I SHOULD BE THE VILLAIN, BUT I PREFER TO BE A TYCOON-Chapter 32: The Danger of Level 10

While driving, Zayden observed the road with great attention.

It seemed that the later it got, the greater the number of creatures roaming free.

Driving for just half an hour, he managed to spot more than ten creatures.

Not all of them were obsessive ghosts; some were more like Yokais.

But it seemed they couldn’t directly affect humans. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

He saw a hideous being resembling a Kappa trying to bite a man’s arm.

Its sharp teeth seemed capable of such a feat, but it proved unable.

There was even a gray creature walking on all fours with a huge yellow eye on its butt.

That was disturbing in several ways.

"Huh!?"

Very close to reaching the hotel, Zayden slowed down upon seeing something that left him stunned.

What he saw was a monster about four meters tall with white clothes, and instead of feet, it was as if it had the body of a snake, with a huge head, blue skin, and full of warts like an old witch, with long black straw-like hair.

What stunned Zayden wasn’t its appearance, but rather, the moment this creature stretched out its hands, grabbed another level 7 creature, and swallowed it.

Even when the level 7 creature tried to fight back, it couldn’t win, as the other was level 9.

And, before Zayden’s eyes, he saw the creature go from level 9 to level 10.

Then, with its head full of teeth, it bit a woman in her early forties.

As expected, the bite didn’t harm the woman’s physical body, but Zayden saw it pull what seemed to be the woman’s soul with the bite and start chewing while the woman in question collapsed to the ground.

"A woman fainted suddenly!"

"Someone, someone call emergency services!"

Obviously, no one saw the creature and didn’t know what happened to the woman except for Zayden, who pulled the car over to the side of the road and watched it all.

At that distance, even if he wanted to help, he wouldn’t have been able to in time.

And when he thought the creature was about to claim another victim and hesitated whether he should act or not, at least draw the creature’s attention and escape with the car... A rift opened in space and began to suck the creature in.

"Wraaar!!"

The creature didn’t want to be sucked in and dug its hands into the ground.

"Just a little more, I want just a little more... I finally... I finally tasted it... Finally managed to taste it..."

No matter how much the creature struggled, it was still sucked into the rift, and then the rift in space simply closed.

Standing a few meters away, Zayden looked in the direction of the people gathered around the woman who had ’fainted.’

It became clear that it was already too late for this woman. That creature had somehow managed to eat what seemed to be her soul. If that was true, the woman was now nothing but a soulless body. Unless someone possessed her body... It would be illogical to think she would survive.

’These creatures are very dangerous... And it seems that after level 10, they’re capable of causing greater harm to humans.’ Zayden thought: ’But what was that thing that sucked the creature in? Was it something that separates the human world from the supernatural?’

The number of doubts he had just increased. However, he didn’t know anyone he could talk to and clear up his doubts.

’Honestly, I need to stay away from level 9 creatures...’

So far, this was the first creature he saw beyond level 9. And perhaps the phenomenon he witnessed was the reason.

But then, he pondered the question... If he reached level 10, would a rift in space open and suck him in too?

’Should I stop killing ghosts?’ He opened his stats.

───────────

Level: 1 Next level: 10% - [10/100]

───────────

Even if slowly, he was gaining EXP. If he continued like this, sooner or later he would reach level 10. When that happened...

**

**

After he got home, the first thing he did was make tea.

On his second cup, he sighed softly.

A lot had happened in a single day. If what happened at Screaming Hollow wasn’t enough, seeing that creature eat the soul of that poor woman was a huge shock.

He couldn’t even get excited thinking about the reward he received from the mission.

He had to sit drinking tea in silence to calm himself down.

’Should I call Haruka?’

Having someone to keep him company would be ideal, but he held himself back.

It was already late, and she had to work the next day. She was most likely asleep, and he didn’t want to be a bother.

Opening his inventory, seeing the two gift boxes, even without enthusiasm, he decided to open them.

───────────

You opened the [Mysterious Silver Gift Boxes] and received: Skill [Stealth]

[Stealth]: This skill allows you to completely hide your spiritual power, making you appear as a normal human.

You opened the [Mysterious Silver Gift Boxes] and received: 1x [Spiritual Flame Halberd - Rank D]

───────────

Zayden saw the spear replace the gift box in the inventory slot.

He reached out, and when he grabbed the handle, he pulled it from the inventory.

Soon, a halberd 1.9 meters long appeared.

The body of the halberd was gold and silver.

The tip was like a curved pirate sword, seemingly emerging from the mouth of a golden dragon. The longer part of the halberd was silver, as was the blade, and the lower end was gold.

*Fwoosh!*

*Crackle! Crackle!*

When he tried to use his spiritual power, it was quickly drained while the spear seemed to come to life; the body of the spear turned red, the golden part became brighter, and flames began to burn intensely on the halberd’s blade.

The flames were so strong that Zayden started to sweat.

The fire alarm was triggered, and water sprayed from the ceiling while a loud alarm blared.

Zayden opened his inventory and stored the spear.

It didn’t take long for someone to knock on his door.

"Mr. Zayden, are you okay?!"

How was he going to explain this?

Without much time to think, he went to his room, quickly changed clothes, and then went to open the door.

At the entrance, there were several staff members, some even holding buckets of water.

"It was a false alarm," he forced himself to say.

Now, how convincing he sounded, even he didn’t know.