Villain Simulator, Ch 88

The flames illuminated the once-dark marketplace, depriving Lucas of his usual advantage. With his abilities like [Night Vision] and [Cloak and Dagger], he had initially planned to fight while concealed in the shadows. But now, under the bright firelight, it seemed that he'd have to fight head-on.

It wasn't that Lucas lacked courage—far from it. It was simply that his preference leaned towards securing victory with minimal effort and cost.

As for his [Mystic Eyes of Death Perception], they were more of an added bonus. Even without them, Lucas could still fight, though the battle would undoubtedly be tougher. To explain simply, the Mystic Eyes were like a cheat that allowed him to target vital points with every strike. But using them required the wielder to possess considerable combat prowess.

Without visible "death lines," Lucas had to be more free-form in his fighting style. Despite wielding a delicate spear like the Flowing Moon Needle, his movements were fluid and precise, easily holding off the brute force of Terrence's massive sword.

Terrence's sudden boost in power was little more than an increase in his raw stats. When it came to technique and finesse, he was far from Lucas's level.

The only problem was that the Flowing Moon Needle was a specialized weapon meant for exploiting the "death lines." It only delivered lethal damage if it struck a vital point. If it hit anywhere else, the damage was negligible.

In game terms, the Flowing Moon Needle's stats would look something like: [Damage reduced by 90%], but [Critical Damage increased by 10,000%].

To make matters worse, Terrence's muscles had bulged to the point of resembling stone. Even though Lucas had struck him several times, the needle-like spear barely left a mark on Terrence's hardened body.

Looks like I'll have to change my approach!

Lucas suddenly leaped several feet backward, switching his grip on the Flowing Moon Needle and beginning to channel his Cryo elemental power.

This technique was the same one he had used in the simulator to deal with the demon dragon Ursa and Stormterror: [Dragon Piercing Spear].

Though using this high-caliber move on a human opponent felt like overkill, it seemed necessary to penetrate Terrence's overwhelming defense.

Wrapped in Cryo energy, the slender spear in Lucas's hand grew significantly larger.

"Dragon Piercing Spear!"

With a sharp battle cry, Lucas hurled the spear at Terrence. To his surprise, however, Terrence didn't flinch. He charged straight at the spear, taking the hit head-on.

The spinning spear drilled into Terrence's chest, boring a hole straight through his body with a sickening "thunk." A gaping, transparent cavity appeared where his heart should have been, with black-purple organs spilling out.

Yet even after such a gruesome injury, Terrence remained standing, continuing his relentless assault on Lucas.

How is he not dead?

Could he have become a zombie?

Lucas, having once been a "doctor" in the simulator, was well-versed in this kind of technology. He had frequently dabbled in the creation of undead soldiers using a combination of drugs and mechanical enhancements, enabling corpses to keep moving and unleash hidden strength.

However, even the "undying soldiers" created by the doctor were still bound by the limits of science. If their bodies suffered enough damage, they would cease functioning.

But Terrence, despite having a hole in his chest, was still moving as if nothing had happened. This was far beyond anything Lucas had ever encountered.

Could it be that someone in this world had already surpassed the technology he developed in the simulator?

[Stop zoning out—he's coming at you again!]

The system's voice snapped Lucas back to attention.

As Terrence—now an unstoppable juggernaut—charged forward with his flaming greatsword, Lucas found himself temporarily unarmed. Dodging each of Terrence's strikes, he struggled to come up with a plan.

Extracting a weapon from the [Serenetea Pot] required some preparation time, but with Terrence's relentless attacks, Lucas didn't have a moment to spare.

No! He still have one weapon left!

Rolling across the ground, Lucas grabbed a nearby bottle that hadn't yet shattered.

[Activate: A Knight Never Fights Barehanded!]

This talent allowed Lucas to turn any object into a weapon with special effects.

[Activation successful!]

[Acquired: Molotov Cocktail]

[Effect: Creates an area of continuous fire damage upon impact.]

"Take this!"

Lucas hurled the Molotov Cocktail at Terrence. The bottle smashed with a loud "crack," and within seconds, flames engulfed Terrence's body.

Though Terrence could control fire elements, he was still human, not a slime immune to fire damage. The flames quickly spread, consuming his body.

Yet even while ablaze, Terrence didn't scream or show any signs of pain. He just kept chasing after Lucas, his entire body burning.

"What is this—Flame Fist?" Lucas muttered in frustration. "This weapon is way too weak."

Soon, the flames had burned away Terrence's clothes, and his skin began to char and crack under the heat.

However, as Lucas observed the charred remains, he noticed something unusual.

On Terrence's wrist, a black bracelet gleamed faintly, its smooth surface reflecting a dim light despite the scorching flames.

Even with the intense heat, it remained completely unaffected.

Could the secret lie in that bracelet?

Before Lucas could delve any deeper into his thoughts, Terrence swung his sword once again. Although Lucas managed to dodge the strike, the intense heatwave knocked him backward, sending him crashing into a nearby stall.

The stall was a fireworks stand, and as Lucas collided with it, various fireworks scattered across the ground.

One of them, a firework labeled with "Naganohara Fireworks," landed right on Lucas's chest.

Fireworks may be common in many nations, but none can compare to the craftsmanship of Inazuma. The country, known for its frequent fireworks festivals, produces the most exquisite and powerful fireworks. Among them, the Naganohara Fireworks Shop stands at the top, renowned not only within Inazuma but also abroad, as their fireworks are often exported for celebrations in other nations.

