Fearing being caught, Raziel pushed himself to move faster, but he was already at his limit
Suddenly, a strange shadow appeared on the ground. When Raziel looked up, he saw a large white wolf with patches of red fur.
The wolf, which seemed to be floating in the air, landed right in front of him, flashing its bright, sharp teeth. The sight made Raziel freeze in place, his body paralyzed with fear.
Raziel tried to remember how to cast a spell, but the only one he recalled wasn't nearly efficient enough to take down such a beast.
He cursed his bad luck and could only pray to get out of the situation unharmed.
"It seems we can have a little chat now," a sarcastic voice came from behind, making him turn to face Anya, who wore a creepy smile.
"W-what do you want with me?" Raziel asked, stammering slightly.
Anya didn't respond right away. Instead, she moved slowly toward the nervous boy, her face holding a hint of amusement as she observed his unease.
When she was just inches away from him, Anya leaned in and whispered in his ear, her smile playful yet teasing, "I just want to know how much you know, dear."
His body shivered at her chilling voice, and he gulped while sweat poured down his face.
"I don't kn—"
"Shut up! I'm the one who's going to ask the questions here!" Anya interrupted, shouting in anger.
Raziel could sense she wasn't pretending anymore, and that was a dangerous sign. Every time Anya revealed her true self, death often turned out to be the kindest outcome.
Moreover, the first person to see that side of her should have been another minor villain, not him.
"I know you're already aware of this side of mine, but... I don't know how. We've never interacted before, and I'm sure no one aside from my summon knows about it. So tell me, how did you find out?" She asked curiously, taking a few steps back as she waited for his response.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about!" Raziel exclaimed, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
The girl, after hearing his answer, let out a sarcastic laugh, making it clear she didn't believe him in the slightest.
A casual liar like him could never compete with a professional like her.
Anya could easily tell this was a lie and then said in a chilling way, "If you lie to me again, I'll rip off your tool and make you eat it, then let my dear pet devour your body."
It seemed like an empty threat, but Raziel knew better. This girl was more than capable of killing him and making it seem like his own fault.
Without any witnesses, her word would be hard to refute.
"O-okay, I'll tell the truth... I do know some things about you, but the way I found out, you wouldn't believe it," he said, choosing to tell her what she wanted in order to buy time and think of a way to escape.
He could see Anya giving him a suspicious look, trying to identify if he was lying.
She then walked to his side and said in a sweet tone, "Oh~ interesting. Even if I don't believe you, I want to know. But first, tell me, what do you know about me? And ah, the earlier condition is still valid, so be careful~"
Seeing himself once again with no way out, Raziel sighed and began telling her everything he knew about her, only omitting future events, since it wouldn't be a lie if they hadn't happened yet.
The moment he started revealing secretive information that no one should know, Raziel saw Anya's smug expression vanish, quickly replaced by one of complete astonishment.
Anya started to sweat a little, as for some reason, he even knew about the death of her older brother.
This was something no one should have known, and she was sure of it.
"Y-you... h-how do you know about all that? There are things no one should ever know! No... I can't let you live any longer. You're too dangerous," Anya said, her expression turning wild as she made up her mind to end him.
"I-if you kill me, m-my family will never let you go," Raziel stammered, taking a few steps back in fear.
"Hahaha, oh really? And who's going to know it was me? Even if they do, I'm very good at making up stories, like self-defense against a rapist."
As she finished speaking, her body began to glow with a faint white light. This was Synchronization, a technique that allowed a person to enhance their body with the most powerful attributes of their contracted beast.
Anya's Synchronization allowed her to enhance agility, dexterity, and strength, which was highly impressive for a young summoner.
The pink-haired girl prepared to deliver a fatal blow; however, she noticed a slight smile forming on Raziel's lips.
She didn't understand why he was doing it and thought maybe he had just lost his mind in the face of certain death.
"Before you kill me, please look at this," Raziel said, retrieving a dark blue-colored stone from his pocket, glowing faintly.
