The quiet hum of silence greeted him as Aquarius stepped inside.
It was warmer here. Lined wall to wall with old wooden shelves packed with scrolls, books, and handbound tomes. A soft orange glow came from lanterns strung overhead, casting long shadows along the arched ceiling beams. Dust floated lazily in the air, and the scent of aged parchment and herbal ink filled his nose.
The place felt ancient. Sacred.
Really this was like Rule 1 of what you would do entering a world like this. Knowledge was power after all, and he definitely didn't want to be oblivious to everything. He only learned a few new terms on the fly.
He walked between the aisles slowly, letting his fingertips trail along the worn spines. Some of the texts were cracked with time, others gleamed faintly with embedded runes. There were books in languages he didn't recognize, and ones that whispered faintly when he brushed past.
This was a proper fantasy world…
He found a long table near the back and settled into one of the cushioned benches. A system prompt flickered faintly at the corner of his vision, likely dormant now that he wasn't in combat.
He leaned forward and pulled a random history book from the stack near the center of the table.
[Title: Realms and Ranks – The World Beyond the Hollow]
He cracked it open and began to read, absorbing as much as he could. Territories, political structures, the concept of Thresholds, Sacred Companions, and the difference between common beasts and Tier-classified ones. Most importantly, he learned about Judicators and Tamers and the power system of this world.
He was quite a fast reader considering all the novels and books he read before.
It didn't take him longer than 30 minutes to finish it.
He slapped the book closed.
'So..' he began to think. 'This was one of those beast taming x apocalypse type of novel worlds.'
Most of it was the same information he read about before.
Divine Cores were godlike fragments that came to be because of 'The Cradle' which was a random anomaly that hit this world's Earth.
Thresholds came to be after the dumbass government tried to weaponize Divine Cores and put them in synthetic bodies to make 'living Gods' which didn't go their way in the least.
Fully named the 'Thresholds of Judgement'
Judicators were chosen by Divine Cores to fight against Thresholds. Tamers were Judicators who had bonded to a beast.
Judicators and Tamers utilized a power called 'Faith' in order to empower the Traits from the Divine Cores. Which were basically like a multiple or singular superpower it gifted.
Faith was this world's version of 'Ki' or 'Magic' if you will. Different from the usual Faith.
Now Divine Cores ranged from a Dormant Divine Core to a Supreme Divine Core.
Dormant equals E-Rank and Supreme equals SSS and above Rank.
Either I was the protagonist or extremely lucky because ain't no way in hell I managed to hit gold like that.
But anyways, common Beasts were basically Beasts that hadn't been touched by a Divine Core. No abilities. No awakened instincts. Just big ass animals, some more dangerous than others, but ultimately manageable.
But the Tiered Beasts?
That was where the real game began.
Tier 1 beasts were the entry-level monsters you could tame if you were skilled or lucky enough. They had heightened intelligence, minor elemental traits, and were often the first step to becoming a true Tamer.
Tier 2s were a different story. Capable of full blown elemental attacks, minor domain control, and linked to Lesser Divine Cores. Usually led packs, sometimes even formed small realms inside the Thresholds.
Tier 3s? Those were semi-sentient. Some could talk. Some could warp their environment. Bonding with one wasn't just hard, it was dangerous. The power they offered was insane, but so was the risk.
Tier 4 and 5s…?
That's when you got into mythic boss, Dark souls like fight territory.
Only high-ranking Tamers with sky high Faith compatibility could even attempt it. And even then, most were rejected. Those beasts weren't just monsters… they were forces of nature.
There were other monsters too, but mainly those you would see in the normal dungeon novel.
Aquarius leaned back, rubbing his eyes.
It was a lot of shit to intake, but he got it.
He was mostly interested in this System he got and wanted to explore it a bit. Really he hadn't had a chance to because of all the random and unexpected shit that happened.
As if the System heard him, a loud ping was heard.
[Notice: Beast Core (Sub-Zero Jaguar) remains unprocessed.]
[Would you like to devour and initiate Limitless Harem Synthesis now?]
[Y/N]
Aquarius blinked at that and his eyes fell on two words.
Harem Synthesis..
He had a Limitless Harem Synthesis System?
And if his common sense was there like he knew it was this meant, he could turn beasts into Beast girls and in return receive some power for it?
"Don't want to assume just yet..this could be some bullshit after all and I'd be hella disappointed."
A thought hit.
"Quick question System can I see my Avatar real quick then we can began the process?"
[Of course.]
A sleek hologram shimmered to life.
Short white hair. Silver eyes. Chiseled frame. Peach-brown skin. 6'1. White shirt, white shoes, and black jeans dusted from battle.
"…Not bad. A cool ass jacket and some more muscle and I'm a one way ticket away from being a Harem King."
He paused.
"…I sound like Issei Hyoudou. I don't like that. How about Supreme Sovereign?"
Yeah. Way better.
"Alright System. I'm ready."
The moment Aquarius said it, the system surged.
[Limitless Harem Synthesis System Initiated.]
A cold pulse rippled through his chest. Icy and electric, like someone poured winter directly into his bloodstream. He staggered slightly, gripping the edge of the table as the world around him began to warp.
The library dissolved in a shimmer of blue frost.
One blink and he was standing in an entirely different realm.
It was a vast, boundless tundra stretched to infinity. Snow blanketed jagged cliffs and shattered plains beneath a black, starless sky. Frozen gusts howled like distant spirits, carrying whispers through the air.
Time itself felt… suspended.
Crystalline snowflakes hovered mid-air, unmoving.
His breath fogged in front of him, but the cold didn't hurt. It wrapped around him, almost like… it was welcoming him.
Below his feet, a glowing ring of sigils pulsed in steady rhythm, carved from solid ice, etched with glowing runes that seemed to chant his name.
And then a flash of blinding, thunderless light.
And she appeared.
She emerged like the embodiment of winter itself, stepping through the mist as if born from the frost and shadow. Each stride was silent but resonant, like a heartbeat you felt instead of heard.
Long, silver-blue hair cascaded behind her like ribbons of glacial silk. Snow-dappled jaguar ears twitched with awareness atop her head. Cyan eyes—sharp, unblinking, and amused, locked onto his with piercing precision.
Her body was armor clad in jagged plates of translucent blue crystal, sculpted to her form like divine artistry. Her legs were sleek and powerful, patterned with sleek jaguar spots. A tail—spiked and dangerous—coiled behind her like a loaded weapon.
She was danger.
She was divine.
And she was gorgeous.
"About damn time."
Her voice was velvet wrapped around steel. Smoky, biting, and drenched in power. "I was wondering when you'd stop gawking at books and come talk to me."
Aquarius didn't miss a beat. It was time.
No way in hell was he about to fumble this like some virgin harem protagonist.
He walked toward her. Slow and smooth, a slight smirk curling his lips.
"Trust me. If I knew you were waiting…"
He vanished in a flicker.
Appeared behind her.
His voice dropped. Deep, rich, and close enough for his breath to tease her ear.
"…those books would've been the last thing on my mind."
He gripped her waist with one hand—firm, but controlled.
The other slid slowly up, fingers grazing her neck until he gripped it gently but possessively.
The contact sent a visible shiver through her.
She definitely felt something poking her back now… but neither of them said a word