Surviving In This Filthy World As A Novel Villain

To ensure that the decline of the Kleinberg Family previous Head health seemed completely natural, he had been meticulous, leaving no traces, making sure the autopsy report matched expectations. Everything had been clean.

But now, thanks to Eric’s loose tongue, the situation has become tricky.

Unfortunately, Kleinberg Family’s now deceased head was already cremated. With no body left to examine, there was no physical evidence to take a more severe charge onto Eric Vaughn.

And that made all the difference.

Illegal medical practice and intentional homicide were two entirely different crimes, one carried a few years in prison, the other over a decade.

"It’s fine."

Alex waved a hand dismissively, entirely unbothered. "I never expected him to be hit with a serious charge anyway. Besides, it won’t be long before someone bails him out."

A Child of Fate wouldn’t be stuck in a detention center for long.

Hell, forget about four or five years in prison, if that bastard actually stayed locked up for even fifteen days, it would be a damn miracle.

But Mr. Waters remained firm, his expression confident. "Sir, no one would dare bail him out."

Alex shook his head, lips curving into a faint smirk. "If someone wants to bail him out, let them. We need to keep a low profile for now."

"Hmmmm," Alex sighed out, shifting the conversation. "For the next few days, keep a close eye on the police station. Eric should be getting out soon. Once he’s free, follow him discreetly. His medical skills are legitimate, and the last thing I need is for him to start flaunting them."

"Understood, Sir."

Mr. Waters didn’t quite understand why Alex wanted to prevent that nobody from showing off his abilities, but he didn’t question it.

Orders were orders. After Mr. Waters left, Alex leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand.

"The detention center probably won’t be able to hold the protagonist for too long. I need to get myself some defensive abilities… fast."

If Eric were just an exceptionally skilled doctor, Alex wouldn’t be too concerned. But the problem was, that bastard wasn’t just a doctor, he was also a poison master and a trained assassin.

And poisons… were nearly impossible to guard against. With that thought in mind, he pulled up his system interface.

[Name: Alex]

[Critical Points: 50,010]

[System Inventory: None]

In just a few days, he had accumulated over fifty thousand Critical Points.

-Sera Kleinberg had contributed over twenty thousand.

-Eric Vaughn, with his recent meltdown, had provided nearly another twenty thousand.

-And the remaining few thousand came from the naïve and gullible heroine, Riley.

With this many points, he should be able to buy something to enhance his strength…

Opening the system store, he scrolled for a while, but nothing seemed quite right. Without hesitation, he called out:

"System, do you have any abilities that increase poison resistance?"

The store interface refreshed instantly.

[Poison Immunity (Passive)]

•Grants 99% immunity to all known poisons.

•Develops resistance to rare and exotic toxins.

•Cost: 40,000 Critical Points.

[Detoxification Pill (One-time Use)]

•Completely eliminates all toxins from the body within one minute.

•No side effects.

•Cost: 5,000 Critical Points.

One was a permanent passive skill for 40,000 Critical Points. The other was a one-time-use consumable for 5,000 Critical Points.

A child would be forced to choose. An adult? Take both.

Who knew if Eric’s poisons included some rare, freakish toxin that could bypass immunity? If the passive skill couldn’t neutralize it, then at least the pill would act as a safety net.

"I’ll take both."

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Poison Immunity skill and Detoxification Pill.]

With his life-saving measures in place, Alex shifted his attention back to the store.

"System, exchange four Bad Luck Talismans, one Gender-Swap Pill, and one Unstoppable Pill."

Total cost: 5,000 Critical Points.

His balance: 50,010 Critical Points → 10 Critical Points. Completely wiped out. But well worth it.

….

Three days had passed since Head of the Kleinberg Family passed away, and today was the day of his funeral.

With the family inheritance dispute finally settled, the children of the now passed away head could finally turn their attention to preparing a proper send-off for their father.

Logan, the eldest son, had emerged victorious, securing control over the majority of Kleinberg Industries shares.

Now that the battle was over, it was time to put on a different kind of performance for him and others.

Those who had wished for the old man’s death the most were now the ones crying the loudest and hardest at his funeral.

To the uninformed outsiders, the Kleinberg Family’s children looked like the very definition of good children, their grief was so intense, it was enough to make even the heavens weep.

"Ah, the Kleinberg Family’s children are truly devoted. Their father can rest in peace now."

"Logan, my deepest condolences. Please take care of your health, your father wouldn’t want to see you get so hurt with grief."

"That’s right, Logan. The departed cannot return, but if your father were watching from above, he’d surely be comforted by your devotion."

"Your father really knew how to raise his children. Not like mine, I swear, if I ever get sick, my own brats might just pull my oxygen tube out."

"You too? I bet mine would do the same without hesitation."

"I only hope my kids can learn from Logan. Even if they were just half as good as he is, I could die without regrets."

"…"

The funeral was extravagant, attended by all the most powerful figures in the City, prominent politicians, business people, and influential cultural figures.

And among them was someone who had come not to mourn, but to eat—Alex.

"Mr. Alex?"

"Mr. Alex is here!"

At the entrance, where Logan was standing to greet the guests, he froze in shock the moment he spotted Alex’s familiar figure.

For a brief second, his expression was filled with disbelief. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Then, as though struck by divine enlightenment, his mourning facade completely vanished, replaced with sheer delight.

The fake tears disappeared. The forced sorrow melted away.

Instead, he grinned ear to ear, suddenly brimming with enthusiasm, and practically sprinted over to greet him.

"Mr. Alex! For you to come my father’s funeral, it is the highest honor for my Family! Your arrival has elevated this humble occasion—"

Alex didn’t bother responding. He didn’t even spare Logan a glance.