The Villainess and I, her Zombie

"Ah! I knew it! You surely know what I'm talking about, mister dwarf! Yes, we are going to catch at least one elf. As insane as it sounds, someone from the village we've passed on our way here swears that they saw an elf picking up the wild berries on the edge of the forest during a full moon. And after a little investigation, it turns out that it wasn't just some hallucination of a drunken backward commoner, but the truth! Although my men were unable to capture the said elf, they did confirm that there is one hiding somewhere in here!"

Jackfruit exclaimed excitedly.

|Wait, someone saw an elf here? Like, actually?! Impossible! The Olive I remember wouldn't allow any of his people to roam around without extending his illusion to protect them!|

Even though Zombie was more than just taken aback by the revelation, he didn't let it show outwardly.

|It might be a traveler trying to sneakily pass through the Envys territory. Remember, elves will do everything to protect their family – but that doesn't mean that they think that every elf in the world is a part of their family.|

Patience pointed out after a bit of consideration.

|Hah... Yeah, that makes sense.|

Zombie ended up agreeing with her while observing the merchant.

"While catching elves, the looks are very important, I'll have you know. Their senses are better than humans so they can pick up in small details more easily – therefore it is important to look as far from someone from the Envy family as possible."

"I see."

Jackfruit said, inadvertently pointing out his ties with the ruling family of the territory while gesturing at his own face when mentioning them, and Zombie nodded without showing any surprise.

"That's what brings me to the reason for what I have requested an innocent-looking adventurer."

The merchant paused for a dramatic effect...

"I want to use the appearance steal on you, borrow your looks for the moment, and once changed like that I'll go with your lovely companion and search for the elf in question. You might not be aware of that, but those with blood-ties with the Envy family have a certain level of control over the elves – I'll be using that to bring them back here, as even though my men were unable to catch our slippery target, they at least confirmed that they didn't leave the area yet."

Jackfruit finished talking and just stood there with his hand extended, without activating his envy-based skill showing at least a little bit of consideration and waiting for approval from the supposed dwarf.

|...I want to kill that guy already. I don't give a damn about the elven straggler – since Olive didn't let them into their village yet then it means he either doesn't want them there or trust them enough for now – but does this bastard thinks he was subtle when he mentioned going into the forest with Kopia while he will have my appearance? He was practically drooling! The nerve! What, does he thinks that trying to do something to her will be some kind of bonus for him?|

Zombie's expression grew colder and his hand twitched and moved an inch closer to his weapon's grip.

|Zombie, if you want to keep this human alive and clueless about who you are – do not let them use the appearance steal on you!|

Patience exclaimed inside his head completely ignoring his remark.

|What...? Why?|

Zombie asked, raising his brow, taken by surprise by Patience's impatient voice.

|What do you mean 'why'? You have the superbia skill! It interrupts most sin-based skills in the game! We can't let anyone know that some random person has the skill necessary to inherit the avatar of pride title! Why are you acting so clueless?! Didn't anyone try to use any sin-based skills against you in the previous playthrough or something?!|

Patience gasped in disbelief sounding as if they shook their head in disappointment.

|Only Olive, I guess...|

Zombie answered awkwardly, taken aback.

|Don't stand there like that! Tell him that you will go find the elf and lead them here! Don't let him use appearance steal on you!|

"Listen, mister Jackfruit, I think it would be better to..."

Patience hastened the boy, and he instantly opened his mouth in an attempt to change Jackfruit's mind about the plan...

"!!!!"

But he was too late.

As soon as he tried talking, Jackfruit's body began glowing with a green light that radiated onto Zombie's body, enveloping him completely.

/You are being attacked by an inferior skill

/calculating...

/attacking payer receives a penalty

As the green light faded out, leaving only the socked, ghastly pale merchant with his hand extended towards the unhappy supposed dwarf, a series of short messages had popped up in front of Zombie's eyes, informing him about the reason for Jackfruit' reaction.

"Wh-what the...?! Su-superbia...?! But that's the skill of the avatar of pride and their next-in-line inheritor...! Why is some banished dwarf...?!"

The man stuttered while backing off.

"Tsk. Haaaaaaaa..."

"...?"

Zombie clicked his tongue and let out a deep annoyed sigh, making the merchant furrow his brows in suspicion.

"Now look what you've done... Now I will have to come up with an excuse and the reason why did you die during our mission! My credentials as an adventurer will suffer a major blow!"

"You lowly dwarf, you wouldn't dare to hurt me, I am a...!"

Zombie scoffed and shook his, causing Jackfruit's face to turn from pale to red as he shouted in anger.

*SHING*

Zombie paid him no mind and instead simply took out Kopia and slashed at the man's neck.

"!!!!"

Just for the merchant's body to flash white and twist in an impossible manner just in time to dodge the deadly blow!

|Emergency dodge! Don't let him get away!|

Patience sounded as if she gritted her teeth and shouted furiously.

"Bastard! Envy family will hear about this!"

But even if the boy wanted to, the Jackfruit had already charged away from him, right into the forest – literally using a charge skill – and used another emergency dodge to use the trees as a cover from any range attacks that Zombie could have.

"Oh, that fucker knows how to run..."

Zombie clenched his fist on the sword's grip and frowned furiously.

With the flash of white light, Kopia changed from the simple one-handed straight sword tight into a wing-shaped scimitar.

"Hey, aren't you happy? We'll get to test out this skill on an opponent who knows that we are after him – isn't it exciting?"

Zombie showed his teeth in a bloodthirsty smile and casually asked his weapon.

"Don't worry master! I'll cut him down for you!"

The scimitar's blade vibrated at a high frequency and the noise that it created turned into words right as both the weapon and her wielder's bodies began glowing with threatening white light.

|Both of you, stop for a moment! Don't kill him right away!|

Patience's voice resounded in Zombie's mind.

"Eh?! Why not?!"

Kopia's high-pitched voice shrilled through the air.

|Elves can recognize if someone is from the envy family, right? And we want to make contact with the elves – Let's make sure that we slaughter this human somewhere where the elves will be watching to gain some goodwill.|

Patience explained hurriedly, knowing that neither Zombie nor Kopia are hesitant when it comes to extinguishing lives.

"Khahahaha! You've heard her, Kopia! Let's torment this stinky living until there is only despair left in him!"

"Let's!"

Zombie let out slightly maniacal laughter and Kopia happily agreed, before being launched from the boy's hand with the help of the high-level throw skill.

|I TOLD YOU NOT TO KILL HIM, YOU TWO MORONS!|

|...WO MORONS...|

|...ORONS...|

|...orons...|

|...ons...|

Patience roared so loud that her voice echoed inside Zombie's mind.

|Yeah, we won't kill him, only make him suffer.|

Zombie's face twisted with a sadistic smirk.

|Also... did you just tried to fake an echo? Aren't you trying too hard to be cute?|

|SHUT UP!|