Villain Simulator, Ch 132

[Uncle from Another World (Green): You have an uncle from another world, but he's incredibly reclusive.]

[Tesla's Curse (White): You're unable to control any "mount" and have a high likelihood of accidents when using transportation.]

[Blade Smith (Green): You excel at forging weapons.]

[Cat Allergy (White): You're allergic to cats and will sneeze uncontrollably around them.]

Finally, a golden talent! No hesitation needed—it was an obvious choice.

Among the blue talents, Demon Affinity seemed useful, especially if he were born in a place like Inazuma, where it might open doors.

As for the last talent, Lucas's eyes settled on Childhood Friend. Although it didn't improve combat skills, having a natural childhood sweetheart seemed nice. At least he'd have some hope for romance in this life.

[Confirmed Talents: Great Onmyoji, Demon Affinity, Childhood Friend]

[Talent Selection Complete. Generating Character Template…]

[Simulation Starting…]

[Age 0: You are born in a modest village in Inazuma. Your parents are humble farmers, and your father names you Ashan, hoping you'll grow up to be kind to others.]

Inazuma, huh…

This was the first simulation set in Inazuma. He wondered what characters he might encounter here. Even though Lucas understood that these "simulations" were real events in parallel worlds, he still instinctively called it a "simulator."

[Age 1: Your father is close friends with the man next door, and they often fish and drink together.]

[Age 2: The neighbor's wife is pregnant, and your mother often helps care for her.]

[Age 3: The neighbor's wife gives birth to a baby girl. The father, in a drunken state, jokingly declares you'll marry her one day. Unimpressed, you look at the wrinkled little face in the cradle and declare, "I don't want to marry a little monkey!" Enraged, your father smacks you with his shoe.]

[Age 4: The girl next door is named Kyoko, an unremarkable name. As she grows cuter each day, you often visit her house. Her mother teases, "Here to see your little wife again?"]

Kyoko?

That name didn't ring any bells. Could it be that this storyline wouldn't include familiar characters?

[Age 5: Kyoko starts talking late, and her first word isn't "Papa" or "Mama," but "Big Brother," directed at you. You're thrilled, but her father sulks until she finally calls him "Papa."]

[Around this time, you begin to see things others can't—walking umbrellas, floating heads, weasels with forked tails… When you tell your father, he seems alarmed.]

[Your father brings a shrine maiden from the nearby temple to perform a ritual. Afterward, you no longer see these strange things.]

[Age 6: Kyoko becomes your little shadow. Other children tease you, but she remains unfazed, proudly declaring she'll be a perfect wife for Ashan someday.]

[Age 7: Today is the annual summer festival, but Kyoko has fallen slightly ill and can't attend. You go with your parents, but in the crowd, you let go of your father's sleeve to look at water balloons. When you come back to your senses, they're nowhere to be found.]

[Faced with this situation, you decide to…]

[Search for them]

[Wait where you are]

"Wait here."

Any sensible child knows that in such situations, it's best to stay put and wait for your family to come find you.

[Entering Immersive Mode]

[Objective: Enjoy the Festival]

Enjoy the festival? What kind of task was that?

Lucas suddenly found himself as Ashan, a seven-year-old, standing amidst the crowd. He was nearly suffocated by the bustling people when a gentle hand took hold of his wrist, lifting him effortlessly from the crowd.

His rescuer was not his parents but a silver-haired woman dressed as a shrine maiden. She was strikingly beautiful, with fox-like golden eyes that gleamed mischievously.

Even Lucas, who'd seen his fair share of beauties, couldn't help but be captivated. For someone like her to appear at a modest village festival seemed almost surreal. Strangely, the passersby paid her no attention, as if she were invisible.

"Leaving such a cute kid all alone… how irresponsible," she said with a crescent-eyed smile. "How about we go watch the fireworks? Try some games or goldfish scooping?"

"I… I don't know you." Ashan quickly snapped out of his daze, shaking his head. "What if you're a bad person?"

"Oh, so cautious!" She chuckled. "But you know, if you wander off alone, a monster might come and gobble you up."

"Liar!" Ashan frowned. "There's no such thing as monsters… huh?"

Suddenly, he froze, wide-eyed. The ordinary festival-goers had vanished, replaced by strange, otherworldly creatures—similar to the ones he'd seen at age five.

"Little one, today is the Bon Festival," she explained softly. "Certain people with unusual sensitivity can accidentally step into realms inhabited by spirits and yokai. Without any yokai aura, you could look like a tasty snack to some of them."

"W-what should I do?" he stammered, visibly shaken.

"Want me to tell you?" She leaned close and, while he wasn't paying attention, planted a light kiss on his cheek.

[Talent Demon Affinity activated. You have gained this yokai's favor.]

So, she was a yokai too?

It made sense; otherwise, why would she be here?

"There we go. You're now marked with my scent," she said, taking his hand with a warm smile. "Now you're under my protection. Other yokai won't dare mess with you."

"Are you… a very powerful yokai?" Ashan asked cautiously.

"Of course I am!" The silver-haired woman proudly placed her hands on her hips. "Ask around—who hasn't heard the name 'Saiguu'?"

As she made this bold gesture, a pair of fluffy, snow-white fox ears popped out from her hair.

Saiguu… the Kitsune Saiguu?

So she was that Kitsune Saiguu!

In the game's story, she was the guardian of Narukami Island, a fox spirit of the Hakushin clan and one of the Raiden Shogun's trusted allies.

