[Joyce's Perspective]
I didn't just run from the balcony; I fled. My feet carried me down the hallway in a blind panic, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I burst into my room and slammed the door shut, fumbling with the lock until I heard the satisfying click. Safe. I was safe. But from what? From him? Or from myself?
I leaned back against the solid wood of the door, my whole body trembling. My breath came in ragged, shallow gasps.
What just happened? What in God's name just happened out there?
The images flooded my mind, vivid and unwelcome. Adam… my son… his hands on my bare skin. His lips on mine. The shocking, possessive way he kissed me. He didn't just kiss me; he consumed me. He groped my ass, my breasts. He was so proactive, so confident, so utterly terrifying in his desire.
"You are my first love."
His words echoed in my head, a dangerous, seductive whisper. He didn't say it like a child says it to their mother. He said it like a man says it to a woman. He loves me as a woman. He wants to make me his.
Why is my heart pounding so much? It shouldn't be. It should be filled with revulsion, with horror. This is wrong. On every conceivable level, a relationship like that between a mother and son is forbidden. It's a line that should never, ever be crossed. We can't do something like this.
But then… why is my heart racing with something that feels terrifyingly like excitement?
Why didn't I stop him? Why did I let him take advantage of me? No, that's not right. He didn't take advantage. I let him. I wanted him to. Why did I love it when he kissed me? Why did I press back? Why did I use my tongue? Why is my body, even now, aching for his touch? My skin tingles where his hands were. My lips still feel the ghost of his. I loved it when he groped me. I loved the feeling of his strong hands on my body.
The whole night was a blur of restless tossing and turning. I can't believe Adam made a move on me. I'm flushed, my face burning with shame and something else… something I can't name… every time I remember his heartwarming, terrifying proposal. I haven't felt like this in years, not even his father… No. I can't think about that.
How can I have such impure thoughts about my own son? Instead of stopping him, I let him do whatever he wanted. I even participated. I was lost in that moment, in that deep, passionate kiss. I knew it was wrong, but my body was betraying me, desiring him. Desiring my son's touch.
What the hell is going on with me? Does Adam really love me like that? Or was it just a moment of madness? Was what happened today just a nightmare I'll wake up from?
My mind was a chaotic whirlwind, my feelings warring with decades of societal conditioning. I couldn't understand anything. The only thing I knew for sure was that I couldn't pretend this didn't happen.
I will talk to him. Tomorrow. I will talk to Adam and we will sort this out.
That night, I didn't get a single moment of sleep.
[End of Joyce's Perspective]
I didn't get a blink of sleep that night.
After Mom ran off, I eventually picked myself up and went back to my room, but my mind was on fire. The System's words about moving forward, about accepting my desire, had solidified something within me. The guilt was still there, a bitter tang in the back of my throat, but it was overshadowed by a cold, hard resolve.
I spent the next few hours not trying to sleep, but trying to plan. My problems felt like a tangled mess of yarn: my revenge against Lina and Friedrich, the complete removal of the ruthless Animal Guild, getting justice for Anna, helping Aunt Isabel realize her own feelings, controlling the volatile Tiffany, and now, the most complicated knot of all—how to face Mom.
My brain felt like it was about to crash.
To distract myself, I opened the System store. I had a few Fear coins left, and I needed an edge. My eyes landed on a skill I already had, but this was a new, upgraded version.
[Advanced Appraisal]
"System, what's the difference?" I asked mentally.
[This is the advanced version of your current [Appraisal] skill. With this upgrade, the appraisal function will be perpetually active. You will be able to see anyone's stats and information with just a single glance, without conscious activation.]
That was useful enough on its own, but the System wasn't finished.
[It also has a unique, integrated feature called the 'Soul Ledger.' This implies that you will be able to see how the person in front of you truly thinks about you and what your fundamental bond is with them. You may not fully understand until you see it with your own eyes. For that, you will have to wait.]
Confusing, but intriguing. I didn't hesitate. I bought it.
A wave of information flooded my brain, a slight headache that faded as quickly as it came. Curious, I opened my own status screen to see what had changed.
Status:
Name: Adam Wilson
Strength: 145
Agility: 139
Endurance: 135
Mentality: 152
Intelligence: 150
Mana: 110
Potential: Undetectable
Skills: [Normal Close Combat], [Boxing Proficiency], [Weapon Expertise], [Expert Massager], [Experienced Strategist], [Taekwondo Proficiency], [Incubus], [Chanakya], [Advanced Appraisal]
Passive Skills: [Great Leader], [Self-healing], [Napoleon], [Casanova], [Charmer], [Min], [President]
Superpower: [Omnifex]
Coins: [Prayer: 0], [Fear: 50]
I had so many new skills now, a whole arsenal of abilities. For a few minutes, I felt a surge of delight, of power. But it was quickly drowned out by the crushing weight of my problems. I needed a concrete plan, and I needed to start executing it now.
