After a long, awkward silence, Alex handed over the contract.
The young man saw a screen appear before him:
You, Ashen, will continue to live until you fulfill your vengeance. Thereafter, your soul, body, fate, and mind will belong to the fallen god of primal urge.
During your revenge, you will follow all his commands without fail. He will be able to take over your body at critical junctures and when deemed necessary. Do you still want to proceed and get a system at any price?
[Yes] or [No]
He pressed [Yes], surprised there was no oath or blood bond. Still, he took the oath silently.
"He was as desperate as me, I guess," Alex thought, a hint of sympathy cutting through his usual cynicism. "I will help you. Don't worry, Ashen; I will help you, but I will do it my way. Haha."
Ashen walked toward his stepmother, a juicy, not-so-perfect, yet tantalizing woman working in the kitchen, washing cucumbers in a way Alex found sexy. Ashen stood beside her and whispered, "Ahh, Mom, I'm hungry. Can I get something to eat?"
She seemed pleased that he called her "Mom" and was demanding something for the first time. "All because of me and my system. Haha, aren't I a good guy? I deserve to get something, you know~."
Her voice brightened. "Oh, I will prepare something for you right away, my son."
After Ashen finished everything and thanked her cheerfully, she awkwardly hugged him. Alex could feel that hugging wasn't her comfort zone, but he enjoyed the view and the warm feeling. After the hug, a notification popped up in Ashen's vision.
[ting~] A pinkish-red panel opened.
{You have acquired 5 System Points. Eat more nutritious food to gain more. } {System: You have received a new quest. Check the inbox. }
Quest: Growing Appetite
{Eat as much food as possible; anything edible will give system points, and drink at least 4 liters of water before midnight.}
{ System Rewards: New options and status unlocked }
Alex laughed and used his Divine Eye to look at the Saint. He was happy because her sacrifice had given him this wonderful chance. On the other hand, she was distressed and looked pale, as if the heavens had given up on her.
Ashen approached Saint, radiating brightness and excitement as he greeted her enthusiastically. He bent over and said, "I greet the saint Cormac."
She looked heartbroken upon hearing it. Her smile cracked, and she grabbed both of his ears, pulling them apart. Alex felt the sting as if it were his own. The boy yelped, "Ah! Sorry, sorry. I was just playing."
She finally let him go, satisfied with the sight of his red ears. "What's up? You look full of energy." She smirked. "Don't tell me you were waiting for my gift."
Ashen shook his head. She then reassured him with a hug that barely touched his body, let alone his skin. Alex felt a little unsatisfied, whereas Ashen seemed quite embarrassed, as he was enjoying the view as much as Alex was.
She bent partially to pick up a hair clip with soft hands.
The loose stepmom's nightgown was sheer enough that her breasts were visible, exposing her fair skin. A little more bending would have made her nipples visible, but sadly, that didn't happen.
This segment beautifully sets up a new, morally complex conflict for Alex. The contrast between his immediate, crass desires and the grudging sympathy he feels for Ashen and the saint makes for compelling storytelling.
Here are a few suggestions to refine this section and make it even more impactful.
"Don't worry, I won't tell her."
A chill ran down Alex's spine. Ashen, in his naivety, had thought she was referring to his existence, but Alex knew better. She was hinting that she'd seen his boner. A rush of embarrassment made Ashen's cheeks flush, and he quickly dashed backward, feigning to look for his mom. Alex quickly controlled the boner, making it slump, and laughed internally.
He made sure to tease him. "Oh boy, it seems like you desire her body," Alex said, and Ashen vehemently denied it. The denial was so forceful that he voiced it out and shook his head; it just happened without any conscious control from Ashen.
Alex went silent, he can forcefully take over, huh? , leaving Ashen to call out to him ten times before finally giving up.
Ashen eventually returned to the saint, Cormac. She looked at him and said, "Sorry, I really don't have anything; this time the mission was too hard."
She spoke with pleasantries, but her tone was deeply unpleasant and depressed. She was like one of those people who laugh with you, but you can tell they're dying inside. Although she tried to be positive, Alex could see her sweating, her white dress clinging to her mouthwatering melons, and a flattened cherry nipple getting hard.
Ashen asked her to stay for a few days longer, but she refused, saying it was an important mission.
