Marcus's throat burned.
Each breath scraped like sandpaper. His muscles screamed with every step. Lactic acid built up in his legs until they felt like lead weights.
But he kept moving.
Liu stumbled beside him. Chen limped on his other side. Blood still seeped through Chen's bandage.
They ran through the night. Fear drove them forward. The memory of their dead companions. The will to survive.
Dawn broke over the forest.
Marcus checked behind them. No pursuit. No flying cultivators. They'd put several kilometers between themselves and the bear's territory.
"Stop." His voice was hoarse. Cracked. "We rest."
Liu sagged against a tree. Chen collapsed where he stood.
Marcus scanned the area. No safe hideout. No cave. No shelter.
Just endless massive trees stretching toward the sky.
"Up." Marcus pointed at a thick branch twenty meters above ground. "We climb."
Liu looked at the tree. Then at Chen's leg. "Sir he can't."
"He will. Or we die down here."
They climbed. It took thirty minutes. Chen bit through his pain. Didn't make a sound.
Marcus pulled himself onto a broad branch. His arms shook. His shoulder throbbed where he'd been thrown against the wall.
He pulled out his water bottle. Took a long drink. The water was warm. Tasted like plastic. It was heaven.
He bit into a chocolate bar. The sweetness exploded on his tongue.
Liu and Chen did the same. Eating in silence.
Marcus counted their supplies mentally. Food for a week. Maybe. Water for three days at most.
The guards' faces were hollow. Haunted. They'd watched their friends die. Seen cultivators move faster than physics allowed. Realized how powerless they were.
Marcus felt it too. The weight of helplessness. But he shoved it down.
"One hour." He wiped chocolate from his mouth. "Then we move again."
"Sir." Liu's voice was quiet. "If that cultivator survived the bear. If he comes after us."
"Then this night of running was worth minutes to him." Marcus met his eyes. "I know. That's why we don't stop."
They rested. Marcus didn't sleep. Kept watch. Scanned the forest below.
An hour passed. They climbed down. Continued west.
The forest teemed with life.
A boar charged from the undergrowth. Massive. Tusks like daggers.
Liu moved first. Sidestepped. Drove his knife into its neck.
The boar thrashed. Blood sprayed. Chen finished it with a second stab.
Marcus stared at the corpse. "We take the meat. Look for tracks."
"Sir?"
"It was going somewhere. Probably to drink. Animals follow the same paths." Marcus pointed at the disturbed undergrowth. "We follow its trail."
They carved chunks from the boar. Wrapped them in torn cloth. Followed the path the animal had made through the forest.
Fresh tracks in the soft earth. Broken branches. Compressed vegetation.
Thirty minutes later they found it.
A lake.
Clear water stretched before them. Untouched. Beautiful. Flowers dotted the shoreline in colors Marcus had never seen.
"Check for predators first." Marcus scanned the water's edge. "Carefully."
They circled the lake. No tracks. No signs of large beasts.
Marcus knelt. Washed the blood from his hands. Filled every bottle they had.
The water was cold. Clean. It tasted like life itself.
Dusk settled over the forest.
They found a cave. Small. Hidden behind a waterfall of vines.
Marcus checked for tracks. Scat. Bones. Nothing.
"We camp here."
Liu built a fire. Chen roasted meat. The smell made Marcus's stomach clench with hunger.
They ate until their bellies were full. First real meal since the party on the cruise.
That felt like years ago. Not two days.
"I'll take first watch." Marcus positioned himself at the cave entrance.
Liu and Chen fell asleep immediately. Exhaustion claiming them.
Marcus sat in the darkness. Watched the fire flicker.
His mind wandered to the cultivation novels he'd read in college. Flying swordsmen. Immortals. Power systems based on qi and meditation.
He'd seen it with his own eyes now. Cultivator standing on a sword. Elder Shen crushing them with pressure alone.
It was real. All of it.
The question was how. And could he learn it?
A voice spoke in his mind.
System initialization complete. System load complete.
Marcus shot to his feet. Heart hammering. Hand on his knife.
The cave was empty. Liu and Chen still slept.
I'm hallucinating. The stress. The exhaustion. It's breaking me.
But he had to check.
System.
A panel materialized in front of his eyes.
Blue light. Floating in the air. Invisible to anyone but him.
Marcus stared. Blinked. It remained.
At the top in bold letters: Heavenly Kama System.
Below that his information displayed like a character sheet.
Name: Marcus Rhineheart Age: 27 Gender: Male Status: Mortal Spirit Root: None Talents: Software Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Mechanical Engineering Current Task: None Techniques Learned: None
Marcus's breath caught.
A system. Like the novels. Actually real.
He focused on each section. Tried to find functions. Instructions. Anything.
The task bar was empty. No tutorial. No explanation of what Heavenly Kama meant.
His eyes fell on the achievement section.
Achievement Unlocked: Severely Injured Foundation Establishment Cultivator Stage 1 Achievement Unlocked: Killed Foundation Establishment Cultivator Stage 1
Underneath a reward section blinked. Marcus tapped it mentally.
