Leo's day had started with the warm, secret satisfaction of having two girlfriends who didn't know about each other. It ended with the cold, hard reality of a flowerpot falling from a third-story window.
It wasn't the fall that killed him instantly, but the blunt force trauma from the ceramic, wielded with shocking accuracy by his now-ex-girlfriend, Sarah.
"Leo, you cheating snake!" were the last words he heard in his old world.
The next thing he knew, he was choking on air that was too clean, lying on coarse grass, and staring at a sky so blue it looked fake. The throbbing in his head was gone, replaced by a profound and utter confusion.
"Where... the hell is the ambulance? And the wifi signal? My phone's dead?" he thought, "Did I get isekai'd into a low-budget renaissance fair?"
He sat up, his muscles screaming in protest. The trees were massive, prehistoric. The air hummed with the buzz of giant insects he didn't recognize.
"Okay, not a renaissance fair. This is... primeval. No concrete, no coffee shops, no nothing. I've been transmigrated. But why? Because I was a philanderer? Talk about a harsh moral lesson."
A wave of panic, cold and sharp, washed over him. "No wifi. No social media. No way to check if Sarah posted about my... demise. I'm going to die of boredom before a sabertooth tiger even finds me!"
Just as the despair was about to sink its teeth in, a transparent, blue screen materialized in front of his vision, accompanied by a cheerful ding!
[Conquest System Initialized!]
[Welcome, User Leo Slaine. This system rewards ambition and domination.]
[For every 'Conquest' you achieve, you will earn Gacha Points. Use points to spin the Gacha Wheel for rewards, skills, and items!]
Leo's eyes widened. "A system? And a gacha one? Now we're talking!" His manipulative mind, always looking for an angle, immediately started whirring. This was a game he could play.
"Define 'Conquest'," he said aloud, his voice raspy.
[Conquest is defined as a significant act of overcoming, subjugating, or winning over a challenge, creature, or person. The scale of the conquest determines the points awarded.]
A slow, cunning smile spread across Leo's face. The panic about no wifi was replaced by a new, thrilling sensation. Power.
"Overcoming a person, huh? So, if I 'conquer' a tribe... or perhaps a certain cavewoman's heart... that should count, right?" His thoughts, as always, drifted to his baser instincts. "A world without laws, without consequences... and a system that rewards me for being my magnificent, manipulative self. This might just be better than my old life."
His internal monologue was interrupted by a gruff shout. Two large, hulking men wearing crude leathers and carrying sharpened stones approached him. They looked angry, pointing at him and then towards a nearby cave system.
"Uh oh. Looks like I'm trespassing on the local real estate."
One of the men, a brute with a unibrow, grabbed Leo's arm roughly.
"Hey, pal, personal space!" Leo yelped, trying to pull away. The man just grunted and started dragging him.
[New Conquest Opportunity: Subjugate the Tribal Brute.]
[Difficulty: Low]
[Reward: 10 Gacha Points]
"Subjugate? With what? My devastating wit and good looks?" Leo thought frantically. He had no weapons, no strength. But he had a lifetime of lying and smooth-talking.
He stopped resisting and put on his most charming, harmless smile. "Whoa, big guy! Easy there. I come in peace. I'm a... a traveler from a distant land! I have knowledge! I can help your tribe!"
The brute slowed, looking confused. The other man narrowed his eyes.
'They're buying it! Or at least, they're confused enough to listen. Perfect.'
Leo's mind raced. "I know secrets of the sun and the moon! I can make your fires burn brighter!" he declared, bluffing magnificently.
He remembered a snippet from a documentary about bow drills. Maybe he could fake it till he made it.
The two cavemen exchanged a look, then grunted, their grip loosening. They started leading him, not with violence, but with a sense of urgency, towards the cave.
[Conquest Achieved: Temporary Persuasion of Hostile Entities!]
[Gacha Points Awarded: 5]
"Only five points? Cheap-skate system. But it's a start."
A shimmering wheel appeared in his vision, a single spin costing exactly 5 points. With a mental command, he spun it. The wheel landed on a small, glowing pouch.
[Item Acquired: 'Spicy Berries' Pouch.]
[Effect: When consumed, creates a pleasant, warming sensation. May lower inhibitions slightly.]
Leo materialized the small pouch into his hand, feeling the leathery texture. He peeked inside at the vibrant red berries. A slow, mischievous grin spread across his face.
'Well, hello there,' he thought, his inner monologue dripping with lecherous intent. ''Lowers inhibitions,' huh? This is even better than a weapon. My first real conquest in this stone-age world isn't going to be with a club... it's going to be with a snack.'
He looked towards the cave entrance, where he could see the silhouettes of other tribespeople. He wasn't panicked anymore. He was intrigued.
The cave was exactly what Leo expected—damp, smoky, and smelling strongly of unwashed humanity and roasted meat. His two escorts shoved him into the center of a large chamber, where a fire pit crackled, casting dancing shadows on the rough-hewn walls. Seated on a large, flat stone—a makeshift throne—was a man who could only be the chieftain. He was broader than the others, with a thick, braided beard and intelligent, wary eyes that assessed Leo with unnerving stillness.
