Inside the silent bedroom... Owen stood motionless in the center of the room. The atmosphere around him was freezing cold, almost turning to ice. The [Sun God's Gauntlets] on both hands were clenched tight, shining with a brilliant light, radiating searing heat and a murderous intent ready to incinerate his enemies to ash. He was about to step out of the room to head out and deal with the enemies who dared to touch his people.
But then...
Ting!
In that second, the entire world in Owen's eyes was "slowed down" until it almost came to a standstill... No, it was his perception that had been accelerated to the limit due to the System's intervention!
Only one thing was still moving... a large translucent blue window that appeared to block his path, accompanied by a notification sound echoing in his head.
[ Warning: You are facing a critical situation! The path you choose will permanently affect the fate of those close to you! ]
Owen's emotionless eyes swept over the text. This wasn't the first time the Choice System had appeared to save his life, but this time... it was different.
…
[ Please choose your path: ]
[ 1. Rush to the location specified by the criminal ]
( Details: Storm the abandoned warehouse in the Old Port zone alone, accepting the enemy's challenge.
Projected Outcome: High Risk! The enemy has set traps and forces to ambush you. There is a 60% chance they will rape 'Finley' and 'Jessica' in front of you for their amusement. Even if you win and save them in the end, their mental scars will never heal.)
[ 2. Rush to save Jessica ]
( Details: Change targets to intercept Jessica's kidnapping in the city first.
Projected Outcome: You will manage to save Jessica just in the nick of time... but the criminals at the warehouse will realize the plan has failed. They will vent their anger by gang-raping and torturing Finley until you arrive, which might be too late.)
[ 3. Call for help from Alex or Nova ]
( Details: Attempt to rely on the power and forces of your strongest allies.
Projected Outcome: Total Failure! The enemy has planned meticulously. Alex is tied up in a political battle with a rival and cannot leave or send men to help in time. As for Nova, she just accepted a mission to clear an S-Rank Gate in a neighboring city and left Titan City yesterday.)
[ 4. Trust in your people ]
( Details: You are not alone... Distribute your forces. Utilize the 'Harem' and 'Minions' you have built to handle the situation.
Projected Outcome: Success rate varies from 40-95%, depending on your planning and deployment of your people. The better the plan, the lower the losses and the higher the success.)
[ 5. Do nothing ]
( Details: Let go out of fear.
Projected Outcome: Catastrophe! Jessica and Finley will be tortured and sold into brothels in the black market. However, the enemy will re-evaluate you as a coward and switch to assassinating you directly instead.)
…
Owen stood still, reading the information flowing past his eyes at high speed. His brain processed every character in detail.
'These details...' Owen thought coldly. 'So this is the ability of [Choice System V.2.0]... It doesn't just give simple choices and results anymore. It can simulate possible future outcomes, as if cheating on the exam of fate.'
He began to analyze the options one by one with emotionless logic.
Options 1 and 2 were clear "traps." The enemy planned this to force him to choose... Since he couldn't be in two places at once, choosing to save one person himself was equivalent to signing a death warrant for the other. And he would never agree to lose anyone.
Option 3 was a dead end... Victor Draymond wasn't a street thug. He was smart enough to wait for the moment when Owen's high-level "reinforcements" were out of the city before striking.
Option 5... Owen scoffed internally. He skipped this one without wasting a thought. Sacrificing his women in exchange for temporary safety? That wasn't an option from the start!
His sharp eyes stopped at the only remaining option... the option that shone brightest amidst the darkness.
[ 4. Trust in your people ]
'That's right...' Owen's thoughts became clear. 'I'm not alone anymore... I have a "team" that is strong and reliable.'
He thought of the faces of Rosy... Iris... Victoria... Talia... and Jessica. It was time for him to prove how strong the "Kingdom" he had built really was. Owen took a deep breath, raised his finger, and pressed down on Option 4 firmly and without hesitation!
Shatter!
The moment his fingertip made contact, the system window shattered into billions of blue light particles before sinking into his body. The time that had stood still began to move again...
But this time, Owen didn't rush out aimlessly like before. He stood still, calm and cold as an iceberg.
His gaze glanced down at the wreckage of the mobile phone crushed on the floor.