Instantly, Anya froze, recognizing what he was holding. Not only that, but it was something she never expected him to have.
"No... no, no, no! Why do you have that with you?!" Anya asked desperately, her eyes locked on the transmitter stone in his hand.
A transmitter stone was a type of magic stone enchanted with audio recording magic. When synchronized with another transmitter stone of the same mana frequency, it could transfer the content to each other.
The deeper the blue, the farther it could reach, with some of the more expensive ones possesing a video function.
People often used these stones to record important things like spells or happy moments, while others used them for more nefarious purposes.
Anya quickly identified the one in his hand as a high-grade transmitter stone, recognizing it because she herself possessed some, which she used for blackmail.
"Yeah, I've recorded you trying to kill me and confirming everything I said about you. So, are you still going to kill me? Just know my maid has already received the evidence. Go ahead, try to kill me now!" Raziel taunted with a wicked smile, feigning confidence.
Fortunately, a minute earlier, Raziel remembered that he had bought a transmitter stone from home to practice magic. The one in his hand contained records, detailing the proper recitations and actions for using earth spells.
He had found it abandoned in his personal safe a day ago while rummaging through the room.
Who would have thought it would end up saving his life later?
"You! Grr... How could an idiot like you pull off something like that? I can't believe it!" Anya shouted angrily, halting her Synchronization, which caused the white light surrounding her to vanish.
For the first time, someone had the advantage over her, and it gave her a horrible feeling. Not only that, but the person who did it was the last person she could have expected.
Seeing that Anya believed his bluff, Raziel breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Look, crazy woman. I'm not interested in getting in your way, but—"
"But what? I know too well what you want! That smile on your face... I can already guess what you're after, beast," Anya interrupted Raziel with a disgusted expression.
Upon hearing her accusation, Raziel's face twisted with frustration.
"What are you talking about, you delusional woman? Do you really think I'd play that kind of blackmail game? Don't worry, I'll never even think of getting involved with a crazy bitch like you!"
When Anya heard it, her jaw dropped in disbelief and shock. Unlike the fake disgust she had displayed earlier, Raziel's expression was genuine, making it clear that he truly despised her that much.
Most guys in his position would have already tried to do something to her. But this instant "rejection" somehow felt more irritating than being outsmarted.
"Then what do you want? I'm sure that with how much you know about me, there's at least one demand, right?" she asked in an angry, cold voice.
"Well, if you had never approached me, I would've let it slide and pretended I didn't know anything. But now, I ask for just one thing: don't ever come near me again," Raziel said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Once again, Raziel surprised Anya, leaving her completely baffled. In her eyes, he was becoming more unpredictable with each passing moment.
He had such a perfect opportunity to control her, and yet he demanded distance? It made her feel like a terrible monster, the kind of person everyone would want to avoid at all costs.
Which was partially true.
Still, as someone who prided herself on being ten steps ahead of everyone, Raziel's demand cut deep into her ego, leaving the pink-haired girl both furious and strangely curious.
She dismissed her summon and walked past Raziel, who swallowed hard. Her expressionless face was far more chilling in person than it had been in the game.
Anya, still facing away from him, said, "So this is what you want, right? I understand."
After saying that, she walked away, and Raziel watched in silence. As soon as she disappeared from view, a deep sense of relief washed over him.
This had been a close call, caused by his own stupidity. Anya would have shown no mercy if she had realized he was bluffing.
While Raziel wiped the sweat from his forehead, a sudden feminine mechanical voice echoed in his head.
[Ding!]
[The system detected several important changes to the plot.]
[A reward will be delivered in a moment...]
Suddenly, a light red floating panel appeared before him, displaying several messages. Raziel was utterly confused as to why the system decided to show up now.
He was certain the system was angry, and now it had shown up again out of the blue.
"Hey, system, didn't I say I don't want to use you?" Raziel said, staring at the floating screen.
[Reward transferred. Congratulations!]
[Aura Control Level 1: Allows the host to utilize aura at a basic level. The skill level will increase with consistent training, unlocking advanced techniques and greater control over aura.]
