Villain: The Creator's Revolt

Chapter 9: The Villain Reporter

The journey ahead was surprisingly smooth, with none of the obstacles Sean had worried about. Even the monster he had feared never appeared.

After navigating through the tunnels, they finally located the entrance to the sewer that led upward.

By the time they reached the top, Sean was nearly collapsing from exhaustion.

In the game, getting here was just a matter of pressing a button, but in reality? No shortcuts. Climbing hundreds of meters up a winding staircase was pure hell.

Meanwhile, Amanda, who was carrying all the loot Sean had just collected, stood beside him, barely breaking a sweat—even after being poisoned earlier.

God, I envy the physical fitness of top-tier fighters...

Finally, Sean spotted the exit. Gasping for air, he pushed against the massive round manhole cover. With a grating creak, a small opening appeared at the top.

"Damn… Once this is over, I have to install an elevator," he muttered before collapsing onto the ground, gulping down deep breaths.

Amanda climbed up after him, setting down the package before surveying the room they had entered.

It was spacious, almost luxurious. In the corner stood a workbench cluttered with tools, instruments, and disassembled prosthetic parts.

But the most eye-catching thing? The enormous round bed in the center—surrounded by discarded women's clothing and lingerie.

Amanda frowned in disgust.

She didn't rush Sean but instead waited until he had recovered. Once he seemed stable, she turned to him.

Sean noticed her expression and chuckled sheepishly. "What? Had a long and deep conversation with a pair of twins last time I was here. The place is a little messy, don't mind it."

Amanda took a deep breath, keeping her voice even. "Can I see them now?"

Sean smirked before making his way toward the corner of the room. With a press of a hidden mechanism, a peculiar door materialized before them.

It resembled an oversized pink remote control, flashing with three lights at the top. The red light was blinking rapidly.

As Sean approached, the device let out a sultry, electronic voice.

"Oh, Sean, it's too late~ Turn it off~ Auntie really can't take it anymore~"

Amanda turned away in disgust, her expression unreadable.

Sean just shrugged. "Come on, don't you think it fits the aesthetic of Paradise City?"

"No," Amanda replied flatly. "But it suits your aesthetic quite well."

Sean laughed.

The Villain Reporter's Power

The strange door in front of them was a product of Sean's unique ability.

In the post-apocalyptic world, superpowers—results of genetic mutations—were categorized by the Dusk Tower, the ruling force in Paradise City.

Fighters were ranked from G to S+, with S+ being the highest. Amanda, for instance, was classified as an S+ due to her powerful energy field ability—one of the most advanced in the wasteland.

But while she had incredible strength, she wasn't considered the strongest in terms of raw combat power. Her ranking was based on how well she could fight against Mad Beasts, the greatest threat to humanity.

At best, she was a mid-tier King-level fighter. That was still more than enough to make a name for herself in Paradise City.

Sean, on the other hand?

His ability wasn't for combat—it was a rare compound ability that he proudly called The Villain Reporter.

His powers worked in three stages:

1. Interview – Extracting deep personal information from the target while breaking down their mental defenses.

2. Record – Copying the target's abilities and saving them as 'data.'

3. Public Release – If enough people witnessed the ability, Sean could materialize a version of it into a tangible item called a Manuscript.

But there were limitations. He could only store five abilities at once, and could only use one at a time. When he created a new manuscript, the previous one disappeared.

Sounds powerful, right?

It would be—if not for the random mutations in his powers. Sean had no control over how strong his stolen abilities would be. And worse? He didn't gain the physical stats of his targets—just their powers.

Currently, he was using a manuscript stolen from a mature woman whose ability was Mental Confinement—a power she had tried to use on him in bed.

The result?

Sean had turned it into a special dark room only he could open.

The door, disguised as a pink remote, could be attached to any wall, forming an inescapable prison. Inside, prisoners would suffer endless mental torment, their emotions subtly influenced by Sean.

It was his only practical manuscript so far. And it fit his devious nature perfectly.

Still, it didn't change the fact that, in direct combat, Sean was weak.

With that thought, he pushed open the ridiculous remote-controlled door, ignoring its moaning voice.

"Ahh~ Auntie really can't take it anymore~ Please turn it off~"

Inside was a dimly lit, bloodstained torture chamber, filled with grotesque instruments of pain.

At its center, hanging from a steel platform, was a barely conscious woman.

Amanda's breath caught in her throat. Her ruby-colored eyes widened in shock.

"Sister Mia…" she whispered.

The woman stirred. Despite her condition, she weakly lifted her head, her own dark red eyes locking onto Amanda's.

"Amanda…" she rasped.

Sean strolled up to the dying woman, his voice dripping with amusement. "Let me introduce her properly. This lovely lady is the traitor who sold out your people. Let's give her a round of applause, shall we?"

Mia's battered face twisted in panic. Desperation flickered in her eyes.

"Amanda… save me! Please!" she cried, her voice hoarse. "The missing Rosy—she's in the hands of the Golden Ghost gang!"

Amanda inhaled sharply.

But something felt off.

Her natural ability to sense deception—stronger than most—was screaming at her.

She's lying.

Mia realized it, too. Her panic deepened.

She tried again, forcing a pitiful expression onto her face. "Amanda… don't believe him! He's a monster—he locked me up and tortured me! My perception is all messed up…"

Sean leaned against the wall, whistling nonchalantly.

Amanda approached the bound woman.

Gently, she placed a hand on Mia's shoulder, channeling a soothing pulse of energy through her.

She whispered, "Sister Mia… Sean told me you're working for the Academy now. That you betrayed us. That Rosy ended up on a dissection table because of you."

Mia flinched. Her lips trembled.

Then—she averted her gaze.

"T-that was an accident," she stammered. "Just get me out of here, and I'll tell you everything! The Academy—they can help us! Help our people!"

Amanda's breathing grew heavy.

She tightened her grip.

"…Was it you, Mia?"

The woman's eyes darted around, avoiding Amanda's piercing gaze.

A sharp silence filled the room.

Sean smirked, watching the scene unfold.

And Amanda?

For the first time, she felt the weight of a choice pressing down on her.

One that would change everything.