Zaja's body twitched and streaks of golden light rose from the ground and ran across the lines of wounds on his body, sealing them instantly.
He sprang to life, standing and glancing around in shock as his chest heaved up and down out of control.
"What in the void? Why does the underworld look like that bastard's pavilion? I'm I not dead?"
How did we get here? He was an 18 year old who served in the Kael's Pavilion, he served from his childhood up until Kael daggered him in several spots in his back all because he refused to give up his younger sister.
Kael was an unrivaled prodigy of the land and he was destined for greatness. In this city known as Emberfall Citadel, no one dared cross him. But Zaja should have known his place and he got punished for it.
To many, Zaja betrayed his lord and deserved his fate. But to Kael, he was his favorite attendant and even somewhat a friend. But how dare he go against him when he wanted Zaja's sister as his personal sex slave.
A lot of people seem to have felt a pang of sympathy for Zaja. Unlike most favored servants Kael's pavilion, Zaja was kind and witty, never using his lords influence to overshadow others. Yet, as always, the good hearted people perish prematurely while the wicked prospered without boundaries.
This wasn't the first time Zaja had reincarnated. In his original life, he was an ordinary clergy man with decent looks and a solid build, poised to become a charming heartbreaker. But at the apex of his life, right when he was about to be promoted to a top ranking officer in his company, his life got cut short by the good old truck-kun.
It was unjust, from being a clergy man who no one looked at, he solely wished to become a legendary charmer, with the most beautiful women vying to shower him with riches for his company. While others dreamed of fame and glory, Zaja aspired to be a celebrated women pleaser, and he thought he was closer to that goal by climbing the cooperate ladder— that was until the truck-kun incident took his life.
Yet as fate would have it, he was granted a second chance. He woke up as a baby in a new world very much distinct from his own, a world ruled by magic and blades. Thinking this was ticket to fulfilling his long term lustful desires, he hit a wall of reality when he learned that without divine favour, reincarnation was literally putting him at a disadvantage.
This was the Ethereal Realm, an elaborate and merciless world governed by a primordial energy known as Arcane Energy. Like the air one breathes in his old world, Arcane energy is the life source of almost any and everything, from enhancing the bodies of those that absorbed it to healing abilities. Thanks to Arcane, virtually everyone in this realm possessed extraordinary prowess.
Compared to his original reality, this was very remarkable and needed some level of adjusting. But in a land where the extraordinary is ordinary, Zaja quickly grew accustomed to his enhanced abilities.
In this new world, Zaja was born in Emberfall Citadel, which was the capital of the Ironforge Dominion, he was an orphan. His reckless father perished in an unnecessary conflict and two weeks later, his mother abandoned him, leaving Zaja and his younger sister, Lira, to survive alone. He was eight, and she was six.
With only a small kiosk to their name and no food, the siblings faced starvation until Lady Elyra, wife of the Grand Duke of House Valthorne, spotted Zaja begging on the streets. Captivated by his incredibly striking looks, she offered to take him in as a servant for her son, Kael Valthorne.
Zaja saw this as an upgrade to his pitiful life and quickly accepted it, becoming Kael's servant and being close to the sexy and alluring Lady Elyra was hell of a lot better than begging on the streets for food.
But after being welcomed into the Valthorne household, his younger sister fell ill for the lack of Arcane sickness. It was a condition where someone completely lacked the ability to use Arcane and their bodies perceived the primordial energy as a threat to its livelihood. She remained in their modest kiosk, surviving on the food and gifts Zaja received from Kael and Lady Elyra.
The misfortune did not stop there, one faithful night, as Zaja was serving for Lady Elyra, twelve Crimson Veil Serpents infiltrated the Valthorne pavilion. These deadly creatures were revered by the Crimson Veil Sanctum as divine emissaries, they could shrink to the size of a finger or grow to over fifteen meters and possessed dripping venom that could dissolve anything on immediate contact.
The serpents were relentless, killing virtually everything in their path and as they closed in on Lady Elyra, Zaja's eyes blazed with the killing intent of Shadow Fire and halted the serpents and drawing them to his feet.
Lady Elyra only then realized that Zaja was far more special than she thought, he possessed the legendary Shadow Sovereign flame that granted divine authority and sage-like potential. But it was at this moment that things started to warp out of control.
Once Zaja's true power was exposed, he'd be torn apart without question. Lady Elyra exploited this, along with Lira's safety, to bind Zaja with a binding oath, demoting him from servant to slave so he won't over throw or become more powerful than her son.
Yet life demanded perseverance and Zaja pressed on. Secretly mastering Snake Arts, subduing gangs and underworld factions, looting treasures and eliminating countless foes in a couple years, Zaja became a one man army under Lady Elyra's order.
Zaja's heart was in despair and house Valthorne's influence soared with Lady Elyra becoming its matriarch, using Zaja's powers to rapidly advance her rank. While Zaja's status seemed to rise, he was stripped of freedom and barred from owning wealth or property and was constantly monitored like a dragon.
This binding oath was what suppressed Zaja's powers, leaving defenseless him against Kael when he demanded for his younger sister to defy.
