"Umm... embarrassing, yes... I am," he muttered, trying to keep a straight face. After all, who wouldnât be flustered after having their underwear robbed by some woman?
He looked at her with a flat expression.
"Alright, give it back." Razeal extended his hand.
Not that the underwear was particularly important. He had a literal system that provided an endless supply of clothes... although, unfortunately, all of them were villain-themed outfits. Dark, edgy, black nothing normal or neutral.
So, if he had plenty of replacements, why was he still bothered?
Simple. Who in their right mind could stay calm knowing someone stole their underwear? Who knew what they might do with it?
That alone made Razeal very uncomfortable.
She looked at him with amusement, clearly entertained. Then, as if enjoying every second of this absurd interaction, she held Razealâs black underwear in her right hand... and with a flick of her left, conjured up a delicate, lacy pink pair of panties in her other palm.
Most definitely not his.
"Look, you seem like an honest guy," she said with a teasing glint in her eyes. "So hereâs a choice. This,"she lifted the black pair"is yours."
"This one," she added with a smirk, "is one of the highest-ranked trophies in my collection. I personally stole it from the most beautiful archangel in heaven."
Her grin was playful, almost devilish. "Now... choose. Which one is yours?"
Razealâs lips twitched.
Did she seriously just tell him which one was his... and then ask him to choose between the two?
His gaze fell on the pink pair.
His eyes landed on the pink panties. They looked...used. And judging by her words "collection"? she robs underwear... as a hobby?
What the hell kind of weirdo was this SSS-ranked villain?
Was she playing some twisted version of that old goddess in the pond game? The one where you drop an item and the goddess offers you a better one to test your honesty?
Whatever this was, Razeal didnât have time for it.
"You know what? You can have both. I donât fucking care," he said, completely deadpan.
Her grin faltered for half a second. She pouted, almost like a child who had their prank dismissed.
"Hmph. Fine," she said, slipping both pairs of underwear his and the pink one into each side pocket without shame.
Razealâs eyebrow twitched.
The audacity.
Still, he didnât say a word. It was just underwear... right?
"Now then," she continued, tilting her head at him with mock disapproval, "tell me how exactly do you plan to convince me to teach you anything?"
Her eyes narrowed, voice sugar-sweet with sarcasm. "Far as I can tell, you didnât even bring a gift. Is that how you greet a beautiful lady like me? Not very sincere, is it?"
Razeal nearly rolled his eyes at how casually she referred to herself as a beautiful lady... right after stuffing his underwear in her pocket. But he kept quiet.
So thatâs how she wants to play this... Alright.
Now that he was thinking about it she was extremely girly. Almost exaggeratedly so. And her behavior? That of a bratty, unpredictable gremlin.
Heâd dealt with types like her before... in the countless Korean novels heâd read in his past life. He knew how to handle this. Time to start acting.
"Oh no, no, how could that be?" Razeal said, suddenly clearing his throat and stepping forward, putting on his most polite, gentlemanly expression.
"I would never show up empty handed."
His mind was racing.
Of course, he didnât actually have a gift. But if he faked enough sincerity, maybe just maybe heâd survive this. He needed her help. The skill she could teach him was important, and he couldnât afford to start all over again with a new villain.
Let this work... please. His heart was pounding.
Now came the next challenge.
System, he asked silently, tell me her name.
[Itâs Lily, Host.]
Razeal hummed to himself, not answering right away as he walked toward her, imagining himself as the protagonist of a dramatic romance novel. He had that slow, confident stride. The wind even if imaginary seemed to flow perfectly through his hair. In his head, this was peak protagonist moment.
"Ohh? Is that so?" Lily tilted her head, eyes glimmering with curiosity. "What might that be?"
She didnât move an inch as Razeal kept approaching. Not even when he stopped just a few steps from her. She didnât flinch or pull back, just watched him with an intrigued gaze.
[Host, what present have you prepared?] the system asked in his mind, sounding utterly confused.
Razeal didnât reply. His feet carried him forward anyway, though his throat tightened. This was already awkward in his head, but he was committed now. He told himself it didnât matter he didnât fear anyoneâs judgment, and there were no real consequences here anyway. Just time lost. And he could live with that.
He reached up, flicked his hair dramatically with one hand. Smooth.
[Charisma: S] thankfully kept him looking dashing even when he felt like dying inside.
Finally, standing right before her, he reached out and gently lifted her chin with one finger, tilting her face to meet his gaze.
She still didnât resist.
"A present?" Razeal said softly, voice dipped in sultry confidence. "No... for the price of learning your skill, I would like to offer something far more valuable.."
He leaned in, his lips just inches from hers.
"my body."
[This is... fucking cringeyyyyyy. Host, where the hell did you learn this? Are you possessed by a trashy web novel? WHAT IS THIS???] the system blurted in pure disgust.
Razeal ignored it.
He thought this was his best shot. After all, the woman in front of him was an SSS-ranked villainess, likely older than entire civilizations. Maybe something as bold as this would actually amuse her. Maybe it would even work.
As for the embarrassment? Please. Razealâs skin had thickened to steel over the past few days. There was no audience here to witness his fall just one chaotic women.
His hand remained under Lilyâs chin, and she continued to stare up at him.
Silence stretched.
And stretched.
And stretched.
Finally
"PFFFT!" Lily burst into laughter, spraying air toward his face as she barely held herself back.
She doubled over, slapping her thigh, wheezing. Then she clutched her stomach like it hurt, gasping between laughs.
"Oh my... HAHAHAHAHAHA!" she howled. "PAHAHA! P-Pay with your body!? What are you, some desperate drama queen from a third rate novel? OH MY GOD.."
Razealâs soul left his body in that moment.
