Broken System: Villain Edition

Chapter 7: Dancing within my palm

A loud laugh burst through the quiet parking lot.

"HAHAHAHAHA! I DIDN'T THINK I'D GET FOUND OUT LIKE THIS! HAHAHAHA!"

The sound echoed against the concrete pillars, sharp and grating. It immediately irritated me.

The empty space in front of me began to distort. Light bent unnaturally, like heat rising from asphalt. Then a figure slowly revealed himself.

A tall blonde man with a buzz cut stepped forward. Broad shoulders. Thick neck. A body that looked built for breaking bones. His posture was relaxed, but there was nothing careless about him.

"Don't worry." he said after finishing his laughter, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "I'm not here to fight."

"Then who are you?" I asked flatly.

"I was patrolling the vicinity when I suddenly felt something… watching me." His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at me. "When I followed that feeling, I found you."

So he noticed.

He didn't know about the Status Window itself—but he sensed the moment I scanned him.

Troublesome.

Before I could respond, he reached into his coat and flicked something toward me. I caught it easily.

A business card.

Clean. Minimal.

[Vlad – S-Rank Awakener]

Below that:

Leader, Awakened Association

My eyes paused for half a second.

S-Rank.

So this was him. The military-backed powerhouse people kept talking about online. The one rumored to have overwhelming combat ability. The face of government-controlled awakeners.

On the outside, I softened my expression immediately.

Calm. Respectful.

"I see…" I said, lifting my gaze back to him. "Let's talk inside."

If the leader of the Awakened Association came to me personally—

Then the game just accelerated.

I led him inside my apartment and closed the door behind us.

"Do you want water, coffee, juice, or beer?" I asked casually, as if I didn't just invite one of the strongest awakened individuals in the country into my home.

"I'd usually say beer...." he replied, glancing around the room, "but since I'm on patrol, I'll take black coffee. No sugar."

I nodded and walked into the kitchen.

While the coffee brewed, I could feel his presence filling the space. He wasn't releasing killing intent or anything dramatic—but there was weight to him. The kind that comes from someone who has already fought and survived real battles.

Five minutes later, I handed him the cup and sat on the couch opposite him.

"Tell me more about your offer." I said calmly. "I'm interested."

"Oh? Straight to the point. I like that." He set the cup down on the table without drinking it yet. "Alright. You have a skill that lets you view other people's status windows, right?"

So that's what this is about.

I nodded. "Yes. But it's not very useful yet."

I kept my tone steady. No hesitation. No defensiveness. No visible pride either.

Composed.

When negotiating with powerful people, fear lowers your value. Overconfidence makes you suspicious. Neutral confidence invites investment.

"Yet?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's a growth-type skill." I replied. "But my class is Orator."

For a second, he just stared at me.

Then—

"WHAT? Growth-type? I've never heard of that. And Orator? Is that one of those rare classes?"

His curiosity clearly got the better of him. He leaned forward slightly, studying me in a new light.

I gave him controlled, incomplete answers.

"It improves with usage."

"It's more support-oriented."

"It doesn't give full details yet."

"I'm still figuring it out."

All technically true.

Just not the whole truth.

The more I spoke vaguely, the more interested he became. His earlier relaxed posture shifted subtly. He wasn't looking at me like a random civilian anymore.

He was evaluating me as an asset.

Good.

Let him imagine the potential.

People value what they don't fully understand far more than what's clearly defined.

Activating a skill.

FALSE NARRATIVE (E) (Growth Type)

MP Cost: 16 MP

Cooldown: 30 seconds

Proficiency: 15.78%

Description: Fabricate or distort information, misleading a target and obscuring the truth.

MP: 150/150 → 134/150

A subtle warmth spread through my chest. My thoughts aligned smoothly. Words arranged themselves before I even consciously chose them.

"When I passed the trial," I began calmly, "a horned cat that called itself an Ancient God appeared before me."

The lie flowed without resistance.

"He said that with my quick-witted personality, he would grant me a class to help humanity. He told me only one thing—when the monsters invade, humans will panic and fall into despair. He said I should use the gift he gave me to guide them."

I paused just enough to make it feel personal.

"When I received my system… my class was Orator."

Vlad didn't interrupt.

His gaze sharpened, but he remained silent.

"Although I'm not a combat class," I continued, "I can guide people to safer places. I can calm crowds. I can reduce casualties by influencing how they think and react."

That last part was deliberate.

A carefully placed hook.

In my eyes, I let conviction show. Not arrogance. Not excitement.

Conviction.

The kind you see in someone who believes he was chosen for a purpose.

Because men like Vlad don't invest in weaklings.

They invest in tools with long-term value.

And Vlad… he is not just a soldier.

His build suggests brute force, but his behavior tells a different story.

Earlier, when he sensed me observing him, he didn't immediately confront me. He tested me. He followed. He deliberately stepped into positions where I would clearly notice him. He even leaked killing intent on purpose.

That wasn't recklessness.

That was confirmation.

He wanted to see if I would react.

If I could truly detect him.

That is not the behavior of a simple warrior.

That is calculation.

And ambition?

That part is obvious.

The moment he became one of the strongest awakened, he didn't isolate himself. He founded the Awakened Association. That means he doesn't just want strength—he wants structure. Influence. Control.

A man who builds institutions plans for the long term.

Which is why I tailored my lie carefully.

A non-combat Orator is useless in battle.

But an Orator who can stabilize civilians, manage panic, and shape public opinion?

That is a strategic asset.

I wasn't selling power.

I was selling scalability.

After I hinted that I could influence public opinion, I watched him carefully.

If he truly had a larger plan—something beyond simple monster extermination—then my value wouldn't lie in combat.

It would lie in control.

And just as I expected, his eyes glowed faintly.

He saw it.

The potential.

He suddenly burst into laughter.

"HAHAHAHA! THAT'S A GOOD CLASS! YOU CAN HELP PEOPLE FOLLOW US!"

Us.

There it was.

He had already included me in his structure.

We both laughed.

"Hahaha~ of course. After all, the God who protected us personally requested my help… I'll naturally do everything I can. Hohoho~" I replied, matching his tone with shameless enthusiasm.

On the surface, it looked like two like-minded individuals sharing ambition.

In reality, it was two predators recognizing each other.

"HAHAHAHA! THAT'S GOOD, THAT'S GOOD! WE REALLY MET GUIDED BY FATE!" he roared. "Come to our association headquarters tomorrow. I'll prepare the contract so we can discuss it properly."

He handed me his contact information before standing up.

His mood was visibly lighter than when he first entered.

Satisfied.

Excited.

As if he had just recruited a valuable piece.

I walked him to the door politely.

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Vlad."

"Call me Vlad!" he said, waving dismissively before leaving the apartment.

The door closed.

Silence returned.

The smile on my face slowly disappeared.

A moth willingly flying into the fire.

The only question is—

Who's the flame?