Kaito Liu died.
The memory was a searing brand on his soul: the crushing weight of the giant statue's foot, the final, sickening crunch of his own bones, the sight of his friend Haruto and the others being smashed into the cold, unforgiving stone.
He blinked. Instead of endless darkness, he found himself standing in an endless library. Towers of bookshelves, carved from what looked like enchanted wood, stretched into an impossible infinity. The air hummed with a soft, magical energy and smelled of old parchment and ozone.
"Kaito Liu."
A woman floated down towards him, her form elegant and commanding. She wore form-fitting robes shimmering with intricate patterns, and a pair of large, heart-shaped sunglasses perched on her nose. She was the most captivating and mysterious being he had ever seen.
"Where... am I dead?"
"In a manner of speaking," she replied, her voice calm yet carrying immense weight. "This is the inner world of every LitRPG novel with an Infinite Harem System ever written across the omniverse. You can call me the Book Witch."
"The... what? Why am I here?"
"Because your world is being edited, Kaito. rewritten. That gate you found was not a dungeon; it was a 'Reality Tumor.' A point where another narrative is forcibly grafting itself onto your reality, overwriting what exists. You and your friends were deleted by a narrative inconsistency."
Kaito's mind reeled. "Then Haruto... Hardi... Cedonia and Juniper..."
"Gone. In this draft." The Book Witch's expression was grim. "But I am offering you a revision. A one-time reset. You will return to before you entered that dungeon."
A flicker of desperate hope ignited in Kaito's chest. "A reset? I can save them?"
"You can try," she corrected. "But you will need a tool to fight back. I am giving you a system. Not a gift for a normal life, Kaito Liu. A weapon for a war you did not know you were in."
A screen materialized before him, glowing with ethereal light.
System Notification: The Infinite Harem System (Prototype) is ready for installation.
This system allows the user to summon narrative entities from across the LitRPG omniverse to combat Reality Corruptors and stabilize dimensional integrity.
Do you accept?
YES / NO
There was no hesitation. Kaito's will focused, and he selected YES.
The flood of notifications began, but they were different now. They weren't promises of pleasure; they were a roster of potential soldiers, of weapons.
· System Notification: Accessing Summoning Protocol: "Infinite Harem of the Arcane Legion."
· System Notification: Accessing Summoning Protocol: "Succubus Shock Trooper Corps."
· System Notification: Accessing Summoning Protocol: "Dragonkin Wardens."
· ... (continues infinitely)
The possibilities were not just beyond his wildest dreams; they were beyond his worst nightmares. This was power, raw and terrifying.
"Remember," the Book Witch's voice echoed as the library began to dissolve. "You do not gain strength by killing monsters. You level up by resolving anomalies and securing reality. You are not an adventurer. You are a mechanic. Now, go. Your second draft begins."
Consciousness fled.