The minutes passed while he remained seated on the stairs. Elvira’s words had affected him more than he wanted to admit; still, a new determination began to take shape within him.

  ‘I’m not going to let myself be treated like that when it comes to Iris. Who the hell does that bitch think she is, separating me from my sister?’

  He opened the System’s daily mission.

  [Mandatory Main Mission]

  ? Enroll in a gym.

  [Success Condition:]

  Speak with the manager and pay for the first month.

  [Rewards:]

  Dominance +1

  Willpower +1

  Experience +30

  Gacha Roll +1

  [Failure Penalty:]

  Dominance ?2

  Endurance ?1

  Willpower ?2

  Reputation ?1

  ? An additional severe punishment will be applied.

  “Pay for an entire month? Do you think I’m rich?”

  He looked again at the section about the severe punishment. His expression turned serious and uneasy.

  ‘Damn it. I don’t want to go back to the Abyss… though I don’t even know if that’s the only kind of punishment this system gives. Still, I don’t want to find out. The idea terrifies me.’

  He stood up, pulled out his wallet, and checked the money he had for the week.

  ‘I hate having to do this by force, but I don’t have a choice. And right now, I need that gacha roll—I need a Silent Petition!’

  His resolve pushed him down the building stairs and toward the nearest gym within his budget. He followed the map on his phone.

  He had never set foot in a gym before, but this would be the first time. Just as the System required, he spoke with the manager and signed a one-month contract. There was no turning back now.

  He left the gym without caring about the real purpose of his membership and received his rewards with a cheerful victory chime.

  [User: Thomas Miller]

  Level: 5

  Experience: 89 / 100

  [ATTRIBUTES]

  Dominance: 6 ↑ +1

  Synchronization: 3

  Endurance: 7

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  Willpower: 8 ↑ +1

  Reputation: 1

  Gacha Roll +1

  Thomas returned to his building and, once he found a place where he could be alone, opened the gacha interface. In front of him were the options: Silent Petition, Binding Petition, Extended Petition, Nothing.

  The odds were low, yet Thomas kept his eyes fixed on Silent Petition.

  ‘Give it to me,’ he thought, wishing for it with all his strength.

  Until that day, he had never received anything worthwhile, yet he had always felt the need to win something. This time, his feelings were different—a mix of desire and awareness of Selene’s gift. He needed luck to favor him, granting him the most valuable petition of all—the one that had brought Belle Snow to her knees before him.

  The wheel spun like one in any casino, and as it began to slow, it finally stopped on a reward. With flashing lights and a cheerful melody, the screen displayed:

  [You Have Obtained: Binding Petition]

  ? Allows you to issue a single mandatory command to a conscious target. It cannot force love, self-harm, or actions that deeply contradict the target’s moral code. The affected individual will be fully aware of what occurs.

  Thomas exhaled. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it would be enough to use on Elvira to learn his sister’s location.

  He climbed the stairs while pulling the Binding Petition from his inventory. A bright, multicolored sphere materialized in his right hand, accompanied by a message:

  [Clearly state your command along with the full name of your target.]

  Thomas was determined. However, when he stopped in front of Elvira’s door, he realized something important.

  ‘Wait… why waste something this valuable if I could… tame her? I have the freedom to make any heroine obey me, don’t I? What if I force her not to charge me rent? Wait… do I really want to do that? So close to my sister… I could forbid her from doing things and she wouldn’t even understand why… Am I really going to use this power like that? It hadn’t even crossed my mind until now.’

  He brought a hand to his chin as he considered the possible consequences and thought about what was happening with Selene. She couldn’t reveal that she was being forced to obey him.

  He looked at the Binding Petition in his hand. It was, without a doubt, an extremely valuable item.

  His heart began to pound. His stomach twisted with involuntary contractions. The pull of the forbidden grew inside him, mixing nerves and excitement into a single intense sensation.

  ‘You know what? I don’t care. I’m going to do it. No one’s stopping me from using this power… and I hate that damn bitch.’

  He stored the item in his inventory and activated quick access to the Entity Viewer. A pair of thick white glasses appeared in his hands; he put them on without hesitation.

  He knocked on Elvira’s door again and heard her footsteps approaching. The closer they came, the stronger his anxiety became.

  ‘Something illegal… something forbidden. This isn’t right… I’m so nervous, but I want to do it. I’m going to do it. What does that say about my morality?’

  The door opened. The older woman twisted her face into a look of disgust and said,

  “Oh. It’s you. What do you want now?”

  Thomas watched the white letters floating beside her body.

  [Entity Detected]

  Name: Elvira Salazar

  Gift: Dominant Manipulation

  Rarity: SR

  Rank: F

  Class: —

  Abilities: NOT AVAILABLE

  ‘Wow… that gift sounds strong. I guess her lack of training left her stuck at Rank F.’

  “I need the location of my sister, Mrs. Elvira.”

  ‘Bitch.’

  Elvira clicked her tongue and looked at him with contempt.

  “I already told you no. We women should stop giving so much freedom to men like you. That girl has a future—not like you. She’ll be better off away from a failure.”

  “I’ll call the police and report you for kidnapping,” he threatened, frowning.

  “Oh, honey, go ahead. They won’t find any proof that I had anything to do with it. And I made sure the person keeping her hides her well in case of pathetic threats like that. Trust me, their gift perfectly conceals any attempt by the police to track her down. Now get out of my building, or I’ll accuse you of sexual harassment and file a complaint. Which side do you think they’ll take?”

  The door shut with the sharp sound of the locks sliding into place. Thomas stood there for a second, stunned, and thought with near sarcasm:

  ‘Did she just admit to kidnapping my sister? Seriously?’

  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, unable to fully process the situation.

  ‘How curious… and strange.’

  He opened his System and entered the shop, purchasing an item he had used before.

  [Lesser Concession Sedative]

  ? Induces immediate deep sleep in entities of Rank E or lower. Duration: 3 to 5 minutes.

  Does not work in direct combat if the target is in a state of rage.

  ? Each Entity can only be affected once every 24 hours.

  The crystal sphere filled with red mist appeared in his right hand with a cheerful chime. Thomas tightened his grip slightly while keeping his eyes fixed on Elvira’s door.

  ‘To hell with that bitch. I’ve put up with enough. Tonight, I’ll break into her house… and tame her. You’ll tell me where my sister is. I’ll turn you into my obedient dog.’