Lucille trembled as a flash of memories returned to her mind. The revelation struck her like a lightning bolt, and she couldn't believe that Drake, the person she trusted, had been deceiving her.The emotions that surged within her were a turbulent mix of shock, betrayal, and hurt.Unable to comprehend the reality of the situation, Lucille felt a cold chill run down her spine. She clutched her fading fourth finger, the sacrifice she had made to regain the stolen memories, and the weight of the truth settled heavily on her shoulders."No, this can't be true," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the confined space of the utility room. The image of Drake stealing her chance—the memory of their first encounter playing vividly in her mind—was like a dagger through her heart.“Drake will never..."She replayed the moment in her memory—the stolen ‘chance’, the hidden motives, and the coldness in Drake's actions.The person she thought she knew seemed like a stranger, and th
Fear and uncertainty gripped Lucille as she pondered Drake's message. She hesitated for a moment before deciding to reply, cautiously typing out her response.“I don't know how to check my reward. My system is still suspended,” she texted back, her fingers trembling slightly.The seconds felt like an eternity as she anxiously awaited Drake's reply. The notification chimed, signaling his response.“I’ll teach you how. Come back here to my office. We have a lot to talk about,” he messaged, leaving Lucille with a sinking feeling in her stomach.“What about Natasha Ling?” she asked.“She already left. Don't worry; she knows nothing about us.”“Okay.”She reluctantly made her way to Drake's office, her mind racing with thoughts of how to navigate the upcoming conversation.As she entered, she found Drake engrossed in a phone call, his back turned to her.She took a deep breath and waited.After finishing the call, Drake turned to her with his usual warm gaze.Lucille felt like choking as s
The next morning, Lucille didn't accompany Drake to work. She claimed she had something to do at the university, which Drake didn't think much about and simply allowed."I have to find out," she murmured to herself as she was escorted to the university by Drake's guard.An ominous thought gnawed at her—that the powers emanating from the miniature temple were not a blessing but a curse. With no real business at the university, she needed to be away from Drake to conduct her investigation."I don't want to unwittingly bargain with the devil instead of a deity," she thought, feeling the weight of her unease."Is something troubling you?" the driver inquired."No, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Lucille responded, her caution heightened, feeling as though every person under Drake's employ was an eye watching her."You seem quite anxious, biting your nails like that, madam," the driver observed, causing Lucille to glance at her ruined nails."I'm just concerned that I'm not of much help to Drak
Lucille felt a wave of relief wash over her as she watched the miniature temple slowly fade away."Who cares about kidneys when there's a health potion?" she muttered, examining her newly restored system. With confidence, she purchased a regeneration potion from her tribute system."There's no way I can ask Drake for a regeneration potion; he would definitely ask for details," she thought, unwrapping the bandages on her hand to conceal the fact that she was missing a finger.However, her confidence quickly faded as her face turned pale, realizing that the regeneration potion wasn't working on her."Why—why isn't it working?" she asked her tribute system."That potion restores something that existed before. You cannot regenerate something non-existent," the tribute system explained.Lucille's jaw dropped in regret and devastation."So once I offer it, I can no longer restore it?" she asked, staring at her hand missing a ring finger while other hand was lightly rubbing her lower rib."T
Inside a hotel in Magrao City, sunlight streamed through the windows, casting warm rays across the room where two brothers, Zemo and Zanjo, sat, their eyes fixed on the view of the city."What a beautiful view, very different from the hell we've seen here," Zemo White commented as he sat on one side of a polished mahogany table, while Zanjo White, his younger brother with a more laid-back demeanor, leaned against the window, gazing at the city below. Both men were dressed in sharp suits, a reflection of their affluent backgrounds.Leaning forward, Zanjo asked, "Zemo, do you really think we can trust Drake Chwe?""He helped us out when Zack tried to ambush us," Zemo replied, focusing more on observing his brother than the outside view. "He promised to protect us, after all."Zemo was well aware that Zanjo White was the one who understood and cared about Zack White the most. That's why he was genuinely worried about his brother's loyalty wavering at any moment."But isn't he more suspic
In a moderately quiet restaurant, the afternoon hummed with comforting sunlight. The atmosphere felt bright and inviting, yet in one corner, two individuals exuded an air of seriousness.One of them was Zack White."So, my dear winner, came to meet you?" The woman asked, her presence stifling as she spoke."She didn't come to me. We met by accident as we have the same target," Zack replied, his gaze involuntarily studying the woman's face.She had been providing system items to him for free, making his progress easier despite his tribute system being suspended.He looked at her with a mix of awe and intrigue."What's intriguing about her is that she always claims she doesn't have any clue about the tribute system, denies being a user, and labels all the system items she possesses as her research items. What a peculiar woman," he thought inwardly, feeling curious whenever he interacted with her. "I don't know what game she's playing, but it's obvious her system was suspended too. She w
