Chapter 1: Heroine Conqueror

"Done! I finally conquered the Ice Queen!" Caled raised his arms in triumph, his voice echoing in the dimly lit room.

His eyes, though tired and shadowed by dark circles, sparkled with joy.

He had spent months playing Love Life Fantasy, a game known as the hardest Bishoujo game ever created. The Ice Queen, the final heroine, had been his toughest challenge yet. But now, she was his.

Caled leaned back in his chair, staring at the glowing screen in front of him. It was the only source of light in his small, cluttered apartment.

At 23, he lived alone, working as a freelance programmer and a game beta tester. These jobs paid the bills and allowed him to live the life he wanted—a life filled with video games, especially Bishoujo games.

He had no interest in real women. To him, they were too complicated, too unpredictable.

He preferred the fictional heroines from his games—women with clear archetypes and predictable storylines. They were perfect, and he loved conquering them, one by one.

[Ting!]

A sudden sound broke the silence. Caled's eyes darted to the corner of his screen, where a notification box had appeared.

[Do you want to dominate women in reality? A world where you can conquer real fantasy women?]

Caled's heart skipped a beat. His fingers hovered over the keyboard as he read the message again.

"Do you mean women from a fantasy world?" he asked aloud, his voice tinged with curiosity.

[Yes. Every woman you have dreamed of. You can conquer them for real. Prove yourself as the best heroine conqueror.]

[In the world of Aphrodisia, your dream harem life will come true.]

Caled leaned forward, his interest piqued. "Tell me the catch," he said, his tone cautious but eager.

[Save the world from its impending doom. Become the most powerful and defeat the forces of darkness.]

A smile spread across Caled's face. "Exactly what I thought. I accept."

The moment the words left his mouth, the room around him began to change. The walls dissolved into a blur of light and color. Caled barely had time to process what was happening before he found himself standing on the side of a dirt road.

The air was fresh, filled with the scent of grass and wildflowers. Behind him stretched a vast, dense forest, its trees towering high into the sky. In front of him, the road led toward a distant kingdom, its silhouette visible against the rising sun.

Birds chirped in the distance, and a gentle breeze brushed against his skin.

[Welcome to the world of Aphrodisia, Hero.]

Caled blinked, taking in his surroundings. He was no longer in his apartment. He was in a completely different world.

[This is your status board.]

A transparent, floating box appeared in front of him. Caled's eyes scanned the information displayed.

•••••

Name: Caled Morningwood

LEVEL: 1

[STATUS]

HP: 10/10

MP: 10/10

[STAT POINTS]

STRENGTH: 1

CONSTITUTION: 1

INTELLIGENCE: 1

DEXTERITY: 1

AGILITY: 1

CHARISMA: 1

AVAILABLE STAT POINTS: 10

[Abilities]

ACTIVE:

PASSIVE:

AVAILABLE SKILL: 1

•••••

Caled read the details carefully. "So, this is my starting point," he muttered to himself.

[As the true conqueror of heroines, you will level up with every Target Heroine you add to your harem. Target Heroines are different from ordinary women because each of them is significant to your goal of saving the world.]

"I see. So it's not just about adding random girls to my harem. It's about how important they are," Caled said, nodding slowly.

[It's about how useful they could be.]

Caled began walking toward the kingdom's gate, which was still far in the distance.

As he walked, he thought about how to distribute his stat points.

[These are the functions of each status point.]

[Strength: Each point improves physical capabilities, enhancing physical attack, appearance, and stamina.]

[Constitution: Each point adds 10 HP, increases HP regeneration, and improves resistance to status ailments, crowd control, and debuffs.]

[Intelligence: Each point adds 10 MP, increases MP regeneration, enhances magical attacks, and improves memory, problem-solving, and observation skills.]

[Dexterity: Each point improves body maneuver, weapon proficiency, reaction time, and sleight of hand.]

[Agility: Each point increases movement, dodging, and attack speed.]

[Charisma: Each point enhances persuasion, seduction, intimidation, and deception skills.]

Caled scratched his head. "So, the most important stat to raise for now is Charisma. I won't be able to level up if I don't have enough Charisma to back me up. I'm putting five stat points into Charisma and one stat point into each of the other five stats."

The status board updated instantly, reflecting his choices.

Caled felt a slight tingle as his body adjusted to the new stats.

[Now, choose your starting skill.]

A list of skills appeared before him, each with a brief description. Caled's eyes widened as he read through the options.

[Arcane Blast (Active): Unleashes a concentrated bolt of magical energy that pierces enemy defenses. Its damage scales with your Magic Attack stat, making it a potent ranged option for spellcasters. Mana Cost: 1]

[Mystic Torrent (Active): Summons a cascading wave of enchanted water that floods the battlefield. The damage and debilitation effects scale with Magic Attack, slowing foes and reducing their resistance. Mana Cost: 1]

[Celestial Beam (Active): Channels divine cosmic energy into a focused beam that sears through enemies. Its impact is directly proportional to your Magic Attack power, with a chance to stun adversaries. Mana Cost: 1]

[Elemental Nova (Active): Erupts a swirling vortex of elemental forces around the caster, dealing area damage that scales with Magic Attack. It's ideal for crowd control in tight skirmishes. Mana Cost: 1]

[Arcane Whirlwind (Active): Creates a spiraling storm of raw magic that damages all nearby foes. The whirlwind's destructive force is enhanced by your Magic Attack stat, potentially disorienting enemies. Mana Cost: 1]

[Crushing Strike (Active): Delivers a single, powerful melee blow that shatters enemy defenses. The force behind this attack scales with your Physical Attack, making it essential for warriors. Mana Cost: 1]

[Titan's Fist (Active): Concentrates brute strength into a mighty punch that can knock opponents off balance. Its impact scales with your Physical Attack power, ensuring devastating blows. Mana Cost: 1]

[Rending Slash (Active): Executes a rapid, precise strike with a blade that rends armor and flesh alike. Damage scales with Physical Attack and often inflicts a bleeding effect on the target. Mana Cost: 1]

[Whirlwind Assault (Active): Engages multiple enemies with a flurry of sweeping strikes. Each hit's damage scales with Physical Attack, making this skill particularly effective when surrounded. Mana Cost: 1]

[Berserker's Onslaught (Active): Unleashes an unrelenting barrage of physical attacks that build in ferocity with every strike. Damage scales with Physical Attack, overwhelming foes through sheer aggression. Mana Cost: 1]

"Oh, I didn't expect to get this many options," Caled said, scratching his chin. "The choice is whether I should start as a mage or a warrior."

He hovered his finger over the choices, weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he made his decision.

"Yeah, I'm picking Elemental Nova. Nothing beats an AOE of different bullshits flying around."

[Congratulations on picking your very first skill. Now, you can officially start your journey as the Heroine Conqueror. Good luck.]

Caled took a deep breath and continued walking toward the kingdom's gate. He was still wearing his tracksuit, but he didn't care.

A huge smile spread across his face—the smile of a man ready to take on the world.

"My harem-collecting adventure will now begin," he said, his voice filled with determination.