Kael Draven was a broken man.
Not broken in body—the Divine Libido System had made sure of that. His stamina bar mocked the very concept of exhaustion, and pain rolled off him like water on oiled leather.
Not broken in spirit—though the gods, the universe, and three increasingly murderous women were doing their absolute best to grind him down.
No. Kael was broken in the only way that truly mattered.
He was trapped in a crumbling temple, pantsless, with three waifus circling each other like feral cats fighting over the last warm spot on the windowsill.
And if the stares didn't kill him, the draft certainly would.
---
Rhyla the warrior claimed one corner like it was a fortress, sitting cross-legged with her greatsword across her lap. Every stroke of whetstone against steel screeched like nails on Kael's sanity. Her eyes never blinked, never strayed, locked firmly on Selvara. It wasn't sharpening anymore—it was a warning.
Selvara, of course, thrived under threats. The succubus stretched languidly across a fallen pillar, tail flicking back and forth like a cat taunting a dog. Her smile was slow, honeyed, and predatory. "Mmm, such big muscles. Tell me, warrior… do you squeeze men until they pop? Because I could think of… better uses for that strength."
The corner of Rhyla's mouth twitched. Her knuckles whitened against the hilt. "One swing of my blade, and I could pop you."
Selvara giggled, the sound sweet but edged like a knife. "Promises, promises."
Across the chamber, Lysera knelt at the base of the glowing altar as though the divine light might shield her. Her fingers gripped her staff so tightly it was a wonder it didn't snap. "Stay away from my lord, both of you! He belongs to the temple, to me!" Her voice trembled between holy conviction and sheer panic.
Kael sat in the middle of them all, hunched over with his hands in his hair, bare knees knocking together. "I'm not anyone's! I'm not an overlord, not a warlord, not even a landlord! I'm just a broke idiot who tripped into this temple naked!"
The system chimed in with the cruel brightness of a child pointing out that the house is on fire.
[Correction: You are the Overlord. Current Harem: 3. Harem Stability: 2%. COLLAPSE IMMINENT.]
Kael's head shot up. "Imminent collapse? What does that even mean?!"
As if in answer, the temple itself groaned. Dust rained from the cracked ceiling. The floor rumbled beneath his bare feet, as though reality itself was preparing to split apart.
Kael buried his face in his hands. "Gods above… I'm going to die without pants, aren't I?"
A shimmering ripple of light spread across the temple air like a stone dropped into a pond. From it, a glowing meter flickered into being, hovering before Kael's face like some unholy scoreboard forged in Hell's HR department. Neon letters blazed across the surface, each line accompanied by a cheerful little chime that felt wildly inappropriate for the life-or-death tension in the room.
[Harem Stability Meter]
Lysera: Clingy Affection +80
Selvara: Seductive Lust +60
Rhyla: Tsundere Pride +40
Balance: 2%
Kael's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. His jaw flopped open, then shut again like a fish dumped on a dock. "Two percent?! That's not stability—that's a house of cards in a hurricane! That's a rickety table held up by hopes and chewing gum!"
The meter pulsed ominously, numbers flickering, as though daring him to breathe wrong.
Then, warm air brushed his ear. Selvara had leaned close, her lips hovering a hair's breadth from his skin. Her voice purred low, dripping temptation with every syllable. "Mmm… maybe we should raise that number… just you and me, handsome. One night. I promise you won't regret it."
Kael flinched so violently he nearly headbutted her horns, choking on his own spit. "Wh-WHAT—don't whisper like that, you're gonna give me a stroke!"
Before he could recover, Lysera's shriek tore through the chamber like a banshee's wail. "H-Harlot! Don't you dare whisper sweet nothings to him!" Her knuckles whitened around her staff, her whole body trembling with righteous fury. "His ears belong to the temple—and to me!"
The stone floor cracked as Rhyla's greatsword slammed into it, quivering upright like a spear. Her voice rumbled, low and commanding. "Enough. No more squabbling. He'll choose who is worthy. Tonight."
Kael's soul promptly attempted to vacate his body. "Choose?! Why do I have to choose anything?! I didn't sign up for this—there wasn't a handbook, there wasn't a manual, there wasn't even a waiver form!"
The system responded with the cruel cheer of a sadistic game show host.
[Mini-Quest: Choose a waifu for tonight's first cuddle session.]
Reward: +20 Stability.
Failure: -50 Stability. Possible temple collapse.
Kael's jaw went slack. He pointed at the glowing words as though accusing them of treason. "Cuddle session?! That's the test?! Not battle, not strategy, not leadership—cuddling?!"
Lysera pressed her hands to her chest, her face flushed to her ears. "M-My lord, if that is your will… I shall dedicate myself fully. I'll hug you so tightly, you'll never leave my arms again!"
Selvara stretched, her wings arching as her tail coiled lazily around Kael's ankle. She licked her lips in slow, deliberate hunger. "Or… you could let me teach you pleasures the little elf could never even dream of. One night, Overlord, and you'll forget your own name."
