CHAPTER 54: NEXT SSS RANKED VILLAIN

Thirty Minutes Later

"Sigh...

"I can’t believe how fucking stupid these people are," Razeal muttered under his breath, voice laced with venom as he sat cross-legged high atop an old, towering tree. The thick branch beneath him barely wavered under his weight, bark rough against his back as he leaned against the trunk, shrouded beneath a veil of thick foliage.

From down below, anyone might wonder why the hell is someone sitting on a tree like a brooding bird, instead of finding a proper place to rest? Maybe find a quiet bed to lie down?

But that was the damn point.

He’d tried. He had gone down earlier, tried renting a room, even asked around among the commoners for any spare space to crash. Just a quiet corner would’ve done. But every time he knocked. The moment they saw his face, their expressions twisted in disgust.

"No rooms. Get out."

That was all they said. No explanation. No hesitation. Just pure rejection.

"And I thought maybe it’d change something if I offered them fucking elemental cores," Razeal scoffed, biting hard into the apple in his hand, the crunch loud in the silent treetop. "But nah... even that looked disgusting to them coming from my hands."

He chewed bitterly, glaring out over the forest. The hatred people held toward him it was deep. So deep, it seemed even value and logic lost meaning when it came to him.

Still... at least this time no one attacked him. Maybe the news of his upcoming duel had spread far enough. People probably figured it was pointless to start trouble when he was likely going to die soon anyway.

Even eating was a problem now.

He had to scavenge wild fruit from the outer edge of the academy forest. Thankfully, no one wandered into this area much.

"Whatever..." he muttered, chewing the last of the apple. Despite the bitterness in his heart, he didn’t waste a single piece. Not even the core. Tossing it down carelessly would just be dangerous.

"Alright, System," he said finally. "Let’s start working on training. This time, I have to come back with something useful."

He clapped his hands together, determination hardening in his eyes.

He Hated being powerless.

"Oh, wait System," he paused. "Can you, like, inform the villains before I go in this time? Saves me the annoying process of introductions and explanations. Honestly, he isn’t eveb interested in chatting. He just want the damn skills. Would be great if they just handed them to me and without saying any bullshit."

Razeal asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hate the intro part. Explaining my whole ’intention’ every time will suck.

[...I can do it,] the system finally responded, though its voice was tinged with visible dissatisfaction.

Razeal noticed the tone but didn’t comment. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with a sulking system.

"Well, that’s great. If only I’d known that earlier, I could’ve saved time with that crazy woman from before..." he shivered then sighed, looking up at the sky above. The sun was already dipping low. Evening was coming fast.

[It’s done. All SSS-ranked villains within the System’s space have been notified... Except for EX-ranked entities.]

Razeal raised an eyebrow. "Why not the EX-ranks?"

[...]

"...Never mind. I don’t wanna know. Just open the SSS-Rank Villain Space. Random candidate selection."

He clasped his hands together, almost mockingly in prayer. "Just... not another crazy woman. Please. Anyone but likes of her. There has to be one kind-hearted villain out there, right?"

[Host, you are currently in the open. This process may be dangerous.]

"I know," Razeal replied, dropping his hands. "But what other option do I have? I’ve got no one to protect me, and even if I was awake, what the hell am I gonna do? Throw apples at intruders?"

[Understood.] The system replied reluctantly. It would stay alert. If anything happened to his physical body, it could forcibly eject his consciousness back in time. Hopefully.

A beat later, Razeal felt the familiar sensation. That strange, pulling drift as his senses began to dull and his vision darkened.

Then

Everything went black.

Until

A breeze.

A rush of strange, foreign air washed over his face, and a wave of unfamiliar scents overwhelmed his nose hundreds of fragrances, some sweet, some earthy, some sharp like steel.

His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the strange new world before him.

He blinked. Once. Twice.

And then he saw it.

[Welcome, Host, to the SSS-Rank Valley of Villey.]

[Villain Title: World’s Killer]

Razeal’s eye twitched.

"...Of fucking course it’s a lunatic."

