CHAPTER 56: CH-56

"What else can you do?"

"Not much, really," I replied casually. "Just this—"

Shadows rippled beneath my foot. They seeped out like black smoke, curling and writhing until they wrapped around me completely.

The reflection in the glass window didn’t look human anymore. It radiated authority.

Even with most of Shadow Veil’s power suppressed, the aura around me was enough to make her tremble in fear.

Only after I fully canceled the ability, that she could finally breathe normally again.

"Are you okay?" I asked, more out of habit than concern.

"Yeah, I’m fine. I just... didn’t expect your ability to feel that strong. It’s way more powerful than mine."

I relaxed, letting the tension of the demonstration fade.

She reached for a glass of water. The cool liquid soothed her, and I watched the color return to her cheeks.

"Why hide your powers? If you’re this strong, you could’ve easily become an A rank, maybe even higher."

"Because strength draws attention," I said calmly. "And attention without sufficient power is the fastest way to die out there."

"I... don’t understand." she shook her head.

"Don’t worry about it. Just promise me you won’t tell anyone about this, okay?"

The heart-shaped symbols flickered briefly in her eyes — a sign of my influence.

"I promise..."

"Good girl." I brushed my fingers across her cheek.

She squirmed with a delighted little shiver, like a cat getting the attention it craved.

Our intimacy lingered a little bit longer , but it was time to move forward. We had errands to run, and the first stop was the mall.

"Ready to get going?" I asked, gesturing toward the door.

"Yes."

***

***

***

We headed to the nearest mall. It was huge, with crowds of people constantly streaming in and out.

The second we stepped through the glass door, I activated the ’Francis Card’ — my new routine whenever I appeared in public.

We began strolling, and I noticed that the interior design was similar to that of my old world, only more futuristic, with holograms casting a vibrant, high-tech glow across the area.

The scent of new fabric and polished floors grew stronger as we moved deeper into the mall, and soon we reached the women’s clothing section.

Leaning casually against the wall, I let her browse through the racks.

"Go ahead, pick whatever you want," I gave her an encouraging nod.

Her eyes lit up, and she glanced around, scanning the racks.

"I... I usually don’t get to choose much," she admitted softly.

"Then pick everything that makes you happy," I gestured toward the rows of clothes gleaming under the display light.

"I... I don’t know, I’m not really that picky " she hesitated.

I sighed lightly, then reached out and grabbed her hand. She was quick to spend money on her family but rarely on herself, which made me want to both scold her and take care of her at the same time.

"Then do it for me. Pick something that will please me."

A faint red tinted her cheeks as she nodded, pretending to focus on the clothes.

While waiting, I became aware of a few female employees subtly watching me. One leaned toward another and whispered.

"Look at that guy... his face isn’t even that special, but I can’t stop staring."

"Right? He’s not even trying! And that smile... ugh, that little half-smirk? If he does that to me, I’d probably ask for his number."

Okay, that last comment was over the top. Sure, I looked decent, but next to Ethan? I was two or three tiers beneath.

’System, what’s happening? Why does it feel like every girl here is staring at me?’ I muttered inwardly, feeling the corner of my mouth twitch.

[Host, it’s normal. The acting cards scale automatically with your growth]

’This is a first for me. Why didn’t you tell me before?’ I grumbled inwardly. ’No wonder my status has no way to add points whatsoever.’

[Host never asked.]

’Never mind... really, what did I expect from a half-assed system like you?’

Of course, no answer.

’Could be worse, I guess.’

Being popular had never been my strong suit in my past life; perhaps this was just the universe balancing things out. If anything, getting stared at like some A-list idol was a strangely refreshing experience.

’Yeah, I could get used to this.’ I adjusted my collar, smirked a little, and continued shopping.

Back to her: she pulled out a gray shearling coat and held it up against herself.

"Does this look okay?" she asked, hesitating.

I walked over casually, leaned slightly toward her, and spoke up.

"Absolutely. Though, if I’m being honest, anything you wear would look great because you’ve got such a sexy body."

Her eyes widened, and I could see her trying to hide a smile behind the coat.

By the time we were done, the total came to 40K. She reached for her phone, likely intending to pay herself, but I waved her off.

"It’s on my tab," I added nonchalantly.

She insisted on buying it with her own money.

"May, just let me treat you. Think of it as a gift from me."

She hesitated, biting her lower lip, then finally looked up at me with a thankful smile.

"O-okay"

With our shopping done and her new clothes neatly bagged, we stepped back into the bustling streets after lunch.

By one o’clock, we were on our way to another district—a bit out of the way, but that’s where all the Training Centers were.

Every few blocks, I passed armored trucks, open sparring platforms, and many more.

Soon we reached our destination.

"Is this really the training center we’re going to?" she inquired.

The place looked run-down. Cracked walls, faded signage, and a door that seemed one kick away from falling off.

It looked even worse than the pictures and reviews I’d seen online.

"Perfect," I mused aloud.

May looked at me, confused, but followed me inside anyway.

The interior was just as shabby as the outside — peeling paint, dim lights, and a faint smell of dust and smoke lingering in the air.

Near the counter, an old man sat slouched in a wooden chair, a half-folded newspaper in his hands.

He glanced up at us, his expression a mix of boredom and irritation.

"What do you want?" the old man grumbled, lowering his newspaper just enough to glare at us.

"We’re here to sign up,"

"Sign up?" He raised a single brow, eyeing me like I lost my mind. "Do you even realize this place is on the verge of going under? A certificate here won’t mean a thing — people will treat you like a joke."

"Please calm down, sir. Let me introduce myself first."

I grabbed my ID and flashed it in front of him, watching his expression change from grumpy to pure awe.

"Ace Mercer... high net worth... Are you related to the Mercer Group?"

"Related to the Mercer Group?" I chuckled. "I’m its sole successor."

My declaration left the old man utterly speechless—so long that I half-wondered if he was having a heart attack.

Luckily, he managed to speak before I started dialing the emergency hotline.

"Sorry for being rude, Mr. Mercer. Please follow me to the second floor so you can speak directly with the owner."