Rhyla cracked her knuckles, her muscles flexing with audible tension. "Forget pleasure. Weakness dies in my arms. If you survive a night with me, you'll wake stronger. Sharper. Forged into steel."
Kael whimpered, clutching his head as though trying to keep his brain from leaking out. "These aren't cuddle offers—they're death threats with extra steps! Why can't anyone here just… just spoon normally?!"
The system beeped helpfully.
[Reminder: Failure to spoon results in temple collapse.]
Kael screamed into his hands. "WHY IS THIS MY LIFE?!"
The women advanced in perfect, predatory sync, their shadows stretching long across the stone floor. Kael scrambled backward on his hands and heels, palms scraping against the rough temple tiles. His chest heaved as his eyes darted wildly between them like a rabbit caught in a den of wolves—except these wolves had cleavage, glowing eyes, and weapons big enough to split him like firewood.
The system chose that exact moment to chime, far too cheerful for the occasion.
[Advice: Choosing "all of the above" increases stability the fastest.]
Kael's brain fizzled like a shorted-out lantern. His voice cracked, raw with disbelief. "ALL of them?! At once?! Are you insane?!"
The system beeped back with deadpan cruelty.
[Correction: You are insane.]
Kael slapped the air like he could physically swat the words away. "That's not advice, that's a diagnosis!"
---
The air thickened, charged with tension sharp enough to cut. Selvara's wings unfurled to their full span, leathery membranes blotting out the flickering torches. Lysera's staff ignited with divine light, its glow painting her face in holy fire. Rhyla tilted her blade so sparks danced across the edge, the steel singing with the promise of violence.
Even the temple seemed to know what was about to happen. Dust sifted down from the ceiling. The altar groaned like an old man bracing for impact.
Kael's stomach plummeted. In that instant, the truth crystallized. He had exactly two choices:
1. Pick one, and face the wrath of the other two—likely in the form of fireballs, demonic claws, or a head-on collision with six feet of muscle and sword.
2. Pick all three, and risk literal death by affection—smothered, crushed, or cuddled into an early grave.
His pulse hammered against his ribs. Sweat beaded on his forehead and stung his eyes. His nonexistent pants—if they had existed—would've been utterly ruined by now.
And then, against all odds, inspiration struck.
---
Kael sprang to his feet as if the floor had turned molten, arms thrown wide in manic desperation. His voice cracked off the stone walls:
"WAIT! Why fight over me when… we can ALL cuddle together?!"
The silence that followed was so complete, Kael swore he could hear the slow drip of water deep in the temple catacombs.
Lysera's face went crimson, ears twitching as she clutched her staff like a chastity belt. "A-A-A-All together?! T-That's—That's utterly indecent!"
Selvara burst into throaty laughter, her tail curling lazily behind her like a satisfied predator's. "Mmm. Bold. Desperate. I like it."
Rhyla arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Tch. If you think I'll share a bed with these two…"
Kael cut across her, words tumbling out faster than his brain could process. "It's not about sharing! It's about… unity! Teamwork! Bonding! Like warriors standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the battlefield—but, uh, horizontal, and with blankets!"
The system chimed again, smug as ever.
[BS Persuasion Skill Unlocked.]
[Roll for success…]
[Result: NATURAL 69.]
Kael froze, staring at the glowing text. "…That feels rigged."
[Correct.]
---
The three women exchanged wary glances, the silence stretching taut.
Selvara was the first to break it, lips curving into a sultry grin. "Fine. I'll allow it. But only because I want to see him squirm."
Lysera fiddled with her braid, eyes averted as her blush deepened. "O-Only if my lord insists…"
Rhyla sighed heavily, arms crossing over her chest. "Hmph. One night. If you survive, I'll respect your strength. If not—don't blame me."
Kael nearly sagged to his knees, relief flooding him like cool rain. "Thank the gods…"
---
That night, Kael discovered what hell truly was.
He lay sandwiched in a pile of limbs and heat, three lethal women pressing in from every direction. Lysera clung to his arm with holy fervor, whispering feverish prayers between breaths. Selvara sprawled across his chest, purring into his neck like a satisfied cat who also happened to be plotting his doom. Rhyla wrapped one arm around his waist, her grip an iron chain, growling low in her sleep as if daring him to try and escape.
Kael stared up at the cracked temple ceiling, wide-eyed and utterly sleepless, every nerve on high alert.
The system chimed like a bedtime lullaby.
[Cuddle Session Successful.]
[Harem Stability +30. Current: 32%. Collapse avoided.]
Kael's lips moved, barely more than a whisper. "…I'm never sleeping again."
The system beeped one final time, smug and merciless.
[Incorrect. Tomorrow: Next Waifu Approaches.]
Kael's scream echoed through the temple, a cry of anguish swallowed by the night.