The rain hit like cold needles, piercing through Kai Draven's hoodie as he walked home from another night shift in that godforsaken kitchen. The city stank of piss and old regret, neon lights flickering like dying stars above cracked concrete. His shoes were soaked, his wallet lighter than ever, and his soul? Burnt out.
Another rejection, another unpaid bill, another day of being invisible.
"Kai, you're a waste of space," echoed in his head. His old man's voice. Always louder in the rain.
He ducked into the alleyway—his shortcut home—where the stink of trash offered no shelter from his spiraling thoughts. But something was off tonight. A low grunt. A gasp.
Then he saw them.
A girl—young, barely older than him—pinned against the wall, struggling against two men. One held her by the throat; the other was fumbling with his belt.
Kai's feet moved before his brain did.
"Hey!" he barked, voice shaky but loud. "Let her go!"
The one with the belt turned, smirked, and pulled a knife.
"Oh, look. A hero."
Stupid. You're not strong. You've never been.
But Kai ran at them anyway.
The next ten seconds were a blur of fists, rain, and white-hot pain. He managed to land a punch on the knife guy before the blade slashed across his ribs. Another hit to his jaw sent him sprawling. But the girl? She got free. She ran.
The last thing Kai saw before the world dimmed was the city sky above, blurred by blood and rain.
And then—
Darkness.
He didn't expect to wake up.
But when he did, he wasn't on asphalt. He wasn't even on Earth.
The first thing he noticed was warmth.
Then softness.
He was lying naked on smooth crystal, glowing faintly beneath him, inside a massive cavern lit by floating orbs. Purples, blues, pinks—all swirling like a living aurora above his head.
"What the hell...?"
He sat up, panicked. No pain. No blood. Just perfect skin and the faint echo of moaning... wait, moaning?
A seductive female voice filled the chamber.
"Welcome, Host, to the Pleasure Path."
He spun around.
Floating before him was a translucent woman—no, not a woman, a being. Glowing curves. Bare skin. Crimson eyes. She smiled like sin in a goddess's body.
"I am your System Spirit. You may call me SIREN."
Kai blinked. "System? Like… a game?"
"This is the world of Synthia. Strength is survival. Power is pleasure. And you, Kai Draven, have been chosen to wield the most forbidden system of them all."
A screen blinked to life in front of him.
[SYSTEM INSTALLATION COMPLETE]
System Type: Erotic Ascension Protocol [P.A.T.H]
Status: Bound to Host
Primary Method of Leveling: Sexual Energy Absorption
Starter Skill Unlocked: "Essence Drain" [Rank D]
"What the f—"
"In simpler terms," Siren purred, "you grow stronger through intimacy. The more you connect, the more you evolve."
"I died and went to hentai hell," Kai muttered.
"Not quite. You were chosen. Rebirth is rare. Use it wisely… or be devoured by it."
The screen vanished as a low rumble shook the cavern. Siren's expression twisted.
"They found you. Already?"
"Who—"
A portal tore open behind him, and a woman stumbled out—bleeding, armored, and feral. She collapsed on the crystal floor, gasping. Her long white hair clung to her face, and her violet eyes flickered with pain.
"Warrior. Injured. Compatible. Engage or perish," Siren said, her voice now mechanical.
Kai stumbled back. "Wait—engage? You mean—"
"Host must initiate intimate contact to absorb energy. She is dying. You will die if you don't."
The warrior woman opened her eyes, locking on him. Her voice was hoarse.
"You... System Host?"
"I—yeah. I guess?"
She snarled. "Then do it. Or we both die."
What the hell kind of world is this?
[Emergency Skill Activation: Essence Drain]
Consent Confirmed.
Initiating…
Kai moved on instinct—fear, confusion, adrenaline all mixing. The moment their skin touched, a surge blasted through his veins like fire and lightning.
Her moan mixed with a gasp. His mind blanked as a screen blinked again:
+250 EXP
Skill Upgrade Available
Vitality +2
Strength +1
New Ability Unlocked: "Eros Pulse" [Rank D]
When it ended, she lay still, breathing shallow but no longer dying. Kai, panting, sat beside her, overwhelmed.
"What the hell did I just do?"
Siren reappeared, floating lazily. "Survived. Nicely done, Host."
Before he could process it, a roar echoed in the distance—deep, primal, and close.
The warrior sat up, grabbing his wrist. "We need to move. Now."
"What was that?" Kai asked, heart pounding.
She looked at him with wild eyes. "That roar? That's a Bloodmaw Beast. They hunt sexual energy. You just lit a flare with your system."
Kai stood, still naked, adrenaline surging.
"Well, shit."
The shadows of the cave twisted, and red eyes blinked into existence.
To be continued...