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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Villain and Monster
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All of the Grumpy Toad's eyes locked onto me at once. The upper part of the monster's body swelled up like a balloon, and then...
The next instant, it spewed green slime straight at me!
"Eek! Gross!"
I instinctively flung my body to the side. Swiftly and nimbly! An attack that slow could never land on this body infused with the King's DNA!
Sizzle—
The slime grazed past me and slammed into a tree behind. The struck tree began to bubble and melt away.
Acidic slime! If that had gotten on my clothes, I couldn't even imagine it! I don't want to get scolded by Everlin!
I'd barely dodged it, but the stench pierced my nose. It was a horrific stink, like rotten eggs mixed with sewage.
"How dare you rampage in Lady Grimoire's territory? I'll teach you the depth of your foolishness, down to your bones!"
I planted my feet firmly on the ground, and in that moment, my body felt light as if gravity had vanished. Cutting through the air, I charged straight at the monster.
The Grumpy Toad's tentacles whipped toward me like waves. One, two, three... eight tentacles attacked all at once.
"Did you think such pathetic attacks could touch this body? What utter folly!"
This body's genius mind calculated every single assault. The tentacles' movements looked like a slow-motion film.
The one swinging from the left—I tilted my head slightly to dodge.
The one lunging from the right—I ducked low to evade.
Even the acidic slime pouring from straight ahead—I stepped back one pace to avoid it.
Graze! I dodged every one of the toad's attacks by a hair's breadth, with the minimal movements possible!
Could there be a more perfect evasion than this?
"How's that? Feeling the burn yet!"
Kururuk?
Seizing the moment of its confusion, I leaped high into the air.
Spinning once in midair, I drove this body's heel straight down onto the monster's head!
Bam!
Kuweeeek—!
The Grumpy Toad's head crumpled with a scream. Its blood was a sickly bluish hue. Disgusting!
Splat—
Perfect! A flawless landing, complete with an intimidating pose!
"As expected, this body is the strongest!"
Waaaaah—!
The crowd gathered around the ice cream truck erupted in cheers. Their voices rang sweetly in my ears.
"How is such a tiny girl overwhelming that monster like that?!"
Yes, the greatest use for ordinary humans is to praise this body's greatness!
Their cheers felt like they were refilling my villain energy. Not a bad feeling at all!
"Take it down! Take it down!"
"She's a new hero, right?"
"Are those horns her trademark? They're so cute!"
Eee...! She called me a hero again! And even said my horns are cute? These horns are meant to inspire terror in humanity!
No, first things first—I'll correct the misunderstanding later. Right now, priority is repelling the invader.
"In the name of the king, I command you: your tantrum ends here! Kneel before Lady Grimoire!"
They say wounded beasts are fiercer, and sure enough, the toad monster bellowed in even greater rage.
"Kieeeek!"
What a truly grumpy little thing.
"To think you survived this body's kick. You should have just lain down obediently! As expected of a dumb toad! Know your place, you worthless creature!"
The Grumpy Toad's massive body kicked off the ground in an instant, barreling toward me. Its huge bulk shook the earth as it approached, yet for some reason, I felt no fear. Instead, excitement bubbled up in my chest.
Could this body have been born for battle? The thrill of combat boiled within me!
A single sentence flashed in my mind, as if whispered by someone.
'Show them the power of the king.'
Light exploded from my horns. I felt power surging into my fist.
In other words, the moment the King's DNA awakened! Today too, this body evolved one step further into the ultimate supreme being!
"Kakakat! This is the ultimate HIGH!"
I unleashed a punch at the Grumpy Toad. A full-power, sincere Grimoire Punch!
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Grimoire Punch
Full-power strike! Monster shattered!
Boom—!
One punch, and the monster shattered to pieces. Green slime splattered everywhere, but strangely, not a single drop touched this body.
And so, I effortlessly took down a C-Rank monster. This is the true power of Grimoire!
I've proven that this body is the true ruler of East Park!
