"A wise man does not furnish a new house with another man’s leftovers, no matter how sweetly they were used."
"No," Adrian said resolutely as he shook his head, staring at the panel.
"I will not bind her," He said again, and there was no hesitation left in it, "I do not put used items in a house I have only just begun."
"Why would I keep second-hand goods? Just because they moaned prettily? How naive."
"Eleanor Montfort was a harvest. She was payment for what her son did in the courtyard. She is not a wife I asked for, and I will not dress her up as one."
[Understood host]
[Binding Refused.]
[Lady Eleanor Montfort remains an unassigned target.]
[Harem Slots remain 0/3.]
There was no anger in the mechanical voice. If anything, it sounded pleased that Adrian understood his own worth.
[Acknowledged, Host. However, you must understand the constraints of this choice.]
[You may still visit her, as her loyalty to Lord Montfort is completely broken. However, because she is unbound, she cannot receive any System upgrades. You cannot increase her Mana Core stage, nor can you upgrade her Elemental Affinity.]
[Most importantly, when the 72-hour S-Rank Earth Element loan expires, your own Earth Affinity will drop to C-Rank, which is her true base rank. It will permanently stay at C-Rank unless you bind her to a slot and spend points to upgrade her, or you farm a woman stronger than her with the same Earth Affinity.]
[Or you spend points to upgrade your own affinity.]
[Any woman can ride your cock.]
[A true Overlord carefully selects who gets the privilege of joining his Harem. Having three empty slots is not a failure, but you need to find your harem members soon enough]
"I can’t go around assigning used products and random chicks to these slots," Adrian tried to reason, "Lyra is the same kind of used goods, only worse."
[Do not bind the girl who dumped you because her new man still breathes. The next bound target should bring you a new element.]
"And if I unbind someone after I have already assigned them?"
[Well, while I won’t appreciate it, but if you do so, there is a seven hundred and seventy seven-days cooldown before another target can take that slot.]
[While the Elemental affinity she gifted you stays with you and any upgrade you gave her stays with her.]
Adrian nodded slowly, absorbing the rules. A casual night yielded temporary spoils and base points.
Meanwhile, a bound target was a permanent investment.
On top of that, until he reached the Silver Core Stage, he only had three slots to work with, and tonight, he had chosen to keep them empty.
"Alright, let’s talk about my current wealth," Adrian said, leaning forward. "Tell me exactly how I can use these two thousand NTR Points on my own body."
[Physical and Mana upgrades are tied directly to your current Mana Core Stage. The higher your stage, the more NTR Points it takes to condense and improve your foundation. Here is your current pricing bracket:]
A new, extensive list scrolled down the green panel.
[Attribute Upgrades (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Vitality, Intelligence)]
[Iron Stage: 100 NTR Points for 1 stat point increase in above attributes]
[Bronze Stage: 250 NTR Points for 1 stat point increase in above attributes]
[Silver Stage: 500 NTR Points for 1 stat point increase in above attributes]
[Gold Stage: 1,000 NTR Points for 1 stat point increase in above attributes]
[Ascendant Stage: 2,000 NTR Points for 1 stat point increase in above attributes]
[Sovereign Stage: 8,000 NTR Points for 1 stat point increase in above attributes]
[Saint Stage: 16,000 NTR Points for 1 stat point increase in above attributes]
[Divine Stage: 32,000 NTR Points for 1 stat point increase in above attributes]
[Celestial Stage: 64,000 NTR Points for 1 stat point increase in above attributes]
[However the NTR points needed for Mana Capacity Upgrades are slightly different]
[Iron Stage: 10 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
[Bronze Stage: 25 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
[Silver Stage: 50 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
[Gold Stage: 100 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
[Ascendant Stage: 200 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
[Domain Stage: 400 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
[Sovereign Stage: 800 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
[Saint Stage: 1,600 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
[Divine Stage: 3,200 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
[Celestial Stage: 6,400 NTR Points for 1 Mana point increase in Mana Capacity]
Adrian stared at the bottom of the list. The kingdom’s highest nobles prided themselves on reaching the Gold stage. He had never even heard of the stages beyond Ascendant.
"Celestial," Adrian murmured, a dark chuckle escaping him. "So the mighty dukes and kings of this world are barely halfway up the ladder. They are frogs at the bottom of a very deep well."
[Correct, Host. Your world’s ceiling is merely the floor for true power. However, you are currently at the Early Iron Stage. At your current pricing, your 2,000 NTR Points could buy you 20 attribute points, 200 points of Mana, or a combination of the two.]
"And what about the S-Rank Earth element Eleanor gave me?" He asked, closing his hand into a fist to feel the magic coursing through his veins, "If I decide to add her into my harem and decide to upgrade her Elemental affinity, what does it cost to upgrade her base C-Rank to something better?"
[When the 72-hour loan expires, your Earth Elemenrt affinity will fall to C-Rank, which is Lady Montfort’s true base rank. To raise an Elemental Affinity, the costs scale exponentially.]
[Elemental Affinity Upgrade Costs]
[F to E-Rank: 10,000 NTR Points]
[E to D-Rank: 25,000 NTR Points]
[D to C-Rank: 50,000 NTR Points]
[C to B-Rank: 100,000 NTR Points]
[B to A-Rank: 250,000 NTR Points]
[A to S-Rank: 500,000 NTR Points]
[To raise Lady Montfort’s Earth Element affinity, or if you want to upgrade your own, from C to B-Rank, it will cost 100,000 NTR Points. You have 2,000. You will not be buying that upgrade anytime soon. You will have to grind a bunch before you even think about it.]
