The transition from non-existence to existence was not a gentle awakening. It was a violent, crushing sensation. For Aerin Valcor, the man who had died a silent, unremarkable death in a cold modern apartment, the sensation of being reborn was like being forged in a furnace. His previous life had been a gray blur of mediocrity—bad skin, failing grades, and the crushing weight of being invisible to a world that only valued the beautiful and the brilliant.
But as his new lungs expanded for the first time, sucking in air that tasted of iron and expensive incense, Aerin made a silent vow. The "Nice Guy" had died in that apartment. What was being born now was something entirely different.
"It's a boy, My Lady. A healthy son."
The voice was raspy, belonging to an old woman. Aerin—now Rimmer—struggled to open his eyes. His vision was a milky, distorted mess, but he could feel the warmth of the body he was being pressed against.
He was placed into the arms of a woman whose scent was a mixture of jasmine and something primal. This was Elara Valcor, his new mother. As his vision began to clear, he saw her. She was not the tired, worn-out woman he remembered from his previous life. Elara was a vision of aristocratic perfection—golden hair matted with sweat, pale skin that looked like polished marble, and eyes that held a sharp, cold intelligence even in her exhausted state.
[System Initialization: 100%]
[Welcome, Host Rimmer Valcor.]
[The Key of Sovereign Desire is now active.]
The text floated in his vision, glowing with a deep, blood-red hue. It wasn't a standard "Hero System." There were no quests for justice or prompts to save the world.
[Current Status: Infant (Mortal Vein - Level 0)]
[Core Logic: The world is built on Desire. To Rule is to Infect.]
[Primary Mechanic: Emotional Infection. Through physical contact, emotional manipulation, or sexual proximity, the Host can plant 'Seeds of Obsession' in female targets. These seeds grow through the target's emotions—love, lust, jealousy, or even hate.]
Rimmer's tiny, weak heart hammered against his ribs. Infection. It was a beautiful word. In his old life, he was the one who was ignored, the one who felt like a virus in a healthy world. Now, he was the source.
"My little Rimmer," Elara whispered. Her voice was like silk, but Rimmer's sensitive newborn ears caught the underlying tone—a hint of disappointment? A sense of duty? She looked down at him not with the pure, unconditional love of a mother, but with the calculating gaze of a noblewoman looking at an asset.
Rimmer didn't mind. In fact, he preferred it. Love was a leash. Obsession was a throne.
He reached out a tiny, trembling hand, his fingers brushing against the exposed skin of her shoulder.
[Contact Established: Target 'Elara Valcor' (High-Tier Cultivator - Spirit Root Realm)]
[Scanning Compatibility...]
[Infection Potential: Extreme. Blood Bond detected. Genetic Resonance detected.]
[Warning: Current Host Level too low for full 'Desire Infection'. Commencing 'Passive Emotional Leeching'.]
As his fingers touched her, a faint, invisible ripple of red light traveled from his fingertip into her skin. Elara shivered, a small gasp escaping her lips.
"What is it, My Lady?" the midwife asked, leaning in.
"Nothing," Elara murmured, her brow furrowing as she looked at her son. "I just... I felt a strange chill. A spark."
She pulled him closer, her warmth enveloping him. To the midwife, it looked like a mother cradling her child. To Rimmer, it was his first harvest. He could feel the "System" beginning to hum, drawing in the faint traces of Elara's exhaustion and her hidden anxieties about her position in the House of Valcor.
[Passive Leeching initiated. Experience Gained: +5]
[Mortal Vein Progress: 5/100]
Rimmer closed his eyes, leaning his head against her breast. He could hear her heartbeat—a steady, powerful rhythm that spoke of her strength as a cultivator. This world was different. Strength wasn't just money or looks; it was Essence. The "Foundation Level" was the start, where one hardened their veins to hold the energy of the world. Above that was the "Foundation Seed," then the "Spirit Root," and eventually, the "Saint Level"—beings who could level cities with a wave of a hand.
He wanted it all.
He wanted the power to never be looked down upon again. He wanted the beauty that had been denied to him. And he wanted the women of this world—starting with the ones closest to him—to be so utterly infected by his presence that they couldn't breathe without his permission.
A heavy footstep echoed in the room. The door creaked open, and a cold draft swept in. Rimmer didn't need the system to tell him who it was. The air itself seemed to stiffen.
"Is it done?"
The voice was like grinding stones. This was Boras Valcor, his father. A man known for his ruthlessness in the border wars and his iron grip on the family's lands.
"A son, Lord Boras," the midwife said, bowing low.
Boras walked to the bedside. He didn't offer a kind word to his wife. He didn't touch her. He simply looked down at Rimmer with eyes that were as cold as a winter grave. He reached out a gloved hand and moved the blanket aside to inspect Rimmer's form, checking for deformities or weaknesses.
"He looks small," Boras remarked, his voice devoid of affection. "Make sure he is fed. The Valcor bloodline has no room for runts. If he cannot reach the Foundation Level by the age of five, he will be sent to the outer estates."
Elara's grip on Rimmer tightened. Not out of protection, but out of fear of her husband's judgment. "He will be strong, My Lord. I will see to it."
Boras turned and left without another word.
Rimmer lay there, his mind racing. In his past life, this rejection would have broken him. He would have spent years crying, trying to earn the approval of a father who didn't care. But now? Now it was just fuel.
Foundation by five? Rimmer thought, a dark sneer forming in his mind. I'll be far beyond that.
[New Objective Unlocked: The First Seed.]
[Target: Elara Valcor.]
[Requirement: Reach 'Foundation Level' and initiate 'First Infection'. Reward: System Shop Unlocked / Harem Management Interface.]
Rimmer felt a strange sensation in his gut—the first stirrings of his own cultivation. He began to circulate the thin, ambient energy in the room, guided by the System's red lines. It was painful. It felt like needles crawling through his veins, but he welcomed it.
He looked up at Elara. She was staring at the door where Boras had left, a flicker of resentment in her eyes. Rimmer reached out again, his tiny hand grabbing a lock of her golden hair.
He didn't cry like a normal baby. He watched. He calculated.
Mother, he thought, his eyes fixed on her beautiful, cold face. You will be the first. You will look at me with more than just duty. You will look at me with a hunger that consumes you. And I will be the only one who can feed it.
As he drifted into the heavy sleep of an infant, the blood-red text of the System remained burned into his retinas.
[Foundation Level Progress: 10/100]
[Status: The King is in the Cradle.]