Callum's eyes snapped open to harsh fluorescent lights and the steady beep of a heart monitor. His body felt strange, heavy but also somehow lighter at the same time. He tried to move his arm and winced at the pull of an IV tube.
"Mr. Hayes, you're awake!" A nurse rushed to his bedside, pressing a button on the wall. "You've been unconscious for three days. You're very lucky to be alive."
Three days. The truck. The impact. The darkness. The voice.
The system.
As if responding to his thoughts, a translucent blue screen materialized in front of his face. The nurse kept talking but Callum barely heard her. He stared at the glowing interface that apparently only he could see.
[CHAOS HAREM SYSTEM - ACTIVE]
[HOST: CALLUM HAYES]
[LEVEL: 1]
[CHAOS POINTS: 0]
[STATS:]
- Charm: 15/100
- Stamina: 20/100
- Technique: 5/100
- Confidence: 10/100
[ABILITIES: NONE]
[SHOP: LOCKED - COMPLETE FIRST QUEST TO UNLOCK]
Holy shit. It was real. All of it was real.
More screens appeared, filling his vision with information. A tutorial guide explaining the mechanics. A quest log. A detailed breakdown of how to earn Chaos Points. Callum's heart raced as he read through everything.
The rules were simple: seduce women, earn points. The more chaos and drama he created, the more bonus points he had receive. He could spend points in the shop to buy abilities that would make him even more irresistible to women.
The nurse was still fussing over him, checking his vitals. She was pretty, maybe late twenties, with blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Before the system, Callum would have been too nervous to even make eye contact. But now, looking at her, all he could think was: possible points.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, leaning close to adjust his pillow.
"Better now," Callum said, and was surprised by how confident he sounded. "Thanks for taking care of me."
She smiled and blushed slightly. "Just doing my job. You had us worried though. That was quite an accident."
After she left, a doctor came in to examine him. Somehow, Callum had no serious injuries. Bruising, yes. Soreness, definitely. But nothing broken, no internal bleeding, no brain damage. The doctor called it a miracle. Callum called it the system's doing.
They kept him one more night for observation. When morning came and they finally discharged him, Callum caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror and froze.
His face was different. Not drastically, but enough to notice. His jawline was sharper, more defined, and his cheekbones were more prominent. The acne scars that had plagued him since his teens had faded. His eyes seemed brighter, more intense. Even his hair looked better, thicker and styled in a way that actually suited him.
He lifted his shirt and his breath caught. His body had transformed overnight. The soft beer belly was gone, replaced by visible abs. His chest was more developed, shoulders broader, arms more muscular. He looked like he had been hitting the gym religiously for months.
"What the fuck," he muttered, running his hand over his new physique.
[SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT COMPLETE]
[BEGINNER BOOST APPLIED - PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OPTIMIZED]
[READY TO BEGIN FIRST QUEST]
A new notification popped up:
[MANDATORY FIRST QUEST: SEDUCE YOUR LANDLADY]
[TARGET: LINDA CHEN, AGE 36]
[DEADLINE: 24 HOURS]
[REWARD: 500 CP, SHOP ACCESS UNLOCKED]
[FAILURE: SYSTEM PENALTIES, -500 CP DEBT]
Callum's apartment building was a fifteen-minute walk from the hospital. His keys and wallet had been saved from the accident, tucked safely in a plastic bag with his ruined clothes. He had been given hospital scrubs to wear home, which was probably for the best. His new body wouldn't fit in his old shirt anyway.
The afternoon sun was warm as he walked through the familiar streets of his neighborhood. People seemed to notice him now. Women especially. A girl jogging past did a double-take. A mother with a stroller smiled at him. Even an older woman at the crosswalk held his gaze a moment too long.
It was intoxicating. Thirty-two years of being invisible, and now suddenly everyone could see him.
Linda Chen lived on the ground floor of his building. She managed the property and collected rent, always kind enough to give Callum extensions when he was short on cash. She was a widow, her husband having died in a car accident three years ago. Callum had been to her apartment a few times to drop off rent or discuss maintenance issues. She was beautiful for her age, with long black hair, delicate features, and a body that she kept in shape with regular yoga.
He had never thought of her sexually before. She was his landlady. Slightly older. Grieving. Off-limits in every possible way.
But now, standing outside her door, all he could think about was the CP reward waiting for him.
Callum knocked. Footsteps approached from inside, then the door opened.
