Daniel watched Julie's face, giving her the time she needed to process the sheer weight of the information.
"So..." Her trembling voice finally broke the silence. "You're telling me this place... that our lives, everyone's suffering here... is just a TV show in your world?"
Her breathing quickened as her hands, resting on the couch, slowly clenched into fists.
Despair was about to swallow her whole.
The mere idea that her own existence might be nothing more than sadistic entertainment for people from another reality was enough to shatter anyone's mind.
"Hey. Look at me." Daniel gently held her face, caressing her pale cheeks with his thumbs.
"When Kael showed me the fight over the artifact, I saw several different worlds.
"There's a theory about the multiverse, parallel universes. The idea is that these realities exist independently, but every now and then, someone's mind catches small glimpses of them, maybe through dreams or intuition.
"That person wakes up, believes they came up with a brilliant story, and creates a TV series. That doesn't mean you're fake or that your lives are following a script."
Julie's chest continued rising and falling for several moments before her breathing gradually returned to normal.
Even without knowing whether the theory was true, she clung to the logic behind his explanation.
Combined with the firmness of his touch and the passive influence of the Hunter's Mind, now operating through the Subsystem, those words pulled her back from the edge of panic.
"I need to know." Urgency filled her voice. "Tell me everything you saw in that series. Every single detail."
Daniel nodded and shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch.
Then he told her everything he knew.
He described the original timeline, her family's arrival, the deaths that were supposed to happen, and the drastic changes caused by his own actions.
He also explained the construction of the radio tower, Jade's hallucinations involving the symbols, and Tabitha's visions of children trapped inside a sinister tower.
Julie listened with her lips slightly parted, absorbing each new piece of a puzzle that had seemed completely disconnected until now.
But when he reached the connection between Jade's visions and her mother's, she could no longer remain silent.
"Wait... are you saying my mom and Jade are... reincarnators? That they've been here before, reincarnated over and over again, and every single time they end up in this cursed town trying to free children trapped inside a tower?"
Disbelief was evident in her voice. The idea that her mother, a seemingly ordinary woman, was hiding a past marked by countless lives, deaths, and rebirths was simply absurd.
"That's what the series implied." He gave a small shrug. "But since it never got an ending before I was chewed up by a shark, I can't tell you with one hundred percent certainty.
"Still, considering everything that was shown and the fact that they themselves reached that conclusion, there's a very good chance it's true."
Without interrupting the story, Daniel continued mentally retracing the timeline until he reached the final episodes he had watched.
"And then..." He paused briefly, carefully choosing his words. "An old man wearing a yellow suit appeared in broad daylight and... well... apparently killed your father."
Julie lost her composure instantly. Her hands shot forward and grabbed his shoulders with a strength she didn't even know she possessed.
"What do you mean, 'apparently'?" she hissed, her eyes already glistening with terror.
"Easy, Jules." Daniel covered her hands with his own.
"You know how TV shows work. They love ending a season with something shocking just to leave everyone desperate for the next one. "
"Cheap cliffhangers are their favorite trick. It could've been exactly that, and he survived right afterward. Or maybe it was some kind of shared hallucination. Who knows."
He relied on a purely narrative argument to calm her, even though he knew perfectly well that, in this world, threats were literal and bloody.
"I don't care if it was part of the script or not!" Julie shot back, fear taking over. "We can't let my father die. Who was that old man in yellow?"
"I honestly have no idea." Daniel held her gaze without looking away. "It was never explained."
Seeing that panic still dominated his girlfriend's expression, he gently held her chin, making her look him in the eye.
"Listen to me. We can change this. A lot has already changed. Father Khatri, Nathan, and Kenny's father are still alive.
"Your mother isn't digging a hole in the basement. The future from that series isn't our future anymore."
His words hit her like a bucket of cold water.
Julie's breathing finally slowed, and the grip on his shoulders gradually loosened.
"You're right..." she murmured. Her mind was already working clearly again, quickly connecting the dots of this new reality.
"We absolutely can't let my mom find out about this reincarnation story. From what you told me, the Man in Yellow said, 'Knowledge comes with a price.' He killed my dad because of what she and Jade discovered."
"Exactly." Daniel nodded firmly. "That's the most logical conclusion. The less they dig into this town's past, the less attention they'll attract."
"Let's stop thinking about that for now." He leaned forward and stole a brief peck on her lips. "We have more interesting things to deal with. Show me your status."
That was something he could only see by using Appraisal Gaze.
Julie nodded and took a deep breath, letting the tension that still weighed on her shoulders melt away.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment and shared her interface.
