Infinite Harem System: I Grow Stronger From Every Female Lead

Inside the dungeon.

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Arthur landed on the snowy ground of the dungeon with a soft thud, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

Snow stretched as far as his eyes could see, while jagged peaks surrounded the lone mountain he was currently on.

At the far end, he could see trees covered with snow, and faint silhouettes of monsters.

"Seems like I landed alone," he muttered to himself, with a faint hiss.

Today, his mission wasn't just to awaken but to find something—or rather someone—that was trapped beneath the Hollow Mountain, and the reason the northern border even existed.

But first, he had to get every member of his clan together, because this was still a dangerous territory even for the awakened.

"You know I can feel your presence, right?" Arthur said, staring at the empty space.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, already exasperated. "Seraph, come out."

At his command, the figure materialized out of the shadows, her moonlight-grey eyes shimmering brightly under the snow. "Yes, young master."

"Seraph..."

She locked eyes with him, her black hair swaying slightly. "Yes, young master."

"Why are you following me? Scratch that..." He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "How did you even find me?"

Seraph tilted her head ever so slightly. "You were just standing there, young master. You weren't trying to hide."

Arthur studied her for a moment, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay."

He didn't have the strength to even argue with Seraph. Ever since his reincarnation into this world, she had been sticking to him like glue, referring to herself as his shadow.

Arthur understood that from a young age she was trained to be his shadow slave, but still, perhaps because he was from Earth, having a slave or a subordinate who worked for him not out of their free will didn't sit right.

But each time he tried to dismiss her, she always found a way to slide back to his side. Considering how strong she was as an unawakened, Arthur knew she was an asset.

However, he didn't want an ally or subordinate that would backstab him.

A lion companion who doesn't bite was a lot better than a stray dog that bites its owner.

That was why he needed to clear the air with her.

'But how exactly am I going to do that?'

The girl seemed genuinely intrigued by following him around.

'Maybe I'm putting too much thought into this,' he thought, walking into the dense forest.

"Have you gotten any information, Seraph?"

The young lady who walked behind him nodded. "Yes, young master. I was able to gather some intel from my beast summon."

'How fast does she get intel?' Arthur was starting to rethink keeping her around.

If she was able to get intel in less than three minutes, then he would be in trouble if she went and snitched to his mother about everything he did.

That wasn't even considering the fact that he was a reincarnator and supposedly stole their son's body.

Arthur's chest tightened—not from the cold, but from the anxiety crawling up his spine.

He stopped abruptly, turning to face Seraph. "Hey Seraph... Why exactly do you follow me?"

He shook his head. "No. Seraph Ravenhearth, who do you serve?"

Seraph stood in shock. "What?!"

Arthur muttered under his breath. "Never mind."

'What am I even asking?' he thought. 'She serves the Arcain family and here I am putting her in a tough spot.'

"Young Master Arthur."

Arthur turned his head to the grey-eyed girl again.

She stared directly at his crimson eyes without flinching. "I serve you, not the Matriarch or the clan. Young Master Arthur Arcain is the one I serve."

Arthur's jaw tensed.

If he hadn't gotten an answer, it could have been easier for him to understand.

But this...

Arthur let the wind whisk past, his breath fogging faintly in the air. Then he asked,

"Why exactly do you serve me?"

He wanted to know. Why would she want to be an eternal slave for someone who wasn't even great yet?

"Where does your loyalty come from?"

Seraph's face flushed deep red. "Must I tell you, young master?"

Arthur nodded.

She lingered for a moment, unsure whether to say anything or not.

"Well, have you read literature, young master?"

Arthur raised a brow. "Literature?"

She nodded. "In most books I read as a child, there was always this overlooked young master who was presumed weak, and later rises to the top."

She lowered her gaze.

"In almost all of them, he had his wives, then there were his personal male guard or best friend, his faithful maid who stood by him through his bad years, and finally, there was his shadow."

'What the hell is she even saying?'

Seraph's breath hitched, but she continued. "And from the day I saw you, young master, I knew you would become that great figure. And since you already had a maid, that was out of the question. That only left one option."

'Huh?'

Arthur knew that there were people out there who wanted their freedom by all means.

There were even those who fought monsters and went through dangerous mountains just to gain their freedom.

But the girl in front of him was giving it up for... Fantasy?

'Well, I'll be damned. There are crazy people in the world.'

He dragged a hand down his face, trying to make sense of her logic.

But she wasn't done...

"I chose you, young master. I want to be your shadow while you be my light. I want to hide your sins and evil, only showing the world what you deem necessary."

Her eyes glimmered with furious loyalty. "Please choose me too, young master. Let me be your shadow so that I too can see where you climb to in this world."

Arthur leaned against a tree, expression unreadable. "You're really crazy, you know that?"

Seraph nodded. "I am my master's insanity."

He glanced sideways at her for a moment, then at the ground.

There was no reason why he shouldn't accept her.

She was capable as a fighter, scout, and probably as an assassin too.

And he needed his own personal fighting force, since he couldn't drag Amy or Isabella into every dangerous situation.

He pondered briefly, though he had already come to a conclusion.

Then—

He exhaled through his nose. "Are you certain about your choice? If you follow this path, your tether might end up linking with me."

Seraph nodded without hesitation. "I want to follow the young master till the day I die."

Arthur nodded. "Okay," he announced, then extended his hand. "I, Arthur Arcain, take Seraph Ravenhearth as my shadow, to bond with me till the day I die."

"You will walk with me and see what I will become in this crazy world, not just as one of my people, but as a shadow bonded with me."

Seraph let out a soft smile, taking his hand. "Thank you, young master. I swear that I, Seraph Ravenhearth, vassal of the Arcain family, shall serve you with my life, soul, and entire existence."

Ding!

『 You have successfully bonded with Seraph Ravenhearth 』

『 You have a dependable shadow 』

『 Your shadow shall grow with you 』

『 Seraph's affection has maxed out 』

『 You have earned the title: Shadow Enslaver 』

Arthur stared at the system notification. 'What the hell is with the crappy title?'

He smiled. "Enough of that cheesy crap. I think it's about time we find the other clan members."

"Young master, you are being very crude."

Arthur took a deep breath, then gestured forward. "As my shadow, you should get used to this and learn how to speak crudely yourself."

Seraph twisted her face. "Oi, motherfucker, what do you think you are doing here? This is the shitty young master's fucking-ass property."

Arthur chuckled a little. "I think you went a bit overboard with the curses."

"My apologies, young master. I, Seraph, shall learn how to curse properly."

Arthur motioned for her to follow. "Now why don't you..."

As Arthur's words dropped, the loud sound of an explosion echoed through the area they stood.

Snow flew into the air as Arthur and Seraph jumped on top of a tree branch.

"Damn it. What now?"

Seraph's eyes glimmered brightly as she scanned the area. "Young master, I have seen them, but there is a serious problem..."