The System of Desires
Chapter 1 — Rebirth in a World of Qi
Kai's last memory of Earth was… humiliating.
He was sitting at his desk, staring at yet another rejection email from a company he had poured months of work into. The screen blurred as tears formed, and he chuckled bitterly.
"Thirty-two years old. No job. No girlfriend. Parents disappointed. And now I can't even get hired as a junior programmer. Perfect."
He closed his laptop and lay on the couch, too tired to even feel angry.
That was when the ceiling fan fell.
Literally.
A loud snap, a whirling blade of death, and—
Kai gasped.
The air was heavy with the scent of grass and dirt. His back ached, but it was… different. He blinked, staring up at a sky so blue it looked painted, with two suns shining down instead of one.
He sat up quickly. His body felt younger, stronger, leaner. His hands weren't the pale, soft hands of a programmer—they were calloused, like they belonged to someone who trained every day.
Before panic could set in, a voice rang in his head.
[Welcome, Kai. The System of Desires has successfully integrated.]
Kai froze.
"...Excuse me, what?"
[You have been selected for Reincarnation Project #77, codename: Dual Path Ascendant. Congratulations on your new life.]
"System?" Kai said aloud. His voice was lower, deeper than he remembered.
"Okay, fine, I'm hallucinating. That's… that's normal after head trauma, right?"
[Hallucination Level: 0%. Mental Stability: Optimal. This is real, Host.]
Kai stood up, brushing grass from his robes—wait, robes? He looked down and saw he was dressed in dark green martial clothes, embroidered with a symbol of a coiling dragon. His feet were bare, his hair longer than it had ever been on Earth, and he was standing in the middle of a field surrounded by rolling hills.
"...Okay. Let's assume I believe you. What do you want from me?"
[Objective: Survive. Grow stronger. Restore your fallen clan. Unlock the full potential of the System. Failure results in death.]
Kai swallowed hard. "No pressure then."
He turned slowly, taking in his surroundings, when he heard footsteps behind him.
A boy around his age—maybe sixteen—was running toward him. His face lit up in relief when he saw Kai.
"Young Master! You're awake!"
Kai blinked. "Young… Master?"
The boy stopped just short of him, bowing deeply. "Thank the heavens! The physician said you might never wake up after the duel!"
"Duel?" Kai echoed.
The boy nodded quickly. "Young Master Kai, don't you remember? You challenged Young Master Chen of the Iron Sword Sect three days ago. You… you lost badly. They said you broke three ribs and—"
Kai held up a hand. "Okay, hold up. Start from the beginning. Who am I to you?"
The boy frowned in confusion. "You are Kai Shen, only son of the Shen Clan's Patriarch. We are… well, we were a respected clan, before…" His expression darkened. "Before the Chen Clan started taking our lands."
Kai felt the weight of this body's memories trickle into his mind, faint and blurry like half-remembered dreams. The Shen Clan—a once-proud cultivation family, now dwindling, barely holding onto a few spirit farms. His "father," the Patriarch, was bedridden from old injuries. Kai had been arrogant, prideful, and eager to prove himself in duels.
And he lost. A lot.
Kai let out a long breath. "Right. Shen Clan. Got it."
[System Notice: Main Quest Unlocked.]
A glowing blue screen appeared in front of his eyes, startling him so much he nearly fell over.
Main Quest: Revive the Shen Clan
Objective 1: Defeat Chen Hao in an official duel.
Objective 2: Increase Shen Clan Influence to Rank C.
Reward: +500 System Points, Unlock [Desire Resonance: Tier 1]
Failure: Death of Host. Dissolution of Shen Clan.
Kai stared. "...That's… a lot of pressure for someone who just woke up in a new body."
[Recommendation: Begin cultivation immediately. Current strength level: Mortal 3rd Stage. Insufficient to win future duels.]
The boy was staring at him worriedly. "Young Master, are you… are you sure you're alright?"
Kai forced a grin. "Better than alright. I think it's time we change a few things around here."
The boy looked startled but then nodded eagerly.
Later that evening, Kai sat cross-legged in what apparently was his personal courtyard. The Shen Clan compound was quiet, its once-proud walls chipped and weathered. There were only a handful of servants left.
He closed his eyes, trying to sense the "Qi" in the air, like the memories of this body told him to.
[Warning: Qi Absorption Rate: 15% Efficiency. Recommend unlocking Dual Cultivation Function for accelerated growth.]
Kai opened one eye. "Dual cultivation… you mean sex, don't you?"
[Affirmative. Host must form spiritual and physical connections with compatible partners to unlock Desire Resonance.]
Kai groaned. "Of course. Of course that's my cheat ability. Figures I get reincarnated with a horny system."
[Correction: This System is efficient, not horny. Emotional bonds and intimacy are statistically the fastest way to generate synergistic Qi.]
"Sure. Let's call it that."
Just as he was about to meditate again, a voice called from outside.
"Young Master Kai? Are you awake?"
It was a woman's voice. Soft, melodic.
Kai stood, sliding the door open. Standing there was a girl in her late teens, dressed in a simple light blue robe. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail, and her eyes were bright and sharp.
She bowed slightly. "Young Master, I brought you your medicine."
Kai's inherited memories whispered her name—Lian, the daughter of the Shen Clan's physician. She had always looked after him, even when he had been rude and impatient.
Kai smiled, genuinely this time. "Thanks, Lian. You didn't have to come personally."
She blinked at him, surprised. "Oh… you're being polite today."
Kai winced. "Was I really that bad before?"
Lian hesitated, then gave a tiny smile. "Let's just say… you weren't known for your good temper."
Kai took the medicine and drank it in one gulp. "Then I guess it's time I fixed that."
She looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. "Good. Because the clan needs you now more than ever."
Kai's expression grew serious. "Then I won't let them down again."
Somewhere deep inside, the System pulsed, almost approvingly.
[Affinity with Target: +5. Potential Dual Cultivation Partner Identified.]
Kai nearly choked. "What—hey, don't call her a 'target'!"
[Clarification: 'Target' is a System term for potential partner. Do you wish to rename category?]
Kai rubbed his temples. "Yes. Call them… companions."
[Category updated.]
Lian tilted her head. "Young Master?"
Kai forced a smile. "Nothing. Just… making plans."
That night, under the twin moons, Kai sat again in meditation. This time, his heart was steady.
"Alright, System," he whispered. "Let's do this your way. We'll get stronger. We'll save this clan. And if that means dual cultivating with powerful women, well… guess I'll just have to make them fall for me first."
The System chimed.
[New Sub-Quest: Make First Companion Blush.]
Reward: +10 System Points
Kai grinned. "Oh, this is going to be fun."