A translucent screen appeared before her, invisible to anyone except Daniel.
[Life Level 1 — Common Human]
Strength: 8 / Endurance: 9 / Intelligence: 11 / Speed: 8
Then he revealed his own attributes, omitting his Lifespan since he wanted it to be a surprise.
[Life Level 2 — Common Superhuman]
Strength: 19 / Endurance: 16 / Intelligence: 25 (Max) / Speed: 25 (Max)
Spiritual Energy: 190/190 (Recovery: 10 per hour)
Julie's gaze shifted repeatedly between the screen and her boyfriend's calm face.
"This is a joke, right?" she asked, still in disbelief. "You're practically Superman. Compared to yours, my stats look like they belong to an anemic child."
"Don't be so hard on yourself." A faint smile appeared at the corner of Daniel's lips. "For a city girl, your Intelligence stat is actually pretty impressive. We'll take care of the rest with a little sweat."
Curiosity soon replaced her surprise. "What about your skills?"
Without saying a word, Daniel shared his panel. Hunter's Mind, Hunter's Eye, Hunter's Web, Danger Wi-Fi, Appraisal Gaze, Predator's Senses, Ben Whittaker's Boxing, and the Runes appeared before her.
Julie slowly read through every line. The expression on her face was a mixture of admiration and growing anticipation.
"So..." Daniel changed the subject, resting one arm on the back of the couch. "Has your first daily quest been unlocked yet?"
"I was told they'll only start tomorrow morning." She shook her head. "But I already know the reward: two attribute points, two skill points, and twenty silver coins."
Daniel narrowed his eyes immediately.
"Hey, System..." he called mentally, feeling cheated. "What's your excuse? Why was I only getting one lousy point?"
[Would you like the Subsystem's rewards to be reduced by half for the sake of emotional fairness?]
He decided not to argue. It was better for his sanity.
"There's still something I don't understand. Why kill so many animals?" Julie suddenly asked.
Daniel let out a resigned sigh before revealing how the Devour function worked.
He explained that after reaching Life Level 2, he had stopped receiving quests, making that his only way to continue obtaining rewards.
"Wow..." Julie murmured, finally understanding that mystery. A moment later, however, she frowned. "Then why doesn't my System have that function?"
Daniel shrugged. "No idea. Maybe Kael decided that watching you swallow animals whole through a black mist didn't really fit your vibe."
She let out a quiet snort but didn't pursue the subject. There wasn't the slightest hint of dissatisfaction. She was simply curious.
"Speaking of that..." Daniel addressed the System. "You mentioned there was another way for Julie to earn attribute points, and that it would be revealed once the bond was complete. So what's the trick?"
This time, instead of answering only inside Daniel's mind, the metallic voice, dripping with sarcasm, echoed throughout the motorhome, projected through the black tattoo on his forearm.
[The alternative method is now available. Ask the girl.]
Julie gave a small jump on the couch and looked around in alarm, searching for the source of the voice.
"What the fuck was that? Where did it come from?"
"Relax." Daniel raised his left arm, showing the leafless tree tattooed on his skin. "It's just my personal astral tick using the tattoo as a speaker."
After he quickly explained what was happening, Julie let out the breath she'd been holding and placed a hand over her chest.
"Thank goodness I won't have to spend all day listening to that creepy voice inside my head."
Daniel laughed. "Focus, Jules. What's this other method it mentioned?"
A deep blush quickly spread from her neck until it covered her entire face. She looked away, nervously playing with the hem of her hoodie, unable to meet his eyes.
"It's just..." she began in a tiny voice. "The panel says that... well... every time we're intimate... I mean... whenever you... you know... finish... inside me... we'll both receive attribute points."
Daniel's jaw dropped a few centimeters. He blinked twice, unsure whether he'd heard her correctly.
"You've got to be kidding me. Are you telling me I traded a mystical artifact for an RPG interface that decided to import the dual cultivation mechanic from some fifth-rate fantasy novel?"
The System answered immediately, its voice projected through the tattoo with an extra dose of contempt.
[Biometric analysis complete. Hypocrisy levels exceed acceptable parameters. The user criticizes the mechanic out loud, but current heart rate and blood flow indicate approval. Would you like me to project the graphs for your partner to evaluate?]
"Shut up." Daniel cut it off before it could say anything else, feeling Julie's amused gaze fixed on him.
Clearing his throat to hide his embarrassment, he turned his attention back to his girlfriend and frowned slightly.
"The problem is, as tempting as that reward is, there's no way we can afford to have children right now."
