Villain Hiring: Help! Author Wants Me Dead-Chapter 46: *Bonus Chapter*

I frowned. "...It can consume souls?"

"..."

I expected Damien to reply back or atleast say something but the only thing I recieved was an ugly silence.

This bitch–

All this while I continued feeling as if I was absorbing something raw...something alive, but not for one second did it come to my mind that it was actually the dead creature’s soul I was absorbing.

My breath caught, "Th-That’s... super creepy-" I muttered.

And as if the System could smile straight into my soul, it said almost blankly now, sounding like all of its life had been sucked away from it.

As if nothing more could surprise it—

"Yep. It can absorb physical matter too."

"Damn..."

My thoughts continued running as I thought of how grossly overpowered this skill was.

Right then, Damien’s voice dropped into something more serious.

"Gluttony isn’t just a skill. It’s a force—a concept that transcends normal magic. It devours, and consumes.

People think it only works on spirits, but that’s just scratching the surface.

Given the right conditions, you could potentially absorb anything—weapons, attacks, even living beings if your soul power is strong enough."

My heartbeat quickened.

That… that sounded insane.

Ignoring my absurd reactions, the sentient bastard continued. "Now, onto your actual skills. First up—Soul Siphon."

As he spoke, I felt a weird tingle on my palm, and an unsettling, pale liquid seemed to materialize for a fraction of a second before it vanished.

"When you touch someone with that liquid," He explained, "if their Soul Power is considerably lower than yours, Gluttony devours them instantly—no struggle, no resistance.

They die.

Their soul gets absorbed, consumed, and in turn, it nourishes you. Your soul gets stronger. Your existence becomes more visible."

I shivered. "That’s… terrifying."

"Uh, yeah? What, did you think it’d just give them a light tickle?" Damien scoffed.

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"Moving on. Your second skill—Mana Drain. Unlike Soul Siphon, which targets the soul, this one deals with mana-based energy.

Any attack, spell, or artifact infused with mana? You can absorb it. Nullify it. Turn it into fuel for yourself.

If someone blasts you with a fireball, you won’t even need to dodge it—you can just consume it."

My eyes widened.

Holy shit.

That—That was—

"That’s fucking amazing!" I nearly shouted. My heart pounded with excitement as the realization sank in.

I wasn’t just some weak noble brat anymore. I had actual, game-changing abilities. If I trained, if I mastered these skills—

I could be unstoppable.

I could protect Ma.

I could change everything.

"Holy crap," I breathed. "Damien, do you have any idea what this means? If I can refine these skills, if I get strong enough—I could take on anything! Imagine the possibilities! I—"

And then—

Then—

Damien promptly threw a bucket of metaphorical cold water over my face.

"Yeah, yeah, all very inspiring, kid." His voice was dry. "But as for what will work in your current situation?"

I blinked. "…What?"

"Quite literally neither of them."

I froze.

"You could think of yourself as better dead, Noah—"

"..."

It sighed, dramatically. "Your Soul Power? Too low to absorb anything worth shit. The most it can absorb are those beings who have developed almost zero sense of self or consciousness.

That was exactly the reason why you were unable to instantly kill some of the spiders and were only able to slowly kill it.

As for Mana Drain? It’s technically useless when you have zero mana yourself.

Congratulations, host, you are currently the proud owner of two amazing abilities that you cannot use!"

I stared at the thick vines covering our vision outside, then at the air, then back at the screen.

And then I let out the longest, most exhausted groan of my life.

"…I hate you."

"Heh." I could hear the smug grin. "Yeah, yeah. Now try getting stronger, loser."

"That is...If you can come alive out of this.

I was in a tough spot—my abilities were insane, but at this moment, they’re basically decorative.

Then there was the fact that I am up against a Tier 1 Scaled Spider, which is bad enough, but my Grandma is currently unconscious, injured, and magic-sealed, meaning it’s all on me.

I can’t use Soul Siphon effectively because my Soul Power is too low, and Mana Drain is useless because I have no Mana myself.

Just... Wow.

So, how do I win again?

I mean, it was not like I was out of options, there was still one thing I could do.

One. Crazy. Thing. I. Could. Do.

Resolving myself, I carefully laid Ma down, her breathing shallow, but steady.

The hidden chamber was damp, air thick with the scent of moss and blood.

I had already checked—no monsters, no openings, no sudden traps waiting to spring. This was as safe as it could get.

For now.

Her body twitched slightly, her face pinched in pain, but she didn’t wake. That was good.

If she was awake, she’d never let me leave.

I smirked. Sorry, Ma.

Without a second thought, I turned and rushed toward the exit, slipping past the thick vines that concealed the cave’s entrance. The Tier 1 Scaled Spider was still out there, lurking. Watching.

Spiders were patient hunters.

It wouldn’t strike me until it was sure I was weak enough to kill.

That was fine, I smirked.

I had the same thing in mind

The Hunt Begins

I moved fast, retracing our steps to the area where Ma and I had first encountered the weak-willed spiders.

The ones that barely reacted, barely thought—mindless things that just attacked anything in their way.

The forest grew darker as I neared the area, the canopy above thickening.

I could still hear the distant clicking of the larger spider somewhere in the trees, but I ignored it.

I had a plan.

Flexing my fingers, I let out a deep breath as I whispered.

"Gluttony."

***

A/N:

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