eyelids are so heavy, but I force them open by sheer will. The throbbing has subsided, but I can still feel it ringing at the back of my head.
Where is this?
My instincts kick in. My eyes scan every detail.
The room is vast, unlike my own. Each wall decorated with exquisite patterns, adorned with fine art pieces. There's what seems to be a computer in the right corner, wooden doors I assume lead outside, and a sliding door that opens to a balcony.
Every piece of furniture radiates expensive taste—the kind I often notice when visiting old men's rooms or some of my targets.
No one is here, it seems.
With a sigh, I try to move my limbs. Moving, struggling, but moving nonetheless. Good. That means I can still escape.
I push myself up; my fingers sink into the softness of the bed I'm lying on. Agh, every movement drains my stamina like never before.
Is this the effect of some drug? Uh huh, bad. Very bad.
Sweat trails down my face as I manage to get off the bed.
Fuck, is this old man doing this? I think not.
If it were him, I'd be in an underground prison or drowning under the sea as a corpse by now.
A chuckle escapes my lips as I use the table beside the bed for support. My arm feels like a fragile branch, trembling and shaking.
"Whoa, it seems like I was some kind of—huh? Whose voice is that?!"
My eyes widen. The voice reaching my ears is childish, young, and hoarse—not like my usually cheerful one.
The thought slides into my head, but I snap out of it. Impossible.
I try to move my legs toward the mirror opposite the wall. I want to see it with my own eyes.
Each swing of my legs feels like dragging a heavy log.
"Just a little more!"
With a final step, I manage to stand in front of the full-length mirror.
What I see leaves me speechless.
"Is this... me?"
My eyes widen impossibly. My mouth hangs open as my hand—so small and too skinny for what I remember—rises to touch my own cheek.
The kid in the mirror does the same, and reality starts to sink in.
"Me?"
The kid in the mirror—or what I assume to be me—has blue ocean hair. His eyes are pink like raw meat, but dim and lifeless. His face looks frail, pale white, and unhealthy, yet it still gives off a different kind of charm.
But this guy... he's familiar, like I've seen him before.
Throb!
"AGH! FUCK!! Why all of a sudden?!"
The throbbing inside my head spikes up like something is trying to break free, to let loose.
Then the pain hits me like a damn hammer.
"AGHHHHHHHHHH!!"
I snap my mouth shut, biting down so hard I taste copper, metallic.
Blood drips down my chin as I force my eyes open, locking onto the door as I hear urgent footsteps running.
Despite the pain flooding my brain nerves, I feel like every bloodstream, every cell in my head is on fire.
Enemy? Ally? No matter. Just kill it first.
The door handle moves with a click, and I'm already moving.
My body leans forward, power coiling in my legs as I prepare to dash. My eyes track as the door opens like a hunter eyeing its prey.
"Dante!!"
And then I fall.
BLEK
"....."
My legs give out, my face falls. Hah, damn this body.
I turn my head to look at the woman who came running in.
Her face—oh, so beautiful. A perfect jawline. Her eyes are black—I mean, it's like looking into the abyss and having it look back. But the emotions swirling in those eyes are worry, happiness, and... love?
Her deep blue hair, like the deepest part of the sea, clings perfectly to her face. It's braided on one side but a little messy—still beautiful though.
My eyes trail down to her body as she kneels beside me, scooping me up like a child in her arms. And yes, I am a child.
I feel my own body relax on its own.
"Baby! You're awake! Oh, I'm so relieved!" she says, looking down at me lovingly, Worry as she wiped my blood on my lips tenderly.
A fluttering warmth, like butterflies, swirls around my chest.
What is this? It's like this body is acting on its own!
Oh, and she's huge—I mean, her breasts are so big, easily G cup I think? I feel these melons squeeze against my body as she lays me down on the bed.
"But if you regain consciousness, you should call the maid. I already told you last time, remember?" she pouts, cute as I lie there obediently, the pain still there, throbbing.
Her hands gently hold my cheeks as she leans forward.
My instinct screams for me to be cautious, but my body refuses to react.
"You know how bad it is for my heart when I heard from the maid that you fell off the the second floors?"
Tears well up in the corners of her eyes, and my chest tightens. It urges me to wipe her tears away.
"And your body is already ill. Hic. I thought I would lose you for sure..."
Her tears fall as my fingers are already there, gently wiping them away before I even realize it.
My eyes lock onto her face, refusing to let go as I feel the weight of her expression against mine.
"Mo-Mother?"
The words come out naturally, yet somehow alien as I begin to see... memories?
She smiles sweetly at my words, tears dripping down.
"Yes, mother's here." Her voice is comforting, warm like sunlight.
Memories of this body's childhood flash through my mind. The disorientation makes my world spin, and it shows on my face. Her expression falls, filled with genuine worry as she asks,
"Baby, are you alright? I already called Sebart. Just hang on a little longer, okay?"
Her hand rises to pat my head. This body leans into her palm on its own.
Each memory flashes like an old movie tape sliding through my head I saw myself, ill since birth, trying and failing to run.
I saw my sister, cheerful and innocent, playing hide and seek.
I saw my father, teaching her how to use a sword while I mostly sat and watched, longing.
I saw myself crying, frustration building up in my chest, blaming God for everything.
I saw my mother cry, shedding tears on her husband's coffin.
I saw my sister change, becoming cold, like a wall building up between her and me.
And... I saw myself give up, purposely failing the second floors to end it all—too cowardly to face reality.
And then it hit me.
The reality comes crashing in.
So this is why I'm somewhat familiar with this guy.
My name is... Dante, Dante Westler.
The seasoned hitman struggles to understand what's happening now, while the one who loves playing this game delights in what's going on here.
