Cold. Endless, suffocating cold.
Smith Carter expected death to be nothingness — an eternal, dreamless sleep. Instead, he found himself floating in an abyss, weightless, surrounded by an infinite darkness that seemed alive. His body wasn't there. Only his mind, his soul, naked and exposed.
Then came the voice.
Silky. Mocking. Feminine, yet tinged with something far too inhuman to be called gentle.
"Well, well… what a delicious soul we have here."
Smith's thoughts spun. "Who's there?"
A low chuckle echoed, vibrating through the void. "The one who heard your last wish. You begged for revenge, didn't you? For power. For the chance to make them scream."
The darkness shifted, and from it emerged crimson letters, burning into existence before him:
[System of Lust and Domination initializing…]
Smith's mind froze. "A… system?"
"Yes," the voice purred. "I am your system. I thrive on stolen desire, on broken bonds, on lust twisted into power. Betrayal, corruption, possession — they are my food. And you, Smith Carter, are the perfect host."
Images flashed across the void: Clara's sneer, Daniel's smirk, their bodies entwined on his bed. Rage erupted anew in Smith's chest.
"Do you want them to suffer?" the system whispered, seductive and cruel. "Do you want their betrayal to be repaid a thousandfold?"
Smith's soul burned with hatred. "Yes. More than anything."
"Good. Then accept my Beginner's Gift."
The darkness split open like a wound, showing him a vision of his old apartment. Clara and Daniel were still there, wrapped in sheets, smug and satisfied after killing him. They laughed, drinking wine over his corpse.
But this time, Smith was not powerless.
A crimson window appeared before him:
[Beginner's Gift: Vengeful Specter]
Temporarily return as a shadow to torment your betrayers. Rewards scale with suffering inflicted.
Smith didn't hesitate. "Activate it."
The void twisted — and suddenly, he was standing in his apartment again. His body was translucent, spectral, but he could feel the System humming inside him. Clara and Daniel froze as the air grew heavy, the lights flickering.
"Did you feel that?" Clara whispered, clutching the sheet.
Daniel scoffed. "Relax. It's nothing—"
Then Smith spoke. His voice, distorted and echoing with malice, filled the room.
"Miss me?"
Both of them went pale. Clara dropped her glass, which shattered on the floor. "S-Smith?!"
His shadowy form emerged from the darkness, eyes glowing red. "You thought I'd die quietly? That you'd laugh over my corpse? No… your punishment has only begun."
The System's voice purred in his mind: Make them break. Make them scream.
Smith reached out with his spectral hand — and their bodies convulsed. Invisible chains of crimson lust wrapped around them, binding their arms and legs to the bed. They struggled, but the chains tightened, digging into their skin.
"Let us go!" Daniel roared, but fear cracked his voice.
Smith smirked coldly. "No. Tonight, I own you both."
The System twisted their desires, corrupting them from within. Clara's body betrayed her, shuddering with unwanted arousal even as tears streamed down her face. Daniel's muscles strained, but the chains forced him to watch, powerless.
"Clara," Smith hissed, leaning close, his spectral breath like ice against her ear. "You said I was pathetic. Weak. Let's see how strong your new man is while he watches you break."
Her sobs mixed with moans she couldn't control, each one slicing through Daniel's pride like a blade.
Daniel's rage turned to despair as he was forced to witness Clara's degradation, unable to stop it. His face twisted, the humiliation cutting deeper than any physical wound. "Smith! You monster!"
Smith's laughter was low, cruel. "Monster? No. I'm what you made me."
The torment dragged on, their minds unraveling under the dual weight of shame and fear, until their screams filled the room. The System drank it all, crimson light pulsing brighter with every broken sob and every shattered shred of dignity.
And then — with one final surge of energy — their bodies convulsed violently. The chains crushed them, stealing breath, snuffing out life.
When it was over, Clara and Daniel lay lifeless, eyes wide with terror, mouths twisted in frozen screams.
The System chimed in Smith's mind:
[Revenge Complete. Beginner's Gift Consumed.]
[Reward: Netori Energy Core Acquired.]
[Cultivation Level: Mortal 1.]
The apartment dissolved into darkness once more, leaving Smith alone with the System's voice.
"Mmm… exquisite," it whispered, satisfied. "Such pain, such delicious corruption. You truly are mine now, Smith Carter."
Smith clenched his spectral fists, his hatred tempered into cold resolve. "If this is power… then I'll take more. I'll take everything."
The System laughed, sultry and eager. "Then let's begin."