My SuperVillain System: Building Legion of SSS-Ranked SuperHeroines
Chapter 40- Reason for Foreplay

Chapter 40: Chapter 40- Reason for Foreplay

"Master..." Darithi stood outside the room, watching as the figure of Cruxius exited. He approached her, draping his coat over his white shirt while walking, fastening his watch, and adjusting his belt.

There was hesitation in her voice—understandable, considering she had returned to the room half an hour ago but was firmly denied entry. Something that had never happened before.

Usually, even when he brought another woman, he allowed her to stay close. But this time, he had firmly told her to stay out of it.

"Did you get the name?" Cruxius asked, already noticing the hesitation and confusion in her eyes.

His younger self often let Darithi stay in the room when he brought other women—maybe out of habit rather than any fetish.

It was part of the inferiority complex he had developed early on—he wanted to show her that he was perfectly fine without her, that she was the one with the problem.

Ironically, instead of making her feel guilty, that closeness only boosted her confidence. No matter what, she believed he would always be around her, even if he chose other women.

Love naturally dissolves once intimacy grows to a point where the fear of losing someone disappears.

It is especially evident in couples or family members who stay together for such a long time that they start to think about separating. The love may dissolve simply because they become too accustomed to each other and get bored without even realizing it.

It’s the same reason people regret so much after a loss—not to apologize, but because they don’t know what else to do.

"Yes. The supervillain’s name is Stimuly. He possesses the power to enhance the effects of pain, emotions, medicines, drugs—anything that might trigger natural death from suicide or overdose," Darithi reported about the prime suspect, following the instructions given to her by Cruxius regarding how he found something suspicious about Thalia’s body.

Most likely, someone had spiked her medicine.

"Stimuly? Hm. Must be a weak villain," Cruxius murmured, not remembering any such supervillain’s name as he further recalled the moment Thalia collapsed into his arms.

He had felt her body weaken—like she was being numbed by some kind of drug. But he had been with her the whole time. The only medicines she took were painkillers and birth control pills.

That made him suspect someone had spiked her medicine.

And since he couldn’t investigate personally—Thalia needed someone warm by her side to keep her in an intense emotional condition—he took it upon himself to keep her body stimulated and warm, while sending Darithi to confirm who had tampered with her meds.

"Yes. He’s a C-rank villain. No major achievements. Just takes small contracts from regular people at hefty prices," Darithi added. Stimuly was known for executing low-profile kills—accidents, food poisoning, drug overdoses—often contracted by commoners or even elites as per their need to kill someone in a way that seemed to have occurred naturally.

’Why would he target Thalia?’ Cruxius closed his eyes, trying to make sense of it. Given that there were too many questions in his mind after hearing that someone had intentionally spiked her medicine.

Why would a supervillain mess with Thalia’s medicine—something not even prearranged? How could he know she’d take those specific pills?

Then something Darithi said echoed in his mind. He opened his eyes and asked, hands in his pockets, "You said he can enhance emotions too... for suicide, hm?"

A cold glint sparked in his eyes. A chuckle escaped his lips. This wasn’t as simple as it first seemed.

Someone had contracted that villain knowing Thalia would visit that hospital.

And the real intention from the start was not the medicine. Instead, it was to manipulate her emotions, intensify them, and force her to take her own life. But it appeared, due to his presence around her, things changed a bit.

’Ah no, no, emotions definitely got intensified of someone...’ And there Cruxius just realized that instead of Thalia the first attack would be on Seleyena. Given this ability being not offensive and such, just stimulating emotions it was now making sense why she even went as far as to break her character and approach him to touch his dick at that moment.

He definitely manipulated her, but her emotions, like sympathy and such, forced her into drowning into the flow—now, it made sense.

But the plan had flaws.

The visit to that hospital had been random. Dr. Seleyena happened to be there. Thalia’s stepsister and Jake had coincidentally shown up. None of it was preplanned.

So, for someone to know their exact location and timing... they’d have to be tracking him live.

Not just tracking—but with clear intent to kill Thalia in a way that wouldn’t arouse his suspicion. To make it seem like an accident.

’Who...?’ That was the question. From what he knew, neither the dean nor Thalia’s stepmother had the capability—or the time—to pull this off so quickly.

’Someone capable of live tracking. Someone who doesn’t want to provoke me. Someone trying to eliminate the woman I’m interested in. Someone who can hire even minor villains this quickly, with such precise planning...’

"No... it can’t be Nano..." Cruxius muttered under his breath. The first name that popped into his mind was Nano—a supervillainess, one of the few woman who fit in all that criteria in the villain syndicate.

She had created the syndicate’s firewalls and ranking systems. He had tried to contact her at the hospital—but she hadn’t responded.

And why would she even target Thalia? They had no prior connection.

’No... impossible.’ A flicker of doubt rose, but he dismissed it. No one else had returned to the past like he had—not unless they also had a system. He believed that was a one-time gift meant for him alone.

After all, it was not the System that brought him to the past; it was his own ability to turn back time after his death that had been upgraded.

He realized that maybe he thought about her name simply because he was trying to use the ranking codes. So her name was on his mind, nothing else.

"Master, should I catch that villain?" Darithi asked upon noticing the frown on his face.

"No. You need to be with me for the press conference," Cruxius said, shaking his head and pushing aside the spiraling thoughts. He couldn’t afford to be distracted now. There could still be another suspect.

With that, he walked straight toward the hotel’s hall, specially arranged for his press conference.

Yet, while moving with a hesitant voice, Dsrithi inquired about her master’s previous instructions to endanger the life of Volta, "Master, what if Ytrisia really dies?"