Transmigrated with my corruption system

"Huh?" Amber and Lyra blinked simultaneously. His words echoed in their minds as anticipation welled up in their eyes.

"You’ve been good girls," Ulric continued, watching their faces flush at the praise. A small smile tugged at his lips as he spoke from the heart.

They had remained loyal and stayed true to him. And more than that, Ulric mused, his smile widening.

They were the key that would let him access the System Shop without burning an absurd amount of corruption points.

Seeing his face light up with genuine excitement, Amber and Lyra’s eyes widened in surprise. The only times they had seen him this excited before were during battle or when his strength took another insane leap. It felt strange to see that same look now.

As those thoughts collided in their heads, they couldn’t help but wonder what gift he had prepared. They glanced around but saw nothing, only heightening their curiosity.

"What is it?" Lyra finally muttered, unable to hold back any longer.

Smiling at her impatience, Ulric stepped closer and circled her slowly. He murmured softly, almost as if talking to himself.

"Let’s see... you have an icy yet malleable personality. You specialize in ice attacks and fight with freedom. Hmm... the only thing holding you back from your true potential is talent."

As Ulric continued, Lyra’s sparkling blue eyes widened further. Her confusion grew, and the faint blush on her face spread deeper. She was surprised by how well he understood her.

Then she suddenly froze as he delivered the final line.

"How about we change that?" Ulric smiled teasingly. He lifted his head, locking his crimson gaze with her blue eyes.

"Huh?" Lyra breathed. Her chest thumped rapidly. She had an inkling of where this was going... but the implication seemed impossible. Or was it?

Before she could spiral further, his hands settled on her shoulders. The devious smile on his face widened as he leaned in and whispered into her ear.

"Let’s make you a true Ice Queen."

Before she could respond, Ulric’s gaze blanked for a second as he filtered through the System Shop under the Talents tab.

Until one finally caught his eye. He smiled.

"Bingo."

[S-rank Talent: Imperial Frost — Refines the user with the coldest ice energy, attuning their body to wield the true power of ice and bend it however they will.]

(210,000)

Inhaling sharply at the steep price, he bit his tongue. Then he turned his attention back to Lyra.

"Are you ready?"

"Uh..." Lyra stuttered. Her mind raced with wild thoughts. Unsure what to say, she finally discarded all doubt.

She didn’t fully understand what he meant, or at least couldn’t bring herself to believe it. But she trusted him and that was enough.

Inhaling sharply, a glint of conviction flashed in her eyes. She nodded.

"Y-yes."

"Good." Ulric breathed. His grip on her shoulder tightened.

He verified the purchase. A sharp pang tore through his chest as he watched the massive drop in corruption points.

But he didn’t falter. It was all part of his plan. And more than that, she deserved it.

Instantly, the air rippled before him. A torrent of icy blue energy burst forth, quickly compressing into a tiny blue orb that hovered in front of him.

He reached out, grabbed it, and flicked it between his fingers with a wry smile. He inspected it with Appraisal.

[???]

Mysterious System Shop, Ulric huffed. Without hesitation, he pressed the ball of light into Lyra’s chest. They both watched as it sank deep into her body. Then an explosion of energy rocked outward, enveloping her entirely in a shimmering cocoon.

He inspected it for a moment, nodded in satisfaction, then walked over to Amber.

She already wore an excited expression, eyes practically sparkling.

"Are you really going to give me a new talent too?" she asked, having overheard the exchange with Lyra. Her voice trembling with uncontainable excitement.

Unlike Lyra, she had already tasted the power he could grant. She couldn’t wait for more.

Nodding slightly, Ulric appraised her with a faint smile.

Their personalities were almost complete opposites. Amber was gentle and calm, and her Earth Elemental Heritage had only reinforced that nature.

As time progressed, he had no doubt she would grow incredibly powerful. He could already foresee how her heritage would shine in battle. Tens, hundreds, maybe even more stone golems fighting at her command while plants wrapped around her enemies.

Her offensive potential would be immense. What concerned him was her defense.

It wouldn’t do for her to remain fragile on this scale of battle. And he knew exactly what she needed.

Browsing through the System Shop, he found one that matched her needs almost perfectly.

[S-rank Talent: Astral Earth Defense — Allows the wielder to form defensive plates of earth hardened by unnatural properties, offering incredible sturdiness. Can also be used to launch close-range combat attacks.]

(210,000)

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Amber’s head was already nodding rapidly.

He couldn’t stand the thought of seeing her hurt again. This would make sure that never happened.

Nodding in approval, he made the purchase. Another huge chunk of his corruption points vanished, leaving him with almost nothing.

But he didn’t mind.

Extending one hand, the air ruptured once more. Swathes of dark brown energy poured out, coalescing into a hovering brown orb that landed in his palm.

He patted her head gently, then pressed the ball of energy into her. Just like with Lyra, the energy burst outward from within, forming a cocoon that enveloped her completely.

Once both women were sealed inside their cocoons, Ulric pulled up his system interface to check the damage.

[Unallocated Corruption Points: 50,000]

Far smaller than the hundreds of thousands he had held before. But he wasn’t sad about the sharp decrease.

Quite the opposite.

His head suddenly tilted back toward the sky as another fit of maniacal laughter ripped from his throat.

Once they finished integrating with their new talents, he would reap them with his Seed of Chaos. Granting him at least double their power, potentially thousands of times more with the rebate.

The thought only fueled his laughter as he cackled madly.

No one, not even the System Shop would rip him off his corruption points!