Reward Available: Initial Gift Pack Upgraded from 1-Star to 2-Star
A prompt appeared. Withdraw reward? Yes/No.
Marcus hesitated. Then selected yes.
Heat exploded through his body.
His muscles burned. Not pain. Something else. Energy flooding his cells. His stamina surged. Strength he didn't have before filled his limbs.
Notification: Host stamina increased by 300%
Then heat concentrated lower. Much lower.
Marcus looked down. His eyes went wide.
No. No no no.
Special Bonus: Reproductive function enhanced 20x
His weapon swelled. Grew. The bulge in his pants became obvious. Impossible to hide.
Eight inches. Maybe more. The girth had doubled.
"What the hell?" Marcus whispered.
He looked at the system panel. At the name. Heavenly Kama System.
Kama. The ancient god of love. Desire.
Oh no.
Did I get a sex system? Is this some kind of perverted cultivation?
He shuddered imagining the tasks. The requirements. What he'd have to do for power.
Marcus spent the next hour exploring the panel. Searching for other functions. Explanations. Anything.
He focused on different sections. Tried mental commands.
Inventory. Nothing.
Skills. Nothing.
Shop. Nothing.
Quest log. Empty.
The system was bare bones. Just his stats. The achievement section. The reward notification.
And that name. Heavenly Kama System.
Marcus knew the mythology. Kama was the god of desire. Love. Passion. The Hindu equivalent of Cupid but far more primal.
His mind raced through the implications. If this system was based on that god then cultivation through desire made a twisted kind of sense.
But what did that mean? Seduce women to gain power? Build a harem? The idea made his skin crawl even as part of him recognized the brutal logic.
This world ran on power. The strong took what they wanted. The weak died.
If his system gave him a path to strength through methods the orthodox sects rejected then maybe that was his edge.
He focused on the favorability mechanic. That had to be key. Increase favorability with female cultivators. But how? And what happened when favorability increased?
The panel offered no answers.
Marcus tried to access more information about the stamina boost. His body felt different now. Stronger. Less exhausted despite the running and fighting.
Three hundred percent increase. That put him at the peak of human capability. Maybe beyond.
But the reproductive enhancement. He looked down at the obvious bulge. Eight inches. Impossible to hide in these torn pants.
This is going to be a problem.
He imagined trying to cultivate through seduction with this thing announcing itself to every woman he met. The embarrassment alone might kill him.
Unless that's the point. Unless the system wants me to be shameless about it.
The thought disturbed him more than he wanted to admit.
"Sir?" Liu approached. His shift for watch. "Are you alright? You've been staring at nothing and waving your hands."
Marcus realized he'd been interacting with a panel only he could see. Probably looked insane.
Heat flooded his face. "I'm fine. Just thinking. Your turn for watch."
He stood. Tried to adjust himself discreetly. The movement only made it worse.
Liu's eyes flicked down. Then away quickly. His expression carefully neutral. Professional.
Marcus wanted to disappear into the cave floor.
"Get some rest sir." Liu's voice held no judgment. "We move at dawn."
Marcus nodded. Retreated to his sleeping spot. Tried not to think about the system.
Failed completely.
Day 3
They packed at dawn. Continued west.
The forest thinned slightly. More light filtered through the canopy.
Marcus walked in front. Liu and Chen followed. Everyone's spirits were higher. Food. Water. Rest. It made a difference.
Then the system panel flashed in front of Marcus's eyes.
Detection: Higher level female cultivators approaching
Marcus's hand shot up. Stop signal.
Liu and Chen froze.
Marcus scanned the forest. Listened. Nothing but silence.
Is the system broken? There's no one here.
"Sir?" Chen whispered. "What is it?"
Marcus shook his head. "Nothing. Keep moving."
Twenty minutes later they heard it.
Wind tearing. Sharp. Discrete.
The sound of cultivators flying overhead.
Marcus's chest tightened. We're caught. Cultivators found us. The Primordial Dao Sect.
Figures descended from above.
All female. All beautiful. All radiating power that made the air itself feel heavy.
The leader landed first. Black dress with floral patterns that seemed to shift in the light. Red lips curved in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Face like a sculpture carved by a master. Curves that defied biology.
Her presence was different from the male cultivators Marcus had seen. Elder Shen and Zhao radiated crude dominance. This woman was refined cruelty. A blade wrapped in silk.
Marcus stared. Couldn't help it. She looked like a fairy descended from heaven.
But her eyes were ice.
She looked at them the way someone might look at insects. Mildly curious. Mostly indifferent.
"What are you doing in the Primeval Forest?" Her voice was smooth. Cultured. The tone of someone used to being obeyed.
A new panel appeared in Marcus's vision.
Current Task: Increase favorability with female cultivators of Black Swan Sect
Marcus's mind raced. This was it. His first real test with the system.
He bowed deeply. Showed deference. "We're small merchants. Lost our way during a storm. Can you point us to the nearest city? We would be grateful for any assistance."
Her eyes scanned him slowly. Deliberately. Paused on the cultivator sword at his waist. The weapon he'd taken from the dead Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Recognition flashed in her eyes. She knew what that sword was. Where it came from.
