Rob scanned his surroundings, eyes darting across the battlefield. The zone was visible through a holographic interface, its boundaries weaving through the trees like a glowing net. Below him, five applicants ran, battling fiercely while simultaneously trying to escape.

  Beyond the red transparent veil, a thick crimson fog loomed, consuming everything in its path. His gaze locked onto an unfortunate applicant who had fallen—his feet severed, crawling desperately away. The fog descended. He choked violently, blood bursting from his eyes and nose before his skin peeled clean off his face.

  Rob winced, his stomach twisting."Damn... that's a horrible way to go."

  He stayed put, hidden, biding his time. Below him, chaos unfolded as the remaining applicants rushed toward the safe zone.

  A woman wielding a bow loosed a barrage of glowing energy arrows at a towering, bald brawler. The man smirked, brushing them off with a laugh.

  "Not much space to run now, huh?"

  With a devastating uppercut, he sent the archer sprawling—completely unconscious.

  Before he could celebrate, pain flared in his side. A spear-wielding applicant lunged at him, the tip of his weapon nearly piercing flesh. The brawler barely dodged in time, staggering backward.

  Another applicant had taken advantage of the chaos. A man wielding dual pistols sprinted past them, firing back while making a break for the field boss. His bullets forced the brawler to hold his ground, while the spearman swiftly dodged out of harm's way.

  But before the gunman could advance further—

  Shing!

  A flash of silver cut through the air. In an instant, the gunman's head separated from his shoulders. Blood sprayed as his body crumpled. Standing behind him was another contestant, fully clad in an imposing samurai armor set.

  Rob blinked, stunned."Hot damn... that's a freaking samurai. At least it's not Kai," he thought, glancing at the kill feed.

  [Romera -> Clint]

  The brawler and spearman exchanged wary glances. The bald man clicked his tongue before grinning.

  "Alright, I got an offer—team up against that guy, or we both die here."

  Rob exhaled slowly. "Smart choice." He was relieved he hadn't revealed himself yet. If he had fired a shot, he'd be on their hit list too.

  But he wasn't interested in fighting just yet. His plan was to watch. With the Minotaur field boss still lurking, the real battle had yet to begin.

  That being said…

  The samurai was something else. The way he moved, the clean execution—he was strong. Maybe even strong enough to go against Kai.

  An idea sparked in Rob's mind."What if… I could turn him into my puppet?"

  Not literally a puppet, of course. More like a free, controllable asset. If he could curse the samurai, he'd have a powerful warrior under his command.

  Closing his eyes, he focused, visualizing the structure of a new spell—its mechanics, limitations, and effects. Within moments, the system responded.

  [Summon: Curse of Puppet Domination]Curses the target, binding them to follow the caster's orders.

  Duration: Until the host of the curse dies or is purified. Requirements: A Consciousness Battle will occur to dominate the target. If the caster fails, they will be cursed instead and forced to obey the target. Mana Cost: 25

  [Yes / No]

  Rob's lips curled into a grin."Risky… but exactly what I need."

  He tapped YES without hesitation.

  Darkness swallowed his vision for a brief moment, like a thick fog smothering reality. Then, just as suddenly, clarity returned. A notification flashed across his interface.

  [Requirements Met.]The Caster is %#%&%#$%^ of all %#$%^.The Caster dominates the target in all aspects.

  Rob squinted."The hell is this glitchy text?"

  Before he could make sense of it, his gaze flickered to the samurai.

  His eyes—once sharp and calculating—now glowed an eerie red. Above his head, a green marker had appeared, signifying control.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  Another notification popped up.

  [Puppet Acquired]

  [Romera Minerva]

  Class: Samurai Class Rank: C

  [Skills]

  ☉ Passive Skill - Mushin no Ken | Sword of No Mind

  Enhances instinctive combat, making movements fluid and unpredictable. Increased Parry & Dodge Rate. Counterattack window after a successful parry/dodge. Reduced stagger/knockback resistance. Increased movement speed when not in combat.

  ☉ Active Skill - Amaterasu Giri | Amaterasu Slash

  A single devastatingly swift strike, infused with the Sun Goddess' power. Ignores a significant portion of the target's armor. Can inflict Burning status. High critical hit chance.

  Cooldown: 30 seconds

  [Stats]

  STR: 25 AGI: 31 VIT: 24 PER: 21 MAG: 5

  [Behavior]: Passive (Defends itself)[Thoughts]: Waiting for orders.

  Rob rubbed his eyes, blinking rapidly."Am I dreaming? What the hell are these OP skills?"

  His class rank was technically higher, but among the newly awakened, this was the strongest he'd seen so far.

  "Damn... I'm really glad I didn't fight him head-on."

  A smirk crept onto his face. With a powerful warrior like Romera Minerva under his command, things just got a lot more interesting.

