The Villainess Returns with a System Chapter 112: System Error!

"Are you kidding ?"

Vivian stared, bewildered, as the Magic Lockbox sprang open, triggered by this unexpected password.

"What’s ’Open Sesa’?"

"Are you kidding ?"

Logan’s innocent question prompted Vivian to look at him, incredulous that he was unfamiliar with the tale of Alibaba, though she reminded herself that this was a different world entirely.

"Miss Moore! My lady! We have a problem!"

Jane’s hurried voice echoed from the stairwell as she descended rapidly. Vivian quickly donned her jacket as Logan turned away and waited for Jane to arrive.

"My Lady, knights from House Marshall are gathered in the street! They’re warning everyone to lock their doors, saying a monster is on the loose!"

"For the last ti, are you kidding ?"

A monster on the loose!

Yesterday’s mory flooded back, a chill running down Vivian’s spine as she recalled the beast she’d unleashed to eliminate Natasha and her assassins.

The creature had erupted like nature’s fury the mont she’d shot the carriage door’s hinges. Had it not been weakened by starvation and traumatized by gunfire, it would have slaughtered everyone that night.

"Lock everything down, Logan. The papers and schematics for my safe are inside." Vivian patted Logan’s arm, noticing his slight awkwardness as he passed Jane on the stairs.

Jane sniffed the air after Logan passed, a surprised expression on her face as she turned to Vivian, pointing back.

"What’s with the hunky knight?" she asked.

"..."

Vivian gave Jane an unimpressed stare, but Jane just grinned cheekily.

"Oh, I get it. It’s happening!" Jane exclaid, apparently deducing the situation from Vivian’s perfu lingering on Logan.

"Miss Jane, I believe you’re overstepping," Vivian said, attempting to intimidate her.

"I just didn’t think you had it in you."

Jane teased Vivian, but quickly retreated as Vivian drew her push dagger.

"Unless you want to have it in you, run along and fetch the biggest gun you can find."

"The biggest?"

"The biggest, the baddest, the anest."

"Hmmm... Mr Voros and I were working on that oversized, bulky musket thing you sketched."

"Really? But that requires special ammunition—tal-cased bullets, not paper cartridges."

"Right, and we don’t have enough materials to mass-produce it. Mr Voros used precious tals to create an alloy that can withstand the pressure, and I tried to implent that gas-stabilizing idea you had, but..."

"It has to work."

"Or it’ll explode in your face. That tal-cased bullet is a behemoth. It could ss up a real knight if it hit him, and frankly, who’s crazy enough to fire it? I’d even advise that hunky knight against shooting it."

Vivian sighed and massaged her temples.

"What does Mr Oscar see in such a loose-mouthed woman?" she wondered aloud.

"Poor Oscar! If only he knew what he was getting into..." Jane said sarcastically, shaking her head.

The firearm in question was a design Vivian would need eventually, but with a monster roaming outside, it would be invaluable right now.

"So... is the prototype complete?" Vivian asked.

"You want to shoot the prototype? It’ll wreck your shoulder, my lady," Jane said, clearly concerned.

"I’ll worry about my shoulders. Just tell it won’t explode in my face."

"We’ve tested the chamber with that much gunpowder before. The core of the gun won’t be an issue."

"Atta girl."

Vivian strode toward the armory where the gun prototypes were stored, but Jane followed, arms crossed, her voice laced with exasperation.

"You’d need Sir Logan’s strength to fire that thing without being sent tumbling head over heels."

"I’ll just use Aura to brace myself," Vivian replied breezily.

"Yeah, because aura totally defies the laws of physics," Jane retorted. "Mr Voros said that even if you survive the blast, you don’t weigh enough to stay upright."

"You guys know my weight? I thought that was classified." Vivian looked back in shock, unlocking the door with her master key and flicking on the lights.

"Only because it’s relevant to workplace safety."

"Uh-huh. And does this workplace safety manual say anything about fun?"

"Only that it’s a leading cause of death," Jane deadpanned. "At least put in writing that Jane Smith-Waters is in no way responsible for your impending catapulting three streets backward."

"Want to leave you a million pounds in my will while I’m at it?"

"Absolutely, my lady. I’m a firm believer in cashing in on bad decisions—especially when they’re not mine."

"Shaless as ever!"

