"Of course I want to get out of here, but—"
"But what?" Myra asked, somewhat impatient, watching as the barrier wouldn't hold much longer.
Lyam didn't know how to respond to Myra's strange request for him to become her slave. I mean, he had done something like that in a late-night game with Sofía, but he didn't think that was what she meant in a situation like this…
As he thought, he looked at one of those things before something strange appeared in front of his eyes, which he recognized instantly.
'About time…'
It was the classic hack system that always showed up. He then glanced sideways at the girl, confirming she hadn't noticed the screen.
[A life-threatening danger to the host has been detected.]
[Searching for the safest options to ensure the individual's protection…]
Lyam couldn't help but feel relieved, waiting for it to grant him some powerful ability to get out of this situation.
But as soon as he turned his eyes back to Myra, she had already grown tired of waiting for his answer and threw him to the ground, making him slam his back hard against it.
Before he could even complain, she sat on top of him, pressing her rear against his lower body, applying pressure so he wouldn't get up.
'At this rate, something else is going to get up…'
He thought ironically despite the situation. Then, Myra placed her arms over his chest, looking at him seriously before flashing a wide, confident smile.
Lyam almost agreed to anything she asked, but he managed to calm himself. The situation was dangerous and serious; he couldn't be thinking about getting involved with a woman he had just met.
"You said you'd do anything to save us, remember?" she said while lifting one leg to adjust her posture, unintentionally exposing her underwear beside her thigh.
"Y-Yeah! But how do you expect me to become your slave? I have a girlfriend, you know? And I love her." he said desperately at Myra's strange attitude.
She seemed confused, her eyes widening slightly as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks before she suddenly burst into laughter.
'What's wrong with her?' he thought, somewhat uncomfortable and confused.
She then calmed down as she wiped a tear away, looking at him with amusement.
"…I'm not asking you to become my slave in that way… hahaha," she said, unable to stop herself from laughing again as she lightly hit his chest several times.
At that moment, the system screen appeared beside him, now with a completely new and hopeful message for him.
[A way has been found for the host to survive without becoming someone else's dog.]
[Unique Skill: Dominion Bonds - Lv 1]
* By forming "contracts" with women who possess a crystal core, you will be able to establish a bond that allows you to absorb part of the individual's power and use their abilities while the contract remains active.
* With this, the host will not be reduced to being their dog, and when a contract ends, both users must pay a price depending on their deepest desires at that moment.
* The level of mutual rewards between the individuals will depend on the duration and effort of the contract. The system will also grant additional rewards, such as power or EXP to level up.
Lyam blanked out at that. He didn't understand much of it, but one thing was clear: he wasn't going to become anyone's dog, or whatever that meant.
Then he suddenly remembered the beast she had been riding earlier. Was it referring to that? He didn't want to turn into something like that, much less wear a dog collar.
He couldn't help but imagine himself as a dog on all fours while that girl rode him arrogantly…
'Damn, that wouldn't be so bad… NO!'
"So…" Myra said, looking at him with a smile as her hair covered her right eye and she extended her hand toward him. "It's time to get a new toy."
[Contract detected – activating Dominion Bond…]
'Already?' he thought as she slid her hand over his chest, reaching his neck, touching him in a way he never imagined experiencing from another sexy woman…
At that moment, the barrier finally shattered just as a strong light completely blinded him.
A powerful gust of energy erupted, sending all the surrounding creatures flying several meters away.
'But—!' Myra was confused as she felt a strange sensation run through her body. It was nothing like her previous contracts. She also had no idea what would happen if she did it with a person, much less with a man who lacked a crystal core.
The light even affected her; she shut her eyes tightly, shocked by the enormous amount of magical energy that appeared out of nowhere.
"This is…! OH YEAHHHH!" Lyam shouted as he felt his body become completely light, a great power surging within him.
The massive pillar of light began to slowly dissipate until he noticed Myra's incredulous and confused gaze, as she seemed unable to understand what had just happened.
"H-How…?"
[Dominion Bond – Lv 1: Successfully activated.]
* The higher the host's level, the greater the abilities and power he can access. Currently, the host possesses 10% of Myra Drevast's total power.
[Abilities temporarily obtained:]
* Light Sword: an exact replica of Myra Drevast's magical sword with 50% less durability.
[The host's power has increased by 10% in all stats.]
[Notice: When the contract ends, the obtained abilities + the power boost will return to normal. With future level increases, the host may obtain permanent enhancements.]
He couldn't believe how good he felt at that moment. He felt like he could fly if he tried. He had a sword identical to Myra's, but made of light, along with a uniform similar to hers, only designed for a man, which relieved him.
He looked back at her only to see her completely lost in thought. She seemed even more confused than him right now, but just then one of those things lunged at her from behind.