Chapter 6: Villain Points

Ding!

Host has stolen the protagonist's chance and gained 100 Villain Points!

Host has successfully snatched a destined one's opportunity. His luck has reduced!

Host has gained a small amount of luck.

Ding!

Condition met: System Store unlocked.

Kale stared at the glowing notifications thoughtfully. Then, a grin slowly spread across his face, as if unable to contain himself.

. "So I can earn Villain Points by wrecking their fate, huh? Interesting. Very interesting."

He clicked his tongue. "Still, the bigger question is... what can I do with these Villain Points?"

Ding!

Host can use Villain Points to purchase items from the System Store.

That made Kale freeze for a moment. "The System Store?" he muttered. Back when he'd first discovered his system, he'd tried opening the store panel several times, only to be greeted with failure. But now...

"So that's the trick. You need Villain Points to unlock it," Kale realized. He quickly pulled up the System Store interface, and What greeted him next made his jaw tighten.

SYSTEM STORETalent Upgrade Card: 1,000 PointsTalent Card: 10,000 PointsLuck Card: 10,000 PointsAvatar Body: 10,000 Points

Kale's eyes scanned the list, his breath hitching slightly. The items on display were enough to shake even someone as composed as him.

"Are you kidding me?" he muttered. "A Talent Upgrade Card for 1,000 points?! Talent Stones alone were considered priceless treasures in my past life, and those were just one-time-use items. But here... a card that upgrades talents directly?"

"This store... it's on a whole different level," Kale whispered, his mind racing.

"This... changes everything," Kale whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief and excitement.

For the first time in this new life, he allowed himself to dream bigger. Revenge against those who wronged him had always been his driving force, but now? That felt small. Insignificant.

"Why stop at revenge?" Kale muttered, his eyes blazing with ambition. "With this system, I can become the most powerful being on Earth. The top of the food chain. No... I'll build my own food chain!"

A low chuckle escaped his lips as he stared at the store. His plans were changing, evolving, with each new revelation the system brought.

But his thoughts soon turned to the protagonist, Asher, who was standing not too far away, talking with Iris.

"So... if taking the protagonist's chance gives me Villain Points, then what happens if I kill the guy outright?"

Kale's grin twisted into something colder as he considered the possibility.

Ding!

Warning: Host's luck value is currently lower than the protagonist's. If the host attempts to kill the protagonist directly, luck will backfire.

Kale froze at the notification, his grin disappearing. "...Backfire? How?"

The system didn't bother explaining further, but Kale had a vivid imagination. In his head, he pictured something absurd—a lightning bolt crashing down on him mid-attack, or zombies suddenly appearing out of thin air to stop him.

"Hah... I get it," Kale muttered, shaking his head. "Looks like I can't just outright kill the guy. Not yet, anyway."

Still, the system had left him a hint. He couldn't kill Asher right now, but if he could lower the guy's luck…

His eyes narrowed as he glanced at Asher again, this time with a calculating gaze. "All I need to do is chip away at his luck. Piece by piece. Until there's nothing left."

"Well, um..." Asher began, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I think I may have overreacted earlier. I shouldn't have said those things to you. So... sorry about that."

Kale raised an eyebrow. The apology was unexpected, but it made sense. Asher was the typical self-righteous protagonist—he wouldn't let personal grudges cloud his image of morality.

Before Kale could respond, Iris let out a small sigh of relief. "That's more like it," she said. "Now's not the time for petty arguments. The world's falling apart, and we need to stick together."

"Yes, yes, teamwork is key!" John chimed in, his voice dripping with nervous energy. He'd been clinging to the group like a parasite, desperate to avoid being left behind.

Kale smiled faintly, though inwardly he was laughing. "You're right. Cooperation is key," he said, his tone warm and agreeable. Of course, that's only because I can't let my Villain Points generator wander off just yet.

Asher and Iris seemed to take his words at face value, but Kale's thoughts were far from cooperative. He wasn't just planning to use Asher—he was going to milk the protagonist dry.

