NTR: Choice Based System
Chapter 260 - 260: World of Villains

Ye Yang didn't hesitate for a moment and agreed to explore the shard world. He wanted to go away for a while after witnessing so many things for the past few months.

[System]

[Initializing the process...]

Then a portal opened in front of Ye Yang. He looked at the portal for a few minutes and then entered it, only to find his world turn white and he couldn't open his eyes.

Suddenly he heard someone yelling, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a wagon with young men around his age, wearing armour and swords in hand.

"Move out, this is the battleground!"

Ye Yang followed the young soldiers to find that he was on a mountain plateau. Beneath it lay a big field, and on the other side was a dark forest, and beyond that, another mountain where an enemy flag could be seen.

The leader who was yelling pointed towards the flag. "Before the end of this month, we have to conquer that mountain! Only then can we claim our win!"

He roared, drawing his sword. "If any of you tries to run or avoid the battle, then you'll die by my hands, instead of the enemies'."

The soldiers roared in unison, "AHAHAAA kill the enemy! Kill the enemy!"

Ye Yang followed suit, but he was still confused about the situation when the system notification chimed in.

[Ding]

[Welcome to the Shard World: World of Villains!]

[Host's current identity has been integrated into the world's narrative. Host is now a newly conscripted soldier in the 'Iron blood Legion' of the 'Crimson Kingdom'.]

[Main Objective: Survive the Civil War and find the World Core Shard. The World Core Shard is currently located within the capital city of the warring faction, the 'Shadow Syndicate'.]

[Note: The Civil War is between the Crimson Kingdom and the Shadow Syndicate. Both factions are primarily composed of individuals with villainous tendencies. The Crimson Kingdom seeks to rule through brutal strength and conquest, while the Shadow Syndicate prefers manipulation, deceit, and control from the shadows. Choose your path wisely.]

[Additional Objective: Gain recognition and authority within your chosen faction to facilitate your search for the World Core Shard.]

[Time Remaining in Shard World: 7 Years (Equivalent to 7 days in Host's current world)]

Ye Yang's mind raced as he processed the system's message. A conscripted soldier? In a world of villains caught in a civil war?

He glanced at the young men around him, their faces grim but determined, their cheers echoing the bloodthirsty fervour of their leader.

These weren't heroes or even morally grey characters; the system had explicitly stated this world was filled with villains.

He subtly assessed his own body. He felt his usual strength and cultivation, thankfully not suppressed or altered by the world's rules; unlike some trial spaces he had heard about.

This was a relief; he wouldn't be starting entirely from scratch in terms of power. But simply having power wasn't enough in a world of villains. He would need cunning, ruthlessness, and perhaps a touch of villainy himself to survive, let alone find this 'World Core Shard'.

His eyes swept across the desolate plateau, the enemy mountain looming in the distance under the darkening sky. The scent of dry earth and distant, unidentifiable smoke hung in the air.

The 'Crimson Kingdom' seemed to favour direct confrontation, placing him squarely on the front lines. The 'Shadow Syndicate,' with their preference for manipulation, sounded more dangerous in a different way.

Seven years. Seven years of civil war in this world, and only seven days would pass back home. Plenty of time to achieve his objective, but also plenty of time to get killed.

He needed to adapt, and fast. He had to survive this initial battle, understand the dynamics of this 'Iron blood Legion', and figure out how to rise through the ranks or navigate the conflict to get closer to the Shadow Syndicate's capital.

The order was clear to rest for the day as tomorrow will be battle against the enemy.

The soldiers began to straggle back from the plateau edge towards the cluster of makeshift tents set up further back.

The smell of stale sweat and uneaten rations hung in the air. They gathered their meager dry meals – hardtack and dried meat – and settled onto the rough ground or inside the cramped tents.

Among the groups, the newer recruits were easy to spot. Their armour was less scratched, their faces less hardened, and their complaints were more vocal.

