GOD OF BLACKMAIL

Ronnie jolted awake from the strange Dream Realm, his heart still racing. He let out a shaky breath, relieved to find himself back in his modest bedroom, safe. "No more using The Dreamer in broad daylight," he swore to himself. Meeting that mysterious woman, Elizabeth Hart, had been way too unsettling. "Only at night, when the world's asleep."

He climbed out of bed, threw on his simple clothes, and slipped out of his room. In the narrow hallway, he spotted his adoptive mother, Elena, talking to an unwelcome guest. It was Fay, the notorious woman who ran loan-sharking for the infamous Black Boots gang in this province.

Ronnie froze behind the wall, eavesdropping, his blood boiling. He knew exactly why Fay was here. Four years ago, Elena had borrowed a hefty sum from Fay to fund Ronnie's Awakening Ceremony, the event meant to shape his destiny… only for it to end in bitter failure. Even now, Elena couldn't pay back the debt, which had ballooned insanely due to cutthroat interest rates.

"Come on, Elena, we go way back," Fay said with a sly grin, her greedy eyes scanning Elena's curvaceous body with barely hidden envy. "Why make this hard for both of us?"

'Damn, how does she keep that killer figure?' Fay thought, her jealousy sharp. Elena was a mother, yet her body held onto youthful curves and freshness, as if time hadn't touched her. Fay, a former mercenary with a chiseled, athletic build and tight muscles, felt older by comparison. Her face was pretty, despite scattered scars from old battles, but her toned abs and sculpted thighs had their own raw appeal.

"My daughter Kira… she's studying magic, you know," Elena mumbled softly, her head bowed. "I needed to buy her books and supplies."

"Oh, spare me the excuses!" Fay waved a small dagger she was toying with. "It's the same sob story every time, Elena!"

She fixed Elena with a serious stare for a moment, then her sly grin returned. "But since we're old friends, I don't want things to get ugly." She leaned in, her eyes glinting with veiled lust. "If you can't pay, I've got another solution…"

"You've got two pretty daughters, right? Besides that… cripple," she sneered, nodding toward Ronnie's room. "Our company, the Black Boots, has plenty of men… hungry men. They haven't tasted fresh meat in a while, and trust me, they're ravenous."

"How about sending one of your girls to work as a dancer at our nightclub? Just one week. She'll dance a bit, maybe… entertain some VIP clients. One week, and your debt's wiped clean. Your daughter comes back safe… well, maybe not exactly as she left, but she'll come back!" Fay finished with a low chuckle and a devilish smirk.

Behind the wall, Ronnie's blood surged with rage. His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white, nearly punching through the flimsy wall. How dare this bitch threaten my sisters? But he forced himself to stay calm.

Elena, despite her obvious anger, was far more composed. She lifted her head and met Fay's eyes with a resolve neither expected. "One month. I'll pay back every cent in one month."

"Huh?" Fay blinked, stunned, and so did Ronnie. Where was Elena getting that kind of money? But her determination rang clear in her voice.

Fay eyed her skeptically, then shrugged. "Fine. One month. We'll meet again then." She stood and left without another word, leaving Elena sitting, lost in worried thoughts about her impossible promise, unaware that her son had heard everything.

The moment Fay was gone, Ronnie slipped out quietly, tailing her from a safe distance. He used his knowledge of the back alleys to stay hidden, moving like a shadow.

Minutes later, Fay reached an abandoned warehouse in a desolate part of the province. She glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then pushed aside some wooden planks to reveal a hidden door. She slipped through and vanished inside.

"What's this place? What's she doing here?" Ronnie wondered, watching from behind a pile of trash. "Should I go in? If she catches me, I'm dead… Level 20, no way I can take her head-on."

His mind raced for a solution. Then it hit him. "That's it! Mirror of Life!"

He whispered the skill's name, and an ethereal mirror appeared before him, reflecting the scene inside the dark warehouse. He saw Fay standing before a shadowy figure cloaked entirely in black, shrouded in darkness.

Something shady was going down. Ronnie quickly pulled out one of the Recording Crystals he'd bought from the Store and pressed it to activate it. The crystal glowed faintly, capturing every word and movement shown in the mirror.

The mysterious man tossed a sack toward Fay, who caught it eagerly. "Is it done?" he asked, his voice rough.

