Chapter 20: System Holder [bonus]

Chapter 20: Chapter 20: System Holder [bonus]

Daniel lowered his hand from his face. Lyra was still pressed against the wall, her eyes wide, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She was looking at him like he had grown a second head.

"It’s just a slang," Daniel said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "From my world. It doesn’t mean anything bad. It’s just... excitement."

Lyra blinked. Her eyes moved over his face, studying him. It was strange, Daniel thought. She had been blind her whole life, and now she was seeing him for the first time. Really seeing him. He wondered what she thought. What he looked like through her eyes.

"You’re doing it again," she said slowly. "The other world thing."

Daniel sighed. "I’m not doing anything. I’m just telling you the truth."

Lyra shook her head. "You said it worked. Does that mean it was you? You did this to me?"

Daniel hesitated. Then he nodded. "Yes."

"How?"

He took a breath. This was it. Time to explain. "I have a class. A unique class. It’s called Harem Overlord."

Lyra’s brow furrowed. "Harem Overlord? That’s not a real class."

"It is now."

She stared at him. "Classes don’t work like that. You can’t just have a unique class. Classes are assigned by the system. And only System Holders have access to the system."

Daniel tilted his head. "System Holders?"

Lyra pushed herself away from the wall, sitting up straighter. She was still watching him, but her expression had shifted. Less fear. More curiosity. More confusion.

"System Holders are special," she said. "They’re rare. Really rare. They’re people who have a system panel that only they can see. They can use it to get stronger, to level up, to gain skills and quests. They’re mostly big guild masters. Powerful people. Like the one that has a summoning system, or the one in the capital who can copy other people’s abilities." She paused. "I don’t really know much about them. No one does. They keep their systems secret. But they’re valued. Important."

Daniel nodded slowly. "Okay. That makes sense."

Lyra frowned. "Why? Do you have one?"

Daniel grinned. "Of course I do. It’s one of the perks of being a transmigrator."

Lyra stared at him. "A what?"

"Transmigrator. Someone who came from another world. That’s me."

She was quiet for a moment. Then she shook her head. "Sometimes I don’t understand you. At all." She paused. "But how can you have a system and be so weak? You got beaten up by that man in the street. You could barely fight back."

Daniel winced. "Ouch. Harsh."

"It’s the truth."

He sighed. "Okay, fair. The thing is, I just got here. Yesterday. I woke up in the desert with nothing. No skills, no equipment, just my class and my system. I was level one with garbage stats. But then..." He paused, meeting her eyes. "I bound you."

Lyra blinked. "You bound me?"

"Yeah. To my system. My class lets me form bonds with women. When I do, I get their class and their skills. And all of my stats get multiplied by ten."

Lyra stared at him. Her expression was unreadable.

"You bound me," she repeated. "Without asking. Without my permission."

Daniel’s stomach dropped. He had been so focused on saving her, on defeating that man, on getting stronger, that he hadn’t even thought about it. He had just accepted the bond without considering what it meant for her.

"I’m sorry," he said quickly. "I should have asked. I should have explained. I just... I was losing. That guy was beating me. And then the notification came up, and I just... I reacted. I didn’t think."

Lyra was silent. She looked down at her hands. Then at the room around her. Then out the window, where the sun had fully set and the stars were beginning to appear.

"I can see," she said quietly. "I’ve been blind my whole life. Seventeen years. And now I can see." She looked at him. "You did that."

Daniel nodded. "The bond. It detected your blindness as an illness. It’s been curing it. That’s why it took so long."

Lyra was quiet for another long moment. Then she did something that surprised him.

She smiled.

"So this bond," she said. "What does it mean? For me?"

Daniel blinked. "You’re... not mad?"

"I didn’t say I wasn’t mad," Lyra said. "But I’m also not blind anymore. So it’s... complicated." She paused. "What does the bond do?"

Daniel thought about it. "From what I understand, it connects us. You’re part of my harem now. I can class change into whatever class you have. I can use your skills. And my stats get multiplied by ten."

"And what do I get?"

Daniel hesitated. "I... don’t actually know. The system didn’t say."

Lyra frowned. "So you get everything and I get nothing?"

"I don’t think that’s how it works. The cure was part of it. Maybe there’s more. I just don’t know yet."

Lyra sighed. She ran her fingers through her hair, a gesture that seemed to help her think. Then she looked at him again.

"You’re strange," she said. "Everything you say is strange. But I can see now. And that’s because of you." She paused. "So I’ll give you a chance. For now."

Daniel let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. "Thank you."

"Don’t thank me yet." Lyra’s eyes narrowed. "If you do anything to hurt me, or betray me, or use this bond against me, I will find a way to make you regret it. I don’t know how. But I will."

Daniel nodded. "Understood."

A notification appeared in front of his face.

[First Harem Member Successfully Bound]

[Bond Level with Lyra of the Prick Family: 74%]

[Congratulations! You have taken your first step toward becoming the Harem Overlord.]

Daniel read the words. Then another notification appeared.

[Innate Ability Detected]

[Would you like to awaken it?]

[Yes / No]

[Author’s Note: make sure to vote for more Chapters and faster release time, goal in the authors note]