Back in the Forest — Aric's POV
Sarah and I packed our bags early and made our way toward the forest once again. This time, we weren't wandering like fools. We had a destination in mind — an area I scouted before with trees that had enormous, broad leaves. The kind of trees no one cared to cut, since their wood was cheap.
She looked up at the towering trees with curiosity.
> "What kind of trees are these?" Sarah asked, brushing her hand against a leaf as big as her head.
I smiled awkwardly. "Uh… I didn't really read about them."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "You always say weird things like that."
I waved it off. "Let's focus. These woods aren't worth much — only half a copper per log — but they're easy to cut. So, it's good practice for you. Just focus on cutting what you can. I'm heading deeper."
> "Wait, you're leaving me here alone?" she blinked.
"Obviously," I smirked. "I'm going to collect some real wood. These won't fill our stomachs."
Thanks to the slight influence of my system's ability — her Slave Will at 60% — she didn't protest. Instead, she nodded reluctantly and began trying her hand with the axe. I knew she could probably cut three or four logs at most, but it didn't matter. I had a bigger plan.
---
Deeper into the Forest
After walking for twenty minutes, I reached a small clearing filled with oak trees. Their wood was worth 2 copper per log — still not much, but better than the junk trees Sarah was handling.
I pulled out my axe and activated Weak Point Vision, small glimmers glowing faintly on the tree bark. I raised my axe and started chopping.
Every swing was precise, aiming for the glowing points. Still, it took effort — I spent three hours just to cut 20 oak logs. My arms ached, my shirt stuck to my back with sweat. But I wasn't done yet.
I placed my hand on the stack and activated Upgrade Touch.
A pulse of light surged from my palm. The logs glowed with a soft golden-red hue, and then — shifted in color, transforming into Red Oak — a rarer, upgraded version of the wood, its grain deeper and sturdier.
> "Red Oak," I muttered, a grin forming on my face. Even the village chief's shop would pay 5 copper per log for this — and real merchants would pay double.
I bundled them and returned to Sarah.
---
Back with Sarah
To my surprise, Sarah had already gathered a good stack of 15 to 20 logs.
"Whoa! How'd you manage that?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
She wiped her forehead. "Just… basic skill, I guess." She gave me a smug smile.
We carried the wood back to the village chief's shop. Combined, the Red Oak and her normal wood earned us 110 copper. I gave her 20 copper — more than her share — and she beamed like she'd won a treasure.
But to me… it felt like nothing.
I went to the butcher, hoping to buy 1kg of meat, but the price slapped me in the face: 200 copper.
I sighed and settled for 250 grams — just enough for three people to barely taste it.
---
Later That Afternoon
The sun hung high in the sky when I handed the meat and our other supplies to Sarah.
> "I forgot something in the forest. I'll be back," I told her. She nodded and walked home.
I waited until she was out of sight and slipped back into the woods.
I didn't come here to find something — I came to think.
I slumped against the base of a tree, head tilted back, eyes toward the blue sky. The quietness of the forest wasn't peaceful today. It was suffocating.
> Money. I needed more of it. Desperately.
My Upgrade Touch was on cooldown — I couldn't rely on it again so soon. I opened the system and stared at the screen. My thoughts churned.
There were only two paths I could see right now:
1. Use my abilities on someone rich — manipulate, gain benefits, climb the ladder.
2. Increase my slave network — every time the system acknowledged an "intimate" act or emotional submission, I was granted skills, tokens, stat points.
Both options were dangerous. But if I stayed poor, we'd all die slow — meatless, helpless, and forgotten.
I clenched my fists. My jaw tightened. I didn't have the luxury of choosing a perfect path.
> I need power… and I need money. Fast.
And I was willing to walk through fire for both
My goal was simple.
Make money. Fast.
Earning it the slow way? That wasn't working. Not with how expensive things were. Not with how little time I had. So I turned to the next best option:
Stealing.
I had a power.
Invisibility — ten full minutes. Clothes included.
That meant I could vanish, move unseen, and do what needed to be done. I didn't plan to just rob someone and run like a petty thief — no, I was going to steal smart.
What if I stole an item — say, a dagger or tool — and then used my Upgrade Touch on it?
I could transform something cheap into something valuable, and sell it right back to the same shop.
Risky?
Sure.
Brilliant?
Also yes.
But there was a small flaw: Invisibility didn't affect objects I touched or carried. That meant whatever I stole would still be visible… unless I timed it perfectly.
So I decided:
Do it at night. Wait until the guards are distracted. Get in. Get out. Sell it later.
---
Evening – Before the Theft
That night, I ate dinner with Sarah and Darcy. The white rice and that tiny chunk of meat weren't enough to fill a starving dog, but it was something.
As we ate, I pretended everything was fine.
Then I stood up, stretched, and looked at Sarah.
> "Hey, I'll sleep at Aunt's house tonight. Haven't seen her in a while."
Sarah squinted. "At this hour?"
"Yeah, I just miss her, that's all."
Darcy, being fully under my influence by now, said nothing. Just smiled and nodded like a puppet.
Sarah wasn't entirely convinced, but my growing control over her will made sure she didn't push the topic.
---
The Storehouse – 10 PM
I arrived near the village chief's storehouse, which sat just behind the main shop. The shop was already closed. The storehouse was a two-story wooden building.
Exactly as I'd researched:
Ground floor: low-value items like wood, herbs, cheap tools.
First floor: locked displays of daggers, short swords, light armor. Worth real coin.
Two guards stood outside, spears in hand, barely awake.
Perfect.
I activated my power.
[Invisibility – Time Remaining: 10:00]
The world shifted around me. My body vanished. I walked straight past the guards. They didn't flinch.
Inside, an old woman — the clerk — was asleep on a wooden stool. Her head bobbed slightly, deep in slumber. I didn't waste a second.
Upstairs, I found the locked glass displays. My timer was ticking.
[7:57] remaining.
I scanned the room. A pair of finely-forged daggers caught my eye. Compact. Sharp. Valuable.
But I still had the problem: I couldn't carry them while invisible — they'd float in the air, give me away.
So I activated Plan B.
---
Diversion
I crept back downstairs and stepped outside.
From my pocket, I pulled a small bottle of kerosene. I'd been saving it.
I poured it quickly over the wooden side of the shop, not the storehouse, then flicked a match.
Fwoosh.
The fire caught immediately.
People would blame it on faulty lamps, or a vengeful ghost. Who knows?
The guards ran toward the flames, yelling.
The old clerk bolted toward the village chief's house.
I sprinted back up, broke open two display frames, grabbed the daggers, and ran into the forest, invisible the whole time.
By the time my timer expired, I was already hiding the daggers in a dug-out hole beneath a tree. Safe. Out of sight.
---
Returning Home
I dusted off my clothes and walked calmly back to the house.
Sarah looked up as I entered. "Wait… didn't you say you were sleeping at Aunt's?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I did. But when I knocked, she was already asleep. Didn't wanna wake her. So I wandered a bit… then came back."
She narrowed her eyes, clearly confused.
> "Where were you for an hour?"
"Walking. Thinking. You know how I am."
Thanks to the power's hold on her, she didn't question further.
But now we had another issue. One bed. Three people. No space.
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