The system voice started speaking as she said, "The Sexual Aura skill was actually a very good skill to have for someone like you."
I chewed on my rice, narrowed my eyes, and asked in my thought, "Don't just tell me it's good. Explain what it actually does."
She laughed, her tone playful. "Okay, okay. I'll explain."
After a pause, she continued. "Sexual Aura is a passive skill that affects people who've seen you in some kind of sexual way. For example, if someone peeks at you while you're bathing, masturbating, or even completely naked, that person will start thinking about you sexually. And the more they try to push away that image, the more impossible it becomes."
I nodded slowly, letting that sink in. "So… does it only apply to women? Because honestly, I don't even want to imagine some guy looking at me that way, let alone—ugh—sexually."
The voice chuckled again. "Don't worry. Since you're straight, the skill only applies to women. But—" her tone shifted, more serious now, "—there's something you need to be careful about. Remember how I said it's dangerous?"
I swallowed a mouthful of rice and nodded. "Yeah, I remember."
"Good." Her voice was calm, almost warning.
"The danger is this: whoever sees you—if they're a woman—and they see you in any sexual way, that image of you gets permanently etched into their memory. On the surface level. Which means… she may not be able to think about anyone else in that way."
"If you don't accept her, she could end up miserable for the rest of her life. That's why you can't go showing your body around just anyone. You could ruin their life without meaning to."
I stopped eating, staring blankly ahead like there was someone sitting in front of me. Then I let out a loud sigh. "Alright. Continue."
"Another thing about this skill", she said softly, "if you have sex with any woman, that woman will never be able to live without you—at least sexually. She might lose all interest in her partner, sexually of course. She might never feel satisfied with anyone except you. And, in many cases, she could outright become a nun if you refuse her. Her body will reject others entirely."
"What the—" I muttered, startled, nearly choking. "This is just getting more absurd the more you explain it. That's all, right?"
"No", she said, almost teasing, "there's more."
I rubbed my temple. "Oh, great. Go on."
She said with a little serious tone, "There's another effect. This one mostly applies to a woman's partner. If her boyfriend or husband sees you having sex with her, his emotions—anger, jealousy, heartbreak—can twist into desire. Lust. In some cases, he may even want to see more of it."
"And in the case of women… if they see you having sex with their partner, they might even join in, because as I said, Sexual Aura pushes women into lustful thoughts when they see you in sexual acts."
"Uh?" I whispered, blinking in disbelief. "That… sounds seriously fucked up."
"Of course it is", she replied lightly. "It's an SSS-rank skill for a reason. But you need to be careful. I don't want you to become the kind of man who ignores consequences. Think before you act."
I exhaled sharply. "Haah… Relax. I'm anything but irresponsible. Sure, I'm a horny guy, but I don't want to ruin anyone's life or carry that kind of baggage. I'd rather stay a decent person."
"That's good to hear", she said warmly. "I don't want you running around, screwing left and right, or stripping naked in public just to give aunties and grandmas new material for their lonely nights."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry. I don't even have the courage to go shirtless outside, forget about being naked."
She replied with chuckle, "Okay then."
The mood softened after that, and I finished my breakfast in silence. Once I was done, I washed my dish and went back upstairs. Sitting on my bed, I stared at the old boxy monitor on my desk.
"Alright", I thought, leaning back, "tell me the truth. What's the catch here? Why did I get something like this system? No way this is just random."
The voice grew thoughtful. "Honestly? It's mostly luck. Even I don't know the exact reason. But if you got something like this, it means something big is bound to happen in this world… and you're going to have to deal with it."
I sighed, slumping onto my bed. "Figures…"
"Was that all? That's everything about the system?"
"Well, yes. That's all about the system functions. But—" she paused, "—there is something else. Not a function, exactly. More like… a special thing. You'll receive what are called 'World tickets'."
My brow furrowed. "World Tickets?"
She replied, "Yes. For example, you already have one. It should be in your inventory right now—the ticket to the world of 'Dream of Desire'."
"Dream of Desire?" I murmured, opening my Inventory. The grid-like space was completely empty—except for one item. A golden ticket.
I thought about taking it out, and instantly, the ticket materialized in my hand. It gleamed faintly, "Dream of Desire" written across it in elegant brown cursive.
"Why didn't you mention this before, if it came with the system?" I asked.
She replied, "Because it isn't a system gift. It's a reward. You got it for unlocking the system. In the future, you might receive more… or maybe not. I honestly don't know."
"I see…" I muttered, staring at the golden ticket in my hand. Then curiosity got the better of me. I used Appraisal on it.
The glowing text immediately shifted, showing me more details about the ticket.
{--------------------------}
Object: World Ticket
Rank: Unique
Function: Grants spiritual entry into a chosen world. Allows infinite entry and exit without physical transfer. User will awaken in a compatible host body of their choice.
Target World: Dream of Desire
World Rank: C
{--------------------------}
As I looked at the glowing status window of the object, I squinted my eyes. "This world… is it the one I'm thinking about? The same 'Dream of Desire' I'm thinking of?"
The voice answered softly, almost amused. "Yeah. This is exactly the same world you're thinking about."
"Haah…" I let out a long sigh, feeling my shoulders sag. I thought about putting the ticket back into my inventory and, just like that, it disappeared from my hand in a shimmer of light.
"What's with this 'Rank of the Object' and 'Rank of the World' thing anyway?" I asked in my head, still staring at the empty space where the ticket had been.
"Rank of the world", she said patiently, "means the strongest potential the world can hold. Basically, it's a measure of the most powerful being that could exist in that world. This one, 'Dream of Desire' is relatively weak—only C-rank. Still far higher than your previous world, which barely reached E."
"I see…" I murmured to myself and then asked, "And the object rank?"
"Just like worlds, objects also have ranks", she explained. "They're ranked by how rare they are in the entire universe. Something that can be found everywhere is 'Common'. Then comes 'Uncommon,' then 'Rare,' then 'Special,' then 'Legendary,' then 'Mythical,' and finally 'Unique'."
I blinked at the word, rolling it in my head. "Unique… meaning one in existence, right?"
She replied, "Exactly. This World Ticket being 'Unique' means it's literally one of a kind. Far, far higher in level than anything else."
"I see…" I muttered again, letting out another sigh. My fingers absentmindedly brushed against the bedsheet as I leaned back into the mattress, trying to get more comfortable. "So this thing is really that rare, huh."
"Not exactly the ticket itself", she corrected gently. "World Tickets can exist in various ranks, starting from 'Special' and going upward. This one just happens to be 'Unique.' It's the rank that's rare, not the concept of a World Ticket itself."
I nodded silently at that, my head resting against the cool wall beside my bed. "Got it. Unique, C-ranked world. Understood."
A strange calm washed over me as I lay there. My life had changed, sure. But weirdly enough, it didn't feel that different. Everything had happened so quickly that I hadn't even had time to be shocked or surprised. Even finding myself in this world—different from my memories—barely registered.
Maybe it was the system messing with my head to keep me calm, or maybe I'd already accepted it on some level. Whatever the reason, I just didn't care anymore. If the system's making me not freak out for my own good, then whatever. I've already accepted it. Why fight it?
I closed my eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly as my hand dropped back to my side. My new life had already begun, whether I was ready for it or not, doesn't matter now.