As the first rays of dawn painted the sky, I knew I couldn't face Mom. Not yet. I needed to be in control of the situation when we next spoke, and right now, I was anything but. So, I did what any coward would do. I got up, quietly prepared breakfast for everyone, and left it on the table. Before anyone else in the house had even stirred, I was out the door, heading straight for Park to complete my daily mission. Afterwards, I head toward the hunter's guild room. It was time to solve the Tiffany problem.
When I walked into the main meeting room of our guild, it was mostly empty. Only three people were there: Jack, Anna, and Tiffany.
And that's when I saw it. The new skill, [Advanced Appraisal], was working. Floating just above their heads, visible only to me, were translucent panels of text.
Jack looked up and grinned. "Morning, Leader!"
Above his head, the Soul Ledger read:
[Loyal to Adam] &[Best Friend]
Anna gave me a warm, respectful nod. "Good morning, Leader."
[Inspired by Adam] &[Caring Senior]
Then there was Tiffany. She sat off to the side, looking bored and utterly uninterested in my arrival. She didn't even glance my way.
[Neutral] &[Nothing]
So that's what the System meant. It was a cheat sheet for human relationships. It showed their raw, unfiltered feelings toward me and the nature of our bond. This was more powerful than I could have imagined.
"How is everyone doing?" I asked, trying to sound casual. "Where are the others?"
"They went for Isabel's bootcamp, bro," Jack said, stretching his arms. "That woman is a slave driver, I swear."
"We stayed behind because Isabel said she was still preparing some specific exercises for us, and someone had to hold down the fort," Anna added.
"She's really doing a lot," I said, genuinely impressed. But my focus wasn't on Isabel. It was on the four of us in this room, and the glaring [Neutral] floating over Tiffany's head.
"Well, I guess we can't proceed with the meeting now," Anna said with a shrug.
"Yeah, you're right. We can't," I agreed, my eyes locking onto Tiffany. She was fiddling with her phone, pointedly ignoring our existence. It was time to execute the plan I'd formulated in the dead of night.
"Hey, Tiff," I said in a casual voice.
Her head snapped up, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "First of all, Mr. Wilson, my name is Tiffany Watson. I don't want any other nickname. And what do you want to ask?"
I put on a comical, easy-going smile. "But 'Tiff' suits you. Whatever. I heard that playing chess can be a good measure of a person's strategic ability. Since we can't hold our meeting, why don't we play a game?"
She gave me a look that could freeze water and went back to her phone. "Why should I play with you, Mr. Wilson?"
I knew she'd say that. Time to raise the stakes. I let my smile turn into a smug grin. "Let's make a bet."
That got her attention. She looked up from her phone, a flicker of curiosity in her cold eyes. "What kind of bet?"
"Simple," I said, my voice dripping with confidence. "The loser will have to accept one command from the winner. Anything they want."
A sparkle appeared in her eyes. The thrill of competition, the chance to put me in my place—it was irresistible to someone with her ego. She stood up, a predatory smile spreading across her face.
"Okay, Mr. Adam Wilson. Don't you dare back off on your words. You should know, I'm the reigning chess champion of Grand Metropolis."
"I wouldn't dream of it," I said with a confident laugh. "Okay, let's play."
As we moved to a table, Jack grabbed my arm, his face pale. "Bro, are you crazy?" he whispered frantically. "She's a champion! You're going to lose for sure, and I bet she'll ask for something outrageous, like making you her personal servant or something!"
I just patted his shoulder. "I'll manage it. Believe in your leader."
I looked over at Tiffany, who was already setting up the pieces with practiced speed. "So we have a deal? The loser obeys one command from the winner. Anything at all."
"Deal," she said, her voice sharp and eager.
In minutes, the board was set. The air in the room grew thick with a sudden, intense atmosphere. I was on black, she was on white. The match began.
Tiffany played with a fierce, aggressive style, every move a calculated attack. She was trying to overwhelm me, to crush me quickly. But for every trick she played, I had a defense. For every trap she set, I calmly sidestepped. I played passively, defensively, letting her exhaust her opening salvos on my unbreachable wall.
An hour passed. The other members of the guild started to trickle in from their training, including Isabel.
"What in the world is going on here?" she shouted, hands on her hips.