"Every step you take, every chance you grab, I'll be there to snatch it away," Kale thought, his smile turning cold. "And when your luck is gone... I'll personally send you to hell."

The group began their search for survivors—though to Kale, it felt more like an excuse to waste time. The suggestion came from Iris, and for reasons that eluded him, Kale didn't object perhaps because he found her presence... beneficial.

Sparkle of hope in her voice. Or maybe it was just her special trait.

"Hey, Kale." Iris broke the silence as she walked beside him. "How are you so good at fighting? Did you secretly train in martial arts or something? How come I never knew about this side of you?"

Her curiosity seemed endless, and Kale raised a brow at her persistence. Her rapid-fire questions might've annoyed him in the past, but now he just found it amusing. The way she clung to him felt less like genuine camaraderie and more like the result of the chaos surrounding them.

As a strong-willed girl, Iris had held up well so far. But now? She looked to Kale as her anchor. Whether it was his calm demeanor, overwhelming strength, or the lingering sense of familiarity from being neighbors, she'd decided he was someone she could rely on.

Kale glanced at her, noticing the faint blush on her cheeks as she waited for his response. He handed her his sword without hesitation, though he grinned inwardly. It's definitely not because she's got that dazzling beauty with a facial score above 90, he thought sarcastically. No, no, it's purely because of her 'Lucky Girl' trait.

John, always the cautious one, shot a nervous glance at Kale before looking away. It was clear he didn't like Iris getting close to Kale, but after seeing Kale wipe out more than twenty zombies without breaking a sweat, John had decided to prioritize his survival over his opinions.

On the other hand, Asher, the ever-righteous protagonist, couldn't hide his feelings. His clenched fists and forced smile said it all. He'd taken a liking to Iris, but her attention was completely fixated on Kale.

Unable to hold back, Asher cleared his throat and stepped closer. "Kale," he began, forcing a smile, "since we're working together now, can you explain what those crystal cores are? Oh, and the gem Iris gave you earlier—what's it for?"

"That?" Kale said, his voice calm. "Well, I don't know much about it either. After killing some zombies, I got a notification saying I was the first to kill a hundred. The system gave me some basic info." He paused for dramatic effect, letting their curiosity build.

"As for the gem Iris gave me... That's a Talent Stone," Kale added, his tone casual. "The system said it's used to unlock or enhance talents."

Both Iris and Asher blinked, clearly processing the information. Kale smirked internally. He'd rehearsed this explanation in his head countless times—it was vague enough to dodge deeper questions while sounding believable.

"Wait... you killed a hundred zombies?!" Iris exclaimed, her jaw practically hitting the floor. "That's insane!"

Asher, however, felt like he'd just stabbed himself in the foot. His attempt to steer the conversation had only made Kale look even more impressive.

Ding! The protagonist's future partner has a favorable impression of you. The protagonist's luck has decreased.

Ding!

Your luck has increased.

Kale's smile froze for a moment as the notifications popped up. Then it widened into something far more sinister. Wait, this works too? Just by getting on her good side, I can reduce his luck.

He glanced at Asher, who was visibly seething but trying to hide it. Kale's mind raced with possibilities.

"So... all I have to do is make the protagonist's love interest like me no it must be when he feels hateful or angry?" he thought, holding back a laugh. This is going to be easier than I thought.

"Well," Kale said aloud, turning back to the group. "Now that we've cleared that up, let's focus on finding survivors." His tone was warm and friendly—completely masking the cold calculation running through his mind.

Iris nodded eagerly, still clutching his sword like it was a prize. "Yeah, you're right! We should work together to save as many people as we can."

"Teamwork is key," John muttered nervously, more to himself than anyone else.

Asher, on the other hand, remained quiet, his jaw tight. He tried to shake off the growing unease gnawing at him. But deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about Kale.

Kale, meanwhile, was practically humming with satisfaction. His plan was falling into place perfectly.