[Gained 10 Animosity. Source 'Sylla Farni']
[Gained 1 Animosity. Source 'Jessica Anderson']
[Gained 1 Animosity. Source 'Ethan Mitchell']
[Gained 1 Animosity. Source 'Natalie Turner']
[Gained 1 Animosity. Source 'Samuel Parker']
[Gained 10 Animosity. Source 'Zoe Thompson']
[Gained 1 Animosity. Source 'Jessica Anderson']
[Gained 10 Animosity. Source 'Caleb Reynolds']
[Gained 100 Animosity...]
[Gained 1 A...]
[...]
[...]
Two days went by since the first Guess the Place show. Animosity continued to rain.
Planet Palvos had a population of 900 million.
If 1 out of every 9 people gave Animosity, Zain would soon reach Rank 1 of the Iron Villain League. This was if every person was Grade 1, which obviously wasn't true.
His current rank was in the 1,000s.
Carl's intercom rang. A hologram of Mythos Cult Leader popped up.
"My son… return… we need you…"
Zain nodded.
On the way, he opened the Status Screen.
===
Name: Zain Pierrot
Race: Veinwielder (Variant Homo Sapien) (+1 Stamina Regeneration, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution per level)
Class: [Novice Mage] Lvl.5 (0/10,000) (+1 Mana per level)
Subclasses: [Apprentice Potioneer] Lvl.0 (0/10,000) (+1 Perception per level);
[Porter] Lvl.0 (0/10,000) (+1 Strength per level)
Power Level: 15.4 [Grade 2]
Experience Points: 58,239
Stats:
Strength - 14/20 [Grade 2]
Agility - 20/20 [Grade 2]
Dexterity - 17/20 [Grade 2]
Stamina - (13/14) /20 [Grade 2]
Constitution - 20/20 [Grade 2]
Stamina Regeneration - 16/20 [Grade 2]
Mana - (9/20) /20 [Grade 2]
Mana Regeneration - 11/20 [Grade 2]
Perception - 17/20 [Grade 2]]
Charm - 5/10 [Grade 1]
Unused Stat Points: 2
[Your Status finally looks like a proper metahuman.]
Disposition: Eternal Smile, Compulsive Liar, Unreliable, Hardworking, Mischievous, Stubborn, Cheapskate
Talent: [Clown] 3 stars
Skills:
[Harlequin's Dodge] Lvl.2 – Execute an agile dodge or leap, allowing the Clown to avoid attacks with acrobatic flair. (+12) Agility when dodging attacks.
[Ephemeral Euphoria Elixir] Lvl.1 – Create an elixir that induces a state of bliss, providing temporary resistance(small) to mental attacks.
[Puri Puri Mist] Lvl.1 – Create a blood mist by excreting blood in gaseous form through your skin pores.
[Magic Pocket] Lvl.1 – Create a 1.5 cubic meter sub-dimensional space inside your closed piece of clothing.
[Poison Resistance] Lvl.3 – You have medium poison resistance.
[Mimicry] Lvl.2 – Copy the voice and appearance of the ones you have killed.
===
The Yenner Church attacked numerous bases of the Cult on Zain's command.
He didn't participate on the frontline, but stole the last hit and took out as many Cultists as possible.
Zain had 58,239 experience points thanks to his kill stealing.
[Skill [Mimicry] has reached Level 3. Consumed 50,000 exp.]
[Mimicry] Lvl.3 – Copy one skill from the ones you have killed.
The skill could replicate any skill, as long as the target didn't have a higher-ranked Talent than Zain.
He could copy only one skill at a time. And for a one-time use.
Despite the numerous restrictions, Mimicry Lvl.3 was overpowered. It copied the skills with their true level.
"The preparations are complete," Zain muttered.
He reached the Cult's main base. However, he wasn't alone.
"First Archbishop, who are those people with you?" The guard asked, eyeing the people rallying behind Zain. "Stop, fr—"
The guard died before he knew what hit him.
Mythos Cult forces had been stretched thin due to the Yenner Church's ambushes.
The Cult wasn't weak by any means, however, they couldn't do much when their opponent knew their secret bases, tactics, members, and had experience destroying them hundreds of times.
Zain continued forward. The Cult members didn't pose much resistance.
He stopped at the gate of the main hall. The Cult Leader, Ultar, waited on the other side.
Zain recalled the days he spent grinding in the game.
Ultar was a menace. He had five transformations, over 7 Genius Techs, and limited invulnerability.
Defeating him wasn't easy.
However, this wasn't a game.
"We are finally here!" Zain shouted to the group.
The people following him didn't only belong to Yenner Church.
Some of them were Mercenaries and Bounty Hunters. They joined after this raid was announced to be aiming for Merryman. Each of them knew they could die and still stepped forward. They wanted to help their planet.
The Yenner Church didn't know that Carl and Merryman were one person. The two were thought of as accomplices. The Church hid the news that they were attacking the Cult, not Merryman.
"The enemy we must defeat is on the other side! For Palvos! For Glory!"
The horde shouted and rushed into the hall. Zain didn't follow them.