Even though Inazuma's recent Sakoku Decree had slowed the export of goods, Naganohara Fireworks still held a place of distinction due to their superior quality. 

This particular firework stick from Naganohara was noticeably heavier than typical ones, indicating a much larger amount of gunpowder. Bigger, higher, and more spectacular—these were the trademarks of Naganohara's creations.

Lucas activated his talent, [A Knight Never Fights Barehanded].

[Activation successful!]

[Acquired: Gunlance]

[Effect: A spear with added cannon functionality, capable of launching "Wyvern Fire" attacks using monster breath mechanics.]

Well, well, it's like Monster Hunter, Lucas thought, amused. The Gunlance, an iconic weapon from the Monster Hunter series, was a blend of stabbing and shelling—truly a man's weapon.

Under the effect of [A Knight Never Fights Barehanded], the firework stick hardened, transforming into a makeshift gunlance with a cone-shaped spear tip.

"Perfect," Lucas smirked.

[Even with that, you might not be able to break through his defenses,] the system warned.

"No problem," Lucas grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "If I can't break him from the outside... I'll just break him from the inside!"

He taunted Terrence with a mocking gesture, beckoning him. "Come on, hit me if you can!"

Terrence, who had already lost all reason, responded to the provocation without hesitation. Dragging his massive sword, he charged at Lucas.

Just as Terrence swung his greatsword down, Lucas used the gunlance as a pole to vault over Terrence, landing deftly behind him.

"Huh?" Terrence barely had time to react before Lucas drove the firework-lance into a soft spot in Terrence's body.

No matter how tough a man might be, every man has a vulnerable spot.

[Skill Activated: Ruthless Striker!]

The cone-shaped lance pierced deep, and Terrence's eyes widened in shock. Before he could even scream, Lucas had already pulled the trigger on the gunlance.

A series of loud "booms" echoed through the marketplace as explosive rounds discharged from the lance. Terrence's stomach visibly swelled, and sparks shot out from the hole in his chest.

His face contorted in agony, and with one final explosion, Terrence's body detonated from the inside out, his flesh and blood scattering like rain.

"Phew..." Lucas exhaled in relief. "Finally dealt with."

[Well, that was… quite a way to finish,] the system commented with a hint of sarcasm.

[Enemy killed. 2,000 Virtue Points awarded.]

[Executioner effect triggered. Reward: Strength increased by 10%.]

This time, the system seemed particularly generous, rewarding Lucas handsomely for defeating a murderer. Though Terrence wasn't a powerful enemy, he was certainly a troublesome one—defeating an opponent who couldn't die was no easy task.

Only someone as resourceful as Lucas would come up with such an unconventional method to take down Terrence.

With a crisp "clink," a bracelet fell from the sky, landing at Lucas's feet and rolling to a stop beside him.

It was the same bracelet Terrence had worn, though it now looked different. Lucas distinctly remembered the bracelet being black when it was on Terrence's wrist. Now, however, it had turned pure white, glowing faintly in the darkness.

"What the heck is this thing?" Lucas muttered, picking up the bracelet and examining it closely. "Could this be connected to whatever turned Terrence into that monster?"

[Why don't you put it on and find out?] the system suggested.

"Do I look like an idiot?" Lucas frowned. "What if this thing turns me into a monster too?"

But before Lucas could act, the bracelet suddenly moved on its own. It twisted in his hand and slipped onto his wrist, the clasp tightening instantly, locking it in place.

"Oh, come on!" Lucas cursed, trying to yank the bracelet off, but it had already shrunk, gripping his wrist too tightly to remove. "This thing is definitely bad news! I need to get it off, now!"

[Simple solution: just chop off your hand,] the system quipped.

"Stop joking at a time like this!" Lucas grumbled. He even tried prying it off with his fingers, but the bracelet was made of an unnaturally hard material, completely immovable.

"Hand over that bracelet," a voice suddenly demanded from the shadows.

A tall figure emerged from the darkness, dressed in black and wearing a mask. The figure's body was slim yet curvaceous, indicating she was a woman.

"Who are you?" Lucas asked, his guard up. "And what's your connection to that monster?"

"You're from Liyue, aren't you?" the masked woman said, her tone cold. "This matter doesn't concern you. Hand over the bracelet, and I won't have to resort to force."

Unbeknownst to Lucas, this woman was none other than "La Signora," one of the Harbingers of the Fatui. She had tasked another Harbinger, the Doctor, with creating a disturbance in Mondstadt. However, the Doctor had used an invention known as the "Ring of Manipulation," which wasn't fully under his control.

This bracelet, the "Ring of Manipulation," could attach itself to a host, amplifying their negative emotions and transforming their body into a vessel for malevolent energy.

The monsters created by the Ring of Manipulation were powerful, chaotic forces of destruction.

But this wasn't the kind of chaos La Signora had wanted. Though she was arrogant and ruthless, she wasn't interested in mindless slaughter, especially if it risked drawing the full attention of the Knights of Favonius to the Fatui's activities.

Thus, La Signora had come in disguise to recover the Ring of Manipulation and put an end to the Doctor's reckless experiment.

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Author's Note: The bracelet attaching itself to lucas reminded me of omnitrix and ben... You'll quite like the bracelet in one of the upcoming chapters..

And only 4 extra chapters for sunday.. You can increase it by voting more!