Then her gaze dropped lower. To the bulge in his pants that no amount of adjustment could hide.
Her smile widened. Not warm. Predatory. Like a cat that just spotted a mouse.
"Interesting." She stepped closer. Her scent hit him. Jasmine and something sharper. Intoxicating. "A mortal carrying a Foundation Establishment sword. And quite well endowed for a merchant."
Heat flooded Marcus's face. He kept his eyes down. Submissive. "The sword was payment from a grateful customer. Nothing more."
"Of course." She didn't believe him. Didn't care. "I'll take you to the city. But that sword is my payment for the service."
Marcus pulled the sword from his belt. Offered it with both hands. No hesitation. "It would be an honor. Thank you for your kindness Lady..."
"Shen Yao. Outer disciple of the Black Swan Sect." She took the blade. Examined it briefly. Then it vanished into thin air. Storage ring on her finger. "Outer Elder rank."
The title registered. Outer Elder. That meant status. Power within her sect.
A new panel appeared.
Name: Shen Yao
Age: 156
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Stage 6
Affiliation: Black Swan Sect - Outer Elder Favorability: 0/100
Nothing changed. Zero. His politeness. His gift. His deference. All meaningless.
This is going to be harder than I thought.
Shen Yao gestured. The other female cultivators moved forward. Grabbed Marcus, Liu and Chen.
A woman with silver hair gripped Marcus's arm. Her fingers were cold. Strong enough to crush bone.
They lifted into the air.
Marcus's stomach lurched. The ground fell away beneath his feet. Wind rushed past his face and tore at his clothes.
He'd never been afraid of heights. But this was different. No plane. No safety harness. Just a woman's grip and empty air below.
If she let go he would fall. Die. She held his life in one hand.
The feeling of helplessness was suffocating.
Liu's face was pale. Chen looked ready to vomit. Neither had ever imagined humans could fly.
Marcus tried to focus on something else. Anything but the terror.
He studied Shen Yao. She flew ahead of the group. Standing on a ribbon of black silk that rippled beneath her feet like it was alive.
A flying treasure. Different from the swords the Primordial Dao Sect cultivators used.
The other Black Swan cultivators used similar silk ribbons. All black. All flowing despite the rushing wind.
Sect uniform perhaps. Or a signature technique.
Marcus committed every detail to memory. These women were Foundation Establishment cultivators. Powerful. But they followed Shen Yao's lead.
She was stronger. Higher stage. The favorability target the system had chosen.
He needed to understand her. Figure out what would increase her opinion of him.
But how do you make someone care when they see you as livestock?
The sword had meant nothing. His politeness was invisible. His deference expected.
What did cultivators value? Power. Resources. Talent.
He had none of those things.
Except the system. And he couldn't exactly explain that.
Marcus tried to speak over the wind. "Lady Shen. Where are you taking us? What city?"
Shen Yao didn't answer. Didn't even glance back.
He tried again. "We're grateful for your assistance. Is there any way we can repay your kindness?"
One of the other cultivators laughed. High and sharp. The sound was cruel.
Marcus's unease grew. Something was wrong. The way they smiled at each other. The way they ignored his questions.
These weren't rescuers. They were something else.
Liu caught his eye. The older guard's expression was grim. He felt it too.
Marcus wanted to ask the system for help. For guidance. But the panel remained blank except for the task.
Increase favorability with female cultivators of Black Swan Sect.
Useless. He couldn't even get them to acknowledge his existence.
The flight continued. An hour passed. Then two. Then three.
The landscape below changed. Forest gave way to farmland. Neat rows of crops tended by people the size of ants. Villages clustered around rivers.
Civilization. Finally.
But Marcus's relief died when he saw what lay ahead.
A city appeared on the horizon. Massive beyond comprehension. Walls hundreds of meters tall stretched as far as the eye could see. Buildings packed inside like a maze of stone and wood.
The scale was impossible. This city could hold millions. Tens of millions.
Marcus's mouth fell open. So did Liu's and Chen's.
They'd seen Dubai. New York. The megacities of Earth.
This dwarfed them all.
"Tianluo City." Shen Yao spoke for the first time since they'd left the forest. Her voice carried easily despite the wind. "Population twelve million. One of the seven great cities of the Azure Cloud Kingdom."
Her tone suggested this was nothing special. Just another city.
Marcus's mind reeled. If this was ordinary what did extraordinary look like in this world?
They descended toward the entrance. Guards stood at attention. Shen Yao pulled out a jade slip.
The guards bowed. Let them pass without question.
Marcus tried again. "Thank you for helping us. We're greatly indebted to you."
Several female cultivators burst into laughter.
Marcus froze. What did I say?
No answer came.
They flew deeper into the city. Landed in front of a large building.
Marcus read the sign above the entrance.
His blood turned to ice.
Slave Trader Association.
"You mother fucking bitches." The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Shen Yao smiled. "Welcome to Tianluo City."
The system panel blinked.
Task Updated: Survive
Marcus's world shattered for the second time in three days.