Now, this place is officially Grimoire Park!
Silence enveloped the park. Everyone seemed speechless.
They must be awestruck by this body's overwhelming victory! Surely preparing to bow their heads and kneel? Come on, pledge your loyalty to this body—
"Waaaaah!"
Thunderous applause and cheers exploded from all directions. Kids swarmed around me, screaming in delight.
"Sis! Sis, how are you so strong?!"
"Whoa, you're so cool! The most awesome thing I've ever seen in my life!"
"Your hands are so small—how'd you knock out that monster in one hit? Teach me!"
"Please protect us from now on too, little hero!"
A barrage of praise made my shoulders lift proudly. At least they have eyes to recognize this body's greatness!
But a hero? This misunderstanding again... Hmm, maybe I'll let them praise me a bit more first...
"I thought she was a mental-type ability user from talking to the animals, but she has enhancement powers too!"
"Are those horns on her head an ability? Or special gear? Either way, it's the best!"
"Small and cute, but that strong too? Gotta post this on Insta!!"
"Wait, this body is a villain! I only hit the toad because it looked ugly!"
Not cute! Not small! How dare they insult this body like this!?
I should have just fed them all to the toad!
Finally, the ice cream truck owner came running over, eyes teary.
"Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, my livelihood would've been ruined! This truck is my family's only source of income..."
"That's not it... This body just avenged the ice cream..."
"All ice cream today is free! For our small, cute hero! Everyone, come on over!"
The cheers grew louder, and the kids jumped for joy.
People flocked to the ice cream truck, and the owner started handing out treats to the surrounding children.
"These delicious ice creams are all thanks to our small, cute hero! Everyone, give her your thanks!"
"Not a hero, a villain... This body is the great villain Grimoire..."
"Thank you!!"
"Can I get an autograph?!"
"Photo okay?"
My mutterings were drowned out by the kids' cheers. No one acknowledged my villainy. This nightmare unfolding again!
"This is our special hero size! Packed with infinite gratitude!"
"Huh? Ice cream? And a four-layer one!"
The truck owner handed me a massive ice cream cone, specially made.
Dark chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and blueberry on top... four perfect layers. Topped with chocolate sauce and strawberry syrup!
Infinitely bigger and flashier than the one that fell earlier.
"Hmph! A fitting reward for this body's deeds. I'll graciously accept it!"
Surrounded by laughter and chatter, I took a big bite of the giant ice cream.
"Mmm~!"
The dark chocolate's bitterness blended perfectly with the vanilla's sweetness in my mouth. A complex, profound taste, just like this body's greatness!
"Everlin's desserts are more perfect... but this isn't bad. Feels even tastier since it's free..."
And above all... it was earned through this body's exploits. Like plundered spoils of war? Utterly villainous!
"Your horns are so pretty! Don't they hurt? Can I touch?"
"Is that silver hair natural? It's gorgeous!"
"Our hero! Long live Grimoire!"
Ugh, so embarrassing. I can't take anymore!
These fools don't know this body's true value!
Amid the cheers and laughter, I slowly slipped away from the park.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Step, step.
Was the walk from the park to the villa always this long? Or are my legs getting shorter? Not that that's possible, of course. This body's greatness only increases like entropy with each passing day—never diminishes!
Licking my ice cream on the way home, my head swirled with complicated thoughts.
"Sigh... Another failure today... Even the great Grimoire couldn't become a villain again!"
Of course, today's conquest was a strategic triumph.
Even though that arrogant toad monster showed up... I repelled it with the king's power! In one hit, no less! Plus, I claimed all the benches, formed the Pigeon Air Force, and they actually obeyed my commands well!
This body being the ultimate villain is an indisputable fact...!
"Why do they keep calling this body a hero? I said I was a villain so many times! Emphasized it! Shouted it! Declared it!"
My mind was a mess.
Taking down the monster... Yeah, it invaded this body's territory, so it was only natural, right? I couldn't tolerate outsiders ruining Grimoire Park!
