Li Wei woke up to chaos.
And not the usual kind—like an explosion from Lana Qi's lab or Mei Ling kicking down a dummy. No, this was chaos of an entirely new kind.
Yue Xiaolan and Lana Qi were arguing in the courtyard.
Loudly.
"I told you to stop installing tech bombs under the training floor!" Yue snapped, glaring icy daggers.
"And I told you to stop slicing holes in my wiring with that ice toothpick you call a sword!" Lana snapped back, hands on hips, her goggles flashing red.
"You could've vaporized the whole dojo."
"I calibrated it for 6% blowback!"
Li groaned, sitting up from his sleeping mat. "System... status."
Li Wei – Level 15 Martial Cultivator
Charisma: 27
Fate-Bound Count: 3
Mood Modifier: Flustered Hero (Active)Effect: All romantic interactions +5 awkward charm.
He facepalmed. "That's not helpful."
Training Begins
Later that morning, Sensei watched Li's warmup with a deeper frown than usual.
"You've gotten stronger," he said. "But strength without emotional control is still a blunt blade."
Li wiped his forehead. "You're talking about the girls."
"I'm talking about yourself," Sensei replied sharply. "Power draws attention. Fame breeds danger. And you now have three martial prodigies orbiting you."
"They're not orbiting me—"
"Are you sure?"
The day's training routine was brutal:
500 push-ups while balancing on logs.
Ice-resistance meditation with Yue Xiaolan (who insisted he sit shirtless in a frozen stream).
Explosive sprint drills using Lana's shock-band bracelet.
Soft-pressure nerve realignment under Shen Ruo's care.
It was like being trained by angels and assassins at once.
System Update
That evening, as the dojo quieted, the system buzzed in Li's mind.
New System Trait: Shared Destiny Activated
When training with a Fate-Touched woman, both host and partner gain double progression points.
Warning: Emotional fluctuations between partners may create unintended skill overlaps or resonance.
Li blinked. "Wait… skill resonance?"
[Bond Event Triggered]
Yue Xiaolan: Cold Moon Tempering Ritual
"You've improved," Yue said after evening sparring.
He rubbed his sore shoulder. "Barely survived that last flurry."
"Then you're ready for something advanced," she said, handing him a folded parchment. "A dual cultivation technique."
Li's eyes widened. "Wait—what kind of cultivation?"
"Not that kind, idiot," she muttered, a faint pink brushing her pale cheeks. "This is a Moon Qi Tempering Technique. With a compatible partner, it enhances internal control and elemental resistance."
Li relaxed. Slightly.
They began at midnight, back to back in the courtyard, sharing breath, synchronizing pulse and energy.
Cold mist enveloped them. Qi spiraled. The system glowed.
Skill Resonance Detected: Dual Elemental Flow
- Increases elemental resistance and synchronicity with partner.
Yue opened her eyes, surprised. "Our breathing matched... too easily."
Li's ears went red.
[Bond Event Triggered]
Lana Qi: Overdrive Synchronization Test
The next day, Lana forced him into a metallic exo-suit she'd built using fragments of his old broken training pads.
"This baby amplifies kinetic movement and system outputs. You're gonna LOVE it."
He definitely didn't love it when it shocked his back mid-sprint.
But later, when he helped recalibrate her stabilizers, their fingers brushed over a core crystal. A pulse ran through them both.
The system pinged.
Skill Resonance Detected: Combat Sync Link
- Once per fight, both parties may react to danger simultaneously with +30% reaction time.
Lana blinked. "We synced. That's... rare."
"I think you just like grabbing my wrist during calibration."
She flushed. "You wish!"
[Bond Event Triggered]
Shen Ruo: Heart-Recovery Touch
On the third evening, Li trained too hard again and collapsed during chi-channeling.
Shen Ruo arrived quietly, placing a hand over his heart.
But this time, the healing was different.
It wasn't just soothing. It was resonating. Their heartbeats aligned, the pulse of her energy looping through his.
A system window appeared without a sound.
Skill Resonance Detected: Pulse of Restoration
*- Passive: HP Regen +10% when near Shen Ruo.
Emotional trigger may boost ally healing.*
When he came to, her hand was still on his chest.
She smiled softly. "You're pushing yourself too hard."
He tried to joke, but his voice cracked. "I've got three martial queens breathing down my neck. Can you blame me?"
Her smile deepened. "That's your karma."
The Brewing Storm
But outside the warmth of the dojo, darkness stirred.
A message spread through the underground forums:
SYSTEM HOLDER IDENTIFIED: LI WEICURRENT LEVEL: 15+STATUS: Growing Too FastLOCATION: CITY DISTRICT 5
CONTRACT BOUNTY: 100,000 CREDITSTARGET: ALIVE OR BROKEN
Across rooftops, shadows stirred. Cloaked martial assassins, rogue sect hunters, and bounty chasers began to move.
Li Wei was no longer just a rising martial artist.
He was a target.
Final Night: Sparks of Jealousy
Mei Ling confronted him outside the dojo wall.
"You've changed," she said quietly.
He blinked. "You mean the girls?"
"No," she said. "You. You walk taller. You smile less. You think more before you speak. You're becoming… someone else."
"Is that bad?"
She paused. "No. Just… don't forget who you were."
Before he could respond, Yue appeared at the top of the stairs. Shen Ruo exited from the clinic wing. Lana shouted from the back with a power cell in one hand.
All eyes turned to him.
Mei Ling's gaze lingered one second longer than it should have.
"I'll be watching," she said. Then she walked away.
System Notification:
Warning: Rival Affection Lines Detected.
Three Fate-Bound Resonances Active.One Non-Bound Individual (Mei Ling) shows emotional conflict.
Your journey as a Harem Empire Protagonist is now irreversible.
New Title Gained: "The Magnet of Mayhem"Passive Effect: -15% stealth; +25% attention from girls, enemies, and plot devices.
Li Wei sat on the dojo steps that night, staring at the sky.
The stars didn't look peaceful anymore.
They looked like knives waiting to fall.
And he was ready.