Drake stepped back into his office, relieved to find Felicia no longer there. As he settled in front of his computer, a torrent of troubling thoughts flooded his mind. Felicia's sudden appearance after Zack's death left him uneasy, an unsettling feeling compounded by the strange timing of her employment."System, I need information on Felicia Mendez," he ordered."That will cost 50 billion," the tribute system replied. Drake's hands slammed onto the table in disbelief. "What?"His voice reverberated loudly in the office, yet his shock stemmed not from the exorbitant price, but from the reason behind it."Such a high price suggests she's under the system's protection! An ordinary person would only cost 50,000 coins!" Drake exclaimed, sharing his assumptions with the tribute system."Hey, answer me!" Drake's irritation grew as the system remained silent. "I'm right, aren't I?”The tribute system, as usual, maintained its silence, frustrating Drake as he sat seething in anger in his chai
The holographic display flickered ominously, bearing the stark warning: “Notice: All your system features and activities are suspended.” Drake received the notification from the tribute system, triggered by Lucille’s meter dropping to zero.It should have been alarming, but Drake remained unfazed. “Take it or suspend it. I don't care,” he thought dismissively, his gaze fixed on the holographic screen. Meanwhile, in the background, Lucille's panic crescendoed into frantic screams.Drake had preemptively prepared for this scenario, creating a storage room stocked with all the system items he might need during a suspension. Money, health potions, poisons, tracker devices, and an array of other useful tools neatly filled the room. Whether the system outage lasted briefly or for an extended period, Drake felt no concern; he believed he was well-equipped.“Do you think I'd always panic every time Lucille goes haywire?” he mused, a smirk tugging at his lips.As Drake relaxed, Felicia unexpec
Felicia Mendez, abandoned at the roadside, contorted her face as the dignified corporate facade melted away. She spat on the concrete floor, frustration evident as she stomped her heels."Damn it! Why penalize me for something I have no control over!" she exclaimed, her voice growing more manly as she vented her frustration on the tribute system. She attempted to grab the holographic screen, as if challenging it to a fight, oblivious to the onlookers who regarded her as if she were unhinged."That Lucille! She has a system too, right? I'm right, aren't I? She's the one who's been supplying Drake with items! He got all those items from her to kill me!" she proclaimed. However, her protests and inquiries fell on deaf ears as her system remained suspended, trapped in a frozen screen following her encounter with Lucille.“I should make them pay! All of them must pay!” she growled.Zack White, now masquerading as Felicia Mendez, vividly recalled the near-death experience he had narrowly es
Felicia Mendez stared intently at her system, her fingers clicking randomly as her face contorted when nothing responded. "Seriously, what's wrong with you? It's not me who revealed the system! Is it my fault Lucille found out?" she grumbled. "Open up! I don't even have the cash to buy a cigarette!"She kicked the vending machine in the smoking area. It wasn't break time yet, but as a staff member who just turned over her work to Drake, she had nothing left to do. Frustration consumed her, both because her system froze and because she couldn't take action against Lucille and Drake."Just you wait, b*tch! I'll find a way to deal with your lover!" she cursed, another wave of frustration surging. She knew the risks of confronting another system user, yet she yearned to confront Lucille. "If only I didn't need this system so badly, I'd run over and end their lives in an instant!"She kicked the vending machine again, venting her frustration, when suddenly her phone rang. Glancing at the ca
In the commonly organized human resource department, Axel Marisigan, the human resource manager, leisurely spent his time browsing explicit images on his phone, indulging in pictures of big-breasted women, thinking it was just another normal day."Excuse me, sir, the security just reported someone in the sales department physically attacked her colleague," his clerk informed him."What? For real?" he asked in surprise."Yes, sir."“Hurry, bring her here, and make sure nothing will come out in public," he instructed. BellRox Corporation prided itself on maintaining a spotless image, and it was his responsibility to ensure that any trouble never reached the public eye.He immediately contacted a hospital he regularly dealt with to handle medical matters and cooperated in concealing such records from the public. As he was engrossed in managing this situation, his personal phone rang."Director Marianne?" he blurted out, surprised that someone higher up was calling him."Good day, madam.
Drake blinked several times, taken aback by this unexpected confession."What did you say?" he asked again, hoping for a different response.Marianne avoided his gaze, focusing on the tea in her hands."You're joking, right?" Drake chuckled awkwardly, feeling a mix of relief and uncertainty about how to react."I am not," Marianne replied weakly, her words clear despite the faintness of her voice.“Why?” Drake inquired, puzzled by the sudden admission.“What do you mean, why?” Marianne frowned, placing the tea cup on the table and fixing her gaze on Drake."What do you like about me? I have nothing good about," he muttered, unsure of how to respond.“You have nothing good?” she repeated, her gaze slowly appreciating Drake's features until it unexpectedly halted at his crotch."Excuse me, what are you focusing on?" Drake waved his hand, feeling utterly perplexed by the sudden shift in Marianne's attention.Marianne wore a strange smile before saying, "You won't date me anyway, so why
In Drake's house, a satisfied smile played on his lips as he viewed the photos of Felicia Mendez's burnt face, sent by the clerks he had tasked with the disturbing mission."Why of all faces did he need to disguise it would be Aunt Beck's face?” he muttered.He walked over to the altar, a small space dedicated to his aunt who had given up her existence for Drake's second chance. Drake never wished for anyone to disrespect Aunt Beck by using her face and he doesn't want them to remember her through Zack."But how did Zack use her face as a disguise? Don't tell me the system reused Aunt's face?" he pondered.Turning to a half-finished portrait of Aunt Beck, Drake, forced to forget her face by the system, resumed drawing, desperate to capture her image before the system wiped it from his memory again."You can't force me to forget her entirely. I might forget because of the system, but I'll always recall if you make me face her this way," he murmured to himself, hurriedly completing the
Zack White grappled with his thoughts, trying to find ways to gain access to his tribute system again, but his mind incessantly circled back to the idea of confronting Lucille. Abandoning the careful planning and cautious approach, he headed straight to Lucille's university, determined to find her.Seizing the opportunity, he attempted to strike, but luck wasn't on his side. Lucille effortlessly evaded him."Damn these heels!" Zack cursed as he stumbled, breaking the fragile heels of his shoes. "I hate this body! Blast it all!" His once-perfect disguise now proved terribly inconvenient."Leave me alone!" Lucille's terror-filled scream pierced the air."Come back here!" Zack roared, frustration boiling inside as he watched Lucille run away, her pace outstripping his ability to give chase.Zack trembled, the pain in his burned skin intensifying as anger surged through him. He gritted his teeth, frustrated by the lack of progress."You look really miserable," a voice suddenly remarked, p