"Yeah," Fay replied swiftly.

"If they find out, we're dead. You know that, right?" the man warned.

"I know, I know! That's why we need to change this spot. It's starting to feel too exposed," Fay said, her voice tinged with worry.

"Don't sweat it. No one in the gang would guess we're meeting here, this close to them." The man gave a cold smile.

Fay opened the sack, and a golden glow lit up her greedy face. It was stuffed with shining gold coins. She grinned slyly and hid the sack under her clothes.

"How much did you skim this time, Jago?" she asked eagerly.

"Five hundred gold coins, clean," Jago said. "If the boss or anyone else finds out, our heads are gone. Leave no trace, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it!" Fay replied, her excitement blinding her to the third eye watching her, the crystal recording her betrayal word for word.

"Alright, I'm out," Jago said. "I'll be gone two weeks, back with the boss. Stay sharp." His body melted into the shadows, as if he'd never been there.

Fay lingered, fiddling with the sack under her clothes, daydreaming about what she'd buy with her little fortune. Then she left the warehouse, completely forgetting about Elena and her debt, oblivious to the figure watching from the trees.

"Well, well… time to reap some juicy rewards," Ronnie said, a cold smile spreading as he turned the glowing Recording Crystal in his hand. "A real treasure." He now held a secret that could destroy Fay completely.

He hurried home, his mind spinning with a devilish plan to take down the woman who'd threatened his family.

Hours later, as pitch-black darkness settled over the slums, Fay stumbled out of the local tavern, buzzed from celebrating her new wealth with too much cheap booze. As she staggered toward her hideout, she bumped into someone moving fast.

"Hey! Watch it, moron!" she snapped, but kept walking without looking back. A few steps later, she noticed a piece of paper lying on the ground right in front of her. Normally, she'd have kicked it aside and kept going, but something about it caught her eye. Paper was valuable in this province, not something tossed around carelessly. It didn't feel like a coincidence.

She bent down, struggling a bit in her drunken haze, and picked it up. Unfolding it, her blood ran cold, and her buzz vanished instantly. The note was short, sharp, and written in neat, chilling handwriting:

"Come to the abandoned warehouse at the edge of the province now, or I'll expose your theft from the gang to everyone."

It was her worst nightmare in a few lines. Nausea hit her, and she nearly collapsed. But she read the address again—the warehouse. She had no choice. She had to go.

Minutes later, Fay reached the abandoned warehouse, her heart pounding wildly. The hidden door was slightly ajar. She pushed it open and stepped into the cold darkness.

Inside, a faint glow came from a lone oil lamp on a small table. Beside it sat a figure in a dark blue cloak, hood up, hiding their face completely, calmly sipping a cup of tea.

"Welcome, Fay," the voice said, eerily calm yet vaguely familiar, sending a chill down her spine.

Ronnie fought to keep his cool, hiding any nerves that might betray his weakness. He'd found an old cloak to wear, channeling all his energy into seeming mysterious and powerful.

Fay's mercenary-trained eyes scanned the figure, trying to sense their aura, their strength, anything to reveal who they were or their level. But she felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was as if they were a ghost—or someone so far beyond her that their power was invisible.

She remembered her late mentor's words: "Beware those whose aura you can't sense. They're either pathetically weak or so powerful the gap hides their strength from people like you."

Terror gripped her. Does that mean… they're insanely strong? A top gang leader? Or someone even higher? She reached the only conclusion that felt both logical and horrifying.

I'm as good as dead. Her body trembled uncontrollably. She was still in her thirties and didn't want to die. She wanted to live, to enjoy the money she'd stolen…

As her thoughts spiraled in panic, the mysterious figure spoke again, their voice calm and chilling.

"You've been doing whatever you wanted for a long time, Fay. I didn't care about the petty cash you and Jago skimmed at first. Small change, not worth the hassle."

Fay felt like a lightning bolt shot through her at the mention of Jago's name.

"But you two got greedy. Kept stealing, thinking no one was watching."

"Luckily, one of my loyal spies brought me this." The figure calmly tossed a small Recording Crystal toward her. Fay caught it with a trembling hand, its cold weight feeling deadly. Urged by the figure's gaze, she activated it.

She watched and heard herself conspiring with Jago, talking about their theft, laughing greedily as she took the sack of gold. Her stomach churned, and she nearly vomited. Every word, every move, recorded crystal clear.

