My Taboo Harem System

Chapter 145: Objective

Denzel could barely keep himself still as he lay on the narrow bed, staring at the wooden ceiling above him. His mind refused to settle, thoughts endlessly circling around the same thing until he finally gave up on the idea of sleep. With a quiet sigh, he rolled onto his side before pushing himself upright, his gaze drifting toward the pale moonlight spilling through the window.

It had to have been around two hours since everyone had gone to bed.

By now, the entire house should have fallen silent.

Which meant...

This was the perfect chance to find out exactly what his new skill could do.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Without another moment of hesitation, Denzel climbed out of bed and quietly stepped into the hallway. The old wooden floor creaked beneath careless feet, but tonight he moved slowly enough that it barely made a sound. The only light came from the moon filtering through the windows, painting long silver streaks across the corridor.

His destination was Maria’s room.

However, as he passed Sophia’s door, his steps slowed.

He stopped outside and listened.

Silence.

Just to be sure, he leaned forward, pressing an ear lightly against the wood.

Nothing.

No movement.

No rustling beneath the blankets.

No sign that anyone was awake.

His expression became thoughtful.

Wouldn’t it be better if I tested it on Sophia instead?

The idea surfaced almost instinctively.

A grin spread across his face.

Besides... that would probably be far more satisfying, wouldn’t it?

Unable to resist his curiosity, he carefully nudged the door open just enough to peek inside.

The room was empty.

Moonlight streamed through the open window, illuminating an untouched bed and the quiet space around it. There wasn’t a single trace of Sophia.

Denzel stared for a brief second before letting out a quiet breath through his nose.

"As expected," he muttered to himself. "Not like I care anymore."

His fingers gently pushed the door shut once more.

"Hopefully tonight isn’t a complete waste. At the very least... I should be able to learn something useful."

With that, he turned away and continued down the hallway until he arrived outside Maria’s room.

This time, he didn’t hesitate.

He slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was dim, bathed in soft moonlight pouring through the curtains. Maria was fast asleep on her bed, dressed in her usual nightdress. The blanket that had once covered her neatly was now twisted into a messy bundle, clear evidence that she had spent much of the night rolling around in her sleep.

A small smile appeared on Denzel’s face as his gaze lingered on the sleeping girl.

He quietly closed the door behind him.

The soft click echoed through the otherwise silent room.

It was enough.

Maria’s breathing shifted almost immediately.

Her eyelashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened, still hazy with sleep. She blinked several times, trying to make sense of the figure standing near the door.

"...Huh?"

Her voice came out as a sleepy murmur.

"Denzel?"

She rubbed one eye, confusion gradually replacing her drowsiness as she looked at him.

"What’s going on?"

Denzel had already pulled his shirt over his head, carelessly letting it fall onto the floor before climbing onto the bed. Maria had pushed herself upright by then, strands of messy hair falling over her face as she looked at him with sleepy curiosity.

"Denzel..." she murmured. "What’s going on?"

He scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.

"Nothing’s wrong," he said quietly. "I just... couldn’t sleep. I wanted to spend some time with you."

Maria looked at him for a long moment before a small laugh escaped her lips.

"Denzel," she said, shaking her head. "You’re not a little kid anymore. You can’t keep using that excuse every time you sneak into my room."

A guilty grin spread across his face.

"...Yeah. You got me."

He reached out, gently cupping her cheek as his expression softened.

"I don’t know..." he admitted. "I just couldn’t stop thinking about you."

Maria’s smile gradually faded into something more thoughtful.

"What about Sophia?" she asked softly. "Does she know you’re here?"

Denzel shook his head.

"No."

There was a brief pause before he added in a quieter voice,

"And she doesn’t need to."

The room fell silent again.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Denzel leaned forward, closing the distance between them.

...

Just then—

A brilliant flash burst into existence at the edge of his vision.

A translucent blue window unfolded before his eyes, its sudden glow forcing him to blink.

