I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space Chapter 397: Do it Host

Razeal's eyes remained utterly still, though the words lingered heavily within his thoughts.

[Because let's be honest.] Villey pressed on, his voice shifting back to a chillier, more dissecting tone. [Any choice you make at this moment will dictate your future path. Perhaps embracing the villain's way. Kill her... or rape her... in either case, it will forge the person you become.]

[And before you dream up any smart workarounds, hear this.] Villey stated evenly. [No spell, ritual, or mental trick can fix this. Lust can't be simulated. Pleasure can't be manufactured.]

Razeal stayed completely motionless, his eyes fixed on Maria's limp form as Villey kept elaborating.

[The intensity of lust needed for her evolution surpasses normal human limits.] Villey explained further. [It has to overwhelm her body, mind, and soul entirely. A state where lust is her only reality.]

The meaning behind those words was unmistakable.

[Illusions, deceptions, or fake feelings won't create that state.] Villey went on. [It demands authenticity.]

Then the voice turned derisive once more.

[Go on then, Host.] Villey urged. [Make it happen. Force the evolution. Rape her if necessary.]

A brief silence ensued.

[Though... I know you won't.]

The tone eased a bit, turning almost reflective.

[In the end, you'll just let her perish.]

Another hush followed.

[That's the one constant in your character up to now.] Villey murmured softly. [You don't really care for anyone.]

Razeal stayed mute.

[Truthfully... that's the quality I like best in you.] Villey concluded. [You've already weighed the risk of her turning into a future threat. That idea is etched deep in your mind.]

The words dissolved in his consciousness.

Yet, remarkably, Razeal showed no response.

No fury.

No annoyance.

No rebuttal.

He just kept silent, as though Villey's provocative words held no power over him.

"You don't need to worry so much about my choices, Villey," Razeal responded evenly in his mind. His inner voice held no aggression or justification, just steady assurance. "Whatever I decide... it's my call."

The mental exchange faded as his focus returned to the outer world.

Sofia remained there, observing him intently.

She had picked up on the quiet.

The frozen stance.

The faraway gaze.

Clearly, turmoil brewed inside him, and though Villey's words escaped her, her sharp mind spotted the marks of inner struggle.

"So she's dying... huh?" Sofia murmured deliberately, her eyes sliding to Maria's unconscious form before locking back on Razeal.

Her tone held no blame.

Merely contemplation.

"And something troubles you."

Razeal held off on replying right away.

Sofia's gaze sharpened just a touch as she spoke on, as if unraveling his mind on the spot.

"Something that complicates your choice."

She cocked her head a fraction, examining him.

"You have valid grounds not to spare her," she stated steadily. "Yet no compelling motive to rescue her."

A faint, perceptive smile tugged at her lips.

"So you're seeking justification."

"Or perhaps," she mused further, "you're waiting for me to choose for you."

Her assured calm made the room feel oppressively still.

"Maybe I'm your benchmark," Sofia added, crossing her arms casually over her chest. "Since you dismiss relationships as decision factors."

Her smile grew a tad broader.

"You always weigh gains against risks."

Razeal's face stiffened momentarily.

Sofia caught it at once.

"Since I share some bond with her," she proceeded smoothly, nodding faintly toward Maria, "you're gauging my pick."

Her eyes locked straight onto his.

"Would I value that bond... or opt for safety?"

The ensuing quiet weighed down the air.

Razeal eyed her for several seconds, evidently stunned by her precise breakdown of his thinking.

Sofia's smile deepened at his response.

But against her expectations...

Razeal shook his head deliberately.

"Not quite," he replied.

His tone had regained its composure.

"I've already decided."

Sofia blinked in surprise.

"I was merely interested in your view," he went on. "Because if you two clashed one day... I'd want to know your perspective on which side to take."

He halted shortly before appending more.

"And truthfully..." Razeal said softly, his gaze dipping as he continued, "...factoring in my feelings for decisions is hard for me."

"Life has drilled this into me," he added. "Whenever emotions steered my actions... regret followed."

The statements rang plain and factual.

