Bloody Harem System

A Bloody Alchemist

The Ascendant's Path ended at the base of the mountain. Arthur Drake and Serena left the cold stone steps and slipped into the sprawling mortal city below the sect. They moved silently through the winding alleys to avoid the midnight patrols. Arthur Drake guided her away from the affluent districts and straight toward the underground entrance of Shadow Market Pass.

This hidden tunnel system served as the true heart of the city's criminal network. The air inside the pass smelled strongly of cheap ale and burning torches. Smugglers and rogue cultivators lined the damp stone walls to peddle illegal goods.

Arthur Drake needed money. The Bloody Harem System provided immense personal power and martial skills. He could purchase weapons and pills with Blood Essence. But conquering the martial world required an army and a network of spies. Empires ran on raw currency. He needed gold and silver coins to bribe guards, hire informants, and purchase property in the mortal realm.

He opened his system inventory interface. He selected one of the low grade Spirit Stones he had received from the starter pack. The glowing rock materialized in his palm.

"We are going to sell this," Arthur Drake said to Serena. He led her toward a small wooden stall lit by a single oil lamp.

A fat merchant with a scarred cheek sat behind the counter. He evaluated Arthur Drake’s torn shirt and Serena’s plain servant clothes. A greedy smile touched the merchant's lips. He assumed they were desperate sect servants who had stolen from their masters.

"I will give you ten silver coins for the rock," the merchant offered. He reached out to take the stone.

Arthur Drake slammed his hand down flat on the wooden counter. The impact cracked the thick wood in half. He leaned forward and let a fraction of his crimson Qi bleed into the air. The heavy, suffocating pressure of a true cultivator washed over the merchant. The fat man turned pale instantly.

"One hundred gold coins," Arthur Drake commanded. His voice left no room for negotiation.

The merchant swallowed hard. He opened a small iron lockbox under the counter and pulled out a heavy leather pouch. He placed the gold on the cracked wood without making eye contact. Arthur Drake tossed the Spirit Stone to the man and tied the coin pouch to his belt.

They walked deeper into the bustling tunnels. The dense crowd forced them to move closer together.

Arthur Drake immediately noticed a shift in the atmosphere. The passive Charm Level One attribute he had purchased earlier was working continuously. The aura radiated outward, sinking into the minds of the women they passed.

A female mercenary polishing a dagger stopped her work completely. She stared openly at Arthur Drake, her eyes tracking the exposed muscles of his chest through his torn shirt. She bit her lower lip, a heavy flush spreading across her cheeks. Further down the tunnel, two tavern girls whispered to each other and giggled. One of them stepped directly into Arthur Drake's path. She held out a cup of warm wine, her neckline deliberately pulled low.

"You look thirsty," the tavern girl purred. She looked up at him through her eyelashes.

Arthur Drake ignored her entirely. He sidestepped the girl and kept walking.

Serena watched the entire exchange. A surge of jealousy flared in her chest. She saw the hungry looks the other women gave him. They were reacting to the same dark, dominant energy that had broken her own defenses hours ago. She knew exactly how intoxicating that aura felt.

She stepped closer to Arthur Drake. She hooked her arm tightly around his bicep and pressed her soft chest firmly against his arm. She leveled a vicious glare at a passing female rogue who lingered a second too long.

"They are staring at you," Serena muttered.

"Let them stare," Arthur Drake replied. He glanced down at her tight grip. "You are the one holding my arm."

Serena flushed slightly but refused to let go. She leaned her head against his shoulder. The gesture was a clear warning to every woman in the tunnel. He was taken.

They exited Shadow Market Pass and emerged onto Alchemist's Row. The narrow street was packed with late night vendors selling crushed herbs and medicinal powders. The pungent smell of sulfur hung heavy in the air. Arthur Drake needed to purchase basic supplies to mask their tracks and treat any minor injuries they might sustain in the coming days.

They stopped at a large stall displaying jars of dried roots. Arthur Drake inspected a bundle of Blood Clotting Powder.

"How much for the entire bundle?" Arthur Drake asked the vendor.

Before the old man could answer, a loud voice interrupted them from across the street.

"I will take the powder. And I will take the girl too."