On the central table, bathed in its own spotlight, sat a single-shot, large-calibre rifle. Its extended barrel and oversized chamber hinted at imnse stopping power, designed for extre-range engagents or armour-piercing purposes. The action featured a breech-load chanism positioned directly behind the chamber, ensuring a secure and forceful lock with each shot.

A rigid, tal-reinforced stock reinforced the weapon, engineered to absorb substantial recoil. Atop the receiver sat an artillery-style sight, likely calibrated for long-distance targeting.

The sheer diater of the barrel alone hinted at the ammunition it chambered—massive rounds, nearly the size of a human palm, suggesting it fired rounds comparable to .50 BMG or larger, built to pierce armour and fortifications with devastating effect.

Vivian picked up the bullet—part of her secret tal-cased cartridges project—and as she felt its weight, she knew the world wasn’t ready for it yet.

An Anti-Material Cannon. That was the closest comparison she could draw. On one hand, she didn’t understand why Jane and Voros had chosen this design from all the ones she’d provided, wasting so much ti, effort, and money trying to make it a reality. On the other hand, she was pleased they had.

It seed the craftsman’s spirit within them had been provoked by her most powerful design, urging them to push their limits. This surely happened after they gained enough experience making dozens of new-generation firearms and further enhanced Vivian’s designs, with Jane alone becoming one of the world’s foremost experts in gunsmithing when paired with a 3D printer like Voros.

But that was then, and now was the ti for action. Vivian hefted the stock and flipped the heavy gun in her arm before ejecting the loading bolt and jamming in the large bullet.

CLACK-THUNK!

"This is going to hurt!"

"You’re not really planning on taking out that monster, are you?"

"Hopefully, I won’t have to plan anything."

Carrying the oversized rifle, Vivian struggled to fit it into her storage purse, already cramd with items. Rather than carrying it openly, she preferred to keep it concealed for the ti being.

Walking around with this firearm in plain sight was just asking for trouble.

For now, she oversaw the building’s lockdown, ensuring no outsiders slipped in. Afterward, she went to her office, and with only Esralda present, she took out the big gun and placed it on the table, waiting for sothing to happen as she sipped her tea.

She also kept the magic lockbox hidden under her shoulder cape. As everything went quiet outside, she gently touched the box and whispered:

"Open Sesa!"

And the lockbox opened.

Now, she had all the ti in the world to examine what seed to be the most valuable cargo she’d managed to salvage from the fake convoy.

What was so important that the Prince’s people kept it in a lockbox, unable to store it in dinsional storage?

As soon as she opened the lockbox and removed the inner cover, the answer was revealed.

"A Ring?"

Hesitantly, Vivian reached out and touched the unexpected loot.

The ring was strikingly beautiful, featuring an intricate, artistic design of interwoven tal bands forming an intertwining, wave-like pattern. Like silvery sea waves, the intertwining shape created a hypnotic effect as Vivian rotated the ring between her fingers, almost srizing.

There was no mistaking it.

This was a Magic Ring, one of those special artifacts sorcerers used as spellcasting diums. Moreover, it was sothing any mber of House Moore or its vassals was forbidden to possess.

"Such a thing!" Vivian exclaid, looking at the ring with strange admiration. "It’s not coal or energy that keeps House Moore in check; it’s these rings."

Every Magic Ring was unique, powerful, and governed by its own laws.

Furthermore, Spell Rings in Albion signified both status and power. The Royal Family and the Temple of the Seven Saints kept records of every ring forged, its user, its powers, and its unique spells. Each ring had its own serial number, always engraved sowhere on the inside.

These strict thods ensured that no rogue sorcerer could cause a tragedy and go unchecked.

But...

"Son of a gun!"

...Vivian realised why the ring in her hand was being transported with such secrecy.

It had no serial number.

Who could do such a thing?

That was a dangerous question, one with potentially dangerous answers.

Only a Runesmith could forge Spell Rings. Like tallurgists, they were rare and highly respected. Most were hired by the Temple, but others ford their own independent Noble Houses and Factions, all under the laws of the major nations.

Yet, if one of them were to forge a ring without registering it—even if that were possible, since rings needed certain requirents fulfilled by the Temple—the Runesmith would be excommunicated and tried for rebellion against the Divine or the Crown.

