Morning sunlight streamed through my blinds, dragging me from sleep. My body was heavy, but my mind was alive, crackling with restless energy.
The memory of last night replayed in sharp detail. Jimin, sitting on my bed, her expression soft and warm as she said she enjoyed talking with me. Those words still echoed in my chest like a forbidden melody.
And it hadn't been an illusion. It was the System. My power.
I pulled up the glowing blue screen, still half-buried in blankets.
StatusName: YujinClass: Hypnotist (Locked)Level: 3Abilities:
Hypnotic Gaze Lv.1
Suggestion Lv.1
Energy: 20/20EXP: 0/300
A faint ripple ran across the screen, and new lines unfolded like parchment unfurling.
[Stats Menu Unlocked.]
My eyes widened as another window expanded beneath my Status.
Stats
Charm: 6
Willpower: 8
Influence: 5
Control: 5
Unspent Points: 0
I sat upright, suddenly wide awake. Stats. Like a real RPG.
A tooltip appeared when I focused on each one.
Charm: Affects how appealing you are to others. Higher charm makes hypnosis easier and loyalty stronger.Willpower: Measures mental resilience. Affects your resistance against outside influence and system backlash.Influence: Affects the strength and clarity of Suggestions. Higher influence allows more complex commands.Control: Governs how many targets you can maintain influence over simultaneously.
I whistled under my breath. It was exactly what I had hoped for. This wasn't just about commands. It was about growth.
The System was giving me a path to climb.
Another line appeared, glowing faintly.
[New Quest: Build Loyalty.][Objective: Increase target Jimin's attachment toward you to Level 1 Loyalty.][Reward: 200 EXP, 2 Stat Points.]
My pulse quickened. Loyalty wasn't just a side effect. It was something the System tracked. Quantified.
Which meant Jimin wasn't just a neighbor anymore. She was a… recruit.
The thought should have made me guilty. Instead, it lit a spark of hunger in my chest.
Later that morning, I left my apartment and ran into her in the hallway. She was locking her door, hair tied back, wearing simple jeans and a blouse. Even dressed casually, she drew attention.
"Morning," I said carefully.
She gave me a glance, then surprised me with a small smile. "Morning. You're up early for once."
My heart skipped. The Suggestion was still echoing in her behavior. She wasn't cold or dismissive.
I wanted to push further. I activated Hypnotic Gaze briefly, letting my focus wash over her. Her steps slowed, her eyes softened for just a moment.
"Jimin," I said gently, "you like spending time with me. It feels natural."
Her lips parted slightly, eyes flickering. "...Feels natural."
The System chimed softly in my vision.
[Loyalty Progress: 12% → 20%.]
I nearly gasped aloud. It was visible. Quantifiable.
She blinked, shook her head faintly, and looked at me with a smile that didn't seem forced. "You should try eating breakfast instead of living on energy drinks."
I chuckled awkwardly. "I'll keep that in mind."
She walked ahead toward the stairwell, humming softly.
I stood frozen in the hall, my hands trembling.
It was working.
Back inside my room, I sat at my desk and stared at the stats again.
Charm was low. Influence and Control were average. Willpower was decent.
If Loyalty levels increased with Charm, then raising that stat would be crucial.
But I didn't have points yet. I needed to complete the quest.
The Shop menu flickered again, tempting me with upgrades.
Hypnotic Gaze Lv.2 – 200 EXP
Suggestion Lv.2 – 250 EXP
Skill Unlock (Random) – 300 EXP
I only had 100 EXP. Not enough. But soon.
I clenched my fists. I needed to keep testing. Keep pushing Jimin's loyalty higher.
But… I also realized something.
If Loyalty could be tracked, then that meant every person I hypnotized would have a loyalty bar. And if Control measured how many targets I could handle at once…
This wasn't just about Jimin.
This was about building something bigger.
The System pulsed, as if confirming my thoughts.
[Harem Progression Tree Unlocked.]
My breath caught. A new tab opened at the edge of my vision.
Harem Progression
Current Members: 1 (Jimin – Loyalty 20%)
Capacity: 1/1
Increase Control to expand capacity.
I gripped the edge of my desk, heart racing.
It was real. The System wasn't hiding it anymore. This was the path it had set for me.
And I wanted it.
The next few days became a blur of experiments. Small, careful nudges. Each time I saw Jimin, I activated Gaze just enough to slip in a Suggestion.
"You feel relaxed when you're around me.""You like chatting with me after class.""You enjoy sharing little things with me."
Each time, the System tracked her loyalty climbing, percentage by percentage.
By the fourth day, she knocked on my door in the evening with takeout in hand.
"I ordered too much," she said, stepping inside without hesitation. "Figured you'd be starving."
My vision flared.
[Loyalty Progress: 20% → 40%.]
I could hardly contain my grin as we ate together. Her laughter filled my dingy room, warming it in a way it had never felt before.
For the first time in years, I wasn't just invisible. Someone was choosing to be here. With me.
Even if it was built on Suggestions and Gaze, part of me clung to it greedily.
When she left that night, the System chimed again.
[Quest Complete: Build Loyalty.][Reward: 200 EXP, 2 Stat Points.]
The screen flashed.
Level Up: 3 → 4EXP: 0/400
Stat Points Available: 2
I didn't hesitate. I dumped both points into Charm.
Charm: 6 → 8
Immediately, I felt lighter. More confident. My reflection in the mirror looked sharper somehow, like the System had tuned reality just enough to make me stand out.
I grinned at myself.
The nobody was gone.
And tomorrow, I'd rise higher.
That night, lying awake, I wondered what came next.
Jimin was just the beginning. The System's progression tree showed me the truth. I was meant to expand. To gather more. To build a harem that wasn't just fantasy but structured, measured, and inevitable.
The thought sent a shiver through me.
Not long ago, I was just another extra in life's story.
Now, I had the power to rewrite it.
And I wasn't going to stop.
The System pulsed once more, whispering like a dark lullaby as I drifted into sleep.