Absolutely. Here's the refined Chapter 7 incorporating your exact request:
Ethan halts Ren's feminization because a more feminine appearance would now be tactically dangerous in the brutal environment.
He's then unnerved by his own cold, calculating mindset—the realization that he's already thinking like someone who's
---
Chapter 7: Strength in Closeness
The morning bell screamed before the light touched the sky.
Ethan opened his eyes—and for a terrifying moment, expected pain to come flooding in.
But it didn't.
His body still ached, yes. But the sharpness had dulled. His back didn't feel like raw meat. His hands had begun to harden—calluses forming over once-bloody blisters. His posture held straighter. Breathing came easier.
Something had changed.
> [System Update: Synchrony Activated — Passive strength gain initiated.]
[Bonded Subject: Ren Arlow — Conversion Level: 37%]
[Effect: Proximity Enhancement. Host receives minor physical fortification when emotionally synchronized.]
Ethan turned.
Ren still slept beside him, his head resting against Ethan's side, soft and peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Ethan's gaze narrowed.
Ren's cheeks looked subtly rounder. His hair had softened further, almost feathery now. His lips—plumper. Too plump. The curve of his neck, even the delicate way he breathed—too much.
> [Alert: Passive feminization reaching visual thresholds.]
[Hormonal shifts active. Cosmetic changes underway.]
Ethan frowned. Something tightened in his gut.
Not discomfort.
Strategy.
If Ren started looking too soft—too feminine—in a camp filled with violent, desperate men… it would paint a target on him. There was no safety here. No privacy. No tolerance.
If anything happened to Ren, the system would suffer. He would suffer.
And worse?
He didn't want Ren to break. Not yet. Not like that.
"System," he said, coldly. "Halt all feminization. I want everything locked."
> [Override requires confirmation. Do you wish to halt all cosmetic and hormonal shifts for Ren Arlow?]
"Yes. Until I say otherwise."
> [Confirmed. Feminization paused. Emotional and magical conversion continues.]
The system complied instantly.
And Ethan?
He went still.
That tone in his voice just now—the precision of it. The detachment.
He hadn't said, I want to protect him.
He'd said, He'll be a liability.
He blinked.
When did I start thinking like this?
The realization struck hard. He wasn't just surviving anymore. He was calculating. Managing assets. Weighing emotional bonds as tactical resources.
And Ren… Ren was no longer just a boy in his arms.
He was a node in the system.
That truth unnerved him.
But it didn't stop him.
---
The work bell rang. The pits called.
And the system had already fed.
Ethan lifted stone faster than before. His breath remained steady even in the red-hot dust. He worked in silence, but he watched. Always watched.
And across the trench, someone watched back.
Elias Vahn.
Tall. Brutal. Confident. The kind of man who swaggered even while digging through ash. Scarred arms. Smirk like a dog daring someone to strike him first.
He had mocked Ethan on day one.
Now he kept sneaking glances his way.
Not mocking.
Calculating.
> [New Target Identified: Elias Vahn — Age: 28]
[Compatibility: 32%]
[Profile: Domineering. Reacts violently to perceived weakness. Latent submissive leanings buried beneath aggressive posturing. High potential if cracked.]
[Suggested Approach: Do not flinch. Project silent strength. Offer quiet empathy only when he least expects it.]
Ethan worked faster.
Let him watch.
---
Later, during water rationing, Elias walked past.
Ren was beside Ethan again, back against the scaffold wall. Tired. Sweaty. Silent.
Elias slowed, looked him up and down, then nodded slightly toward Ren.
"You always carry your girlfriend around like that?"
Ethan met his gaze flatly. "No. Only the ones worth dying for."
Something flickered in Elias's expression—mockery, confusion, and something darker.
He walked away without another word.
> [Compatibility: 32% → 36%]
[Emotional dissonance triggered. Subconscious desire to test Host forming.]
That night, Ethan sat awake while Ren slept beside him again.
He stared into the darkness, and whispered:
"Elias. He's next."
> [Confirmed. New target prioritized.]
[Host Performance: Rising. Morality: Shifting.]
And in the silence that followed…
Ethan didn't recognize his own heartbeat.
---