"What an interesting ability you have."
The voice was calm, almost conversational, but it made Seth freeze mid-stretch.
His blood ran cold, and his heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.
He was alone in this room last night and he had locked the door himself....
He was absolutely sure of it.
His head snapped toward the sound.
Sitting casually in the room's only wooden chair, positioned near the door as if he had been a patient guest for hours, was a man.
He wore a cheap, slightly rumpled suit, his hair was slicked back, and he had prominent sideburns. His skin had a pale, almost sickly hue.
Seth's mind raced, and then it clicked.
This was the customer from the fake pawnshop yesterday!
The one who bought the demonic eyeball.
'Reymond...?'
Panic surged, but Seth fought it down.
He couldn't just activate [Null Presence] right now...
The man's full attention was locked on him.
For all he knew, this Reymond was a witch with his own dangerous powers.
An aggressive reaction could be a death sentence...
Besides, Seth had a calming thought...
If Reymond had wanted him dead, he could have easily done it while Seth was sleeping... that meant he was most likely here to talk...
Swallowing his fear, Seth kept his voice as steady as he could.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?"
The man in the chair smiled, an amiable, practiced expression that didn't reach his eyes.
The politeness in this situation was more terrifying than any threat would have been.
"I apologize for the rudeness."
The man said, his tone smooth.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I am Reymond Fashien. Well, technically, that's my father's name. My full name is Reymond Fashien the Second."
He gave a slight, almost theatrical bow of his head.
"And you have something of mine that you stole."
As he spoke, he casually lifted a hand, palm up, as if asking for a handout.
But then, something unbelievable happened.
From under Seth's bed, the suitcase full of money suddenly slid out.
It did not just slide, but instead it lifted into the air and flew smoothly across the room, landing perfectly in Reymond's outstretched hand as if pulled by an invisible string.
Having experienced the power directly and at close range, a new notification immediately flashed in Seth's vision...
[Sin of Hoarding, Second Circle Ability.]
[Authority of Hoarding (2nd Stage) : The user can telekinetically summon any item that belongs to them from within their line of sight]
'Hoarding? Is it because I took something that once belonged to him that he was able to track me down?'
Seth realized with a sinking feeling...
'Fuck. Even stealing is horrifying in this world despite having powers...'
A bizarrely comical thought popped into his head.
'He could have taken the suitcase and left at any time. Why did he wait for me to wake up? Was he just being polite, or did he want an audience for his grand reveal?'
Then the image popped into his mind—
Reymond sitting there all night, waiting patiently for him to wake up so he could make a dramatic entrance.
He almost laughed...
He quickly shook off the absurd notion and focused on the dangerous man now holding his stolen fortune.
Seth decided on a strategy of contrition.
"I apologize for what I did."
He said, raising his hands in a placating gesture.
"I'll return the cash I've spent from it..."
Reymond waved a dismissive hand, setting the suitcase on the floor beside his chair.
"The money is a trivial matter. Instead of apologizing, how about you work for me?"
Seth was taken aback.
"Work for you? What do you mean?"
"I'll be frank."
Reymond began, leaning forward slightly.
"I suspect you're not a stranger to witch powers. My original plan was simple, I intended to steal back the money I paid at the pawnshop after I secured the demonic weapon. A simple bit of profit."
"However, just as I was heading upstairs, my senses told me that the suitcase I had just relinquished was suddenly moving..."
He tapped his temple.
"My Sin allows me to keep a vague track of things that have belonged to me. While the money inside was no longer mine, the suitcase itself... the case has my mark. It's still mine."
He gestured toward Seth.
"I thought the saleswoman was moving it, but she didn't have it. That's when I saw you, just a flicker in the corner of my eye, slipping out of the shop with no one paying you any mind. Frankly, if it weren't for the unique nature of my powers, I would have completely ignored your presence as well."
"Your ability to evade notice is truly remarkable. So, I'll ask again: would you like to work for me?"
Seth's mind whirred.
'An ability that lets you track your possessions... This world's powers are so mysterious and strange. I'd almost prefer simple fireballs in a wizard world...'
"What kind of work are we talking about?"
Seth asked cautiously.
"You've heard of the Iron Jackals, I assume?"
Reymond didn't wait for an answer.
"We... handle the Linere District. To the average citizen, we're just gangsters—loan sharks, protection rackets, the usual unpleasantness. But in reality, our main business is facilitating underground trades. Information, rare goods, and as you witnessed, demonic weapons."
"The official Covens in Matamisan even hire us from time to time as information gatherers to track down rampant demons. It's a mutually beneficial, if very thin, relationship. One wrong move on our part, and they wouldn't hesitate to wipe us out."
He looked Seth up and down appraisingly.
"A man who can walk into a secure location, take what he wants, and walk out without a soul noticing? That is an incredibly valuable skill. I want you to work for me."
As Reymond finished his speech, Seth saw his chance!
In a sudden, fluid motion, he grabbed the pillow from his bed and hurled it directly at Reymond's face.
It was a childish move, but it worked!
The pillow smacked into Reymond, covering his vision for a crucial second.
Seth didn't wait.
He focused all his will and activated [Null Presence], bolting for the window.
He just needed to get out, to vanish into the city streets...
But he only made a few steps.
Reymond sighed.
"Ah. I see."
Reymond's voice said, no longer amiable.
Seth suddenly felt a powerful, invisible force grab the back of his shirt, yanking him off his feet.
He hit the floor hard, his body dragged across the room until Reymond caught him by the neck with frightening ease.
Before he could even process the fall, the strong hand tightened its grip on the back of his neck as though threatening to break it as it held him in place.
Due to first-hand experience of the ability, a new system notification popped up in front of Seth.
[Sin of Hoarding, Second Circle Ability.]
[Mark of Ownership : By placing their hand on an item and spending a trickle of stasis energy, the user can mark it as "theirs" in a metaphysical sense. This makes the item permanently susceptible to their retrieval abilities and harder for others to use effectively.]
He hadn't just marked the suitcase.
At some point, while Seth was sleeping, Reymond had subtly marked Seth's clothes, or perhaps even Seth himself...
There was a long, heavy silence in the room, broken only by Seth's ragged breathing.
The message was clear... he couldn't run.
He was, in a very real sense, already considered property.
Slowly, Seth raised both of his hands to his side.
He turned his head as much as the grip on his neck would allow and managed a strained, amiable smile, mirroring Reymond's own from earlier.
"I surrender."