Chapter 9: System Activated: Welcome Master
The sound of the car door flying open rang out, but before Juliana could step out to face an armed gang with her bare hands, Asher’s reflexes, honed by years of dodging his step-siblings’ cruel pranks, kicked in. Asher caught her by her hand, and pulled her back, shutting the door firmly.
"Are you crazy?! She has a gun with her!!" He snapped. His heart hammered against his ribs; pride wouldn’t deflect bullets, and he wasn’t going to let her throw her life away. Without waiting for Juliana’s response, he pushed the acceleration, and the SUV shot forward, driving frantically towards the community gate.
’Shit!! What should I do now?! I didn’t know that Fat Pig will be this ruthless, even shooting a gun!!’ He thought, countless situations and scenarios running through his head. Panic gripped him.
He was only an E-rank, while the guild leader of that guild is a C-Rank! Not to mention they have two C-Ranks. The power disparity was an absolute death sentence if they stayed to fight.
"Hey! Slow down!!" Juliana yelled at him, not a bit intimidated by the gunshot, whose mark was still on the glass before her. Her lack of fear was terrifying.
"Slow down and get killed?! Are you that stupid?!" He snapped at her. He was already annoyed, desperately trying to get them to safety, and here she was adding to his headache.
"What?! You are my husband, why didn’t you defend me back then when that woman called me a slut?! You just started the car and drove away like a coward!" Juliana crossed her arms on her chest, looking at the other side, her face twisted in disgusted disappointment.
Her words hit him harder than the bullet would have. Coward. It was the label his family had branded him with for twenty years.
"What should I do then? I might know some Martial art, but those guys are a lot stronger than me," he muttered, trying to justify his survival instincts with logic, as the community gate opened wide. He drove inside the relative safety of their neighborhood.
"Hmph!" Her dismissive snort echoed in the tense cabin, cutting straight through his logic.
Asher exhaled, calming his racing mind. No matter how he thinks, he already knew the Fat Pig won’t let what happened slide, but he just started the car and ran away. Was he a coward as Juliana said? Should he have stayed back and at least give them some few words? The harsh reality of his weakness gnawed at his core.
He exhaled. No matter how this Juliana annoys and irritates him, she was no doubt still his wife... Running away while someone threatened their lives was a good idea, but without doing or saying anything... it felt like a profound betrayal of the tiny sliver of trust he had built with her other half. He had sworn to himself to take responsibility for them, and responsibility meant more than just running.
Asher stopped his thoughts, and exhaled, stripping away his own fragile ego: "I am sorry." He said, his gaze fixed ahead. It was a genuine apology.
Juliana remained silent, her head not moving, but the furious tension in her shoulders lessened just a fraction at his sudden honesty.
Asher nodded his head, a profound shift occurring within him. ’Don’t worry, from now onwards, I won’t run away when someone insults any of you... I will stand, and defend you three to my dying breath.’ He clenched his fist on the steering wheel. The passive, beaten-down boy from the Starfire family died in that moment, replaced by a man willing to bleed for his broken household.
’Those guys already know our house, and we have nowhere else to go... But I won’t run away. Let them come. I will simply fight them; if that’s how our lives will end, then let’s go together.’ Total conviction settled into his bones. He would stop running.
{DING!!}
A sharp, crystalline chime suddenly shattered the silence.
".....?!!"
Asher froze as a golden screen appeared before him. The suddenness of the screen caught him off-guard, and he indirectly pushed the brakes.
BAM!
The SUV came to a violent stop, the force throwing Juliana forward, only for the seatbelt to pull her violently back to her seat.
"Hey!!!" She yelled at him, and froze, seeing Asher staring blankly ahead. She blinked, and turned ahead but saw nothing through the windshield.
’What is wrong with him?’ She scoffed again, and looked away. ’Trying to get my attention, not happening!!’ She thought, mistaking his absolute shock for a petty manipulation tactic.
Unbeknownst to her, Asher was staring at the glowing golden screen before him, as robotic yet melodic words echoed in his head next:
{Congratulations! Heart’s and Mind’s goal met.}
{Activating the Super Husband System.}
{Syncing... 10%... 40%.... 70%.... 99%.... 100%.}
{Syncing Successful.}
{Welcome Master.}
{I am the Super Husband’s System.}
{Current Wives: Three.}
{First: Kelly Asher.}
{Second: Sara Asher.}
{Third: Juliana Asher.}
{Master should pick a family name soon.}
{Invest in your wives and gain rewards ranging from 10,000 To 100,000 times return.}
Asher sat frozen, staring at the screen, completely dumbfounded.
’Is this... System?? Like the ones I read on Webnovel?!!’ He thought, stunned beyond belief.
{Yes Master.}
{But I am Far better than those.}
’Far better?! Wait.’ He turned to Juliana, who was still aggressively ignoring him.
’So if I invest on my wives, I gain rewards.’
{Take Note Master: Rewards you gain from the system can also be gifted back to gain more rewards.}
{Weapons and Gears Highest Tier: Supreme Mythic.}
{Skill Book Highest Tier: Divine.}
{Pills and Potions Highest Tier: Divine.}
{These are the Highest Return the system can give.}
".....?!"
’Are you kidding me??? These are things that can’t be bought with money!!! You can only locate them in dangerous SSS-RANK dungeons, filled with SSS-RANK Monsters!! And I can acquire them! First, I need to check this out.’ He thought. His heart raced, transitioning from desperate fear to an overwhelming surge of possibility. If this was real, he actually had the power to protect them. He just needed a test. And after some thought, he turned to the grocery bags behind him.
Asher carefully searched the bag, and brought out an ordinary kitchen knife, then turned to Juliana. It was a ridiculous item to give a supposed gangster queen, but it was all he had on hand.
"Juliana, I am truly sorry for what happened, I was foolish. So please, can you take this little gift from me." He said with his softest and warmest tone, which drew her attention.
"....?!"
Juliana blinked, staring at the brand-new knife in his hand: "Huh?"
"I know you love fighting, and there isn’t a suitable gift here, so please take this for now! I will get you a spiritual weapon soon!" He said, playing into her volatile ego.
’Spiritual weapon?! What am I saying? Those are worth millions, even a Common-Tier Spiritual weapon will cost at least 10,000 dollars.’ He thought, internally kicking himself, but his expression remained calm and confident.
Juliana finally reached her hand out, and took the knife from him, her eyes tracing the basic steel: "Hmm... Not bad, at least you are smart." She liked sharp things.
’Phew.’ Asher sighed inwardly, immensely relieved she didn’t stab him with it, and turned to the golden screen, which lit up instantly:
{Congratulations Master for Investing in your wife Juliana.}
{Investment: Ordinary Kitchen Knife.}
{Due to this being your first investment on Wife Juliana, Master Triggered the 100,000x Return.}
{Gained The Heaven-Tier Space splitting sword!!}
{Item Has been stored in your storage.}
"....?!!" Asher froze in profound shock.
’Did I hear that right??’ He realized then and there that the miserable rules of his life had just been entirely rewritten.