THE PERFECT VILLAIN: Another chance with a system
Chapter 16: A Statue

Chapter 16: A Statue

As soon as Vael stepped through the portal, he emerged into an open field.

He blinked, disoriented for a moment, then pieced together how the portals worked. They were found in scattered caves, and new ones could appear at any time—in the human world or the Demon Realm. Unpredictable.

Vael drew a slow, deep breath, letting the warmth of the yellow sun soak into his skin. The green fields stretched endlessly before him, dotted with wildflowers. Birds called to one another from the trees. The sky—a brilliant, unbroken blue—felt like a forgotten memory.

For a fleeting moment, it felt like home.

Then the memories surfaced.

The crowd’s jeering faces. His wife and daughter dangling from ropes. Amira’s cold, satisfied smile—a stark contrast to the beauty around him.

But he felt nothing. No sadness. No rage. Just... freedom. Light as the wind. Untethered.

A notification shattered the silence.

Notice: The unique skill Calamity Evolution has fulfilled another step.

New permanent skill acquired: Heightened Physiology.

Vael’s lips curved. An upgrade already. I’m beginning to like this skill.

Notice: The unique skill Calamity Evolution has fulfilled another step.

New permanent skill acquired: Poison.

Double Calamity Evolution has affected other skills.

Authority of Theft:

Skill copy count increased to three-time usage.

All current skills can be used three times before removal.

Copy duration increased: 7 days → 1 month.

Shapeshifting:

Duration increased to one week.

Shapeshifting has reached a perfect state. Clothing worn at the moment of shifting will now be affected using mana to complete the transformation.

Notice: Currently available skills:

Poison — Permanent

Heightened Senses — Permanent

Heightened Physiology — Permanent

Current Arsenal: Lightning, Shield, Earth Spikes, Authority of Space-Time (Spatial Compaction).

Notice: New title acquired: Lord of Deceit.

"Oh." Vael’s voice slipped out before he could stop it. He dropped to a whisper: "I can’t believe I got all of that from a single evolution. And Shapeshifting is even more interesting now—no need to constantly change outfits. This is great."

He paused, letting the title settle. Lord of Deceit.

Hmm. I like that better.

Another notification pulsed.

Notice: Calamity Evolution has improved the system.

"Wait—what?"

Notice: System shall now undergo evolution.

Notice: System evolution complete.

Notice: System shall now possess a personality. Agreement or decline?

A personality? More like a partner with its own mind?

Notice: Affirmative.

That’s interesting. You’d become more like a personal assistant than a record tab, right?

Notice: Affirmative.

In that case, this might be more reliable than a basic system.

Vael smiled silently for a moment, then muttered: "Proceed."

Notice: Affirmative! System shall now begin evolution. Evolution complete. System shall now fully possess the name Claire. System evolution complete! System shall now fully accept its form. System fully completed.

A warmth bloomed in his mind—different from the sun, softer, almost alive.

Claire: Hello, Lord Vael. I am Claire.

Vael’s brows shot up. He stared into empty space, processing.

"Claire?"

Claire: Yes, Lord Vael?

His eyes widened. "You didn’t start with ’Notice.’ Is that part of the evolution?"

Claire: Certainly, Lord Vael.

"You didn’t say ’Affirmative’!" The words tumbled out, laced with genuine delight. He hadn’t realized how much the rigid, mechanical responses had grated on him until now.

This is better than I thought. A personality isn’t such a bad thing.

His excitement lingered a moment longer before he shook it off. He scanned his surroundings, then asked:

"Claire, do you know where we are?"

Claire: No, Lord Vael. I can only recall things you’ve seen.

Oh, I see. You’re not all-knowing, then. What if I forget a face or place I’ve seen before? Would you forget too?

Claire: No, Lord Vael. I never forget.

Perfect. It’s like having two brains. Definitely better than a notice board.

Vael smiled and began walking toward a large tree. The system upgrade had made him feel more invincible than he already did—but a system with a personality? That was something no one was ready for.

---

He had barely covered a few feet when a voice called from behind.

"Hey! Are you lost?"

Vael’s shoulders tensed. He turned slightly, catching sight of a young man heading his way. Instinctively, he twisted away, hiding the horn jutting from his forehead.

Demons used demonic arts to conceal their horns whenever they visited the human world—easily blending in. But Vael had no such skill. His Arcane Magic could theoretically do it, but Shapeshifting was the only ability he could wield in that domain.

He recalled countless human faces—but Shapeshifting only worked on faces his current self had seen. This young man was the first human face he’d laid eyes on since transmigrating.

The man stopped a few feet away. He had black hair, similar to Vael’s, but his eyes burned bright blue. His smile seemed genuine, but Vael kept his back turned.

"Are you lost?" the young man asked again.

"Certainly not," Vael replied, his voice cool. "Though I wouldn’t want to keep a conversation with someone I barely know."

"Oh, I’m not a stranger. I’m Niel—an adventurer." Niel turned and pointed into the distance. "I’m from that village over there—not too far. Trust me, the people are nice. Welcoming."

Vael smiled without looking back. Welcoming, huh? That’s nice to know.

"I’m Vael."

He turned slowly, wearing his own face—smile still intact.

The color drained from Niel’s face. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Before he could react, an Earth Spike erupted from the ground behind him and took off his head.

Niel’s body crumpled with a heavy thud.

Vael looked down at the corpse, his expression placid. "Unfortunate. I need your face. And there can’t be two of us."

---

Vael had shifted, his clothes now matching Niel’s. Then he headed in the direction Niel had pointed.

Soon, the field gave way to a small town. He began observing his surroundings, cataloging every detail—the worn cobblestones, the wooden signs, the clusters of villagers going about their day.

"Niel!"

The voice came from two young girls who had spotted him before he spotted them. The blonde one waved and sprinted toward him, her dark-haired friend trailing behind.

Both threw their arms around him in a hug before pulling back. Vael had no idea what relationship the face’s owner had with them—but he was going to play along.

The blonde’s eyes suddenly lit up. She stared at the blade at his hip.

"Wow! You found it! You found the legendary sword!"

"You said you were going to find it—and you did it in less than an hour! You’re amazing, Niel!" the black-haired girl added, her voice brimming with awe.

Vael glanced down at the blade, then back at them.

Legendary blade?

He had no idea why they assumed his sword was legendary. But then his gaze drifted past them, toward the center of the village.

And stopped.

A statue rose at the town square—tall, carved from pale stone, frozen in a heroic pose. The face was unmistakable.

Aurelian Veritas.

A statue of himself.