Pain came first.
Not the sharp kind.Not the clean kind.
It was the dull, suffocating pain of a body that had already given up.
Ren felt like he was sinking—dragged downward through thick, freezing water. Sounds were muffled. Thoughts slipped through his fingers. Somewhere far away, people were shouting, but their voices felt irrelevant, as if they belonged to a different life.
A different world.
That thought snapped something into place.
Ren opened his eyes.
Gray stone greeted him. Cracked tiles. The scent of blood, iron-heavy and unmistakable. His body lay sprawled across a cold training arena, ribs screaming in protest every time he drew a breath.
And standing above him—
"Still breathing?" a young man sneered.
Robes of white and blue fluttered in the breeze. Sect insignia embroidered in silver thread. A genius disciple, if Ren's fragmented memories were correct.
The crowd surrounding the arena laughed.
"He really thought he could challenge Senior Brother Zhou?"
"What did you expect from a trash extra with broken meridians?"
Extra.
The word echoed in Ren's mind—and then the memories slammed into him all at once.
This body wasn't his.
This world wasn't Earth.
He had transmigrated.
Ren Vale—no, this Ren Vale—was a nobody even by nobody standards.
The lowest servant-blooded disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. No backing. No talent. Meridians so damaged that cultivation was laughable. In the original story, this version of Ren had existed for exactly three paragraphs before being beaten half to death and quietly disposed of.
A narrative casualty.
Fodder.
His chest tightened.
So that's it? I die again?
Senior Brother Zhou lifted his foot and pressed it down on Ren's sternum, grinding slowly.
"Let this be a lesson," Zhou said calmly. "Know your place."
Something inside Ren stirred.
Not rage.
Not heroism.
Fear.
Cold, primal fear.
I don't want to die.
And then—
"Detecting anomalous soul integration…"
The voice did not come from outside.
It came from within.
Ren's pupils shrank.
"Compatibility confirmed.""Sin Sovereign System initializing…"
The world froze.
Literally.
Zhou's foot hovered inches above Ren's chest, locked mid-motion. The jeering disciples became statues, mouths twisted in mid-laughter. Even the wind stilled, strands of cloth suspended unnaturally in the air.
Ren's heart thundered.
A system? Now?
A translucent interface unfolded before his eyes—dark gold, etched with elegant, dangerous runes.
"Sin Sovereign System"
Host Status:Name: Ren ValeCultivation: NoneMeridians: ShatteredFate Value: NegligibleDesire Index: Dormant
Evaluation:Host existence deemed insignificant.Correction required.
Ren swallowed.
"What… kind of system are you?" he whispered.
The interface pulsed.
"This system governs Sin as Authority.""Desire is strength. Attraction is leverage. Obsession is dominion."
A line of text appeared beneath it, almost… amused.
"Do you wish to survive?"
Ren didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The response came instantly.
"Survival condition accepted.""Emergency Directive: Rewrite Host Position."
Suddenly, heat flooded his chest. Not the violent surge of qi he'd heard cultivators describe—but something subtler. Warmer. It spread through his limbs like liquid fire, knitting sensation back into nerves he hadn't realized were numb.
Another line appeared.
"Initial Sin Path Unlocked: Desire"
Ren frowned. "Desire?"
The system didn't explain.
It demonstrated.
Time resumed.
Zhou's foot slammed down—
—and stopped.
Eyes widened.
"What?"
Zhou frowned, pressing harder, but it felt like stepping on steel. Ren's body hadn't changed physically, yet an invisible resistance pushed back.
Ren looked up.
For the first time, he met Zhou's eyes.
And smiled.
It wasn't arrogant.
It wasn't confident.
It was calm.
Unsettlingly calm.
Something flickered in Zhou's chest—an irrational irritation, sharp and sudden.
Ren didn't know it yet, but the system recorded it instantly.
"Emotional fluctuation detected.""Target irritation qualifies as minor Desire response.""Reward: Constitution +1"
Warmth surged again.
Zhou stepped back, unsettled. "You—"
Ren rolled to his feet.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"How is he standing?"
"Didn't his ribs break?"
Ren himself was surprised. His body still hurt—but it no longer felt fragile. The pain was muted, controlled, as if something had layered itself beneath his skin.
Zhou scowled, embarrassed. "You think this changes anything?"
He raised his hand, qi swirling.
Before he could strike—
A shadow fell across the arena.