I have been transmitted as an extra here, n the game called Brave Factor: Hunter Academy—the last game I played before my consciousness as Karion Bruce shut off—in this fantasy fused with advanced technology world called Ertharia.
My thoughts come to an end as a purple window pops up, like those in-game, saying:
[ Welcome Host! to Eros System! ]
┇ • Warning! Host body is unfactional due to the curse of your own ???!
┇ • Recommend earning Eros points to fill up the Eros meter as soon as possible!
****
Three days have passed since I regained consciousness here—or you could say since my soul settled into this body.
My body leans against the railing. Right now, I've been standing on the balcony of my room for a while. The cool wind brushes past my cheek, reminding me this is not a dream.
The view up here is... incredible.
This mansion is located quite high up, allowing me to see the city—below. The city still gives off a medieval vibe, but there are fragments of technology scattered.
There are high towers here and there.
The night sky is cloudless, unlike my old one. This sky seems to flex its stars, each one giving off a light I've never seen.
My eyes track the building in the middle of the city. It looks like a castle, so big.
It's quite far from me, so I can't see any details, just the shape.
Is it the UTA Building? So this is Dominican Republic, huh?
I mutter to myself,
"I really have been transmitted here."
My lips quirk up into a small smile.
I don't have to run anymore.
This is like... a second chance for me.
The voice comes out of me, still raspy and hoarse like a sick man.
And yes, I am ill, bastard.
In the game Brave Factor: Hunter Academy, there is an extra called Dante Westler. He's not exactly shown in the game but just a name from one of the heroines we have to seduce—this body's sister, Erza Westler.
She is one of the heroines and meta heroes we have to get in our party.
With her incredible talent in swordsmanship and a cool, stoic personality, she gives off a vibe many fans call her the Asura Blade or Ice Queen. Bruh, I don't really get the taste of these guys in the community.
Anyway, in the game, as we progress our relationship with her, she eventually spills out her trauma: she lost her father at a young age, who had been her model, her idol, her goal.
And then there's me—in her story, she says she also lost me not long after she was admitted to the academy due to my illness.
That was the final nail that made her close off to others.
And it seems true.
Each movement drains my stamina so fast.
If not for the way I use my body, I think even walking normally would be impossible.
Well, it's not exactly illness, is it?
"Status."
I whisper. The air shimmers in front of me, and a window pops up—purple, with vine patterns giving off a one of a kind feeling.
[ Eros System! ]
Lv. 0
Eros meter
╰➽「0/100」
Status:
╰➽ Charisma: A
Stamina: -F
Seducing: B
Bond Women: 0
┇ • Warning! Host body is unfactional due to the curse of your own ???!
┇ • Recommend earning Eros points to fill up the Eros meter as soon as possible!
My eyes rack down the text on the purple window.
Like I've seen it before, still not everything has changed.
Three days is not enough time for me to sort out everything.
So I've put this in the back of my head for a while now.
Now it's time to deal with this.
I walk back to my room, glance back at the city one last time.
With a click, I close the curtain.
As I say to the empty room,
"So hello, can this system talk?"
I lay my back down on the king-size bed, looking up at the still screen.
"Guess not, huh?"
Even before I get the chance to sigh in disappointment, the purple box pops up.
Beep!
[.◕‿◕.]
...What's with this emoji?
Is this how the system usually talks?
Bruh, whatever.
With a shake of my head, I ask the question that seems to be my only solution to deal with this sickness I have.
"You said my body is unfactional due to something, yeah?"
Beep!
[ (`•. •'¨) ]
My eyes twitch. Damn, this thing is starting to get on my nerves.
Calm down, easier than dealing with the old man.
With that in mind, I manage to calm myself quite a bit as I continue,
"And you mentioned how I have to fill the Eros meter. What is it, and how do I get it?"
Beep!
[(`O´*)]
Beep!
[(╯3╰)╭♡]
Beep!
[(≧▽≦)]
"...."
"Talk! Damn it! Will I be able to understand your alien language, huh!?"
I trash. If I could grab this damn box, I'd smash it to the ground by now.
Huff.
Just some little tantrum. I already tried. What a troublesome body.
Beep!
[ Σ (°△° |||) ]
What's with that shocked face, bastard!
Phew.
I exhale as I ask again, this time my voice calm, still breathless,
"Just, hah... put some text on, okay?!... pant."
Beep!
[ (っ>ω <)っ: The Eros points are essential energy you have to get in order to make your body function normally and level up this system to get rewards! ]
I nod, understanding.
"So it's like fuel, right? So due to prolonged lack of it, this body ended up in this state, is it?"
Beep!
[ (^∇^) ]
My eyes narrow. The original Dante didn't have this system then? That means it just activated because of me, huh?
This thing just got complicated then. It also mean my transmission to this world isn't a coincidence either.
"And how do I get it? I mean, these Eros points?"
Beep!
[(*´・ェ・)っ: In order to earn Eros points, you have to have SEX! To convert the Eros energy, your body and emotions need to connect strongly with the target!]
Beep!
[(ノ> <)ノ: So having sex or getting intimate with them also works! But remember—the stronger the emotions, the better you get! The more taboo, the better!!]
My eyes widen at the last part. I mean, this is like a dream come true for me—but is this a... lewd system?
And taboos? It feeds on forbidden feelings, huh.
The heat seems to travel down to my lower parts as I imagine what I have to do.
It's not like I love doing it, but if it allows me to survive, to become strong enough to roam freely in this world, then what I have to do is simple—just survive.
If you want to live, you live. Right?
My eyelids drop as a heavy weight settles on my heart.
I'll do whatever it takes to make this second chance at life worth it.