WeTried Translations

Translator: Goku

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◈ I Became a Villain Perfect for Leveling Up

Chapter 017

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Forgotten Heart Resonance (1)

Carmen’s gaze held many emotions.

From the gaze that saw me as a hypocrite, to the confusion about why I hadn’t killed her.

The inferences and interpretations formed within all her confusion were not mistaken.

It was true that I had attempted to attack her upon meeting, and true that I had chosen to spare her right before killing her.

Staring at Carmen, who stood within arm’s reach, I noticed blood flowing from a small wound on her cheek.

“…Hm?”

As I reached out and wiped away the blood flowing from her cheek, Carmen let out a low moan.

I knew I had no right to do this, but somehow, I felt I had to.

A gaze filled with doubt and confusion turned to me.

There wasn’t a trace of anger in her eyes.

Was it because she had realized that a person like me was no longer a threat?

“Dean…. What on earth are you….”

Her lips moved carefully, conveying a question.

Like me, unsure how to describe this situation, she didn’t seem much different.

Just as I was about to casually pull my hand away when all the blood on her cheek was wiped off, she grabbed my wrist.

“Tell me. Why did you spare me?”

“….”

“Answer me. Or I’ll break this hand.”

“…I don’t know either.”

Silence followed the short reply.

A sharp gaze, judging the truthfulness, was directed at me, but that was all.

“…Haa. You really are something.”

Carmen, realizing that staying like this would only be a waste of time, released my hand.

My existence seemed to be becoming increasingly difficult for her to define.

In the past, she would have choked me immediately or unhesitatingly stomped my head to a pulp.

“…I came to ask you for a favor, Dean.”

Carmen, having closed and opened her eyes to clear the air, revealed the purpose of her visit to the Altar of Lamentation.

“I need your help to save my father.”

I had clearly explained, without a single mistake, how to get to the abyss where the Fist King was. Was there a wrong part in it?

“…The path to the Forgotten Heart Resonance is blocked.”

Fortunately, being killed for providing wrong information didn’t happen.

According to her explanation, the path to the Forgotten Heart Resonance was blocked from the very beginning.

It seemed it wouldn’t open because the conditions weren’t met…, but I couldn’t suddenly recall the exact reason.

Did I have to kill a specific boss? Or get an item?

At that moment, Carmen came into view before my eyes, and color returned to the faded white canvas of my mind.

The reason I couldn’t recall the condition was simple.

The condition itself for going to the Resonance. It was me, a human.

The Resonance, a place only those acknowledged by the Forgotten Heart could enter.

But Carmen hadn’t been acknowledged by the Forgotten Heart, so she couldn’t even approach it.

“….”

…Should I help her?

I quickly weighed the practical benefits of helping Carmen against any drawbacks for myself.

As it was the final area, it was dangerous with strong enemies swarming, but equally, powerful equipment could be obtained.

Not only that, but as it was the final area, there might also be hints for returning to Earth.

After making my judgment, it seemed there were more gains than losses, so I opened my mouth.

“Alright. I’ll help you.”

Carmen, who hadn’t expected to receive such easy acceptance at all, blinked her eyes.

“Instead. When this is over, never come to this place again.”

“…Understood.”

I added my own condition, emphasizing that what I was doing was not volunteer work.

The request to never come again was not difficult at all, so she nodded and accepted the contract.

Conversation didn’t continue after this.

I quietly sat down before the altar, and Carmen merely spent her time demurely perched on the stairs.

If I had been here alone, I would probably be sweeping dust and cleaning the altar neatly by now.

Setting up a home was postponed thanks to the uninvited guest, but as a faint hope of returning to Earth had appeared, it no longer mattered how much it was delayed.

“….”

Carmen, who had been watching me sitting and wiggling my fingers, got up.

Soon, she slowly sat down beside me, taking the spot next to me.

My heart pounded, my tension heightened by her incomprehensible action, but she didn’t do anything particularly noteworthy beyond that, so I ignored it.

The Altar of Lamentation, which had been dark despite the light entering, eventually had a considerable level of light entering as time passed.

Time-wise, it must be around noon now.

Having returned here without proper food or water, I felt a twisting pain in my stomach.

A faint rumbling sound of hunger echoed quietly within the silent altar.

“…?”

Perhaps Carmen also heard the embarrassing sound, as she tilted her head and stared at me.

I felt the typical gaze directed at one who had skipped a meal.

She would never understand, but I didn’t need to eat.