"Enough."
The voice was cool. Female.
Instant silence.
Ren turned.
She stood at the edge of the platform, robes white as fresh snow, long black hair cascading down her back. Her presence alone lowered the temperature, frost gathering faintly at her feet.
The Ice Saintess of Azure Cloud Sect.
One of the main heroines of the original story.
Someone who was never supposed to look at Ren twice.
Her gaze fell on him.
For a single heartbeat, her eyes lingered.
Ren felt it like a ripple in the air.
Curiosity.
Barely there. Fleeting.
But the system screamed.
"High-Value Target detected.""Emotional deviation: Curiosity (0.3%)""Warning: Target purity classification—Extreme"
Then, almost gleefully—
"Potential rewards: Catastrophic"
Ren's breath hitched.
The saintess spoke again. "The match is over. You've made your point, Zhou."
Zhou clenched his jaw but bowed. "Yes, Senior Sister."
As the crowd dispersed, the saintess turned to leave—
—and paused.
She glanced back at Ren once more.
Their eyes met.
Her brows furrowed slightly, as if confused by something she couldn't name.
Then she was gone.
Ren exhaled slowly.
"Desire Index activated.""Host influence rating: Minimal but unstable."
Ren sat down hard on the stone, heart racing.
"That was… her," he murmured.
"Correct."
"What just happened to me?"
The interface shifted.
"You were insignificant.""Now you are noticed."
Ren stared at the glowing words.
"And the cost?"
A pause.
Then—
"This system rewards imbalance.""Restraint reduces efficiency.""Suppressed desire stagnates growth."
Below it, a new notification appeared.
"Main Quest Unlocked"Survive the Sect"Condition: Accumulate Desire ResponsesFailure: Death
Ren laughed—quietly, incredulously.
"So I get stronger… by being wanted?"
"By being desired."
His smile faded into something sharper.
Outside the arena, disciples whispered his name for the first time—not in mockery, but confusion.
From a pavilion high above, unseen eyes watched with interest.
Ren Vale—trash extra, broken disciple—leaned back against the cold stone and looked up at the sky.
This world had rules.
The system had just given him permission to break them.
And somewhere deep inside, something dangerous stirred—not lust, not greed, but certainty.
If desire truly ruled this world…
Then he would climb to the very top of it.
Ren didn't realize how loud a cultivation sect could be until he became its topic.
Whispers followed him the moment he limped out of the training arena.
"…he stood up.""…Zhou couldn't move him.""…the Ice Saintess looked at him."
That last one carried weight.
Ren kept his head down, breathing steadily as he crossed the stone courtyard toward the outer disciple quarters. His body still ached, but it was a managed ache—contained, dampened, like pain was being filtered before reaching his mind.
Every step felt… sturdier.
"Passive reinforcement sustained.""Desire Path stabilization: 3%"
Ren didn't respond out loud. He'd learned quickly that talking to a glowing interface only he could see might draw unwanted attention.
"Alright," he muttered internally. Explain.
The dark-gold interface bloomed open again, runes scrolling smoothly as if it had been waiting.
"Sin Sovereign System – Basic Doctrine"
Desire is an observable force.Emotion is energy.Attraction is leverage.
Host absorbs ambient Desire responses from targets.Purity, restraint, and repression amplify yield.
Ren slowed.
"Wait. Purity amplifies it?"
"Correct.""The more forbidden the desire, the higher the conversion rate."
Ren grimaced. "That sounds… dangerous."
The system pulsed faintly.
"All growth is dangerous."
Fair enough.
Ren reached the outer disciple quarters—low stone buildings arranged in uneven rows, far removed from the inner sect's pristine pavilions. This was where failures lingered until they quit… or disappeared.
His room was as he remembered: narrow bed, cracked window, a single flickering spirit lamp. Nothing of value.
Except now, he supposed, himself.
Ren sat on the edge of the bed and exhaled slowly.
"So I don't cultivate qi the normal way."
"Negative.""Traditional cultivation incompatible with Host meridians."
Ren winced. "Figures."
"Alternative method supplied."
A new panel appeared.
"Sin Cultivation – Desire Path"
Primary Growth Sources:• Emotional tension• Curiosity• Attraction• Jealousy• Obsession
Preferred Targets:• High-status individuals• Suppressed desire profiles• Fate-linked heroines
Ren stared at the last line.
