Chapter 119: So many monster corpses…
He let out a slow breath, rubbing his thumb along the side of his palm as he processed it all.
'A quest like this… I've never received something so ridiculous,' he thought, but an amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
It was ridiculous—yet thrilling. A completely different type of system mechanic… one that practically invited chaos.
Snatching the protagonist badge from Stanley?
That sounded like a dream come true.
Damien had never liked Stanley anyway.
In fact, from the moment he played the game and realized Stanley was the stereotypical golden child—optimistic, naive, needlessly heroic—he had found him irritating.
The kind of guy who smiled too much. The kind of guy who thought the world bent to friendship and hard work.
The kind of guy Damien couldn't stand.
It only got worse when he transmigrated into the game, only to realise Stanley was exactly the way he was in the game.
So taking something from him?
Stealing his spotlight?
Claiming the story for himself?
He didn't feel even an ounce of guilt. If anything, he felt invigorated.
Besides… there was a reward attached to it.
He didn't know what the reward would be yet, but quests like these didn't give small bonuses. A major event, plus stealing main character progression? The system would definitely cough up something useful.
Damien's eyes gleamed faintly. 'Either way… it'll be good. Definitely good.'
He folded his arms as he thought deeper.
'The duel with Stanley… could that raise the percentage too?'
It was an interesting possibility.
In the original game, that duel had been a turning point. Not just a casual fight—it was one of the events that skyrocketed Stanley's popularity within the academy.
His reputation soared after that. Everyone praised and admired him, seeing him as the rising star.
Except, originally… Damien wasn't the one who fought him.
It had been someone else entirely.
His presence in this world had shifted things. Altered the story. Replaced roles.
But an event like that didn't just disappear because the participants changed.
A major event remained a major event.
And if Damien won instead?
He would effectively steal one more crucial moment from the protagonist.
Another piece of the story would fall into his hands.
Which could only mean one thing—
His main character percentage would jump again.
He clicked his tongue softly and chuckled under his breath, the sound low and brimming with thrill.
"This is going to be fun…" he murmured to himself.
His mind spun with plans and opportunities he got get from this. But he folded the thoughts away for now. One thing at a time. He needed to finish the immediate matters first.
"For now…" he whispered, his expression returning to its calm, sharp focus, "I should go to the adventurer guild."
He was certain the village guards would be there already—waiting for him with the monster corpses from the beast horde.
Whether they were terrified, or desperately trying to appease him didn't matter.
They would be there.
And Damien was more than ready to use every advantage this event had given him.
With the amount of power Damien had displayed earlier—and now with his main character percentage boosting the villagers' perception of him—there was absolutely no chance anyone would dare go against his instructions.
They wouldn't even think about it.
And even if one of them somehow got stupid enough to try…
Damien already knew he had more than enough ways to handle them.
A few minutes later…
Damien stood in front of the bustling adventurer guild, the late afternoon sun casting a long shadow behind him.
In his right hand was a large sack—bulging slightly from the weight of what he carried inside.
The area around the guild was unusually busy, filled with chatter, clanking metal, and the sound of hurried footsteps. But the busiest part was right at the entrance.
All the village guards were gathered there.
Each one held massive sacks—clearly stuffed with monster corpses from the beast horde he had slaughtered. The bags were so full they strained at the seams.
And the moment Damien appeared…
They bowed immediately.
All of them.
Their heads lowered deeply in unison as they said, almost chanting,
"Damien Cross… we've been waiting for you."
Damien smirked lightly at the sight and gave a casual nod, gesturing with two fingers for them to rise.
The guards straightened up at once, treating his smallest motion like a command from a superior officer.
His presence alone sparked noise inside the guild.
A few adventurers turned. Then a few more. Soon, murmurs spread rapidly.
"Who's that?"
"Why are the guards bowing to him?"
"Did he do something crazy?"
Their curious, startled whispers grew louder, circling around the guild hall like ripples in a pond.
The bald man at the front of the village guards frowned slightly, staring at the sack Damien held.
"Sr Damien…," he called out, voice rough but cautious. "What's that you've got there? Don't tell me you killed another monster on your way here?"
Damien's reply came smoothly, without expression.
"I killed it on the way here."
The man stared, stunned. His eyes widened a little before he inhaled sharply.
'So he still had the strength to kill another beast…? What a monster…'
The bald man swallowed hard and didn't dare question him further.
They might all be holding bodies of terrifying beasts with them, but the real monster in the eyes of the man was the seemingly harmless teenager in front of him.
Damien didn't bother speaking again. He simply walked forward, heading straight toward the village guards with calm confidence as the adventurers parted from his path.
The monster corpse in his own sack wasn't from today's battle.
It was the E-rank boar he'd killed days ago.
He hadn't had the chance to sell it then, but today was perfect.
He would sell it together with the rest of his loot.
Damien's eyes scanned the ground briefly, counting the large sacks lined up neatly beside the guards.
One… two… three…
When he reached the last one, he nodded.
"Perfect," he said, noticing there were exactly twenty-nine.
Damien didn't waste any more time outside.
With a final glance at the bustling guild doors, he stepped forward, calmly pushing them open.
The warm, lively air of the adventurer guild washed over him—voices overlapping, clattering armor, the clink of coins, the faint smell of ink, paper, and worn leather.
It was the typical atmosphere of a guild at its busiest hour.
Yet, the moment he walked in, a few eyes instantly shifted toward him.
Something about his presence forced attention, but he ignored it casually.
As he moved deeper into the hall, a soft voice suddenly approached from the side.
"Welcome to the guild—oh!"
A fairly beautiful woman with long black hair cascading smoothly down her shoulders and gentle brown eyes stepped into his path.
She blinked once, and easily recognising him, her expression brightened with a warm, almost relieved smile.
It was Susan.
The same guild worker who had attended to him the last time he was here.
She straightened slightly, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear as her smile grew softer. "It's nice to see you here again… sir."
Damien gave her a light smile—barely a shift at the corner of his lips, but it was enough.
Her heart skipped a beat immediately.
The warmth rushed to her cheeks, and her breath quickened before she forced herself to settle, silently scolding herself for reacting to a client like that.
But he was handsome. Unnaturally handsome. The controlled expression, the calm eyes, the aura he carried so effortlessly—she couldn't help it.
She recollected herself quickly, straightening her posture.
"I—what… can we do for you this time?" she asked, her voice steadier than her heartbeat.
Her gaze lowered slightly as she noticed the sack Damien was carrying.
It was quite large, heavy enough to hint at something inside. She raised a brow subtly.
"Ah… do you want to sell monster parts again?" she asked.
"Yes," Damien replied simply. Then he added, "But it's not just this one."
Susan blinked, confused.
Damien lifted a hand and pointed casually toward the entrance of the guild.
She followed the direction of his finger—and immediately gasped.
Outside, the village guards—all twenty-nine of them—were opening a few of the massive sacks they carried.
As the fabric fell away, the contents became visible.
Monster corpses. Hundreds of kilograms worth. All different shapes, sizes, and species. A staggering pile of them.
Her lips parted in shock.
'So many monster corpses?!' she screamed inwardly.
Her breath caught as she stared at Damien again. This was not normal. This wasn't even remotely normal.
Even if a full team of elite adventurers went on a long hunt, collecting this much would take time, planning, and absurd stamina.
She swallowed deeply, suddenly aware she was speaking to someone far above the level she had assumed.
She quickly cleared her throat, trying to regain composure.
"L-Let's… talk more inside," she said, motioning politely for him to follow.
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