Chapter 2

I was frozen in place and nearly forgot to breathe.

Dad always told me that he forbade me from receiving an education, leaving the house, and having any friends because he would be able to protect me better. I thought that he loved me, but it turned out that his true goal was to raise me into a piece of trash who didn't know anything.

I went hungry for a full day before Dad opened the door and dragged me out of my room with an icy expression.

"I treated you too well in the past. That's why you got the idea that you can talk back to me," he said. "You need to experience some hardship. Only then will you understand how despicable all the people in the outside world are."

I had already known that Dad was going to punish me severely after hearing his thoughts. An overwhelming wave of fear crashed over me. I thrashed around and pleaded with him as he dragged me into the car.

"I've learned my lesson, Dad. I won't learn addition anymore. I'll only listen to you from now on. Please don't send me away. I'm begging you."

Tears spilled down my face as I grabbed the door handle in a death grip. My knuckles turned white from the amount of force I was exerting.

However, Dad showed no signs of stopping. He didn't even spare me a glance as he forcefully peeled my fingers off the handle.

"This is for your own good," he said in an eerily calm voice. "You'll have to go somewhere else to learn the rules if you can't do it at home. You'll stay there until you've learned them."

The car hummed to life a few moments later.

I plastered myself against the window and banged my fists against the glass. However, it was futile.

The car finally slowed to a stop in a remote and desolate place. The building was surrounded by a tall barbed wire fence. The sounds of muffled barking could be heard through the rusty iron door.

A tanned man in a tank top roughly dragged me out of the car.

"Let go of me!" I screamed as I desperately thrashed around.

The man slapped me hard across my face, causing my cheek to swell up in an instant. He then grasped my chin, forcing me to look up.

"You're pretty feisty, brat. But I promise that you'll become even more obedient than a dog after spending a few days here."

I was roughly shoved through the door. A pack of drooling dogs with red eyes turned to look at me in unison.

Dad had sent me to that place like a disobedient dog. Overwhelming fear gripped my heart in an instant.

…

My life turned into my worst nightmare for the following days.

"You need to eat with just your mouth. No using your hands! You're an animal, not a human!"

I nearly suffocated when my face was ruthlessly shoved into the icy paste-like food that was mixed with sand and dirt.

"Who gave you permission to get up? Crawl around on your hands and feet if you haven't learned the rules yet! Bark like a dog. You can only stop when we're satisfied."

They whipped my calves with a leather belt as they forced me to crawl around on the rough concrete floor while letting out humiliating whimpers. I cried and pleaded with them, but the only responses I got were icy and heartless criticisms.

I heard Dad's voice during the peak of my suffering.

"Tsk! This place is actually producing good results. I can see the fear in his eyes."

Was Dad here? Was he watching me?

I mustered what little strength I had left to look up, desperately forcing myself to act as if nothing was amiss. I spotted a familiar figure when I snuck a glance beyond the barbed wire.

Dad was hiding there, standing on the sidelines without lifting a finger to help me as I was berated and tormented.

"He must have learned to be obedient by now. I should be able to complete my mission soon. Don't worry, system. He's just a villain. In fact, it's even better if he's crippled. He just needs to be alive for me to complete my mission.

"Tsk! It is a little dirty. This place reeks. I would have stayed in the car if I had known."

Was a "villain" a bad guy? But what did I do wrong? Why was he treating me this way?

A sense of loathing that I had never experienced before reared its head in my heart at that moment. I bit my bottom lip harshly until the metallic scent of blood permeated my tongue.