Just then, an idea flashed in Alex's mind, accompanied by the familiar chime of the system and a blue screen.
Quest: Revenge for the Fallen Owner
Type: Special Chain Quest
Quest description: Kill the weak saint and satisfy the conditions to unlock the special reward left by the previous owner.
Alex hesitated. He had just come up with an idea to get rid of her, and now the System was confirming it. He didn't want to kill her, not with Ashen's feelings on the line. She was one of the few good people in his life, and for some odd reason, he didn't want to make her sad and regret his decision.
But he had no choice. If she regained all her power and senses, she would be able to detect him, and it wasn't like he was killing someone too dear, right? I'll just try to convince her. Wait, I shouldn't do that. Ahh, I'll think about this later. She'll still stay for a day or two, right? That's enough. First, let me establish a proper foothold and then get rid of her.
Alex looked around Ashen's house. It was a fairly large, two-story home with a terrace that overlooked a spacious compound and garden, which nearly touched a distant, lush forest. Alex scanned the area as far as he could, which he estimated to be about a kilometer. He was surprised when he asked the system for a precise measurement, and it responded, "800 meters." He hadn't known the system could measure things, a detail that separated it from the "passive and dumb" systems he'd read about in manhwas and novels.
After a while, he brought his attention back to the house. The village to the west was filled with farmers and hunters. Not wanting to waste any more of his Divine Eye's limited time, he deactivated it. Ashen, meanwhile, was meditating, trying to gather mana. Alex, now connected to him, could feel it for the first time. It felt like an invisible gravitational force, without color or sound.
Ashen sat for hours. Bored, Alex asked the system, "Hey system, can you put me to sleep and wake me up after he's done?"
[Yes, command accepted. You will be notified.]
Alex waited for a moment, thinking about what had happened so far. He felt both incorporeal and biological at the same time. He would feel extremely exhausted the longer he stayed awake, but it didn't make any sense. He thought, "Could it be that I'm so familiar with sleeping that I need it?" Nothing to ask the system later, he took a short nap.
He woke up feeling fresh and saw Ashen chewing wild berries and grass like a domestic animal. Alex chuckled internally and, without letting him know, gave him another quest to improve his physical condition and a reward for his efforts.
You have unlocked a new feature: Status. Please wait until the system reboots.
Alex quickly thought of something and, just in case, asked the system, "Hey, System, can you help me display his status?"
[Yes, as a premium model, I have the ability to do it.]
"Wait," Alex asked, "tell me what this premium model and package are, exactly."
[It is a temporary package given to the user to compensate for the lack of arrangements by the previous owner. This model is most efficient and runs on divine energy and sacrifices. It gives limited access to special abilities and no-failure, low-cost mutations by using resources from the reservoirs. These reservoirs are inaccessible to the current user and are used to run the system.]
How did it know I was going to ask about the reservoirs? Alex thought, a familiar paranoia creeping in. "Hey System, can you read my mind? Ah, never mind, what a dumb question."
"Okay, do the thing," Alex commanded.
The system displayed Ashen's status. All his attributes were a mere 3, while his intelligence and mana were both 20. Uncertain of what that meant, Alex asked.
[The system replied: Due to the poison, Ashen's body has low vitality. His stats are 3.
The system paused, and for some reason, Alex felt it was stuck. Then, an image appeared in his mind: a woman punching an arcade machine, displaying a score of 399. Alex understood instantly, but he was pissed.
"Hey, System, did you just access my memory without my permission?"
[Affirmative.]
"Why!?"
[It was deemed necessary.]
Alex felt a creeping paranoia but forced himself to ignore it. He couldn't shake the feeling that the system had just called him dumb, however. He sighed and looked through Ashen's eyes as the boy went about his exercises to gain system points.
The day passed quickly. Ashen ate as much as he could, making the most of his sisters' absence, as they were the ones who had poisoned him. With each punch and kick, Alex could feel Ashen's pain and hunger for revenge. The movements had a strange, almost sword-like intent behind them.
Why does that feel funny even though, ironically, I'm in a fantasy world? Alex thought, a grim amusement in his mind.
With the day ending and the beautiful night sky filled with shimmering stars, Ashen finally fell into a deep slumber. Alex, exhausted, had to follow suit.
I feel like all I do is sleep, ahh.