[Assimilation will start in 3... 2... 1...]
"Wait, System. What do you mean by th—Aaaaargh!!!" Raziel's question turned into a scream as excruciating pain surged through his body, leaving him unable to finish his sentence.
Raziel fell to the ground, convulsing as unbearable pain wracked his body. His heart throbbed violently, and his veins seemed to carry liquid fire, scorching him from the inside.
Every inch of him was consumed by the excruciating agony.
[Don't worry, host, this is for your own good~]
Before Raziel succumbed to the overwhelming pain, he managed to shout, "Fuck you, system! Fuck y— Aaaargh!"
* * *
A few hours later, lying on a bed in the school infirmary, Raziel opened his eyes and sat up. His body ached slightly, but thankfully, the unbearable pain from before had subsided.
When Raziel looked around, he realized this wasn't the place where he had passed out.
The room had several beds arranged in rows, and some students were lying in them with large golden orbs floating above their heads.
A similar golden orb floated above his head as well, but the moment he stepped out of the bed, it vanished.
"Hey, student, don't get up yet, Uaah... I don't want more work." Suddenly, a lazy, soothing voice called out from above, followed by a soft yawn.
The moment Raziel turned his gaze toward the voice, a bright white silhouette appeared above him.
In seconds, the silhouette shifted, taking on a curvaceous form before fully materializing into a living woman.
She was very beautiful, with cascading green hair and dressed in an all-white dress that complemented her oversized witch hat. The woman wore golden round glasses, and though her eyes were closed, she radiated an aura of serene beauty.
Her flawless, ethereal white skin and elegant curves, which flowed effortlessly from her slender waist to her gently rounded hips, mesmerized Raziel.
It was as if he were in the presence of a goddess.
"Go back to bed. I'll let you go tomorrow," the floating woman said, then raised her dark wooden wand.
Her wand began to glow with a soft, translucent green light as she recited, her voice trailing off with a yawn in the middle, "Spirit of Good Deeds, Uaah... put this kid to sleep."
As soon as she finished speaking, a green circle materialized above Raziel's head, spinning before solidifying into a glowing orb. With a sudden flash, it shot toward him and entered his forehead, sinking into his mind.
However, just as his eyes began to close, the magic was abruptly annulled, causing Raziel to snap awake. The woman, noticing her spell fail, became visibly intrigued.
Raziel knew exactly what she intended to do, but it didn't irritate him. He was aware of her identity and personality all too well.
The woman floating above was none other than Alizze Marsheil, a sub-heroine and renowned figure known as the Lazy Saint.
Alizze was a well-known figure across the Éden continent, admired for her breathtaking beauty and her mastery of both healing and destructive magic.
Her unique blend of talents had earned her the position of one of the Gravantia Empire's most powerful offensive healers.
On her own, she could likely clear Medium-Level monster zones, a feat that was rare even for the most skilled offensive healers to accomplish. What made it even more surprising was that she was completely blind in both eyes.
This was the result of a mysterious curse that no one could break. However, she never minded it, as her mastery over light magic more than compensated for the loss of sight.
She despised venturing into the monster zones, preferring instead to stay at Rivery Academy, where she managed the infirmary and occasionally taught lessons.
However, Raziel knew this was a lie. In truth, Alizze didn't like hard work. She'd only agreed to take on the role at Rivery Academy to appease her family.
Most of her time was spent reading novels, eating, or sleeping, which earned her the title of "Lazy Saint."
Coincidentally, they both shared a very similar mindset, which made Alizze his favorite heroine in the game.
And on top of that, Raziel had a particular fondness for girls with glasses, even though Alizze didn't really need them.
"How did you do this?" Alizze asked, curious.
Raziel didn't know either and just shrugged.
The woman fell silent for a moment before saying, "What a pity you don't know. Uaah... Well, you seem to be better, so you can go now. I have work to do."
As she said it, her body started to fade away. Raziel knew she didn't care and understood what "work" meant for her.
She would probably go back to sleep again.