Chapter 1: Transmigration
"Argh... it hurts," a teenager of about seventeen groaned as he opened his eyes, clutching his head in confusion.
Another wave of pain hit him, and he groaned louder as a sudden flood of memories rushed into his mind.
He was curled up in a dim, muddy alley, his agonizing cries sounding as if he were being slaughtered.
It wasn't just his head that ached—his whole body hurt, as though his ribs were broken. Moments later, clarity returned. He remembered his name was Edgar—a twenty-four-year-old man on Earth, born with a weak constitution and fragile bones.
He had died after falling onto his bed, reaching for a glass of water on the nearby table, succumbing to a broken spine.
Sighing, he thought, "Thank you, Mother! Father! For twenty-four years, my family took care of me, even though I was a burden.
My father, mother, and little sister showed me kindness and love. So even though I died, I feel content. I just hope they won't grieve for long because of my death."
Edgar—or rather, Hal, the name he now bore in this world called Cathleya, the Ruin World of Cathleya—reflected on his new reality.
That's right. According to the memories I received, this world was invaded by the Abyss, a race known as the Darklings.
Five hundred years have passed, and humanity has yet to recover, with only a few million people remaining. Other races—Beastmen, elves, and dwarves—are in even graver danger, with only a few hundred thousand left, according to the elders in the village.
Some say that the dwarves have almost been wiped out, with only a few seen in the world today.
Humans have an advantage due to their high fertility, but the Darklings continue to attack the original inhabitants of Cathleya.
That's why the populations of humans, elves, Beastmen, and dwarves have steadily declined over time. If this continues, the other races might vanish entirely—and humans might also face extinction.
Right now, Edgar—or Hal, as he is now called—is among the refugees who escaped a goblin attack. He came from Maple Village, which had more than two hundred people but has been reduced to around one hundred fifty. Among the dead was Hal's father, a First Tier Knight.
The original Hal escaped with the refugees but died from a rib fracture caused by a blow from a First Tier goblin.
I didn't expect to be transmigrated and inhabit someone else's body. Even though my body is stronger now than in my previous life, these broken ribs still hurt terribly.
As Hal was lost in thought, he noticed a virtual option appear. Enduring the pain, he clicked it, and a virtual panel expanded before him.
"Welcome to the Maid Collection System!"
"Huh... Maid Collection System?" he wondered.
The panel then displayed four options. The first was "Mission."
Mission 1: Recruit a maid with a beauty rating of 90 or above.
Reward: Battle Maid Armor Set (Epic), 1000 system points, and 1000 gold coins.
Mission 2: Increase a maid's affection toward the host to 90 or above.
Reward: An increase in daily point accumulation by 10–100 points for every maid with 90 or higher affection.
Limited Mission: First Maid Recruitment Completed.
Reward: Black Wyvern Armor Set (Epic), 1000 system points, and 1000 gold coins.
The second option was the System Store, selling equipment ranging from ordinary to legendary. Among the items were magical accessories like rings, bracelets, earrings, and pendants.
There was also a Mixed Shop, offering beast cores, healing potions, mana recovery potions, and other items Hal didn't recognize.
The system also offered troops ranging from ordinary to epic grade, hero templates that could be assigned to maids to evolve them into heroes, and a final category of limited items, each with a 30-day countdown.
The third option was the system inventory, featuring infinite grids.
The fourth displayed the personal status of Hal himself, as well as his maids and troops.
Hal realized that surviving in this world would be difficult, but with the system's help, his chances were much better.
"The first thing I need to do now is recruit a maid who meets the system's requirements," he thought.
He also noticed, that the system would not respond to his questions—it wasn't designed to speak or interact like a human.
Even so, Hal was deeply grateful for the system's arrival.
Enduring the pain in his ribs, Hal stood up, hands trembling, his clothes sticky with black mud.
Leaning against the building wall for support, he managed to steady himself. Just as he was about to step out of the alley, a figure cloaked in black rushed toward him.
