Taming SSR And UR RANK Superwomen-Chapter 42 — The System Does Not Forgive Betrayal

Chapter 42: Chapter 42 — The System Does Not Forgive Betrayal

"What a troublesome and... terrifying power," Evelyne said, staring at her hands.

She stood in front of Thomas and Selene. Her expression was calm, almost serene. Then she looked at Selene and asked,

"And you help him do this? You betray your own kind for a man?"

"Believe me, I’m here because I have no choice, just like you. And if I’ve already tried to do something about it... you’ll find out soon enough."

Evelyne clenched her fists, testing the tension in her muscles. Then she fixed her gaze on Thomas.

"What do you gain from all this?"

"I’ll explain later, if necessary. For now, answer me this: how capable do you feel about facing another heroine?" he asked, stepping slightly closer.

"I won’t betray my own. Especially not for a man."

"You will. I just want to know whether you can defeat the one I’m about to name, because if you lose, you’ll end up in prison." He shrugged indifferently and added, "I already forbade you from speaking about me, so it doesn’t affect me if you get locked up. You can choose whether to tell me the truth or not; I lose nothing either way."

Selene frowned. She deeply disliked that attitude but chose to hold back her criticism for another time. Evelyne’s expression hardened; the threat both unsettled and irritated her. Thinking about her own safety, she answered, 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"That depends on who it is."

Thomas took out his phone and showed her a photograph. Out of curiosity, Selene leaned in to see it as well. Evelyne raised her eyebrows when she recognized the face.

"Luminara, Esthela. You want me to fight the most famous heroine in Sector K? Are you insane?" She straightened up. "Who do you think I am? One of the top hundred? She fights with light—and she can fly. The moment she lifts off the ground, I’m done."

"Don’t focus on what she can do. Focus on what she can’t withstand. She has a fragile body; her powers aren’t geared toward physical durability but toward the speed of her attacks. If you land the first blow, you’ll have the advantage. You can regulate the force of your strikes, can’t you?"

"You’re completely insane."

"You can do it. I know you can. You were a professional heroine."

"A rookie, for starters. ’Professional’ is just the title they give you once you start patrol duty; it doesn’t say anything about your actual level. And I already told you no. I can’t take her on by myself."

Thomas nodded as he slid his finger across the screen, searching for another image.

"Fine... then she’ll help you subdue her."

Evelyne looked at the new image with obvious displeasure. Selene leaned over his shoulder again. As they both stared at the screen, Thomas explained,

"Her name is Inori Himiko. She attends the Third University for Young Talents. She’s twenty-two, and her gift allows her to use shadows as weapons. In public demonstrations, she uses them like whips; she’s especially effective at restraining targets."

"A Japanese woman..." Evelyne murmured. "I thought they were the first to go extinct when the world collapsed."

"They didn’t disappear completely," Selene replied. "They suffered the heaviest losses—an estimated ninety-two percent of their population vanished."

While they spoke, Thomas reflected,

’Evelyne and Seraphine are Rank D. I chose them specifically to confront what lies beyond my reach and beyond my system’s limit. Inori is Rank C, and Esthela is Rank A. Whatever I can’t tame by force, they’ll do it for me.’

Evelyne exhaled, resting a hand on her hip.

"So I can’t refuse?"

"No."

"No matter what I do? Even if I try to hurt you?"

"That’s right."

Evelyne vanished and launched a direct strike at Thomas’s throat. She was determined to kill him on the spot; however, a brutal surge exploded inside her body. A violent jolt arched her back before slamming her to the ground. A scream tore from her throat as she collapsed.

Startled by the noise, Thomas ordered her to be silent. The command took effect immediately. Evelyne stopped screaming, but her body continued convulsing as she felt herself burning from the inside out. Finally, the pain overwhelmed her, and she lost consciousness.

Selene covered her mouth, horrified, backing away step by step. Her pupils dilated as she imagined the same thing happening to her.

"M-monster..." she whispered, barely breathing.

Thomas crouched beside Evelyne and checked her pulse at her neck.

’Damn it, tell me she’s not dead! If I lose her, my plans will be delayed. The system doesn’t forgive betrayal.’

After a tense few seconds, he felt the beat. Weak, but steady. His shoulders relaxed.

"She’s alive."

"A-are you going to do that to me too if I disobey?" Selene asked, trembling.

"What? No, of course not. She tried to hurt me. I didn’t cause this."

Selene took two steps back, covering her head. Her body trembled uncontrollably. Thomas watched her in silence; his concern was genuine.

"Selene, I’m not going to hurt you," he said firmly. "I mean it. You’re the one I want to protect the most right now. I’m not going to do anything that puts you in danger."

Selene looked at him fearfully. She didn’t believe his words, but she knew arguing would be pointless. Thomas recognized that expression; there was nothing he could say at that moment. The best thing he could do was give her space until she calmed down.

Turning slightly away from Selene, Thomas opened his system interface, entered the shop, and purchased the item called Cocina PRO. Now he could choose whatever design he wanted, although many icons still appeared as locked black silhouettes.

After selecting the model he wanted, a whisk materialized in his right hand, wrapped in a light blue glow sprinkled with golden sparks. He then ordered Evelyne to be stored inside it.

’This still feels ridiculous. I can’t believe I’m taming women and storing them inside kitchen utensils.’

He stood up with effort, searched his inventory for the spatula that belonged to Selene, and showed it to her as he said,

"For now, I’ll give you time to calm down. I’ll take you to our next destination. Selene, please come in."

Unlike with Evelyne, Thomas waited for her response. Selene was frightened and didn’t want to accept, but she lowered her gaze, grabbed her two enormous twin-tails to steady her breathing, and finally accepted the summons.

A light blue glow enveloped her, and her figure faded into the spatula. Thomas let out a sigh of relief; however, the pain in his back persisted. He barely managed to take five steps before he had to crouch down.

"Shit... it still hurts too much. I don’t know if I should go to the hospital to get checked out. There are women capable of healing wounds and even fatal injuries, but they’re obviously top-rank."

He grunted under his breath as he tried to stand. Tired of speaking aloud, he let his thoughts take over.

’In this world, women who can heal injuries are extremely valuable. None of them walk alone in the city; they’re all assigned two bodyguards. Those who awaken this gift are evaluated as babies and placed under government protection from that moment on.’

He walked hunched over, one hand pressed against his hip.

’I’ll definitely get one, but first I need something stronger than their escorts. They don’t assign those to just anyone; they’re high-level combatants. I think... I’ll go to the hospital to have my back examined. While I’m there, I’ll observe the situation regarding healing gifts.’

With his free hand, he pulled out his phone and opened his conversation with Ashley.

’I’ll take the opportunity to text her. I want her to join me under contract, so I’ll have to earn her trust again.’