Julian was lounging comfortably on his bed. Beside him, Veronica was still fast asleep after an intense night. His gaze fell on her peaceful face, and his thoughts drifted, should he restore Veronica’s lost skills, or leave them gone?
He contemplated silently. Veronica clearly had great potential, she could serve as a powerful support with her buff skills, and also as a swift attacker. Julian felt his own power had increased significantly. After dominating three people, his strength had tripled, and his Domination skill’s range was now wide enough to control fifteen zombies, maybe even more.
Suddenly, a virtual panel appeared before him.
[Domination Quest Progress]
Objective: Veronica Ainsley Ravencroft
Paizuri: 1/1 (Complete)
Creampie: 5/5 (Complete)
Cum on her face: 1/1 (Complete)
[Veronica Ainsley Ravencroft – Domination: 100% – COMPLETE]
Congratulations! You have completed the quest.
[Reward will be granted.]
[Would you like to claim your reward now?]
Julian stared at the panel for a moment, then pressed the "Yes" button. Instantly, another notification popped up:
[New Skill Acquired: Inventory.]
Julian let out a small smile. "Jackpot," he muttered. With this skill, he could store food without worrying about it spoiling, he could even steal important items without being noticed.
He looked back at Veronica, solidifying his resolve. "If she stays by my side, she’ll be very useful."
Julian activated his Slave Mark skill, pressing his palm against Veronica’s abdomen beneath the blanket. A dark light shimmered, and a tattoo shaped like a womb appeared just below Veronica’s navel.
Another panel appeared immediately:
[Damaged skill detected on target. Would you like to Repair it?]
Without hesitation, Julian pressed "Yes." A wave of energy seeped into Veronica’s body, restoring her lost skill.
Moments later, Veronica’s eyes fluttered open as consciousness returned. Her eyes met Julian’s from very close range. She froze for a second, then screamed in shock.
"Aaah! Why are you in my room?!" she shouted, hitting Julian repeatedly with a pillow.
"Stop," Julian said, blocking his head from the pillow’s blows. "Is your memory so bad you’ve forgotten what happened last night?"
Veronica abruptly stopped, her cheeks turning red. "Julian, you idiot! Die!" she yelled, resuming her pillow attack with less strength.
Julian simply sighed, then pointed at the tattoo on Veronica’s belly. "I restored your skill. You can use it again now."
Veronica looked down at her stomach in shock, her face turning even redder. "Why is there an embarrassing tattoo here?!"
Julian let out an annoyed grunt. "Save your comments for later. Try your skill first."
"Shut up, idiot!" Veronica snapped, her voice trembling with embarrassment. She closed her eyes and declared loudly, "Skill Activate: Enchantment!"
A golden light enveloped her body. Her skill had activated, and she began bouncing excitedly on the bed. "Finally! I can use my power again! Hehehe!"
Overcome with joy, Veronica lunged at Julian, hugging him tightly. "Yay! Yay!" she cheered.
Realizing what she was doing, she quickly pulled back, looking away with a bright red face. "Ahem... th-thank you... for restoring my skill," she said, her tsundere tone sweet but awkward.
Julian replied firmly. "I made a promise. And now you’re mine, that tattoo is proof of our connection. You must stay with me."
"M-mine?" Veronica looked at him, torn between nervousness and anger. "Who’s yours?! I’m not some tool!"
Julian gazed at her seriously. "You’re my third girlfriend. I won’t treat you like an object."
Veronica’s face turned as red as a boiled crab. "Yes!! Yes!! Fine! Just stop talking!" she shouted in a panic, trying to clamp her hands over Julian’s mouth.
---------×--------
After the incident in the bedroom, Julian began to prepare himself. He summoned all his group member, Clarissa, Emma, and Aya. Veronica now stood beside him, eyeing them with a mix of defiance and anxiety.
Julian looked at his teammates. "From today on, Veronica will be joining our group."
Clarissa gave Veronica a gentle smile. "Welcome to our group."
But Emma immediately fixed Julian with a sharp glare. "Why did you let her live? Didn’t you say you wanted revenge? And Clarissa, she was also betrayed by Veronica. Don’t you and Clarissa feel angry?"
Aya chimed in with a worried tone. "Veronica is dangerous. Back when I was still with Erwin’s group, she did whatever she pleased and tormented weaker members."
Julian listened to their questions and doubts one by one. He turned to Emma. "I did want revenge... but I changed my mind after seeing Veronica’s potential. She can help us survive out there. Besides, I’ve already taken my revenge."
He then addressed Aya. "And about your concern, I forgot to tell you, Aya, I have a skill that links me to my partners. If Veronica tries anything, I’ll handle her myself."
Veronica simply scoffed, trying to keep her pride intact.
Emma still looked at Julian seriously. "I understand... but I’m worried about Clarissa. I know what it feels like to be betrayed, and Clarissa must be hiding her feelings because she trusts you, Julian. But why didn’t you discuss this with us first?"
Those words made Julian fall silent. He looked down, realizing his mistake. Perhaps he had been too focused on himself, forgetting about the people he was supposed to protect.
In a sincere tone, Julian said, "I’m sorry. I should have talked to you all first. Clarissa... I’m sorry if I didn’t consider your feelings."
Clarissa shook her head, her eyes glistening with tears. "It’s okay, Julian..."
But Emma cut in quickly. "That’s the problem, Clarissa. We’re a team! Don’t bottle everything up. You don’t have to pretend to be strong. You can be yourself now. Lean on us."
Clarissa finally couldn’t hold back her tears. Her body trembled slightly. Emma immediately pulled her into a tight hug. "It’s okay... it’s okay..."
To everyone’s surprise, Veronica stepped forward toward Clarissa. She bowed deeply. "I’m sorry... for using you as bait back then. I was just... jealous. You were more popular, more liked by everyone... I regret betraying you."
Julian was stunned. The proud Veronica was truly apologizing.
Emma hissed, "Apologizing might be easy for you. If not for Julian, Clarissa would have died."
Veronica held her breath, meeting Emma’s gaze with sorrowful eyes. "I know... and I won’t ask Clarissa to forgive me."
Clarissa wiped her tears, looking at Veronica with a sincere smile. "I... I forgive you, Veronica. We all make mistakes... and I believe you can change."
Veronica stared at Clarissa, her eyes welling up, her voice trembling, "Clarissa..."
Watching all this, Julian let out a long breath. "This was my fault too... next time, I’ll discuss important decisions with all of you, so something like this doesn’t happen again."
Emma patted Julian’s shoulder with a relieved smile. "That’s what a leader should do."