Harem Stealing System

Eiden washed his face slowly, the cold water dripping down his cheeks in steady rivulets. Each drop that hit the sink below made a soft plop, filling the silent bathroom with a rhythm that somehow made his mind calmer yet heavier. As he stared at the mirror, his own tired reflection stared back at him. His eyes had dark circles, and a clenched jaw betrayed the storm brewing inside. Above his head hovered his translucent Status window, glowing softly in the dim light.

The image of Ruel grabbing Lyra flashed in his mind again. That look of helplessness in her eyes. That overpowering strength. Eiden's fists clenched involuntarily as his stomach churned with a strange mix of anger and disgust. He gritted his teeth hard, but managed to hold himself together. With a deep sigh, he wiped his wet face with a towel and walked back into his room. Dropping onto the bed, he let his body sink into the mattress.

"Ding! System chan," he called out while staring blankly at the ceiling. "How can I get strong fast?" System chan replied instantly with its usual overly chipper tone, "Finish quests and earn points to invest in your stats! It's the most efficient and balanced way to grow, Host!"

Eiden rolled his eyes but didn't retort. Instead, he asked another question that had been bugging him. "If I had put all three of my available points into Strength earlier, would I have been able to beat Ruel?"

The reply came without hesitation. "Highly unlikely," System chan said in a neutral tone. "Even if you invested all your current points into Strength, the probability of you winning against Ruel is very low. He is not just stronger but also trained, with actual combat experience. Adding a few stat points cannot compensate for years of skill and battle instinct."

Eiden frowned as the System elaborated further. "The analysis is based on the recent incident where Ruel was subdued by the buffed man accompanying Arin. The struggle Ruel put up, despite being overwhelmed, showed excellent combat skill and physical resistance. That man simply had superior experience, speed, and raw power. Comparing their gap to your current state, you are now in the same position as Ruel was in that fight. But now, you are Ruel, and Ruel is that experienced fighter."

That analogy made Eiden's heart sink a little more. No matter how he looked at it, he was outmatched. Just throwing stat points at the problem wouldn't help. What he lacked was more foundational real fighting ability. He let out another sigh, a longer one this time, as he glanced at the wall and mumbled to himself, "Maybe I need to find a dojo or some fighting gym or something. Stats can go up, but if I don't know how to use them, I'm useless anyway."

Just as he was about to roll over and get lost in his thoughts again, a knock came at the door. It wasn't loud, just a simple rhythmic knock that broke the silence. Eiden blinked once before slowly getting up. He walked to the door and opened it, and standing there was Sasha, her hand still raised in the act of knocking. She quickly lowered it as soon as their eyes met.

Without waiting for permission, Sasha stepped inside and walked straight into his room, heading toward his bed. She sat down like it was second nature, like she had done it a hundred times before. Eiden, not surprised, closed the door behind her and turned to face her. Their eyes met, and he saw something on her face that made him pause concern.

"Eiden," she said softly. "Is something bothering you?"

That question caught him off guard. In his frustration earlier, he had forgotten to activate Face Master. His real emotions were likely written all over his face. Sasha had picked up on it instantly. He mentally panicked for a second and debated whether he should activate it now, but doing so suddenly would only raise more suspicion. He looked away, choosing silence over explanation.

Sasha continued watching him, her eyes scanning his face like she was searching for something. After a moment of heavy silence, she stood up. Her movements were calm but firm as she walked over and looked up at him, her expression more serious than before. Then, she asked a question that hit him like a bolt. "What is your relationship with Lyra?"

Eiden's body froze, his mind going blank for a split second. That wasn't what he had expected to hear. But now he was more prepared. He activated Face Master quickly, and his facial muscles subtly shifted. He shaped his expression into one of genuine confusion, as if he had no idea what she was talking about. But Sasha wasn't done. She narrowed her eyes just slightly and followed up, "Does she know about the condition of your body?"

This time, Eiden responded without hesitation. "No, she doesn't," he said with a solemn look, holding the expression perfectly. The room was quiet again. Then Sasha, with a slightly softer tone, asked another question. "Are you guys close?" Eiden took a brief breath before answering plainly, "We're friends."

She nodded slowly at his answer, her gaze lowering as if she was thinking something through. A pause lingered between them. Then, without saying another word, she walked toward the door, opened it, and stepped out.

Eiden remained standing in the same spot, confused by the entire exchange. He scratched his head and frowned. "What the hell was that about?" he muttered to himself. He had no idea what was going on in Sasha's mind. That whole conversation had left more questions than answers.

Just as he was starting to settle back into his thoughts, he heard the sound of the front gate creaking open. His curiosity piqued, and he moved toward the window. Peeking through the curtain, he saw Sasha walk out as she didn't look back and simply continued away from the house

Eiden didn't move. He just watched her go and then walked back to his bed again. He laid down on the mattress and stared at the ceiling once more, his thoughts now a chaotic mess.

His mind shifted gears again, this time focusing on his quests. He needed to get stronger, and completing quests was the only route forward for now. Among all the quests he had lined up, one stood out as the easiest Airie's quest. It was the most manageable one, at least for the current him.

He thought about how to approach it. What kind of actions would earn progress ? If it was like Lyra's, there might be multiple phases or triggers. But he would have to find out through trial and error. Thinking about Airie was a much needed distraction, at least compared to the pressure of facing Ruel again.

After a while, his thoughts grew fuzzy, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. The day had drained him emotionally, physically, and mentally. With a sigh, he let himself sink deeper into the bed, his muscles finally relaxing. And then, slowly but surely, Eiden drifted off to sleep.