Bloody Harem System

A Bloody Awakening

The crimson light consumed the dark study. Arthur Drake lay motionless on the polished floorboards as the jade pendant melted into his skin. The cold agony in his shattered legs and crushed ribs faded. A mechanical voice echoed directly within his skull.

[Binding complete. Welcome Host Arthur Drake.]

[Host has shed royal blood. Calculating compensation.]

[Requirement met. Awarding 10000 Blood Essence.]

A translucent red screen materialized before his eyes. The golden text shifted to display his new reality.

[Blood Essence is the currency of the system. You may use Blood Essence in the System Market to purchase new skills, weapons, and artifacts. You may also spend it to level up existing abilities.]

[Primary method of acquisition: Intimate acts with the opposite gender. The higher the cultivation base of the partner, the greater the Blood Essence extracted.]

Arthur Drake let out a wet cough. He tasted fresh blood on his lips. The rules were simple and brutal. He needed to conquer women to gain power. He looked back at the glowing screen as new text materialized.

[Default Skill Granted: Dual Cultivation.]

[Skill Effect: Host gains a 100 percent bonus to all Blood Essence acquired through intimate acts.]

[Warning. All intimate acts must be mutual. The system demands conquest through charm, power, and submission. Any act of forced violation will result in a permanent 50 percent reduction to all host stats and skills.]

The restriction made perfect sense to him. True dominance was not about forcing someone. True dominance was making them beg for it. He needed women to surrender to him willingly.

[System Starter Pack detected in inventory. Do you wish to open it?]

"Open it," Arthur Drake rasped.

Three glowing orbs burst from the red screen and floated down to the floor beside him. Two small porcelain vials and a golden jade slip rested on the wood. The system chimed again.

[Acquired: Blood Replenishment Pill. Acquired: Heaven's Dew. Acquired: Martial Skill Bundle.]

Arthur Drake forced his broken arm to move. His fingers trembled as he reached for the first vial. He popped the cork with his thumb and swallowed the Blood Replenishment Pill.

The effect was instantaneous. A surge of heat erupted in his stomach and flooded his veins. The pool of blood on the floor began to dry up as his body rapidly generated new life force. The deep cuts on his face sealed shut. His dislocated jaw snapped back into place with a sharp crack.

He gasped for air as his shattered ribs fused back together. The crushing weight on his lungs vanished. He sat up slowly, marveling at his fully restored body. He felt stronger than he had before the beating.

He picked up the second vial. The system interface identified it immediately.

[Heaven's Dew: Cleanses the body of all mortal impurities and toxins. Rebuilds destroyed meridians.]

This was exactly what he needed. Victor Vale had starved him of spirit food to rot his foundations. Arthur Drake uncorked the vial and drank the glowing silver liquid.

Fire exploded in his chest. It was not the soothing heat of the healing pill. This was pure destruction and creation happening simultaneously. Black sludge seeped from his pores, carrying three years of mortal filth out of his system. His dormant meridians tore open and expanded. Ambient Qi from the room rushed into his body, spiraling down into his lower abdomen.

He felt a solid core forming near his navel. The energy stabilized. He clenched his fists, feeling the explosive power of a cultivator for the first time in his life. He had just broken through to the first stage of Qi Condensation.

He wiped the black sweat from his face and picked up the golden jade slip. He pressed it against his forehead. Three streams of knowledge poured into his brain.

[Skill Acquired: Blood Dominance. Passively increases charm and instills fear in opponents with lower cultivation.]

[Skill Acquired: Crimson Flash. Movement skill. Transforms the user into a blur of red mist to dodge attacks.]

[Skill Acquired: Bone Crushing Grip. Enhances hand strength to shatter weapons or limbs effortlessly.]

Arthur Drake stood up. He did not need a weapon. His body was a weapon. The passive effect of Blood Dominance settled over him. He felt an unnatural confidence radiating from his core. His posture straightened. The timid, starved boy was dead.

A final message blinked on the red screen before fading away.

[System Note: You were cheated on. Now, it is your turn.]

Arthur Drake smiled. The expression was cold and sharp. He looked at the doors of the Jade Study. Victor Vale thought he had discarded a broken dog. Arthur Drake would burn the Cerulean Crest Order to the ground, and he would build his own empire on its ashes. He vowed to take over this entire world.

He pushed the doors open and stepped out into the cool night air.

He needed to test the system. He needed Blood Essence to grow stronger. He turned his gaze toward the Lotus Pavilion. Clara Vale and Blake Mercer were likely still tangled in his bed. He could storm in there and kill Blake Mercer with his new skills, but death was too easy. Death was not true revenge.

He walked down the cobblestone path toward the pavilion. He heard a soft sound near the edge of the gardens. Someone was crying.

Arthur Drake changed direction and moved silently through the manicured bushes. He stopped near a large stone lantern. A young woman sat on a marble bench in the shadows. She wore the elegant blue robes of an inner sect disciple. Her face was buried in her hands.

Arthur Drake recognized her instantly. It was Serena Blair. She was the daughter of the Third Elder and the fiancée of Blake Mercer.

