Upon opening the scroll the old man had given him, Owen could see a list of dozens of interesting-looking powers. His eyes scanned the names and descriptions of each power intently. However, seeing that many of the powers on the list had strict usage limitations and might be too difficult to use in practice, Owen eliminated those options, leaving only a few on the list that he felt would be truly useful to him.
…..
Those powers were:
-Elemental Control (Power Level: SS)
Description: The ability to control basic natural elements such as fire, water, earth, and wind for attack, defense, or support.
Type: Attack/Defense/Support
- Choice System (Power Level: SSS)
Description: A power that allows the user to see "choices" in critical situations. These choices appear before the user, forcing them to select a path, with each choice leading to drastically different outcomes. A wise choice can lead to success, but a wrong one can lead to disaster. This power is a small fragment of reality warping.
Type: Support/Planning
- Dimension Lord (Power Level: SSS)
Description: A power that grants the ability to profoundly control and manage dimensions. The user can create their own small "pocket dimension," which serves as a private domain for storing items, living, or safely taking refuge from dangers in the outside world. The user also has the ability to sense the formation of nearby dimensional gates, allowing them to perceive threats or opportunities from other dimensions before anyone else.
Type: Support/Survival
- Life Weaver (Power Level: SS)
Description: A power that grants complete control and manipulation over all-natural vegetation in the surrounding area. The user can attack enemies by summoning sharp thorns from vines, creating strong wooden whips, or constricting opponents with roots from underground, among other things. It also possesses strong healing abilities, able to use life force from plants to rapidly heal their own and others' wounds. This power also allows the user to perceive living beings and anomalies within a forest.
Type: Attack/Defense/Healing/Support
- Lightning Lord (Power Level: SS)
Description: A power that allows the user to create, control, and transform into electrical currents for a period of time. This enables the user to move at high speeds like a lightning strike, attack enemies with bolts of lightning, create electric shockwaves, or discharge electricity through touch. While the user is in their lightning body state, any physical attacks made against them are ineffective.
Type: Attack/Defense/Support
…..
Owen really didn't understand why he was standing there thinking so hard it gave him a headache. If this were truly a dream, he would have already chosen Lightning Lord. Wasn't being an edgy lightning god his childhood dream?
But a deep instinct kept reminding him that if he didn't consider this carefully, he might regret it for the rest of his life. That was the only reason he was still deliberating. After who knows how long, Owen finally gritted his teeth and chose the Choice System, which he saw as the most beneficial for him right now. Of course, he wasn't thinking about in his dreams, but in the real world.
Owen would use this power to guide him on the path to clearing his debt and to find a way to deepen his relationship with Clara. He knew full well that ever since he started doing OnlyStar with her, he had begun to see her as more than a friend. Although a part of his subconscious warned him that this was wrong and that he would be betraying a good friend like Damian, such thoughts wouldn't have arisen if Damian hadn't racked up that insane ten-million-dollar debt in the first place!
While Owen was waging a war of thoughts in his head, the old man continued to watch him with interest. Seeing that Owen had chosen the Choice System, the old man nodded in approval. It was one of the powers he had acquired with great difficulty, and it possessed a uniqueness that other powers could not imitate.
"So you've finally chosen, young man. You will receive your power the moment you leave this place. I hope you can bring me a Demon Lord's soul within 10 years. We will meet again when the time comes…" the old man said with a calm voice, waving his hand to dismiss him without giving Owen a chance to say goodbye or complain. He hadn't even gotten to have any fun in this dream yet! Why was he in such a hurry to wake him up? Owen could only curse the old man silently.
Owen's consciousness was pushed back into the darkness. The next thing he knew, he had woken up in the tent on the morning of a new day. The morning sunlight seeped through the gaps in the tent. The first sound he heard was Clara cooking outside.
Stepping out of the tent, Owen saw that Clara was indeed standing there cooking. The sound of a spatula hitting a pan accompanied her contented humming. He took a deep breath, taking in the fragrant aroma of breakfast and the fresh morning air of nature. He decided to greet Clara right away.
But before he could say anything, a translucent light-blue screen suddenly appeared before him. It made his eyes widen in disbelief. Am I still dreaming? Why is a choice window appearing just like in a game?
…..
The window displayed three options:
[1. Greet her with a friendly tone and go help her cook. (Angel Path +1, Affection +1)]
[2. Greet her by slapping her big butt once. When she turns to look displeased, gently pinch her cheek with a smile to show her it's just a joke. (Demon Path +1, Affection +1)]
[3. Don't greet her; just watch her from a distance. (Gain nothing.)]
…..
After coming to his senses, Owen knew this wasn't a dream. A dream didn't have the five senses he was experiencing right now—the smell of food, the coolness of the morning air, and the sound of birds chirping. Everything was too real to be mere imagination. That's when Owen knew that the contract he had made with the old man was real!
Realizing this, joy and excitement flooded Owen's mind like a tidal wave. He had powers! Real powers! Powers that would change his destiny!
But Owen soon had to suppress his excitement. Even though he had powers, he wouldn't be reckless and think he was above everything. This world still had Awakened, dimensional gates, monsters, gods, and demons. His power was merely a support type, not suited for direct combat. Therefore, he needed to keep this power a secret and use it to its fullest, quietly.
