Ch.57 : Viona's problem

After their date, Nic walked Yui home safely. The girl looked genuinely happy, still wearing a shy smile as she waved goodbye at her front door. Once he saw her go inside, Nic turned around and headed home.

When he got back to his house, Nic went straight to his room. His body felt a little tired after spending the whole day out with Yui.

As he laid down on his bed, a familiar voice echoed in his head.

[Congratulations, Master Nic! You've successfully completed your fourth date with one of your girlfriends!]

Nic gave a small grin.

[As a reward, I'll grant you a new passive ability: "Pain Immunity"!]

"Whoa, explain how it works."

[This passive will automatically activate to nullify any pain you feel when experiencing moderately dangerous physical injuries. So in dangerous situations, you won't feel pain at all. However, you'll still feel pain from harmless or non-serious things.]

Nic went quiet for a moment, then his grin widened. "So basically, I won't need to worry about getting hurt when fighting dangerous enemies. Kinda like Jenny's skill but upgraded and automatic."

[Technically, yes. But I must remind you—this passive only removes the pain, not the actual damage. It doesn't heal you or give you regeneration. If your body is critically injured, you can still die!]

Nic let out a short laugh. "Yeah, yeah. I'm not stupid enough to let myself get wrecked."

[Good. Since you understand, I suggest you rest now. Your body is pretty tired after today's activities.]

Nic yawned and nodded. "Yeah, you're right… Alright, I'm going to sleep. Night, Zeta."

Without another thought, Nic closed his eyes and quickly drifted off into a deep sleep after a long day.

---

The Next Morning

Nic was still fast asleep when suddenly—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

He groaned and squirmed under the blanket. "Ugh… Who the hell is knocking this early…?"

The sky was still dark, with the sun barely rising. Still half-asleep, Nic dragged himself out of bed and shuffled lazily toward the front door.

When he opened it, a woman with long black hair stood there, slightly shivering from the cold.

"Viona?" Nic blinked, confused to see the doctor at his doorstep this early.

Without waiting for permission, Viona walked in and sat on the couch, hugging herself for warmth.

Nic scratched his messy hair. "Uh, what's going on? Why're you here this early?"

Viona sighed, clearly annoyed. "I got kicked out of my apartment."

That made Nic instantly snap out of his grogginess. "Huh!? Kicked out? Why?!"

She leaned back against the couch and explained, "I told the landlord I'd pay tomorrow because that's when the hospital transfers my salary. But he didn't care and threw me out anyway."

Hearing that, Nic clapped his hands with a proud look on his face. "Oh, speaking of hospitals… congrats on officially becoming a doctor here!"

Viona rolled her eyes and glared at him. "Nic… I just said I got kicked out, and your response is to clap?!"

Nic just chuckled. "Sorry, reflex. But seriously, that's awesome."

She sighed again but eventually smiled a little. "Yeah, yeah… But I still don't have a place to stay."

Nic nodded. "So what about your stuff?"

Viona scoffed. "Still there. I stormed out in anger because the landlord wouldn't let me back in to grab my things."

Nic let out a deep sigh. "You really should've found a better place."

Viona leaned in, her face just inches from his. "Better places are expensive, genius!"

Nic simply smiled. "Relax. Since I'm a nice guy—and you're also my girlfriend now—I'll handle your housing situation."

She blinked, caught off guard by his words. "Wait, are you serious?"

Nic flicked her forehead with his finger. "Stop talking. First, let's go see your landlord. I'm gonna teach that guy a little lesson."

Viona laughed nervously. "Wait—are you serious? Listen, the reason I didn't fight back was because my landlord is scary! The guy's huge!"

Nic gave her a calm but slightly smug look. "Are you done whining?"

Viona sighed and glared at him, then started lightly hitting his arm out of frustration. "You're so annoying!"

Nic laughed and waited for her to get ready. After a few minutes, they headed out toward her apartment to settle the issue.

---

When they arrived, the hallway was quiet, their footsteps echoing against the floor. As they reached Viona's door, her brows furrowed. The door was wide open.

"Why's it open…?" she murmured, rushing inside.

The moment she entered, she froze. Her landlord—a tall, bulky man with a scary face—was rummaging through her closet, as if looking for something.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Viona shouted.

The man turned, clearly irritated. "Huh!? Why're you back? You here to pay up? If not, then scram!"

Nic stepped calmly into the room, his expression unreadable. He walked slowly toward the man, each step carrying weight and purpose.

"I'll ask once," Nic said in a low, cold tone. "What are you doing in my girlfriend's room?"

The man straightened up, using his large frame to intimidate Nic. He sneered as he looked down at him. "This is *my* apartment. I can do whatever I want—especially since she didn't pay. So I have every right—"

Before he could finish, Nic tilted his head up, locking eyes with him. His sharp gaze pierced through the man like a blade. Instantly, the air in the room turned icy cold. Skill: God of Intimidation, Activated.

"I'll repeat myself." Nic's voice dropped to a whisper that sounded like death itself. "What are you doing in my girlfriend's room?"

The man froze. It was like something invisible was grabbing the back of his neck, choking him. He started trembling. In Nic's eyes, he could see only one word reflecting in his mind: DEATH.

Viona watched, stunned. Why did her landlord suddenly look so terrified? Just moments ago, he was so arrogant.

The man dropped to his knees, trembling, sweat pouring down his face. "I-I… I was just trying to get her clothes… I-I…"

Before he could finish, Nic raised his foot and kicked him square in the face.

BUGH!

The man flew backward, slamming against the wall with a loud crash. He groaned in pain, holding his now-bleeding face.

"Please! Don't kill me! I'm sorry!" he cried, completely broken. His whole body shook as if he were standing before the Grim Reaper himself.

Nic remained still, expressionless. Deep down, even he was surprised by how powerful the God of Intimidation skill was. It made even a guy like that tremble like a baby.

He turned to Viona, who stood frozen, clearly shocked at how easily Nic handled everything.

"Pack your stuff," Nic ordered flatly. "I'll find you a new place."

Viona gulped and quickly moved, packing her belongings into a suitcase with trembling hands. She didn't know what to say. The Nic she saw just now felt like a completely different person.

---

At Mira's House

Mira was sitting in her little garden, playing with her pets. Her smile was soft as always, enjoying the calm of the morning.

But her peace was interrupted by the arrival of a young man. He had short brown hair and a somewhat anxious expression.

"Mira," he called.

She turned and smiled. She recognized him—Willy, her childhood friend.

Willy looked around, his eyes widening at the mountain of pet food nearby. He frowned. "Where'd all this food come from? What are you doing for work now?"

Mira shook her head, then grabbed a notepad and pen. She scribbled something and handed it to him.

"It's from Nic. He brought it a few days ago."

Willy read the note, and something twisted in his chest—jealousy.

*Nic? Who the hell is Nic? Since when did Mira start trusting other people? She's always been independent and cautious. And now she's accepting help from someone she barely knows?*

"Don't trust strangers so easily, Mira!" he snapped. "What if he's got some hidden agenda?!"

Mira shook her head and wrote another message.

"I believe Nic is a good person. You don't have to worry."

Willy stared at the note, shocked and a bit irritated. Mira never trusted people easily—so why now?

Inside, he began to wonder if Mira was being blinded by money.

He clenched his fists. "Is he coming again?"

Mira nodded and wrote another note.

"This evening. Nic said he wants to come play with the animals again."

Willy tightened his fists. "Fine. I'll stay here with you. I want to see this guy for myself."

Mira just gave a small smile and said nothing more.

To be continued...