A cold wind blew at the top of a mountain, the night whistled a solemn song, and the mood hid itself from the evil that had been committed.
The shaky breath of a man could be heard from the top of the mountain, it sounded pained, it sounded desolate and alone.
"I'm c-old." A cracked voice muttered, but his voice was carried along with the wind, never to be heard again.
His figure lay in the snow at the top of the mountain, the pale white snow stained red with his own blood. He lay on it, body shivering, his heart slowly failing.
What could one man have done to make him be killed in such a place, alone and with no one to mourn him? It had to be a heinous crime, didn't it? But it wasn't.
He was Alex, a mortal, a human. But he wasn't just any human, he was the human who the goddess Lumis had fallen for. She was the daughter of one of the creator primal gods, her status and his were universes apart.
Yet love found them and brought them together. And for that love, Alex fought, he defied the odds, he rose, climbing heights no mortal dared to touch, he became a champion, he became a man worthy of her.
Even as he lay here in the snow close to death, he remembered the warm night together with her, under the thin veil that covered their bed.
He lay above her, breath warm, their eyes locked, bodies pressed against each other, as they moved gently through the night.
He remembered her warm embrace that set his heart ablaze, her soft silk skin, smooth body with no blemishes, her soft white hair and starry eyes.
There was no woman that could compete with her. She was perfect.
Yet somehow he was here, dying, no longer with the love of his life. What had really happened?
Well, it turned out her father despised him. He had always smiled at him, but Alex should have seen through those smiles, he should have seen the darkness behind those eyes, but he didn't.
He served her father diligently, believing that he was winning his heart daily, but all that was his own delusion. After all, her father was the one that sent him on this mission to this place along with some others of his people.
And in the cold, a sword was plunged through his chest, a blade that carried a poison from the God of Poisons. There was no way he could survive.
They left him out there to die, the cold filled his body, the poison spread fast and the loss of blood increased. It was over for him, such an anticlimactic end to someone that had grinded all his life for the chance to be seen.
As the darkness pulled his soul, a final thought came to mind.
"If I should live again, I'll take what is mine and have my revenge."
He fell into the cold embrace of death, everything went dark and silent.
[Soul detected: Betrayed Champion Chosen. . . . . Installing the forbidden system]
[The Harem God system has been initiated]
[Path to Ascension: Pleasure, Power, Godhood]
'What the hell is happening, shouldn't I be dead?' Alex wondered. He saw a holographic screen right in front of him showing him some write-up.
He tried to touch it, but he had no hands, no body, only his consciousness was there.
'Is this some trick from death? What's happening?' he kept wondering.
[Enjoy your life conquering all]
Suddenly, he felt a sudden jolt, his body was pulled awake, his eyes opened and the first thing that he saw was a spear pointed at his face.
"I…mani Kano Ca falu." He heard a voice, but it was in a language that he didn't understand.
[Translating]
"What do you think he is doing here? Is he from one of the major kingdoms?"
"It doesn't matter, we should kill him."
Alex listened to what they were saying, but his mind wasn't paying attention to them, because he was too focused on the fact that he was alive.
[Host doesn't have the time to daydream. Host body has been transported to a new world with the Harem God system.]
[Host has been given a chance at life again, this time to conquer with the system.]
Alex had a million questions going through his mind, but he was a smart being, and he knew of something like this. He knew of the concept of systems, he had seen some gods bless humans with it.
What he didn't understand is which god saved him, why they saved him, and why they gave him this particular system. Still, all that could wait. Even if this was a dream or hallucination and not reality, he needed to face the first issue: the spear at his neck.
The spear pressed closer to his face, its tip gleaming in the sunlight that cut through the canopy above. Alex blinked against the brightness, still adjusting to the surreal realization that he was alive.
"I said we should kill him!" one of the warriors barked, his grip on the spear tightening.
"Wait."
That voice. Soft yet commanding.
From behind the group stepped a woman, and for a moment Alex forgot how to breathe. She was fire made flesh, long crimson hair cascading like a flame, golden eyes burning with suspicion. Her body was barely covered by tribal cloth, adorned with beads and markings that glowed faintly in the sun. Her skin shimmered with sweat, the air heavy with the scent of wild earth and blood from the hunt.
She was stunning. Too stunning.
[Compatibility detected.]
[Target: Unknown Tribal Female — Status: Strong Vital Core.]
[Do you wish to initiate intimacy? Y/N]
The system's cold words burned in Alex's mind. His eyes widened. Are you serious? Right now?
"What is he staring at?" one of the other women scoffed. She was leaner, darker skinned, with a bow slung across her back. "He looks half-dead."
The red-haired woman tilted her head, still watching him. She stepped closer, crouched down until her fiery hair brushed his cheek, and her golden eyes met his. "He's… different."
Alex spoke in a low tone. "I… I'm not your enemy."
His voice cracked from dryness, but it made her pause. She studied his features, then touched his chest with two fingers.
The system flared again.
[Warning: Physical Contact Detected.]
[Potential Bond may be established.]
He sucked in a shaky breath, his heart pounding. He was too weak, too broken, yet her presence stirred something raw in him. Desire. Longing. Survival.
"I'm Imani," she said finally, withdrawing her hand. Her companions shifted uneasily, awaiting her command. "He doesn't belong to any of the kingdoms… we'll take him to the tribe. My Mother will decide."
"What? Imani, you can't just—"
Her glare silenced them.