He paused briefly. Then his trademark crooked smile, full of mischief, appeared on his face.
"Unless, according to the System's rules, as long as it's inside you, it doesn't really matter... which... place..."
The slap cracked against his chest, echoing throughout the motorhome.
"What on earth is going through your head, you pervert?" Julie scolded, now completely red. "It came with a safeguard. I won't get pregnant unless I decide I want that to happen."
Daniel's smile slowly widened. He closed the distance between them until his lips were almost brushing Julie's ear.
"So..." he whispered, sending a shiver down her spine. "What do you think about farming those points right now?"
Julie studied Daniel's face, his crooked smile, and the warmth radiating from his body.
She desperately needed to shut off her mind, drown out all that absurd terror, and feel something that reminded her she was still alive and real.
She didn't waste time with words. Her hands grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him into an urgent kiss.
Their clothes were hastily stripped away and tossed onto the carpet.
After a few minutes of foreplay, Julie pushed Daniel off her, making him sit up; then she took the initiative and straddled him with a teasing smile, determined to take control—something he accepted with evident satisfaction.
Supporting her own weight, she guided his hard cock against the wetness between her legs, slowly lowering herself onto him, while never breaking eye contact.
The intimacy of that moment carried a completely new weight. For the first time, there was no latex separating their skin.
The direct, warm contact made Daniel's jaw tighten.
He slid his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck and gave it a firm tug, forcing her to tilt her head back slightly and expose her throat.
"You're getting bolder and bolder," he murmured, the huskiness in his voice betraying just how much that skin-to-skin contact affected him.
The pace began slowly, allowing both of them to savor every sensation of that new level of physical intimacy.
The simple, deep friction of her body against his drew a low groan from deep within Daniel's throat.
Julie arched her back, her fingers digging into and tugging at her boyfriend's bleached blond hair.
Little by little, the rhythm increased, transforming the initial calm into increasingly intense movements until every attempt to maintain control disappeared.
When the inevitable moment arrived, Daniel gripped her waist possessively, pulling her hard against him as he thrust as deeply as he could.
They climaxed together.
Julie trembled from head to toe, and a long moan escaped her lips as she felt the hot semen filling her.
Her strength vanished. She collapsed onto his broad chest, breathing heavily as she listened to his heartbeat beneath her ear.
At that moment, a silent understanding passed between them: they would never use condoms again.
A few seconds later, the familiar sound of a notification echoed simultaneously in both of their minds.
[Bond reward applied.]
Daniel blinked, regaining his focus, and opened his panel. "I got 0.01 attribute points. How much did you get?"
Julie checked her own interface before answering. "A whole point."
He let out a long sigh and shook his head. "That makes sense. The gap between my level and yours is huge."
Before she could comment on how unfair that distribution was, Julie was left speechless.
His cock, which had begun to soften, was already coming back to life inside her, hardening once again and pulsing against her inner walls.
Daniel's trademark crooked smile returned. "Let's keep going."
Without the slightest sign of physical strain, he rose from the couch, holding her firmly by the ass.
The sudden upward movement drew a sharp moan from Julie.
Acting on pure instinct, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck to keep from falling while Daniel started walking toward the bedroom with the two of them still joined.
"Dan, wait..." she protested between breathless giggles, her complaint losing all credibility as her hips instinctively adjusted to the sway of his stride. "I need a break."
"Nonsense." He answered with an expression of mock innocence, his tone dripping with playful sarcasm. "I'm simply fulfilling my arduous duty as a caring boyfriend.
"Deep down, sweetheart, I'm just helping you become stronger so you can survive the horrors of this town."
After another round, they ate something and talked about the future, deciding which pieces of information would be kept from Jim and Tabitha.
Later, they began having sex again under the pretext of needing to explore the practical limits of the Subsystem's new mechanics.
They only stopped when Julie simply couldn't take it anymore.
By the time they fell asleep, her attributes had already improved considerably.
[Life Level 1 — Common Human]
Strength: 10 / Endurance: 11 / Intelligence: 11 / Speed: 10
…
The following morning, Daniel woke up feeling Julie stir beside him.
He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You're up early, sweetheart?"
Julie opened only one eye. Her expression mixed sleepiness with amused annoyance.
"I got an irritating notification for my first daily quest. It woke me up," she grumbled, burying her face beneath the thick blanket once more.
Daniel smiled. "Then let's sleep a little longer."
She answered with an almost inaudible murmur, settling back against his chest. She was far too exhausted to think about anything else.
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