Because if I starved to death, I would just die and come back to life again.

My mental state wasn’t good enough to spend time hunting or gathering either.

“You…. Did you skip meals because of your resurrection?”

Perhaps wanting to meddle, Carmen suddenly thrust her face close, breaking the silence.

Her light red hair swayed, and a floral scent wafted over.

“It’s none of your business.”

“…That’s.”

Her lips twitched as she earnestly searched for something to refute, but she soon found an error in her argument.

“…Now that I’m in the same boat as you, it’s no longer unrelated.”

“So?”

“If you collapse like this, the departure time will be delayed that much….”

“No matter how much time is delayed, I don’t care. The person who needs saving isn’t my father, is it?”

“You…!”

As the conversation crossed a line, Carmen clenched her fist.

She looked ready to strike if I crossed the line one more time.

“Are you going to kill me like before? Go on, kill me. Then this contract ends too.”

Carmen clenched her fist so tightly that blood seemed to seep out, but she couldn’t follow through with striking.

Because my help was desperate if she wanted to go to the Forgotten Heart Resonance to find her father.

“…I’ll definitely remember this.”

“Do as you please.”

The fierce standoff, which felt like it would erupt any moment, ended as Carmen hid her fangs.

One thing was certain: I had lost much more in this standoff.

I had plummeted Carmen’s somewhat accumulated favorability back to rock bottom and reawakened her hostility.

Once her business with her father was over, we would likely return to a kill-or-be-killed relationship.

…Damn it.

I knew that the ensuing conversation was something a person should absolutely not say.

This was the result of unconsciously disregarding the anger accumulated within her.

I tried to make amends for my mistake even now, but Carmen treated me as if I didn't exist, no longer paying me any attention.

…In the end, I couldn’t fall asleep until the next day, plagued by guilt.

….

My appearance had become extremely haggard overnight.

“…Dean. I’ll bring you something to eat right now, so please have a meal.”

Even Carmen, who had tried to ignore me after our altercation last night, couldn’t overlook it anymore and approached me.

At that moment. I picked up Freud’s Fang, which I had carefully kept beside me.

And plunged it straight into my neck.

There’s no reason to eat.

Because I’ll just die and come back to life.

《 Perk ‘Addicted to Defeat’ activation failed!

- Target not found. 》

《 Resurrecting at checkpoint. LOADING… 》

The moment I, who had chosen death instead of a meal, opened my eyes, Carmen was visible.

Her gaze, filled with bewilderment and pity, was felt.

“Let’s go.”

As I indifferently got up and instructed her, she seemed about to say something, then gave up and quietly followed behind me.

Silence flowed as we passed through the forest.

Since both of us knew the way, we walked at our own pace without matching each other’s.

Thus, Carmen took the lead, and I followed behind her.

Carmen, seemingly worried I might escape, constantly looked back to monitor me, and each time, I met her gaze with emotionless eyes.

Then, Carmen’s attire suddenly caught my eye.

Her attire, such as a dancer might wear, was, to put it nicely, beautiful, and to put it bluntly, alluring.

Moreover, unlike me who walked with shoes, she casually walked barefoot on the dirt path as if it were nothing.

Even if her physical abilities surpassed human limits, the fact that she was walking barefoot bothered me.

Furthermore, Carmen was currently on her way to meet her father, so….

“…What is it?”

“Wear these.”

I took off the shoes I was wearing and handed them to Carmen.

“…Are you pitying me? I’m sorry, but I’m fine without shoes-.”

“-What do you think your father would say if his daughter came to him barefoot?”

“…!!”

A sense of kinship.

That was the identity of the complex emotion I felt towards her.

Me, who lost my father at a young age.

And Carmen, who had lived with her father missing.

Our stories were not greatly different from each other.

I knew I shouldn’t feel this emotion.

Because I had uttered unfilial curses towards Carmen that shouldn’t have been said.

The harsh words I had said to her were no different from daggers I threw at myself.

Without a word, I brushed off the dirt from Carmen’s bare feet and helped her put on the shoes.

The size wasn’t right, but by tightening the laces, it seemed the shoes wouldn’t come off while walking.

“….”

At my incomprehensible action, Carmen seemed dumbfounded.

The incomprehensible situation where the person who cursed her father in an argument last night was now caring about her meeting with her father.

“You are….”

Carmen carefully opened her mouth, but I didn’t even pretend to hear her, concluding tying the shoelaces, as I doubted she would believe any emotion she spoke of now.

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