Chapter 8

### Chapter 8: Stealing the Hero's Woman (7)

-[Hand Technique LV 555]-

Rustle, rustle. (XX: Indeed, the one who satisfied me. I thought it wasn't an ordinary guy. It was a universe-level hand job.)

Shut up….

"Armonia."

[Yes.]

"Is level 555 a significant value?"

[Since I've never seen it, I can't estimate, but the rule among the agents is to keep the protagonists' talents below 300, no matter what. There can be exceptions, though….]

"Why 300?"

[If the skill level exceeds 300, it could grow to a point where even the agents can't control it.]

According to Armonia, if the level exceeds 300, one can create items capable of dimensional travel, sword skills that can tear through space, or magic power that can destroy planets, posing a threat to the agents.

However, the real problem is that if an uncontrolled protagonist needs to be eliminated, it would result in significant losses.

The amount of Enel required to raise someone to level 300 is beyond imagination.

It's said that the Enel collected from a planet would be far from enough.

Ultimately, the situation where the amount used exceeds the amount collected means no agent would raise someone to that level.

"Then, what about me…."

[I apologize, but I don't know what's happening…. However,]

"Hmm?"

[Now I understand why the Enel I spent brought the Guardian.]

"Oh, you offered it to a god to call me?"

[Yes, but it wasn't just a simple call.]

"How?"

[…I drew a card.]

"…."

Seriously, a gacha?

According to Armonia, after offering Enel to the god, I was told to draw one card out of ten.

# Adapted scene from the Guardian's explanation

"O God! I beseech you to grant me the talent I desire!"

(Here are ten cards~ Draw one~)

"Cards, you say?"

(One EX, four A, four C, and one F~)

"Just an A…."

(Then don't draw~ I'm leaving~)

"No, no! I'll draw! This one~!"

..

..

(Congratulations~ It's an EX~)

"Ahaha! This is why I do gacha!!!"

- Back to the present -

Anyway….

"Jackpot. I'm an EX…. But isn't this a big problem?"

[What part are you referring to?]

"If my hand technique is level 555, it means I can make all women go crazy like this. Then, the story won't progress at all…."

Well, if my hand technique is this good, it could make women go crazy, but I really don't like this cheat key….

Anyway, a high level means everything is good.

But, the others being all level 1 is too extreme….

"But the others are all level 1, and only this one is like this?"

[How one can reach such a level is a mystery to me, especially by personal effort….]

"Hmm…. Let's put aside the unknown for now. We can figure it out after this is over."

[That's a wise decision.]

I looked at the sleeping Viola for a long time.

Viola, who had fainted from my hand technique, was now breathing deeply and sleeping soundly.

I lay down next to her and used her arm as a pillow.

I kissed the sleeping Viola.

"Hmm… Chu… Hic…"

Even though she was asleep, she immediately responded to the kiss.

Perhaps because of her sexual nature, she started to turn her face toward me while sleeping.

"Chu, Haa, more…. Chu."

As I continued kissing, her face turned red and she became more excited.

When I stopped kissing, she calmed down again.

"Hmm…."

"Armonia, I'm going to sleep. If Viola wakes up, wake me up too."

[Understood.]

***

I woke up to Armonia's voice.

Through the blurry vision, I saw a woman's face.

Viola, with her rabbit eyes, was looking at me.

Viola looked at me and spoke.

"Where are we?"

"Ah, you fainted yesterday, so I brought you to my bed."

"Oh…. I'm sorry!"

I wondered why she was apologizing, but she was sorry for the trouble of bringing her here.

"I'm sorry…. Because of me…."

She's an angel.

I'll corrupt her into a fallen angel, keke.

"What are you talking about? It's natural for a couple."

"R-Really?"

"Of course, and when that happens, you don't say sorry. You do this."

"Hic!"

I gave Viola a passionate kiss and sent her back home.

***

After Viola left, I went to see the old woman early in the morning.

"Are you there?"

"Go away, I'm not here."

"…."

Damn….

I'm not angry, just annoyed.

The old woman, without showing her face, ordered me to leave from her small hut.

We need to have a conversation to start anything.

I decided to bring up the topic I overheard at the village meeting.

"I came to ask about the hero."

"…."

"And about your son."

"…What?"

There was a clear reaction.

The old woman, with countless wrinkles on her forehead, came out of the hut.

"Who are you?"

"I'm from across the desert."

"Don't give me that. Who are you to know about my son?"

"…."

