A low, animal groan dragged itself out of my chest as consciousness clawed its way back.
My eyelids cracked open to near-darkness. The air was thick, humid, tasting of earth and something ancient. Pain throbbed behind my eyes, and for a moment I couldn't tell if I was still dying or already dead.
Flashes slammed into me—muzzle flashes in the wine cellar, the crack of gunfire, glass exploding, wine and blood spraying across stone. Sophia's scream cutting off as the world went black.
I bolted upright, naked skin scraping against rough rock. My hands flew to my chest, my stomach, searching for the holes that should have been there.
Nothing.
No blood. No wounds. Not even a mark.
Just smooth, unbroken skin stretched over muscle that felt… stronger, somehow. More alive than it had any right to be.
I was completely naked, sprawled on a wide stone ledge inside what looked like a shallow cave. The floor was cool granite dusted with soft moss and scattered animal bones picked clean. Thick vines hung like a curtain across the entrance, letting in thin blades of golden light.
"What the fuck is this…"
The words came out hoarse, echoing faintly off the curved walls.
Heart pounding, I crawled on all fours toward the vine curtain. My palms pressed against damp stone, knees scraping. I pushed the vines aside just enough to peer out—and the breath left my lungs in a rush.
Below the high ledge stretched a primeval valley that belonged to no history book I'd ever seen.
Trees rose like titans—trunks thicker than cars, crowned with fronds the size of sails. Ferns carpeted the ground in waves of deep green. Far below, a herd of massive, shaggy beasts with curved tusks grazed beside a winding river that glinted like molten silver under the late-afternoon sun.
In the distance, something enormous roared—a sound that vibrated through the rock beneath me. Giant winged shadows circled high overhead, leathery wings catching the light.
The sky was impossibly clear, not a single contrail or satellite trail to break the blue. No smoke from cities. No glint of glass towers. Nothing man-made as far as the eye could see.
Just raw, untamed wilderness.
A world untouched.
My stomach twisted.
"Am I dead?" I whispered to the empty air. "Is this hell?"
Or something worse.
I let the vines fall back and retreated deeper into the cave, back pressing against cool stone. The faint scent of old smoke lingered—someone or something had once made fire here. But the ashes were cold.
I curled my knees to my chest, trying to slow my racing heart. The silence pressed in, broken only by distant animal calls and the rustle of wind through the canopy far below.
And then—she spoke.
A voice inside my head. Female. Rich as aged honey, low and teasing, laced with dark amusement.
*Awake at last, my fierce one. The Primal Lust System has chosen well.*
I jerked, head snapping side to side. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
No answer—except the far wall of the cave suddenly ignited with soft amber light.
Ancient-looking runes, carved deep into the stone, began to glow one by one, as if waking from millennia of sleep. They formed words, symbols, a panel visible only to me—shimmering like embers in the dimness.
Primal Lust System Awakened
Host: Welheim Tonali
Age: 22
Physical Strength: Above Average
Virility: Exceptional
Dominance Aura: Dormant
Tribe Influence: 0
Lust Points: 0
Ancestral Bounty: 5 Available
Spirit Market: Unlocked
The voice returned, a sultry purr that slid down my spine like warm oil.
*You were taken too soon, Welheim. A jealous fool ended your old life in a fit of rage. But I saw your potential—the hunger in your blood, the fire in your loins. I pulled your soul across the void and forged you anew in this primal world.*
I stared at the glowing runes, jaw tight.
"This isn't real."
I slammed my fist into the cave wall beside me.
Pain exploded across my knuckles—sharp, immediate, blood welling from split skin and trickling down my wrist.
Real.
Far too fucking real.
Fury ignited, hot and blinding.
"Then send me back!" I roared at the glowing stone, voice cracking against the rock. "You think this is funny? Whatever you are—goddess, spirit, demon—send me back right now!"
The runes pulsed calmly. No anger. No sympathy.
Only that velvet voice again, amused.
*There is no return, my lord. The old world is ash to you now. This is your new domain—a time before cities, before laws, before weak men hid behind guns. Here, strength rules. Desire rules. The strong take mates, build tribes, carve empires from stone and flesh.*
I laughed, the sound bitter and ragged.
"Primal Lust System… of course." A dark, reluctant smirk tugged at my mouth.
Because even here—naked, lost, bleeding in a cave overlooking a savage world—a twisted part of me stirred at the words.
No rules.
No consequences.
Only power and pleasure.
The voice purred approval, as if tasting my thoughts.
*You understand already. Earn Lust Points through every act of dominance, every conquest of flesh and will. The Spirit Market will grant whatever your primal heart craves—weapons forged from star-metal, garments of beast-hide, skills passed down from ancient warriors, even the power to bend beasts and women to your command.*
The runes shifted. Five ornate symbols appeared beneath the panel, each pulsing like a heartbeat—offerings waiting to be claimed.
Ancestral Bounty ×5
I stared at them, blood dripping from my knuckles onto the stone floor.
My old life—private clubs, luxury estates, married women begging in wine cellars—was gone. Ended in gunfire and betrayal.
But this…
This was something new.
Something raw.
I rose slowly, ignoring the ache in my hand, and stepped toward the glowing runes.
The voice whispered, eager now.
*Begin, Welheim. Open your bounty. Claim your birthright.*
I reached out, fingers steady despite the blood, and pressed the first symbol.
Light flared across the cave wall—warm, golden, alive.
And deep inside, something dark and hungry stretched awake.
