The World of Eros
Inside a room adorned with lavish gold and silver décor, the air carried the faint, elegant scent of lavender. In the center of this opulent space sat a bed large enough to accommodate ten people, yet only one soul occupied it.
A boy, no older than seventeen, lay with his jet-black hair sprawled across the pillows. His arms and legs were stretched in opposite directions, the silk covers kicked carelessly to the edges of the mattress. He was snoring—loudly.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. He sat up abruptly, sweat drenching his body. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his gaze remained unfocused.
Ha. Ha. Ha.
"W-what the hell?" he muttered.
His eyes darted around the room, realizing instantly that this place was not his own. Panic began to take root in his chest. He swung his legs off the bed in a hurry, taking four long strides toward a golden, floor-length mirror.
Once he stood before it, his blood ran cold. His eyes widened in shock.
No. No. No.
"SHIT!!" he bellowed.
The reflection staring back wasn't Kai. It was Noah von Vale—the main antagonist of The Hero's Path to Divinity.
Just like he had asked for.
Sigh.
Taking a deep exhale, Noah walked over to a chair and slumped into it.
"What the fuck! They could have at least warned me," he said, though his voice lacked any real venom. For some reason, he didn't feel purely outraged. Instead, the situation made his gamer heart thrum with a dark sense of excitement.
But that didn't change the fact that he was scared. Just a little.
Once he calmed down, Noah finally observed his appearance. Long, jet-black hair flowed past his shoulders, framing a sharp, handsome face with porcelain skin. He had striking crimson eyes and a lean, compact physique. He was undeniably handsome—a fact the game mentioned multiple times, noting he could put the protagonist to shame in the looks department.
That thought brought a smirk to Kai's—now Noah's—face.
"Hm? If I'm here, does that mean the changes I suggested are also in place?" If so, Noah was beginning to regret his requests. A "dumb" Roman was already overpowered. A smart and cunning Roman? That sent a genuine shiver down Noah's spine.
"Shit," he cursed again. Now that he thought about it, shouldn't he have something to help him?
"Hm? System?" he whispered warily, hope blooming in his chest. In this world, the protagonist, Roman, had a system. While Noah was confident he could eventually win through wit, a system would make everything significantly easier.
Lady Luck seemed to be in a good mood. A mechanical voice cut through his thoughts like a knife through butter.
[Ding!! You have awakened your own personal and unique system!]
[Your unique system is called the 'Supreme Taming System'.]
[System Functions: Status, Shop, Inspect, Taming Tab.]
[May your taming journey be a glorious one, Master!!]
[System beginning merging! Grit your teeth, Master!]
"ARGH!" A blood-curdling scream escaped Noah's throat. He felt his entire being stretch and compress over and over, each time reforming differently.
Noah dropped to the floor, writhing in a fetal position. Sweat pooled on the floor, mixing with the blood now seeping from his pores. Fuck, what th— His thoughts cut off as his mind went blank and his eyes rolled back into his head.
A few hours later:
"Ugh," Noah groaned. He tried to sit up but ultimately slipped on the dried blood coating the floor.
After a moment of struggling, Noah finally stood, and he immediately felt different. He wasn't necessarily stronger, but he knew things he hadn't before. 'I got Noah's memories?'
[Correct! Kai's soul, Noah's soul, and the System have merged to create a perfect harmony. This has given you the full memories of Noah... but you have also gained his quirks as well.]
'Quirks? Ah! He's a fucking psychopath!'
[Yeah... but I wouldn't worry too much. Actually, it might help you adapt faster to the new world and its rules.]
'Hm... maybe. Anyway, get talking. What is this merging thing, and who are you?!' he asked, addressing the questions that had been itching at the back of his mind.
[I will answer everything you want, but first, clean yourself up!]
'Huh?'
'Oh.' He was covered in blood and sweat; he truly looked like a murderer.
'Damn, the pain better have been worth it!' He groaned as he walked over to the bathroom.
The bathroom was massive—the size of a small apartment—and it was no less extravagant than his bedroom. He found the scale of it absurd; back on Earth, while his home was fancy to most, it was nothing compared to this.
'Hehe, I'm RICH! RICHY-RICH!' He squealed in excitement as various ways of spending his fortune passed through his mind. He pushed those thoughts aside, undressed, and stepped into the shower.
Under the warm water, Noah felt his fatigue ease and his thoughts begin to clear. Without realizing it, he had been incredibly tense. Despite how calm he appeared, a simple Earthling wasn't built for such drastic upheaval—especially when the first steps were death followed by soul remodeling.
Sigh.
Noah let out a sigh of contentment.
'This is truly better,' he thought, reflecting on his life on Earth.
Noah had plenty of money on Earth, thanks to inheriting his parents' woney when he was thirteen. It was enough to cover at least twenty years of luxury, but he never got the chance to spend it all because he died at seventeen.
'Hm? Wait, what happened to my original body?' he thought, slightly uncomfortable with the image of 'Kai' lying dead in an empty apartment.
[Host... that is exactly the situation.]
Noah's mind went blank. 'Thanks... that's reassuring.'
[No problem,] the system replied mechanically.
Noah switched the shower off and stepped out, the cold air sending a sharp shiver down his spine. He quickly dried himself off before walking over to the wardrobe.
When he opened it, his eyes scanned rows of expensive, extravagant noble attire, mostly consisting of formal suits and fine silk nightclothes. Noah, who had never cared much for fashion, simply grabbed a sharp black suit and matching shoes. Once dressed, he accessorized with two silver dangling cross earrings, two silver rings, and a silver necklace that only added to his dark, noble allure.
Noah stood before the mirror once more, examining his reflection. A condescending, narcissistic smile played on his handsome face before it shifted into a thoughtful expression.
'Hey System, where in the story are we?' he asked. It had been bugging him. If he was seventeen, then so was Roman. Currently, Noah was relatively weak, whereas Roman was the protagonist—and that said enough.
In the original game, Noah didn't gain significant power until he attended the Academy and discovered an ancient inheritance—one that Noah fully planned to steal for himself this time.
[You have three months until the story begins and Roman and his heroines depart for the Academy.]
'Three months?' he mused, a malevolent smile creeping onto his face. 'Should I kill one of them? Y'know, as a gift?'
[Bruh... a gift for what?]
'Hehe, well, that's for them to find out.' His smile widened before it suddenly froze and was replaced by a frown. 'Is that what you meant by "quirks"?'
[Yep. The previous Noah had thoughts like that all the time. Quite the weird guy, honestly.]
Noah didn't reply. He moved toward a chair in the corner of the room and, devoid of any noble grace, slouched into it to get comfortable. His face turned dead serious.
'Now, tell me everything I need to know!'
'And don't leave anything out.'
[Okay! What do you wish to know first?]
+++++++++++++
End.