The Villain’s Cheat Code: When a Gamer Becomes the Evil God’s Sidekick

Claudia surveyed the surrounding darkness, her expression hidden beneath the mask was one of utmost seriousness.

What... just happened?

Without a sound, she had been dragged into this strange and eerie space. Who could have done this?

Could it be... that crow?

Claudia's gaze fixed once again on the jet-black crow.

Its behavior sent shivers down her spine.

Because it was quietly watching her with its single eye.

"A... one-eyed crow?"

An inexplicable sense of familiarity arose in Claudia's heart.

As if realizing something, she froze in shock.

Wasn't there always a jet-black one-eyed crow perched on Viktor's shoulder?

Anyone who knew Viktor even slightly was aware of this.

This crow seemed to always accompany Viktor, to the point it had become his signature symbol.

But she had just seen Viktor in the palace.

At that time, the crow didn't seem to be by his side.

Initially, Claudia hadn't paid much attention, assuming it was merely a pet.

But now, her expression grew increasingly grave.

"A talking crow... So, you're the one who made Viktor strong, aren't you?"

Vega, like a gentleman, placed one wing over its chest and gave a slight bow to Claudia.

"While I would love to let you think that, I'm afraid you've misunderstood, madam."

"He is my most proud partner. Even without me, he would still rise as a dazzling black star."

Claudia struggled to stand, her limbs weak.

Even such a simple action nearly exhausted all her strength.

The potion's restorative effects were ultimately too limited.

For someone like Claudia, who was nearly at the pinnacle of human strength, the recovery ability of that light red potion could barely allow her to move a little.

And now she was facing a mysterious talking crow, uncertain whether it was friend or foe.

Its presence indeed brought an overwhelming sense of crisis to Claudia.

As she worried, the crow flapped its wings.

A black feather gently floated down, landing in front of Claudia.

Then, in the darkness, the nearly invisible feather began to transform.

A red light flashed, and a glass bottle filled with bright red liquid appeared quietly on the ground.

The potion's color was so vivid, it seemed to verge on black.

It resembled fresh blood.

Claudia stared at the red potion by her feet, her mind blank.

A restorative potion? But this color...

"Drink it."

The crow's voice, like a command, suddenly rang out.

Claudia's gaze slowly lifted toward the sound.

In the crow's single eye, there seemed to be a playful mockery that controlled everything.

"You have no choice."

As the words fell, her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly.

A sense of urgency surged in Claudia's chest, making her feel unable to resist.

She could only bend down, pick up the potion, and uncork it.

Removing her mask, she brought it to her lips and tilted her head back.

The bright red potion trickled down her cheeks, sliding along her slender neck.

Soon, something miraculous happened.

Claudia's body began to emit a faint green glow, and she felt her strength returning.

The physical toll from using blood magic was completely erased.

She felt an unprecedented sense of relief and ease.

It was as if even the hidden injuries left on her body had been completely healed.

What is this...

A miracle?

"Now, let's make a deal."

The sharp and sinister voice came from the crow once more:

"I'm very interested in you demon hunters, so defeat it."

Before Claudia could recover from her earlier shock, a towering demon emerged from the depths of the darkness.

Its crimson body stepped out of the shadows, its crystalline red armor cracked and shattered.

Countless shards of metallic debris hovered around the demon, spinning incessantly.

One of the spinning fragments grazed Claudia's cheek, slicing her skin and drawing blood with just a light touch.

Claudia slowly raised her head.

Her half-bloodied face, with her crimson eyes seemingly enlarged, glowed with a deep red light.

Her body entered a state of exhilaration, rising and falling with heavy breaths.@@novelbin@@

Like a beast awakening from slumber, thunderous roars erupted from within her body.

As one of the strongest seven demon hunters, how would she fare against a primeval demon?

Vega was deeply intrigued.

Its voice rang out again:

"If you win, I will allow you and your subordinates to leave the empire safely."

"But if you lose..."

A suffocating aura radiated from the crow, climbing into the sky and devouring the darkness.

Endless darkness was soon engulfed by rolling clouds, and the gray-black layers churned violently.

A massive single eye broke through the clouds, its vertical pupil opening wide as it gazed down upon the earth, exuding an air of absolute dominance.

"Your entire life—"

"Will become my servitude, at my beck and call."

...

Beyond the capital, the boundless plains swayed gently with the breeze.

The moonlight draped over the grasslands like a silken veil, while the starry sky above twinkled endlessly.

The arrival of a lone figure shattered the tranquility of the scene.

