First step Ahead

Noel narrowed his eyes at the masked man. "Hey, you. What's your name?"

The man hesitated before answering, "Yun Hao Vence..."

Noel's eyes widened. Vence? Could he be my relative?

His gaze shifted to the unbreakable mask. "This thing is high-grade equipment. I punched it so many times, yet it didn't break..."

Curious, he ordered, "Alright, put it back on."

As Yun Hao tried to put the mask on, a sudden surge of energy erupted—

BOOM!

The mask exploded in an instant, taking Yun Hao with it.

Noel barely managed to react, leaping backward just in time. Dust and debris flew around him as he coughed, watching the charred remains of what was once his newest subordinate.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and smirked. "Shuu... that was close. If I hadn't moved, I'd be dead too."

His devilish grin returned. "Looks like it's time to meet the Alliance Head."

Ding!

[One of your followers has died.]

Ding!

[You will receive a penalty.]

Noel glared at the system window, his eyes twitching in shock. "What… A penalty?!"

His devilish grin vanished. He had never considered what would happen if one of his followers died. Did that mean he could lose his rewards? His strength? Or worse… something even more unpredictable?

He clenched his fists, staring at the burning remains of Yun Hao. "Tch… what kind of messed-up rule is this?"

Ding...

[Find out who is responsible and punish them.]

[Exclusive Mission Reward: Unknown]

[Mission Failure Penalty: Unknown]

Noel's eyes narrowed as he read the notification. "An unknown reward... and an unknown penalty?"

His devilish grin returned. "Heh, things just got interesting."

Noel rummaged through the corpse, his eyes scanning the items with interest.

"Ahh... 32 silver coins, a dagger... Hah! This guy was planning a sneak attack on me? Too bad for him—I'm way beyond his imagination."

Then his hand paused.

"Whaaat... A gold coin?" He picked it up, rolling it between his fingers. "Tsk, a single gold coin is worth 150 silver... This masked guy was actually rich."

As he continued searching, his fingers touched something cold and metallic.

"Hmm? What's this... A badge?" Noel squinted at the insignia on it. "Interesting… I'll check this later."

He stood up, shaking off the dust from his tattered outfit. His once-luxurious appearance was now ruined.

"Tch, this bastard ruined my whole look and my mood." Noel smirked. "I better change… Otherwise, I might fail to execute my plan."

The next morning, in the hotel…

"Whaaat… What on earth happened to this room?!"

The waiter's face turned red with rage as he looked around at the wreckage. Broken furniture, shattered glass, and a completely wrecked bed lay before him.

"You fool! Do you know how expensive the furniture in this room is? How are you going to compensate for it, you shitty poor—"

Noel yawned, stretching lazily. "From which angle do I look poor?" He smirked. "I think I'll just go and complain to your superior."

The waiter burst into laughter. "Ha! You think my boss will believe a beggar like you? He will only believe me!"

Noel's smile widened. "Okay, I see… Just wait."

He turned and walked downstairs, heading straight to the manager's office.

A while later…

A fat man came running into the hall, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Hey, you brat, you're fired from now on!"

The waiter's face turned pale. "W-What?! But why?!"

The manager glared at him. "Because I said so."

Moments ago, in the manager's office…

"Who the hell are you barging in here without permission?!" The manager screamed. "Guards! Guards!"

But before anyone could act…

Shine.

Noel casually flipped a gold coin between his fingers.

The manager's lips shut instantly.

Back to the present…

The waiter stammered, confused. "W-What… VIP?"

The waiter said, "There's no chance for him to be a VIP, I know..."

Before he could finish his words, the manager came and slapped him in the face.

The waiter realized that there was no use in talking, so he ran and bowed in front of Noel. "Young mas—no... Lord! Please forgive me! I am begging for mercy!"

Noel looked down at the waiter with a smirk, crossing his arms. "Oh? Begging for mercy now? Weren't you the one calling me a 'shitty poor' just a moment ago?"

The waiter trembled, his forehead touching the floor. "I-I was blind, Lord! Please, just spare me this once!"

The manager glared at the waiter and barked, "Get lost! If you dare offend our VIP again, I'll make sure you never work in this city!"

The waiter nodded frantically and ran out as if his life depended on it.

Noel chuckled, flipping the golden coin in his hand. "Now, that's how it should be. Remember, always obey your lord."

With that, he turned and strolled out of the hotel, his next move already planned.

Noel smirked but quickly dismissed the idea. "I could make him my follower… but that's not the right move."

He crossed his arms, deep in thought. "If I keep collecting weaklings like this, I won't be able to manage them properly. And if someone kills one of them, it'll cause unnecessary trouble for me. In a world like this, killing is as easy as breathing."

With that realization, Noel sighed and walked away. "I need to be selective… only the truly useful ones deserve to serve me."

"But the main thing is..."

Noel took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing.

"There are still many things I don't know about this system…"

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a translucent window appeared before him.

[The waiter's hatred against you is 60]

Noel's smirk faded. His fingers twitched slightly as he stared at the message.

"So… it can even track this?"

For the first time, he realized—this system wasn't as simple as he thought.

Noel's lips curled into a devilish grin.

"Okay… for now, let's set this aside. I have some business to settle first."

At the rendezvous point where Noel had gathered his followers, he casually flipped the badge in his fingers.

"So, Ming, what is this badge?"

Ming took one look and gasped, his face turning pale.

"Th-this… this badge belongs to those who work directly under the Beggar Alliance Head!"

Noel's eyes gleamed with interest. "Oh? I see… then why would the Beggar Alliance Head want to kidnap me?"

Ming hesitated, gulping nervously. "B-boss… I think he found out that you're forcing beggars to submit to you."

Noel chuckled darkly, his fingers tightening around the badge.

"Hmm… I see. Then I guess it's time to conquer the Beggar Alliance."

After some time…

A deep voice echoed through the dimly lit hall.

"Hmm… I knew you would come. That loser couldn't possibly take you down. The moment I heard you were forcing beggars to submit to you, I realized—you're not the same as before. You've changed."

Jun-Mo, the Beggar Alliance Head, sat on his throne-like chair, his sharp eyes locked onto Noel.

Noel smirked. "What foolish things are you talking about, Jun-Mo? I didn't know a dead man could still speak."

Jun-Mo's expression darkened. "Hey, you brat! I am not dead!"

Noel's grin widened, his fingers tracing the edge of his sword. "Oh, you're not dead… but you won't be alive for much longer."