[Video Games >>>> Real Life]
He commented on a post made on a popular game forum.
It was 2 a.m. The glow of the monitor illuminated his pale face, casting long shadows across the cluttered room. Empty cans of gaming soda, crumpled chip bags, and discarded energy bar wrappers littered the floor. The air was stale, thick with the scent of sweat and artificial cheese. He hadn't slept in four days. His bloodshot eyes were glued to the screen, his fingers twitching over the keyboard as he navigated yet another dialogue tree in his latest obsession—a popular dating sim with 57 heroines to conquer. He had sworn to himself he wouldn't get up until he had completed them all.
He was a game junkie.
College? Dropped out.
Job? Never had one.
Exercise? His only workout was the occasional stretch to reach another can of soda.
His life revolved around pixels and polygons, especially dating sims. There was something about the combination of cute girls, lewd illustrations, and the illusion of choice that kept him hooked. He had already completed countless games, but the hunger for more never faded.
Ding! Another choice popped up.
[Choice: Slap her or Kiss her]
He smirked, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
"Slap her, of course. She's a closet masochist. I can tell by the way the artist shaded her eyes."
He leaned back in his chair, smug. He was right. The game rewarded him with a chime and a notification:
[+10 Affection Points.]
"See? Too easy," he muttered to no one in particular.
He cracked open another can of gaming soda—whatever that was. The label claimed it was "specially formulated for gamers," but it tasted like carbonated sugar and regret.
Gulp. Gulp.
His eyes flicked back to the screen just as a new illustration unlocked with a ding.
"F—uh—cough!"
The soda went down the wrong pipe. He choked, sputtering liquid onto the keyboard. His eyes widened as he stared at the screen.
What the hell was that?
The character on the screen looked... different. Completely different. The art style had shifted dramatically, as if the developers had swapped artists mid-production. The once-cute heroine now had an eerie, almost lifelike quality to her. Her eyes seemed to stare directly into his soul, and her smile was... wrong. Too wide. Too knowing.
This wasn't what he had paid for.
Moreover, it had made him choke. His throat felt tight, his windpipe blocked. He coughed again, harder this time, but the sensation didn't go away.
Cough. Cough.
He slammed a fist against his chest, trying to dislodge whatever was stuck. No use.
Cough. Cough.
Panic set in. His vision blurred as he gasped for air. He stumbled out of his gaming chair, knocking over a tower of empty cans. The room spun as he collapsed to the floor, clutching his throat.
"Ah... I'm dying," he thought, his mind oddly calm despite the chaos.
The last thing he saw was the heroine on the screen, her unnerving smile frozen in place.
Then, darkness.
---
"Huh?" He gasped.
His ears were still working—he heard soft sobs close to his left ear. He opened his eyes, his vision filling with bright light. In front of him was a pure white ceiling adorned with golden carvings of roses.
He wasn't dead.
"Don't tell me..."
He jolted upright. He was in a bed, not in his worn-out gaming chair. And it wasn't just any bed. It was grand—so soft his body was almost sinking into the white mattress. His upper body was bare, the silk sheets pooling at his waist.
"It's real. I've transmigrated. Just like in the plot of countless anime and novels I've read."
He couldn't believe it. A wide smile spread across his face. That soda was a blessing.
He turned his head toward the source of the sobbing.
A girl in a black and red maid uniform.
Her eyes were swollen from crying, her face streaked with tears. She had short brown hair tied in braids and pale green eyes. She was sobbing softly—until she noticed him looking.
At that moment, her eyes widened, and fresh tears flowed even more heavily. She was sitting on the floor, her face resting against the edge of the bed.
"A... maid?"
His heart pounded in his chest. Was this real? He had dreamed of this moment so many times, and now—it was the first scene of his new life in another world.
"But why is she crying? Did I do something?"
His heart ached at the miserable sight of her. His hand moved on its own to comfort her.
"Hey... who—I mean, why are you crying...?"
To his surprise, the maid grabbed his hand tightly and pressed her lips against it, rubbing it against her tear-soaked cheeks. Her eyes locked onto his, but she said nothing, only letting out soft sobs.
[Syncing...]
A blip echoed in his head.
The next moment, a sharp pain erupted in his mind. Memories flooded into his brain—the memories of the body he now possessed.
His name was Kaizer Solstice, prince and heir of the once-glorious but now declining Solstice Empire. He had been sick for a week straight, lost in a coma. And now, after finally waking up, he was a completely different person.
[Initialization...]
[Logging in User...]
[Fetching User Data...]
[Name: Kaizer Solstice]
[Age: 18]
[Level: 4]
[Race: Human (77%)]
[Skills: 1 – Conquest System]
[Mana: Invalid (needs awakened magic core)]
[Health: 4/10]
[Credit: 10 (starting bonus)]
[Heroines: 0]
His eyes widened as a semi-transparent system window filled his vision.
"A system... just like in the games."
His mana is invalid, meaning there was magic in this world. And skills as well. What's this Conquest System?
As soon as he thought about it, another screen appeared.
---
[Conquest System – Level 1: Loading...]
[Name: Roselle (No Background)]
[Age: 17]
[Relationship: Your Maid]
[Affection: 87%]
[Arousal: 34%]
[Virgin: Yes]
[Current Emotion: Overwhelmed]
[Status: Available]
Wait a second. Arousal? Affection? Virgin?!
Maybe because I was looking at the maid when the skill activated—she was selected?
"So it's like this..."
I understood. It was a dating sim-style system.
I smiled to myself, feeling the softness of Roselle's cheek against my hand. My heart skipped a beat. Her affection level was already 87%.
"Who was she, really?"
I strained my mind, searching through my new memories.
Roselle was an orphan who had been working as a slave in the household of a cruel noblewoman who regularly overworked and beat her. She had lost her voice due to trauma.
When that noblewoman was charged with corruption, her assets were seized and auctioned. Roselle had been among them.
She was about to be sold to a brothel, but Kaizer, the prince, had saved her, instead hiring her as his personal maid.
Since then, Roselle had loyally served him.
This girl had been crying for days while I was unconscious. I knew it—because that was the kind of girl she was.
My heart ached. My own tears were about to flow, but I stopped them. That's not how a prince should act in front of an overwhelmed girl. Now that I am Kaizer Solstice, I should play the part.
I moved my hand to her face, wiping her tears.
"Shhh, stop crying… I'm fine now. Get up…" I said, taking her by the hand and helping her to her feet. She sniffled and wiped her face with her sleeve, blinking as her red, veiny eyes met mine. I pulled her close and seated her on the bed, looking into her eyes. Our faces were close now. Her eyes were even more beautiful up close.
[Arousal 34% to 41%]
Another notification popped up, but I ignored it.
"Listen to me carefully. Thank you so much for being by my side all this time. I really appreciate it," I whispered in her ear, hugging her shivering body. It was a simple gesture but a powerful one. I could feel the tension loosening in her body, her sobs turning into loud cries. I rubbed her back gently.
It must be difficult, not being able to express yourself and keeping your feelings bottled up.
[Affection 87% to 94%]