"Damn it... I shouldn't have accidentally crushed it!" But Owen had no time for regret. He ran out of the bedroom with quick but steady steps, heading straight for Clara immediately.
In the kitchen... Clara was standing wiping coffee mugs at the sink. She jumped slightly when she saw Owen running in with a panicked look.
"Owen? Is something wrong?"
"Clara! Can I borrow your phone for a second!" Owen spoke quickly, trying to keep his voice as normal as possible. "It's just that... uh... my phone glitched out. It suddenly died, but I have urgent work that requires a phone right now!"
"Oh... sure!" Clara didn't ask many questions. She quickly grabbed the phone on the counter and handed it to him immediately.
"Thank you so much!"
Owen didn't wait; he took the phone and hurriedly walked out to the back balcony. His fingers dialed the number he had memorized by heart... the number of his most dangerous and unpredictable ally. The number of Rosy... or to be more precise, Queen Iris, the trump card Victor would never know about.
Ring... Ring...
The waiting tone rang for only a few seconds before the other end picked up.
"Hello?" Rosy's clear voice rang out. Her tone was slightly hesitant because it was an unknown number. "Who is this?"
"Rosy... It's me, Owen," Owen spoke back immediately, trying to keep his voice steady even though his heart was burning with anxiety.
"Owen!?" Rosy's tone changed to delight. "Why are you calling from a strange number? And what's wrong with your voice? Why does it sound..."
"Listen to me carefully, Rosy..." Owen cut in urgently. He took a short breath and explained the situation as concisely as possible. "Something huge has happened. Finley has been captured, and now Jessica is in danger as well... My enemy wants to use them to get to me."
"What?!" Rosy exclaimed in shock. Her alarm was palpable through the phone line.
"I'm sorry to drag you into this, Rosy..." Owen said with deep guilt, but his eyes still shone with determination. "But right now, I really need Iris's help... Because I have to focus all my concentration on dealing with the enemies at the warehouse, I can't split my focus to control the parasite children as efficiently as she can. I hope you understand me, Rosy..."
Owen braced himself for Rosy to complain or worry about him risking danger like this, but the reaction he got was completely the opposite.
"Those bastards!!" Rosy roared. She didn't even care who his enemies were or where they came from. Her anger was directed at their 'actions.' "How dare they mess with Finley, my little cosplay tailor! You don't have to apologize at all, Owen! Your business is my business. Whoever dares to do this, I'll help you beat them to a pulp! And they're even thinking of hurting Jessica... I'll-"
But before she could finish venting her anger... her voice "stuttered" as if a switch had been flipped. Suddenly, the atmosphere from the other end changed!
The heat of the teenage girl vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by silence for a split second before a soft chuckle in the throat rang out... It was a laugh that was chilling, commanding, and so eerie that Owen could feel the cold radiating from the phone.
"Heh heh heh~ I understand the situation now, my love..." Iris's voice rang out. It was smooth but laced with danger like a poisoned blade. "It seems there are some insects seeking death who dare to meddle in our nest..."
"Iris?..." He whispered her name unconsciously.
"Don't worry..." Iris said knowingly. "You head out to deal with the leaders. I'll lead an army of 'children' to infiltrate the abandoned warehouse to seize the bodies of their minions, and use them as reinforcements to save little Finley myself."
"Okay... Should I swing by to pick you up?"
"Not necessary," she refused immediately. "It would just waste our time. I have my own way of traveling. Just send me the coordinates... You go ahead first. I still have a little something to prepare. See you there."
Beep!
Iris hung up. Owen didn't wait; he immediately dialed the next number. The number for "Talia" and "Victoria."
...
At Nova's private gym...
A medium-sized gym fully stocked with training equipment. Inside, the air was thick with the smell of sweat and the sound of machines being used continuously. Two women in tight workout clothes soaked in sweat were training heavily according to the "hell schedule" Nova had left for them before going on her mission.
Talia was doing splits and contorting her rubber-flexible body in inhuman poses to dodge swinging iron balls. Meanwhile, Victoria was sitting cross-legged, focusing her mind to control dozens of steel balls to float and orbit around her with telekinesis. Both were determined to become stronger for a "reward" from their master.
Vibrate... Vibrate...
