Harem Stealing System-Chapter 30: Wierd Target

After some more back-and-forth, Crysty eventually left, leaving Eiden alone in the park again. As for Lyra she didn’t show herself from behind the wall. Probably because he had said that embarrassing cliché crap earlier.

Still... he didn’t regret it.

Not only had it been genuine, but it also helped him reach 100% on Lyra’s quest. Totally worth the cringe. After a while, Eiden checked his surroundings, made sure no other surprises were lurking, and finally left the park. It was already late, so he went straight home. He didn’t bother checking his quest spoils he figured he’d deal with it in the morning. With a small, almost smug grin tugging at the corners of his lips, he collapsed on his bed and lay on his back, momentarily forgetting he’d almost gotten punched in the face earlier. Sleep came faster than he expected.

Morning.

Eiden shot up from his bed as if jolted by an electric shock. He sat up straight like a soldier woken by their superior, eyes wide with excitement and urgency. "System-chan! Ding! Show me everything!"

[Status Screen]

Name: Eiden

Gender: Male

Level: 3

EXP: 30

Strength: 15

Speed: 17

Intelligence: 25

Charm: 7

Skills:

Soothing Voice

Face Master

Harem Count: 1

Skill Points: 5

Active Quests:

Lyra Quest – Completed

Mika Quest – 50%

Arin Quest – 57%

Eiden’s eyes glimmered with satisfaction as he scanned the updated stats. His lips curled into a victorious grin.

"Nice... progress." He then turned his attention to the new skill listed. "Hey System-chan, what exactly does Face Master do?"

Ding!

"Face Master is a passive skill that allows precise control over facial expressions. It enables the user to transition seamlessly between emotions such as switching from sadness to joy without arousing suspicion. You can exaggerate or suppress expressions at will, project an aura of intimidation, tranquility, or authority as desired. It’s especially effective in emotional manipulation and deception."

Eiden blinked. "Wait... so you’re telling me I can pull off a soft, serene expression even if I’m fuming inside? Or act shocked even if I’m completely unbothered?"

Ding!

"Exactly. You gain what people refer to as a ’two-faced’ ability. Poker face included." He nodded slowly, impressed. "Okay, that is way more useful than it sounds... Not a battle skill like I was hoping, but I can see this working wonders especially with girls. Being able to control subtle expressions in emotional moments... yeah, that’s definitely quest material."

He cracked his knuckles and grinned again.

"Alright, now about those 5 skill points... should I dump them into Intelligence?" He paused, tapping his chin. "Hmm... no, I should be smart about this. Use them wisely. What if... wait." His eyes lit up. "What if I increase my height? That’s always been one of my insecurities. Plus, it’ll help with speed, reach, even confidence." He tilted his head."System-chan, what’s the deal with height upgrades?"

Ding!

"Height increases similarly to Strength and Speed: over time. The cap is 8 feet. One skill point equals 0.1 feet, or about 1.2 inches. It takes 2 days for each change to fully assimilate." Eiden’s eyes widened. "Damn. Eight feet? That’s practically a basketball monster. I don’t need that much! I’d be satisfied at 6’2 or 6’3."

He looked down at himself. "Currently 5’8... so I need 2 points to get to 6’0. But a sudden change in four days might be suspicious... well, screw it. Who cares?" He pointed a finger dramatically upward. "Take two points and initiate the assimilation. Let’s go tall-boy mode."

Ding!

"Height increase acknowledged. You will reach 6’0 in 4 days. Remaining points: 3."

Eiden smirked. He remembered his friend John sometimes got attention from girls just by standing there, tall and relaxed. "Yeah... height matters. Let’s go evolution arc."

With his business settled, he got out of bed, washed up, and headed downstairs. Breakfast was ready and, as usual, he ate like a man training for a tournament. He then changed into his college clothes and stepped outside with a renewed spring in his step.

There was a subtle shift in his demeanor his walk was more confident, his posture straighter, his energy vibrant. For the first time in ages, he felt like he was ahead of life, not chasing it. He held his head high. Someone had feelings for him. He could technically get a girlfriend if he wanted. But he chose to be single for now. That thought filled him with a small, strange sense of pride. On the way to college, he didn’t see Sasha, nor any of his other friends. Odd... but not completely unheard of.

He reached the campus entrance sooner than usual. Upon arriving, he spotted Deuel, John, and Petter chatting in a corner. Harry wasn’t with them, for some reason. He walked up casually. As he got close, the others turned toward him.

Eiden locked eyes with Deuel. "Why’d you do that yesterday?" he asked flatly. "Last time I checked, you weren’t exactly the knight-in-shining-armor type."

Deuel smirked with that signature raised chin of his and replied, "What are friends for, Eiden? I’m not Harry. How could I let my homie get decked in front of a girl? That’d be a national tragedy." Eiden widened his eyes with mock emotion. He pressed his palms dramatically over his mouth.

"Deuel... oh my God. Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m such a happy person to have a friend like you. How can I possibly repay this favor...?" He leaned in. "...Should I give you my lips? They’ve never been touched."

He puckered slightly and moved toward Deuel’s face. Instant reaction. "YO! WHAT THE F*CK, BRO?!" Deuel shouted, jumping back like he’d been electrocuted.

"Hell no, man! What the actual ?! Goosebumps all over!" Eiden burst out laughing. "HAHAHA! Look at you! Ahahah oh man, your face!"

Petter and John both stared at him with unreadable expressions. Eiden caught it.

"What? Why’re you all looking at me like that?" John narrowed his eyes. "Are you... gay or something?" Eiden frowned. "What the hell? It was clearly a joke. You guys are reading too deep into this."

The three exchanged glances. Deuel muttered, "Then why did that feel so genuine? I mean seriously, what the hell, dude? My entire spine lit up." Eiden paused. Wait...

Could it be? "System-chan, was that Face Master just now?"

Ding!

"Yes. Face Master is a passive skill. It’s always active, unlike Soothing Voice."

"Ah crap... So that’s why it hit different. I should keep my expressions in check from now on..." lHe scratched his head awkwardly and laughed. "It’s just a joke, okay? Not that deep." The others slowly nodded, chuckling it off and letting the moment pass.

Ding!

New Target Acquired.

Eiden blinked.

"Huh?" His eyes darted instinctively, following the faint glowing arrow that had appeared in his vision. It hovered a few meters away pointing toward a girl walking by. She was... short. Really short.

Looked like 4’5 at most. Her petite stature made her seem almost childlike, though her posture and expression hinted otherwise. Her face was undeniably cute big round eyes, fluffy twin braids, soft cheeks. She wore the school uniform in a slightly oversized style, which made her seem even smaller. The arrow pointed right at her head

Beneath it floated her name:

Target: Airie Balerr

Harem Owner: Eva Marvelle

"...HUH?!" Eiden’s eyes bulged. "A girl... has a harem?" His jaw almost dropped but due to his new passive skill everything happened inwardly and on the outside he had an unfazed expression.

"Wait... does this mean..." His pupils shrank.

"...Is my target a lesbian?!" He froze.

"My next quest is to steal a girl from another girl’s harem?! What the actual ?!"

He stood there, dumbfounded, brain cells collectively stuttering. "This system is really not holding back anymore..."

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