THE PERFECT VILLAIN: Another chance with a system
Chapter 27: Her Own Face

Chapter 27: Her Own Face

Grand Meteor? What is that?

Claire: In short term, a large stone descending to the earth with flames around it.

Niel’s eyes widened. He had seen a similar unique skill from a demon lord before and the disaster it caused was enough to wipe out a village and now he had the same attack.

It’s sad, such a creative attack can only be used once. Well, at least it serves a greater purpose.

Niel rose from where he sat and looked down at the village once more, then he mumbled to himself: "Two days left."

---

The next day, Niel woke up early again and made breakfast for the house, still using the Perfect Portion skill. While it was valuable to him, it was the current piece he needed to assist his puzzle.

The house once again was brimming with the aroma of the food but this time they all gathered at the table, not with the gloom of the previous day but with a more keen suspicion. They had not fully realized the difference the previous day but now, they could tell the noticeable change in the aroma of the meal. It smelled like Luna.

"How are you doing that?"

Mira asked as she sat at the table. Mia and Anna joined at the table.

"Doing what?"

Niel asked without staring back at them. He lifted the pot and carried it to the table and placed it there, then sat on the chair.

Mira reached for a spoon and tasted it, then she looked back at him. "It’s exactly like Luna’s. How are you doing it?"

"Oh no, my cooking can never be like hers. She was a perfect cook, I just tried my best to follow her style," Niel replied with a casual tone.

No one apart from Amira knew Luna had a unique skill. Though Niel did know that, he knew they wouldn’t assume he could possibly possess a skill that copies—if anything, it was the rarest of all abilities.

Regardless, Mira gave a suspicious look before digging in.

Though the table was still as silent as the previous day, it was less gloomy than before. They all ate silently and after that, they returned to their rooms, still choosing to stay silent as their way of grief. Before they entered their rooms, Niel muttered something simple to them:

"Whatever you do, survive. No matter how sad, or how much you lose, as long as you are alive—survive."

It came out more like he was trying to console them and they took it as that as they entered their rooms.

Niel cleaned the table and dished out a portion separately and headed out.

---

He went toward the village hall to find Amira. She stood outside, assisting some villagers in sorting out some foodstuffs.

Niel walked up to her and waved.

"Hey Amira, how are you holding up?"

She lifted her head to meet his gaze. "I’m trying. What brings you here?"

"I heard you are leaving tomorrow and I wanted to just see you before then. And I might have a hunch about something related to Dan," Niel replied.

Amira finally turned fully to him. "What is it?"

"It’s just a hunch but I can’t say it here. Would you mind coming with me?" Then he lifted the bowl toward her. "—and I also brought a meal."

She collected the meal from him and looked inside, then back to him. "You made this?"

"I did my best." Niel smiled, scratching the back of his head.

"So where are we going?" Amira asked.

Niel pointed toward the mountain. "I found a clearer spot there. You can see the village properly while having a conversation. Just for safety measures."

"Oh, you’ve thought this through," she said, already heading toward the direction.

"Certainly."

He followed beside her as they headed for the mountain.

---

They got there and sat at the edge of the mountain. It was almost like a cliff but a little more curved than an actual cliff.

They sat side by side with Amira already digging into the food. They had both passed halfway before Amira looked back at him and asked: "You said you have a hunch. What is it?"

Niel paused on his plate. Then he chewed what was in his mouth and swallowed. He dropped the spoon and looked toward the village.

"Amira, have you heard of the skill Shapeshifting?"

Amira shook her head in response—no, her hands still deep inside the meal. "What is that?" she finally spoke with food still in her mouth.

"Well, I believe it’s an ability that allows the user to copy a person’s face and voice perfectly for a given period of time."

Amira paused, dropped her spoon, and looked at him. "Have—have you seen that before?"

Her voice was filled with concern. In all her years as a hero she had never seen such a skill and while she had heard of it once from Aurelian in a journey they once had, she never truly believed it.

Niel looked at her with an unusual calm in his eyes. "Yes, I have."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Do you—do you think someone might have used Luna’s face?"

"Yes, but I don’t think—I know they did." Niel’s response was much calmer now, which made Amira momentarily pause as though she had begun to feel the suspense in his voice. And just as quickly, she had begun to piece things together.

She immediately got up, drew her large blade out from her back, and pointed it at him. "Are you a Shapeshifter?!"

Her voice came out loud but slightly shaking. Niel looked at her with a smile on his face and in that instant, her vision began to blur. Her hands began to tremble. Then her legs gave in, but Niel caught her before she fell.

Holding her body, Niel looked down at her. "Do you know about Perfect Portion?"

Amira’s eyes widened as she struggled to mutter: "Luna..."

"So you know. That’s good. But do you know with Perfect Portion, multiple people could eat from the same bowl and get different results?" He paused as though he was letting it sink in. "Poison, paralysis, healing, satisfaction, hunger, dizziness, and even spiciness—all from the same bowl. You could even control the potency. It’s a mastermind kind of skill. Truly a unique skill."

He lifted her and placed her on his shoulder and carried her into the cave. Then he laid her by the end. She was unable to move nor speak.

"About the Shapeshifting—yes, I am. And another truth..." Niel Shapeshifted into Luna again as he muttered: "I killed Dan. And now—"

Amira’s eyes widened as she watched him Shapeshift into her. Every single detail was a match. It was her face, her voice, and her dress with a smug look on the face as he continued:

"—I will use your face to kill your own people."