It was the next morning. I started with my martial arts training to unlock access to my skills. According to Xiao Fang, I had to train for the whole week to acquire my martial arts abilities, since the original host's body wasn't strong enough to handle the eternal energy required for martial arts of that level.
After training, I would always take hacking jobs to pay off my parents' debts so I could save the company from bankruptcy and build a better future for myself and my brother. It was the same routine every day for the full seven days I was locked in the basement.
On the eighth day, after being trapped for a week, I was finally going to leave — and get my revenge. I had acquired my level 100 martial arts skills, and I was finally going to teach that dog CEO how dogs should behave when they see their master.
The door at the top of the staircase opened. Shadows of different figures appeared at the top of the stairs, their silhouettes reflected against the wall. They looked down the staircase — and there I was, sitting quietly, leaning back against the wall, as if seeking support I no longer found within myself.
My right leg lay flat along the floor, extended in a tired sprawl, while my left leg was drawn up, bent at the knee, forming a soft shield. One hand rested limply at my side, palm brushing the floor with the weight of stillness. The other arm draped over my raised knee, elbow settled, fingers loosely curled — not tense, not relaxed, just there.
My head tilted slightly downward, casting a shadow of thought over my face. There was no expression to read — not sadness, not anger, not joy — only a blankness, as if all feeling had been paused. I stared at nothing, present yet distant, like someone caught between exhaustion and contemplation.
They started walking down the stairs toward me and stood in front of me — all five of them, including the housemaid.
"Well, it seems like our princess has been doing all well. The basement has been treating you much better than I thought. It must have been cozy?" he said sarcastically as he reached his hand out to lift my head — but suddenly, my right hand stretched out and grabbed him by the neck.
He struggled hard to break free, choking for air — but he couldn't.
His mom, sister, white moonlight, and the maid tried to help, but nothing worked. I slowly helped myself up while choking him, then reached into my left pocket for one of the Death Reapers. I covered his mouth while still choking him and stealthily slipped the device into his mouth.
Then I released my grip and began wiping my hands on the maid's clothes, my face twisted into a disgusted expression, as if I had just touched something filthy.
Cough, cough. He started coughing violently as soon as I let go.
"You'd better keep your hands to yourself if you still want to live. But if it's death you wish for, I don't mind helping you die," I said coldly as I began walking toward him.
"Now, if you would excuse me. I have a brother to look for," I added in an icy tone, walking past them and heading for the stairs — when suddenly, someone grabbed my hand.
"Cardiac arrest," I said coldly, eyes locked on the door at the top of the stairs, and began to climb.
Once I reached the door, I turned and looked back at the dog CEO, who had collapsed on the floor. He looked pitiful, gasping for air like an asthmatic.
"I thought I clearly told you not to touch me unless you wanted to die. But you didn't listen. Now suffer the consequences of not being a good dog and obeying your master.
And oh! Don't even think about ordering your guards to stop me — unless you don't want your precious baby to die. You'd better hurry and take him to the hospital before his heart attack worsens.
Bye!" I said as a smirk stretched from the corner of my mouth.
I began whistling, then turned around and left.
"Xiao Mei, stop the cardiac arrest," I said, raising my hand to check if my Death Reaper was working as expected. And indeed, it was.
"The impulse was received, and the heart has started pumping again," Xiao Mei, my AI system, replied, sharing the progress through my smartwatch.
"Yeish! That was cruel," Xiao Fang said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
"That's not even close to the pain he brought the original host," I replied, the smile on my face quickly replaced by coldness.
"I guess they picked the right person for this job. Maybe we should call you the Revenge Goddess? Yep! Suits you well.
No wait! Now that I think about it — Xiao Fang and Xiao Mei are closely related. Did you name it after me?" he asked, a smile flashing across his face.
I ignored him and continued walking as if I hadn't heard a thing.
"Come on! Tell me. I know you love me," he said, grinning like an idiot as he floated behind me, trying to catch up.