Sofia observed him wordlessly till he ended.

Then she uncrossed her arms gradually.

"Well," she remarked with a light shrug, "perhaps this choice stays with you."

Her stare held firm on him.

"Why seek my input?" she questioned steadily. "If you grasp the circumstances... decide."

She tipped her head faintly.

"Follow what feels correct."

Razeal regarded her briefly.

A subtle smile formed on his features.

He gave a casual shrug.

"Well... life is always messy," he noted.

His glance flicked momentarily to Maria.

"But perhaps this once, I'll go with my gut."

He exhaled softly.

"As for fallout..." he appended evenly, "I'll handle it later."

His smile broadened faintly, tinged with fatigue.

"Life's never been simple for me regardless."

His look gentled a touch.

"And frankly... I've rarely taken pride in my past choices."

The declaration hung in the hushed space.

"So this time," he wrapped up softly, "maybe I'll heed my heart."

He peered at Maria once more.

"...and discover where it takes me."

Razeal concluded, determination etched on his face, and before Sofia could fully ponder his announced choice or another instant passed, he surged into motion.

He advanced to the counter holding Maria. Without pause, he bent over her motionless form. One hand steadied on the counter's edge as his head descended to her neck, lips parting to bare his vampiric fangs' keen tips. The shift was understated but clear. His scarlet eyes gleamed with a spectral light, crimson hues dancing dimly in the shop's shadows. Then he struck. Fangs plunged into her neck with exacting care, deep enough for blood yet sparing undue damage. Simultaneously, an odd energy stirred the air nearby, and as teeth breached skin, a pattern emerged underfoot.

A profound scarlet magic circle gradually surfaced on the wooden floor beneath, as if ascending from hidden depths of existence. Its design was elaborate and timeless, woven from radiant crimson lines twisting in precise geometric patterns. Ominous dark red runes traced its border, throbbing with subtle vitality. The array exuded a foreboding presence, pressing heavily on the room. Its glow cast wavering red shadows up the shop walls.

The instant Sofia spotted the circle forming, her reflexes kicked in. Eyes widening then slitting in keen awareness, she retreated instinctively, widening the gap from the pair at the counter. No frenzy gripped her, but tension coiled her frame as she tracked the ritual vigilantly.

Though its full nature eluded her... She recalled it vividly, having witnessed it mere hours ago on his mother, and now he applied it to Maria. That epiphany honed Sofia's stare to a razor edge as she fixed on Razeal hunched over Maria's neck. She observed the bite. The subtle quake in Maria's frame. Then something more disturbing caught her eye.

Blood.

Not solely Maria's.

A slender rivulet of rich crimson fluid seeped from Razeal's body too, like veins yielding their essence. Droplets ascended as fine scarlet strands, drawn by unseen pull toward Maria's lips.

One by one, they passed her mouth and vanished inside. The display was haunting, ritual-like in its otherworldly grace. As the blood infused her, Maria stirred. Shudders coursed her limbs. Then more. Fingers stirred faintly on the counter, breaths hitching from the invading force.

At that very moment within Razeal's mind, Villey's voice erupted in stunned outrage upon grasping the act.

[The Vampire Creation ritual?!]

The system's composure shattered into raw shock.

[You've got to be fucking kidding me, Host! Are you really this dense? Didn't I just spell out that no shortcuts work?!]

Yet Razeal persisted. Fangs lodged in Maria's neck, he kept siphoning her blood while channeling his vampiric essence via the rite. The scarlet circle throbbed fiercer beneath, runes blazing as the process advanced. Dark power densified the atmosphere.

A sly grin crept over Razeal's lips despite his mouth sealed to her neck. Villey's irate outburst echoed...

"Hah..." he whispered mentally.

"Did you assume declaring no options would make me quit thinking independently?"

His crimson gaze flared brighter.

"You're losing your touch as a manipulator, Villey."

He sustained the blood draw, body arched over hers as the circle swelled subtly, sigils spinning in response to the summoned might.

"I don't trust you any longer. You're the naive one thinking I'll buy it," Razeal sent wordlessly.

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