Amakaba awoke in a strange world, a world brimming with wonder and mystery. He felt the cool, refreshing air, yet his body was still stunned by the disorienting sensation of floating—almost as if he had been thrown into another realm. This world was unlike anything he had imagined. There were no highways, no sprawling metropolitan cities—only endless, vast fields of grass stretching into infinity.
What was even more peculiar, however, was the system that suddenly appeared before his eyes. A digital interface materialized in his mind, flashing the first message that made his heart race.
[Welcome, Amakaba! Your system has been activated!]
Amakaba could only stare at the screen before him. "What is this?" he thought. "A system? I... where am I? What's happening?"
Soon after, another message appeared:
[Sell all 1,000 people who have bullied you throughout your life, and they will become your assets in this world. Everything you possess at this moment will be converted into money and resources, to enhance your power!]
Suddenly, the screen transformed, displaying images of those who had tormented and bullied Amakaba, from his childhood days in kindergarten to his time in university. All the faces of those who had tormented him were now gathered in the system, ready to be traded.
[500 men have been sold. Value: Quintillintrillion. Storage successfully activated.]
Amakaba's eyes widened in disbelief. All the people who had humiliated him, who had torn his life apart, were now turned into an invaluable treasure. Hundreds of thousands, even millions, of them—those who had made his life miserable—were now reduced to a sum of unimaginable wealth, stored within a dimension that only he could access. Amakaba could feel it. This was more than a mere victory. This was power. The kind of power he had once only dreamed of, and now, it was his.
Yet, his joy was short-lived as the system once again issued a new command.
[500 women who bullied you remain. Choose who will be saved and who will not. Your choice will determine your future in this world.]
Amakaba felt as though the entire world was spinning around him. Hundreds of women's faces—those who had humiliated, belittled, and mocked him—appeared on the system's screen. Some were classmates, while others were women who, in the past, had once been his lovers, only to turn on him and hurt him over time. They were the ones who had wounded his heart, and now they stood at the crossroads of an entirely different fate.
He had to choose.
"Why the women, system?" Amakaba asked, almost unable to believe the situation before him. "Why must I choose between saving them and not saving them?"
[The system offers a chance. You may decide who deserves a second chance and who does not. Those who are not saved will become part of your assets.]
For a brief moment, Amakaba felt as if he were trapped in a nightmare. What was he to do? The women who had tormented him were now begging to be saved. Some sent messages through the system interface, pleading for mercy, and some even promised to serve him if only given a second chance. But Amakaba could not immediately forgive them. They had made him suffer, and now, he was given the chance to exact revenge.
Amakaba gazed at the screen, pondering. The pain of the past began to haunt his thoughts. There was Yukino, his childhood friend who had once made him cry with her taunts. Then there was Mizuki, his ex-lover who had abandoned him when he needed her the most. They were all now before him, ready to be a part of his life, but at a price.
Yet, he also knew that this might be his greatest opportunity to start anew. To show them all just how great the power now in his hands truly was.
"Who will I save, and who will I sell?" Amakaba thought, his heart full of confusion. This decision would not be easy. The system had granted him the power to destroy their lives, but did he truly want to do that?
The system's screen once again displayed the list of names. Each woman's face that appeared reminded Amakaba of the suffering they had caused him. He felt an overwhelming sense of confusion. Considering that half of those who had tormented him were now in an inescapable situation, he felt that there was something larger at play that he had to confront.
In the end, Amakaba shifted his gaze toward a button on the system labeled "Select!" With a trembling finger, he pressed it, signaling that he was ready to take the first step on his new journey. This Isekai world, with all the treasures awaiting him, was a realm full of opportunities—opportunities that he had to seize to their fullest.
Amakaba sat at a large stone table in the center of a room located within the system's storage dimension. The outside world remained shrouded in mystery, yet he knew that the time granted to him was only one week. He was tasked with making a difficult decision, one whose repercussions would affect not only his future in this realm but also in the Isekai world he had just entered.
