The chaos outside was a familiar melody to Kenji. The screams of bystanders, the screeching of tires on asphalt, and that low hum—that vibrational frequency that only the opening of a dimensional Gate could generate. To the rest of the world, it was the end of civilization as they knew it. To Kenji, it was the first heartbeat of a new era.
He walked with a steady pace toward Ueno Park, navigating through the panicked crowds. People were running in every direction, seeking refuge in the subways, unaware that the underground would soon become the city's deadliest deathtraps.
Kenji stopped in front of a fountain. The air distorted above the stagnant water, creating a swirling vortex of purple and black void. An E-rank Gate. In his previous life, this minor dungeon had been "cleared" by a makeshift police unit at the cost of twelve lives. This time, it would be his training ground.
But he hadn't come only for the monsters.
[Oppressor's Eye activated.]
Kenji scanned the crowd. His eyes caught lines of data floating above people's heads.
Target: Civilian. Potential: F-Rank. Desire: Survival. Target: Civilian. Potential: D-Rank. Desire: Protection.
Suddenly, he saw her. About fifty meters away, a young woman stood frozen while everyone else fled. She wore the uniform of a prestigious private academy, her pleated skirt fluttering in the unnatural wind emanating from the Gate. Her long black hair framed a face of cold beauty, but her eyes betrayed a deep terror.
It was Mizuhara Rin. In the future, she would become the "Ice Queen," an A-rank mage renowned for her cruelty toward men and her unwavering loyalty to the Light Guild. But here, in 2016, she was merely a traumatized heiress who had just watched her bodyguard be devoured by the first creature to emerge from the Gate.
[Target Identified]
Name: Mizuhara Rin Potential: A+ Rank (Awakening in progress) Mental State: Traumatic shock, Despair. Current Desire: "Someone, anyone, save me."
Kenji smiled. It was not a kind smile. She was the perfect prey to test his System's functions.
"Help me..." Rin whispered as a Shadow Goblin, a small creature with slimy skin and jagged teeth, crawled out of the rift.
The goblin let out a shrill cry and lunged at the girl. Rin closed her eyes, waiting for the end. She felt a foul breath against her face, then... the sound of tearing flesh. But no pain.
She opened one eyelid. A young man stood before her. He had no armor, no shining sword. Just a kitchen knife driven hilt-deep into the creature's eye. Kenji twisted the blade with surgical precision, severing the monster's brain before kicking it away with disdain.
[Experience gained. Level 1 -> 2]
[Strength +1, Agility +1]
Kenji didn't turn to her immediately. He observed his hands, savoring the sensation of immediate progression. The SSS-rank was already at work: every drop of blood spilled seemed to feed his mana.
"Are you hurt?" he asked in a neutral, almost bored voice.
Rin was trembling in every limb. "I... no. Thank you. Who are you? How did you...?"
Kenji turned toward her. He deliberately used a fraction of his mana to saturate his voice with supernatural authority.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that more are coming. And you're unable to run, aren't you? Your legs won't obey you."
It was true. Rin was paralyzed by dread. Kenji stepped closer, breaking into her personal space. He could smell her expensive perfume mixed with the scent of cold sweat. He placed a hand on her cheek—a gesture that should have been comforting, but his fingers were ice-cold.
"I can save you, Rin," he whispered. "But in this new world, nothing is free. If I get you out of here, you will belong to me. Your body, your power, your future. Do you agree to become my shadow?"
[Warning: Submission Attempt Detected.]
[Success Probability: 75% (Target in state of extreme vulnerability).]
Rin looked into Kenji's eyes. She saw an abyss. It was terrifying, but it was the only anchor in the ocean of madness surrounding her. Behind Kenji, three more goblins were emerging from the Gate.
"Yes..." she stammered. "I'll do anything. Please. Save me!"
[Submission Contract Initiated.]
[Bond established: Mizuhara Rin (Rank 1 Slave - In development).]
[Power synchronization in progress...]
Suddenly, a surge of blue energy erupted from Rin's body and was sucked into Kenji's arm. The girl let out a groan, her eyes rolling back as Kenji's System forced her premature Awakening.
[You have acquired the skill: "Frost Shard" (B-Rank) via the submission bond.]
