Blood Nemesis-Chapter 111: Bare Minimum

The sting of the little munchkin’s deception washed over Oliver as her mother reappeared from behind a door.

"Hm?"

The moment the kid saw her mom’s shadow looming, she placed the half-eaten cookies back on the plate and scooted away on the husky.

The stealthy movement. The practiced ease. The composure. It seemed this wasn’t the first time she’d done something similar.

’Huh, even this kid’s sharper than me in this family of brainiacs.’

Oliver sighed and finished the last bit of his tea.

Arya then approached him.

"I called my father. He said he will be here in a few minutes. I hope you can wait. Make yourself comfortable."

"Okay. Thank you."

"Hm." The lady nodded and smiled.

She then switched on the TV and offered Oliver the remote control.

Oliver accepted the offer and switched the channels to the Hero Union Broadcast. Meanwhile, Arya went away to do her chores.

The channel was broadcasting live information about certain types of mana beasts found on Second Earth.

"...The Night Wings, also known as the devils of the sky, are generally found around one of Second Earth’s five forbidden zones: the Floating Island of Doom..." The narrator of the documentary spoke.

The image of a bat-like animal came on the screen. The creature was hideous, sporting long white fangs and a perpetual scowl. Their wings were similar to a bat’s but were said to be extremely durable. It flew in the sky in circles, gazing at the ground.

"...The Night Wings are rank B mana beasts, one of the few high-ranked mana beasts that live in groups of more than a thousand. The fully mature ones are known to have a wingspan of ten meters..."

"...If you encounter a swarm in the wild, seek shelter in small crevices or dense forests..."

The scene switched to show a giant swarm of Night Wings flying together. Each flap of their wings twisted the clouds, creating turbulence visible from kilometers away. Together, they looked unstoppable.

"...They target their prey with echolocation. Contrary to popular belief, they can see you even when you’re not moving..."

The scene again switched to showing the creatures sweep down from the sky, capturing their prey and lifting them.

"...Here, you can see their special sonic attack stunning prey. After carrying the stunned creature aloft, they typically drop them from a great height to kill them or bite down directly to drink their blood..."

Each individual action was shown with simulated footage alongside real drone footage.

While Oliver watched the show, unnoticed, a head poked out from behind the sofa. Noticing what he was watching, she quickly climbed onto the sofa and sat beside him, her attention fixed on the screen with as much interest as Oliver’s.

The child was unfazed by the bloody scene or the violence on TV. She simply stared ahead with a twinkle in her eyes. It was as if she envisioned one of the Night Wings as a pet.

Oliver noticed the munchkin, but unlike most, the thought of changing the channel didn’t even occur to him.

"Hey, Uncle. What’s a forbidden zone?" The kid asked when she came across an unfamiliar word.

Oliver felt a flicker of satisfaction at knowing more about this world than the child.

’So, after all, she’s just a kid. A smart little smartass, though.’

In this day and age, appearances could be deceiving when it came to intelligence. After all, superhumans could possess all sorts of unexpected abilities.

"It’s a bad place," Oliver replied after a brief pause.

"How bad is it?" The chubby kid crawled closer and asked.

Her puppy eyes twinkled, anticipating a grand secret.

"Worse than you can imagine."

Oliver didn’t want to explain every detail and scare her, so he avoided a proper answer.

"Worse than the gate that opened in the city!"

"Much worse." Oliver paused for a second and asked, "You know about the gate break?"

At Oliver’s question, a proud expression bloomed on her face as she pointed at the TV.

"Of course I know. I saw it on TV."

She said with obvious smugness, acting as if she knew everything that transpired in the world.

’Pipe down, pipsqueak. You don’t know the half of it.’

The Hero Union Broadcast was censored and often narrative-driven, carefully showing the world what they wanted them to see. They crafted a narrative emphasizing the importance of heroes and their ability to save people in danger. Ultimately, they showcased the glory, wealth, and admiration bestowed upon heroes to entice others to join their ranks.

