Leon Ardent died in the least dignified way possible.
There were no flashing lights, no dramatic truck-kun, no final speech about regrets or unfulfilled dreams.
Just a cramped apartment and a laptop still running in isekai anime in the background and a cup of instant noodles that betrayed him at the worst possible moment.
He remembered coughing, panicking reaching for his phone. Then darkness.
Absolute suffocating darkness. For a moment there was nothing. No sound no body no thoughts. Then a voice echoed through the void.
A female voice. Smooth calm, thoroughly unimpressed.
[Booting system…]
[Soul compatibility…]
[Candidate: Leon Ardent]
"What?" Leon gasped.
Air rushed into his lungs as if he'd been drowning. His eyes snapped open blue sky soft clouds drifting lazily overhead. A cool breeze brushing against his face.
He was lying on grass. Grass.
Leon bolted upright. Gone was his apartment. Gone were the cracked walls and instant noodle cups. In their place stood a vast open field stretching toward distant mountains.
Far away he could see towering stone walls and Spires that looked straight out of a medieval fantasy game. No way.
A translucent blue screen materialized in front of him.Clean sleek unmistakably game like.
[Welcome to the Harem Builder system]
Leon stared at it. "This is a dream."
[Negative, You are deceased.]
"I beg your pardon?"
[Cause of death. Choking.Survival probability 0%. Intelligence rating under review.]
He blinked. "You don't have to roast me."
[Correction: I absolutely do.]
Leon slapped his cheeks.
It hurt.
"So this is an isekai"
[Affirmative.You have been transported to the world of Elyndra]
Elyndra.
The name felt heavy grand like something out of a fantasy novel.
"Okay"
Leon muttered forcing himself to calm down.
"Fine if I got reincarnated where's my cheatability? Sword mastery? Infinite mana Dragon bloodline?"
screen flickered then bold golden letters appeared.
[Primary mission: Build the ultimate harem to prevent world destruction.]
Silence.
A bird chirped somewhere in the distance.
"I'm sorry" Leon said slowly. "Build what?"
[The Ultimate Harem]
[You must recruit powerful heroines.]
[Emotional bonds will trigger exponential growth said heroines.]
Will evolve beyond natural limits.]
Leon's brain short circuited. "So… instead of me being strong"
[they will be]
He pointed at himself. "And I'm just…there."
[You are the catalyst.]
"That sounds like side character energy."
[Your personality does not qualify for Lone Hero type].
Leon clenched his fists. "You don't even know me."
[You died choking on noodles.]
"Low blow." The system continued as if it hadn't just shattered his pride.
[World threat assessment: High]
[Demon King revival probability: 89%.]
[Projected global casualties without intervention: Catastrophic]
Leon swallowed. "So you're telling me the world's ending?"
[Yes]
"And the only solution…"
[Build a powerful harem.]
He stared at the sky. "This has to be a joke." The system paused. Then another window appeared.
[Emergency event detected.]
The ground trembled. Leon turned far beyond the fields near what looked like a portable city a pillar of black smoke spiraled into the sky.
A second later an explosion. Even from miles away he felt the shockwave. The air turned hot. A distant roar echoed across the plains.
[Demon General Kalithra has begun her invasion.]
[Threat Level: S-Rank]
Leon's mouth went dry. S-Rank.
[Power hierarchy in Elyndra: F-E-D-C-B-A-S-EX-Divine]
[Most humans peak at B-rank.]
[S-Rank individuals are classified as walking calamities.]
Another explosion lit up the horizon. Leon felt something primal rise in his chest. Fear.
"that city…"
[Projected civilian casualties increasing]
He hesitated. "I don't have any combat skills."
[Correct]
"So what do you expect me to do?"
A new quest window popped up bright red. Mockingly cheerful
[Optional quest: Comfort the lonely demon. General]
[Objective: Engage in emotional dialogue with Calithra.]
[Reward: Flame Authority RX-rank skill] [Bones Reward: relationship progression]
[Failure:You die Painfully]
Leon blinked. "Comfort?"
[Yes]
"She's invading a city."
[Emotional instability detected in target root cause abandonment betrayal unresolved trauma.]
" You analyzed your back story already?"
[Of course I am efficient unlike you.]
Leon stared at the burning skyline. "You want me to walk into an active invasion zone and play therapist?"
[Correct]
He laughed nervously. "This is insane."
[Probability of your survival without system compliance 3%]
"That's low."
[Yes]
Another shockwave rolled across the fields. Leon clenched his jaw. "If I do this."
[Yes]
"and she becomes stronger because of me."
[Correct]
"And she's already S rank"
[also correct]
"Isn't that dangerous?"
The system paused for the first time.Its response came slower.
