Despair.
That was all Elion had known for the past six months.
He had been overjoyed when he was accepted to the magical academy on the flying city. But all his hopes and dreams came crashing down on the very first day, when his talent was graded as the lowest trash in the whole academy.
Now that he knew a little more about the academy, it was a mystery how he was even accepted. But that was only the beginning of his hell.
The people he thought were his classmates tormented him, mostly the guys. Their jealousy stemmed from how handsome he was compared to them. And so, they made it their daily obsession to make his life a living hell. The worst part? No one intervened. His other classmates, the teachers, all of them turned a blind eye as he was tormented daily.
He was spat on, used as a punching bag, an object for magic target practice, and forced to do measly chores. He was called trash and treated like trash. At first, he had endured, but even he had a limit. His eyes became hollow and devoid of life; he thought about just ending his suffering more than once.
Today, they had entered a dungeon for a training exercise with the rest of his class, and as usual, he was forced to be the porter for the guys in his class, carrying their equipment and bags.
William, the leader of the group who tormented him daily, made sure Elion did not miss his daily dose of torment. He would remind him that he was trash. He would scowl and spit at him, then give him chores to do, and they never got tired of it. If anything, their dedication was quite commendable.
There was nothing Elion could do about it. He was weak. He was powerless. Not talent. The helplessness ate away at his psyche daily.
But today, William had gone too far. He had 'accidentally' thrown Elion over the edge of a crossing bridge in the lower floors of the dungeon, and the rest of his classmates watched with horrified expressions as he screamed to his death, into the dark abyss.
After the initial shock and outburst from the teacher leading the expedition, it had all been brushed off as an accident, but the teacher was not too stressed.
He would probably be reprimanded for letting a student die, but nothing would be done about it in the end. It was the trash of the academy who had died; they could say he died because he was weak and get away with it.
Now, Elion lay on the ground somewhere, in a dark place, pain wrecking his body. He had probably broken every single bone in his body, and he was certainly dying, slowly, painfully.
He lay there in agony, his body broken and shattered, tears and blood streaming down his face. The pain was unbearable, each breath a struggle. He wanted to die, to escape this hellish existence.
"Please... someone, kill me," he whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible. "End my suffering..."
Ironically, even as he begged for death, a small part of him still clung to life, desperate to survive against all odds. But the torment had gone on for too long, wearing him down until he was nothing more than a hollow shell.
Just as he felt himself slipping away, a strange female voice echoed in his mind:
[The Goddess of Lust smiles upon you. She takes pity on your suffering and has chosen you as her champion.]
[Congratulations, Elion Nova, you have received The Harem System.]
[Do you accept [Yes] [No] ]
For a moment, Elion thought he must be hallucinating, a final delusion before death claimed him. But the words remained, pulsing insistently in his consciousness.
Some distant part of him wondered what a 'harem system' could possibly be. The rest of him just wanted the pain to end.
What is the worst that could possibly happen now?
With the last vestiges of his fading strength, he focused on the floating prompt, willing his broken fingers to tap out a response. It took every ounce of willpower he had left, but finally...
[Yes!]
[Beginning Soul Binding process.]
[1%]
[16%]
[59%]
[99%]
[100%]
[Soul Binding complete!]
[The Harem System has been bound to the host's soul!]
[The Goddess sends her blessing!]
A wave of green soothing light washed over Elion as all the pain left his body instantly; his body was healed to peak condition.
In fact, he had never felt better in his whole life; he was overflowing with vitality. He got back up to his feet.
"Wow, I feel so much better already. Thank you, goddess!" He flexed his arms and legs before turning to look at the interface hovering in front of him. It was the only source of light in this dark place, wherever he was.
[Opening Harem System started pack. The host can select any five ranked skills and one divine object of his choice.]
The window flashed before him again, and a long list appeared before him.
[Skills]
[Mind Control - Manipulate and feed people thoughts they would have never imagined themselves having; the effectiveness of the ability is heavily reliant on the target's strength and mental state. If the target is weaker than the user, the effect will be immediate; the reverse is also true.]
[Irresistible Charm - Your very presence begs attention. Those who look at you will be naturally drawn to you.]
[Sinful Touch - when activated, arouses the person the user has touched, making them beg for release and for more of your touch.]
[Golden seed - A single drop of your seed is enough to impregnate even the most barren of women. Women also find your seed delectable and irresistible.]
[Harem Seal - binds the target to the host, given that they agree to the pact. Once the seal has been placed, it serves multiple functions. If the woman lies with another man, they will die. The user shall be aware of the woman's location at all times. The host can share abilities with the woman. And the host obtains any skills, abilities, and the talent of the woman.]
[Succubus's Physique - Change the size of your cock, and any part of your body at will. Your body is also blessed with godly stamina and flexibility.]
[Spectral perception - Grants the user the ability to see through physical barriers like walls and clothes.]
[Lust Meter - A gauge that indicates arousal on a scale of one to a hundred]
[Love Meter - A gauge that shows the target's affection for the host on a scale of one to a hundred]
"Hmmmm...."