The script was always the same.

"Are you a fan of a hero?"

Most people were fans, though some among them were undoubtedly brainwashed. He wondered if the child was also a brainwashed fool. He wanted to know.

As a self-proclaimed respectable elder, he felt it was his duty to set the record straight and prevent her from being swayed by propaganda.

"Of course I am." The child beamed.

Oliver’s heart sank. That kind of smile was unsettling.

It was the same kind of smile a fanatic would wear.

"Who is it, the hero you like the most?"

He had to either silently eliminate the hero or expose their flaws. There was no other way.

"I can show you."

The excited child scrambled off the sofa and darted towards a tablet on a nearby table. Giggles bubbled as she snatched it up, unlocked the screen, and hurried back.

Immediately, Oliver saw an image that stunned him. His heart leaped into his throat. It was the worst.

’Fuck, is that me?’

The video began to play the moment the child pressed it.

Suddenly, a golden figure blazed across the battlefield, cutting down rodent-like mana beasts left and right. The figure exuded both valor and a fierce bloodlust. His heroic actions drew the admiration of onlookers, who began to chant.

"Golden fiend."

"Golden fiend."

"Golden fiend."

Oliver’s heart leaped into his throat. He immediately reached for the volume down button on the tablet.

The kid frowned at him.

"Does your mother know you like this hero?" Oliver hurriedly whispered.

"No! I didn’t show it to her."

The kid snatched back the tablet and hugged it tightly.

*Phew*

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief.

’Of all the heroes, why did she have to pick the absolute worst one to idolize?’

The worst one was obviously himself.

And now, Oliver found himself in a dilemma. He thought he could silently make the hero disappear or expose any dark secrets they might have. However, how was he supposed to do that when he was the hero that the kid was a fan of?

He was in a bind.

’But considering everything, maybe I’m actually the best of the worst... no... or is it the worst of the best? Perhaps a bit of both?’

Confused, Oliver gazed at the child hugging the tablet.

"Why do you like that guy?" Oliver inquired.

"It’s not that guy. He is the Golden Fiend."

"Ah! Sorry. Why do you like the Golden Fiend?"

Oliver corrected himself. The situation wasn’t as dire as he’d first thought. And as the so-called hero himself, he could likely debunk the Hero Union’s propaganda when the child was older.

The child thought for a minute and pulled Oliver closer.

"Hm...come closer. Let me show it to you."

She opened the tablet again and showed another short video clip of the press briefing Oliver attended. ƒreewebɳovel.com

In it, he was speaking, "I have no battle scars...I will never make sacrifices...I will never risk my life...I will never die...bare minimum hero."

The Golden Fiend, Bare Minimum Hero. A large piece of text popped up on the screen. It was a dramatic edit with exciting music and close-up shots.

Oliver curiously turned to look at the kid. What did she mean by showing this to him?

The kid, on the other hand, beamed while watching the clip. She was thrilled to watch the video loop again and again.

Why was she looking at the video when he was sitting right in front of her? How could she fail to recognize him?

’Now that I look at it, in the video I look like shit. Beaten black and blue, half my face was covered in bruises. My hair was disheveled, and I was wearing a tracksuit. Besides that, it was before I bulked up. I can understand why she didn’t recognize me.’

Oliver glanced at his well-clothed appearance.

’I can see the difference.’

’Anyway, why did she show me this clip?’

"I want to be like that."

The kid suddenly muttered.

’Beaten black and blue? Who dares? Over my dead body.’ Oliver panicked internally.

"I want to be a hero...live long...have no scar and help people," she said with a giggle.

"I want to be a bare minimum hero."

The final words struck a chord in Oliver’s heart.

’Full support,’ he shouted in his mind.

He was mistaken. The kid wasn’t brainwashed. She had her priorities sorted out.

"Great. I am a bare minimum hero myself," Oliver muttered, looking at the kid.

The kid smiled, hearing that.