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2024-10-29 19:42:56Fueled accumulating rage for years, Ryan charged at Ashton and gave him a punch in the face.
"–the hell?!"
Ashton quickly recovered and stood up, fist curled to get back at Ryan. With his sturdier build and taller height, it meant the actor had longer reach than him. So, when the payback punch came, Ryan couldn't dodge it.
For someone who should have had a hangover and only minutes ago made love with someone – his wife – Ashton should have no energy spared for the punch. But Ryan felt like his cheekbone shattered on the impact. Perhaps he was exaggerating, but it sure felt so.
Grimacing, Ryan was about to launch his next attack. Unfortunately, he was neither fast nor strong. He never raised his hand to defend himself, let alone punch someone out of rage. The fact that he nailed his first punch to Ashton's face was probably out of luck and unexpectedness.
"Take this, lowly bastard!" Ashton pulled his muscled right hand back and shot it to Ryan's other cheek, making him lose his balance. The actor didn't waste time; he hit Ryan's abdomen this time.
So close to his diaphragm, Ryan felt his breath left him. He choked and coughed, slumping down with hands around his stomach.
"Go, Ashton!"
Ryan didn't mishear it.
Violet was cheering for the actor, for the damned person she cheated with.
"Maybe some good punchs will make him remember his place."
Ashton chuckled, no sign of last night's hangover shown. "Yeah, I don't know how you stand a mere housekeeper like him around."
"Oh, if only you know," Violet looked like she was having fun watching him get beaten. Perhaps she truly did. Not only smacking and hitting him, it turned out that even his wife enjoyed watching him beaten to a pulp.
Ryan's heart shattered, broken into far too small pieces and dust. He didn't know what to do. Except to curl his fists and shoot a punch at the one who dared to touch and destroy his wife.
Ashton easily stepped aside and grabbed his hand. He missed.
They laughed, and the actor readily kicked him in the stomach. It was worse than his punch earlier. Ryan couldn't breathe.
Gradually feeling hazy, Ryan distinctly noticed that he heard rushed footsteps over Ashton and Violet's laughs.
"What happened here?" His mother-in-law's voice managed to cease their laugh, but it didn't last long. "Oh? If you're going to give him a lesson, why don't you call us sooner to witness, my dear Ashton?"
"Mmllmmbn!"
"Swallow your food first before talking, dear."
"I want to hit him too, Marisa!" It was his father-in-law.
"What are you talking about? I don't want you get your hands dirty."
"That's right, Rob. Let me handle him, you don't have to lift a finger when I'm here." Ashton said, a vile smirk on his face. "Maybe there's a good in keeping you here. You can be my practice partner."
Ryan gulped, steeling himself for the next attack.
"And by that, I mean as my punching bag."
He totally lost his footing when Ashton hit his face so hard his nose broke, followed quickly by a mean jab at his diaphragm and one more to his jaw.
Ryan couldn't hold the impact, he dropped to the ground. They laughed. His own wife, Violet, and his parents-in-law. They all laughed at him like there was no tomorrow.
But it didn't end there.
Ashton didn't stop even when he was already laying on Violet's bedroom floor. No. The sturdy actor pulled his leg and kicked hard on Ryan's stomach. He repeated the act, ignoring how Ryan curled in a useless attempt to protect his body.
Perhaps, there truly was no tomorrow for him.
He'd die.
He'd die in disgrace. Humiliated beyond belief.
Ryan would die while his own wife excitedly cheered for this evil man to kick him again. He'd die while his own in-laws watched with sparkled eyes, commenting on how weak and useless he was.
He'd die, and there would be nothing left of him anymore.
He'd die, and Violet would know nothing about him. She forgot. She had forgotten him, and all of their memories–
"Take this, you bastard!"
"Agh!"
His stomach hurt so bad. He wanted to throw up. Or perhaps he already did, feeling how wet his mouth was, accompanied by a strong taste of acid. His cough worsened, along with his inability to take a breath.
It was worse. Almost like how his father beat–
Ryan's world went dark.
Not because he closed his eyes, as he already did that since the first kick. He was going under. All pitch black around him, with no single sound he could pick up.
He was thankful, really. If he went unconscious, he wouldn't feel all the pain in his stomach and face. He didn't need the pain. So, he welcomed the darkness. Though, hopefully, he wasn't dead.