The boss battle was supposed to be a 1 vs 5.
There were over 80 metahumans, all Grade 3, rushing inside at this moment.
Zain had these people learn the Cult leader's attack patterns and skills.
The Cult's base shook heavily. The battle had begun. Zain checked the time, and moved to another place.
He was multitasking, while others fought, he would empty the Cult's treasury.
…
Main Hall, Mythos Cult Base
A ferocious roar shook the place.
Metallic tubes connected to Ultar's body flailed around, attacking everyone in the vicinity. The raid party of 80 Grade 3 metahumans was being pushed back.
Ultar was as strong as a Grade 4!
As a Genius, he could use more Genius Techs than other classes, allowing him to have an upper hand.
"Group 1 and Group 2! Fall back! Healers take care of the injured!" Hanna shouted.
The raid party was almost wiped out minutes after entering the hall, if not for Hanna's timely appearance.
It was within Zain's calculations. He did this to allow Hanna to clear her name. Of course, even she did not know that Zain was Merryman.
"You… wretches! You dare…. attack…. me!" The room was covered in flashes of magic circles, mutant abilities activation and arrows and lasers flying around.
The Fighters took the brunt of the Cult Leader's attacks, and kept the metallic tentacles at bay.
"Who betrayed us…. You couldn't have… done this without help!" Ultar roared. His body turned translucent. He had activated his Intangibility.
"Group 4, shield!" Hanna commanded.
Immediately, the raid party stopped attacking. The shielders stepped forward.
They stayed on defense. According to Zain, no attack would work on Ultar, during the Intangibility phase.
But it had a short duration. He would weaken after it.
"Now! Group 3, attack!" The raid moved as soon as Ultar's body became solid.
"Ahhhh! You…. wretched fools… is this how you pay… me for saving this planet… two hundred years ago…!" Ultar's eyes rolled back. His body spasmed.
He unleashed a powerful shockwave, knocking everyone back.
"I'll kill you… I'll kill you…!"
Hanna puked blood. Her vision spun and she couldn't stand straight. Zain had warned them about this attack, but they still underestimated it.
The entire raid party was immobilized.
How could a Grade 3 metahuman be so strong?
This was their chance, the Cult Leader was weakened, but no one could lift a single finger.
"I'm your savior… I took down the… Tyrant Government….I—"
"Skip." Zain appeared at the hall's entrance in Carl's disguise. He carried a Photon Disruptor RPG, which he had stolen from the treasury. "I didn't speedrun to hear an old bag's monologue."
Boooooom!!!
The massive ray flew out of the RPG. It struck Ultar in the chest. A beat later, Ultar's body mutated and exploded.
The shockwave forced everyone to lie low. Zain was almost thrown off his feet.
'Since when there was a recoil?'
He waved his arm to keep out the flying dust.
"Did… we win?" A raid party member asked.
Suddenly, a metallic tentacle shot through the dust, aiming for Zain.
"You… first archbishop… you betrayed me…I will take you with me…!"
The tentacle stopped before it reached Zain and fell. Hanna had sliced it.
"Why…why…" Ultar muttered. The dust cleared, showing his appearance to everyone. A few raid members retched.
The Cult Leader only had his head and chest remaining. His skin had melted. Blood and puss flowed down the gaps in his body.
"Hehe, why did I betray you?" Zain approached Ultar. "I want the first lady for myself. Why should I give her to you?"
"You… snake… who bites the hand… that fed it…"
Zain crushed Ultar's head, not letting him complete his words.
A black mass flew out of Ultar's remains. It had an eye. After staring at Zain for a few seconds, it disintegrated into smoke.
'Now, if they revive him, they'll think it was Carl's greed that led him to betray the Cult, and I shouldn't be implicated,' Zain thought.
He had been careful to end everything before Cult's reinforcement arrived.
[Mimicry Lvl.3 activated. The target has 3-star Talent. Conditions met. Skill [Soul Phasing] Lvl.5 has been successfully mimicked.]
[Mimicry Lvl.3 has entered a one-week cooldown.]
Zain copied Ultar's intangibility. He had to use Mimicry Lvl. 3 within 5 minutes of killing a target.
[Ding! You have become Rank 1 in the Iron Villain League! You have been awarded a [Gift Box](Iron Grade).]
[Bronze Villain League Promotion Quest generated.]
[Objective: Terrorize a planet with a population of 500 million or more]
[Rewards: [Gift Box](Bronze Grade), Promotion to Bronze Villain League.]
[Failure: None]
Zain raised an eyebrow. There was no penalty or time limit.
[User has spread his infamy throughout Planet Palvos.]
[Bronze Villain League Promotion Quest completed.]
[You have been promoted to Bronze Villain League.]
[[Animosity Convertor] Lvl.1 has been unlocked. User can now convert Animosity to Experience points.]
[Your infamy has started to spread out of your Planetary System. Work hard to join the true villains.]
Zain had completed the quest by coincidence.
He read the upcoming notification.
[User can open the [Gift Box] x 2 reward.]
[Would you like to open the rewards?]