Originally, Laika had no intention of taking any more of his skills or levels.
But human greed, they say, knows no bounds.
Seeing himself get stronger made the desire to grow even more intense.
Was it right to take the long way just to avoid the easy path? To use a shallow connection as an excuse? Wouldn’t that be unworthy of a Hero?
Wouldn’t it be better to take a Villain’s power the moment you could?
“If I’m not afraid of repercussions, it’s better to steal Laika’s skill. But… huh, I can decide that when the time comes.”
Iris let out a sigh as she unpacked her belongings. Teresa’s detached house was now her new refuge.
For several days, Iris had been unbelievably busy.
The apartment she had listed for sale was located in the Oneroom area, so demand was high and it sold quickly, allowing her to move into Teresa’s house without delay.
Now, she could train whenever she wanted in the detached house and comfortably conduct trades and exchanges through the well just outside.
“I should have moved in sooner. Teresa-sunbae was really happy, and I’m comfortable here, too.”
When she was in the Oneroom, she often lost sleep worrying someone might suddenly break in. But here, she felt she could finally rest peacefully.
After tidying up her things roughly, Iris opened the plastic wrapping on the jajangmyeon she ordered to celebrate the move.
Though this was a Hero manga world, since it was based on reality, jajangmyeon existed here as well. In her previous life, she could order jajangmyeon in every country, so it wasn’t surprising.
Just as she mixed the noodles with the wooden chopsticks and was about to enjoy the meal, a message alert tone rang out. It was from Laika.
「Iris, did you quit the road manager job? Why?」
「That’s how it ended up. I’m too busy preparing for employment, so I don’t think I can keep working part-time anymore.」
Iris gave “preparing for employment” as an excuse while wrestling with her worries. She couldn’t say she quit to prepare for theft.
After a moment, a reply came back.
「That’s a shame….」
「What’s to be sorry about? We can meet anytime we want anyway!」
Her honey-colored eyes trembled as she stared at the phone. Laika’s message sounded a little weak, and her conscience pricked her.
Was he really that disappointed? It was hard to guess his true feelings just from the message.
After turning down Laika’s repeated requests for her home address, they exchanged a few more trivial messages.
Finally, Iris sent a message saying they would meet soon and put her phone down.
Only a few days left. The day she would get the Ring of the Goddess in her hands.
***
Time flew by, and it was the weekend to leave Enraka Church.
After the service, they planned to visit Laika’s house.
Iris checked the Ring once more in her bag, then prepared to go out with a determined expression.
She paused and tilted her head, sitting on the sofa. She wondered if she really needed to go to church since her grandmother’s matter was resolved.
“Johannes and Abellus are there, though…. I’m not so cold-hearted as to watch Lucael panic after losing his skill without a care.”
Lucael the Priest… Thinking of him gave her an uneasy feeling, as if someone had played with an innocent person.
But that couldn’t be. Lucael was a Villain before he was a priest. A bad guy who used his Bewitching Skill to extort money from believers.
And if that logic held, she couldn’t miss the chance to keep an eye on Johannes and Abellus, who were likely stronger than Lucael.
Yeah, even if it bothered her, it was better to go to the temple.
Iris steadied her complicated feelings and left the house.
After arriving at the Enraka Church Shrine, she sat in a corner of the chapel.
As she waited, small groups of believers trickled in to fill the seats.
But something felt off. The number of believers was noticeably fewer than last week, even though the service was about to start.
“Why? The only ones I used the Bewitching Skill on were my grandmother and her friends… Was last week’s big turnout because of some event that brought regional believers?”
Unaware that fervent weekday believers had stopped coming, Iris furrowed her brow in puzzlement.
As she looked around, her face suddenly stiffened. Someone she knew well had taken the empty seat beside her.
The mad scientist Abellus, dressed in his black suit, sat down casually next to her.
She nearly shouted but barely pulled herself together and bit her lip tightly.
“Phew, don’t show that you’re startled. Abellus doesn’t know I’m the Angel Girl… That’s such a coincidence. Is it because I’m inside the manga? Of all people, Abellus has to sit next to me.”
She glanced at him cautiously. Abellus wore a calm expression, apparently unaware of her presence.
Behind his silver-rimmed glasses, his rare violet eyes for Gyodam City blinked slowly.
She involuntarily observed his face closely.
Since he was always holed up in his lab, his pale white skin was flawless, his sharp nose and full lips making for a pleasing appearance.
Looking carefully, he was even more handsome than she’d thought.
Seeing Abellus made her wonder if gods really didn’t exist.
How could a madman be gifted with such a good-looking face and brilliant mind at the same time?
Shouldn’t those blessings be spread evenly among good people?
“Takes skill-stealing to the next level…”
She must have been spacing out, caught in his gaze for too long.
When Abellus turned his head, Iris quickly looked forward again.
Though he couldn’t know her true identity, her heart raced strangely.
Like a mouse caught in front of a cat.
“Sigh, this is too nerve-wracking. It’s okay, don’t worry. Laika didn’t recognize me, and Abellus only saw me once, so there’s no way he knows who I am.”
The service began.
Iris tried to fix her gaze ahead, ignoring Abellus beside her.
Behind those silver frames, Abellus’s violet eyes held a faint smile.
He admired Iris’s effort to pretend she didn’t notice him, even though he had recognized her instantly.
Just as Iris had done, he studied her carefully. Not as Angel Girl, but as an ordinary person.
Last time they met, she had quickly turned away, so he hadn’t gotten a good look at her face.
Still, he thought she was quite his type and now, seeing her in detail, that thought only grew stronger.
“She’s pretty cute. Such a face is a waste to turn into a Chimera.”
He flinched at his own words.
Whenever he encountered superpowered individuals, he’d usually decide whether to make them Chimeras, dissect them, or use them as mere prey.
If not, he would just think of ways to coax and exploit them.
But Iris was too valuable for that.
Was she someone easy to manipulate?
No, she wasn’t.
He’d tried fishing with the Hero App a lot, but she never took the bait even once.
Which meant she was someone Abellus couldn’t control easily.
He unconsciously grabbed the lapel of his suit jacket to make some breathing room.
Looking at Iris made his throat feel dry, and heat surged uncontrollably down below.
“I want to have this woman.”
Consumed by a desire to possess, Abellus’s chest heaved roughly.
He bit his lip, trying to control himself.
He didn’t want to get an erection in the middle of a chapel filled with watchful eyes.
Even madmen cared about social reputation.
He stole sideways glances at Iris, his mind racing.
There had to be some merit to deliberately sitting next to her.
He thought hard about how to create a connection.
He barely registered the high priest’s sermon.
“Of all days, Lucael’s not here.”
His sharp eyes scanned the chapel, but Lucael was nowhere to be seen.
He had been notified in advance that Lucael was sick and wouldn’t attend.
It was hard to understand how a superpowered individual could get sick, especially since they could heal by drinking stamina Potions, but Abellus guessed there must be a reason.
“No, on second thought, it’s better this way. There’s no need for more people to pay attention to Angel Girl.”
He had a chance to approach Iris directly without Lucael first getting her information and charging a price.
With Lucael absent, someone else led the hymn.
Unlike last week, when most believers rushed to make offerings, this time only a few gave small donations.
“Seems there’s no other priest here with Bewitching Skill besides Lucael.”
Abellus snorted and removed the earplugs that blocked Bewitching Skill.
He was confident he wouldn’t be affected, but he wore them just in case.
Without Lucael, the expressions of those running the service looked sour.
They seemed frustrated at their poor collection of offerings.
To think the Enraka Church would falter without Lucael.
Abellus chuckled bitterly at the pitiful sight of Enraka Church.