Chapter 68: The Final Boss Doesn’t Get Paid Enough for This

[Please Make a Choice.]

[Option 1: Help Yuna Monroe deal with the Deviants. However, you must introduce yourself as the Final Boss of This Alley and act like an arrogant action-movie hero until both Deviants are defeated.]

[Reward: $10,000 (Uncommon)]

[Option 2: Leave without investigating.]

[Reward: Warm Meal Voucher (Common)]

’Deviants?!’

Nero almost wanted to curse.

’Are you kidding me? Old Man Drake just warned me about these people last day, and now you want me to fight them?!’

He had barely recovered from the Red Gate incident, and now the System was dragging him into another dangerous situation.

And what the hell was wrong with the first option?

Nero was starting to suspect that the System enjoyed watching him embarrass himself.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t simply ignore the situation.

He wanted to become stronger, and real combat experience was something he needed. If he kept running away whenever danger appeared, he would never become strong enough to do anything or even find his parents.

Besides, he had just spent hours improving his control over Cellular Reservoir. This was a good opportunity to see whether his training had actually helped.

After considering everything, Nero reluctantly selected the first option.

[Option 1 Selected.]

’Fine! But if I die of embarrassment, I’m blaming you, System.’

He approached the narrow passage, carefully checking what was happening before revealing himself.

Yuna Monroe stood near the entrance of a closed shop, with two men blocking her way.

Her silky pink hair fell past her waist. Her fitted white blouse hugged her slender figure, while a short black skirt revealed her beautiful, long legs.

Her smooth, fair skin and delicate features were already enough to attract attention, but her beautiful blue eyes were even more unusual.

A small pendant rested against her chest, which seemed to be what the two men were after.

One of them held a knife, with dark patches of Demonic Energy spreading across his forearms. His companion had long, curved claws growing from his fingers. He must be a mutated human with animalistic features.

’Two Deviants, huh?’

Nero immediately became more cautious.

Deviants were humans whose hatred and malicious thoughts allowed Demonic Energy to manifest within them. As the corruption worsened, they gradually became more violent and developed an increasing desire to hurt others.

Unlike ordinary criminals, Deviants also possessed terrifying growth potential.

And these two were currently threatening Yuna.

"It’s just a necklace, sweetheart," the man holding the knife said. "Hand it over, and we’ll let you leave with that pretty face intact."

"No, thank you. Also, could you please stand farther away? Your breath smells terrible."

Yuna looked genuinely disgusted when she said that.

"...What?"

"I’m serious. I can smell you from here, and it’s making me question whether brushing your teeth is illegal where you come from."

Nero nearly laughed.

’She’s not even scared!’

The man’s expression twisted with anger.

"You little bitch! Do you think this is funny?!"

"Not particularly. I was enjoying my afternoon until two smelly men decided to ruin it."

Yuna crossed her arms.

"Besides, you’re both Deviants, aren’t you? If you touch me, the entire country will be after you."

The two men exchanged glances before laughing.

"Oh, really? Then why don’t we see how quickly they come to save you?"

The knife wielder stepped forward, his eyes turning cold.

Nero knew it was time to intervene.

Unfortunately, there was one small problem.

’How the hell am I supposed to introduce myself?!’

He briefly considered shouting the required title from a distance, but that would only make him look even more ridiculous.

’Whatever. Just get it over with!’

"AHEM!"

Nero stepped into the passage with his hands behind his back, wearing what he hoped was an intimidating expression.

"How foolish!"

Both Deviants turned toward him.

Yuna also looked over, and her eyes widened slightly when she recognized his face.

"You two have made a terrible mistake today!"

"...Who the fuck are you?" the knife wielder demanded with a frown.

Nero pointed dramatically toward them.

"Fools! You dare cause trouble in my territory without knowing who I am?!"

The two men stared at him with confused expressions.

Yuna blinked.

"...Your territory?"

Nero ignored her.

’C... come on, Nero! You can do this!’

He cleared his throat before delivering the line with all the confidence he could manage.

"I am the Final Boss of This Alley! And unfortunately for you two, your free trial of being villains has officially expired!"

"..."

Complete silence followed his words.

Even the Deviants seemed to have forgotten what they were doing.

Yuna slowly looked Nero up and down, as though she had just encountered an alien disguised as a human.

"...Are you alright?"

’NO! I’M NOT ALRIGHT!’

Nero wanted to crawl into a hole.

However, the System hadn’t completed his choice yet, so he had no choice but to continue.

"Young lady, stand back! These two insignificant villains are not worthy of disturbing my peaceful afternoon!"

Yuna’s expression became increasingly strange.

’Wasn’t this the guy who got hit by a truck?’

She remembered him being rather timid during their previous encounter.

’Did the truck damage his brain?’

Meanwhile, the knife wielder finally recovered from his confusion.

"You arrogant bastard! I’ll fucking kill you!"

He lunged toward Nero with his knife raised.

Nero immediately activated Telekinesis and pulled the knife slightly off course without making it too obvious that he had it.

The blade scraped against the shop’s metal shutter, missing its intended target.

Before the Deviant could recover, Nero caught his wrist and drove a fist into his stomach.

BANG!

The man doubled over and stumbled into his companion.

"How dare you attack the Final Boss!" Nero declared.

"You think you’re tough, huh?!"

The clawed Deviant rushed forward with a sneer.

"Naturally! A final boss wouldn’t be much of a boss if he were weak!"

Nero dodged the first slash, although the second attack came fast enough to tear through the edge of his sleeve.

He stepped inside the man’s reach and struck his ribs, forcing him backward.

Neither Deviant possessed physical strength comparable to Nero’s, but that didn’t make their attacks harmless. Those claws could still tear through flesh if he became careless.

The man charged again, swinging wildly toward Nero’s neck.

This time, Nero ducked beneath the attack and used Telekinesis to launch a small piece of gravel toward his face.

"ARGH!"

The stone struck his cheek, making him instinctively cover one eye.

Nero immediately kicked him into a stack of empty delivery crates.

CRASH!

Plastic shattered beneath the impact.

"One villain defeated!" Nero announced awkwardly.

Unfortunately, the knife wielder had already recovered.

A rough gray layer spread across his forearms, making his skin resemble stone.

"Let’s see you punch through my Stone Skin, asshole!"

Nero examined the transformation.

’Stone Skin, huh?’

The Talent certainly looked useful.

Unfortunately for its owner, the protection only covered his arms.

And his face was still perfectly exposed.

’If this was at the C-Rank. It would be far more dangerous for sure.’

The Deviant rushed toward him and swung his knife downward.

Nero caught his wrist with both hands and twisted it aside, forcing the blade into the pavement.

"Foolish villain! You’ve forgotten the most important rule!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!"

Nero smiled.

"Never challenge the Final Boss without finishing the tutorial!"

BANG!

His knee struck the man’s chin, sending him crashing against the metal shutter before he collapsed onto the ground.

Meanwhile, the clawed Deviant had finally climbed out of the broken crates.

"I’LL RIP YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!"