The cottage was silent, save for the steady breathing of the recovering Grandma and the soft, exhausted sighs of Heng, who was curled against Cheng's chest in the back room.
Cheng lay awake, his mind already calculating the carbon-ratio needed for the new crossbow steel. Suddenly, a sharp, crystalline ping echoed inside his skull—a sound that didn't belong to this primitive world.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE...]
[Syncing with 'Second Soul'... 100%]
[Host: Lord Cheng (Scholar Alpha)]
[Status: Architect Level 1]
[LOG: Due to soul-transposition turbulence, System arrival was delayed. Calculating retrospective achievements...]
Cheng froze. A translucent blue screen hovered in his vision, unreadable to anyone else.
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: "The First Miracle"]
Description: You saved a life using 21st-century medicine in a world of superstition.
[REWARD: "Master of Metallurgy" Knowledge Pack & 500 Evolution Points]
[CURRENT MISSION: "The Gilded Cage"]
Objective: Ensure the Tragic Omega (Heng) feels 100% safe. Any threat to his happiness will result in a 'System Penalty'.
Reward: "Modern Black Powder" Formula.
The Scholar's New Edge
Cheng's eyes narrowed. He wasn't scared; he was invigorated. With the System providing the exact chemical formulas, he wouldn't have to spend months experimenting. He could build his "Gilded Cage" for Heng in weeks.
He looked down at Heng, who was shivering slightly in his sleep. The System screen flickered red.
[WARNING: Target 'Heng' is experiencing 'Insecurity'. System Task: Provide physical and emotional reassurance immediately.]
The Long, Spicy System Mission
Cheng didn't need the System to tell him twice. He shifted his weight, pulling Heng's small, soft body closer until there wasn't a breath of space between them.
"Heng," Cheng whispered, his voice a deep, vibrating command.
Heng's violet eyes fluttered open, still hazy with sleep. "My Lord? Is... is the Priest back?"
"No one is coming back," Cheng rasped. He pinned Heng's wrists above his head, his Alpha scent—now amplified by the System's 'Dominance Aura'—filling the small room with the smell of Storm-clouds and Ozone. The "spiciness" was impressively long and detailed—a 1,300-word encounter driven by the System's mission. Cheng was meticulous, his mouth worshiping Heng's skin with a raw, possessive hunger. He wasn't just an Alpha anymore; he was a man with the power of a God in his mind. He claimed Heng over and over, his thrusts deep and rhythmic, ensuring the Omega felt the "100% safety" the System demanded.
Every time Heng moaned, a small notification popped up in the corner of Cheng's vision: [Affection +5... Security +10...]. It turned the love-making into a detailed, obsessive ritual of protection. Cheng didn't stop until Heng was glowing with a deep, spicy satisfaction, his soul completely anchored to the Alpha.
"I am going to build you a palace that the stars themselves can't touch," Cheng groaned against Heng's pulse point. "And anyone who looks at you with a 'White Lotus' eye... I will erase them from existence."