Blood.
So much blood.
I gasped, blinking through the pain. My knees buckled under me as the blade pushed deeper into my chest. Another pierced my back. Then another. One by one, the blades tore through me, like I was nothing. Like I didn't matter.
Sect brothers. My brothers.
They smiled.
"You were never meant to be Emperor, Rei," said Jin, the one I trusted the most. "You were always just a stepping stone."
He pulled his blade free. I coughed blood onto his robes.
Everything was fading—the torches, the faces, the world. Darkness swallowed me fast.
And then—light.
I gasped again—but this time, it was air.
Cool, sharp air.
My body jerked upright. My heart slammed against my ribs, and I grabbed my chest, expecting pain. But… nothing. No blood. No holes. No blades. Just silence and strange silk sheets under my fingers.
I was in a bed. A big one.
Gold drapes. Silver ceiling carvings. Pillows embroidered with dragons. It was nothing like the mountain caves or dirt floor I died on.
Where the hell was I?
[SYSTEM BOOTING...]
I froze.
[Welcome, User. Lust System has been successfully bonded.]
A voice—no, more like a machine—spoke directly in my head. Calm. Clear. Almost friendly.
[Congratulations. You have been selected for the Lust System. You are no longer Rei of the Broken Sect.]
[You now inhabit the body of: Raiden Kurogami, Second Prince of the Kurogami Royal Bloodline.]
My breath caught.
Kurogami?
Everyone knew that name—even out in the wilds. One of the five ruling royal families. Ancient, powerful, and proud. If I was really inside one of them—
[This body has been deemed "worthless" due to its failure to awaken innate royal power. Social standing: mocked. Family status: neglected. Political future: nonexistent.]
I laughed bitterly. "So I came back… as trash?"
[Affirmative. However, this is your second chance. With me, the Lust System, you can rise again. Power will now come from pleasure, conquest, and connection.]
I narrowed my eyes. "Pleasure?"
[Engage in intimacy. Build relationships. Dominate hearts and bodies. Collect energy. Awaken power.]
It sounded insane—but then again, so was waking up after death in another man's body.
I tossed the silk covers aside and stood. My body was tall, lean, and smooth. Pale skin. Strange. My limbs moved easily, but everything felt... new. Lighter. Not weak, just unused.
A flash of movement caught my eye. A mirror. I stepped toward it.
And froze.
I stared.
The man in the mirror was... beautiful. Cold and flawless. White hair fell over his forehead, shining under the gold lights. His grey eyes looked bored, almost dead. His jawline was sharp, lips thin and serious. But there was pain in the reflection—like he had stopped hoping a long time ago.
Raiden Kurogami, I whispered.
This was me now.
[New Quest: Prove Your Worth. Objective: Awaken your power before the Royal Banquet in 30 days. Reward: System Level-Up + Royal Recognition. Failure: Public humiliation + exile.]
Before I could even react, the heavy doors slammed open.
A tall woman stormed in, dressed in black silk and layered jewelry. Her hair was long and pinned up with jade thorns. Her face was stunning—cold and sharp like a blade. She looked at me like I was dirt on her boot.
[System Alert: This is Queen Ayame Kurogami, your biological mother. Approach with caution.]
I blinked. "Oh. Hi, Mom—"
SLAP.
My head whipped to the side.
The sound echoed through the room.
"You dare call me that?" she hissed.
My cheek burned, and my vision blurred, not from pain—but rage.
"I—I was just—"
"You are nothing but shame to this bloodline," she spat. "I should have let them throw you into the lake when you were born!"
I stood still, fists clenched, trying not to let my anger rise. But it boiled.
"You sit in this room like a useless ornament," she went on. "You have no power, no worth. Your own father has decided to pass the lineage down to your cousin. And you just lie here, breathing like it's a gift!"
She looked me up and down, disgusted. "You are the reason they mock me at the palace. The reason we are seen as weak."
She turned and stormed toward the door, her words slicing deeper than her hand ever could.
"If I were you, I'd end it now. Spare us all the embarrassment."
The door slammed shut behind her.
Silence.
My jaw tightened. My breathing was heavy.
[Emotional Spike Detected. Generating First Goal: Gain your mother's respect through fear or power. Optional: Dominate royal court gossip.]
I turned back to the mirror, staring at the face that had just been slapped.
"She thinks I'm weak," I said quietly. "
They all do."
[Affirmative.]
I nodded slowly.
"Then let's change that."
[Welcome to the beginning, Prince Raiden.]