Somewhere in Johannesburg; South Africa, in a small room that was no better than a dumpster, a young man typed furiously on a keyboard as if his life depended on it.
His hair was long and unkempt, and dark circles under his eyes were a testament to his lack of sleep. His eyes remained glued to the monitor as he typed.
Discarded instant noodle cups were scattered everywhere. Cockroaches and rats scurried around as if they owned the place, their noises ignored by the young man, who was completely absorbed in his work.
"I can do it. I can reach the deadline. I can still make it," he muttered, his voice raspy from disuse.
This young man, who couldn't have looked more pathetic, was me. My name is Miles Butler. I'm twenty-eight years old, a university dropout, and an avid reader who turned to writing. As you can see, I wasn't a successful one. I was a contracted author with a deadline I couldn't seem to meet. Making a real income was a struggle; the competition was fierce, with thousands of new books appearing every day. To make matters worse, I was plagued by writer's block, which made my situation desperate. I had no other choice but to continue working like a slave. I hadn't slept in days. I continued to type until my vision blurred and darkness consumed me.
"I should have done better," I thought, my last words before dying. A starving author, discarded by my family for my lack of motivation. I thought it was the end.
But it wasn't.
I woke in another world.
•••
I found myself in a small, spacious, and diverse forest. Its canopy was contested by rowan, redwood, and hawthorn, allowing dancing beams of sunshine to reach the flat, fertile ground below, where a range of shrubs thrived.
Thick branches covered every tree, and a variety of flowers, dispersed sparingly, added color and scent to the otherwise unvaried landscape.
A cacophony of wild sounds—mostly from foraging beasts—reverberated through the air, underscored by the roars of larger animals fighting for dominance.
Then, the sound of approaching horses echoed before stopping abruptly.
Not too far away, a flash of light appeared, revealing a man in plain clothing. He had short black hair, black eyes, and a boyishly cute face.
That man was me. I couldn't believe I had just experienced reincarnation—something I used to only write about.
I spread my arms wide and inhaled a long mouthful of sweet, natural air.
"I'm alive!" I shouted excitedly.
[Ding! Binding the system to the host!]
A sudden notification rang in my head, sending my excitement over the top.
[System initialization 1%...40%…..70%….90%…]
I waited patiently for the installation to finish, but that's when it happened.
"Boss, I've found another one!" someone yelled. I didn't have time to turn around before I felt a sharp impact on the back of my head.
Bonk!
I lost consciousness immediately.
I don't know how long I was out, but when I opened my eyes, I was inside a moving cage, a slave cart.
"What the fuck?" I muttered, staring at the chains around my wrists and ankles. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating, but the cold metal felt too real.
Glancing around, I saw others chained like me. Their ages varied, but they were all around twenty: five men and seven women. Their eyes were lifeless, as if they had all given up on hope. I was about to check my system when I saw her.
A woman of otherworldly beauty—the kind every avid fantasy reader dreams of seeing. An elf. Her face was pale and streaked with dirt, but beneath the grime was a beauty that made my breath catch. The blindfold should have made her seem vulnerable, but it only added an air of untouchable mystery. I had to talk to her, but first, I needed to check my system.
[Welcome, host, to the Conquest System!]
[Conquer women and form strong bonds to earn rewards. The stronger the bond, the greater the reward.]
I immediately understood how it worked.
"System, there should be a starter pack, right?" I asked mentally. The system responded.
[Starter Pack Granted: Item Box, a Magic Gun, Teleportation Skill, Food, and Coins!]
[Teleportation Level 1: Teleport to any location within 20 meters. You can take one person with you. Consumes 200 Mana. Skill range and efficiency improve with level.]
I was overjoyed. This was it! I could use this to escape. There was no way I would stay here to be sold to some perverted bastard. Fortunately, we were newly caught and hadn't received a slave seal; that would have made the situation truly hopeless.
I checked my chains. They were normal, rusty iron—different from the others, especially the blindfolded elf's. Her chains were dark red and etched with runes; they were mana-suppressing chains. She must be powerful if they took such a precaution, I thought. They must have run out of the special chains, which is why they used normal ones on me. I couldn't have been luckier.
"System, show me my status window!"
[Miles Butler
Human
Age: 20
Class: Conqueror
Rank: One
Mana: 2000
Skills: [Teleportation Lv1], [Item Box] (Size increases with level. Current limit: 100kg)
Items: Magic Gun, Food, Coins
Targets Conquered: 0
Conquest Points: 0]
[Ding! New Mission: A woman of great destiny is near. Set your eyes on her and conquer her. Great rewards await.]
[Reward: Reach 20 Favorability to receive: Level Increase, a Random Skill from your target, and 100 Conquest Points.]
[More rewards will be unlocked as you progress. Conquest Points can be used to upgrade skills, buy new skills, and purchase items from the shop. Shop unlocks at 70 Favorability.]
I celebrated inwardly. It was time to act.
I moved toward the blindfolded elf.
"Hello, I'm Miles!" I said. I hadn't spoken to a woman in ages, but that didn't mean I was a virgin loser. I'd had my fair share of relationships, even if none lasted more than five months.
As I expected, she didn't respond, her face still lowered.
"I have a way to escape, and I want to take you with me."
Finally, a response. She raised her head. I couldn't see her eyes because of the blindfold, but her long, snow-white hair danced in the wind as the carriage bumped along the road.
"What do you gain from this?" she asked, her voice melodious and pleasing to the ear.
I could have lied, but that wasn't my style.
"I want to make you mine. I want to travel the world with you and experience many things together," I stated, hiding nothing. My honest answer seemed to surprise her, because her body froze. Silence hung between us for a moment before she spoke again, her voice barely a whisper.
"You may come to regret this. Even so, do you still want to take me with you?"
"I do. I would regret it more if I didn't follow my heart. So, take my hand. Let's escape!" I extended my hand. She hesitated for a moment before taking it. Her hand was soft, and I wanted to hold it forever. I shook my head to focus on the task at hand.
Just as I was about to activate my skill, I heard her introduce herself.
"I'm Elaria."
"I'm Miles. Nice to meet you. Now, let's leave this hellhole." I squeezed her hand and activated my skill. "Teleport!"
The world shifted, and the next moment, we were twenty meters away.
"Shit! Someone have escaped! Two of them—the elf and the new guy! After them!" a guard shouted.
We heard their cries and knew they would give chase. I activated my skill again, and we teleported deeper into the forest. I teleported again and again, putting a considerable distance between us and our captors.