Chapter 364

Daphne

My chains drag across the white floor as I place the portrait of Vivienne next to the others.

I step back. Look at her. I’ve poured all my memories into this canvas—the secret glances, the hidden touches, the way she looked at me across the Han family dinner table like we were sharing a conspiracy.

She’s sitting opposite me, that cunning glint in her eyes, her lips curved in a smile that says I see you. I want you. I’m counting the minutes.

This is not the first time I’ve lost my beloved. I’ve done this before—the grieving, the painting, the carrying on. But I think this is definitely one of the most painful.

I walk to each portrait. The chains drag behind me, heavy, clanking. Jiang Yuxi. Evelyn. Estella. Nima. And now Vivienne.

I don’t know how long I spend reminiscing.

Eventually, I stand. I should leave. The sooner I leave, the sooner I get to see her again.

I turn around.

The purple orb is floating behind me. It’s more... solid than before. It used to look like jelly. Now it’s like dough. Opaque. Real. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Did you do something to yourself?" I ask.

[I upgraded.] It says. Smug. Very smug.

"I see."

[The host’s completion rate in the last world was 100%. You earned all 5,000 SP from the world.]

"100%?" I raise my hands. The heavy chains clank around my wrists. I have about sixty-five more years on them.

[The punishment is personal. It is not directly correlated with the mission. The main character had none of the love interests involved with him by the end.]

"Nice."

[Host.] It says.

I look away.

It floats in front of me.

[Host.]

I exhale. "I know what you want to say."

[You cannot do that again, Host.] It’s voice is serious. Grave. [It was dangerous.]

"What was I supposed to do?" I shout. "Let him live? He killed Vivienne!"

[Host.]

The System sounds more serious than I’ve ever heard it.

[Your primary mission criteria is to break the harems. To save the worlds. You cannot harm the main characters—let alone kill the main characters.]

"Well, it’s not like I succeeded. He’s still alive."

[Host, you are weak.]

The words land like stones.

[The only reason your punishment is lenient is because the mission was already 90% complete. Otherwise, we would have been wiped out. You wouldn’t survive if the world seed chose to eliminate you. And I, as your system, would be eliminated with you.]

I look down.

[The next time this situation happens, Host, I will activate protocol. I will lock your consciousness and take over.]

My non-existent heart races since I’m currently just a soul, but I can still feel fear.

"What do you mean, take over?"

The System doesn’t respond.

I think I know what it means.

Lock your consciousness. Take over.

I would be a passenger in my own body. Watching. Helpless. Trapped.

"I’m sorry," I say eventually.

The orb flickers. If it had a facial expression, it would be surprised.

"I... I won’t do it again. I understand. It’s not just my life I was risking. It’s yours too."

[There’s nothing to forgive, Host.]

The System’s robotic voice is softer now.

[I am merely your system.]

It flickers again, processing.

[Primary Benefits: Your soul is now 70% more stable. What trait from the previous world do you wish to retain?]

"What can I retain?"

[Unlike the beast world, the only things you can retain are Alpha qualities.]

"Like what?"

[The physiological aspect of an Alpha—]

"Yeah, I’m cutting you off right now." I hold up a hand. "I’m not going to get pheromones and ruts, am I?" I shudder at the thought.

[Not even the physiological aspect... the genitalia?]

"No—" I start, but then I stop.

Hmm....

Do I want to say goodbye to the dick?

It was weird at first. So weird. I spent months pretending it didn’t exist, avoiding mirrors, wearing clothes that hid everything. But... it wasn’t so bad. And I loved seeing Vivienne go insane on it.

"Well." I tap my chin. "Maybe I can keep the genitalia. But can I turn it off and on? Like, it only shows up when I need it?"

Surely not all worlds have women with dicks. I’m trying not to be a freak.

[Of course. It is a trait, like Panther’s Grace. It can be toggled.]

Nice.

[Query: Will the host wish to proceed to another lower-tier world for acclimatization, or initiate transition to the designated mid-tier world?]

"A mid-tier world." I don’t hesitate. "I’m ready."

Wait for me, my beloved.

[Initiating transfer...]

[Host transfer...]

*

I’m drowning.

The water is freezing—cold enough to steal my breath, cold enough to stop my heart. I swim up as hard as I can, my arms burning, my lungs screaming. It’s dark. So dark. I can’t see the surface. I can’t see anything.

I break through gasping, choking, dying.

I grab onto something—a plank, maybe. I don’t know. I can’t fucking see. I cling to it desperately, coughing up seawater, my body shaking with cold and fear and the raw, animal terror of almost drowning.

I look around, gasping for air.

It’s dark. Only the faint stars in the sky, scattered like broken glass across an endless black canvas. They’re not enough.

I cling to the plank, my arms shaking, my teeth chattering. The water is so cold. So dark. So deep.

Something brushes against my leg.

I flinch. Kick out. Nothing’s there.

The plank creaks beneath my hands. Splinters dig into my palms. Somewhere in the distance, something splashes.

I spot a barrel. Pieces of wood. Debris from the ship—whatever ship I was on, whatever ship crashed.

No bodies.

No voices.

No cries for help.

Just the slap of waves against wreckage and the cold, creeping certainty that I am alone.

I cling to the plank. My arms are shaking. My teeth are chattering. I can’t feel my feet.

I’m at sea.

Alone.

In what seems to be a shipwreck.

Fuck.