Ch.79 : The Goddess of Love

Nighttime, in Nic's room.

He sat by the window, lazily feeding crumbs to his crow while gazing at the stars above. Everything was peaceful. Quiet. Almost too quiet.

Then suddenly—

"Ugh… my head..."

Nic clutched his temples, a sharp pain rushing through his skull. "What the... why am I getting dizzy all of a sudden…?"

He barely had time to think before his body gave out, collapsing onto the bed. His eyes closed, and in seconds—he blacked out.

---

When Nic opened his eyes again, he wasn't on his bed.

He was floating... in a vast, endless space. No floor. No ceiling. No sky. Just a surreal void—weightless, directionless.

"Huh...? Where... am I?"

His voice echoed around him.

Suddenly—

"HAHAHAHAHA\~!"

A thunderous laugh shook the very fabric of the skyless space. The white mist surrounding Nic twisted and coiled, converging into a massive form.

The clouds took shape—forming a colossal woman clad in a shimmering royal robe, adorned with golden-pink hearts and a divine glow. Her beauty was unreal, her smile playful, and her eyes sharp with mischief.

"Yoohoo~ We finally meet, Mr. Love."

Nic immediately braced himself, despite not knowing what he could even do here.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Me? Oh, I'm… let's just say… the one in charge of your lovely little love system, hehe\m~" the goddess giggled, floating closer with elegance.

Nic's expression tensed. "So... you're the Goddess of Love?"

She nodded and let out a light laugh. "Yup. The most dazzling Goddess of Love in the divine realms—way prettier than the Goddess of Beauty, by the way, ahaha~!"

Nic sighed. "Alright then… let's cut to the chase. Why am I here?"

The goddess pouted and raised an eyebrow. "Tsk. So cold. No small talk? No 'how are you, beautiful celestial being'?"

"For what," Nic replied flatly.

"Geez, so heartless. Okay, fine. How about this—do you want to know who owned the love system before you?"

Nic immediately thought back to that day in the dusty school storeroom—the mysterious phone that started everything. It had always felt too strange to be just coincidence.

"…Yeah. I want to know."

Her smile widened. "Are you sure? Or… are you suuure~?"

Nic smirked back. "Hmm, on second thought, skip. Not that important."

"EHH?! Rude!" she huffed. "Whatever, I'm telling you anyway. So listen up, okay?"

---

Long before you, the love system belonged to a man named Edward.

He wasn't special. Just a normal teacher who eventually became principal of a school his father built. But one thing made him different—he was deeply lonely.

In the world you live in, hardly anyone believed in gods or anything mystical. Everything was dismissed as myth, superstition, or fantasy.

But Edward believed.

He believed that somewhere out there, divine beings were watching. And that maybe, just maybe, one of them might listen.

Year after year, he lived alone. He'd loved before, but it had never been returned. Over time, he became a joke to his colleagues. "Mr. Forever Alone," "Lord of Loneliness," and so on.

Still, he never got angry. Instead, he prayed. Every night. To me.

He begged, sincerely. Whispered to the stars. Hoped someone—anyone—would hear.

And finally... I did.

I sent him the phone—the love system—directly to his home. But I didn't give him love directly. I wanted him to choose it.

When he opened the package, he was stunned. Suspicious, sure. But when he turned it on and saw the system activate, he didn't hesitate to believe.

The girl he had long admired? She returned his feelings instantly.

Edward was happy… for the first time in his life.

---

But that happiness didn't last.

The love system evolved. Every week, new skills. New features. Gifts. Temptations.

And with each feature came a price—mental exhaustion, communication breakdowns, sudden jealousy.

Edward ignored it all. He grew addicted. Started using the system on other women, even without proper intent.

Eventually... the girl he once loved found out and left him.

That's when he realized—he had become a slave to the system.

Broken, but determined, he made one final decision. He left the love system behind.

It wasn't easy. But he had willpower. I respected that. I let him go.

But... I didn't let him walk away completely.

There was one condition: he couldn't destroy the phone. He had to hide it somewhere.

Destroying it would have cursed him beyond saving.