In this limited timeframe, he had to test the women who had become part of the system. By doing so, he would be able to determine who was worthy of salvation and who would end up as worthless assets in his dimensional storage.
Amakaba's thoughts inevitably returned to the system's message that had appeared earlier:
[You have been given one week to choose who is worthy of salvation and who will become part of your assets. The system's payment regeneration must be completed to restore your full capabilities.]
At this moment, the system's "payment"—the value or "price" for this process—needed to be regenerated. Amakaba had to conduct tests on the women who had tormented him over the years, examining their level of loyalty, how far they were willing to change, and how much they were willing to atone for the lies and humiliations they had imposed upon him.
Based on the results of these trials, he would know who deserved a second chance and who remained unworthy. In this Isekai world, every choice was a key to survival and self-empowerment.
---
Test One: Oath of Loyalty
Amakaba decided to start with the most basic of trials: the Oath of Loyalty. All those before him must be willing to swear allegiance to him, acknowledge their wrongdoings, and promise to never repeat their past misdeeds.
He gazed at the system's screen, which displayed the names of the women who had bullied him. Yukino, Mizuki, and more appeared one by one. They looked very different from before. Their faces were no longer filled with arrogance; instead, they were marked with regret and fear. Each one sent a message through the system, apologizing for their past behavior.
Yukino: "Amakaba, I know I was wrong. I can't undo what I've done, but I will serve you for the rest of my life if that will atone for my sins."
Mizuki: "I regret it. I hurt you, and I know it can't be fixed. However, I am willing to do anything to pay the price for my mistakes."
Amakaba was torn by conflicting emotions. Was this oath merely a formality? Did they truly feel remorse? Or was this simply their way of saving themselves?
Without saying much, Amakaba decided to test them further.
---
Test Two: Personal Service
After hearing their oaths, Amakaba chose to test their commitment through action. With the power granted by the system, he could compel them to provide personal service for a full hour. There would be no resistance. This would be a way to gauge whether they genuinely wanted to change, or whether they were merely speaking to avoid punishment.
He contacted Yukino first, who appeared visibly anxious when summoned.
Yukino, once his childhood friend, now stood before him, her hands trembling. "What do you want, Amakaba?" she asked in a soft voice, barely audible.
Amakaba approached, gazing at her intently. "Do what must be done. Show me that your oath is not just empty words."
Yukino said nothing. With a slight bow of her body, she began to serve Amakaba with every skill at her disposal, from preparing meals and caring for his clothes to fulfilling his personal needs. Every movement was filled with respect and sincerity.
Yet, despite all of this, Amakaba knew that he could not rush into a decision. There was no clear way to prove whether they had truly changed.
---
Test Three: Magic Contract
After observing their reactions to the personal service, Amakaba felt the need to administer a deeper test: the Magic Contract. This contract was a magical pact that bound them to a stronger oath, one that could not be broken.
Before Yukino and Mizuki, Amakaba summoned the magic to manifest a glowing contract, hovering in the air. "This is the contract that will bind you to the words you have spoken," Amakaba said firmly. "If you break this promise, you will lose your freedom forever. However, if you honor it, you will earn a second chance."
Yukino and Mizuki, though surprised, did not hesitate. They realized that this was the final test. If they wanted a second chance, they had to agree.
One by one, they signed the contract, feeling the weight of it more heavily than before. This contract was not merely symbolic; it was a binding agreement with another realm, tethering them to Amakaba. Their last mistake would be the price to pay, and if they failed to meet Amakaba's expectations, they would become part of the unimaginable wealth stored in the system, discarded without hope.
---
The Conclusion of the Tests
With the first, second, and third tests completed, Amakaba reviewed the results of their actions. He now had enough time to decide who would be saved and who would remain as part of his treasure.
However, his heart was still tumultuous. Amakaba knew that this decision would determine who truly deserved a new opportunity and who was merely toying with their fate.
The week was nearly over. Soon, the final decision would be made.