Arthur Drake turned slowly. A young man wearing pristine white silk robes crossed the cobblestone street. Two massive bodyguards followed closely behind him. The young man carried an expensive folding fan. A golden core emblem was stitched proudly onto his chest. He was a wealthy inner disciple from the Golden Core Sanctum.

Preston Sterling stopped a few feet away. He snapped his fan shut and pointed it at Arthur Drake.

"Step aside, beggar," Preston Sterling said. He looked Arthur Drake up and down with obvious disgust. "Your stench is ruining my midnight stroll. Leave the servant girl here and crawl back to your slum."

Serena tightened her grip on Arthur Drake's arm. She recognized the uniform immediately. The Golden Core Sanctum was a wealthy orthodox sect known for their arrogance. They bought their cultivation bases with expensive pills rather than actual combat training.

"Keep walking," Arthur Drake told Preston Sterling.

Preston Sterling laughed loudly. He looked at his two bodyguards and shook his head.

"Did this street rat just give me an order?" Preston Sterling asked. He turned his attention to Serena. He offered her a charming smile. "My name is Preston Sterling. I am an inner disciple. You are far too beautiful to be wandering the dirt with a ruined beggar. Come back to my pavilion. I will dress you in proper silk and feed you spirit fruit."

Serena looked at him with absolute contempt. She had just survived a betrayal by a supposed prodigy. She had zero patience for an arrogant boy waving his family's wealth around.

"You are a clown," Serena stated coldly. "Do not speak to me."

Preston Sterling lost his smile. His face twisted with sudden anger. Being rejected by a servant in the middle of a public street was an insult to his status. He gestured sharply to his left bodyguard.

"Break the beggar's legs," Preston Sterling ordered. "Drag the girl to my carriage."

The bodyguard lunged forward. He was a large man at the peak of Body Refinement. He swung a wooden club aimed directly at Arthur Drake’s knees.

Arthur Drake did not flinch. He released Serena’s arm and stepped into the attack.

He raised his right leg and delivered a devastating front kick to the bodyguard’s chest. The impact sounded like a hammer striking an anvil. The massive man flew backward through the air. He crashed violently into a wooden herb cart across the street, shattering the stall into splinters. He lay motionless in the wreckage.

The street fell dead silent. The vendors and late night shoppers froze.

Preston Sterling took a step backward. Fear finally pierced his arrogant demeanor. He realized too late that the man in the torn shirt was not a mortal beggar.

The second bodyguard drew a steel sword and charged. Arthur Drake sidestepped the clumsy thrust with effortless grace. He grabbed the guard's face with his right hand and slammed the back of the man's head into the cobblestone wall of the adjacent building. The guard dropped to the ground like a sack of grain.

Arthur Drake turned his attention back to Preston Sterling. He walked forward slowly.

"You ruined my purchase," Arthur Drake said.

Preston Sterling scrambled backward, tripping over his own silk robes. He fell hard onto the cobblestones. He tried to summon his Qi, but panic clouded his mind. He looked up into Arthur Drake's dark eyes.

1 sec, 2 sec, 3 sec, Click!

Arthur Drake activated the Fear attribute.

He maintained direct eye contact. A wave of absolute, paralyzing terror shot through Preston Sterling’s nervous system. The young master’s brain locked up. His breathing stopped. The two second stun effect hit him with the force of a physical blow. He knelt on the hard stones, his body trembling violently under the overwhelming pressure of Arthur Drake's dominant aura.

Arthur Drake stopped in front of the kneeling boy. He reached down and grabbed Preston Sterling’s left hand. He smoothly pulled a silver Storage Ring off the young master’s index finger.

Preston Sterling gasped for air as the stun effect wore off. He clutched his bare finger, staring up at Arthur Drake in complete humiliation. A crowd had formed on Alchemist's Row to watch the wealthy disciple kneel in the dirt before a man in ruined clothes.

"Consider this compensation for wasting my time," Arthur Drake stated. He slipped the Storage Ring into his pocket. He looked at the terrified boy one last time. "If you ever speak to her again, I will tear your tongue out of your mouth."

Arthur Drake turned his back on the kneeling disciple. He walked over to Serena and held out his hand.

Serena smiled. She took his hand without hesitation.