Villain Simulator, Ch 110

"Maybe it's because you've grown again, Barbara?" Lucas could only feign ignorance, unsure of what to make of it. "I think my body feels much lighter."

"D-don't get the wrong idea!" Barbara flushed and said, "I'm only helping you because I'm afraid you'll run out of energy and can't find food!"

"Alright, alright," Lucas replied helplessly, "I'll go get food now. You should rest a bit more."

Watching Lucas's figure retreat, Barbara suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Was it fair to judge someone's character based on just a dream? Maybe that was a bit hasty.

Well, I'll apologize to him when he gets back.

But barely a few minutes after he left, Barbara's stomach growled with hunger again.

Sigh, if only I could return to that dream and have another ice pop.

Barbara smacked her lips as though savoring the taste from her dream. Unexpectedly, the lingering "oyster broth" flavor in her mouth was delicious, making her mouth water slightly.

"If it's just oysters, I should be able to find some…" Thinking this, Barbara began searching along the shore for the non-existent oysters.

...

Foraging on this island was no easy task. It wasn't that Lucas was unskilled, but edible items were truly hard to find.

His only regret was not asking Oga to catch a few fish before sending him out to find others.

Or he could've eaten those fish that Klee's bombs blasted onto shore earlier.

After quite a while, all he managed to gather were a handful of small berries, about the size of cherries, which were mildly sweet and pleasant.

Using his Cryo powers, Lucas fashioned a container to keep the berries fresh, knowing they'd taste even better chilled.

When he returned to their rest spot, he found Barbara curled up under a large tree, looking exhausted. Upon seeing him with food, her eyes instantly lit up.

"Hungry?" Lucas handed her the berries, "They're just berries, but they should help with the hunger."

Indeed, Barbara was famished to the point of weakness, struggling even to move.

"Th-thank you!" She couldn't waste time on formalities and quickly started eating. The berries were juicy and refreshing, and driven by hunger, she devoured several in a row.

"Take it slow," Lucas advised as he picked up a berry and started eating as well.

He wasn't as hungry as Barbara, but he was still thirsty and tired. Oddly, these berries weren't exceptionally tasty, but like snacking on mandarin oranges during the holidays, it was hard to stop once you started.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island…

"Blow them all up!"

With Klee's excited shout, an explosion sent waves cascading along the shore, scattering fish and shrimp across the sand.

Unlike the other three adults, Klee was probably the happiest "player" on the island. For her, it was all just a big game.

And better yet, due to the food shortage, Jean had given her permission to use bombs to fish for the first time!

It was a rare opportunity, as unlikely as Lisa staying awake during a full shift or Bennett going a day without bad luck.

"Klee, even though I said you could bomb the fish…" came Jean's exasperated voice, "don't you think you overdid it a bit?"

Indeed, the once smooth beach was now pockmarked with craters, with countless fish and shrimp left in Klee's wake.

Fortunately, this was an uninhabited beach, or else there'd surely be trouble.

"Captain Jean, you're back!" Klee stuck out her tongue with a mischievous grin. "Show me what yummy treats you brought!"

Although Jean and Klee had been transported to different areas, the sounds of Klee's explosions quickly helped Jean locate her.

The two, like Lucas, decided to replenish their strength with some food before setting out to find the others.

"I found some berries I've never seen before," Jean showed Klee her "loot" with a wry smile, "Sorry, this was all I could gather, but they taste fine."

"Ah! We can't eat those!" Klee shook her head, "Mom taught me about them before. These berries are called 'Temptation Fruits'—the more you eat, the more addicted you become, and they even mess with your mind!"

"Really? I didn't know such berries existed!" Jean quickly threw them away. "It's no big deal; the fish we caught should be enough."

It was more than enough—likely enough to feed the entire Knights of Favonius a seafood feast.

With Klee's Pyro Vision, grilling fish was effortless. As they enjoyed their meal, they chatted away.

"Klee…" Jean asked, curiosity piqued, "Do you know how your mom and dad met?"

But Klee, munching on her grilled fish, muttered, "Klee… doesn't know."

Jean pondered, "Then, what kind of person is your dad?"

"Dad's super amazing!" Klee said proudly, "We've blown up monster lairs, burned the demon king's supplies, and defeated tons of his minions together!"

The "crimes" Klee spoke of so excitedly were, of course, committed within the simulator, but to her innocent mind, all those scenes of mischief were transformed into battles against a "demon king."

In Klee's memory, every story from that picture book had become "real."

But hearing this, Jean couldn't help but feel somewhat puzzled.

After all, Klee had been brought to the Knights of Favonius at a very young age. Could it be that her Lucas had taken her on monster battles even before that?

It sounded unlikely, but considering Lucas' strength, perhaps such things weren't entirely impossible. Maybe he was also just as remarkable from a young age.

Jean sighed lightly, gently patting Klee's head, "Having parents like that… Klee, it must be hard for you sometimes, right?"

"Huh?"

...

The scene shifts back to Lucas.

"Haa… haa…"

"This… this is so good!"

Lucas and Barbara, who had been peacefully sharing berries earlier, now seemed completely bewitched, greedily stuffing the crimson fruit from the chilled container into their mouths. They paid no mind to the red juice that dripped all over them.

Though Lucas was down to just his swim trunks, he still wore the Ring of Manipulation on his wrist, faintly glowing with a sinister orange light.

