Villain Hiring: Help! Author Wants Me Dead-Chapter 45: *Bonus Chapter*
Ma’s breathing had steadied, but her face was still pale.
She was resting against the rough bark, pain heavy in her expression.
Her cloak was damp with blood, the deep punctures left by the spikes now half-healed from the potion, but I could still see the pain flickering in her eyes.
And it was my fault.
The realization sat in my chest like a stone.
I swallowed hard, my fists clenching at my sides.
If I had been stronger—if I hadn’t needed her to protect me—she wouldn’t be in this state.
She had taken those hits because of me.
And the worst part?
Her mana core was still sealed.
She had fought, ran, and endured everything without magic.
A normal person wouldn’t have lasted half a minute against that Tier 1 spider. Hell, even seasoned adventurers struggled against creatures of that level.
Yet she had kept up with me.
Matched my pace.
Protected me.
With only the strength of a regular human.
I felt my throat tighten.
How?
How did she keep going?
I looked at her hands, the swelling over her knuckles, the small scars decorating her skin—each one a mark of battles she must have fought long before I was born.
Even when she had lost her magic, she never stopped fighting.
Never stopped protecting me.
I felt a mix of awe and frustration swirl inside me.
Awe at how incredible she was.
Frustration because she shouldn’t have to do this.
I wasn’t a child anymore.
I wasn’t some weak noble brat who had to hide behind others.
I had power now.
I had a system.
The First Gen System at that-
And yet, here she was, still shielding me. Still bleeding because I wasn’t strong enough.
It made me sick.
I clenched my jaw, my fingers digging into my palms.
No more.
I wouldn’t let this continue.
The moment we met Grandpa, I would make him unseal her mana core.
No matter what.
She wasn’t just some ordinary woman.
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She was Sylvie D. Romero.
A warrior.
A fighter.
Someone who had once been among the strongest. And she deserved her power back.
I didn’t care what it took.
I would get it back for her.
"…Kid."
Damien’s voice echoed softly in my mind.
It was different this time.
Not mocking.
Not arrogant.
Just… quiet.
I blinked, barely realizing how deep I had fallen into my thoughts.
"…What?" I muttered under my breath.
There was a pause.
Then, a sigh. "…Fine. You win."
I frowned. "What?"
"You want to be stronger, right? You want to protect her?" Damien’s tone had lost its usual playfulness. It was unreadable.
"…Of course I do."
"…Then I’ll help."
I blinked. "…You?"
"Yes, idiot. Me." He clicked his tongue. "Ugh. Don’t make me say it twice.
Your thoughts were so goddamn loud I could feel them. The pain, the guilt—ugh. Annoying."
I scowled. "Then don’t listen."
"Not how it works, brat."
I sighed, rubbing my temple. "So what? You’re suddenly feeling generous?"
"…Tch." Another pause. "…Let’s just say I’m curious."
I frowned. "Curious about what?"
"…You."
The answer caught me off guard.
Damien didn’t elaborate, but I could tell from the shift in his tone that something had changed.
Something was different.
"…What are you going to do?" I asked cautiously.
"A proper evaluation."
The moment he said that, my vision blurred.
A wave of strange energy coursed through my body, and then—
A blue screen appeared right in front of my face, startling me.
’Fuck!! What is this?’ I shrieked back, trying to hide the floating screen with my hands when Damien snickered.
"Only you can see the screen, boy. Just like how only you can hear me."
[STATUS]
Name: Noah D. Romero
Race: Human
Title: The Fated Villain
Heavenly Physique: Gluttony
Strength: 13
Agility: 12
Mana: 0
Charm: 7
Soul Power: 29
Skills: Soul Siphon, Mana Drain
I froze.
"What… the hell?"
Damien snorted. "Welcome to reality, kid."
My eyes darted over the stats, my brain struggling to process them.
This was me.
My power, my skills—everything, quantified into a data system.
"This is your status." Damien’s voice was unreadable again. "I was going to let you figure things out on your own, but…"
I could hear the smirk in his voice. "…I suppose that’ll speed things up."
I swallowed, staring at the screen.
This wasn’t a game.
This was real.
"...Fuck!!"
"Yeah—" I could imagine Damien almost rolling his eyes.
"Okay so let me clear. You are a totally bullshit character, if anything."
"It’s been almost a week or maybe even more since you awakened your physique and you don’t even know what it does? Bitch—"
I blinked. "…Uh."
"Uh? UH? Bitch, are you serious? Are you telling me you’ve just been walking around with one of the most broken, overpowered abilities in existence and haven’t even tried to figure it out?"
I winced. "Hey, I was kinda busy not dying, Damien—"
"EXCUSES." He clicked his tongue. "Like, man, I know we’ve reconciled and all, but for real? For real?"
I scowled. "What do you want from me? It’s not like a manual popped up with step-by-step instructions!"
Damien groaned so hard it sounded physical, like he was actually rubbing his temples. "Noah, you absolute walnut, I am your manual! You have a SYSTEM! That means you get perks! Guidance!
The kind of hand-holding people would kill for! And you—" He made an exaggerated choking noise. "You’re out here just… vibing. Like, ’Oh, cool, I have a mysterious physique, better ignore it like an idiot!’"
I flushed. "I was going to figure it out—"
"WHEN?! WHEN, NOAH? When you’re on your deathbed? When you’re seconds away from getting bodied by some overgrown spider? Jesus—UGH."
I pursed my lips. "Fine. Then why don’t you enlighten me, oh great and mighty system?"
"Tch. Finally." Damien huffed. "Alright, listen up, you underdeveloped piece of meat. Your physique—Gluttony—isn’t just some ordinary ability.
The entire world thinks it’s about consuming souls—and yeah, it does that. But it’s way more than that."
I frowned. "...It can consume souls?"
"..."
***
A/N:
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