So out of guilt, he hid it in the storage room of Solis Academy—where he worked as principal. Hoping someone else, someone worthy... might one day distract the Goddess of Love from him.

---

And that someone… was you.

Nic listened silently. "So… Edward… my own principal… used to be the system's user?"

"Yup~ And he still watches over you. But don't worry, he won't interfere."

Nic paused, eyes narrowing. "Alright. So why bring me here?"

The goddess's smile turned soft, her eyes glowing mysteriously.

"Because you… are not just a user. You're smart. You learn fast. You're brave. You're creative. And you're not afraid of love."

She drifted closer, her tone serious.

"And I want you… to become the God of Harem."

Nic froze.

"God… of Harem?"

She nodded slowly, then smiled even deeper.

"And… save me."

"Why would I save you?" Nic crossed his arms. "What's your problem, exactly?"

The massive goddess reclined atop a throne-shaped cloud, her expression surprisingly weary.

"Do you realize… where we are?"

Nic shook his head.

"I'm in prison," she whispered.

"What?" Nic blinked. "Prison? Why?"

The goddess sighed, lying back. "Gods aren't allowed to directly interfere with humans. Our job is to make systems, create luck, guide fate… but never meddle."

"But you broke that rule?"

She nodded with a mischievous grin. "Yup. I pitied someone."

"Edward," Nic said immediately.

"Correct! Poor, lonely Edward," she smiled wistfully. "He believed in me. So... I did the unthinkable. I tore a piece of my core—my divine essence—and turned it into the love system. Then snuck it into his life."

"You're reckless," Nic muttered.

"But he failed," her voice dropped. "He became obsessed. Lost himself. Eventually abandoned the system. And because I tampered with human fate… I lost my balance."

Her body shimmered faintly as she stood, arms spread wide.

"I was dragged into this Sky Prison. And I can't escape unless someone reaches the peak of my system… and sets me free."

"And that's… me?"

"Yes!" she pointed with flair. "You're not like Edward. You master the system. You feel it. You bend it your way. You're clever, a little shady, but charming~"

Nic grinned. "So being a Harem God… is part of a mission to rescue you?"

"Exactly! You'll need to conquer four different worlds," she explained. "This modern world, then a fantasy world, a cultivation world, and finally… the divine realm itself. Each level boosts your rank."

"From regular guy, to Harem Prince, then King, then Emperor, and finally…"

"Harem God!" she declared, raising her arms. The clouds behind her lit up in golden letters: HAREM GOD.

Nic nodded slowly, trying not to laugh at the flashy title.

But before he could speak again, the goddess began fading. Light particles peeled off her body.

"Whoa—wait, what's happening to you?!"

"Oh… forgot," she muttered. "Our time's limited here."

She hurriedly raised her hand and sent a soft glow into Nic's chest. "This isn't power. It's a mission. It'll be added to your system. Check it later."

"Got any last words?" she asked, still half-fading but grinning brightly.

Nic smirked. "I like you, Goddess of Love."

And with a sly, calm voice, he added:

"Also, Love Shoot."

"WH—!?" Her eyes widened—

But it was too late. She vanished completely into the mist of her celestial prison.

---

Nic shot up in bed, panting.

"Holy crap…"

He quickly opened the system panel—and sure enough, a new mission tab had appeared.

But first, he checked something else.

Affection Status.

And right there… among the list of girls hit by his skills…

💖 Goddess of Love — Affection Level: 20%

Nic chuckled to himself. "Heh. Got her."

"The goddess of love… falling for me?"

---

High above, in the cloud prison, the goddess sat hugging her knees, trembling.

"...No way… no way… no way…"

Her hand clutched her chest, heart racing—not with romance, but dread.

"He actually pierced through me…"

She looked up at the pale sky of her prison, breath uneven.

This wasn't just about feelings. Or attraction.

It was about something far deeper.

Fear.

"If he can already use my skill… if he keeps growing at this pace…"

She bit her lip.

"Will he follow the path I set… or will he break free from it entirely…?"

She closed her eyes.

For the first time in ages…

The Goddess of Love felt scared.

To be continued...