The underling saw an opening. Ethan had stopped for just a second—maybe to catch his breath, maybe to think—but it was all the underling needed.
With a shaky grunt, he turned and bolted, limping heavily, dragging one foot as if it were tied to a weight. It wasn't even a run—more like a desperate hobble. He staggered off, bumping into a wall before pushing himself forward again.
Ethan just stood there, staring at him.
He could've caught up in seconds. Hell, the guy probably wouldn't make it past the end of the block without collapsing.
But Ethan didn't move. His fists were still clenched, blood still smeared across his knuckles. He hadn't noticed how hard he'd been hitting until now.
He exhaled slowly.
"That should be enough, the message has been passed though a bit more than I had planned" he muttered.
He hadn't intended to go that far.
Just a scare, a bruise or two—a warning for Rex and his crew to come looking for him. But once he started throwing punches… it felt like something else had taken over.
There was a fog in his mind, a cold stillness in his chest. No emotion. No anger. Just motion. Just fists.
He glanced down at his hands.
Was that… me? Or was it the system?
The thought lingered.
He remembered how it felt—how distant he was from it all, like he'd been watching himself move from somewhere far away. His eyes darkened slightly.
He turned away, ignoring the limping figure disappearing into the alley. The message had been delivered loud and clear. But even as he walked back, calm on the outside, a quiet thought echoed in his mind:
'I need to stay aware… or the system might take more than just control.'
Ethan reached home just as the sky dipped into that soft golden hue of late afternoon. He climbed the few steps to the porch, still rolling over everything in his mind.
The door clicked open, and the moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by the familiar scent of home… and the unexpected sight of his sister waiting just past the entrance.
"Look who finally decided to show his face," Sophia said with a smirk, arms crossed over her chest.
Ethan raised a brow, closing the door behind him. "And here I was hoping the house would be empty."
She gave him a mock gasp. "Wow. Hurtful."
But Ethan's attention shifted as he noticed the girl beside her—someone new. Or at least new to their house.
She stood a bit behind Sophia, shoulders drawn in slightly, hands clasped in front of her. Her name clicked in Ethan's mind the moment he saw her—Mira.
He'd seen her around a few times, a classmate of Sophia's, but they'd never really talked.
Mira had a gentle, almost porcelain beauty. Smooth, pale skin that contrasted softly with her shoulder-length black hair, which curled slightly at the tips. Her eyes were large, a quiet grayish-blue that flicked nervously up at him before darting away.
Her figure, though modestly dressed, was hard not to notice—her breasts pressed slightly against her sweater, her hips curved nicely under her skirt. Feminine in the kind of subtle way that lingered in the back of your mind.
"H-hi," she said, her voice soft, almost breathy.
Ethan gave her a slight nod, recognizing the blush already creeping across her cheeks. "Hey, Mira."
She fidgeted with her fingers, avoiding his gaze while her lips curled into a shy smile. "It's… nice to see you."
"You too," Ethan replied with a light smirk, watching her shift her weight from one foot to the other.
Sophia looked between the two of them and scoffed. "God, don't tell me you're charming her already."
Ethan shrugged. "I didn't even try."
Mira turned even redder, bringing a hand up to brush her hair behind her ear, looking anywhere but at him.
Ethan held back a chuckle and moved past them, heading to his room. But in the corner of his eye, he caught Mira sneaking another glance his way before quickly looking down again.
That blush didn't lie.
And somehow, that only made his day a little more interesting.
A few minutes passed after Ethan had shut his bedroom door. He was half-lying on his bed, still mulling over everything that had gone down earlier, when a light knock echoed.
"Sis, it's unlocked," he called lazily.
Sophia pushed the door open and leaned her head in with an exaggerated sigh.
"I've got to go run an errand for Mom. Won't take too long."
He raised a brow. "And you're telling me why?"
"Because…" She stepped in now, giving him a look, "Mira's still downstairs. She'll be all alone."
"So?"
Sophia folded her arms, a playful smirk forming. "Come on, don't be a caveman. Just keep her company. She's shy as hell, and she won't survive ten minutes sitting there overthinking."
Ethan turned back toward the ceiling.
"Why don't you just cancel the errand?"
"Wow," she said with fake shock. "Do you hear yourself? Selfish and lazy."
He smirked. "You're projecting."
Sophia huffed and walked further into the room. "Seriously, please? You don't have to entertain her. Just… sit with her, talk a little. She kinda has a crush on you or whatever."
At that, Ethan rolled his head toward her. "You sure it's not you projecting again?"
"Oh my god." She looked ready to throw a pillow at him. "I'm begging here, you prick. Just… be decent. You can literally just sit there and let her awkwardly blush for a while."
He shrugged lazily. "Fine. But only because her body's blessed by the gods or something. I'm making a huge sacrifice here."
Sophia threw her hands up. "You're insufferable," she muttered, already walking out the room with a grin on her face.
Moments later, the front door clicked shut.
Ethan finally stood, raking a hand through his hair before heading downstairs. Mira was on the couch, hugging a cushion, legs crossed and tucked neatly beneath her. Her eyes shot up the moment she heard him.
"H-hi…"
He nodded and made his way to the other side of the couch, sitting casually, his tone flat but curious. "You always this quiet?"
"I-I'm not… I mean—only sometimes…" she mumbled, eyes dropping immediately.
Ethan leaned back, watching her fumble with her sleeves. "You into books? Or anime?"
"B-both… a little… I guess."
"Favorite genre?"
She looked away again, tugging at the pillow slightly. "Fantasy… I think."
He sighed, not out of frustration, but more out of resignation.
Her responses were short, nervous, almost too soft to catch. She wasn't just shy—she was overwhelmed. He stopped questioning and just settled beside her, arms on the backrest.
Silence filled the room… and then—
Ding!
[System Notification]
[Attraction to Player Recognized]
[New Harem Sub Task Initiated]
[Target: Mira — Please her]
Ethan blinked. For a second, he thought he misread it.
"Please her?"
His eyes twitched as he stared blankly ahead, lips parting slowly in disbelief.
"…You're f*cking kidding me."
Mira turned to him, blinking in surprise. "S-sorry?"
===========
Please donate powerstones and add the novel to your collections, it will be really helpful. For every 10 powerstones 1 bonus chapter will be released
Please leave your honest comments and reviews and feel free to ask any questions, it'll help me improve the novel's quality. Thank you, enjoy your read :)