A low, animal groan dragged itself out of my chest as consciousness clawed its way back.
My eyelids cracked open to near-darkness. The air was thick, humid, tasting of earth and something ancient. Pain throbbed behind my eyes, and for a moment I couldn't tell if I was still dying or already dead.
Flashes slammed into me—muzzle flashes in the wine cellar, the crack of gunfire, glass exploding, wine and blood spraying across stone. Sophia's scream cutting off as the world went black.
I bolted upright, naked skin scraping against rough rock. My hands flew to my chest, my stomach, searching for the holes that should have been there.
Nothing.
No blood. No wounds. Not even a mark.
Just smooth, unbroken skin stretched over muscle that felt… stronger, somehow. More alive than it had any right to be.
I was completely naked, sprawled on a wide stone ledge inside what looked like a shallow cave. The floor was cool granite dusted with soft moss and scattered animal bones picked clean. Thick vines hung like a curtain across the entrance, letting in thin blades of golden light.
"What the fuck is this…"
The words came out hoarse, echoing faintly off the curved walls.
Heart pounding, I crawled on all fours toward the vine curtain. My palms pressed against damp stone, knees scraping. I pushed the vines aside just enough to peer out—and the breath left my lungs in a rush.
Below the high ledge stretched a primeval valley that belonged to no history book I'd ever seen.
Trees rose like titans—trunks thicker than cars, crowned with fronds the size of sails. Ferns carpeted the ground in waves of deep green. Far below, a herd of massive, shaggy beasts with curved tusks grazed beside a winding river that glinted like molten silver under the late-afternoon sun.
In the distance, something enormous roared—a sound that vibrated through the rock beneath me. Giant winged shadows circled high overhead, leathery wings catching the light.
The sky was impossibly clear, not a single contrail or satellite trail to break the blue. No smoke from cities. No glint of glass towers. Nothing man-made as far as the eye could see.
Just raw, untamed wilderness.
A world untouched.
My stomach twisted.
"Am I dead?" I whispered to the empty air. "Is this hell?"
Or something worse.
I let the vines fall back and retreated deeper into the cave, back pressing against cool stone. The faint scent of old smoke lingered—someone or something had once made fire here. But the ashes were cold.
I curled my knees to my chest, trying to slow my racing heart. The silence pressed in, broken only by distant animal calls and the rustle of wind through the canopy far below.
And then—she spoke.
A voice inside my head. Female. Rich as aged honey, low and teasing, laced with dark amusement.
Awake at last, my fierce one. The Primal Lust System has chosen well.
I jerked, head snapping side to side. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
No answer—except the far wall of the cave suddenly ignited with soft amber light.
Ancient-looking runes, carved deep into the stone, began to glow one by one, as if waking from millennia of sleep. They formed words, symbols, a panel visible only to me—shimmering like embers in the dimness.
Primal Lust System Awakened
Host: Welheim Tonali
Age: 22
Physical Strength: Above Average
Virility: Exceptional
Dominance Aura: Dormant
Tribe Influence: 0
Lust Points: 0
Ancestral Bounty: 5 Available
Spirit Market: Unlocked
The voice returned, a sultry purr that slid down my spine like warm oil.
You were taken too soon, Welheim. A jealous fool ended your old life in a fit of rage. But I saw your potential—the hunger in your blood, the fire in your loins. I pulled your soul across the void and forged you anew in this primal world.
I stared at the glowing runes, jaw tight.
"This isn't real."
I slammed my fist into the cave wall beside me.
Pain exploded across my knuckles—sharp, immediate, blood welling from split skin and trickling down my wrist.
Real.
Far too fucking real.
Fury ignited, hot and blinding.
"Then send me back!" I roared at the glowing stone, voice cracking against the rock. "You think this is funny? Whatever you are—goddess, spirit, demon—send me back right now!"
The runes pulsed calmly. No anger. No sympathy.
Only that velvet voice again, amused.
There is no return, my lord. The old world is ash to you now. This is your new domain—a time before cities, before laws, before weak men hid behind guns. Here, strength rules. Desire rules. The strong take mates, build tribes, carve empires from stone and flesh.
I laughed, the sound bitter and ragged.
"Primal Lust System… of course." A dark, reluctant smirk tugged at my mouth.
Because even here—naked, lost, bleeding in a cave overlooking a savage world—a twisted part of me stirred at the words.
No rules.
No consequences.
Only power and pleasure.
The voice purred approval, as if tasting my thoughts.
You understand already. Earn Lust Points through every act of dominance, every conquest of flesh and will. The Spirit Market will grant whatever your primal heart craves—weapons forged from star-metal, garments of beast-hide, skills passed down from ancient warriors, even the power to bend beasts and women to your command.
The runes shifted. Five ornate symbols appeared beneath the panel, each pulsing like a heartbeat—offerings waiting to be claimed.
Ancestral Bounty ×5
I stared at them, blood dripping from my knuckles onto the stone floor.
My old life—private clubs, luxury estates, married women begging in wine cellars—was gone. Ended in gunfire and betrayal.
But this…
This was something new.
Something raw.
I rose slowly, ignoring the ache in my hand, and stepped toward the glowing runes.
The voice whispered, eager now.
Begin, Welheim. Open your bounty. Claim your birthright.
I reached out, fingers steady despite the blood, and pressed the first symbol.
Light flared across the cave wall—warm, golden, alive.
And deep inside, something dark and hungry stretched awake.