However, a minuscule yellow dot appeared out of nowhere. Soon, it grew bigger and bigger until his vision was flooded with golden lights as darkness no longer surrounded him.
Peeep!
[Potential Host found.]
[Chance of link up succession: 79%.]
[Link up initiated.]
[Loading . . .]
[Link up succeed.]
He was once again surrounded by darkness, but something was different this time. The previous pitch black was complete with faded golden grid lines. Then, floating white letters appeared in front of him, framed by more golden lines.
Another thing that he noticed was that the pain lessened for a fraction. At least he could breathe again and was not on the brink of death.
Peeep!
[Welcome to TEETS.]
[From now on, TEETS will help you achieve your goal.]
[First, please state your name.]
'Name?'
Ryan didn't know what this had to do with his name, but it surely was a strange dream.
The framed letters disappeared and then reappeared after a blink. It was like whatever this was wanted him to do as it said.
[First, please state your name.]
'Ryan Wilder.'
[Potential Host's name has been submitted.]
[Next, please state your goal.]
'My… goal?'
The white letters framed with golden lines reappeared, insisted him to give an answer.
[Next, please state your goal.]
'What goal?'
[These are several examples of the previous Hosts' goals gathered from TEETS's universal database.]
[I want to win and get all of their territories.]
[I want to kill Jul*** Cae***.]
[I want to conquer the Ott**** Emp***.]
[I want to fly.]
[I want to be rich and be fawn over by girls.]
[I want to secretly control the world.]
[I want to blow a city.]
[I want to marry the Crown Prince.]
[I want my family to be happy.]
[Please note that all goals were achieved in varying lengths.]
Ryan now has a clear view of what TEETS expected from him. But what did he want, really?
He couldn't think. Not when the pain gradually worsened once again.
[TEETS only gives the minimum amount of pain killer for Potential Host. It will fade completely within 53 seconds.]
[Please decide carefully.]
Ah, yes… he was in pain.
It seemed that he would always be in pain. Since he was still a kid, Ryan had learned what pain was. His father unkindly introduced them.
Even after he got away from his father and his family, Ryan was introduced to another kind of pain. His in-laws' humiliation was no better than his own father's abuses.
[Please state your goal now.]
[You have 17 seconds left to decide.]
[Failure to do so will mean that Potential Host has no goal, and TEETS will automatically disconnect.]
Ryan took a sharp breath and closed his eyes. He didn't know what happened exactly in this dream-like reality. But he only knew that he didn't want to pass up this chance. Even if it was only in his imagination.
He didn't want to be in pain anymore.
Ryan didn't want to feel pain when his in-laws and old family laughed at his suffering.
[Please state your goal now.]
[You have 6 seconds left to decide.]
'I want to take revenge on my in-laws and my old family.'
[Potential Host's goal has been submitted.]
He didn't need to wait long before the floating black screen framed with golden lines returned.
___
[Status]
Name: Rayven Ashford
Age: 27
Goal: Revenge on the Host's in-laws and old family.
Targets:
- Robbert Crowne
- Marisa Crowne
- Jared Crowne
- Florent Crowne
- Howard Ashford
- Annette Ashford
- Edric Ashford
Percentage Chance to Achieve Goal: 0%
Estimated Time to Achieve Goal: 101 years.
___
[Do you allow TEETS to help you achieve your goal?]
Ryan's eyes widened at the report displayed before him, ignoring its floating question. How did it know his old name?
A string of white letters framed by gold lines appeared out of nowhere.
[Potential Host's name has been submitted.]
But Ryan didn't say his old name, did he?
Surely he did say 'Ryan Wilder' when asked about his name, right? No one should have know that he was actually Rayven Ashford.
How could TEETS know?
[TEETS confirmed all submitted information Potential Host gave to the universal database and automatically corrected all wrong data.]
Before he could protest, the same question once again flared in front of his eyes.
[Do you allow TEETS to help you achieve your goal?]
Surrendering completely to whatever this insanity was, Ryan nodded. 'Yes.'
Peeep!
[Congratulations!]
[Now, you have become TEETS's Host.]
[TEETS will automatically disconnect when Host's goal is achieved.]
‘What the fuck had just happened?’