Adrian stared at the one hundred thousand until the number stopped looking like a joke. Then he dragged a hand down his face.
"So, I need to conquer another woman. That is the only real way to afford these upgrades."
[Either you claim another woman, or you spend points on a woman you have actually bound to a slot. These are the two options for you. Both doors exist. Tonight you have refused the Harem Slot, so only the first door opens with the purse you currently hold.]
"If I had bound Eleanor and paid the hundred thousand points to raise her to B-Rank, would I have to pay again to raise my own rank?"
[Yes, you would. Let me clarify a crucial rule, Host. Upgrading the affinity of a woman bound to your Harem slot does not increase your own affinity.]
[If you bind a woman while she is at E-Rank, you gain her E-Rank element. If you later spend points to upgrade her to D-Rank, your affinity remains at E-Rank. Your element will not upgrade unless you conquer another woman who already possesses a higher rank, or spend NTR points to increase your own Mana Affinity.]
Adrian frowned, his eyes narrowing at the glowing text. "Then why the hell would I spend my hard-earned points on them instead of hoarding them for myself?" This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
[Because of the Investment Return Rate. This is the true benefit of the Harem system. Whenever you spend NTR points on a bound Harem member; whether to upgrade her elemental affinity, or buy her some artefacts or invest in her in other ways, the System yields a massive return, ranging from a 2x to 10x multiplier.]
[The exact multiplier depends on various factors: her current loyalty level, her base talent, and how deeply she loves you.]
[If a bound target has a 5x return rate and you spend 10,000 NTR points to elevate her, she receives the upgrade, and you instantly receive 50,000 NTR points which you can use to inbcrease your attributes or Affinity upgrades in return. The investment always flows back to the master.]
"And if I just bind some weak F-rank commoner girl into my first slot because she is easy to manipulate?" Adrian asked, testing the limits of the rules.
[Elevating her from F to E-Rank would cost 10,000 NTR Points. While you would receive the multiplier return on those points, you would still be stuck with the F-Rank element she originally possessed.]
[And if you remove her from the Harem slot, that slot will be unusable for a really long time.]
[You would have wasted a priceless Harem Slot on a peasant with a low return. I would allow you to do it, but it would be incredibly foolish.]
Adrian rested his palm under his chin, "Understood. The quality of the women I conquer dictates my own ceiling."
[Exactly. Furthermore, there are limits based on your Core Stage. While you are at the Iron Stage, you may only raise a bound woman’s elemental affinity as high as B-Rank. Upgrading to S-Rank requires you to reach the Gold Stage, and it requires the woman’s loyalty to be absolute.]
"Explain the loyalty system," Adrian prompted, touching his throat as if he could feel the invisible collar he had placed on Eleanor. "How do I measure how tightly she is bound to me?"
[Loyalty is measured on a scale from 0 to 100. It is influenced by time spent together, intimacy, dominance, and how well you protect her. A Harem Slot is not required for the loyalty bar to exist.]
[0 to 39: Marked. She is broken and submissive, but still fearful. This is where Lady Montfort sits tonight.]
[40 to 59: Kept. She will actively lie and cover your tracks.]
[60 to 79: Sworn. She will take minor risks to aid you.]
[80 to 89: Consort. She considers herself yours above all others.]
[90 to 100: Lady. Absolute, unbreakable devotion. This tier is strictly required before you can upgrade a woman’s affinity to S-Rank.]
"What about a System Shop? Is there a place to buy spells or skills before my Core gets stronger?"
[The Shop is permanently locked until you reach the Silver Stage. The Lust-Inducing Vampire Pheromones were a starter gift, not a standard item. When you break through to Silver, the Shop will open, and you will unlock additional Harem Slots.]
A countdown timer materialized in the air, glowing with a soft green light.
[Earth, S-Rank. 70 hours, 35 minutes remain. After that, your affinity drops to C-Rank.]
"Three days as a borrowed monster," Adrian muttered. "Then I am just a man with C-Rank Earth."
[You can purchase twenty four-hour extensions for 5,000 NTR Points, but you currently lack the funds. Your S-Rank power is a borrowed weapon, Host. Learn how to wield it properly before it fades.]
"Should I go back to Eleanor before I sleep to farm more points?" he asked, though he already suspected the answer.
[You may return to her to increase her loyalty, but you will not receive another massive payout. I have already told you about the law of Diminishing Returns.]
[Lord Montfort’s absence is convenient, but it is not a secondary harvest. You cannot squeeze the same target for a fortune. You must hunt new prey.]
The panel flickered and vanished, leaving Adrian alone in the quiet dimness of his bedroom.
He stood there for a moment, processing everything. He had three empty Harem slots and a night of profound victory behind him. He looked toward his bedroom door, knowing that his family was currently gathering in the dining hall.
They were waiting for the unawakened, disowned cripple to slink down the stairs and take his place at the far end of the table.
[A final piece of advice, Host,]
The System chimed softly in his mind.
[Your family expects the trash of House Ravencrest. Wear the face they expect. Do not reveal your new Core over dinner unless you want to your brother to become vigilant. Accidents that nip the flower in the bud are quite frequent occurance.]
Adrian let out a slow, steady breath. The System was right. He needed time to farm points and solidify his power before he challenged his father or his arrogant older brother.
He adjusted his collar, smoothed out his expression into a mask of quiet defeat, and opened the door to face his family.
"This is no time to relax. I need to find myself a beautiful wife."