"Ugh, this food is like chewing on old boots!" one young soldier grumbled, tossing a piece of hardtack aside.

Another rookie sighed, wiping his brow with a grimy hand. "My back hurts from sleeping on the ground. Can't they even give us straw?"

"And the smell in here!" a third soldier muttered, wrinkling his nose. "It's awful. Is this really what being a soldier is like?"

"I joined because they promised glory and coin, not this!" a fourth recruit complained loudly, kicking at a loose stone.

A few feet away, slumped against a tent pole, an older soldier with a missing ear and numerous scars across his face watched them, a dry chuckle rattling in his chest. He took a slow bite of his own hardtack, chewing deliberately.

"Listen up, greenhorns," the old soldier rasped, his voice like grinding stones. "These food scraps and this miserable life are temporary. Don't you worry about that."

He spat on the ground. "Once we win this war, once we take that mountain and march into the Shadow Syndicate's lands, everything changes."

The young soldiers quieted, their complaints momentarily forgotten as they looked at the veteran with a mixture of apprehension and forced hope.

The old soldier leaned forward conspiratorially, his eyes glinting in the fading light. "Once we win, all the women of the Shadow Syndicate will be ours to enjoy. Their homes, their gold, everything will belong to the Crimson Kingdom. And the soldiers who fought to take it will get their share."

A shiver went down the spines of some of the new recruits, but others leaned in, a predatory curiosity sparking in their eyes. "Women?" one asked, his voice hushed.

"Everything?" another echoed.

The old soldier's smile widened, revealing gaps where teeth should have been. "That's right. Wait a little, and if you're close enough to the leader's tent, you'll hear it yourself. He's got three captivated women with him in there right now. High-class ones, probably nobles or rich merchants from the last town we took. He enjoys them every night. All those women were won from the battlefield."

A young soldier, looking both horrified and fascinated, swallowed hard and asked, "What about us then? The regular soldiers?"

The old soldier shrugged, a casual, chilling gesture. "We don't qualify like the leaders. We don't get the fine upper-class or royal women. Those are kept for the commanders, or sometimes sent back to the capital for the nobles there. We just get to do what we want with the regular ones from the towns and villages we conquer. Before the kingdom decides to take them for lab or, or sell them off in the slave market."

He laughed again, a harsh, dry sound that held no humour. "But it takes time, you see. Sometimes a few weeks, sometimes a few months, before the higher-ups decide what to do with them. That's usually enough time for us to... enjoy ourselves."

He gestured with his chin towards the scattered groups of soldiers, a few of whom were already huddled together, sharing lewd jokes and crude boasts about past campaigns.

"It's the real reward of war, lad. The chance to take what you want from those you defeat. That's why we fight. Forget glory, forget coin – that stuff comes later anyway. The real reason is the spoils."

Ye Yang sat nearby, hidden mostly by the dim light and the bodies of other soldiers. He listened to the conversation, his expression unreadable.

The system had called this the 'World of Villains', and the older soldier's words painted a stark picture of why.

This wasn't just a civil war; it was a brutal conflict fuelled by greed, power, and the casual dehumanization of the conquered.

The 'Crimson Kingdom' wasn't fighting for any noble cause, but for the right to plunder and dominate. The 'Shadow Syndicate' might use different methods, manipulation and deceit, but their goals were likely just as twisted.

He understood now. Survival here wasn't just about being strong; it was about navigating a world where morality was absent, replaced by the raw pursuit of selfish desires.

The conversations around him weren't about strategy or courage, but about the depraved rewards of violence.

The air felt heavy with the weight of impending cruelty, a stark contrast to the structured, albeit often ruthless, world he came from.

He had entered a different kind of darkness. He needed to be careful, to watch and learn, and to ensure he didn't become like them in his quest to find the World Core Shard.

The seven years in this world suddenly felt like a very long time. He had to find a way to use this environment to his advantage without letting it corrupt him completely.