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The Revenger's System 4. And the Terribly Excellent Emperor-Training System
[Do you allow TEETS to help you achieve your goal?] Surrendering completely to whatever this insanity was, Ryan nodded. 'Yes.' Peeep! [Congratulations!] [Now, you have become TEETS's Host.] [TEETS will automatically disconnect when Host's goal is achieved.] Ryan almost jumps in surprise, hearing a mechanical voice in his head. He figured it happened because he finally became TEETS' Host. Even so, the floating white letters framed by golden lines were still present, albeit to summarize what TEETS was saying in his head. 'What the fuck had just happened?' Another thing he noticed was that the pain from Ashton's hits and kicks was gone completely. Ryan didn't even feel a thing. He was fine, as if he wasn't knocking on Death's door. [As a congratulatory gift, TEETS will give you a list of random abilities you may choose from.] [Please select three abilities wisely.] [Clear Water Lvl 1: Allow Host to detect a small dosage of drug or poison in a drink.] [Little Sky Lvl 1: Allow
The Revenger's System 5. Before the Storm
Peeep! [A mission received!] [Face-slapping Son-in-Law: Acquire $100.000.000 in 24 hours.] [Rewarded Ability: Unlimited Balance Lvl 1.] Ryan reread the message floating before him for the third time. He didn’t imagine it. TEETS truly meant he must get that many zeros in twenty-four hours. ‘You must be joking! Where the hell can he get one hundred million in a day beside robbing a bank?!’ [TEETS only give missions according to Host’s full potential.] ‘Full potential, you said?’ Ryan already felt a massive headache coming. Peeep! That annoying sound again. He expected a new message to pop, but nothing came. Peeep! Ryan frowned. Peeep! Splash! Ryan gasped for air, feeling himself suddenly drowned in water. But he wasn’t. “Get yourself out of here, you scum.” It was Violet, and her trusty glass of water poured into his face. He coughed hard, trying to get the liquid out of his oesophagus and lungs. He wheezed, “Wha..?” “What did you say?” Violet stood over his lying form
The Revenger's System 6. Unqualified Waiter
Robert Crowne’s sixtieth birthday party was bigger than Ryan expected.The party matched his father-in-law’s liking. A red carpet with plenty of entertainment and business journalists. Big convention hall of a five-star hotel. And live music performed by Skittles – an old-school acoustic band that flew straight from Finland.To be honest, Ryan was quite surprised that he was invited to be here in the first place. He was forbidden to attend all of the Crowne family’s birthday parties since he married Violet two years ago.But he was here now. Dressed in Jared’s discarded suit pants that he saved from the trash and a second-hand white shirt he got for 2 dollars in the market. And for the leather shoes, he was lucky that the family’s previous driver had left them there. Ryan looked like a rug compared to all the nicely-dressed businessmen and beautiful entertainment figures, some of whom he spotted as Violet’s cast mates.Ryan never attends any party. So, after he slipped through the bac
The Revenger's System 7. Unlimited Balance Activated
Ryan had to do something. He couldn’t let the bearded man send his picture to anyone else. He had to stop it before his picture spread and his old identity was exposed. But what? He was on the brink of a mental breakdown in the middle of his father-in-law’s birthday party. And then– TEETS. What were the abilities TEETS gave him again? A mechanical voice resounded in his head, followed by the reappearance of the transparent black panel with gold lines as a frame. ___ [Status] Name: Rayven Ashford Age: 27 Goal: Revenge on the Host's in-laws and old family. Targets: - Robbert Crowne - Marisa Crowne - Jared Crowne - Florent Crowne - Howard Ashford - Annette Ashford - Edric Ashford Percentage Chance to Achieve Goal: 0% Estimated Time to Achieve Goal: 101 years. Abilities: + Night Cloak Lvl1: Allow Host to be invisible to one target at a time. + Unveiled Tongue Lvl 1: Allow Host to learn the truth from the target's lies for an hour a day. + Unlock Lvl 1: Allow Host t
The Revenger's System 8. Who Rides the Helicopter?
