Zane Cartel gently caught the unconscious girl in his arms. Her body, though compact, held immense power—the power of a Female Titan. He cradled her carefully, making sure her limbs didn't brush against any sharp angles.
With a focused breath, Zane reached toward her finger and removed the unique ring she wore. It was part of the mechanism that allowed transformation into her massive Titan form—part of the three-dimensional maneuver gear she used for combat. With it detached, the threat was at least temporarily neutralized.
Then, Zane shifted his hold into a princess carry. He stepped quietly through the hallway and into the bedroom. There, he laid her gently onto the bed, brushing her blonde hair aside.
"Whew," he muttered. "That... could've gone much worse."
He walked to the desk and pulled open a drawer, retrieving a nylon restraint cord. The material was soft but durable. Even if she struggled, it wouldn't cut into her skin.
He approached the bed again, his actions methodical and careful. Zane began tying the girl to the bed, fixing each of her limbs separately—wrists to the bedposts, ankles to the corners. Then came extra belts around her waist, chest, and thighs.
Next, he wrapped her hands in three layers of thick winter gloves, preventing even accidental scratching or triggering of her abilities. For her feet, he didn't have specialized socks, so he used soft cotton to wrap around each toe. A final belt went across her forehead to keep her still, and a handkerchief was stuffed into her mouth, secured by an elastic band.
It looked intense, even cruel, but Zane knew he had no choice. "If she wakes up and transforms, she could level the whole building."
He stood back and examined his work. It wasn't elegant, but it was secure. Then, right on cue, a digital panel floated into view before him. The system was active.
[Anomaly Contained: Titan Power - Female Titan]
[Containment Threat Level: 3 - Disaster. Containment Quality: Good]
[Reward: One Level-3 Random Draw]
[Special Milestone: First successful anomaly containment. Bonus: 10x Novice Lucky Draw]
(Threat levels: 1 - Dangerous, 2 - Fatal, 3 - Disaster, 4 - Catastrophe, 5 - Doomsday, 6 - Supreme Deity)
Zane couldn't help but smile with pride. He'd managed to trick the girl into trusting him, and now, he had contained one of the most dangerous powers on the planet.
"Let's warm up with the 10x Novice Draw," he said, activating the system's interface.
On-screen, a roulette-like display appeared. The drop rates were typical:
White-tier (Common): 40%
Green-tier (Uncommon): 30%
Blue-tier (Rare): 20%
Purple-tier (Epic): 9%
Gold-tier (Legendary): 1%
Red-tier (Mythic): 0%
Zane clicked "Draw Ten."
Ten streaks of light blazed across the panel.
He leaned closer, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Wait... No way!"
A golden flash burst through. He'd pulled a Legendary reward—a 1% chance hit!
[Rewards Obtained:]
100,000 Yen
Baby Bib
Stylish Dress Shirt
White and Blue Underwear
Mysterious Black Stockings
Fourteen Apples
Blue-Tier: Smith & Wesson M1917 Revolver (Northland Make)
Blue-Tier: Sword of Dawn
Purple-Tier: Amnesia Crowbar
Gold-Tier: Perfect Blacklight Virus Sample
He stared blankly at the list. "...What even is this?"
Most of the items were useless fluff, clearly just filler. But then his gaze landed on the final item.
The Perfect Blacklight Virus.
He tapped to inspect.
[Perfect Blacklight Virus Sample: Grants the user the ability to absorb any genetic trait and evolve accordingly. Complete compatibility. No side effects.]
"Jackpot." Zane grinned.
Without hesitation, he summoned the vial. A small, transparent bottle filled with dark crimson liquid materialized in his hand. It shimmered ominously, almost alive.
"Bottoms up."
He unscrewed the cap and downed it in one gulp.
Instantly, a surge of burning heat exploded through his body. Zane staggered back, collapsing to his knees. His muscles tensed. Bones shifted. Every nerve screamed. He clenched his jaw and endured.
Minutes—maybe hours—passed in agonizing transformation.
Then, as quickly as it began, the pain vanished.
Zane opened his eyes. The world seemed sharper, clearer, faster. His senses had been completely overhauled.
He stood, glanced in the mirror, and noted, "I don't look much different."
In fact, his athletic frame was still intact—eight-pack abs, lean muscle. Just more balanced, more... perfect.
"Should've skipped all that gym time," he chuckled to himself.
But there was something else.
"Wait... if this virus allows genetic absorption, then the Titan power should be possible to copy too."
He looked at the unconscious girl—Annie, the Female Titan. Her limbs were restrained, her breathing steady.
"No injuries. Drawing blood could trigger her transformation. I'll need... a gentler source."
His eyes landed on her lips—soft, parted, flushed pink from the gag.
"Hair, nails, spit... it should all contain genetic material. Right?"
Swallowing hard, he stepped toward her, determined to extract what he needed, nothing more.
Then the doorbell rang.
Zane froze mid-step. The tension snapped like a rubber band. He turned and walked to the front door.
A glance through the camera showed a familiar face: Eri Spencer, the girl from next door.
He opened the door.
"Eri? What's wrong?"
The blonde stood in her school uniform, ponytails bouncing slightly. Her eyes were wide with concern.
"I heard a loud crash. Are you okay?"
Zane's face lit up with a warm smile. "Oh, that? Furniture. Just bumped into a table."
Eri looked suspicious but didn't press it.
"You... sure everything's fine?"
Zane nodded. "Touched by your concern, Miss Spencer. Have you finally started caring about me?"
Eri's cheeks flushed pink. "N-no! I was just curious! Don't flatter yourself!"
Zane chuckled. The two had been neighbors for three years, and this was their usual banter.
"Well then," Zane grinned, "your curiosity is satisfied. Off you go."
"Hmph! You're kicking me out!? I just got here!"
Eri pushed past him into the apartment without waiting for permission.
"Hey—!" Zane started, but it was too late.
She was already looking around.
The tension in Zane's chest returned.
He had to keep her away from the bedroom—away from the restrained girl with the power of a Titan.
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