Her fingers twitched as she wiped at her face, her voice a broken whisper.
"You... fucking system..."
And then...
Darkness took her.
When Scarlett’s eyes fluttered open, her mind was foggy and disoriented. She stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, her breath shallow as confusion settled in. For a fleeting mont, she forgot where she was and what had happened.
Then, the mories hit her like a tidal wave. The pain, the agony she had just endured, every second of it ca rushing back. A sharp, aching sensation coursed through her body, and as the weight of it all crashed down on her, silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
With a trembling breath, she sat up in bed, glancing around the dimly lit room. Recognition dawned upon her, her chest tightening.
"I’m back," she whispered hoarsely.
Her shoulders trembled as bitter sobs racked her body, but not a single sound escaped her lips. The pain wasn’t just physical, it was deeper, heavier, settling in her very soul. She clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms, forcing herself to steady her breathing.
After a mont, she wiped the tears from her face, her expression hardening. There was no ti for weakness. Kato and his dogs would be here soon, and she needed to be ready.
Just then, the familiar, emotionless voice of the system echoed in her mind.
{Congratulations once again for undergoing the death sequence. Your rewards are now available. Do you wish to check them out now?}
Scarlett inhaled sharply, her brows furrowing.
"Sure," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, curiosity flickering in her tired eyes.
The system’s response ca imdiately.
{Loading rewards won by host...}
A small pause, and then...
{Teleportation: The ability to instantly transport yourself from one location to another. Simply think of any place within the apocalypse world, and you will be there.}
{Duplication: The ability to create multiple copies of yourself, each with their own autonomy. These clones can take damage and act as distractions in battle.}
{Shapeshifting: An advanced form of your previous ability. You are no longer limited to taking on the face of another human; now, you can transform into any animal or object at will.}
{tamorphosis: The ability to shift into different elental forms, such as liquid, fire, or gas.}
{Ti Dilation: The ability to slow down or speed up ti in localized areas.}
{Telekinesis: The ability to manipulate objects with your mind.}
{Wormholes: The ability to create temporary portals between two locations, allowing for instant travel.}
{Mind Reading: The ability to not only read but also control the thoughts of others.}
{Illusions: The ability to create powerful, convincing illusions capable of deceiving even the most perceptive individuals.}
A brief silence followed before the system spoke again.
{Does the host wish to claim all skills, or would you prefer to choose only one?}
Scarlett let out a dry, humorless scoff, shaking her head.
"This system has lost its damn mind," she muttered under her breath.
{I am not malfunctioning, host. I am simply following protocol.}
Scarlett’s eyes twitched at the response.
"You..." she started, frustration lacing her voice. She exhaled sharply, shaking her head again. What was the point of arguing with a machine? It was a waste of ti. Why would she go through all those pain only to reject other skills and pick only one? It was obvious the system was just teasing her.
"I’ll take them all," she finally said, her tone firm, her lips curling into a smirk.
{Congratulations, host. All skills have been granted.}
Scarlett barely had ti to process the notification before her senses sharpened.
Damn it! Kato is coming.
Her heart pounded as she picked up the approaching footsteps, steady, deliberate. He was heading straight for her room.
"I call on the duplication skill. Make a copy of now." Scarlett declared with seriousness etched in her tone.
The mont she uttered the command, a perfect duplicate of herself materialized before her, identical in every way. The two Scarlets locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them. Before either could speak, the door handle twisted.
Scarlett reacted instantly.
Summoning her invisibility skill, she vanished the duplicate from sight, but what she didn’t realize was that her duplicate was already invisible to the outside world by default. The precaution had been unnecessary.
She barely had ti to adjust before the door swung open, and in stepped Kato.
In his hands, he carried a gown, an elegant white wedding dress embroidered with intricate patterns and adorned with dazzling diamonds. His smirk stretched wide as he strode toward the bed, his presence exuding authority.
"Hi," Kato greeted smoothly, his voice dripping with amusent as he took a seat beside Scarlett. His eyes road over her face, narrowing slightly. "Have you been crying?"
He reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek as he wiped away the remnants of the fake tears she had allowed to linger.
Scarlett remained silent.
Kato sighed, shaking his head. "Alright. I brought your wedding dress. The organization leaders will be here soon, so the wedding will start shortly."
Still, Scarlett did not respond.
Kato’s smirk wavered, irritation flashing in his eyes. "Are you not going to say anything to ?" he pressed, his body tensing with frustration.
Scarlett finally spoke, her tone devoid of emotion. "Just drop the dress and leave. I’ll change when you’re gone."
Kato’s eyes darkened. "Just that?"
Without warning, he grabbed her chin, forcing her to et his gaze. His face was re inches from hers, his breath hot against her lips. His grip was firm but not painful at least, not yet.
"Are you really that upset about this?" he mused. "I get that you’re hurt, but I don’t want you to be. You’re going to be my wife. So, I expect you to smile."
Unseen to Kato, the duplicate clenched her fists, fury flashing across her face. Her voice, though unheard by anyone except Scarlett and the system, dripped with venom.
"Is that even a question, dumbass?" the duplicate spat. "Who wouldn’t be hurt? But don’t worry, it’s only for now. Soon enough, your head will explode, and I’ll make sure of it."
The original Scarlett, anwhile, forced a small smile onto her lips, playing her part.
"Happy now?" she asked coolly. "Drop the dress and leave."
Before she could turn her face away, Kato seized the mont, crashing his lips against hers in a forceful kiss.
Scarlett’s body stiffened, revulsion churning in her stomach.
How dare this loser?! the duplicate seethed. Kissing Scarlett is the sa as kissing . How dare he?!
Scarlett’s fingers twitched, ready to shove him away, but before she could, Kato pulled back on his own. He smirked, eyes gleaming with warning.
"Think before you do anything reckless," he murmured. "Garvin and Jaden will suffer if you try to resist. I know you’re stronger than now, but that won’t last forever."
Scarlett’s eyes burned with rage, but she forced herself to stay calm. This wasn’t the ti to act. She had to endure for now.
Satisfied with her silence, Kato smirked again. "That’s more like it."
He leaned back, his gaze sweeping over her. "I’ll be waiting for you. Get dressed. Or... do you want to help?" His voice dropped suggestively. "We could have our wedding night right here. I wouldn’t mind."
Scarlett swallowed hard, keeping her expression neutral. "No need. You’ll own after the wedding, so before that, let have a mont to myself. That’s all I ask for."
Kato studied her for a mont before giving a slow nod. "True. I’ll respect that." He rose to his feet, his smirk lingering. "See you soon, wifey."
With that, he turned and exited the room, locking the door behind him.
The mont he was gone, the duplicate crossed her arms, shaking her head. "This guy is completely insane."
Scarlett exhaled sharply, closing her eyes for a mont before the system’s voice chid in.
{Now that you have a duplicate, if you wish to get intimate with Garvin, the real you should go while the duplicate remains here as the bride.}
The duplicate let out a mischievous chuckle. "I thought I’d be the one to get intimate with Boss Male, but hey, I’ll respect whatever decision you make. Either way, I’ll experience it, even if I’m not there." She grinned. "Perks of being , I guess."
Scarlett smirked. "Alright, here’s the plan. You stay here and get dressed as Kato’s bride while I go search for Garvin."
The duplicate nodded, determination gleaming in her eyes. "Got it, boss. I’ll handle things here."
Scarlett’s smirk widened. "Good. Let’s get into position."
Moving swiftly, she positioned herself in front of the duplicate. In an instant, her body faded into invisibility, while the duplicate beca fully visible, seamlessly taking her place.
"See you soon." Scarlett whispered, a glint of anticipation in her eyes.
Then, without hesitation, she turned toward the locked door.
A re obstacle.
Without breaking stride, she stepped forward and phased right through it, vanishing into the dimly lit corridor beyond.
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