[Your mana has increased by 20 points.]
Kenji felt a cold power coursing through his veins. He raised his left hand toward the approaching goblins.
"Frost Shard."
A wave of absolute frost shot from his palm, instantly turning the three creatures into glittering ice statues. A moment later, they shattered under the air pressure.
Kenji watched the slaughter with cold satisfaction. In his previous life, he would have needed a full E-rank party to handle this. Now, he was using his future "slave's" power to do the work.
He turned to Rin, who had collapsed to the ground, panting. A purple mark shaped like a chain was briefly engraved on her collarbone before disappearing beneath her skin.
"Get up," he ordered. "The dungeon hasn't closed yet. We're going inside."
"Inside? But that's suicide!" she exclaimed, her voice regaining some strength, though she felt an instinctive impulse to obey him.
Kenji grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to look at him.
"That's my first lesson for you, Rin. Under my command, the word 'suicide' does not exist. There is only conquest. And you're going to help me harvest every mana core in this place."
He pulled her up roughly. Rin, confused by the mixture of terror and sudden attraction she felt for this stranger, could only follow. She felt a strange connection, an invisible thread binding her to him, telling her that her survival now depended on his whim.
They stepped through the veil of the Gate.
The interior of the dungeon was a damp cave, lit by phosphorescent moss. The smell of death was stronger here. Kenji moved forward without hesitation, his senses sharpened by his past life as a cleaner. He knew the traps, the ambush zones.
"Stay behind me and prepare your mana," he said. "I'll lure the monsters. When I give the signal, freeze the ground. Don't miss, or I'll leave you here."
The threat was direct, no frills. Rin nodded, her trembling hands beginning to glow with a bluish aura.
For the next two hours, the E-rank dungeon became a slaughterhouse. Kenji fought with calculated savagery, using his knife to sever tendons while Rin provided zone control with her ice magic. With every monster killed, Kenji felt his strength grow. But more importantly, he saw Rin changing. The frightened girl was giving way to an obedient weapon, her eyes constantly seeking Kenji's approval after every successful spell.
Arriving before the Boss room—an imposing Goblin Chieftain armed with a stone mace—Kenji stopped.
"Your mana is almost depleted," he noted.
"I can still fight, Master..." Rin replied, the word "Master" leaving her mouth with an ease that surprised even herself.
Kenji smiled. The conditioning was progressing faster than expected thanks to his Sovereign of Desires skill.
"Good. But for this Boss, we need more power. Come here."
He pulled her against him. Rin felt her heart race. Kenji pressed his lips against hers in a brutal kiss, devoid of tenderness.
[Skill activated: Vital Share.]
[Mana Transfer in progress...]
Rin felt a wave of searing heat flood her body, regenerating her magic circuits at an incredible speed. It was an addictive sensation, a mixture of pleasure and raw power that swept away her fatigue. When he pulled back, she was flushed, her gaze hazy, completely at his mercy.
"Now," Kenji said, pointing at the Boss. "Kill it for me."
Rin lunged forward, her powers amplified by Kenji's mana. She summoned a massive ice spear that transfixed the Goblin Chieftain through and through, pinning it to the cavern wall in a crash of crystal.
The dungeon began to shake, a sign of its impending dissolution.
Kenji approached the Boss's corpse and picked up the glowing mana core. He turned to Rin, who had fallen to her knees, exhausted but ecstatic.
"You were useful, Rin. For today, you've earned the right to stay by my side."
He helped her up, but instead of supporting her gently, he wrapped a possessive arm around her waist. They exited the dungeon just as the Gate collapsed behind them.
Outside, Ueno Park was now cordoned off by military personnel and first responders. Drones hovered over the area. Kenji saw a group of journalists rushing toward them.
"Look at them," Kenji whispered into Rin's ear. "They're looking for heroes. We're going to give them what they want. You will be the 'Young Prodigy' I humbly assisted. I will remain your assistant, your shadow. But remember who holds the leash when the cameras turn off."
Rin shivered, a spark of masochism igniting in her submissive gaze.
"Yes... Kenji-sama."
Kenji then put on a tired and worried face, perfectly playing the role of the lucky civilian who had helped a talented "Awakened." The world would learn his name, but not his true nature. Not yet.