Before dawn break, the Crowne's resident was as silent as the previous night. Not a single soul had risen from their sleep due to the hangover and exhaustion from last night's birthday party.But then, the calmness and silence of early morning air were heavily disturbed by a helicopter attempting to land in the front yard. Aside from a silver Porsche and red Ferrari owned by Robert and Violet, the parking space was relatively empty."What's..?" Robert was the first one to wake up. The officially sixty-year-old man groggily stood up and shook his wife as he heard the copter's loud sound. "Wake up. I think Jared come home.""Hmm…" but Marissa merely shifted to her left, her back facing him. But, five seconds later, she gasped and got up, her face lit up like Christmas lights. "Jared's here?""There's a copter outside, who else could it be? Maybe he feels bad for not coming to my party last night!"With that in mind, they scurried out of their
The Revenger's System 9. The New Owner
After the debacle earlier, the rest of the day went normal for Ryan and the Crowne family. They treated him like trash, and Ryan did anything as usual without really minding their insults.However, when they decided to go to dinner and ask Ashton to accompany them, Ryan couldn't stay silent anymore. He was fed up with Violet's boyfriend."What, you want to go with us?" Marissa asked before they exited the house. "Did I mishear something or are you really said that you want to go to dinner with us? You?!"Ryan nodded, despite his in-law's mocking expression. Usually, when they dine out, Ryan would drive the car and wait in the parking lot. Now, he wanted to eat there together. Something he wouldn't dare do. But now, with TEETS helping him and due to his fear that Violet and Ashton would get closer, he had to keep an eye.Violet merely rolled her eyes when he told them. She said nothing as Ashton nudged her bare arm, "You have a ballsy housekeeper."
The Revenger's System 10. I Accidentally Buy A Company
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The Revenger's System 11. New Mission - Possessive Master
The next day, Ryan was busy cleaning the house and preparing breakfast for Violet and his in-laws, who had been sitting by the kitchen table since early morning. It was a rare occurrence, really. They seldom set foot on the kitchen tiles, let alone not let him out of their gazes. Their presence alone made Ryan’s nerves on alert. What were they planning? “You scum,” Marissa called him, voice croaked like a toad, and eyes red with heavy bags under them. He did not get her a glass of water as usual, deeming she could take it herself if only she walked three steps to her left. “What did you do to get all of that money?” Ryan looked at his mother-in-law over his shoulder. “What money?” “The money you bought Vernest with!” Ryan hummed as he scrambled the eggs on the pan. He tried a new recipe, hoping that Violet would like it. “What are you talking about? I don’t really have any money, Mother.” Marissa bristled as he called her by that. But,
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156. Signing His Death Sentence
Ryan struggled to stay awake as he stared blankly at one of the bare white walls around him.The hum of the bright fluorescent lights above him flickered occasionally, breaking him in and out of his trance. There were no windows except for the small one at the door, which barely showed into the hallway.He had long lost count of the hours he had been held inside this room since he arrived. He felt tired and broken in more ways than one, but he was managing, and that is all he could do right now.He just needed to hold out a little longer.Just a little longer.Shifting his gaze at the paper before him, it did not take long to realize that no one here was ever on his side to begin with. Telling the truth did not matter. Everyone believed he was a murderer. He was guilty the moment he was arrested, and they made that very clear after trying to repeatedly beat him into signing the confession, making sure to avoid his face. Anything that his prison uniform did cover, they beat until they
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155. Turning Table is Not that Simple
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154. Murder Interrogation
Still in shock, Ryan asked the police officer who told him to step forward. "Can I make a phone call?""You're not allowed.""What about an attorney?""The police will contact one on your behalf once you've been transferred.""Transferred?"The officer sighed, pushing him to move forward after a moment. "To Seattle's police jurisdiction. Now stop talking and walk."Following the orders to move, Ryan was taken to a small check-in station where an officer forcefully dipped each of his fingers in black ink, printing each digit on a white paper document.Once they were finished, he was escorted into another area, which was equipped with a digital camera and a large backdrop against the wall that was marked with varying heights. He inwardly sighed as he was given a small blackboard with his name to hold up.An officer instructed him to stand up straight and look towards the camera. He flinched as the flash sounded and wa
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153. Arrested in Cuffs
