ZERO RECKONING: MY SYSTEM HAREM IN ANOTHER WORLD

. Chapter 1: A New World and a Cheeky System Consciousness returned not as a gentle awakening, but as a cold, digital splash of light behind his eyelids. [Soul Transmigration Protocol Initiated...] [Scanning compatible vessel... Found.] [Installing Divine Reckoning System... Complete.] [Welcome, User Kaito Tanaka. Congratulations on your new life!] Kaito gasped, his new lungs burning as they drew their first breath. He was lying on cold, hard cobblestones. The air smelled of damp hay, horse dung, and something else… something sweet and smoky he couldn’t identify. He pushed himself up, his body feeling strangely light and yet achingly weak. He was in a narrow, grimy alley. Rundown timber-framed buildings leaned over him, their upper stories nearly blotting out the sliver of a twin-mooned sky. This was not Japan. “W-what…?” he croaked, his voice unfamiliar. A translucent blue screen, hovering in the center of his vision, flickered cheerfully. [Greetings, User! The Divine Reckoning System is here to facilitate your path to ultimate power and fulfillment. Your previous life’s metrics have been analyzed: Low Social Status, Zero Romantic Engagements, Minimal Physical Prowess. A true Zero! But worry not! This is a clean slate.] Kaito blinked, stunned. “A system? Like in those web novels… I’ve been reincarnated?” [Precisely! And not just anywhere. You are in the kingdom of Eldoria, a world of magic, monsters, and magnificent opportunities! Your current vessel is that of Kaelan, a 17-year-old orphan and—coincidentally—also a Zero. He recently expired due to… let’s see… malnutrition and a light stabbing. A perfect vessel for a fresh start!] The casualness of the system’s announcement was jarring. Kaito looked down at his new body. It was scrawny, clad in ragged clothes, and he could feel a dull throb in his side. A light stabbing? “Okay… okay,” he muttered, trying to steady his racing heart. “So, I have a system. What can you do?” [The Divine Reckoning System rewards proactivity! Complete quests, defeat enemies, achieve milestones, and you will be rewarded with Experience Points (EXP) to increase your Level, Skill Points (SP) to learn abilities, and occasionally, bonus gifts! Would you like to view your status?] “Yes! Show me.” A new screen materialized. Name: Kaelan (Kaito Tanaka) Race:Human Level:0 (0/100 EXP) Title:The Zero (-50% Reputation gain with all factions) Health: 15/30 (Bleeding (Minor)) Mana:5/5 Attributes: Strength:3 Agility:4 Vitality:3 Intelligence:8 (Legacy of your previous life!) Wisdom:5 Luck:1 (The stabbing wasn't that random.) Skills: [None] Abilities:[None] System Shop: [Locked. Reach Level 5 to unlock.] Harem Roster:[Locked. Recruit your first Companion to unlock.] Kaito almost laughed. Luck 1. The Zero. It was brutally accurate, yet incredibly insulting. **[Initial Quest Generated: 'Aid the Injured Merchant’!** **Objective:** Assist Gregor, the local potion merchant, who is being shaken down by thugs in the market square. **Reward:** 100 EXP, 50 Gold Coins, Low-Grade Healing Potion x1, +5 Reputation with Gregor. **Failure:** Continued status as The Zero. Potential second light stabbing.] A quest. A purpose. And a way out of this pathetic state. A flicker of the ambition he’d never dared to nurture in his old life sparked within him. He was given a second chance, an overpowered cheat right in his head. He wouldn’t waste it. “Alright, System,” Kaito said, a new steel in his voice. “Let’s go.” He followed the floating, golden arrow only he could see, leading him out of the alley towards the bustling sounds of the night market. There, by a stall filled with glowing vials, a large brute of a man was shoving a portly, terrified merchant. “That’s my protection money, Gregor! Business bad this week? Maybe we break a few bottles to make it better?” Kaito’s heart hammered against his ribs. His Strength was 3. This thug’s was probably 30. This was suicide. [Suggestion: Assess Weakness.] The system flashed, and a red outline appeared around the thug. A tiny, blinking dot appeared on the back of the man’s knee. Achilles tendon? Another dot hovered over a loose cobblestone near Kaito’s foot. A plan, insane and desperate, formed in his mind. It relied entirely on Agility 4 and Luck 1. With a yell that was more fear than courage, Kaito sprinted forward. The thug turned, surprised by the scrawny kid charging him. Kaito kicked the loose cobblestone as he slid, not at the man, but at the leg of his friend who was holding Gregor. The man yelped in surprise, his grip loosening. In that split second, Kaito grabbed a bottle from Gregor’s stall—not a healing potion, but a vial of bright purple liquid labeled ‘Sovereign Glue’—and hurled it at the main thug’s face. It shattered. The man roared, clawing at his eyes as the super-adhesive instantly sealed them shut. Blinded and disoriented, he stumbled right into his off-balance companion, and both crashed to the ground in a heap of curses and confusion. Silence fell for a moment, then the market erupted in cheers. Gregor stared at Kaito, his jaw agape. [Quest Complete: 'Aid the Injured Merchant’!] [Rewards Claimed!] [+100 EXP! Congratulations! You are now Level 1! All attributes slightly increased. Health and Mana restored.] A warm energy flooded Kaito’s body. The ache in his side vanished, his muscles felt tighter, his senses sharper. He felt… capable. “Y-young man!” Gregor stammered, rushing over. “Thank you! You were so brave!” He pressed a small pouch of coins and a red potion into Kaito’s hands. “Please, take this. If you ever need anything…” [Reputation with Gregor has increased to ‘Friendly’!] As Kaito accepted the rewards, a new, more complex screen appeared. [Milestone Achieved: First Heroic Deed!] [Bonus Reward Unlocked: ‘Gacha Roll – Companion Edition’ x1!] [Would you like to roll for a potential Companion to aid you on your journey?] His heart leaped. A gacha? For a companion? This was the harem part the system had hinted at. “Yes! Roll!” A brilliant, spinning wheel of light, filled with silhouettes of stunning women of various races—elves, beastkin, humans, even a mysterious shadowy figure—appeared in his vision. It spun furiously before slowly coming to a stop. The silhouette it landed on was of a woman with elegantly pointed ears, a fierce gaze, and a bow. [Congratulations! You have summoned: Lyra, the Forest Exile (Elven Archer)!] [She will arrive at your location shortly, drawn by the System’s bond. Her initial loyalty is set to ‘Neutral’. It is up to you to increase it.] Kaito barely had time to process this when a commotion came from the edge of the market. The crowd parted as a figure strode through. She was tall and graceful, with silver hair that shone under the moons and eyes the color of emeralds that scanned the scene with sharp intensity. A elegant longbow was slung across her back. Her clothes were travel-worn but of fine make. Her gaze swept over the two groaning thugs, then landed squarely on Kaito, who was still holding his rewards and probably looking utterly bewildered. She walked right up to him, her expression unreadable. “You,” she said, her voice like wind through leaves. “A strange power resonates from you. It pulled me here. Explain.” Kaito looked at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, then at the system screen flashing [Companion Lyra Located!] and he couldn’t help but smile. His life as a Zero was over. His reckoning had begun.