Back to Zemo and Zanjo, they still looked perplexed by the sudden news that Zack would be meeting them today."Shall we go?" Zanjo said, pacing back and forth."Are you stupid? We're here to catch him. Why do we have to go? To hide?" Zemo responded, appearing more calm and composed compared to his brother."But Zemo, what if Zack doesn't want to do this at all? What if–" Zanjo began."Enough with your 'what ifs.' We've already discussed this. Don't take his side," Zemo interrupted, pushing his hair back from his face.Zanjo could only swallow his words, unable to voice his concerns.He watched as his brother gathered all their men in the hotel lobby, preparing them as if for war, instructing everyone not to give Zack a chance to retaliate."Shoot him immediately," Zemo instructed coldly after showing Zack and Kale Justinbaste's picture to his men."Don't let your guard down, Zanjo. This will end smoothly if he comes here with his original face or the face we know," he said."I underst
In the luxurious surroundings of the Royal Eleanor Hotel, Drake and Eleanor Chwe were enjoying a peaceful evening together on their balcony, indulging in a lavish dinner and engaging in light conversation about their respective days.While Drake found himself at ease, Eleanor and Lucille seemed less content."How was your day, Ely?" Drake inquired, his tone gentle."Not great," she replied. "Spent most of it in tedious therapy sessions.""Ah, I see," Drake said, relieved. "But it'll be beneficial for you, Ely. Just take it one day at a time.""Fine," she huffed, pouting. "And you?""Just the usual at BellRox Corp," Drake answered casually."Dealing with shady characters?" Eleanor muttered under her breath."What was that?" Drake asked, failing to catch her words."I said, I bet you were just flirting with Lucille there the whole time," Eleanor retorted, her tone tinged with sarcasm."What are you saying? I was just working," Drake replied with a playful smile before leaning in to peck
Ten years had passed, yet the dream of earning a sextillion coins remained elusive. Time slipped away unnoticed as Drake immersed himself in the relentless pursuit of money to settle his debts. Only too late did he realize the true cost of his singular focus.Seated in his office, absorbed in his tasks, Drake was jolted from his concentration by the ringing of his phone. Glancing at the caller's ID, he recognized his sister Eleanor's number. With a resigned sigh, he answered the call."Hey, Ely," Drake greeted, attempting to sound nonchalant despite his apprehension."Drake, where are you?!" Eleanor's voice crackled with frustration and disappointment."I'm at the office, why?" Drake responded, his heart sinking as he anticipated the conversation that was about to unfold."Seriously? You forgot, didn't you?" Eleanor's incredulous tone pierced through the line.Drake's stomach churned with guilt. "Forgot what?"Eleanor let out an exasperated sigh. "My wedding, Drake! The one I've been
Drake was shocked to learn the truth, his jaws dropping even further when Lucille revealed that he needed to repay the tribute system twofold."Earning sextillion coins is impossible!" he exclaimed."You have to offer it back, or else you'll spend your life paying for it," Lucille replied grimly, exaggerating the explanation to divert Drake's attention away from herself."Damn it. Is this why I can't kill Zack? He cannot die until he pays his debt," Drake said frustratingly, but then he smiled viciously. "But does that mean I can keep him in prison to suffer?""He doesn't change. Good luck," Lucille muttered under her breath, slowly becoming accustomed to Drake's viciousness."What is it?" Drake asked."Nothing. I was just wondering why you came here," she bluntly asked, inwardly worried about the chance of Drake hurting her."What else? To pick you up?" Drake said, grabbing Lucille's hand and looking into her eyes with sincerity. "Lucille, please believe me, what Marianne said was al
Lucille Bmak seized the opportunity to escape when Drake and Rebecca were engrossed in their own conversation.Thinking it was her chance, she began to make her way out. However, unbeknownst to her, she was trapped in a labyrinth from which only Zack, Rebecca, and Drake could find their way out."What the hell is this place?" she muttered to herself as she continued downwards in an attempt to escape, but the path seemed endless."Aah!" she screamed as someone suddenly yanked her back."You're new here? There's nothing above your head yet," the female said, her tone cautious and discreet. “I got the ability to see other users status and progress. You're still fresh. Save yourself!”"What? I don't belong here. Do you know the exit?" Lucille asked, sensing no hostility from the girl."Go up instead of down," the girl replied honestly."Really? But why aren't you leaving?" Lucille inquired."I'm weak, but I can't die. You should be careful. Let go of the system as soon as possible while i