Linda's eyes widened when she saw him. "Callum? Oh my God, I heard about your accident. Are you alright?"
She was wearing yoga pants and a fitted tank top that showed off her curves. Her hair was down, slightly damp like she had just showered. No bra, he noticed. Her nipples were faintly visible through the thin fabric.
"I'm fine," Callum said, meeting her eyes with a confidence he had never possessed before. "Better than fine, actually. Can I come in? I wanted to thank you for being so understanding about the rent."
"Of course, of course." Linda stepped aside, gesturing him in.
Her apartment was cozy and feminine, decorated with plants and throw pillows. It smelled like jasmine incense. She led him to the living room and they sat on opposite ends of her couch.
"You look different," Linda said, studying his face. "I mean, you look good. Really good. The accident must have... I don't know, changed something."
[SYSTEM ASSISTANCE ACTIVE]
[ANALYZING TARGET...]
[LINDA CHEN - WIDOWED 3 YEARS, SEXUALLY FRUSTRATED, LONELY, VULNERABLE TO CONFIDENCE AND DIRECT ATTENTION]
[RECOMMENDED APPROACH: PHYSICAL COMPLIMENTS, LIGHT TOUCHING, ESCALATE QUICKLY]
The system was feeding him information directly into his mind. He could sense Linda's emotional state, read her body language with perfect clarity. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear. How her thighs pressed together. The slight flush on her cheeks.
She wanted this. She just didn't know it yet.
"You look incredible too," Callum said, letting his gaze travel down her body slowly before meeting her eyes again. "Have you been working out?"
Linda laughed nervously. "Just yoga. Nothing special."
"It's working." He shifted closer, closing some of the distance between them. "You're a beautiful woman, Linda. I hope you know that."
Her breath hitched. "Callum, I..."
"When's the last time someone told you that?" He reached out and gently touched her hand. Her skin was soft and warm. She didn't pull away. "When's the last time someone made you feel wanted?"
"I....it's been a long time." Her voice was barely a whisper.
"That's a crime." Callum moved even closer, his knee touching hers now. "A woman like you shouldn't be alone."
Linda's chest rose and fell faster. Her pupils were dilated. Every signal in her body language screamed that she was ready, that she needed this. Three years of grief and loneliness had left her starving for touch, for intimacy, for someone to make her feel alive again.
"We shouldn't," she said, but there was no conviction in her voice. "You're my tenant. You're younger than me."
"I'm thirty-two, Linda. Not a kid." Callum cupped her face with one hand, thumb brushing across her cheekbone. "And right now, all I can think about is kissing you."
"Callum...."
He didn't wait for permission. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
Linda tensed for half a second, then melted into him. Her mouth opened and her tongue met his, hungry and desperate. She made a small whimpering sound that sent blood rushing straight to his cock.
His hands moved on instinct, one sliding into her hair while the other found her waist. The system was guiding him, filling his mind with knowledge he shouldn't have. Where to touch. How much pressure. When to be gentle and when to be rough.
He pulled her onto his lap and she came willingly, straddling him, grinding against the obvious bulge in his scrub pants. Her hands roamed across his chest, feeling his new muscles through the thin fabric.
"Your body," she gasped between kisses. "When did you..."
"Does it matter?" Callum grabbed her hips and pulled her down harder against him. She moaned, head falling back.
He took advantage of her exposed neck, kissing and biting the sensitive skin. His hands slid under her tank top, finding bare skin. She wasn't wearing a bra. Perfect.
"Bedroom," Linda breathed. "We should... bedroom....."
Callum stood up with her still wrapped around him. She was lighter than he expected, or maybe he was just stronger now. She directed him down the hall to her room, a space dominated by a queen-sized bed with white sheets.
He dropped her onto the mattress and she bounced slightly, looking up at him with wide eyes. For a moment she looked uncertain, like reality was crashing back in.
"Linda," Callum said, his voice firm and commanding in a way that shocked even himself. "I'm going to fuck you now. Hard. The way you deserve to be fucked. Do you want that?"
Her face flushed deep red. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, please."
He pulled off his scrub top, revealing his new body fully. Linda's eyes roamed hungrily over every muscle. Then he pushed down his pants and boxers in one motion.
His cock sprang free, hard and thick. The system had enhanced everything, apparently. He was bigger than before, more impressive. Linda's eyes widened.
"Take off your clothes," Callum ordered.