He knows everything! He must be a top gang leader who sent a spy to watch me! I'm screwed with no way out!

When the recording ended, Fay collapsed to her knees, her body shaking.

"Please! Please forgive me! I didn't mean it! I'll give it all back! I'll do anything to make up for it! Anything!" She groveled, her face nearly touching the dirt, her tight, shapely ass sticking out in complete submission.

Behind his calm, mysterious facade, Ronnie was stunned. He hadn't expected it to be this easy. His plan had worked better than he'd imagined. Fay's fear of this "powerful stranger" had broken her completely.

A wicked, icy smile curled his lips under the hood. He stood slowly and moved toward the kneeling, trembling Fay. She had no clue that the "powerful figure" she feared was actually the "cripple" she'd mocked that morning, still just Level 1.

He reached her, then leaned down, boldly placing his hand on her firm, round ass. He squeezed hard, feeling her body quiver under his touch. He whispered in her ear, his voice low and spine-chilling.

"Alright… maybe we can forgive you."

Fay felt the stranger's hand grip her ass, a mix of fear, disgust, and something else—something strange she couldn't place. She knew what this meant in the gang world. Sexual humiliation was a common punishment, sometimes just the start of something worse. She'd heard horror stories of rape and torture.

If I'm getting raped tonight… at least it's better than dying. She surrendered to her fate, closing her eyes, bracing for what came next.

In that moment, Ronnie whispered the magic words:

"Devil's Touch."

A System screen appeared before him.

[Target's level exceeds the User's (Level 20)]

[However, the target is in a state of mental collapse and extreme fear, temporarily shattering their mental defenses]

[Skill activated successfully!]

Ronnie couldn't believe his eyes. It worked! Despite the huge level gap! Fay's broken mental state had left her vulnerable to the skill's effect.

The moment the skill took hold, Fay felt a strange sensation ripple through her body, starting where the stranger's hand touched her ass and spreading like a warm, numbing wave. Fear vanished. Anxiety vanished. Everything vanished. All she felt was a vague sense of submission and calm. Her eyes turned glassy, her body fully relaxed, like a puppet waiting for orders.

Ronnie stood, a rush of triumph and power flooding through him. He slowly pulled off his cloak, revealing his young face and lean body. He spoke in a calm, commanding voice.

"Stand."

Fay stood instantly, mechanically, facing him directly. Her eyes were blank, expressionless, like she was hypnotized.

"Take off your clothes. All of them," Ronnie ordered coldly.

Without hesitation, Fay began stripping, piece by piece, revealing her athletic, striking body—tight muscles, old scars, and all. As she did, Ronnie walked to the small table, shedding his shirt and pants, exposing his lean frame and visibly erect dragon. He grabbed another empty Recording Crystal and returned to stand before Fay, now completely naked, waiting silently for his next command.

Ronnie took in her bare body. The powerful woman, the ex-mercenary who'd threatened his mother that morning, now stood before him like an obedient doll. Her well-trained body, sculpted muscles, firm round breasts, and soft brown pussy, slightly wet now, were all his to control. His ability had already revealed her near-nonexistent sex life—she was a tough woman who rarely let men close.

He reached out, gently at first, then firmly, kneading her breasts in his hands. Fay let out a soft moan, responding to his touch, but her eyes stayed empty.

"Remember what you said to my mom this morning, Fay?" Ronnie whispered, leaning close. "About hungry, starving men… ready to devour everything?"

He smirked slyly. "Well, I'm one of them." He pinched her pink, protruding nipples hard between his thumb and forefinger. This time, Fay's moan was louder, tinged with faint pain and a strange pleasure seeping through the fog of Devil's Touch's control. Ronnie felt a surge of satisfaction seeing her body react, her pussy growing wetter.

"You said you'd do anything, right?" His hand slid down her toned stomach to her wet pussy. "Tonight, I'll show you what it means to threaten my mom and my family."

He gripped his rock-hard dick and slowly rubbed it against her plump pussy lips. Fay trembled visibly, nearly losing her balance. The painful pleasure from her nipples was now spreading lower, igniting her body.

"From today on," Ronnie said, his voice deep, his eyes glinting with dark intent, "you're my slave. My obedient little sex slave."