Layla's breath shuddered as she held onto him, her arms trembling slightly. But then, realizing their position, she gasped and pushed him back—not as aggressively as before, though.
"Ariz!" Her voice held none of the previous irritation, only pure concern. She placed her hands on his shoulders, scanning his face. "Are you okay? That… That was way too close!"
Ariz blinked, still reeling. The warmth of her touch still lingering, but before he could savor the memory, her hands were suddenly cupping his face, tilting it side to side.
W-Whoa—
Layla's brows furrowed as she inspected him. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" She lightly traced her fingers over his forehead, then his cheek where she had slapped him before. "I—" She hesitated, guilt flashing in her eyes. "I'm sorry for hitting you earlier… And then you fell... I just… I didn't realize…"
She bit her lip, visibly upset.
Ariz swallowed. He had never seen her like this before—his strict, untouchable professor, looking… shaken? Regretful?
And holy hell, those soft, plump lips were way too distracting.
"I-I'm fine, really…" he muttered, trying to gather his scattered dignity.
Meanwhile, the bus driver had already pulled over, turning back with a sheepish look. "Kid, you okay? I didn't see the stoplight change—"
Before Ariz could respond, Layla whipped her head toward the driver, eyes blazing.
"What kind of reckless driving was that?! You almost got a student killed!"
The driver winced. "S-Sorry, ma'am. I wasn't—"
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Layla snapped, her voice sharp with authority. "If he had been injured—No, if he had died, what then?!"
Ariz stared. Damn. Seeing her this fired up was… kinda hot.
The driver muttered more apologies, but Layla finally let out a breath, shaking her head.
"Just… be more careful."
She turned back to Ariz, still visibly upset. "Come on, sit down." She gently guided him toward a seat, her touch surprisingly soft, lingering on his arm as she helped him settle.
The bus started moving again, slower this time.
Ariz exhaled, rubbing his temples. His heart still pounded—not just from almost dying but also from… whatever the hell just happened in his head.
[ WELCOME HOST TO THE ABSOLUTE DEGENERATE SYSTEM ! ]
A translucent holographic screen appeared before him, only visible to him. There were a couple glowing words on the screen.
Status-
Scan-
Store-
Skills-
Quests-
And some more but they were grayed out.
"What is going on?.. Did I just get a system? Like in those novels.. " Ariez felt the excitement coursing to his body.
"But wait, what do you mean absolute degenerate?.. Is this what I think it is.. "
[ YES, THIS IS THE HAREM SOVEREIGN SYSTEM. WITH THE PURPOSE OF GREATNESS AND DESIGNED AS PER THE HOST'S DESIRES AND CHARACTER ]
[ DO YOU WANT TO OPEN THE STARTED PACK? ]
"Starter pack? YES"
—
[Starter Pack Unlocked!]
Rewards:
Aura of Allure:
[Passive Effect : Increases your charm and attractiveness.]
[Active Effect : Allows you to subtly influence the emotions of those who lay eyes on you. You can slightly increase or decrease emotions like lust, love, or dislike, but you cannot change the emotions themselves.]
Pregnancy Control:
[Function : You can control whether or not a woman can become pregnant. This ability is tied to your will and can be activated or deactivated at any time.]
Lesser Illusion Manipulation:
[Description : A basic version of the Illusion Manipulation skill. Currently, you can create minor illusions or alter sensory perceptions (e.g., sight, sound, touch). As you grow stronger, more advanced functions will unlock.]
RE Drops for Awakening:
[Description : [Resonance Energy, or RE, is the core of your growth. It's the essence of power, the fuel that will make you stronger. You can get it in a few ways: deepening your bonds with women, devouring Heart Crystals or treasures, and completing quests. The more RE you gather, the stronger you'll become ]
[Function : A significant amount of RE Drops, enough to awaken you to D-Class directly.]
Ariz's eyes widened as he read through the rewards. "This… this is insane. Aura of Allure? Pregnancy Control? Illusion Manipulation?
'Either something is wrong with my head or this is really happening..'
Looking across from him at the professor, he decided to try out the system.
'SCAN'
Then—
—
[Scanning.…]
Name: Layla Sinclair
Age: 28
Race: Human
Occupation: University Professor
Conquer Difficulty: A
Power Level: 185 | C-Rank
Feelings for Ariz:
Affection: 15/100
Lust: 1/100
Hate: 0/100
Loyalty:Neutral
Abilities:
🔹 Advanced Combat Training (Martial Arts Expertise)
—
Ariz blinked.
He stared at the screen floating in front of him. It wasn't a joke. He could see her stats—her abilities, her personal data, and even her feelings toward him?!
His breath quickened.
For a moment, his mind flooded with all the fantasy books he'd read, all the nights he had spent fantasizing about Awakening, all the times he had wished—prayed—that he will Awaken just like others.
And now, it has finally happened.
He clenched his fists, eyes gleaming with an emotion he hadn't felt in years—pure, unfiltered excitement.
No way! This is insane—this is actually happening! I Awakened!!! And a system! I really got a system!
After calming down, he focused on the scan stats.
Damn.. She is a C-ranked, and here everyone thought she is a D-Ranked. She hid it well from everyone. And according to her stats, her Affection means how much she likes me emotionally… and Lust is… well, Lust. Hate is self-explanatory.
Ariz's gaze flickered to Layla. She was still checking if he had any injuries, completely unaware of the data sheet he had just unlocked on her life.
DING!
—
[New Quest Issued!]
Mission: "The First Touch"
Objective: Touch Layla's juicy, firm ass and get her phone number.
Reward: Enhanced Touch, +10 Layla's Affection, Resonance Energy +10 drops.
—
Ariz nearly choked.
'....'
WHAT KIND OF QUEST IS THIS?!
His brain short-circuited.
T-Touch her… butt?!
Ariz took a deep breath, his mind racing. He needed to be smooth about this—one wrong move and he'd look like a total creep. He quickly ran through possible scenarios in his head, analyzing the safest way to execute his 'mission' without raising suspicion.
Alright, alright… I think I have an idea…