  The bald brawler and the spearman lunged at the samurai in unison.

  The brawler swung a powerful hook punch—only for the samurai to effortlessly deflect it, his katana flicking the incoming fist aside. The spearman flanked from the side, his weapon thrusting forward with precision.

  At the last second, the samurai tilted slightly, letting the spear pass just inches away. With a sharp knee strike, he knocked the spear upward, breaking the attacker's balance. Seizing the moment, he lashed out with a swift kick—but the brawler, reacting fast, raised his guard and absorbed the impact, though he staggered back from the force.

  Undeterred, both the brawler and spearman launched another flurry of attacks, pressing in from both sides. Their relentless assault forced the samurai to move defensively, weaving between blows with impossible precision. His katana flowed like liquid steel, deflecting, parrying, and redirecting each strike.

  Yet, it was clear—they were beginning to overwhelm him.

  Perched above, Rob watched the fight unfold like he had an imaginary tub of popcorn in hand.

  "Damn, this is fun to watch."

  But then, his gaze flicked to the countdown timer.

  [ZONE SHRINK IN: 24:37]

  The battlefield was about to get smaller. And he still had a Minotaur to deal with.

  "Alright, enough stalling."

  Rob's voice rang out, calm yet commanding.

  "Finish them."

  The samurai froze mid-motion, his glowing red eyes flickering in acknowledgment.

  Then—

  His katana slid back into its scabbard.

  For a moment, silence.

  Then, a flash.

  A crimson fan-shaped arc erupted in the air, tracing the path of his unsheathing strike.

  Both the brawler and the spearman stood motionless. A breath later—

  Their heads slowly slid from their shoulders.

  Two clean kills.

  [Kill Feed Update][Romera → Alex][Romera → Rolly]

  Rob smirked."Yeah… I could get used to this."

  The samurai stood motionless, his blood-red eyes dull and waiting. Around him, the battlefield was eerily silent. The bodies of the brawler, spearman, and gunslinger had already begun disintegrating into shimmering holographic particles, leaving behind scattered coins and equipment.

  Rob, watching from above, shifted his gaze to the unconscious female archer lying nearby.

  "Might as well…"

  With a flick of his wrist, he cast Curse of Puppet Domination once more, expecting the world to darken as before.

  Instead, a notification flashed in his vision:

  [The curse requirements have been bypassed. The target is unconscious.]

  A second green arrow appeared—this time above the female applicant's head. Her eyes fluttered open, glowing faintly, and just like the samurai, she rose to her feet in eerie silence.

  [Puppet 2 Acquired]

  Name: Maribel Dela RosaClass: Wind Ranger

  Class Rank: E

  Passive Skill: "Zephyr's Grace"The Wind Ranger moves with the fluidity of the wind, enhancing agility and accuracy.

  Increased Movement Speed: Passively enhances mobility. Increased Evasion: Higher chance to evade ranged attacks. Increased Arrow Speed: Projectiles fly faster, making them harder to dodge.

  Active Skill 1: "Tempest Barrage"A rapid volley of energy-infused arrows, striking multiple targets in a cone or line.

  Deals moderate damage to multiple enemies. Applies "Wind Shear" effect, reducing enemy movement speed. Short channel time. Mana Cost: 10.

  Active Skill 2: "Gale Step"The Wind Ranger dashes forward with the wind's power, repositioning quickly or escaping danger.

  Short-range dash. Temporarily increases evasion after use. Can bypass some obstacles. Mana Cost: 5.

  Behavior: StandbyThoughts: Waiting for orders.

  Rob exhaled, rubbing his temples.

  "Ugh… This feels so wrong on so many levels. I mean, I already know I'm playing the villain here, but still..."

  For a moment, his face twisted in conflicted disgust—until his lips curled into a wicked smirk.

  "But damn… This is fun."

  A low chuckle escaped his throat, then grew into a full-blown laugh.

  "Alright, my puppets—dominate the battlefield."

  Both the samurai and ranger remained still, awaiting further instructions.

  Rob continued, "Team up. Use the coins from your fallen opponents to upgrade your gear. Sell whatever you don't need in the shop. You'll see the interface in your peripheral vision."

  As if on command, the samurai knelt down, swiftly gathering the scattered coins and equipment. The ranger followed suit, collecting whatever was left behind.

  Rob waved a hand. "Oh, and leave me 20% of your earnings."

  Both nodded in eerie synchrony.

  Rob leaned forward, his grin widening. "Now… hunt the Minotaur. Prioritize eliminating any other applicants who interfere. Oh, and when the Minotaur goes down, leave 25% of the coins on the ground."

  The samurai and ranger nodded once more.

  Then, without hesitation, they moved.

  Rob watched them go, his heart pounding with exhilaration.

  "This… this is going to be fun."