My name is Nathan Cross. I'm twenty years old, a college sophomore, and — most importantly — a completely normal human being.
In a world where superheroes battle villains in the streets, where people fly across the sky like it's nothing, and where the government has entire agencies dedicated to keeping super-powered chaos under control, being normal is both a blessing and a curse.
A blessing, because I don't have to worry about some masked nemesis hunting me down for revenge.
A curse, because in a city like this, normal is just another word for forgettable.
The wind brushed through my brown hair as I walked down the sidewalk, my backpack slung over one shoulder.
The morning air was crisp, but the streets were already alive with people heading to work, to school, to… well, whatever it was superheroes did when they weren't punching villains through buildings.
And speaking of superheroes —
**WHOOSH**
A blur of blue and silver streaked across the sky above me. A rush of wind followed, rustling my clothes as the figure slowed down midair.
It was Celestia, the city's #1 hero. She hovered for a brief moment, scanning the streets below with that signature golden glow surrounding her.
Then, to my surprise, she looked down at me.
And waved.
"Running late again, Nathan?" she called out, her voice effortlessly carrying over the morning crowd.
I blinked. My brain took a second to catch up.
Wait. She knew my name?
Before I could respond, she shot off into the clouds, leaving behind a trail of shimmering light. The people around me barely reacted, like this was just another morning.
Which, in this city, I guess it was.
I exhaled, rubbing my temples.
"Yeah, sure, just casually exchange greetings with the strongest hero in the city. Totally normal. Not weird at all."
Then, as the last bit of her light faded —
I checked my phone.
8:57 AM.
'Crap.'
I was so late.
I broke into a run, dodging past pedestrians as I sprinted toward campus.
The university was only a few blocks away, but my class was on the third floor of the science building, and my professor was the kind of guy who locked the door exactly at 9:00 AM.
I cursed under my breath. "Why the hell didn't I take the bus today?"
To my left, a shopkeeper was cleaning up broken glass from what looked like an explosion.
A nearby news drone hovered in the air, reporting on a "failed villainous robbery attempt." Across the street, a man in a black and red suit — probably a sidekick — was being scolded by a very angry shop owner.
Yep. Just another normal day in New Avalon City.
I took a sharp turn at the intersection, narrowly avoiding a woman in a business suit who shot me a dirty look.
"Sorry!" I called over my shoulder.
The university gates were now in sight. I just had to —
BOOM.
A loud explosion rocked the street behind me. The shockwave sent car alarms blaring, and a few people screamed. My first instinct? Keep running.
And then I did what any normal person would do in this situation.
I looked back.
A figure stood in the middle of the street, surrounded by smoke and flames.
A villain? No. Just a guy in a trench coat holding some kind of experimental tech device that had clearly malfunctioned. He waved his arms frantically.
"I didn't mean to do that! It was just a prototype — !"
**BANG**
A streak of lightning shot down from above, striking the ground next to him. The smoke cleared, revealing Voltia, another well-known hero.
"Didn't mean to do it?" she repeated, cracking her knuckles. "That's what they all say."
The man dropped the device and held his hands up. "Wait! I swear it was an accident — "
Before he could finish, Voltia moved.One second she was standing still, the next, she had him in a headlock, pressing her boot into the still-smoking device.
People started cheering. A couple of civilians pulled out their phones to record.
I turned back toward the university.
"Not my problem."
I finally reached the campus gates, weaving through the crowd of students. The moment I stepped onto the university grounds, I slowed down, trying to act like I hadn't just run four blocks at full speed.
My lungs disagreed with that idea.
I stumbled through the entrance hall, nodding to a few students who barely acknowledged me. I wasn't exactly Mr. Popular.
But I wasn't a loner either. I had my usual seat in class, the occasional group project partner, and a general background character energy that let me exist without drawing too much attention.
9:00 AM.
I ran up the stairs two steps at a time, ignoring the burn in my legs.
9:01 AM.
I reached the third floor, skidding into the hallway.
9:02 AM.
I stopped outside my classroom door. The handle didn't budge.
It was locked.
"Damn it," I muttered under my breath, pressing my forehead against the door.
"Late again?"
I turned. A girl stood next to me, arms crossed. Rachel. One of my clasmates. She was an engineering major, always had her hair in a messy ponytail, and was probably smarter than half the professors here.
I sighed. "Yeah. Professor locked it already?"
"Yep."
I groaned. "Great."
Rachel smirked. "Let's be honest. Even if you made it on time, you'd have probably fallen asleep in class."
"Hey, I stay awake! Most of the time."
She rolled her eyes but didn't argue. "Anyway, looks like we're both locked out. Wanna grab coffee instead?"
I hesitated. On one hand, I really needed to stop missing class. On the other hand… coffee sounded really good. And Coffee with a hot chick made it better honestly.
Before I could decide, something weird happened.
A screen blinked into existence in front of me.
Not a phone screen. Not a hologram.
Just a floating, glowing blue panel, hovering in midair.
My entire body locked up.
Rachel was still talking, but her voice faded as my eyes locked onto the text in front of me.
---
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
[Welcome, Host.]
[You have been chosen to wield the Harem Seduction System.]
[Congratulations! Your life is about to change forever.]
---
I stared.
Blinking. Processing. Trying to make sure I hadn't just had a stroke.
Rachel waved a hand in front of my face. "Uh… hello? Earth to Nathan?"
I didn't answer.
Because, in that moment, one thought screamed louder than everything else in my brain.
'What the hell did I just unlock?'