Broken System: Villain Edition

Chapter 8: Awakened Association

When he left, a familiar chime echoed in my head.

DING!!!

"CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU HAVE BEEN REWARDED 10 STAT POINTS!"

Current Stat Points: 13

I let out a quiet breath.

"Ohh… so you understood my plan." I murmured with a faint smile.

But this time, I didn't allocate the points.

"From now on, I'll stockpile them. Three weeks… I'll prepare properly."

In an apocalypse, alliances were temporary. Promises were fragile. Systems could be manipulated.

But raw, personal strength?

That was absolute.

In the end, you could only rely on yourself.

Taking out my phone, I sent a message to Emily:

I met the association leader earlier, babe. We're heading to their headquarters tomorrow to sign the contract. See you tomorrow! I miss you!

The pieces were falling into place.

And I intended to be the one holding the board.

Exactly at 7 a.m., with the morning sun just beginning to warm the quiet streets and the city still shaking off its drowsiness, I was already outside Emily's own apartment, leaning casually against my car as if I hadn't been waiting for several minutes.

After 3 minutes, she finally came out wearing a formal dress that hugged her figure perfectly, the soft fabric swaying gently with each step she took down the pavement.

I opened the door of my car for her. "You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress, babe." Kissing her before she gets inside, my lips linger just enough to make the compliment feel sincere.

This made her blush, a faint pink dusting her cheeks as she tried to hide her smile.

I drove for more than 40 minutes, the hum of the engine steady beneath us, chatting casually with Emily as I told her what happened last night. Of course, I removed the part where I was just plotting and made it sound genuine, carefully choosing my words so they felt natural and unforced. After hearing it, she asked me a lot of questions, her brows slightly furrowed in concern, and I answered it gently, mixing truths with lies in a way that felt seamless and believable.

When we arrived, Vlad's secretary, Veronica, escorted us to his office. Long red hair cascading down her back, sharp eyes framed by perfectly applied makeup, and a fierce look that says she's definitely strict and is from the military. Her posture was straight, movements precise, heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. Activated my skill.

READ THE ROOM (E) (Growth Type)

MP Cost: 8 MP

Cooldown: 20 seconds

Proficiency: 6.23%

Description: Analyze nearby individuals to detect hidden tension, rivalry, or exploitable emotional weaknesses.

MP: 150/150 → 142/150

STATUS WINDOW

Name: Veronica Waltz

Title: The one that controls the Divine Fire

Class: Fire Attributed Mage

Level: 1

Current Emotions: Curious and Intrigued

Emotions that can be exploited: Vulnerable to handsome guys as she only believes in "If god truly loves you, why are you ugly?" belief. She's favorable to the user because of the user's looks, her curiosity subtly mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible admiration.

"Oh she has a title? And what's this? She has a weird personality. Is she a looks racist or something?" I thought to myself while showing a kind smile outside, my expression calm and polite as if nothing crossed my mind, following her down the long hallway.

When we entered Vlad's office, he was sitting in the chair behind a large mahogany desk, sunlight filtering through the tall windows behind him. He gestured for us to sit while smiling, his fingers lightly tapping the polished surface as if he had already anticipated our arrival.

"Oh who's this, Ethan?" Vlad asked, leaning back slightly in his chair, his gaze shifting from me to Emily with open curiosity.

"This is my girlfriend, Emily. She's a healer and wants to join the association too so I was wondering if she could join." My tone was respectful but not submissive, steady and confident, meeting his eyes without hesitation.

"Oh a healer? Of course, a healer is always welcome." Vlad asked and gestured Veronica to make another contract, his smile widening just a little at the thought of gaining such a valuable asset.

Veronica nodded before leaving, her heels echoing sharply against the marble floor as the door closed softly behind her.

Then we discussed and negotiated the contract until it was both favorable to both of us. The conversation stretched on for several minutes, clauses being adjusted, percentages recalculated, and obligations clarified in calm but careful exchanges. So it ended up with us having loose contracts, granting flexibility on missions and rewards distribution. I also asked that my growth type skill should be hidden, emphasizing confidentiality as a necessary condition. Vlad raised a brow but eventually agreed without pressing further.

I then fill up the form, the pen gliding smoothly across the thick paper as I carefully wrote down the required information.

Written form that mimics the system status window:

Name: Ethan Jones

Title: None

Class: Orator

Level: 1

Skills: GUIDED SUGGESTION (E), DIFFERING PERSPECTIVE (E), PERSUASION (E), CROWD MOMENTUM (E), DIPLOMATIC VEIL (E), READ THE ROOM (E), CRISIS AMPLIFICATION (E), STRATEGIC GUIDANCE (E)

Skills Description:

WHISPERED PROVOCATION → GUIDED SUGGESTION (E) (Growth Type)

Description: Subtly influence a target's thoughts through carefully chosen words, nudging them toward a desired conclusion without direct confrontation.

SEED OF DISCORD → DIFFERING PERSPECTIVE (E) (Growth Type)

Description: Introduce alternative viewpoints into a discussion, increasing debate intensity and challenging existing agreements within a group.

FALSE NARRATIVE → PERSUASION (E) (Growth Type)

Description: Present selective or restructured information in a convincing manner, shaping how a target interprets events.

CHAIN REACTION → CROWD MOMENTUM (E) (Growth Type)

Description: Amplify emotional reactions within a group, causing sentiments to spread rapidly from one individual to another.

SMOKESCREEN TRUTH → DIPLOMATIC VEIL (E) (Growth Type)

Description: Redirect suspicion and soften accusations through composed speech, making it difficult for others to pinpoint responsibility.

READ THE ROOM (E) (Growth Type)

Description: Analyze the emotional atmosphere of nearby individuals, identifying tension, hesitation, and persuasive opportunities.

PANIC SPREAD → CRISIS AMPLIFICATION (E) (Growth Type)

Description: Heighten urgency within a group during stressful situations, accelerating decision-making and emotional responses.

PUPPETEER → STRATEGIC GUIDANCE (E) (Growth Type)

Description: Temporarily guide a target's decision-making process through persuasive authority, increasing the likelihood they will follow your proposed course of action.

I changed the skill names and description to make it sound righteous, polishing the wording so it appeared noble and support-oriented rather than manipulative, careful not to leave any hint of its true nature. The adjustments were subtle—just enough to pass scrutiny without raising suspicion.

After that, I finally sign the contract, pressing the pen firmly against the paper as if sealing something far greater than ink and parchment. The signing bonus was $500M, the number printed clearly in bold at the bottom of the final page, almost unreal in its weight and implication.

"It seems he really recognizes the value of an orator... Not bad, no wonder he became the Association Leader. I should be careful around him."

If it was my past self as a regular office worker, I wouldn't believe anyone if they said that I'll be a millionaire someday.

If it was my past self as a regular office worker, stuck behind a dull gray cubicle under the constant buzz of fluorescent lights, counting down the hours until five and surviving on instant coffee and overtime pay, I wouldn't believe anyone if they said that I'll be a millionaire someday.