But she was said to have vanished five hundred years ago in the great calamity that engulfed Inazuma.

That meant… this simulation was set at least five centuries before the present!

Noticing Ashan's astonishment, Saiguu raised an eyebrow. "What? Don't you believe me?"

"I… I believe you…" Ashan nodded. "Because… because you're really beautiful."

Lucas knew little about Kitsune Saiguu's exact background, but he was certain of one thing—she wasn't someone to fear.

"The prettier the lady, the better she is at lying," Saiguu teased with a playful smile. "If you ever find out I've tricked you, don't come crying."

"If it's you who tricks me…" Ashan murmured, "I wouldn't mind."

For a moment, Saiguu seemed surprised, then she chuckled. "Well, would you like to play a game with me?"

"Yes!" Ashan agreed without hesitation. "What game?"

"Every year at this summer festival, I'll come here," Saiguu said, smiling. "If you can find me each time, then in ten years, I'll grant you one wish."

For a human, ten years might feel like an eternity, but for a fox spirit with Hakushin blood, it was barely a moment.

"Deal." Ashan held out his pinky. "Let's make a pinky promise."

"Pinky promise!" Saiguu hooked her little finger with his, smiling with half-moon eyes. "Anyone who breaks the promise has to eat a thousand fox hairs!"

Bang!

With a loud explosion, brilliant fireworks soared into the sky like shooting stars, illuminating the sleeping night.

"Come on, let's go play!" Saiguu laughed, taking Ashan's hand. "When we're done, I'll make sure you get home."

That summer night, the young boy felt his heart beat with a new rhythm for the first time.

The fox's gentle smile and the dazzling fireworks blended together, becoming a memory he would never forget.

As they parted, Saiguu conjured a delicate water balloon and gifted it to Ashan, promising to meet him again next summer.

[Exiting Immersive Mode]

[Objective Complete: Enjoy the Festival]

[Reward Acquired: Summer Festival Water Pearl]

[Item Type: Set]

[Effect (1/4): Increases all defensive skill effects by 18%]

[The next morning, you wake up to find yourself lying in your own bed. Your father tells you that you must have fallen asleep from all the excitement at the festival last night.]

[At first, you think everything that happened must have been a dream. But the delicate water balloon in your hands proves that it was real.]

[From that day forward, a certain woman takes root in your heart. At your young age, this feeling isn't love—it's more a mix of admiration and fascination.]

[Since meeting Kitsune Saiguu, your ability to see yokai has reawakened. But this time, you keep it a secret from everyone.]

[You fear that if your father brings a shrine maiden to perform another ritual, you'll lose your sight to see yokai… and never see Saiguu again.]

[Age 8: Despite Saiguu's presence in your life, nothing changes in your day-to-day routine. You play with friends during the day and count stars on the rooftop with Kyoko at night.]

[But sometimes, you find yourself in a secluded corner, gazing at the water balloon and counting down the days to the next festival.]

Finally, the summer festival returned, and once again, Kyoko was feeling slightly unwell, just like last year.

You thought it was a coincidence and didn't give it much thought. Your mind was already fully focused on finding Kitsune Saiguu.

But this game turned out to be no easy feat. In the crowded festival, finding a single person was hard enough—let alone a mischievous fox spirit.

You scoured the festival grounds three or four times. For an eight-year-old, this left you exhausted. Just as you were beginning to suspect Saiguu had tricked you, a large, fluffy white tail appeared in the crowd, swaying rhythmically.

It felt like a game hint appearing when you're unsure how to proceed…

Without hesitation, you grabbed the tail, and its owner turned out to be none other than Fox Saiguu!

["Oh, you got me." Fox Saiguu pinched your cheeks with a smile. "Now, what punishment should I give you?"]

["Why am I being punished? I'm the one who caught you!" You pouted, puffing your cheeks in indignation.]

["Well then…" Saiguu lifted you in her arms, winking. "Your punishment is to spend the evening playing with me!"]

Once again, you spent a joyful festival night with Fox Saiguu.

[Age 9: For this year's festival, Kitsune Saiguu disguised herself as a lost old woman. You had to navigate the crowd while searching for her "family," which, of course, didn't exist.]

[Age 10: By now, you've completely adapted to the yokai festival, and oddly enough, many yokai seem to like you, inviting you to play with them.]

[A group of fox spirit ladies surround you, playfully asking which of them you like best.]

[What you didn't realize was that Kitsune Saiguu was standing right behind you. As they waited for you to blush or stammer, you confidently declared, "My favorite is Saiguu!"]

["That's more like it!" Saiguu hugged you from behind with a laugh. "If you'd picked someone else, I'd never let you off, you know."]

[What Saiguu didn't know was that your yokai-sensing ability had been steadily growing, and you'd already sensed her presence.]

[Of course, even if she hadn't been there, your answer would have been the same.]

[Age 11: You notice your sensitivity to yokai has grown stronger. Elders in the village often say that only those with potent spiritual energy can see yokai, and that yokai especially enjoy eating the flesh of the spiritually strong.]

[However, none of the yokai you encounter show any hostility. Sometimes, you even see friends you met at the festival and play games with them.]

[Your humanity is no longer a secret, but thanks to Kitsune Saiguu's protection, no yokai dares harm you.]

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Author's Note: Oof, why are you all so depressed? Here, take another chapter and be happy :)

(I'm depressed too)

Goal remains the same: 1600 p.s. for another chapter!