It had been a fucking year since I got isekai'd into this messed-up world called Crimson World. Yeah, you heard that right a whole goddamn year of dodging monsters, figuring out this body's memories, and trying not to get myself killed or worse.
Long ago, some unknown bastards called Quardas hideous interdimensional monsters ripped open gates to their realm.
Those portals never closed, spewing out endless waves of nightmare fuel. Humanity didn't crumble, though.
They adapted, discovering that everyone in this world is born with latent Traits. But those Traits stay dormant until age 18, when people awaken their Potential a rank that determines how fast and far you can grow your Trait.
The ranks go like this: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SR, SS, SSR, SSS, SSSR. Traits can theoretically level up infinitely through proficiency fighting, training, using your powers in real situations but low Potential means you're screwed.
An F or E-rank Potential? Good luck grinding proficiency; you'd be lucky to hit D-level in a lifetime. High Potential? You skyrocket like a prodigy.
The population skew adds to the chaos: only 30% men, 70% women. Women mostly awaken with high Potential B-rank at the lowest, S or SR common, SS and above rare but possible.
Low-Potential women? They're treated like garbage, worthless in society's eyes, barely worth a glance.
Men, though? Doesn't matter your rank; with the Quardas invasions culling the male population, any guy is a prize.
Even an F-rank dude gets respect just for existing. I learned all this from the memories of this body I hijacked.
My name here is Damien Crowe, your average reincarnator except I'm not average. I'm stuck with a Trait that's basically screaming "fuck your way to power."
It's called Ascendant Bond, but to the world, it shows as Minor Bond Affinity, some lame taming ability.
The real deal? I have to hook up with E-rank or F-rank Potential women, form a deep bond through... well, intimacy, and it temporarily boosts their Potential.
They grind proficiency at insane speeds, leveling up their Traits like cheats.
In return, I absorb fragments of their power, getting stronger myself. Sounds OP, right? Wrong. If this leaks, I'll be a walking sex slave for every power-hungry woman who captures me.
That's why I pray for low Potential on my awakening anything high would draw eyes I don't want.
The auditorium was packed, a massive hall of polished marble and glowing crystals humming with anticipation.
All the 18-year-olds from Midger City were here for the Awakening Ceremony, faces flushed with nerves or excitement.
The air smelled of incense and sweat, the crowd buzzing like bees.
Girls outnumbered guys three to one, most of them eyeing the males like prizes at a fair. The women were awakening B-rank Potential at the lowest, with S or SR flashing on the diamond-black platform more often than not.
Not one E-rank among them. Expected high Potential for women is the norm. The boys? D-rank was the lowest so far, but no one cared. Guys get a pass.
I stood at the back, arms crossed, long black hair falling over my eyes as I scanned the room.
My reflection in a nearby window showed the face I'd woken up with: sharp features, pale skin, intense dark eyes that made people pause.
Handsome as hell reincarnation perks, I guess. But it was a curse too; half the girls here were whispering about me, the "most eligible bachelor in Midger."
I didn't hate women hell, I'm a cultured man myself but this world is cruel. No E-rank girls meant no safe bonds for me. I'd have to dip without drawing attention.
"Damien Crowe, please step forward!" The instructor's voice boomed, echoing off the walls.
She was a beast S-rank Trait holder, the kind who could level a city block with a flick of her wrist.
Her eyes scanned me like I was prey as I approached the platform.
The diamond-black slab pulsed under my palm, cold and smooth.
The moment I touched it, a jolt shot through me like electricity scanning every cell.
My body tensed, muscles coiling involuntarily. The crowd held its breath. Then, the holographic rank materialized above: E-Rank Potential.
A murmur rippled through the auditorium. I sighed inwardly, relief flooding me. Thank God. Barely escaped the spotlight.But the whispers started anyway.
"Wow, Damien got E-rank," one girl muttered, her eyes wide with mock sympathy.
Another laughed. "Who cares? I just awakened S-rank. If I hit S-level Trait in a year, I can confess to him easy."
"Dream on," a third girl shot back with a mocking smirk. "Our school belle awakened SR-rank. She's got her eyes on Damien you can't compete."
I tuned them out, stepping aside as the next name was called.
Not my problem. But damn, not a single E-rank all day. Fuck it, I should just leave. These girls are all scheming anyway.
Then she appeared. Quiet, almost ghostly, slipping through the crowd like a shadow.
Long black hair flowing like a midnight river, purple eyes shining with a quiet intensity under the crystal lights.
She wore a simple gray robe, but her figure turned heads anyway curves that couldn't be hidden. The boys nearby perked up.
"Who is she?" one whispered.
"Oh, her? Mira Voss, daughter of the Mayor of Midger. Bet she awakens at least SR."
She stepped onto the platform, her expression calm but her fingers trembling slightly at her sides.
The jolt hit her, her back arching subtly, a soft gasp escaping her lips. The rank appeared: E-Rank Potential.
The auditorium exploded into laughter. "Hahaha! E-rank? Even the Mayor can't save her now!"
Mira's face flushed crimson, her purple eyes dropping to the floor in humiliation. She stepped off quickly, shoulders hunched, trying to vanish into the crowd. The jeers followed her like arrows.
But inside my head, something pinged a familiar system notification, cold and mechanical.
[Bond Target Detected: Mira Voss - E-Rank Potential]
My heart skipped. Finally. But as our eyes met across the roomher humiliated gaze locking onto my calm one the laughter faded into the background. She froze, and I felt the pull.
What now? Approach her in front of everyone? Or wait... and let the bond ignite on its own?
The ceremony dragged on, but my mind was already racing. Little did I know, this E-rank "trash" was about to flip my world upside down and drag me into a web of obsession I couldn't escape.