The fact that these young masters of the Prince’s faction would risk so much by acquiring unregistered spell rings made Vivian wonder how reckless they were.

Despite their recklessness, they clearly believed they’d never be caught and that their illicit cargo would never be discovered.

Ironically, Vivian had the sa thought. Now that she possessed an unregistered Spell Ring, there was no way anyone could find out.

It was a tempting thought... a very tempting one.

Magic was already more powerful than any firearm, and its sheer versatility was nothing to scoff at.

Yet one thing was certain: no one in their right mind would teach magic to a Moore wielding an unregistered spell ring.

So... what would it be?

Should she just...?

Of course, she shouldn’t.

But then again... who would know?

She practiced Aura in secret, but magic was just...

"Fuck it!"

Vivian put the ring back in the lockbox; the risk was too great. But before closing it, she took one last look, and the aning of that "fuck it" transford completely.

She’d transmigrated into a world of magic, for crying out loud! Why shouldn’t she at least experience the feeling of doing so abracadabra?

It was as if everything she needed to use magic was right in front of her. Who could resist?

She hesitated, then impulsively slid it onto her ring finger.

"Hmmm."

Aside from its aesthetic appeal, Vivian didn’t feel anything strange.

She stood up and walked around her office, then faced an item on the table and tried to move it with her mind...

"Sigh! What was I thinking?"

It was a predictable result. All those fantasies about magic couldn’t possibly materialise just because she put on a magic ring.

But right then and there...

≪ WARNING! ≫

≪ WARNING! ≫

≪ WARNING! ≫

≪ WARNING! ≫

≪ WARNING! ≫

≪ WARNING! ≫

Vivian simply stood there, watching the ssages pop up, and exhaled wearily.

"You could have just stopped from putting it on, Sir System!"

≪ SYSTEM ERROR! ≫

≪ Analyzing Error! ≫

≪ System has concluded that the error is the result of a foreign Karma object! ≫

≪ Please, remove the object from your person imdiately. ≫

"Fine."

Vivian didn’t argue, realising there were things she didn’t fully understand, so she tried to remove the ring.

≪ Please, remove the object from your person imdiately. ≫

"Alright... just give ... a second."

Her words indicated that things weren’t going as smoothly as planned. The ring was loose enough to move back and forth on her finger, but not past the middle knuckle, preventing it from coming off since her fingers were slightly swollen from her earlier hamring.

≪ SST F@TLE ERR?R! ≫

"This... shit... I get it! GET OFF MY BACK!"

The system alerts grew increasingly frantic, alarming Vivian.

No matter what she tried, the ring was impossibly stuck, causing her to writhe in agony, bending forward as she did everything she could to remove it.

≪ YU H RC€IVED K*RM@IC D?MAGE! ≫

That ssage flashed red before her eyes, and a terrible feeling washed over her. She felt sothing weird and alien creeping under her skin before it suddenly vanished, and another ssage appeared.

≪ Nw Q: ths ri?g, NW! ≫

≪ Rewrd: — ≫

≪ Pe: §y?tem Rebœt! ≫

"Holy shit! What the actual fuck! I am trying... my..."

Vivian could no longer remain calm, threatened from all sides by the system. As she struggled to remove the ring, the room around her suddenly darkened.

Vivian’s office had windows facing both east and west, ensuring it was always lit during the day. Since it was afternoon, the sunlight that should have been streaming in from the west felt blocked by sothing.

Completely preoccupied with the ring, Vivian hadn’t even glanced at what was happening. But as she turned in that direction while struggling with the ring, her entire being froze.

What was she supposed to do in this situation?

Would screaming or crying for help even work?

No one would arrive in ti to save her from the creature stalking her from outside her fourth-floor window.

The stalker—seemingly having climbed the building—was none other than an old acquaintance, one to whom she owed a great debt.

The Dragon-Tiger.

A majestic divine beast with the might of a tiger and the scales of a dragon, a fusion of the two eastern symbols of power.

This king of the jungle was stranded in a foreign land and was a very vindictive creature. As its eyes landed on Vivian, a dangerous light flashed through them, as if saying, "Found you!"

During the night of the ambush, she’d shot at him, used him to kill her enemies, and her scent was one of only two that he’d rembered from that night. In other words, she’d been marked by the beast long ago.