The sound of the phone placed on the bench rang out. Both stopped training immediately when they saw the screen showing an unknown number. But with some instinct, Talia was the one to press answer and put it on speaker.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Talia, it's me..." The familiar deep voice came through the speaker.
Just from the first syllable, both women recognized the owner of the voice immediately without him needing to say his name. Their eyes sparkled with delight.
"Master!" The voices of the two girls rang out almost simultaneously, but the feelings hidden within were completely different.
"Master called Talia! You miss Talia, don't you~" Talia's voice was filled with unconcealed excitement and joy, like a puppy wagging its tail waiting for its owner to come home.
Victoria cried out in a clear voice, rushing closer to the phone. "Or is Master calling to check our homework? We've been training very hard~ I want a 'reward' so badly..." Even though she tried to control her voice to be calm and haughty as per her habit, the end of her sentence trembled with deep expectation that her cruel master would have a reward for her.
"Listen well, both of you," but Owen cut them off with a serious voice, extinguishing their sweet dreams instantly. "Drop the training right now. I have an emergency mission for you."
"A mission...?" Their tones changed to seriousness immediately.
"Jessica is in danger," Owen spoke fast and clearly. "There are enemy agents about to kidnap her at the commercial district she frequents... I want you two to go save her 'right now' as fast as possible!"
The line went silent for a moment before Victoria was the one to respond, her voice changing completely... from a slave waiting for a reward to an Awakened ready for battle.
"Understood... We will depart immediately."
"Very good," Owen continued his orders rapidly. "Assess the situation on the ground carefully... If they are just armed normal people or D to C-Rank Awakened numbering no more than 3, I believe you can handle them."
He thought of Nova's brutal training and the powers of both of them... Talia with her C-level rubber body and Victoria with her A-level telekinesis. On average, they should have the strength of a high-tier C-Rank Awakened...
"But if they are C-Rank Awakened numbering more than 3..." Owen paused, emphasizing a special order in case of the worst-case scenario. "Do not engage them directly under any circumstances! Focus on 'stalling for time' and protecting Jessica as the priority. Do you understand?"
"Understood!" Talia responded firmly.
"And one more thing..." Owen ordered to be sure. "On the way, call the government's 'Anti-Awakened Unit' as well. Give them the coordinates and the situation... It takes time for them to arrive. Notifying them in advance will serve as insurance for you if you can't hold them off."
"Rest assured, Master!!" Victoria said with confidence. "Those scum... won't touch even a single hair on Jessica!"
Beep!
Owen hung up as soon as he finished his orders. He didn't wait, immediately dialing Jessica's number.
Ring... Ring... Ring...
"Pick up... Jessica..." Owen murmured to himself, small beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Hello?"
Jessica's voice answering the phone made him let out a huge sigh of relief. The background noise of people around her leaking into the call indicated she was still safe for now.
"Jessica, it's me, Owen. Stay calm and listen to me carefully," Owen spoke in the calmest but firmest voice possible so as not to panic her. "Right now, a group of people is trying to kidnap you to use as a tool to get to me."
"Huh!? Kidnap?" Jessica's voice began to tremble with shock.
"Yes, but don't be afraid and trust me!" Owen spoke quickly to soothe her and help her regain her senses. "I've sent Talia and Victoria to you. They are rushing there as fast as possible... What you need to do right now is 'find a hiding place'."
He advised quickly. "Go into a women's restroom or a closed area with lots of people... Lock the door and barricade yourself in. Try to stay away from all strangers and wait until those two arrive... Do you understand?"
"U-Understood! I'll go find a hiding place right now. You have to be careful too, Owen." Her nature as a tough woman allowed Jessica to pull herself together quickly. She hung up immediately to follow his advice.
Owen lowered the phone... He let out a huge sigh...
He had done everything he could... He had placed every piece on the board in the best possible position. The rest was to 'trust' in their potential. He put the phone in his pocket, then sprinted to the garage, jumped into his trusty SUV, and started the engine with a roar.
Vroom!!!
The tires ground against the pavement, creating smoke. Owen stomped on the gas pedal, sending the car shooting out of the house at high speed, heading towards the only remaining target...
The abandoned warehouse in the Old Port zone!
His eyes shone with a ruthless glint. It was time for him to go 'settle the score' himself!
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