"…You're telling me to farm the main cast."
"Narrative density increases yield."
Ren snorted softly. "Of course it does."
He leaned back against the wall, eyes closing briefly. Images flashed in his mind unbidden—the Ice Saintess's calm gaze, the pause before she turned away, that faint crease between her brows.
She hadn't looked at him like trash.
She'd looked at him like a question.
"Residual Curiosity detected.""Passive conversion ongoing."
Warmth stirred in his core again.
Ren opened his eyes.
"I'm getting stronger just by existing in her thoughts?"
"Correct.""Distance does not negate emotional persistence."
A chill crawled up his spine.
This wasn't a normal cheat.
This was a loaded weapon.
A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts.
Ren stiffened.
No one knocked on his door.
He stood, posture cautious, and opened it a crack.
A young woman stood outside—outer disciple robes, sword at her waist, dark hair tied in a practical braid. Sharp eyes. Assessing. Alert.
"Ren Vale?" she asked.
"Yes."
She glanced around, then met his eyes again. "Senior Sister Lian wants to see you."
Ren blinked.
Senior Sister Lian.
An inner disciple. An elite. Someone who should not know his name.
"What for?" he asked carefully.
Her lips pressed thin. "I wasn't told."
Ren hesitated.
"Opportunity detected.""Target Lian – latent suspicion, mild interest""Proceed?"
Interest? Ren thought. From what?
He nodded. "Lead the way."
As they walked through the sect's winding paths, Ren noticed things he hadn't before.
Lingering glances. Conversations cutting off mid-sentence. Disciples pretending not to stare.
His presence felt… heavier.
"Minor Desire emissions detected.""Sources: curiosity, uncertainty"
"This is ridiculous," Ren muttered internally. "They don't desire me. They're just confused."
"Confusion is a precursor state."
He didn't like how confident the system sounded.
They arrived at a secluded training pavilion. Inside stood Senior Sister Lian—a tall woman with sharp features and crimson-lined robes, arms crossed, eyes like drawn blades.
She looked Ren up and down.
"So," she said, "you're the outer disciple who embarrassed Zhou."
Ren inclined his head. "That wasn't my intention."
"That's worse," she replied flatly. "It implies you didn't try."
Ren met her gaze calmly.
"I tried not to die."
Something flickered in her eyes.
Amusement? Annoyance?
"Emotional fluctuation detected.""Attraction not confirmed.""Yield minimal."
Senior Sister Lian circled him slowly.
"Your records say you can't cultivate," she said. "Yet you resisted a qi-infused strike."
Ren shrugged. "Maybe the records were wrong."
She stopped in front of him.
"Maybe," she agreed. "Or maybe you found a different way."
Silence stretched.
Then she smiled faintly. "Interesting."
"Curiosity spike detected.""Reward: Mental Fortitude +1"
Ren felt his thoughts sharpen slightly, as if fog had lifted.
Senior Sister Lian gestured to the door. "You're dismissed—for now. Don't disappoint me."
As Ren left, her gaze lingered on his back.
He didn't miss it.
By the time night fell, Ren understood one thing very clearly:
The sect no longer ignored him.
Inside his room, he sat cross-legged—not cultivating, but listening. To the hum of the spirit lamp. To the distant wind. To the steady, unnatural warmth pulsing beneath his ribs.
"What happens if I don't… engage?" he asked.
The system responded immediately.
"Desire accumulation below threshold triggers stagnation.""Extended stagnation triggers punishment."
Ren stiffened. "Punishment?"
A red-gold icon blinked into existence.
"System Warning"
Unexpressed Desire DetectedSeverity: Low (Escalating)
Possible Corrections:• Forced proximity events• Emotional backlash• Sensory amplification
Ren swallowed.
"You're telling me if I hold back, you'll push?"
"Balance must be maintained."
Ren laughed softly, a sound halfway between disbelief and excitement.
"So the world pressures me to desire… and punishes me if I don't."
"Correct."
He lay back on the bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
Outside, somewhere in the inner sect, the Ice Saintess paused mid-meditation, brows knitting together for reasons she couldn't explain.
Elsewhere, Senior Sister Lian poured tea, thoughts straying unexpectedly.
And Ren Vale—once a disposable extra—felt the first threads of an invisible web tightening around him.
Not because he chased power.
But because, slowly and inevitably…
Power was beginning to chase him.