Chen Ming sat alone in the stale, suffocating silence of his apartment—the kind of silence that settled in layers, thick as dust. The only sound came from the ceiling fan overhead, wheezing like it was on its last breath, blades swaying in lazy, uncertain circles. The pale glow from his laptop illuminated his face, but there was no joy in the light.
Another email. Another rejection.
"Thank you for your application, but after careful consideration..."
The words blurred in his vision. He didn't need to read the rest. He'd seen it too many times already. Seventeen times this week, to be exact.
With a sharp exhale, he slammed the laptop shut. The sound echoed, sharp and final. Then he let himself fall back onto his futon, arms spread wide, eyes fixed on the spider-web crack snaking across the ceiling like some cruel metaphor for his life.
Nineteen years old. High school graduate. No job. No money. No family to lean on. And no girlfriend—hell, even the girl he used to like had blocked him after he sent a rambling, awkward confession on LINE. His greatest achievement lately? Not starving.
His stomach growled. He sighed.
"Ramen again," he muttered, dragging himself up and trudging to the kitchenette.
The pot clanged as he filled it with water. As it heated, he stared absently at the fridge, at the faded photo stuck beneath a cracked magnet. A high school class photo. He stood at the edge, blurred, unnoticed, unsmiling. The others beamed. Linked arms. Inside jokes. Friendship.
He had been the ghost in the room even while alive in it.
The water began to boil, bubbling and hissing like it too had something against him.
"Just once," he said quietly, watching the steam rise, "I wish something insane would happen. Aliens. Demons. Hell, I'd even take a robot uprising. Anything but… this."
It was a throwaway wish.
But someone—something—heard it.
His phone buzzed sharply on the counter. The screen flared brighter than it had any right to. For a second, it looked like a lightning strike had hit the room. Then the air changed—thickened. The buzzing spread, crackling along the walls, through the floor.
Chen flinched. "What the hell—?"
The phone's screen went black.
Then red.
A deep, pulsing crimson that radiated from the glass like a heartbeat.
And then words appeared.
[R18 SYSTEM BOOTING UP…][HOST DETECTED: CHEN MING][INITIATING LUST-DRIVE PROTOCOL… SUCCESSFUL][WELCOME TO THE SYSTEM OF LUST, DESIRE, AND AFFECTION][YOUR PATH TO BECOMING A GOD HAS BEGUN.]
Chen blinked.
He rubbed his eyes. Looked again.
Still there.
"This is a prank, right? Some freaky app I downloaded when I was half-asleep?"
He tapped the screen. It didn't close. If anything, it expanded—lines of data scrolling like code from some science fiction movie.
[STATS WINDOW]Player Name: Chen MingLevel: 99Health (VIT + ENG + SPR): 986,278Power (STR + FORCE): 988,838Dexterity (AGI + REF): 96%Determination (STA + END): 94%Wisdom (KNO + EXP): 97%
His jaw slackened. What the hell was this?
Then another message blinked into view.
[WARNING: LUST LEVEL CRITICAL. USER IS A VIRGIN.][ADJUSTING DRIVE PARAMETERS… COMPLETE.]
Chen nearly dropped the phone. "What kind of messed-up joke…?"
[YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN.]
[SYSTEM ALIGNMENT: YANG PATHWAY][PRIMARY TRAITS UNLOCKED: LUST | DESIRE | AFFECTION][YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS NOW.]
Before he could even process it, a wave of energy slammed into him. His body convulsed, not in pain, but in overwhelming sensation—like a thousand nerves lighting up at once. His muscles tightened. His vision cleared, sharpened. His skin buzzed.
Something was happening.
No, he was changing.
He stumbled back, grabbing the edge of the counter for support, chest heaving. The flickering light of the stove caught his reflection in the microwave door. He did a double-take.
His face—his whole body—looked subtly altered. Like the lighting had shifted in his favor. His jawline a bit sharper, his eyes more intense. His frame, once wiry, now taut with the hint of power.
The water boiled over, hissing angrily across the stovetop, but Chen didn't notice.
Because the system chimed again.
[NEW MISSION UNLOCKED]Objective: Have baby mating sex with the goddess YingName of Woman: Ye YueReward: Ascend as God of YangProgress: 96.8%Verdict: Not Yet Completed
His heart stopped. "Wait… what?!"
A new screen slid into place, showing a figure. A woman.
No—a goddess.
She was ethereal. Hair like liquid silver flowing past her waist. Skin pale as moonlight, eyes alight with quiet stars. She wore near-transparent robes that clung to divine curves with maddening precision. Her name hovered beneath her image.
[Target: Ye Yue, Goddess of Purity and Moonlight][Status: Receptive | Emotion: Curious][Fertility Window: Active][System Suggestion: Flirtation Level 3 or Higher Recommended]
"This… isn't a game," he whispered.
[YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AS THE BEARER OF THE YANG CORE.][YOUR PURPOSE: TO SPREAD PLEASURE, AWAKEN PASSION, AND RESTORE THE BALANCE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH.]
It sounded like prophecy. But it didn't feel holy.
It felt hot.
[SUGGESTED ACTION: LOCATE GODDESS YE YUE | ENGAGE IN INTERCOURSE | FULFILL MISSION OBJECTIVE]
"Engage in—" He stopped himself. "You're serious?"
[YES. FAILURE TO DO SO WITHIN 72 HOURS WILL RESULT IN… EXPLOSIVE CONSEQUENCES.]
He paused. "Explosive how?"
[YOUR BALLS.]
[JUST KIDDING. OR AM I?]
Chen collapsed onto the couch, massaging his temples. He was either going insane… or his entire life had just taken a turn that defied every logic known to man.
And then, another prompt appeared.
[Do you wish to activate Beginner Skill: Erotic Aura Lv1?]
He hesitated. A long beat passed.
"…Screw it," he muttered. "Yes."
The air changed again. Warmer. Thicker. It wrapped around him like silk. He couldn't see the aura, but he felt its weight.
Then—a knock at the door.
Startled, Chen opened it to find Mei, the landlord's daughter, standing there with a small box. Her usual expression—bored, polite—was nowhere to be found.
She blinked. Her eyes widened, cheeks flushing.
"I… uh, this came for you. Normally I leave it downstairs but…"
Her gaze drifted across his chest, then snapped back up. She bit her lip. Her fingers fidgeted around the edges of the box.
Chen took it, stunned. "Uh… thanks."
She lingered. Opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. A beat passed.
"Nice… aura," she mumbled, and then practically fled down the hallway.
He stood in the doorway, dumbfounded.
[EROTIC AURA SUCCESSFUL. LUST +10. AFFECTION +3. DESIRE +12.][WOMAN AROUSED: 23%][WANT TO TRY FLIRTATION MODE NEXT?]
Slowly, he looked down at the glowing system interface.
Then at himself.
A grin—uncertain, almost wicked—tugged at the corners of his mouth.
For the first time in his life, things weren't falling apart.
They were about to explode.
And not in the bad way.