He stood there frozen like a statue, fingers still awkwardly in the air where her chin had once been. His brain stopped functioning. His breath caught in his chest.
[Now you realize how cringe that was, huh?] the system muttered flatly.
Lily was on the ground now, literally rolling around in the dirt, tears forming in her eyes as she kicked her feet.
"Oh no no no HAHAHAH youâre too much! That was the best thing Iâve heard in centuries! Who does that?! You thought Iâd go all blushy-blushy like some schoolgirl? OH. MY. GOD."
Razeal was still frozen. Still dead inside.
She looked up at him while wiping her tears, grinning like a lunatic. Her laughter still echoed softly through the ruins, the kind that hit deep and refused to stop. "Youâre either stupid, or absolutely insane. Either way... I love it."
Razeal blinked, unsure how to react.
"Love it?" he repeated slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Ahem as in... youâll teach me?"
Her grin widened, becoming somehow even more wicked. "Maaaybe. But only if you do one more thing."
Razeal tilted his head. "And whatâs that?" His embarrassment from earlier? Gone. Burned to ash like a useless old scroll. He didnât care anymore. If shame could be set on fire, his was already incinerated and blown away with the wind.
It was just some little sacrifice... right?
Lily leaned in close, her breath teasing his cheek. Her voice dropped to a syrupy, sensual whisper that felt far more dangerous than anything she had done so far. "Call me... âMommy.â"
Razealâs soul nearly left his body.
"Wha ..WHAT?!" he gasped, stumbling back a full step like heâd been struck by a divine grade lightning bolt. The air around him cracked with the silent scream of his pride being shattered.
Just like protagonist in that korean drama.
[Sigh... Itâs alright, Host. I know you wonât be able to do it. How could you? Donât worry I wonât remember this moment... I promise. Letâs just leave this place. Clearly, this sacrifice is too much.] The systemâs voice rang in his head with the perfect mix of sarcasm and teasing, sounding like it was holding back laughter. [Youâre the kind of guy whoâd rather die than apologize. And this? This is leagues beyond that.]
Razeal stood frozen, his mind reeling. He gulped as he stared at Lily, trying to erase her words from his brain but they were etched there, permanent and taunting.
"Be quick now," Lily sang, spinning slightly on one heel. "Youâve only got eight seconds left. Say it, and Iâll give you the skill you came for."
She started whistling and inspecting her nails, looking utterly unconcerned, though her eyes gleamed with devilish mischief.
Razeal remained like a statue. Not a muscle moved. Not a thought formed that wasnât screaming.
[Letâs go, Host. Enough embarrassment for today, yes?] the system whispered again, its smug tone lighting every fuse in Razealâs skull.
"How about... two of my skills," Lily added, glancing back. "Four seconds left."
His hands clenched.
This is so dumb. This is just one word. Just one. Two skills, and itâs over. He could pretend it never happened. Hell, itâs better than fighting another ten insect monsters until his bones break again. Right? Right?
M...mm... Razealâs lips trembled.
He could feel the weight of every moment.
And finally
"Mommy..."
It was barely audible. More breath than sound. But it escaped his mouth.
Lilyâs grin widened into a full, wicked smile. "Good boy," she whispered, tiptoeing closer to ruffle his hair. Her fingers brushed lightly over his head, playful and triumphant.
Razeal didnât move. His soul had left his body ten seconds ago. His mind was a blank landscape, echoing with one phrase: Good boy.
â
Two minutes later, outside the system space
[Congratulations, Host. You have received Skill: Shadow Step (A-Rank).]
[Congratulations, Host. You have received Skill: Keen Hearing (S-Rank).]
Razeal didnât react.
He sat on tree branch, staring blankly into the distance, his face devoid of emotion. His eyes looked hollow haunted even. Not by death, not by pain. But by those cursed two words echoing again and again in his skull.
Good boy.
[See? Who says you canât buy someoneâs dignity? Iâve seen people sold for less than a decent skill. Aha haaa~ Aha haaa~] The systemâs voice sang with joy. [What do you think, Host? Can I become a writer now? I feel inspired.]
Razeal didnât move. Not even a blink.
[You alive, Host? Hello? Earth to Razeal? Or should I say... good boy?]
His eye twitched.
He wasnât going to let this moment live.
Ever.
He would bury it. Kill it. Pretend it was a dream. A hallucination brought on by training trauma. Anything. But if Lily ever dared to repeat that phrase again
Good boy.
Razeal stood up with a slow, heavy exhale. The skills he just acquired were powerful. Insanely so. Worth every piece of the humiliation, even if heâd rather die than admit it out loud.
"Alright," he muttered, clenching his fists. "Time to put these skills to use. And next time... no more Mommy quests. Ever."
[Sure, Host. Whatever you say. Good boy.]
"SYSTEM!!!"]}]}
----
Hey everyone!
Ahhhh, sorry for the delay! This Chapter was supposed to be out yesterday, but I got caught up with a project my girlfriend gave me so things ran a bit late.
That said, this Chapter will count as part of that gift!
The Chapters meant for tday are still on the way (Iâll be writing them right after this), so stay tuned.
Thank you all so much for your patience and support! I promised you an extra Chapter, and here it is I kept my word!
Oh, and something Iâve been meaning to ask...
Would you all be interested in a Discord server? Let me know!
Also, huge shoutout to everyone
We just broke into the Top 30 in Power Stones and Best Selling (31â90 days) categories!Thatâs all thanks to ya all
And of course, massive thanks for all the Golden Tickets! You all are good boys. haha
(Also, donât worry, guys! The authorâs thoughts I add here donât count toward any extra coins or anything like that. One coin only gets added for every 200 words in the actual Chapter, and I always try to keep my notes under that limit, so youâre not paying extra for them.)
~Lazy