Blue streaks of light descended from the sky, converging on the ground.

The figure, clad in a jet-black coat, stood motionless as the wind tugged at the fabric.

Viktor stood quietly, as if waiting for something.

Above him, Vega flapped its wings and descended, perching steadily on Viktor's shoulder.

Its sharp, grating voice echoed in Viktor's ear.

"Who would have thought, the empress of the empire turns out to be a high-ranking demon hunter."

"Viktor, did you already know about this?"

Strolling leisurely across the serene plains, Viktor replied:

"The bloodline of demon hunters needs to be passed down. It only transfers to the next when the previous one dies."

"The one who passed it to Claudia was her father, the head of the Stock family."

There was a deep and complex story behind it.

Through his conversations with the old emperor, Viktor had pieced the puzzle together.

With his hands in his pockets, he gazed at the starry sky:

"Her father was accused by Empress Claudia herself and personally sent to the execution platform."

The Stock family was annihilated, leaving Claudia as the sole inheritor of her demon hunter father's bloodline, carrying her sorrow as she departed the empire.

Viktor squinted his eyes and added:

"But of course, the truth is far more complicated than I’ve just explained."

"Well, I don't really care about that," Vega chuckled mischievously before continuing:

"But as you planned, Viktor, I do need these strong and capable demon hunters."

Indeed, it was all part of Viktor's scheme.

He had never worried about Kevla suspecting whether his household harbored demons.

On the contrary, the actions of these demon hunters provided Viktor with an even better reason to keep them.

If Lia was smart enough, those demon hunters who had infiltrated the household were probably already bound by a contract of servitude, ready to work for the Kravina family for life.

...

Lia stood amidst the ruins of the living room, her face showing no trace of regret.

In fact, she was calmly calculating the household's financial losses.

Around her, a group of demon hunters was bound tightly by vines, standing with their heads lowered.

Cocotte floated lazily on a cloud nearby, observing them with a supervisory air.

Lia quickly finished her calculations, then held up the bill with a bright smile as she addressed the demon hunters:

"The damage to the house is minor, but those gold-threaded wooden furniture pieces, antiques, collectibles, and paintings are all ruined. Their total value..."

Lia deliberately dragged out her words, teasing the demon hunters' nerves:

"You owe us twenty million Geo."

"And that’s already rounding down."

The demon hunters shuddered upon hearing the number.

Several of them immediately began protesting:

"Those damages weren’t entirely our fault..."

"But if it weren’t for you, our home wouldn’t have been destroyed. Oh, and by the way," Lia said, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms, her tone dangerously sharp:

"If you hadn’t reminded me, I almost forgot."

"Breaking into my home and drugging my demi-human guards, leaving our defenses vulnerable—wasn’t that your doing?"

"Let’s add another million as compensation for them. No objections, right?"

Her voice, like the whisper of a devil, lingered in their ears.

...

No, it was even more terrifying than a devil.

At least, compared to Lia, they would rather face a demon.

"But we don’t have that much money..." one of them stammered.

"That’s simple," Lia replied, as if she had anticipated this. She suddenly grinned and pulled out a stack of prepared contracts, handing them out one by one.

The demon hunters took the contracts, their faces bewildered as they read the terms.

"There are twenty of you here. If each of you works for my family for ten years, the debt will be fully repaid."

"Oh, and during your service, none of you will have any free time. Understood?"

The demon hunters began trembling, shouting in protest:

"You... you devil! This is illegal detention!"

"Illegal detention? Did you consider the consequences when you illegally crossed the border?"

Lia’s ever-smiling face remained unchanged as she looked up and down at the protesting demon hunters.

They grew even more terrified.

After all, most of them weren’t even citizens of the empire.

The empire was so powerful that it needed no external forces or fanatical religions.

Thus, the demon hunter organization could barely establish a foothold within the empire.

The empire’s laws were extremely strict; illegal entry was already a serious crime, with deportation being the lightest punishment.

Not to mention that they hadn’t just entered illegally—they had also broken into the home of an imperial count.

If caught by the empire, they would likely be imprisoned for life.

They had no choice but to submit.

At that moment, a wooden plank on the ceiling began to wobble.

Creak—

The large, unsteady plank fell from above, landing squarely on an intact, valuable vase in the corner of the living room.

Crash!

The vase shattered into countless pieces, fragments even striking the faces of the demon hunters.

The demon hunters: "..."

Hearing the crash, Lia didn’t even turn her head. She simply continued smiling and said in a calm tone:

"Add another year."

"""