Lucille Bmak had prepared herself for this inevitable day.She knew all too well that her peaceful days would come to an end as long as Zack White and Drake Chwe existed.However, despite her thorough preparation, she couldn't shield her heart from the viciousness that Zack and Drake displayed towards her.The constant hostility from both men exhausted her heart and mind, leaving her unable to display any emotion upon seeing Drake, whose presence made her heart throb, or Zack, whose mere presence sent shivers down her spine."Damn you! Damn your luck!" Zack White growled in frustration, his anger palpable as he longed to inflict harm upon Lucille.He yelled and pounded on the barrier as if he desired nothing more than to tear Lucille apart, but what frustrated him even more was the nonchalant expression on Lucille's face."Do you think you'll escape me for imprisoning me for three years? I'll torture you every second of the day!" he threatened."So foolish," Lucille commented, further
Drake Chwe hurried to find Lucille. He strode past the long underground passage, paying little heed to the torture cell, laboratories, and whatever bizarre occurrences filled each room. As long as Lucille wasn't there, Drake's focus remained undeterred."Where the hell are you?" he muttered exasperatedly to himself, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he reached the final room at the end of the underground complex. Taking a deep breath, he swung open the door, only for his eyes to widen in shock at the sight of his lover bound by chains."Lucille!" he exclaimed, rushing forward to free her, but his efforts proved futile."Drake, long time no see," Lucille greeted casually, her gaze devoid of emotion as if she had just woken up from a nap."Hang on a little longer. I'll free you soon," he promised, frantically rummaging through his bag for any tool that might help, but none did the trick."Damn it!" he cursed in frustration, realizing he couldn't access his trusted system in a time of
Zack sported a victorious grin, his eyes locked onto Drake with the same intensity Drake once aimed at him from within the torture cell. His lips curled as he relished the sweet taste of turning the tables."It'll be better if we suffer together. You know, I didn't plan to torment you for just three years," Zack said, closing the distance between them. "Let's make it forever," he whispered, his voice dripping with menace.His grin widened as he observed Drake's expression darken. However, standing closer to Drake proved to be a mistake."Oh, damn it," Zack cursed, blood bubbling up as he collapsed to the ground."All talk, huh?" Drake snorted, a twisted smirk forming on his lips as he pressed his foot onto Zack's face. "Your only shot at survival was staying locked away. Why set yourself free?""What's happening?" Zack grunted in agony, attempting to extract the knife lodged in his side, but it remained stubbornly embedded in his flesh."Can't you recognize these?" Drake sneered, with
Thanks to Merlyn, Drake finally learned where Lucille had been taken. He instructed Merlyn to locate her using his device, unaware that she would succumb to a heart attack afterward, much like the way he deceived and threatened Natasha into her demise."Code blue! Code blue! Room 203!" a nurse frantically announced.Medical staff rushed to Merlyn Spenser's side, the monitor next to her bed blaring with the alarming sound of a code blue. Doctors and nurses swarmed into the room, their faces etched with urgency as they converged around Merlyn's bed. The room was filled with the sound of rapid footsteps and the clatter of medical equipment."Goodbye, Merlyn. Thank you for your help," Drake coldly muttered as he casually walked out of the ICU, a strange sense of satisfaction washing over him."Why Canman, though?" he wondered, glancing at the address Merlyn had provided. "This doesn't sound good."He immediately hopped into his car and drove to Canman, Zack White’s hometown. Arriving the
When faced with a choice between life and death, the decision might seem obvious to most. Yet, Lucille Bmak's response was anything but expected. Though she typically valued her own survival above all else, this time she made a different choice."F*ck you!" Lucille spat defiantly, refusing to entertain whatever offer Zack White had in store. Having fallen into Drake's traps before, she was adamant about not allowing herself to be ensnared by another chain, even if it meant facing death."This is the last time I'm asking you. Listen to me, or—" Zack seethed, tightening his grip around her neck."I don't care! Kill me!" Lucille exclaimed, though her body trembled with fear. Summoning a forced smile, she added, "You've repeated yourself three times now. You sound like the one who needs me.""Who needs who?" Zack White yelled, his fury palpable. Despite his rage, he found himself unable to carry out Lucille's demise.Rebecca, the veteran user of the system, who had once bestowed favors up
Inside Lucille's house, the dimly lit corridors exuded an eerie aura as Zack White prowled through them, his presence ominous and foreboding. His eyes gleamed with a dark resolve as he approached Lucille's study, his heart pulsing with venomous intent."Finally... the moment I've been waiting for," he whispered to himself. He tried to be as quiet as possible so that no one could detect him."I'll kill you once I'm done with my task," he murmured, his voice low and menacing. Despite the vigilant guards stationed at every corner of Lucille's house, Zack's movements remained undetected. He used a system device to camouflage himself through the guards.Peering into the study, he observed Lucille seated at her desk, completely absorbed in her work, unaware of his presence. Zack's lips curled into a sneer as he watched her, memories of past torment flooding his mind."You thought you could hide from me, Lucille. But I always find my prey," he hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "How dar