[Potential collateral risk acknowledged.]
[However loyalty coefficient increases with bond depth.]
"So if she likes me enough she won't destroy the world"
[Precisely]
"That's your plan?!"
[It has a 72% success rate.]
Leon stared at the flames." And the other 28%?"
[YOU die.]
He exhaled slowly. "Of course."
Wind swept across the plains. The smoke rising from the city looked darker now. Closer. The ground trembled again and for some reason Leon's feet started moving. "I can't just sit here."
[Surprizing display of backbone detected]
"Shut up." He jogged forward heart pounding. The closer he got to the city the more chaotic the sounds became. Screams clashing steel roaring flames. Knights in silver armor rushed past him toward the gates. One of them stopped
"You! Civilian! Get back!"
Leon froze. The night barely glanced at him before sprinting off. The city gates were partially shattered.
Black fire crawled along the stone like living shadows and in the center of it all she stood tall wrapped in dark armor etched with Crimson lines long silver hair flowing like moonlight against smoke.
Curved black horns rose from her temples. In her hand burned a blade of condensed flame. Around her dozens of Knights lay defeated not dead. But legally overwhelmed. Her Crimson eyes glowed cold furious lonely.
[Target identified: Demon General of Ash.]
Leon swallowed. "She looks like she'd kill me for breathing loudly…"
[Confidende rating: Acurate]
Kaylithra lifted her blade. Black flame surged forming a massive arc of destruction aimed at the remaining defenders. Without thinking Leon ran forward.
"WAIT!!" silence. The flames froze midair. Every head turned. Kalithra's gaze landed on him. The pressure alone nearly forced him to his knees.
"Human?" Her voice was smooth deadly. "Do you wish to die first?" Leon's brain screamed. Run, instead. He forced a shaky smile.
"You look tired." The entire battlefield went silent. Even the flames flickered uncertainly. Calithra's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"You're strong" Leon continued voice trembling. "Stronger than anyone here. But you're not angry." A lie. She was furious. "But it's not because you enjoy this" he said. The system chimes softly.
[Emotional resonance detected.]
Kalithra's flames wavered.
"You know nothing of me."
"Maybe" Leon admitted. "But people don't burn cities for fun." She stepped forward. Each step cracked the ground. "They burned them" she said quietly. "When they've been hurt first." The air went still.
Knights watched in disbelief. Kalithra's grip tightened on her blade. "The humans broke their treaty." Her voice dropped. "They used us then haunted us" Her flames trembled. "I was loyal" for a second just a second.
The rage in her eyes flickered and something else surfaced. Pain. Leon swallowed. "Then why prove them right?" Silence.
The black flame slowly shrank. "You're stronger than this" he said softly. "You don't need revenge to validate your strength." The system glowed brighter.
[Bond initiation detected]
Kalithra stared at him.
"You stand before me unarmed?"
"Yeah"
"unprotected"
"Yep"
"and you speak as if I will not kill you."
Leon forced a grin. "I'm choosing to believe you won't." Another pause. The tension snapped.
The flames dispersed. The massive arc of destruction vanished. The battlefield air cooled.
[Quest Complete!]
[Flame Authority (EX-Rank) Skill Unlocked]
[Kalithra bond level: initiated]
Leon felt heat surge through his veins but it didn't burn.It obeyed.Kalithra lowered her blade. The Knights didn't move. No one dared.
Her Crimson eyes locked onto Leon. "Human"
"Leon."
"…Leon."
His name rolled off her tongue slowly as if testing it. "I will withdraw" she said. Gasps echoed around them. "But understand this." She stepped closer. Close enough that he could feel her warmth. "You have interfered with fate." Her hand rose for a terrifying second. Leon thought she would strike him instead.
Her fingers brushed his collar. Gentle "if you betray me." Her eyes glowed brighter. "I will burn this world." Leon swallowed. "Fair." She turned with a sweep of her cloak.
Black flames engulfed her form and she vanished. Silence filled the ruined courtyard. Knights slowly lowered their weapons. Leon exhaled shakily.
"I'm alive..."
[Yeah, Barely]
He collapsed onto his knees. "You're insane."
[Successful mission Acknowledgement accepted]
"She said she'd burn the world."
[Yes]
"And you call that success?"
[Bond established. Loyalty trejectory favorable]
Leon stared at the ske.
"This is only the first one, isn't it?"
[Correct]
A new notification appeared.
[Global Balance Adjusted.]
[New heroines identified.]
- Seraphina Vale: A-Rank Knight Prodigy
- Lyra Moonveil: Saintess of Lumina
Leon groaned.
"How many are there?"
[Classified]
"I'm doomed..."
[Correction: YOU are essential]