For example, mafias fiercely protect their turf. This body just defended its own domain! How is that hero behavior?
They must be overwhelmed by this body's charisma and confused...! Yeah, that has to be it...?
This body's villainy was so intense that ordinary humans' puny brains couldn't process it as such.
This isn't my fault. They just can't comprehend this body's true greatness! My villainy has surpassed human cognition!
The ice cream in my hand was already half gone. Sadly, happiness fades this quickly.
"Next time, I'll commit even greater villainy! I'll show them undeniable evil! No one will dare call this body a hero then!"
With a small sigh, I shoveled in the last bite. As the cool sweetness melted in my mouth, all my worries melted away too.
I licked around my lips regretfully at the lingering sweet taste, but the devoured ice cream wasn't coming back.
"No more ice cream, no villain fame..."
Two rats passing by stopped and looked up at me. Their eyes seemed to pity this body.
"What are you staring at?! Kneel and pledge loyalty right now, or you'll meet a fate more miserable than that toad monster!"
Squeak squeak—
"Huh? You're just leaving? Ignoring this body's command! The pigeons were obedient!"
Now even rats ignore me! Is this the treatment for the supreme villain?
Rush hour traffic jammed the roads. Cars crawled along, horns blaring everywhere. Gazing at the chaos sparked an idea.
That's right—today isn't over yet!
I snapped my head up. This body still had a chance!
"I'll commit one final act of villainy today. This time, unmistakably, blatantly, beyond doubt—I'll prove I'm a villain!"
I couldn't hold back anymore. I had to spread my infamy right now!
Taking a deep breath, I dashed into the middle of the busiest crosswalk. Arms spread wide, I shouted.
"Stop! This is now Lady Grimoire's turf! Pay the toll if you want to pass!"
Screeech—!
Brakes screeched and chaos erupted as cars slammed to a halt. Perfect! True villainy!
Some drivers rolled down their windows and yelled furiously.
"In the middle of the road! What the hell?!"
"Dangerous! Move it, kid! Are you nuts?!"
"Why play pranks on the road?! Someone get this brat outta here!"
"Hmph! No toll, no passage!"
Yes! This is the reaction this body wanted!
Blocking rush hour, enraging people, disrupting the city's flow—this is real villainy!
"What? Quit messing around! Move or I'll call the cops!"
Protests poured in, but I wouldn't budge. This body is a villain!
"All of you, tremble! This body commands emotions!"
Then, a sharp sound cut through.
Quack! Quack quack!
Who's quacking at this crucial moment!
I turned to see a duck family waddling across the crosswalk on one side.
Mama duck led, followed by eight ducklings in a neat line, paddling along.
Huh? What's this?
Why... why ducks... right now...?
The drivers' expressions suddenly changed.
"Ah, so that's why. Makes sense now."
"What a good kid. Holding traffic for the ducks to cross safely."
"Horns on her head—she must love animals."
The horns stopped, and drivers smiled patiently, waiting. Some even thumbs-upped me from their windows.
My jaw dropped. My villainy mistaken for good deeds again!
"No! That's not it... This body was trying to seize the road!"
No matter how I shouted, it was useless. Drivers waited patiently for the duck family to cross safely, and some pedestrians even clapped for me.
"Good job, kid! Kids these days lack that pure heart!"
"Aww, cute duck family. Look at those babies! Gotta snap a pic!"
"Yeah, ducks should use the crosswalk too for safety!"
Irritation boiled over. I wanted to cause chaos by blocking the road—what is this!
Only after the last duckling crossed safely did traffic resume. Some drivers thumbs-upped as they passed.
Heroic again...?
"Aaaargh!"
Pent-up rage exploded. Gray light flared intensely from my horns, but the cars were already gone.
"Unbelievable! Failed again! When will this body finally be recognized as a true villain?! Uuuugh!"
Now I really have to go home. If I'm too late, Everlin will worry.
Next time, something on a massive scale. Something to paralyze the entire city...!