Devils Meal

Before this i have to do something about it

[You have five hours to pay your debt.]

The system notification floated before Noel's eyes, a cold reminder of his situation.

"Ahh… this is a pain in the ass," he muttered, rubbing his temples. He had to act fast—failure to pay would likely result in a punishment far worse than just losing money.

Noel's eyes scanned the restaurant. His gaze landed on a young waiter, busy serving customers.

"Hey, you," Noel called out, raising his hand. "Come with me. I'll give you a good tip."

The waiter blinked in surprise before nodding eagerly. "O-Of course, sir!"

The moment they stepped into the secluded alley—

BAM!

Noel's fist slammed into the waiter's gut. The man staggered back, coughing up blood.

"S-Sir… why are you hitting me?!" he gasped.

Noel didn't answer. He grabbed the waiter by the collar and drove his knee into his ribs.

CRACK!

The sound of breaking bone echoed in the alley. The waiter collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Do you want to live?" Noel asked, his voice calm but cold.

The waiter clutched his stomach, trembling. "W-What do you mean…?"

Noel crouched down, meeting his eyes. "Become my slave, or die."

Fear filled the man's face. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then shut it again.

"Three seconds," Noel said. "Three… two…"

"I SUBMIT!" the waiter shouted, his whole body shaking. "Please… don't kill me!"

[Ding!]

[You have successfully enslaved a low-level mortal.]

[Reward: 120 silver coins, 30 EXP.]

Noel felt the weight of the coins appear in his inventory. The EXP gain wasn't bad either. Since the waiter had a higher status than a beggar, the reward was better.

The man remained on the ground, his face pale, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Noel stood up, adjusting his sleeves. "Good. Now get lost."

Without hesitation, the waiter scrambled away, disappearing into the darkness.

"Phew… finally, the debt is over," Noel muttered, exhaling deeply. The weight on his shoulders had finally lifted.

But just as he allowed himself to relax—

Ding!

A system notification appeared before his eyes.

[You must avenge your follower, Yun Hao Vence, within one month.]

[Exclusive Mission Reward: ???]

[Mission Failure Penalty: ???]

Noel's face darkened. "Tch… what now?"

Again? He scowled. I already paid 1,000 silver coins as a penalty…

Then, as if a switch had flipped, a devilish smile spread across his face.

"One month, huh? That's more than enough."

The Masked Man had already caused him enough trouble. Now, the system was making it personal.

The next day…

In a secluded, abandoned courtyard—where Noel had once deceived them into becoming his followers—the group gathered, their faces tense with anticipation.

Noel leaned against a cracked pillar, arms crossed, a subtle smirk on his face. "I've decided on my next move," he said, his tone casual. "I'm going to marry the City Lord's daughter."

A stunned silence filled the air. Then—

"Boss, are you out of your mind?!" Ming exclaimed, his face pale with disbelief.

Noel chuckled. "What? You know what comes after this—money and more money."

Ming clenched his fists. "Boss… don't you know? If the City Lord deems you unworthy, he'll execute you!"

Noel's smirk faded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he locked gaze with Ming. "So… you're saying I'm not worthy?"

"N-No, Boss! That's not what I meant!" Ming stammered, panic creeping into his voice.

Noel took a step closer, his expression turning more serious. "Then what exactly do you mean? Do you have a plan to protect me from Junmo? This is my last chance."

Ming fell silent, unable to respond.

Noel exhaled slowly, his lips curling into a mischievous smile. Ha… ha… ha…

But in his mind, Noel was already thinking ahead. Junmo was just an excuse. The real question was what he would do next.

Noel stood tall, eyes scanning the small group of followers gathered in the quiet, secluded courtyard. There were only seven of them, but he had plans for the future.

"Before we continue," Noel said, his voice cutting through the silence, "there's something I need to announce. From now on, this place will be our official meeting spot. I'm naming it… Lan of Noel."

The group fell silent, exchanging confused glances. What kind of name is that? they thought, but no one dared voice their doubts. After a brief pause, they nodded and murmured in unison,

"Yeah, Boss… it's a great name."

Noel saw through their forced enthusiasm. They're just trying to please me. But Noel wasn't fooled. He knew that if the time came, most of them would turn on him without a second thought.

Still, there were exceptions. Ming and Lan.

[The Loyalty of Ming: 100%]

[The Loyalty of Lan: 93%]

Noel glanced at the loyalty ratings in his system, the hidden feature only he could see. Ming and Lan are truly loyal to me. The others? Their loyalty is less than 20%.

He couldn't help but smile. They may be loyal now, but it won't last forever. I'll make sure of it.

Noel stood before his followers, his voice firm yet casual. "Alright, everyone. Go find the City Lord's daughter. Once you locate her, let me know. I'm going to take a bath."

His followers nodded and quickly scattered to follow his orders.

Noel made his way to a clothing shop, where he purchased more expensive clothes—garments that would help him present a polished, handsome image. A few accessories here and there, all designed to enhance his appearance. He was going to trick the City Lord's daughter, and he needed to look the part.

Once he had everything he needed, he headed to the bathhouse.

As the warm water soothed his body, Noel emerged from the bath looking completely transformed. His hair was slicked back, and his face was radiant with a clean, sharp look. His clothes, tailored to perfection, only added to his refined appearance. He looked every bit the handsome, noble man he needed to be for his plan to succeed.

After some time, Bao arrived, panting slightly.

"Boss, I saw her," Bao said. "She's in the market, doing her usual… dumb acts."

A devilish smile curved Noel's lips as he turned toward Bao. "I think I'll get a nice 'meal' today."

He was ready to put his plan into motion...