The pieces fell into place. Serena must have suspected her fiancé was sneaking around. She had followed Blake Mercer to the Lotus Pavilion and heard the same noises Arthur Drake had heard. But unlike Arthur Drake, she did not have the courage to kick the doors open. She had retreated to the gardens to weep.

Arthur Drake stepped out of the shadows.

Serena gasped and jumped to her feet. She wiped tears from her beautiful face, trying to compose herself. Her eyes were red and swollen. She looked at Arthur Drake and froze. She knew exactly who he was.

"Arthur Drake," she whispered. Her voice trembled. She looked at his torn, bloodstained shirt. "What happened to you?"

"My wife is sleeping with your fiancé," Arthur Drake stated calmly. "I caught them. I reported them to the Sect Master. He had his guards beat me for interrupting their breeding session."

Serena covered her mouth with her hands. Fresh tears spilled over her cheeks. "I knew it. I knew he was coming here at night. He promised me he was practicing sword forms. He lied to me."

She looked incredibly fragile standing in the moonlight. She was a stage three Qi Condensation cultivator, but right now she was just a brokenhearted girl. Arthur Drake stepped closer. He did not break eye contact.

"Blake Mercer threw you away for a married woman," Arthur Drake said, his voice smooth and hypnotic. "Clara Vale threw me away because she craves power. They are laughing at us right now in my bed."

Serena sobbed and wrapped her arms around herself. "I gave him everything. I saved my purity for our wedding night. I defended his reputation to my father. How could he do this to me?"

"Because he does not respect you," Arthur Drake said softly.

Serena shivered. She looked up into his eyes. "What do we do?"

"We take back our pride," Arthur Drake whispered. "We need to hit them where it hurts the most. We need to break their egos. Blake Mercer views you as his property. What do you think would happen to his fragile pride if he found out you gave yourself to the very man he was mocking?"

Serena stared at him. The sadness in her eyes vanished, replaced by a bitter, mocking laugh. She wiped her cheeks and took a step back, her posture turning defensive and haughty.

"Revenge?" Serena scoffed. She looked him up and down with obvious disdain. "With you? Arthur Drake, you do not even possess a spiritual root. You are a mortal cripple. If I am going to throw away my purity to spite Blake Mercer, I will do it with a true cultivator. Someone who can actually crush him. I will not soil myself with the sect joke."

Arthur Drake did not flinch. He let her insult hang in the air for a moment. Then, he took a slow step forward. The passive aura of Blood Dominance flared around him.

"Test me," Arthur Drake commanded.

Serena frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Strike me," Arthur Drake said, spreading his arms. "Use your Qi. If I am weaker than you, I will walk away and let you cry in the dirt like a helpless child. But if I overpower you, you belong to me tonight."

Serena felt a surge of arrogant anger. A mortal daring to challenge a stage three cultivator was pure suicide. He was practically begging for a broken arm.

"You are delusional," Serena hissed. "Fine. Do not cry to the elders when I shatter your ribs."

She channeled her energy into her right hand. A bright blue glow surrounded her palm. She stepped forward and thrust her hand at his chest, intending to knock him flat on his back.

Arthur Drake did not dodge. He activated Bone Crushing Grip.

He raised his left hand and caught her wrist in midair. The impact created a sharp crack that echoed across the quiet garden.

Serena gasped. Her eyes widened in pure shock. Her blue Qi shattered like glass against his bare skin. Arthur Drake’s fingers locked around her delicate wrist like iron clamps. The force paralyzed her arm instantly. She gritted her teeth and tried to pull away. She could not move a single inch.

Arthur Drake pulled her hard against his chest. The sudden, forceful proximity amplified his Blood Dominance skill to its maximum limit. The dark, predatory heat of his newly formed Qi washed over her senses.

Serena looked up into his face. Her arrogance dissolved. The man holding her was not a cripple. He possessed a terrifying strength that eclipsed her own cultivation.

A sudden, intense shiver ran down her spine. The contrast was devastating to her mental defenses. The weak boy she had just mocked was currently holding her completely helpless against his chest. A heavy flush spread across her neck and down her collarbone. Her breathing turned shallow and rapid. The realization of his dominant power ignited a twisted, undeniable arousal deep inside her.

"You are hiding your cultivation," she whispered, her voice husky and stripped of all mockery.

"I asked you a question," Arthur Drake said, his voice dropping an octave. He applied a fraction more pressure to her wrist, just enough to remind her who was in control. "Did I win?"

Serena felt a damp heat pooling in her lower belly. The masculine power rolling off him was intoxicating. She looked at his lips, then back to his dark, commanding eyes. She felt a desperate need to submit to that power.

"You won," she breathed out, leaning her soft body heavily against his chest.

Arthur Drake released her wrist and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her hips flush against his. He leaned down and captured her lips. Serena moaned into his mouth. Her hands moved up to his shoulders, gripping his torn shirt tight. She kissed him back with desperate, hungry submission.

He broke the kiss just enough to speak against her skin. "Follow me. I know a place where our revenge is best."

Serena nodded breathlessly. Her eyes were dark with lust and the thrilling promise of revenge. Arthur Drake took her hand and led her towards the Lotus Pavilion, ready to harvest his first Blood Essence.