Villain Hiring: Help! Author Wants Me Dead

I kept close behind Lucas as we moved through the massive underground vault, the soft hum of mana-infused lights above us casting shifting glows on the golden floors.

It was not long before I realised that we were slowly and steadily strolling towards a particular section, making me raise an eyebrow at Lucas's choice.

It seemed that the guy had already decided what he wanted from the family treasure vault even before we got here.

The deeper we went into the Beasts section, the quieter it got—like even the air didn't want to breathe too loud.

It was a totally surreal experience for me. There were magical cages floating in mid-air, some the size of small apartments.

Each one held a creature rarer than the last, glowing foxes with seven tails, serpents made of shadow and light, a miniature hydra with vines instead of heads.

The entire place felt alive, making me wonder in awe.

Lucas walked ahead without hesitation, his eyes fixed like he knew exactly what he was looking for.

Me?

I was just trying not to get eaten, lmao.

"Hey," I whispered, even though we were alone. "What are you planning to do if one of these things just… breaks out?"

"Then you better hope your legs work faster than mine," Lucas replied without turning, scaring the fuck out of me.

I did not have any powers!!

'For the sake of god, help a poor girl, would you? '

"Wow. Comforting." But this was what I said on the outside.

Eventually, we stopped in front of a glass container with swirling dark mist inside it. I blinked and leaned in closer.

"Is it… empty?"

Lucas didn't answer right away. Instead, he pressed his palm on the glass, and the mist parted.

Inside was a small nest made of jagged obsidian twigs and silver threads. And lying in the center—barely the size of my palm, was a baby crow?

But not just any crow.

This thing had three eyes.

One on its forehead and two to the side.

Black feathers shimmered with violet undertones like spilled oil, and its tiny wings twitched as it shifted in its sleep. It radiated mana so dense that it made the hair on my arms stand up.

"…Whoa," I muttered, stunned.

A small plaque lit up under the container as Lucas stepped back, and I read aloud:

Name: Unknown (Newborn)

Race: Mythic-Class Beast

Type: Avian

Notable Trait: Possesses a dormant godly bloodline.

Abilities: Illusion-class tendencies detected. Potential link to primordial deception.

Warning: Still in newborn stage.

Instability present.

Parent: Shadowveil Beast (sealed)

Note: Awaiting bond imprint.

Token available for claiming.

Lucas tilted his head. "Primordial deception…huh? That fits exactly to what I need right now."

"You think it matches your threads?" I asked,

He nodded slowly. "If I nurture this baby right…he could help me hide my mana thread better, making me able to attack faster and with greater precision.

Deception paired with illusion—it'd give me control on another level."

The guy sounded… calm. But I could hear the excitement in his voice. This wasn't about power.

This was about something deeper, something personal, as if he did not just want the pet for its powers but also a psychological bonding I did not know Lucas was capable of making.

I nudged him gently, happy for him. "Looks like you found your partner."

He stared at the crow for a while longer. "Maybe."

Then, without another word, he walked over to the stand beside the case and picked up the token lying on a silver tray.

As soon as he touched it, the container dimmed, and a pulse of soft light traveled through the vault.

"Token registered," a voice echoed from nowhere. "The beast will be delivered to your residence at dawn tomorrow."

Lucas turned to me. "I have to give this to Grandpa Venus before the hour's up."

"Oh, yeah, go. Leave me alone in a vault full of cursed artefacts and unstable magical animals. Totally fine. Not nervous at all." I stuttered, unable to calm myself all of a sudden.

He smirked slightly. "You'll survive."

Then he turned and started walking away.

"Hey, Lucas?" I called out before he left.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"…Thanks. For earlier. You didn't have to say all that."

He gave a tiny nod, then walked off toward the vault's exit.

And just like that, I was alone.

The silence settled in fast.

I glanced around at the other treasure sections, all of them glowing faintly like they were waiting to be explored.

Weapons—tempting but terrifying.

Artefacts—might turn me into a toad.

Scrolls—probably trapped.

Restricted—nope. No thank you.

I finally drifted toward the Artefacts section, mostly because it was glowing blue and looked kind of pretty.

Magical trinkets floated in stasis: rings, necklaces, coins, tiny vials of liquid light.

My fingers itched just being near them.

The place was glowing this soft, inviting blue, like it wanted to be explored.

You know that feeling when you're walking past a bakery and the smell just kidnaps your brain?

Yeah, that.

Rows of floating pedestals spun slowly, each holding something that would probably make history books cry.

I stepped up to the first one, leaning in like I was window-shopping for cursed jewellery.

[Name: The Memento Coin] Power: Time Anchor Effect: Allows the user to return to turn back time 5 minutes into the past.

Cannot be used again.

Warning: Replaces your current timeline permanently.

"One free rewind, huh?" I muttered, the idea of going back in time, just once, to fix a mistake you would regret for an eternity?

That hit a little too close.

I don't know why this broken of an item was even placed simply atop a cushion with no barrier or any sort of protection like most items here.

Maybe it was some sort of prank, or maybe the one who had come here last time to view the treasures had forgotten to put the protective mechanism..

I tried hard to move on, but there was just something about the power of the coin that made me feel that I would come to regret if I did not take it.

I looked to my left and then to the right, my smile widening slowly as I muttered to myself.

Snooping an item isn't that bad of a crime...I mean-

Not my fault someone left their 'money' out in the open~

Guess I'll hold onto it for them, after all:

I'm just a baby~

***