I added a lie to my explanation.

I said I was sent in secret to uncover the hero's secrets.

There was no other way to get the old woman to reveal her secrets.

I decided to use her trait [Revengeful].

"Believe that…."

"And…."

"?"

"I came to avenge my family."

"!"

The old woman looked at me with surprise.

Armonia communicated through the link.

After thinking for a few minutes, the old woman, as if making a decision, looked at me and spoke.

"That guy killed my son…."

"But the villagers say your son did something wrong…."

"No! My son wasn't that kind of person!"

She wasn't angry at me, but defending her son.

The old woman told me about the incident 20 years ago.

She explained that the village was located on the desert side at the time.

Although there were fewer monsters on the desert side, they weren't nonexistent.

The villagers managed to survive by working together, but suddenly the number of monsters started to decrease.

"But it turned out to be thanks to a little settler boy…."

"That boy…."

"The one who now calls himself the hero."

"Oh, he wasn't from here?"

"Everyone knew him for a long time, so they might not think it's much different."

A human who slaughtered monsters like insects at the age of 8.

That human was born as a settler.

He accidentally met the villagers and started to exchange food for monster hunting.

"Then, I found out he had a family. I heard he lived with his sister."

"…."

"My son felt sorry for them and brought them food…."

After that, her son was found dead, and the hero, who came to the village, said something outrageous.

He threatened to kill anyone who came near his sister.

"My son wasn't trying to do anything strange! He felt sorry for them, but that dog…."

She explained that due to the villagers' persuasion, nothing could be done, and time passed.

The hero continued to grow and eventually became famous enough to be summoned to the palace.

She also mentioned that this village was established because the hero couldn't always bring his sister with him.

"During this process, a few people died and a few left…. And the lord, who benefited from the hero, silenced everyone…."

"Um, just to confirm, your son really had no such intentions, right?"

"Are you serious? He was carrying food to give to the kids? And a 3-4 year old girl?"

"Ah, that's clear. Then, do you have any evidence about the men who died later?"

"I don't know. But…."

"?"

"The village chief might know something."

Good information.

'Should I trick him too?'

[Personally, I don't recommend it.]

'Why?'

[If you investigate the village thoroughly, you'll be suspected. You might even lose the chance to meet Viola.]

'You're right….'

Still, I got a summary of the information.

The hero is a crazy, psycho, and a complete jerk.

***

Today, I hung out with the women near Viola's house as usual.

And there was a change in me.

"What's my future like!?"

"According to the palm reading, you'll meet a good match outside the village soon."

"Hehehe, what about inside?"

"Hahaha, if there's a handsome man in this village, I don't know, but it's just me. I don't think so."

"What are you saying? Mr. Suho is so handsome… Maybe we can…"

"Move aside now? There are others waiting."

"Damn…."

The real women standing in line.

Until yesterday, I had zero affection from them.

But after starting a physical relationship with Viola, a lot changed.

My perspective on women changed significantly.

'Wow, when I look closely, they're all pretty good…'

[It's fortunate that the negative aspects seem to have disappeared in the next request.]

'Still, I don't want to suffer for these women…'

Despite always shouting about otome games and 2D, I found myself enjoying real women.

But….

"Hmm. Finally, it's my turn. When will the drinks be ready?"

"Hahaha… Soon."

Shihulk was still Shihulk.

'How can a palm be as big as my face…. If I use this hand to squeeze my face, it would turn into tofu?'

[That's not the case. It would be more like an orange, not tofu.]

'…'

Just imagining it is scary….

Still, according to the old woman, he was a decent person who occasionally visited and talked.

And I still remember the old woman's last words.

- You should get married, it suits you.

-….

'I'll get revenge…. How dare you say such mean things to me?'

[…But I'm worried.]

'About what?'

[Last time, I piqued Viola's interest by offering to read her palm, but now that we're dating, won't she be upset?]

'No way… She should be jealous, not upset. I'm not doing this to make her upset.'

[Then isn't it a side effect?]

'You'll see tonight. Hehe.'

***

As evening came, Viola found me as usual.

I was sitting in the bushes with Viola, holding her hand and quietly looking at the moon.

But Viola's expression was different from yesterday.

She didn't look at me directly and spoke.

"…Did you read palms again today?"

"Yep. Ah! Do you want me to read yours again?"

"No, no! ……."

Viola's pouting face was visible.

And in the status window I could see, Viola had a new trait.

-[Anxiety]-