I groaned, my head pounding like I'd just woken up from a bender that never happened. Everything felt off, dizzy, disoriented, like the world was spinning on a broken axis. I blinked hard, trying to focus, and that's when I saw it: a transparent blue screen hovering right in front of my face, like something straight out of a VR game or one of those isekai web novels I binge-read late at night.
[ WELCOME TO THE MULTIVERSE SECRET ISLAND. YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS ITS CARETAKER. ]
"What the...?" I muttered, my voice echoing weirdly in the empty space around me.
I sat up bolt upright, heart racing. This had to be a dream, right? Or maybe I'd finally lost it, too much screen time, not enough sleep. I pinched my arm hard enough to leave a red mark. "Ow! Okay, that hurts. But dreams can hurt too, can't they?"
I reached out to swipe at the screen, half-expecting my hand to pass right through it like a hologram. Instead, my fingers tingled as they brushed the edge, and the text shimmered but stayed solid.
I glanced around. I was in a sterile room with plain white walls and a single desk in the corner that looked like a reception area, empty chair, blank computer screen, nothing fancy.
"Hello? Anyone there? This some kind of prank?" I called out. My words just bounced back at me.
Panic started creeping in. Kidnapped? Hallucinating? I slapped my cheeks a few times, like I'd seen in movies. "Wake up, Harlan. Come on, this isn't real."
The screen flickered, and new text appeared.
[ THIS IS ALL REAL, HOST HARLAN. YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AS THE CARETAKER OF THE SECRET ISLAND. PLEASE FILL THE ISLAND WITH FEMALES SO THE BUSINESS CAN START. THE MORE MONEY THE HOST MAKES, THE MORE RESOURCES YOU CAN BUY. ]
I stared, mouth hanging open. "Host Harlan? Chosen? And 'fill with females'? Business? This sounds like some shady trafficking scheme from a bad novel!"
I laughed nervously, the sound catching in my throat. I stood up, wobbling a bit, and paced the small room. Pinching wasn't enough, I needed real proof. "If this is real, prove it. Show me something impossible."
The screen updated.
[ FOR STARTERS, THE HOST IS GIVEN A TRAINING ROOM, THIS ENTRANCE RECEPTION AREA, AND 15 GOLD COINS. EACH GOLD COIN EQUALS 10 GRAMS OF PURE GOLD VALUE. ]
A small leather pouch materialized on the desk with a soft poof. I rushed over, opened it, and poured out the coins. They clinked heavily, shiny, real gold. I bit one; it dented slightly under my teeth, proving it was real gold.
My mind raced. This was exactly like those system novels. Overpowered MCs, cheats, the works. "System? Is that what you are? Explain yourself!"
[ I AM THE SYSTEM INTERFACE FOR THE MULTIVERSE SECRET ISLAND. YOU ARE ITS CARETAKER. YOUR ROLE: POPULATE THE ISLAND WITH SUITABLE FEMALES TO OPERATE THE BUSINESS. REWARDS INCLUDE ACCESS TO A SHOP WHERE THE HOST CAN BUY ANYTHING, FROM INCREASING YOUR LIFESPAN TO ACQUIRING MORE SKILLS. ]
[ AS A STARTER GIFT, YOU RECEIVE THE SKILL: ABILITY COPY. COPY THE ABILITY OF A CAPTURED TARGET FOR 1 DAY, ONE AT A TIME. ]
I rubbed my temples. "Populate with females? Like kidnapping people? That's insane. I'm not some villain. And what business? A resort? A... brothel?" The word tasted sour.
I needed air. Spotting a door that hadn't been noticeable before, I strode over, yanked it open, and froze.
Beyond the threshold stretched an impossible vista. The ground was solid, soft grass and warm sand, but there was no sky. The island floated inside a vast, shimmering void, surrounded by a translucent barrier. Swirling nebulae of blue and violet light drifted in an endless cosmic ocean. No sun, no horizon, just infinite, otherworldly depth pressing in from all sides.
"Holy shit," I whispered. "This really isn't Earth."
The blue screen followed me, hovering patiently.
As reality took in, I stared at the impossible view beyond the door for a long moment before stepping back inside and letting it close behind me.
"How do I capture them? There's nothing here but empty land. How am I supposed to populate this island with females?" I asked, curiosity starting to override the panic. "And bring them here?"
[ HOST MUST TRAVEL TO OTHER WORLDS AND CAPTURE FEMALES. TO ACCESS OTHER WORLDS, USE YOUR GOLD COINS TO ACTIVATE THE TRAVEL PORTAL. THE PORTAL WILL ENABLE TRAVEL TO RANDOMLY SELECTED WORLDS INITIALLY, UNTIL THE HOST UPGRADES THE SYSTEM. BRING CAPTURED FEMALES BACK TO THE ISLAND. TRAIN THEM IN THE TRAINING ROOM SO THEY CAN SERVE CUSTOMERS, OR AUCTION THEM IF THEY ARE VIRGINS SHOULD THE HOST DESIRE, WHICHEVER OPTION MAXIMIZES PROFIT. ]
"Serve customers? What customers? The island's empty! And train them like slaves? That's messed up."
[ ONCE YOU OPEN THE ISLAND FOR BUSINESS, CUSTOMERS FROM ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE WILL APPEAR. THE DETAILS WILL UNLOCK AS YOU PROGRESS. SPEND COINS WISELY TO UPGRADE FACILITIES, SKILLS, AND MORE. ]
I closed the door, my mind racing.
The whole thing was messed up. Letting women serve strangers felt wrong at first, it twisted my gut. But the longer I thought about it, the more that feeling shifted into something darker. A sharp, electric thrill. Capturing powerful, proud women myself. Breaking them. Owning them on my private island. It was every forbidden fantasy I'd ever buried, now handed to me on a platter.
I didn't care much about training them for customers, not yet. I wanted them for myself first. The rest could come later. And the rewards? Copying any ability for a full day. A shop selling immortality. Real power. It was all too good to refuse.
I looked at the screen. "System, do I have to formally agree to become the caretaker?"
[ HOST HAS ALREADY BEEN SELECTED AND TRANSPORTED. ACCEPTANCE IS IMPLIED BY CONTINUED USE OF THE SYSTEM. HOWEVER, A VERBAL CONFIRMATION WILL FINALIZE THE BINDING AND UNLOCK ADDITIONAL FEATURES. ]
I took a slow breath. The decision felt solid now, exciting.
"Then I accept," I said clearly. "I'll be the caretaker of this Secret Island."
The screen flashed brighter.
[ CONFIRMATION ACCEPTED. HOST HARLAN COLE IS NOW OFFICIALLY THE CARETAKER. ADDITIONAL MENU OPTIONS UNLOCKED. ]
Before diving into anything else, I needed to know exactly what I was working with.
"First," I said, staring at the screen, "show me the full island."