It had taken him ti to adapt to this new jungle, especially with knights on his trail, but now, he could finally track down one of those he held a grudge against and blad for his capture.

Seeing his prey helpless and sensing her racing heartbeat as she turned to him, he knew exactly what was about to happen. It was a pattern in the animal kingdom, and as the proud king of the forest that was once his ho, he knew exactly what prey did next.

Just as their badum-badum-badum reached its peak, it skipped a beat, and that was when they moved. That was also when he had to strike.

A wall stood in his way!

Not a problem. Even with the building’s strong architecture, he could tear through a chunk of it, creating an opening. But here ca the interesting part.

KRRAAAASSHH!

Unlike other creatures that fled to their hiding places, these clawless apes ran for their weapons and employed a trickery so cunning that it had fooled him once before—a mistake he was still recovering from.

He knew imdiately that he should block his prey’s path, but as soon as he charged, she displayed a shocking burst of speed, remarkable for her usually slow kind.

Vivian bolted like lightning, channelling two Aura stars simultaneously. Reaching the gun on the table, she had no choice but to rotate midair and remove the rifle’s safety as she took aim and...

THA-BAAAAM!

Thunder echoed on a cloudless day, taking even the mighty Dragon-Tiger by surprise. Its instincts were useless against such an unexpected danger, hitting him in a way he never thought possible. These booming weapons humans used had always irritated him, but none had packed a real punch.

This one, however, was different.

It hit the Dragon-Tiger squarely on the shoulder, carrying him back to the hole in the wall he was entering through, almost sending him back into the street.

Vivian, anwhile, was blasted in the opposite direction, crashing back-first into the bookshelves behind her.

Both fell in agony. Vivian cried out as she tried to gather her strength, and the Dragon-Tiger struggled to regain its balance and re-enter the building.

Vivian still gripped her rifle tightly. She imdiately opened the loading chamber and jamd in another large bullet.

≪ SST F@TLE ERR?R! ≫

≪ SST F@TLE ERR?R! ≫

"FUCK IT! Leave alone."

Vivian swiped the system ssages aside and tried to force the bullet in, but no matter how much raw strength she used, it wouldn’t budge.

SCRRRKKK-TCHHH!

Digging his claws into the outer wall, the Dragon-Tiger peered in, his eyes filled with fury. Perhaps he was a descendant of a Dragon, as the legends claid, possessing their mighty, impervious scales. Despite that, the pain he’d just experienced was beyond anything he’d ever known.

Anger mixed with bloodlust clouded his judgnt as he prepared to leap back into Vivian’s office and finish off his prey.

Vivian was already in bad shape, but just as she was about to load the bullet, she heard a... CREEK—CREEEEEK!

Looking behind her, she tried to push herself out of harm’s way, but it was too late. The large shelf behind her seed to have beco unbalanced, and part of its support broke off before it all ca crashing down on her.

EEEEEE-KRUNCH!

Every bone in her body felt the impact of the heavy shelves as she was crushed beneath them. As she tried to bring her weapon to bear, all she could manage was to escape the shelves’ direct impact, her arm desperately reaching for the rifle as her consciousness faded.

Those ten seconds of extre chaos didn’t go unnoticed, of course. The closest person to Vivian’s office rushed in, her face etched with worry. The bronze-skinned girl, Esralda, Vivian’s maid and assistant, was now in the middle of the scene.

She saw the hole in the wall the Dragon-Tiger was clawing through, Vivian lying under the shelves, and the oversized rifle right in front of her.

There was no ti to think, no ti to hesitate.

If she didn’t act, she would die alongside Vivian. Even if she did act, she would most likely die anyway.

She’d seen beasts before. Sauran was a continent full of them, and while mostly docile and fearful of giants, she knew that this Dragon-Tiger was akin to the Lion King of Sauran.

She had to act, and she had to act now. She picked up Vivian’s rifle, despite having no experience shooting a gun. But having watched Vivian shoot almost every day, she knew what to do.

The jamd bullet was inside, and the chamber was closed. Vivian had at least managed that before the shelves fell on her. All Esralda needed to do was raise the stock to her shoulder, grip the barrel tightly, and squeeze the trig...

THA-BAAAAAAAAAAM!

≪ S*st sh?t *ff! R?ting in pr?c€ss! ≫