Dominion Bond System: The Only Man Left Has A Yandere Girlfriend

Chapter 68: To Become The Strongest

"Ugh... What the hell’s wrong with you, System?" Reiji said angrily as he stood up from the ground.

He was now in an open field. The grass reached almost to his knees, swaying gently beneath a cool breeze that carried an unfamiliar scent. It wasn’t the smell of a dungeon. There was no rotting flesh, no metallic odor of blood, nor the damp stench of underground caverns.

Instead, the air was clean. Almost unnaturally so.

Reiji took a slow breath.

The moment the air entered his lungs, his eyes widened slightly.

The mana here was far denser than anything he had experienced inside a Gate.

It flowed naturally through the atmosphere, so rich that simply breathing made him feel refreshed.

"If Earth had this much mana..." Reiji muttered to himself. "Awakened would probably reach the peak of their ranks in no time."

His gaze slowly swept across the landscape again.

Wildflowers of colors he had never seen before covered parts of the field. Some glowed faintly beneath the daylight, while others released tiny particles that drifted lazily through the air before disappearing.

Several enormous boulders were scattered across the plain as though they had simply fallen from the sky.

Farther away, a narrow river reflected the sunlight like polished glass as it disappeared into the dense forest ahead.

Everything looked peaceful.

Too peaceful.

That was exactly what bothered him.

His Detect Presence skill remained completely silent.

Not because nothing was alive, but because whatever lurked beyond the forest was simply too far away.

"...No birds."

Reiji frowned. He had only just realized it.

There were no chirping birds. No insects. No distant animal cries.

Nothing.

Only the occasional sound of the wind brushing against the endless sea of grass.

The silence pressed against his ears, making the entire realm feel strangely lifeless.

His eyes drifted toward the towering mountain ranges surrounding the area.

They stretched so high into the sky that their peaks vanished behind thick layers of clouds, forming what looked like an enormous natural prison.

Even if he wanted to leave, there was nowhere to go.

He bent down and grabbed a handful of grass.

The blades felt no different from ordinary grass back on Earth. Soft. Cool. Slightly damp from the morning dew.

He rubbed them between his fingers before letting them fall back onto the ground.

"...Feels real."

He picked up a small stone next.

It carried a faint trace of mana, but otherwise looked completely ordinary.

Reiji threw it into the distance.

The stone bounced several times before disappearing into the tall grass.

"...Not an illusion either."

His expression gradually became serious. Every sensation told him this place truly existed.

The wind. The smell. The temperature. Even the mana flowing through the air.

Nothing felt artificial.

"If this is another dimension..." he muttered, "...just how many worlds are connected to the Gates?"

The question lingered in his mind. Ever since transmigrating, the world had only become stranger. First came the disappearance of every man. Then the dungeon, awakened individuals him, the Dominion Bond System.

Now an entirely different realm that seemed capable of supporting its own ecosystem.

Reiji suddenly felt how little he actually knew. The more answers he found, the more questions appeared.

"...One problem at a time."

He shook his head and pushed those thoughts aside.

Surviving the next seven days came first. Everything else could wait.

But thinking about the system Reiji couldn’t help but ask, "I thought you were supposed to be a system that forces me into relationships. Why are you forcing me into places that could end me?"

[It’s for your sake.]

That one line, and the way the system sounded, made Reiji feel strange.

[How would Host be able to protect your Bond Partners if you have no strength?]

[You aren’t the richest man alive, so you have to become the strongest!]

For the first time, Reiji felt that the system actually made sense.

Money and power were the two things that might help him in his current situation, and he had neither. Though his parents were wealthy, they certainly weren’t billionaires.

Also, his very existence might bring danger to his family, Hina, and his future Bond Partners.

"But why send me into a place like this? What if a B-Rank creature suddenly appears? I’ll be history."

"If your goal is simply to make me stronger, couldn’t you have created some sort of training room?"

"Or summoned weaker monsters one at a time?"

"Or at least warned me before throwing me into another unknown place?"

The system remained silent for a brief moment.

[Real combat produces real growth.]

Reiji clicked his tongue.

"That’s a terrible excuse."

[Comfort creates weak Hosts.]

[Weak Hosts die.]

[Dead Hosts cannot protect their Bond Partners.]

Reiji opened his mouth to argue. But no words came out. The system continued.

[Host possesses great potential.]

[Host also possesses the terrible habit of seeking the safest possible option.]

"...That’s called surviving."

[Incorrect.]

[That is called stagnation.]

Reiji frowned.

"...Says the system that nearly killed me during the penalty."

[Correction.]

[Host nearly killed himself.]

"...You’re really impossible to argue with."

[Thank you for the compliment.]

"I wasn’t complimenting you."

The system offered no further response.

Reiji pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out a tired sigh.

"...One of these days... I’m definitely finding a way to punch you."

The green screen floated silently before him.

[Do not go beyond the mountain range and you’ll be fine. Clear all the monsters within this location.]

Reiji looked around at the mountains surrounding him.

So the system wanted him to clear every monster inside this enormous natural prison?

[You have seven days to clear every monster within the mountain range.]

Reiji’s stomach dropped.

He stared around.

Maybe it was because he had become comfortable over the past few weeks that he had almost forgotten what happened during his time in the Devil’s Island Dreamscape. That terrifying place was the very reason he wanted to become stronger in the first place.

’I should treat this as an opportunity, not a punishment. I can also gain a lot of EXP during these seven days...’

Then another thought struck him.

’I completely forgot... What about Vel?’

That wasn’t even the main issue.

If Vel became curious, wandered outside, or worst started talking to people, that would become an even bigger disaster.

Reiji had always assumed Vel stayed indoors because he was around.

But now?

With nobody around...

Reiji could feel an headache coming on.

"System, can you bring Vel here?"

[This quest is only meant for the Host. No outside assistance is allowed.]

"Assistance? Why would I need Vel’s Help? I just don’t want him wandering around and want to keep an eye on him."

The system didn’t respond.

"...Okay, can you at least put him inside my inventory?"

[...]

Reiji sighed.

"I’ll take that as a no..."

***

Back at Reiji’s apartment...

Vel remained curled into a small ball beneath the blanket Reiji had placed over him on the couch.

His ears twitched slightly.

For a brief moment, the cat subconsciously searched for the familiar presence that had already become part of his daily routine.

But he couldn’t sense it.

Finding nothing unusual, he simply shifted into a more comfortable position.

Within seconds, he drifted back into a peaceful sleep.

The house returned to complete silence.

***

Meanwhile, Reiji stood alone in the middle of the endless field.

A cool breeze swept across the grass, carrying the scent of damp earth and ancient trees.

He slowly exhaled.

"...Guess I’m doing this alone."

His gaze shifted toward the dark forest ahead.

Somewhere inside, countless monsters were waiting.