Anna quickly shushed her. "Miss Wilson, they're in the middle of a very intense match. The stakes are high."
Soon, the entire guild was gathered around our table, watching in silence. The match was a spectacle. I was still playing in a relaxed mode, leaning back in my chair. But Tiffany was stressed. A thin sheen of sweat was on her forehead, and her leg was bouncing nervously under the table. Her initial confidence had evaporated, replaced by frustrated disbelief.
I decided to poke the bear. "You know," I said conversationally, "if you feel like you're going to lose, you can just accept defeat now. No shame in it."
Her head shot up, her eyes blazing. "I will not lose!" she spat. "You're just scared of me, so you're trying to discourage me. It won't work!"
I just smiled. "As you wish." I moved my knight. "And I checkmate you in three moves."
She laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. "You're bluffing!"
But as she looked at the board, her laughter died. Her eyes widened as she traced the path of my pieces, the inevitable trap closing in around her king. She made her first move, desperately trying to find an escape. I made mine. She made her second, her hand trembling. I made my final move.
"Check and mate," I said, my voice calm and clear in the silent room.
For a moment, she just stared at the board, her face a mask of utter shock. Then, something inside her snapped. With a furious scream, she swiped her arm across the table, sending the chess pieces flying across the room.
"I didn't lose! You cheated! There's no way you could beat me! You cheated!" she shrieked, throwing a full-blown tantrum like a spoiled child.
Before she could cause any more chaos, I moved. I shot out of my chair, grabbed her by the wrist, and slammed her back against the wall. She gasped, her eyes wide with shock and fear. I pressed in close, using my body to pin her.
Then, I activated my skill. [President].
The air around me shifted, becoming heavy, oppressive, charged with absolute authority. I looked straight into her eyes, channeling all the power of the skill into my gaze. "Listen to me, Miss Tiffany Watson," I said, my voice dangerously low. "Do you know why this match broke you? It's because it shattered your ego. I want to declare one thing, right here and now. This is my guild, and I am the leader. If you don't want to work with us, you can get the hell out of here. But if you stay, you will work under my jurisdiction. Do you understand?"
She stood ramrod straight, her hand trapped in my iron grip. Under the overwhelming influence of my passive skill, her usually cold, arrogant personality was nowhere to be seen. All that was left was a scared, cornered animal.
I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a powerful command. "Who am I? Tell me who I am!"
She flinched, her voice a timid, embarrassed whisper. "...Leader."
"What was that?" I demanded. "I couldn't hear you."
A flash of her old irritation crossed her face, but it was quickly stamped out by the force of my will. "Leader!" she said, her voice louder, clearer, but still laced with resentment.
"Now that's better," I said, finally releasing her. I stepped back, the oppressive aura fading. "And I hope from today onwards, you will understand how to work in cooperation."
She stood there, rubbing her wrist, refusing to meet my eyes. "Yes, Leader," she mumbled. "I won't give you a reason to scold me again."
The atmosphere in the room was electric. Everyone was just staring at me, their mouths hanging open, completely stunned by how I had not only defeated the chess champion but had so thoroughly and completely dominated her.
To know how I did it, we have to go back a few hours, to the dead of night.
While I was lying in bed, my mind racing, I was trying to find a way to control Tiffany. An idea sparked. To defeat a champion, I needed to become better than a champion. I activated my superpower, [Omnifex], which grants me a combination of perfect photographic memory and photographic reflexes. I spent the next two hours on my phone, watching dozens of world championship chess matches, speed-running through centuries of grandmaster strategies. Every opening, every gambit, every endgame technique—I didn't just watch them. I absorbed them. They were stored not just in my brain, but in my muscle memory, as if I had been the one playing those matches all along.
Back in the meeting room, everyone was looking at me with a newfound awe. I ignored them and focused on Tiffany. The Soul Ledger above her head flickered and changed.
Status:
Name: Tiffany Watson
Strength: 256
Agility: 223
Endurance: 250
Mentality: 356
Intelligence: 311
Mana: 0
Potential: A
Skills: [Psychologist], [Unparalleled Determination], [No Slacker], [Mastery in Archery], [Excellent War Strategist], [Stock Market Analyst], [Chess Champion], [Continuum Combat]
Passive Skills: [Fear of Loss], [Toxic Boss], [Superiority Complex]
Superpower: [None]
Soul Ledger: [Respect for Adam] & [Companion]
When I looked at her new status, a wave of relief washed over me. The [Neutral] was gone. The [Nothing] was gone. Replaced by respect. By companionship.
One problem down. Many, many more to go.