Right now, he wanted to know what "Angel Path +1" and "Demon Path +1" meant. Fortunately, when he focused his gaze on those words, a descriptive text box appeared:
…..
- Angel Path: When 100 points are collected, the target will become a woman with a beautiful heart and a romantic soul.
- Demon Path: The opposite of the Angel Path. It will turn the target into a depraved, obsessed, and lustful woman.
…..
Seeing this information made Owen think hard. The Angel Path seemed to describe Clara as she already was. The Demon Path was interesting but carried some risks. But when he looked at the information about the accompanying Affection points, he realized it wasn't as bad as he thought.
…..
Affection Score:
-10 to 10 points: Stranger
20 points: Friendly
30 points: Friend
40 points: Close Friend
50 points: Budding Love (Can ask her to date)
80 points: Love (Can propose marriage)
100 points (Max): Eternal Love, Soulmate. He or she will never get angry or hate you, no matter what you do to them.
…..
So, if Owen could make Clara reach 100 Affection points and also lead her down the Demon Path to 100 points, it meant she would become a lustful MILF who would never cheat on him! Wasn't that incredibly interesting? And if he chose the Angel Path, she might find it difficult to break up with Damian... For all these reasons, Owen chose option 2 without hesitation.
The moment he selected the second option, Owen instinctively knew what he had to do—what kind of movement to make, what tone of voice to use, what expression to show. The information flowed into his brain as if it were his own nature to do so.
Owen's hand swung out towards the rear of Clara, who was bent over, focused on her cooking. It landed on her big butt, under her shorts, taking her completely by surprise.
Smack~
"Ah~"
Clara, having been spanked, could only widen her eyes in disbelief. She spun around to look at Owen with a displeased expression, but Owen just smiled teasingly and even pinched her cheek gently. This made Clara blush beet red, and she quickly averted her gaze from his.
"Hmph~ Don't startle me like that, Owen. You shouldn't tease your friends like this. I'm not at an age where I can be teased like that anymore," Clara grumbled, but her voice didn't carry any real anger.
"Haha, sorry for startling you, Clara. But when I saw you looking so happy, I just couldn't resist teasing you. And good morning, Clara~" Owen said with a cheerful smile.
Clara smiled back faintly at his apology and turned back to her cooking. The morning atmosphere seemed to have become a little warmer and more vibrant.
…
After a simple breakfast, Owen and Clara didn't delay. They started their OnlyStar photoshoot according to plan. Clara had now changed into the outfit she had prepared specifically for the shoot.
She wore a dark green long-sleeved crop top made of breathable fabric, with a sheer mesh undershirt, tantalizingly revealing her smooth white skin. It came with form-fitting camouflage shorts that accentuated the curve of her buttocks perfectly. This outfit made her look like a truly captivating and adventurous woman.
Owen meticulously arranged the camera angles, having Clara strike various poses amidst the forest and the clear stream, alternating between cute and sexy styles. She smiled sweetly, posed alluringly, and sometimes naturally struck poses that looked seductive. The shoot ended with a short video clip of her clumsily starting a cooking fire, which at times unintentionally revealed her full, ample cleavage—something Owen made a special effort to capture.
As soon as the shoot was over, they both began to pack up and clean their campsite quickly, so as not to leave any trace in the pristine forest. Then, they headed back home happily, their hearts full of new hope.
The next day…
With the Choice System in hand, Owen felt more confident about facing Alex. He decided to drive to the address Alex had given him. Of course, the mansion was located in a wealthy neighborhood, without a doubt. No, it was probably more accurate to call it a billionaire's enclave. When he arrived, he was immediately blocked by bodyguards in professional suits.
"Who are you? Do you have an appointment with the Governor?" one of the guards asked in a flat tone. Owen rolled down his car window and nodded. "Yes, my name is Owen. The Governor told me to meet him at this mansion." Hearing this, the guard nodded and let him in. "Okay, you can go in. The Governor has already told us about you."
Owen breathed a sigh of relief. He drove to a parking spot and walked to the front door of the modern-style mansion, looking left and right to admire its beauty. It had to be said, the place was bigger and more luxurious than someone like Owen could ever dream of even visiting.
But as soon as the bodyguard at the door opened it for him, a beautiful woman walked out and pointed a finger at him with a fierce expression. She had bright blonde hair that reached her collarbone, was about 35 years old, and had a massive chest, a cinched waist, and a large butt, all contained within a tight purple dress.
[Character Illustration: Victoria]
"You're the air-conditioner repairman, right? Hurry up and fix my AC before my beautiful skin gets all sweaty!" she shrieked.
Hearing this, Owen quickly opened his mouth to deny it. "Uh... no, ma'am. You see..." But before he could finish, she snapped at him, ignoring everything.
"Don't talk to me, you lowly commoner! Your job is to fix my AC right now! Hurry up!" After saying this, she waved her hand, releasing a wave of green energy that enveloped his body, lifted him off the ground, and dragged him towards a room that looked like her dressing room.
As this happened, Owen could only gape in shock. Did I just get forcibly coerced by an Awakened?...
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