It was a sunny day.
I looked outside through the window at the couple of birds singing. Memories rushed back from a life long past. My body ached from washing clothes for hours the previous day.
"I…."
Thud, Thud, Thud..
"Wake up, miss garbage! Don't you dare sleep through your wedding day. Look at how handsome old Mr.Aldren Goomar looks. Hahaha."
A loud voice exploded inside the cramped room. My head was still heavy and the dizziness made everything blur for a moment. I blinked a few times and forced myself to turn toward the door.
A girl stood there with her hands on her waist. She had long red hair tied in a neat braid. Her expression was a mix of boredom and cruelty.
Iliana, the female lead and childhood sweetheart of the main character of the novel, Xander.
But why is she acting like a little bi**ch you ask? Well,
She was written to fall deeply in love with Xander, the bastard son of the mayor. She was supposed to be loyal to him, grow with him, and fight against the world by his side. That was the plan I wrote. A classic romance. A classic power couple.
But faith had other intentions, I died in a car accident and got reincarnated into my own novel, but as Xyaa not Xander.
Now, we have this crazy step sister energy playing out. The plot has thrown itself into chaos.
Just like the manuscript, Iliana turned out to be a prodigy of the house, where I became the garbage.
But instead of a caring older sister with benefits, I got a little trouble maker who made ruining my life her goal, absolute obsession.
And, today was supposed to be her grand finale.
My forced wedding.
She actually convinced my family to marry me off to a sixty year old merchant with five wives already. Some disgusting old man who looked at me like he was choosing livestock to breed. And everyone agreed because they thought that was the best use for a failure like me.
But, little did she know I was also waiting for this day.
Today, I, Xyaa would be exactly eighteen years old. The moment when the protagonist will awaken the Supreme Bonding system aka my key to the best harem.
You have to know that taming is something that all humans are required to do to survive in this world.
As a minor species on the planet, humans need to gain the power of magical beasts to survive. And when I said to "gain" power of tamed beasts, I meant it literally.
Taming allows humans to gain access to the same skills as the tamed beast. For example, if you tame a blazing Wolf, you would be able to use its skills "enhanced senses" and "fire inferno".
In this world, the number and quality of your tamed beasts define your position in society and hierarchy.
Those who can not tame beasts are treated as worse than garbage. Those who could tame a legendary beast are literal gods.
Originally, the protagonist was one of those garbage, shunned by everyone. Even his "biological father" who took pity on him because the maid he had affairs with died after giving birth, started looking at him with disgust.
Only Iliana protected him from the world.
But then, at his 18th birthday, Xander gains access to his system, and becomes the legendary beast tamer with the biggest harem of beast girls with big…ahem ahem….
Coming back to reality…..
Well, there is only some time left before the system awakens, and then I will show this little Iliana what it means to be petty.
"Hey! Little garbage! Have you gone senile already? Did you not hear me? Want a beating?"
"Wait a bit, I am coming."
Coming to fuck you up yo! The second hand of the clock is almost reaching twelve. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two.. Boom.
Just like I predicted. A blue transparent screen showed up in front of me…
Initializing.. System.. 1%...2%..
Hehe, Finally. I stood up and looked at the annoying face of Iliana.
"What! Something on my face? Get ready for the ceremony. At least be useful to the family as a good bride."
"Yes there is something on your face, let me help you remove it."
Iliana froze for a moment, so far I never really looked at her eyes while talking. Why bring problems when you already know the outcome? Just lay low.
She looked at me with a puzzled eye, that was exactly what I was looking for. A moment of distraction.
I moved as fast as my frail body allowed and sent my knee directly between her legs. Yes, it's not as effective on girls as on boys, but it hurts alright.
Then I sent a direct punch at her nose, hard enough, I heard a crack, I don't know though if that was from my hand or her face.
"That's for eighteen years of humiliation. Good bye little princess."
Illiana fell backward with a loud thud. The white of her eyes were showing, meaning she was knocked out cold.
Damn! That felt so satisfying. I hid her under the bed. She has already tamed her first magical beast, so her endurance is far greater than any normal human, she should wake up after some time.
And I do not want to be here when that happens. I have to get out of the town anyway, the protagonist leaves the town in desperation in the original plot, and gets his first bond.
I have to use my meta knowledge to gain advantage as well.
The sound of rhythmic boots walking through gravel was rapidly approaching. It was probably some guards sent to fetch me.
I did not wait. I opened the window and jumped out. My landing was messy, but I kept moving. I sprinted toward the outskirts as fast as I could. The sun was rising higher and the heat was growing, but I did not stop.
I had to reach the wilds before nightfall.
"I am going to make my own beast-girl harem. Hehe, I have to get at least three fluffstride clan females aka catgirls"
I giggled as I ran.
The world was dangerous. Magical beasts roamed everywhere outside the city walls. But the system still flashed in the corner of my vision, loading inch by inch.
I just had to survive until it was complete.
As I ran, I could see the farming fields disappear behind me and the tall grass of the wilds stretched in every direction. Birds flew above in large circles. Strange roars echoed far away. The world was alive with threats.
But for the first time in this life, I felt free.
...
Meanwhile, back in my room.
The guards kicked the door open.
"Miss Iliana."
Their expressions changed the moment they saw the room. They rushed inside and dropped to their knees when they spotted their precious lady under the bed. Blood dripped from her nose and her clothes were wrinkled.
There was no trace of the attacker. Only a stupid drawing of a big thick stick with two round shapes beside it on the dusty floor, the stick sprouting water towards iliana's face. Someone had drawn it with their finger.
Nobody had time to look for the trash daughter of some dead maid.
They pulled Iliana out and carried her to the family doctor. Hours passed before she opened her eyes.
Her first words were filled with pure rage.
"That little bitch Xyaa. She will pay for this."
She tried to stand, but the doctor pushed her back down. She ignored him and demanded an audience with her father. She ordered him to send guards throughout the town to hunt me down like a criminal.
But she was already too late.
By the time the gates were searched, I had crossed the city walls.
....
After hours of running and walking, I finally found the little stream I was looking for.
I decided to take a rest for now, and sat down on a rock after drinking water straight from the stream.
"Once the sun sets, more powerful beasts will start to appear…."
Areas near town and cities have special barriers placed on them. During the day, when the energy of the sun could power the barrier, monsters would stay away from the cities and roads.
At night, however, the barriers shrink due to lack of power, and beasts could come closer to the city walls. Tamers need to guard the city from them.
But that was the time I was waiting for.
In the original plot, Xander leaves the city to do or die after awakening the system. He came across a horde of slime monsters and managed to tame a yellow slime without getting killed.
Normally, taming a low rank monster like slime was really nothing to brag about, but that is when the system came into play.