The person removed her cloak and tossed it onto the roof of a nearby two-story wooden building. Then she embraced Hal and pushed him against the wall.
Startled, Hal looked at her and was surprised to see an exceptionally beautiful woman with long, straight black hair and captivating blue eyes. Her breasts pressed softly against his chest.
Soft, he thought. But then he felt a knife pressed against his waist—right where his ribs were broken.
"What the hell!" Hal murmured.
"Silence," the woman whispered in a cold voice.
Hal clenched his mouth shut as he heard the clanking of metal boots running nearby.
Soon, two soldiers clad in full plate armor appeared, scanning the area.
They glanced at Hal and the woman. Now, the woman gently cupped Hal's face and drew hers close to his, as if they were about to kiss.
The soldiers' eyes gleamed with lust as they looked at the woman. They couldn't help but swallow hard—she was undeniably beautiful: tall with a slender waist, perfectly proportioned breasts, flawless white skin like milk, a captivating face, and enchanting blue eyes.
Even Hal found himself tempted; it was the first time he had seen a woman this beautiful up close.
The two soldiers approached them, and one asked, "Did either of you see someone wearing a black cloak pass by here?"
Hal knew what to do. With a knife pressed against his waist, he subtly gestured with his finger in the opposite direction. Although the soldiers hesitated because of the woman's beauty, however they have no choice but to pursue the person in the black cloak.
They didn't suspect Hal was the thief; his obvious weakness was clear to them, and the woman never crossed their minds.
Hal let out a sigh of relief as the soldiers left. The knife at his waist was gone, and the woman stepped back, preparing to leave.
Above the woman's head, Hal saw a virtual label:
Name: Freya
Beauty Score: 98
Affection: 0
"This... this is her. I almost forgot I needed to recruit a maid. Who could be more qualified than this woman?" he thought.
"Wait!" Hal called out.
Freya stopped and turned around, looking at him coldly.
"What do you want? If you can't give me a satisfactory answer, don't blame me for being ruthless ."
"I mean no harm," Hal replied. "I just want to ask—do you want to become stronger?
She stared at him, her eyes icy. "Huh, a weakling like you dares to ask me that? Look at yourself—you can barely walk properly. How dare you ask me to become strong?"
"Do you have the ability?" she sneered. "Since you cooperated before, I'll let you off this time." Then she turned to leave.
"Wait... wait! If I don't have the power to make you stronger, you can do whatever you want with me!" Hal said, limping forward while clutching his waist.
Freya stopped and turned again, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
"Alright, show me. If you're joking, I, Freya, will make you regret messing with me."
"Come on," Hal said, waving his hand and breathing a sigh of relief.
Freya stepped closer, though she still doubted his sincerity. As long as he didn't make excessive demands, she was willing to do what she could—especially if it meant becoming stronger.
In this world, survival depended on one thing: strength.
"I need to become stronger," Freya murmured.
She approached him cautiously.
Hal raised his hand and placed it on her shoulder.
Freya tensed at first but, sensing no ill intent, allowed his hand to rest there.
"Freya, are you willing to become my maid and servant?"
Angry, thinking he was joking, Freya hesitated—but ultimately nodded and replied, "I agree, as long as I become stronger as you promised, and you don't force me to do anything against my conscience."
"Very well," Hal said, then bestowed upon her the Maid status.
A golden light then enveloped Freya, and she felt a slight pain in her chest.
Looking down, she saw a golden star-shaped mark surrounded by smaller stars of different colors.
She examined her body and noticed only the mild pain in her chest and the golden light still shimmering around her.
But she felt no increase in strength, as the man had promised.
Anger surged within her. She glared at Hal and, without hesitation, punched him in the face. However, she suddenly stopped and dropped to her knees as a jolt of electricity coursed through her body.
"What did you do to me?" Freya demanded, staring at Hal with hatred.
"No need to worry. Follow me," Hal said, walking to the end of the alley in search of a hidden place for further conversation.
With no other choice, Freya reluctantly followed.