Jiang Mo stepped out onto the main street, his body aching with exhaustion. The fierce fight, combined with the after-effects of using [Berserk], had depleted his already limited stamina and energy. The life-threatening, twisting pain in his stomach was gone—the moldy bread and the half-piece from Seele had staved off the immediate threat of death. But that pitiful amount of calories was nowhere near enough for him to recover. He needed real food, energy, and rest.
But where could he get any of that now? He had no home and no Winter City Coins. Go back to digging through trash? No. He had a system now. To go back to that would be a disgrace to all transmigrators. Besides, what could he find? Moldy bread crusts? Spoiled leftovers? He never wanted to live that life again.
Speaking of the system… right. He should do more simulations to earn Villain Points and get more Traits. Traits were power, and with power, he could at least rob someone for food.
Jiang Mo focused his mind and called out, "System, I want to continue. Start the second simulation!"
[Apologies. Considering the Host's young physical age and low attribute values, the body cannot adapt to new Traits.]
[Second Simulation unlocks at: Age 10.]
[Third Simulation unlocks at: Age 15.]
[Fourth Simulation unlocks at: Age 18.]
[After Age 18, one simulation can be initiated per month.]
Jiang Mo froze. "Are you kidding me… this system has a parental lock?!"
His current body was only six years old. That meant four more years until he was ten. Four years until the next simulation? Was this damn system trying to get him killed in the Underworld?! He asked a few more times, but the system gave no further response.
He had no choice but to accept it. At least he still had the system and two Traits. As long as he could survive until the next simulation, there was hope. First, find something to eat…
In the distance, he saw smoke rising from a food stall and smelled a fragrant aroma. That was the stall where he'd gotten into trouble this morning and been beaten half to death. The owner was a burly man with a fierce face who showed no mercy to vagrants. But while he was fierce, he didn't seem particularly bright and was easily swayed by emotion.
Perhaps I can test my new Trait on him?
An idea formed in his mind. He walked towards the stall, slowing his pace and hiding around a corner to observe. The owner was yelling at a vagrant who had tried to get close, a meat cleaver in his hand. The vagrant scrambled away in terror.
So fierce, Jiang Mo thought. He adjusted his expression, making his face look haggard and his eyes helpless. He deliberately hunched his back, let his left arm hang limply, and limped slowly toward the stall.
"Get lost! Scram!" the owner barked as he caught sight of Jiang Mo. "Want a free meal? No chance! Pay up if you want to eat!"
Jiang Mo didn't stop, just moved even slower. He reached the stall and looked up with his small, dirt-streaked face. "Boss, it's me… Don't you recognize me?"
The owner, busy taking money from a customer, looked up impatiently. When he saw it was Jiang Mo, he frowned. This brat again? He didn't die last time, and now he's back to beg?
He was about to start cursing, but when he met Jiang Mo's eyes, he paused. Under the dim light, the boy's eyes were unusually bright, yet filled with a child's clarity and a heart-wrenching helplessness.
"Last time… you hit me so hard… my arm still won't move. I don't even have the strength to dig through trash anymore…" Jiang Mo said, moving his left arm stiffly to emphasize his point. He wasn't lying; the beating really had hurt, and his current exhaustion only made it look worse.
The owner looked at the boy, who seemed so thin he could be blown away by the wind. A strange emotion welled up inside him—a mix of guilt and pity. It was so sudden and intense. A fuzzy image of his own son, Turner, who had gone to the Overworld with his wife, flashed in his mind. My own kid… he must be about this age now, right?
Looking at Jiang Mo's pathetic state, the owner felt a tightness in his chest. He felt like he had committed a terrible crime, a feeling a man like him, hardened by decades in the Underworld, should not have.
"R-really?" the owner stammered, his voice betraying his surprise. "Was I that rough?" He didn't even check the boy's arm. Staring at that small, pitiful face, his heart ached.
Jiang Mo saw the change in the owner's expression and knew the Trait was working. He pressed his advantage, his voice choking with emotion. "It hurts so much… I haven't eaten in three days, and you beat me… Boss, since I'm so miserable, shouldn't you compensate me? Anything will do…"
The owner's mind went blank. The guilt was growing like weeds inside him. He didn't even consider that the boy might be lying. "Compensation… right, I should compensate you…" he muttered, as if possessed.
He turned, grabbed a few hot, freshly grilled Belobog sausages and two sizzling meat skewers from the stall. Then he fumbled in his apron and pulled out a small handful of Winter City Coins.
"Here! Take it!" He shoved the food and money into Jiang Mo's arms, his movements rough but his eyes filled with a desperate urgency. "Go! Go on! And don't come back here again!"
Jiang Mo took the food and money, feeling the warmth of the sausages and the cold metal of the coins. He glanced at the owner, whose face was twisted in an internal struggle, and had to suppress a laugh.
"Thanks, boss."
He turned and quickly walked away, only picking up his pace once he was around the corner. He wolfed down the food. The hot, greasy filling of the sausage burst in his mouth, followed by the smoky, savory taste of the grilled meat. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
He devoured a sausage and a skewer, the emptiness in his stomach slowly filling. The burning hunger subsided, replaced by a long-forgotten feeling of fullness. He felt alive again. He patted his stomach and counted the money—eighty coins in total. Enough to keep him from starving for a week.
Suddenly, he thought of Seele. She must be starving too. He had to share this with her.
He pocketed the money and, carrying the rest of the food, headed towards the scrapyard where Seele usually hung out. He marveled at the effectiveness of the [Silver-Tongued] Trait. It worked wonders on simple-minded, emotional people.
The scrapyard was on the other side of town, a giant pile of refuse. As he got closer, the stench grew stronger. He rounded a mountain of garbage and finally saw the familiar area.
But as his eyes scanned the scrapyard, he stopped dead. Something was wrong.
Several figures were gathered together, arguing. One of them, a small figure with short, blue-black hair…
Was that… Seele?
A bad feeling washed over him. He broke into a run.
My patreon.com/BOB_Davinchi
Honkai: Star Rail: I the Major Villain 65
Type-Moon Demon King, Wrecked Ereshkigal for Loot Right from the Start 47