The chamber was still again. Quiet. Too quiet.
Ryon stared at the door long after Lyria left, heart thudding in his chest. He felt like a marionette with too many strings—some pulled by fate, others by the girl who claimed him as her twin.
No... the girl who knew he wasn't.
He exhaled slowly, trying to calm the swirl of panic in his chest. But the moment his breath steadied, the world changed again.
> [SYSTEM FULLY ACTIVATED]
Welcome, Ryon.
Host Status: Cursed Male (Unique – Southern Territory)
Alignment: Unstable Rebirth
Life Limit: 7 Days
Curse Condition: Active
Fate Thread: Severed
-- INITIALIZING PRIMARY QUESTS --
Three glowing glyphs appeared mid-air in front of him, each pulsating with eerie light.
Primary Quest: Survive the Southern Curse
> ⚠️ Make three women your soul-bonded wives within 7 days.
Failure = complete soul disintegration.
Progress: 0/3
---
Side Quest: Free the Lost Souls
> ☑ Find and awaken 30 virgin souls trapped across the Southern lands.
These souls are bound to the Curse. Helping them restores time and power.
Progress: 0/30
---
Ultimate Quest: Win the Heart of the Matriarch
> 👑 Winning the Southern Matriarch's heart unlocks your fate, restores your past, and may break the world's curse.
Progress: 0%
---
The glyphs hovered for a moment, then spun into his chest like whispers of fire. He gasped, staggered back, and fell to his knees.
> [You have gained: Curse Resistance Lv.1]
[You have gained: Charm Pulse Lv.1]
[You have gained: System Insight (Locked)]
[New Skill Tree Unlocked: Forbidden Harem Path]
He clutched his chest, where the burning sensation slowly faded, leaving behind a soft pulse—like a second heartbeat.
"Make three women my wives... in seven days?"
His voice echoed hollowly off the chamber walls.
He wasn't even sure how the soul-bond worked. And he was supposed to convince three powerful, suspicious, deadly women to not only like him—but to love him?
And one of them might be his supposed sister?
What kind of sick joke is this rebirth?
The door opened again.
Ryon shot to his feet, ready to defend himself. But it wasn't a guard.
It was a girl. No armor. No weapons. Just a simple lilac robe, tied loosely at the waist. Her long black hair framed a soft, emotionless face, her violet eyes half-lidded and heavy with disinterest.
She didn't bow. Didn't speak. She merely walked in and set a tray of food down on the table in the corner—then turned to leave.
"Wait," Ryon said. "What's your name?"
She paused, glancing over her shoulder with a neutral expression. "You don't need to know that."
The door shut behind her.
Later, as dusk approached and the candles began flickering again, Lyria returned.
She leaned against the doorway, watching him.
"You saw it, didn't you?" she asked.
He looked up. "The system?"
She nodded. "I figured. It marked you the moment you took that first breath."
He blinked. "Wait—you know about the system?"
"Only because my brother told me before he died." She walked forward, arms crossed. "He spoke of a glowing voice that gave him tasks, dreams he couldn't control. But he failed his quest. That's why he died."
Ryon's stomach dropped. "So the curse killed him?"
"No," Lyria whispered. "The system did."
The weight of her words settled heavily between them.
Then she stepped closer, her tone soft but grim. "I don't know why it chose you. Why it used his body. But I do know this…"
Her eyes locked with his.
"You have seven days to live in a world that hates you. I suggest you start finding women before it ends you too."
She turned on her heel and left again.
Ryon slumped back against the wall.
> System Reminder: Time Remaining – 6 Days, 18 Hours.
Suggestion: Initiate interaction with First Candidate: Seyna of Ironflame.
Status: Harem Compatibility – 23%. Danger Level – Moderate.
Ryon stared at the glowing prompt.
"Guess I better start being charming."