The chief grunted a question, a series of guttural sounds that Leo's system conveniently translated in a pop-up window.
[Chief Boru asks: "Who is this stranger, and why does he wear the skin of a strange beast?"]
Leo looked down at his jeans and t-shirt, which the system had apparently transmigrated along with him. The t-shirt had a faded video game logo on it. "Right. I'm the weird one here."
He decided to go all in on the "mysterious traveler" act. He bowed dramatically, a move he'd seen in fantasy games.
"Great Chief Boru!" he announced, his voice echoing in the cavern. "I am Leo, a scholar from the land beyond the great water! I have journeyed far, bearing gifts of knowledge and... taste!" He held up the pouch of Spicy Berries.
The chief's eyes narrowed. He pointed a thick finger at the pouch. "What is that?"
"Time for the sales pitch," Leo thought. He poured a few of the vibrant red berries into his palm. "These are Sun-Kissed Ember Berries! A delicacy of my people. They bring warmth to the soul and joy to the heart." He made a show of popping one into his own mouth.
A pleasant, cinnamon-like heat spread on his tongue, followed by a faint, euphoric buzz. "Whoa. Okay, these are good. And yeah, I feel... pretty good about all this." His initial nerves vanished, replaced by a surge of confidence.
He approached the chief and offered the berries. Boru hesitated, then took one, sniffing it suspiciously before tossing it into his mouth. The chief's stern expression shifted. His eyes widened in surprise, then relaxed. A slow, uncharacteristic smile spread under his beard.
"Good," Boru rumbled, his voice losing its edge. "Warm." He took the whole pouch and shared a few with the warriors beside him, who grunted in approval.
[Conquest Achieved: Gained Favor of Tribal Leadership!]
[Gacha Points Awarded: 15]
'Yes! Twenty points total now. The big man is happy, the guards are happy... now to see if that 'lowered inhibition' effect kicks in.'
It did. Chief Boru, now looking considerably more amiable, slapped his knee. "Stranger Leo! You stay. You eat with us. Tell us of your land."
As a haunch of mystery meat was passed around, Leo launched into a grand, completely fabricated tale of his homeland, full of "iron chariots" and "talking light boxes." The tribe listened, mesmerized. His eyes, however, kept wandering across the cave, landing on the tribeswomen. They were strong, with wild hair and fierce eyes, so different from the girls back home.
'Okay, primitive aesthetics have a certain... raw appeal,' he mused, his thoughts taking a familiar, mesum turn. 'That one by the fire, with the bone in her hair... she keeps looking at me. Is it the berries, or my legendary charm? Probably a combination.'
His inner monologue was interrupted by the system.
[New Conquest Opportunity: Become the Tribe's Shaman.]
[Difficulty: Medium]
[Reward: 50 Gacha Points & Special Title.]
"Shaman? Oh, that's perfect," Leo thought, a plan forming instantly. "No heavy lifting, all the influence. I can totally fake being a mystic."
He stood up, commanding attention. "Chief Boru! Your generosity moves me. Allow me to repay you by reading the omens in the smoke!" He pointed dramatically at the fire pit.
He knelt by the fire, waving his hands through the smoke, muttering nonsense that sounded profound. "The spirits... they speak of a great beast to the east... with long teeth... but also... they are pleased with your leadership! They say a time of plenty is coming!"
He was just making things up, but the tribe was eating it up. They saw his strange clothes, his confident demeanor, and his "magic berries," and they saw a holy man.
Chief Boru, influenced by the berries and the performance, nodded sagely. "The stranger sees true. He has the fire-vision. He will be our new voice to the spirits!"
[Conquest Achieved: Appointed as Tribal Shaman!]
[Gacha Points Awarded: 50!]
[New Title Unlocked: 'Fake Shaman' - Slightly increases persuasiveness when performing 'rituals.']
"Fake Shaman? Rude, but accurate," Leo chuckled to himself. He now had 70 points. Time for a bigger gacha spin. He mentally summoned the wheel and chose the 50-point option.
The wheel landed on a new icon: a small, intricately carved drum.
[Item Acquired: 'Drum of Minor Inspiration']
[Effect: When played, slightly boosts the morale and productivity of listeners. Area of effect: One tribal cave.]
Leo almost laughed out loud. "A productivity drum? In the Stone Age? This is getting better and better."
As the celebration continued, Leo found himself sitting next to the woman with the bone in her hair. Her name was Lana, a huntress. The Berry's effect was still present, making her gaze bold and direct.
"The spirits must be strong in your world, Shaman Leo," she said, her voice a low, captivating hum.
"Oh, they are," Leo replied, leaning closer with his most charming smile. "But they pale in comparison to the beauty I see in this world." It was a cheesy line, one he'd used before with success. Here, in this context, it was revolutionary.
Lana didn't blush or look away. She just studied him, a curious, hungry look in her eyes. 'This is it,' Leo thought, his heart pounding with a mix of genuine excitement and predatory glee. 'My first real, system-approved conquest in this new world.'