The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 168 - The Calm Before the Storm

—

Standing in the second-floor hallway of the Adventurer’s Guild, Leah turned her head, taking in her surroundings.

“Looks like, Will… your family needs to beef up their security.”

After getting her bearings, she pulled back a corner of the curtain and peered outside.

The location…

Was exactly as she had anticipated—perfect.

She could see him.

The brown-haired boy with glasses, sitting there. Across from him was the unknown black-haired woman.

And then…

She saw it…

That woman moved from her “safe” position across the table to sit beside Will.

She…

Not only clinked glasses with him but also… also picked up her glass and poured the drink into Will’s mouth.

Bad woman, bad woman, bad woman, bad woman, bad woman, bad woman!!!!!

How dare she corrupt her student like this?!

Her… her student…

He had never been the type to guzzle alcohol like some long-time drunkard!

She had seen it before—his first time drinking. He had been cautious and elegant!

Leah clenched her fists.

Her knuckles turned red from the pressure.

“No, Leah, this won’t do…”

“Just one more step, just one more step…”

“She’s trying to provoke you on purpose. After all, you’re a witch.”

“Everyone knows witches are easily provoked…”

“So you need to stay calm.”

“…This was already set in motion. You knew it the moment you saw that newspaper.”

She spoke to herself, slowly unclenching her fists.

“Take him back…”

“I must take him back…”

“I absolutely have to take him back…”

Leah paused, taking a deep breath.

“But to take him back…”

“I need to…”

—Make him completely captivated by me.

Make his gaze return to me.

She was merely…

A little unable to control herself, becoming slightly “reckless” and “more like a witch.” But she hadn’t completely lost her wits.

No, killing that woman or something like that was absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely the worst option.

From her mother’s stories of centuries of partings and regrets, Leah understood better than anyone—

Nothing could steal his “attention” more than a dead person, a regret, or a separation by death.

So…

What she needed to do was outshine the “living” woman—become more dazzling, more captivating, and make it impossible for him to look away.

Even…

Make him “compulsively” obsessed with her.

She needed a stage to showcase herself.

To show him her most enchanting side, to make him unable to take his eyes off her, to make him focus only on her in the end—

Leah walked through the second floor of the Adventurer’s Guild in her small leather shoes, the crisp sound of her steps echoing clearly.

She turned a corner and stopped in front of the only room here that could be considered valuable.

Inside hung a row of “keys.”

Not metaphorical ones—the keys to various dungeon floors were actual keys, though their designs varied slightly depending on the dungeon and the floor.

For example…

The keys to Moonlit Ice Extreme were all ice-blue, crystal-clear, resembling miniature ice sculptures that might melt in your hand.

“Let’s see…”

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“If it’s the final floor…”

“It should be luxurious and beautiful, right?”

“After all, that’s the only way to give a proper boss the sense of grandeur they deserve.”

Even for the same floor, there were multiple keys, to account for rescue scenarios.

Especially…

For the “Emperor Boss Floor,” which people had reached but never defeated.

Leah approached the display.

The ice-blue keys had intricate patterns carved into their handles, making them exceptionally beautiful.

Even in the dark office, the faint glow from the streetlights outside made them sparkle.

Compared to the other keys, this one had six flowers carved into it—perhaps symbolizing the 60th floor.

But there was no need to guess which floor it was based on the flowers.

Because it was labeled—

“60th Floor: The location of the Empress of Moonlit Ice Extreme.”

“First team to reach this floor: Radiant Knights.”

“Found it…”

Faced with such exquisite craftsmanship, Leah gently plucked the key from its place.

“Well then…”

“Let’s have a little meeting, shall we?”

“Miss Ice Queen.”

—

Every night, Will found himself sitting at the table—as if by habit—feeling like everything had been going too smoothly lately.

Thanks to his “clairvoyance,” he knew the upcoming plotlines and even some of the world’s settings. Since birth, he hadn’t faced any major hardships.

But…

Even though his desk was empty…

Life had been so smooth…

It made him feel…

Uneasy.

Why was he uneasy?

Where was this unease coming from?

He placed a hand over his heart. It wasn’t beating particularly fast.

It probably wasn’t some irregular heartbeat caused by sleep deprivation over the past few days. It was purely a matter of his mood… right?

“Your turn for the bath! After spending all day in a cold place like Moonlit Ice Extreme, you’d better take a hot bath to avoid catching a chill.”

Suddenly, Shuna walked past him, casually ruffling his hair as she reminded him.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it. Thanks for the concern, our logistics queen.”

“You always seem to zone out at the table every night. Is this some kind of ritual?”

“Well… it’s just an old habit. I used to write… write a journal every night.”

Will thought for a moment about how to explain the mysterious Task System.

Since a journal is a record of what one does each day…

Then…

A book that records what one should do each day in the future could also be called a “journal,” right?

“Who even writes journals anymore? Other than kids just learning to write?”

Shuna seemed to hit the nail on the head.

“Exactly! No normal person writes journals, which is why I haven’t written one since coming here.”

“Pfft.”

Will saw Shuna laugh at his response.

However, her gaze fell on the “Ancient Flame Staff—Prototype” leaning against the table.

“Speaking of which, this Leah you’re planning to give the staff to… just how strong is she?”

“You’re curious?!”

“You keep bringing her up. Describe her? She’s at least A-rank, right?”

“Hmm…”

Based on Will’s earlier assessments, Eir, Leah, and Treya should all be S-rank in their respective fields. While they weren’t as versatile as Shuna, they would need to reach S-rank to have any chance of defeating the monsters tied to their fates.

“Stronger than that—though only in specific scenarios.”

“Let me guess. She’s a fire-element witch, so she’d be especially effective against ice and wood-element monsters, right?”

“Yeah, like in Moonlit Ice Extreme…”

If Shuna hadn’t brought it up, Will might have overlooked this point.

If Leah were here, they might be able to clear Moonlit Ice Extreme with just the three of them. Shuna could act as the frontline, while he and Leah handled damage and buffs from the back.

“If it’s her, even the Ice Queen… might not stand a chance.”

“Of course, she might need a few extra bottles of… crimson mint essential oil?”