It was a sign of "Gluttony's" influence!

Under the effect of the Temptation Fruit, the two of them seemed almost addicted, unable to stop themselves.

Soon, only one berry remained in the box.

As Barbara reached out to take it, Lucas was a step ahead, seizing the last berry along with the container.

"G-give it to me!" Barbara's eyes had lost their usual sparkle. Grabbing hold of Lucas, she pleaded, "The last one… give it to me!"

"No way!" The malevolent power of the Ring of Manipulation surged, darkening Lucas's thoughts. "I'm the one who found these berries, so I should get the last one, right?"

"Give it to me!"

Under the dual control of hunger and the berry's addictive toxins, Barbara was almost entirely losing her grip on reason. She lunged at Lucas, trying to wrest the berry from him.

But Lucas, learning from earlier, sidestepped, and Barbara stumbled onto the sand.

Scarlet berry juice mingled with the golden sand, clinging to Barbara's skin and sending a shiver through Lucas.

The desire to… dominate her completely surged within him.

Just like in the simulator!

A pink tint, symbolizing lust, began to glint on the bracelet.

Barbara, now desperate and ravenous, suddenly knelt before Lucas, pleading, "P-please… just give it to me!"

"Hey, Barbara," Lucas looked down at her with a smirk, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you want this berry, you'll have to pay the price."

"What… what do you want?" Barbara quickly replied. "I'll do anything!"

Leaning down, Lucas lifted Barbara's chin with his finger, whispering, "I want you."

"Wh-what?" Some part of Barbara's reason seemed to resurface.

The meaning in his words was unmistakable.

So, the fox had finally revealed his tail?

"You remember, don't you? I have to commit at least one bad deed to continue the game." He toyed with the berry in his hand, rolling it across his fingers. "This is my 'bad deed.'"

Under normal circumstances, Barbara would never have agreed to such an outrageous demand.

But this wasn't a normal circumstance.

The gnawing hunger in her belly and her desperation for the Temptation Fruit made her grip on reason begin to falter.

"Don't worry," Lucas's voice was a devilish whisper. "This is a world of fantasy; whatever happens here is just a dream. Even if you let me have my way here, it won't change anything in the real world."

"Is… is that true?"

Barbara couldn't help but remember the "dream." Indeed, no matter how many times Lucas had toyed with her in that dream, she would still wake up her innocent, unblemished self, a deacon of the Church of Favonius.

"Of course it's true." Lucas held the berry against his tongue, rolling it around and making tempting sounds. "Look at this delicious berry… if you don't decide soon, I'll just eat it myself."

"I… I understand!"

Finally, desire overwhelmed reason. Barbara lowered her head in surrender. "If I can have that berry… I'll do anything."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you get more than enough."

A thought seemed to occur to Lucas. He planted the Temptation Fruit into the sand at his feet, and soon a seedling sprouted, growing with supernatural speed until it blossomed and bore fruit.

In an instant, the branches were laden with bright red berries, their glossy skins glowing with an alluring sheen.

"Let them fall."

At Lucas's command, the berries fell like raindrops, showering down on Barbara.

"Berries… so many berries!"

Barbara, like a miser hoarding treasure, grabbed the berries with both hands, devouring them one after another.

Lucas could sense the effects of the berries after consuming a few. They had some influence on one's mind but were harmless to the body.

And while Barbara indulged in the sweet taste of the berries, Lucas, too, began to enjoy his own reward.

The taste was a curious blend—slightly tart, mildly sweet, with a hint of sea salt.

[Bad Deed Complete, Restriction Lifted: You may proceed with the next action when it's your turn]

It seemed that even the game's "Eye of Judgment" recognized Lucas's actions as a bad deed.

[Effect of "The First Glass of Red Wine" activated, receiving a permanent 30% boost to Mental Attributes]

....

The dust settled.

When Barbara opened her eyes, she felt as though she had woken from a strange dream.

But the grains of sand on her body and the sticky residue of fruit juice still clinging to her skin reminded her that everything that had happened was all too real.

She found herself lying under the shade of a large tree, resting on a bed of soft, cool palm leaves.

As Barbara struggled to stand up, she noticed that the sharp pang of hunger in her belly had eased, though a lingering ache still made her frown slightly.

She made her way toward the nearby ocean, but just as she'd taken a few steps, a familiar voice called out from behind her, "Barbara! What are you doing?"

The voice was, of course, Lucas's. He'd been keeping an eye on her nearby, and seeing her head toward the sea without a word had him worried. "Don't tell me… you're not thinking of doing something drastic, are you?"

"I… I'm not that weak," Barbara replied, biting her lip. "I just wanted to… wash up."

Of course, only Barbara herself understood exactly where she felt unclean.

"But seawater has a high salt content—it could cause infection, and it'll sting on any wounds," Lucas reminded her gently. "I've already melted some ice into fresh water with the sunlight. You can use it to wash up instead."

Barbara turned and, to her surprise, saw that Lucas had somehow rigged up a large bath from vines and wood. The water inside looked crystal-clear, sparkling in the sunlight.

Without a word, Barbara stepped over to it, dipping her foot in first to test the temperature. The water was pleasantly warm under the sun's rays. She said nothing more, slipping off her clothes and immersing herself in the soothing bath.

---

Author's Note: Well here extra chapter :)

Mommy Alice coming soon so yk what to do to get faster releases..