Opening the door, Ryan was alarmed at finding a couple of police officers standing on the other side. Glancing at the police car in the driveway, his face drained at wondering what the hell was going on."Are you Ryan Wilder?" one of the officers asked."…Yes."One of the men immediately took his hand and placed a handcuff around his wrist, pulling his other arm behind his back before adding another cuff.Another officer said, "Ryan Wilder, you are hereby under arrest on suspicion of murder."His mouth fell open in complete disbelief. "What?""You have the right to remain silent," the officer continued. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?"His knees felt weak. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. If this really was a dream after
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152. Running Away Together
Everything was a blur as Ryan rushed down the hall and burst through the door where they had last left Violet and Edric.What he had found on the other side was his worst nightmare realized.Kneeling down as he pulled Violet limply into his arms, he shakily touched the side of her draining face and gently shook her, finding no response. Choking out her name through cracked whispers over and over, he couldn't stop the sudden tears blurring his vision.Never in his life had Ryan ever felt so hurt and broken as he did now."G-God, no…" he whimpered. "Violet, please… please wake up."Every silent second that passed felt like eternity as his chest began to heave with broken sobs. His throat burned and his eyes clenched in anguish.Weakly picking himself up to see her face, he brushed back her bangs and froze when her blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Everything around him grew still like he was viewing a dream
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151. Fight Against Luck
Violet was ready to fight him. She had trained in several martial arts and mastered them for self-defense against harmful men like him. Rendering Edric useless was an easy task. She had almost done that months ago, when he was still playing with his old dog. Come to think of it, where was that old dog of his again? Violet’s blue eyes were focused as she shifted into a defensive stance, her lithe frame ready for action. On the other hand, Edric appeared remarkably nonchalant, sitting at a table with a book and a wide grin on his face as if he knew something Violet didn’t. The first move came from the infamous actress. Her movements were swift and precise, as she had aimed a roundhouse kick at Edric’s head. The red dress with high open slit at her tight created a beautiful motion picture, if one were to enjoy it. Sadly, the circumstance was not fit for such approval. However, just as Violet’s foot was about to connect with Edric’s head, a stack of books toppled over, and he stumble
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150. The Outbreak
"Pick it up," Edric haughtily repeated. Violet couldn't believe what she had done - even if he did deserve it. Her reputation was already in the mud lately, so it wasn’t her concern. She just didn’t believe that she punched Edric because of Ryan, the fucking scum. To hell with people still watching her nude scenes. She had made that choice in her younger days, so she didn’t want to regret it right now. However, to insult and humiliate Ryan for having such wife, crossed her line. Oh, how her world had turned upside down because of him. Not responding fast enough for his liking, as she stood frozen in place, he roughly grabbed her arm and nearly pushed her towards the floor before Ryan had cut in between them. "Don't you ever touch her again," Ryan furiously spat. "You'll fucking regret it." Before Edric could retort, the Head Butler of the Ashford family, Jorge, wedged between them, gently pushing them back by the shou
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149. To the Fundraiser
Right after breakfast, Thomas knocked on the penthouse door and asked if they were ready. Once they were, they left with Thomas, who had been waiting in the living room. He had been instructed to chauffeur them around Seattle today to find appropriate attire for the company's black tie fundraiser tonight.Although they were being forced to attend, Ryan surprised himself by enjoying their time together shopping for the event. Maybe it was because he got to see Violet try on dresses, or maybe it was just nice to do something normal. Before they return to the penthouse, Violet wants him to buy her a car. She would never ask him for such a thing, because even with all the wealth he had acquired, Violet could afford a car herself. Besides, she was too proud to ask for one. So, when she did ask him, Ryan easily agreed, and they bought one. Too bad, Violet didn’t let him see what the car she bought either, saying it was a surprise for him. Once they returned back to his penthouse after t
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148. His First Kiss
Street lamps flickered on one by one as Thomas drove him about an hour south from the Ashford Gorup's building headquarters to the city's international airport.As the car rolled to a stop, Thomas turned back from the driver's seat and said, "I'll go wait for Ms. Crowne and escort her here, Mr. Wilder."Already unbuckling his seat belt, Ryan lifted a hand up for him to remain in place. Opening the door, he said, "Not necessary. Just stay here and wait for us.""But-"Slamming the door shut, he reached into the inside of his suit jacket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. He felt like an idiot wearing them, but they had helped with shielding his eyes from any sudden camera flashes. He doubted it would somehow cover his identity, but it served as a kind of protection from meeting someone's eyes directly.Familiar with where to go, Ryan placed his hands in his pockets and walked towards the terminal she would be arriving from.Once he heard Vi