So Zaja had gone through two lives and two failures.
"For crying out loud… I hate dying!" Zaja groaned as he sorted his thoughts.
"Its bad enough to be heartless, but to be a fool? Kael you've pushed your luck way too far" Zaja muttered after his memories collected fully into one focus.
Zaja was second only to Elyra in Kael's life, so it was of surprise to virtually everyone present that Kael could murder him so callously.
Zaja didn't care, he had to save his sister Lira. As his thoughts spun in her direction, a sharp sound rang in his mind.
~Ding!~
~Desire's Vessel has been found~
~Welcome, Zaja, you are the inaugural Desire's Vessel~
A mechanical interface rippled within his view and that annoying ding sound still rang in his brain.
"Fuck! What kind of weapon did that bastard use to kill me?" Zaja muttered, searching for how to remove the holographic interface partially blocking his line of sight.
But as he tried to dismiss it, a status screen materialized, overshadowing the old screen and displaying his attributes.
~Name: Zaja~
~Age: 18~
~Gender: Male~
~Race: Half Beast~
~Physical Looks: Charming~
~Arcane units: 100 units~
~Mutation: Obsidian Wyrm Stallion [Locked]~
~Destiny: Crimson Deity Vessel [Desire's Vessel] Dazzai~
"What is this? This is real… I have a system?" Zaja said with a stunned expression. Humans had essences called beast and mutations. Without an essence, humans couldn't become sentinels. Mutations, inherited from beastly lineage or arcane-related afflictions, marked one as a beast, to be killed, enslaved or revered depending on the region or location.
Born of an ordinary family, Zaja should technically possess none of them. Yet the system claimed he possessed the Obsidian Wyrm Stallion mutation and beastly ancestry.
"These attributes aren't originally mine… they probably belong to this… Dazzai" Zaja muttered on with confusion. "Is he a God?"
"The shadow Colt rules serpents and at its peak, it transforms into the Obsidian Wyrm Stallion, with unmatched vigor and endless endurance… how am I tied to all that?"
"Destiny… Crimson Deity Vessel," he scowled. "Dazzai…"
"I must have taken the attributes of this Deity and have to live up to his standard… but who is this… Dazzai"
[That would be me… brat!]
A voice slithered through his mind with a velvet whisper that seemed to curl around his thoughts. It didn't thunder loudly like a tyrant, it was soft and manly with a seductive touch.
"What the? Have I completely lost it? Who the fuck was that?" Zaja glanced around in panic to see where the voice came from.
[You asked for Dazzai and I showed up…]
"Huh? You are… in me?" Zaja said using his dried palm to rub his face.
[Yes… but not in the canal way] then the voice processed to let out a soft chuckle.
"Who or what are you then…" Zaja said, rising to his feet, still glancing down at his body for any changes.
[Just like the system I have prepared for you said… Crimson Deity and you are now my vessel… you are now Desire's vessel]
"This is real!"
[You bet…]
"No! I dreamt of having the world's beauties out for my charm, no matter what."
[What do you think you are going to be as Desire's Vessel]
[You can now accept your path, do you wish to be Desire's Vessel… to be MY vessel]
[Then accept, if not you can very much decline… unlike other gods, I don't force]
Zaja stared at the options reflecting on the screen of the system.
~Do you want to be Desire's Vessel~
~Accept~
~Decline~
[Tick, tick, tick]
"i ACCEPT!" Zaja declared without hesitation, he wanted to defy fate for his dream
~Charm Sovereign path… established~
~Transforming host into the Desire's Vessel~
Crimson flames erupted from Zaja, tempering his body and boosting his Arcane units. His features refined and enhanced his allure.
~Transformation Complete~
~Processing Rewards~
~Charm> Celestial level~
~Arcane sentinel rank> Ninth Tier of Mortal essence~
~Arcane units> 300 units~
~Obsidian Wyrm Stallion mutation has been unlocked~
~Insight of the coiling sovereign has been activated~
~Primal Desire talent> activated~
~Hidden quest has been initialized~
Zaja's body had changed drastically, rivaling the realms elite. "Is this… me or you?" he marveled, feeling the strength coursing through him.
[A mix of both, but mostly me]
[You are now my vessel, as the name Desire suspects, your body is now a supreme allure. Your skin, hands, tongue, sweat, saliva and bodily fluids are now elixirs capable of turning the purest into a lustful admirer.]
[This ability is uncontrollable and you will have to adapt. Your essence is addictive and enhances the beauty, allure and power of your partners.]
Dazzai explained leaving Zaja dumfounded.
[I chose you because your dream touched me, and I wont let you perish without a chance to achieve it. The system which I created is here to unlock your potential and I'm here to guide you. This is my gift to you.]
Dazzai finished before going silent.
"Who knew gods could be this merciful and generous! Dazzai you're the best." Zaja said with a proud grin spread across his face.
[However, you're Desire's Vessel state requires you to engage intimately at least three times weekly, or your vitality will collapse. So if you don't find a partner by midnight, you'll return to the state which I found you…]
"Dead!"