Chapter 8
Ridel Manor.
On a soft white king-sized bed,
Ridel hummed a lazy tune, exhausted but satisfied.
He toyed idly with a torn fragment of black stockings he had ripped apart.
Just as he rolled over,
a sudden tightness gripped his throat.
Terror flooded him—he couldn't make a sound.
Then Vilin stepped into view.
Only now did Ridel realize there was an intruder in his room.
Seeing Vilin's handsome features, a flash of jealousy crossed Ridel's face.
But reality quickly sank in, turning his complexion deathly pale.
The young man held a sharp wooden thorn pressed firmly against his neck.
Ridel swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the lethal point.
"Listen carefully. I ask—you answer."
"Where do you keep your Berries and treasures?"
Hearing it was just about money, Ridel felt a sliver of relief.
He pointed desperately at his mouth, indicating he couldn't speak.
Vilin eased the pressure slightly, voice cold and serious.
"Don't try anything clever. Or I'll show you what real cruelty feels like."
Ridel nodded frantically, eyes wide with fear.
"No—no, don't kill me!
I have a lot of money!
Just spare me, and it's all yours!"
Vilin loosened the vines a bit more.
Ridel scrambled up, dropped to his knees, and begged.
"Oh? A lot of money. How much is your life worth?"
Vilin asked curiously.
"One hundred million Berries! One hundred million!
That's enough for one person to live luxuriously forever. Just let me go and it's yours!"
"Really?"
"You think you can brush me off like a beggar?"
"Looks like you still don't understand your situation."
Seeing Ridel's arrogance, Vilin acted.
A thick vine shot from the floor and pierced straight into Ridel's abdomen.
Ridel stared in horror as his skin began to wrinkle and age rapidly.
Pure terror gripped him.
Only then did he break.
"No—no! Five hundred million Berries!
Please, spare me! I'll give you all my wealth and treasures!"
Seeing Ridel finally grasp reality,
Vilin halted the drain.
Ridel's body had already shriveled noticeably—once glossy black hair now dull and yellowed, looking twenty years older in moments.
Vilin spoke slowly.
"You'd better not play games.
You know what happens if you lie to me."
After another stern warning,
he forced Ridel to reveal the location.
Following the trembling man's directions,
Vilin sent plants probing underground.
To his surprise, the hoard was hidden inside Ridel's father's tomb.
Inside the crypt: mountains of gold, jewels, and stacks of black chests overflowing with Berries.
Even Vilin's breathing grew heavy.
But what truly excited him were two small treasure chests among the pile.
Unless I'm wrong… those have to be Devil Fruits.
Ridel, seeing Vilin's pleased smile, sighed in relief and looked up hopefully.
"Very good. I'm very interested in your treasures!"
"Since you've given me everything…"
"I won't be stingy either."
"I'll let you die knowing the truth."
Vilin transmitted a brief vision directly into Ridel's mind.
The image: his own son, happily entangled with Ridel's mistress.
Ridel's eyes bulged in rage.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
Seeing the utter despair on Ridel's face,
Vilin finished the job—draining every last drop of life force.
Ridel collapsed into a desiccated husk.
With the noble dealt with,
Vilin vanished from the luxurious bedroom.
When he reappeared,
he was already inside the hidden tomb vault.
He hurried to the treasure pile and first grabbed the two small chests.
Even with his composure, excitement made his hands tremble.
It's like pulling gacha characters…
He opened the first box with anticipation.
Inside lay a pale blue pear-like fruit covered in swirling patterns.
Vilin frowned—he had never seen this one before.
"Looks like I'll need a Devil Fruit encyclopedia to identify some of these."
He carefully stored it and turned to the second chest.
Rubbing his hands together,
he muttered hopefully.
"Logia! Please be Logia!"
Opening the lid—
his eyes lit up.
"Huh… I think I've seen this one in the manga."
The fruit was bright pink, brain-like, wrapped in what looked like translucent jelly.
After racking his brain,
Vilin remembered.
"This is the Smooth-Smooth Fruit—the one Alvida ate in the original story."
His grin widened.
The Slip-Slip Fruit (Soru Soru no Mi? Wait—no, Sube Sube no Mi).
A superb Devil Fruit.
Not only did it grant flawless beauty,
but it allowed the user to make anything touching their body slide away harmlessly.
Perfect for a woman.
Jackpot!
Beaming, Vilin stored the entire hoard—Berries, gold, jewels, and both fruits—inside the personal treehouse dimension he had developed, inspired by the Swamp-Swamp Fruit's storage ability.
The internal tree space wasn't huge, but it was secure and convenient.
With everything secured,
Vilin disappeared from the vault.
On the bustling streets of Rommel Kingdom,
Annie had transformed.
She now wore a pure white dress that flowed elegantly, paired with white strappy sandals.
Her small, fair feet peeked out, making her look even more adorable.
After a few turns through the streets,
the three arrived at a residence the size of half a football field.
"Here we are, young man—this is the house I told you about."
"What do you think?
Spacious, not too far from the main streets—very convenient."
Yor, the tavern owner, enthusiastically pitched the property.
"Hm, the location is solid."
Vilin nodded approvingly at the surroundings.
"Come, let's go inside."
Yor pulled a keyring from his sleeve and unlocked the tall gate.
Inside the courtyard stood a neat two-story Western-style house—white walls, red-tiled roof, simple yet elegant.
In front was a beautiful garden filled with blooming flowers.
A wooden swing swayed gently in the breeze.
Vilin scanned the area briefly,
then noticed Annie had frozen, staring wide-eyed at the garden.
"Little Annie, go play on the swing for a bit while I finish looking around. I'll come get you soon."
Hearing she could play,
Annie nodded vigorously like a pecking chick, cheered, and dashed into the garden.
Vilin followed Yor to the training area.
Rows of neatly arranged exercise equipment greeted him.
He was very satisfied.
Decision made—he would rent this place.
After paying Yor,
Vilin and Annie finally had a foothold in this dangerous world.
To celebrate,
he ordered a lavish feast from the best nearby restaurant.
"To a better life—cheers!"
In the manor courtyard,
Vilin clinked his wine glass against Annie's juice cup and downed it in one go.
"Hah! That hits the spot!"
"Little Annie, I believe our future will be even better."
"Mm! I believe in you!"
That night, Vilin drank himself into a stupor.
It felt like a farewell to his former powerless self.
From now on, he would strive only to grow stronger.
He never wanted to feel that helpless lack of control over his fate again.
==============================================================
Support me and be 100 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/arthursink