The Only Solution

When Alex returned from school the following day, he had a knot in his stomach that made him feel sick. He wasn't injured, nor was there anything wrong with him.

The issue was he didn't know how to explain everything to his parents. How was he to tell them her awakened a system that made him want to be depraved, and that not only had he formed a deep bond with a classmate who was a cultivator, but even signed his succubus teacher to a slave contract.

This teacher who then demanded to live with him as her contract requires her to protect him. He managed to convince her to accept not to follow him home today under threat of ordering it, but that was only a temporary solution. She couldn't directly defy his orders, but he still found it difficult to order her around in such a way.

"Alex, you're back, did you have fun~?" Mrs. Ivanov, Shana's mother who married his dad four years ago, winked slyly as if knowing it was related to him getting a girlfriend.

Mr. Ivanov was also in the kitching, helping his wife prepare for dinner. He turned his head and opened his mouth to start interrogating his son, but was quickly jabbed in the ribs by Mrs. Ivanov and shut his mouth after a short greeting.

In the living room, Shana lounged on the couch in pajamas with her hair down while watching the afternoon news on the Heroes Channel that was more of a PR front for the Realm Guard than anything else. 

Alex didn't pick up on that she mustn't have gone to school these days as his gaze focused on her top where the top two buttons had become loose, showing a generous amount of cleavage and a particularly tantalizing view due to her lying sideways. He even could see the faint trickles of sweat and reminisced on the feeling of waking up holding them the other day.

[Lusty Gaze +9 exp]

"Tch," Shana clicked her tongue in annoyance and held the opening in her shirt shut while shooting Alex a disgusted glare.

Shaking his head to discard the lewd thoughts, he stood at the entrance and after a moment's hesitation stated, "Mom, dad, I'm moving out."

After thinking about everything throughout the day, he concluded this was the only solution.

Shana sat up and sharply turned her head towards him with her eyes shaking. She opened her mouth as if wanting to say something, only emitting a hesitant "ah" and glancing at her mom before getting up and rushing off to her room.

"No," Mr. Ivanov turned away from cooking and blatantly stated.

"Let's hear him out first, dear," Mrs. Ivanov rebutted with hesitation.

"No means no," Alex's dad put his foot down and refused.

"Dad," Alex began, looking his father in the eye with a steadfast stare, "I am sorry, but I will be moving out. I've been an adult for a year and a half, it isn't unnatural for me to move out."

It was true, the age in which somebody was considered an adult in Terminus lowered to 16 years old a long time ago. This was because of power systems such as superpowers and systems that on average would awaken around this age. 

The purpose of this was to place a much heavier responsibility on these ability holders and ensure that should they choose to use those powers to commit crimes, they would be placed under the full force of the law instead of the much more lenient juvenile court.

"Dear, Hilda's son moved out at 16."

"Hilda's son awakened the ability of heat ray vision and won a sponsorship by Atlas Corp for the Young Hero Academy. Shana has superstrength, are you going to let her move out just because of that?"

"I would at least talk with her first."

"Dad," Alex mumbled but eventually decided to just say it, "I awakened a system."

Due to his parents arguing, they didn't hear him properly and Mr. Ivanov stopped to ask, "What?"

"I... I said, I awakened a system."

Mrs. Ivanov beamed in delight rushing over and crushing him in a giant hug. 

"That's amazing! Tell me, what system did you awaken?"

Mr. Ivanov, suspecting this was the reason for Alex wanting to move out was not about to let his son off the hook and squinted his eyes in suspicion. 

"It isn't an evil system, is it?"

"N-no, it's not..." Alex hesitated before amending his response. "At least, I don't think it is."

"Alex, I need to know more. Don't worry, just because it is an evil system, it doesn't mean you will become a criminal."

It was true, there were special government programs that paired evil systems holders with people who could act as guides and intervene should the person attempt to break the law. Alas, this also meant that the rest of your life was under constant surveillance and many job opportunities were lost.

There was another option for evil system holders, which was exile through the Realm Gate, leaving Terminus for an uncharted or chaotic world with no means of return. This was also a punishment for serious crimes that weren't severe enough to warrant a death penalty and truthfully, Alex had also considered this option during the day.

"I will tell you if you promise to not stop me leaving."

Alex's dad hesitated but after a glare from his wife, nodded his head and stated he would consider it. Alex then proceeded to explain the situation of his system to his parents and although he left out the details of having several partners already, Mrs. Ivanov didn't hesitate to point out he already had someone.

It was as he described, it wasn't an evil system in the true sense, that is a system which required him to harm others, but he knew it didn't differentiate between actions that were good and bad, and there was a lot of potential to commit crimes in order to earn points.

Eventually, both his parents agreed to him moving out, but...

"My condition is you must come back to visit at least once a month," Mr. Ivanov coldly stated his terms plainly. "If you miss that deadline, you must stay for an additional day for every week you are late."

"I have two conditions," Mrs. Ivanov was much warmer in her tone, "First, you need to bring back you girlfirend... each girlfriend and introduce them. I need to know my future daughter-in-laws~"

"And the second?" Alex asked nervously, hoping it wasn't more difficult to meet.

"Go and speak with Shana, she seemed very upset that you are suddenly moving out so you must make her agree too."

"Honey!" Mr. Ivanov cried out in refusal, "He just told us what kind of system he has and how it makes him lust over others. We should separate them!"

Mrs. Ivonav returned a smile that wasn't a smile and dug her fingers into her husband's waist.

"Dear, how long did it take for you to realize that I liked you?"

"..."

"That's right, four years. You are very thick with this kind of thing, but Shana cares very deeply about Alex."

"...That doesn't mean-"

"It means it is mutual. I have already given her my support so let nature take its course."

Alex sat there dumbfounded by this last piece of news and was deeply embarrassed that his mother seemed to know far more than he realized. His cheeks were bright red in embarrassment and he wanted to find a hole to crawl into right at this moment.

Nonetheless, having his parents approval finally, he quickly fled the table with his mother's words trailing behind him.

"Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes, so make sure the two of you have talked things out by then."