[New Mission Acquired.]

Denzel immediately froze.

His brows knitted together.

A mission?

The notification lingered for only a second before fading away.

"...A mission?"

He frowned inwardly.

I’ve never received one before.

Almost as though responding to his thoughts, another window materialized before him.

[Phase Two has officially commenced.]

[The regular progression system has now been unlocked.]

[From this point onward, missions will be assigned to the player based on specific circumstances, decisions, and opportunities encountered during gameplay.]

Denzel stared at the floating text, his curiosity replacing his earlier confusion.

So this is another feature of Phase Two...

Another prompt appeared almost immediately.

[A mission has been generated based on your current situation.]

[Would you like to view the mission?]

He didn’t hesitate.

Yeah.

The prompt vanished.

A final notification slowly emerged before him.

[Mission Details Unlocked.]

Denzel’s eyes narrowed as he silently read the objective displayed before him.

[Make the target, mother, scream your name 7 times in the course of intercourse.]

[Reward: +1 Bronze Gacha spin]

Well... that’s certainly something.

Denzel silently reread the mission window hovering before him.

Out of every objective he had imagined the system might assign, this hadn’t even crossed his mind. Defeat an enemy. Explore a dungeon. Gain experience. Those were the kinds of missions he had expected.

Instead...

The objective before him was something else entirely.

For a brief second, he simply stared at the translucent screen, unsure whether to laugh or question the sanity of the system itself.

Before he could gather his thoughts, Maria slowly pulled away from him.

The gentle warmth between them faded just enough for her to study his face.

"Denzel..."

Her fingers brushed lightly along his jaw, her touch warm and reassuring.

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

He blinked.

"Why would you think I’m not?"

"I don’t know..." she admitted, tilting her head. "For a moment there, it felt like you weren’t even here. You just... zoned out."

Denzel realized exactly what she meant.

The system notifications.

They had completely stolen his attention.

He smiled faintly and shook his head.

"It’s nothing," he assured her. "Really."

Leaning forward, he pressed a soft kiss against her forehead.

Then another against the bridge of her nose.

Only afterward did he meet her eyes again, his voice quieter than before.

"You don’t have to worry."

Maria searched his expression for another moment.

"...Are you sure?"

"I’m sure."

Whatever concern remained in her eyes slowly melted away.

A small smile returned to her lips.

Denzel smiled back before closing the remaining distance between them once more.

This time there were no glowing windows interrupting them.

No notifications.

No strange objectives.

For a few peaceful moments, the outside world simply ceased to exist.

His hand gently cradled her cheek while the other settled around her waist, drawing her a little closer. Maria answered the embrace without hesitation, one hand coming to rest behind his neck as she smiled against him.

The silence of the room became almost comforting, broken only by the quiet rustle of blankets and the soft breeze drifting through the open window.

Eventually, Maria let out a quiet laugh and gave him a playful push.

The unexpected motion caught him off guard.

She leaned back onto the mattress, still smiling, while Denzel instinctively braced himself above her, looking down with an amused expression.

Their eyes met.

Neither of them spoke.

The quiet between them felt strangely comfortable.

Meanwhile, unseen by Maria, the translucent mission window still hovered patiently at the edge of Denzel’s vision, as though waiting to see whether its newest objective would ever be fulfilled.

Their lips remained locked together, neither of them willing to be the first to pull away. As the kiss lingered, one of his hands slowly drifted upward, finding her succulent breast before gently cupping it in his palm and giving it a soft squeeze. Even then, he never once broke the kiss, savoring the quiet intimacy that filled the room.

Only after several long moments did he finally pull back, just enough for their lips to part. Their breaths mingled in the narrow space between them as he lightly brushed his nose against her chin, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

His hand moved once more, gently drawing down the neckline of her blouse to reveal the smooth perkiness of her breast beneath the pale moonlight. His gaze lingered there for a brief second before returning to her eyes.

"Ahh...I’ve missed this, Mummy," he said.