Razeal was already prepared to leave just from seeing the name alone, but then his nose twitched.

Only now did he truly notice the overwhelming number of fragrances surrounding him. Dozens, maybe hundreds of them sweet, earthy, floral, citrusy, musky all blended in a surreal harmony that somehow didn’t clash. Instead, they embraced him with an ethereal warmth. It was almost like he’d stepped straight into someone’s dream.

He blinked, eyes lifting from the system prompt that still hovered before him. Slowly, he looked around, taking in the scene as if unsure his senses weren’t playing tricks on him.

"System... are you sure we’re in the right place?" Razeal muttered, scratching the back of his head, confused.

"I mean... I’m not doubting your ability or anything, but." He murmured taking a few hesitant steps forward

Because in every direction he looked all he could see were flowers.

All around him literally in every direction the landscape was carpeted with flowers. Endless rows stretched as far as his eyes could see...

Endless fields of them. Vibrant, delicate, blooming in a kaleidoscope of color. Reds, blues, golds, whites, violets colors he couldn’t even name all swaying gently in a breeze he couldn’t feel.

It was too beautiful. Too surreal.

He could smell it all. So many scents at once he couldn’t tell how many but none of them clashed or overwhelmed. They mixed like a song that somehow calmed the soul. It felt warm, peaceful, inviting. For a moment, it made him forget he was in a world of villain.

Razeal wasn’t the kind of person to stop and admire scenery. All his life, even in his past life, he never understood when people stood and called a view beautiful. To him, it was always just... "alright."

But now?

Even he had to admit if only to himself this place... was beautiful.

[Absolutely, Host. This is the correct location. System functionality does not allow for misplacement.]

"Well," Razeal muttered, blinking at the serene view again. "This is... interesting. Not really what I expected from a guy titled World’s Killer."

"What’s the villain’s name again?"

[Villain Name: Zenocide. Gender: Male.]

Razeal blinked. "Zenocide Huh. Fitting. Somehow sounds like a guy who kills planets but loves...bonsai trees."

Razeal sighed, scratching his head again. He began walking slowly along one of the dirt paths winding through the flower fields. The path was narrow but clear, seemingly designed to let visitors pass through without stepping on the flowers. Rows and rows of them stretched into the distance, organized yet natural, like a living painting.

But he wasn’t about to test what would happen if he stepped off the path. For all he knew, the flowers could bite, explode, poison him, or trigger some sadistic illusion. He’d learned his lesson from last time. Even an ordinary-looking stone had nearly torn your skeleton apart.

He kept walking.

After nearly five minutes of wandering feeling mildly ridiculous for getting lost in a field of flowers while searching for someone called Zenocide he finally spotted something in the distance.

A small hut, nestled gently in the middle of the garden.

Razeal blinked. "Finally," he muttered, picking up his pace. "Thought I was gonna die of old age in here. That’s five precious minutes wasted."

As he drew closer, he slowed again. His heartbeat quickened not from exertion, but something else.

A familiar sense of dread.

Even though the scene was peaceful, he couldn’t shake off the instinctual warning bells. Meeting high-tier villains never ended well. The last one had left more trauma than training and a lasting lesson:

Don’t talk too much. And definitely not fucking make promises.

Cautiously, he approached.

And then he saw him.

The man.

Razeal narrowed his eyes, trying to take in the details.

A tall figure crouched beside a patch of crimson lilies, gently inspecting them as if they were made of glass. His long, black hair flowed freely behind him, reaching past his waist, swaying gently in the invisible wind.

He wore a pale pink open shirt, embroidered with delicate floral patterns. The sleeves were rolled to his elbows, revealing forearms with faint scars and inked markings that didn’t match the gentleness of his outfit.

His entire aura was calm. Free-spirited. Almost kind.

Crouched like a gardener... definitely not a killer.

Razeal stopped at a respectful distance, his nerves on edge. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain still.

The figure still hadn’t acknowledged him.

Carefully, Razeal cleared his throat.

"...Hey."

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