The rickety door creaked open, revealing not a vibrant city or a bustling street, but a desolate corridor. Moonlight, now fading with the approaching dawn, dimly illuminated peeling wallpaper, cobweb-laden corners, and the ghostly outlines of what were once grand furnishings, now reduced to splintered wreckage. This wasn't just a dilapidated room; it was part of a ruin.
Rylan stepped out, the floorboards groaning beneath his weight. The scent of decay was stronger here, mingling with the earthy smell of neglect. He realized he was in a forgotten wing of what must have been his family's ancestral home—the Sterling Clan's mansion. Not the grand, bustling manor he faintly remembered from his early childhood, but its gutted husk. Seraphina and the Jade Clan had not just stripped him of his inheritance; they had left nothing but rubble.
The rage, cold and potent, resurfaced. They had ensured his weakness, laughed at his demise, and now he stood amidst the skeletal remains of his legacy. This was not merely about personal vengeance; it was about reclaiming what was lost, starting with himself.
As he moved deeper into the ruin, the Harem System's blue screen remained a translucent overlay in his vision. He could toggle it on and off with a thought, a new ability he instantly understood. Currently, it just showed his pathetic status. He needed to change that.
He moved silently through crumbling halls, past rooms where once elegant tapestries now hung in tatters, revealing the bare stone walls beneath. Dust motes danced in the slivers of dawn light that pierced through broken windows. The silence was unnerving, broken only by the scurry of unseen vermin.
He stopped, his senses suddenly alert. A faint sound, not from the ruin itself, but from somewhere beyond. A soft, almost imperceptible whimpering.
Rylan moved towards it, his new body responding with surprising agility. The whimpering led him to a partially collapsed section of a wall, opening into what might have been a former garden. And there, huddled amidst overgrown weeds and shattered statuary, was a girl.
She looked no older than sixteen, her clothes simple and stained, her dark hair a tangled mess. She clutched a small, crudely carved wooden bird, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Her face, tear-streaked and smudged with dirt, held a delicate beauty that even her current distress couldn't entirely mask. She was thin, clearly malnourished, but her skin had a faint, ethereal glow, a quality that snagged Rylan's attention.
The Harem System flared to life, its familiar chime ringing in his mind.
[Ding! Potential Harem Member Detected!]
A new window appeared on the blue screen, overlaying the girl.
[Name: Elara (Unregistered)][Status: Desperate, Malnourished, Minor Cultivation Aptitude (Latent)][Challenge Rating: Low][Conquest Requirement: Gain her trust and provide sustenance. Establish dominance.][Potential Reward (First Conquest Bonus): Basic Cultivation Realm Breakthrough (Mortal to Foundation Establishment), Minor Physical Enhancement, Harem Slot +1.]
Rylan stared at the information. "Establish dominance." The words resonated with the harsh reality of this world, and a new understanding of the System's nature. It wasn't about charming; it was about power, about control. Yet, the first steps listed were "gain her trust and provide sustenance." A calculated path.
He cleared his throat, a soft sound in the otherwise silent garden.
Elara gasped, her head snapping up, wide, fearful eyes fixing on him. She scrambled backward, pressing herself against the cracked stone wall. "Who... who are you?" her voice was a trembling whisper.
Rylan took a slow, deliberate step forward, trying to appear non-threatening despite the raw hunger for power now coursing through him. "My name is Rylan. I... I live here." He paused, a bitter irony in his words. "Are you alright? You seem distressed."
Her eyes, wary but also laced with a desperate hope, darted from his face to his tattered clothes. She seemed to assess him, searching for any hint of threat. He was thin, like her, and clearly not a high-ranking cultivator. Her fear didn't completely vanish, but it lessened slightly.
"I... I lost my way," she mumbled, clutching the wooden bird tighter. "I was looking for scraps... the guards drove me out of the village. I haven't eaten in two days."
Her words were music to the System's 'ears.' Sustenance.
Rylan reached into the ragged pouch tied to his waist, a pouch he hadn't noticed before, which seemed miraculously full. It contained a few dried rations and a small, sealed water skin. A gift from the System, perhaps? Or simply a practical addition to his new existence.
He pulled out a piece of dried meat and a small, hard bread roll. He extended them to her. "Here. Eat."
Elara stared at the food, her eyes widening, hunger battling with caution. After a moment, her stomach let out a loud rumble, betraying her. She snatched the food, tearing into it with ravenous urgency.
As she ate, Rylan watched, the System's indicators on her flickering. Her "Desperate" status was slowly diminishing. He needed to consolidate his control, to "establish dominance." But not through brute force, not yet. The system implied trust first.
A new thought formed in his mind, sharp and clear. This girl was starving, vulnerable. He could offer her protection, a place to stay, even if it was just this ruin. He could be her savior. And in doing so, he would take his first step on the path of the Lustful Emperor.
"This place is dangerous," Rylan said, his voice softer now. "Bandits, wild beasts... it's not safe to be alone. I can offer you shelter, and more food. But you would have to listen to me. Completely."
Elara looked up, her mouth full, her eyes still wide. She chewed slowly, then swallowed, considering his words. A place to stay? Food? It was more than she could hope for. The fear hadn't completely vanished, but the gnawing hunger and despair overshadowed it. She nodded slowly, almost imperceptibly.
"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I... I'll do anything."
As she spoke, the Harem System pulsed.
[Ding! Conquest Requirement: Trust Gained! Dominance Established! First Harem Member Acquired!]
[Elara has been added to your Harem!][Harem: 1/2]
Rylan felt a sudden, profound surge of energy, a warmth blossoming in his Dantian. It was far more intense than his earlier cultivation attempt, like a river of spiritual energy pouring into his core. The blue screen shifted, displaying his updated status.
[Name: Rylan Sterling][Cultivation Level: Foundation Establishment (Early Stage)][Harem: 1/2][Power Level: Novice (Rising)]
He closed his eyes, savoring the influx of power. It wasn't immense, but it was real. It was a step. He was no longer a mortal. He was Foundation Establishment. And the path had just begun. He opened his eyes, looking at Elara, who was now finishing the last of the food. She was the first. Many more would follow.
The Lustful Emperor had claimed his first flower.
End of chapter 3