Villain: Conquering The World With My Army Of Beautiful Bandits! Chapter 7: Absurd Binding Requirements!

Kael woke up like soone had just jabbed a needle through his brain.

His body jerked upright, only to fall back with a pained grunt as sharp lightning shot through his broken limbs.

His chest rose and fell like a bellows as he stared at the ceiling, his breath heavy, his heart racing—but not from the pain.

No, what had truly startled him were the glowing lines of translucent light swimming in front of his eyes.

A string of golden-blue holographic panels danced across his vision like soone had booted up a fantasy computer straight into his brain.

[Welco, Host.]

[Soul Receipt System: Initialization Complete.]

[User Qualification Confird.]

[Primary Function: Sole Receipt Accrual.]

[Description: Form aningful Bonds to receive Clarity Flashes revealing Secrets, Treasures, People, or Power in your local environnt.]

Kael stared, mouth slightly agape, as more panels blinked into existence, then faded just as quickly.

His sharp mind snapped into motion like a hunting dog catching the scent of prey.

He wasn’t dreaming. This wasn’t so post-concussion hallucination. No, this was the thing—his cheat!

The golden ticket that every reincarnated bastard in those absurd webnovels he used to read back on Earth got the mont they opened their eyes.

And now, finally, three days late and after a healthy dose of broken bones, blood, and near death experiences, his cheat had finally arrived.

And it was a system.

He should’ve guessed. The strange glowing tattoo on his chest? The ominous, recurring phrase about bonding through body and soul? It all made sense now.

The system wasn’t loud or flashy. It hadn’t handed him a divine weapon or made him immortal.

It hadn’t whispered in a sexy goddess voice either—thank the stars. Kael rubbed his temple with his casted hand and winced.

"Ugh. I would’ve tossed myself into a pit if I had to listen to a flirtatious AI calling ’Master’ every ti I scratched my ass."

He cautiously thought the word: ’Hello?’ just to test it.

Nothing.

No chi. No response. No snarky narrator or quest list or item shop.

Kael’s face split into a slow grin.

Perfect.

He was a control freak by nature. He didn’t want so chirpy voice guiding his every move like a training wheels tutorial.

This system was quiet. Focused. Simple. It did its job, and left the rest to him. A surgical blade, not a wild hamr. Just how he liked it.

As Kael reviewed what the system had shown him, he chewed through its implications like a starving wolf devouring at.

So—forming deep bonds with people granted him "Sole Receipts."

When activated, these gave him Clarity Flashes, like prophetic visions of sothing crucial nearby.

It could be a person, a weapon, a secret ruin, maybe even an enemy sneaking through the trees.

Unlike those OP systems that handed out free power, this one gave information, and to Kael, information was power.

The right knowledge at the right mont could crush an empire or raise one from ashes. His enemies wouldn’t even know what hit them.

While they played checkers, he’d be playing galactic chess using visions from his bound subordinates.

Still... he couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. Compared to the world-breaking cheats he used to read about, it was kinda... mild.

No instant God-tier strength. No ti travel. No harem-generator. Just cryptic visions and emotional bonds.

Honestly, if this system had appeared to anyone else, they might’ve tossed it aside and called it trash.

But for Kael?

It was exactly what he needed.

He didn’t need raw power. What he needed was leverage. Influence. Opportunity. And this system gave it in the most precise, cunning way imaginable.

It allowed him to see what others missed. To spot cracks in the wall while others were still looking at the door.

He needed to test it, and fast.

His thoughts imdiately snapped to the one person he could trust. Or at least, mostly trust.

The muscular, stoic, battle-scarred woman who’d been by his side since the beginning. His only remaining subordinate.

Helga.

He grinned again, though this ti the smile had a glint of mischief. The system had ntioned needing to bind with soone.

Kael sat up straighter, ignoring the dull burn in his ribs, and asked ntally: ’System, how do I bind with soone?’

This ti, a panel blinked into existence like a patient butler finally answering the door.

[To Bind: Increase Trust to at least 50%. View Trust ter by focusing on the individual and thinking: "Trust ter." Once Trust requirents are t, simply will it and it shall be done.]

Kael blinked once. That was it?

It seed almost too simple. But of course, the challenge wasn’t in the command—it was in raising the trust.

Most people didn’t trust easily. And certainly not in a world as brutal and bloody as this one. But Kael smiled softly, already working out possibilities.

This wasn’t just a tool for unlocking vision rewards, it was a way to track loyalty. A personal morality radar.

With this, he could spot traitors before they drew a dagger, see fear before it turned to betrayal, gauge ambition before it grew fangs.

And for Helga?

He didn’t think it would be too hard. She was loyal. Rough around the edges, sure. Not the most chatty woman in the world.

But she hadn’t left him for dead. She’d carried his broken body back to the ruins. Treated his wounds. Buried their fallen comrades. Repaired the base.

If anyone deserved to be the first recipient of his system’s power, it was her.

As if summoned by thought, the door creaked open. Kael turned just in ti to see Helga stride in, holding a wooden tray of steaming food.

It seed he hadn’t been unconscious for too long seeing as she hadn’t noticed it at all.

Helga gave him a calm look but didn’t say anything. She set the tray down beside his bed and crossed her arms.

Kael looked at her thoughtfully. Then, almost lazily, he thought the words: ’Trust ter.’

Instantly, a glowing translucent bar floated above her head. Not too large. Not flashy.

Just a small number: [67]

Kael’s grin widened.

’Helga,’ he thought happily, his mind full of calculated warmth, ’you have no idea how valuable you are.’

His body still ached a little, but the potion-infused bandages had worked wonders. The pain was dull, like the aftershocks of a storm, and nothing more.

What mattered most to him now was progress. His mind clicked into gear like a well-oiled machine. The system. The bond. The path forward.

He had already checked her Trust ter—67%. More than enough. With everything in place, he figured now was as good a ti as any to begin.

He didn’t need so dramatic mont or a blood oath ritual, he preferred clean, quick, and quietly effective power grabs.

So, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and ntally commanded, "Initiate Binding Process with Helga."

Ding!

[Sole Receipt Target Confird: Eligible for Binding.]

Kael let out a long breath, laid back into his pillow, and smirked at the ceiling.

Step one: complete.

The clean tone echoed inside his skull, and his eyes lit up. His heartbeat quickened in that sa way it used to when he found a vulnerability in a rival gang’s supply line in his past life.

This was it. The true start. A system bond ant shared growth, and shared growth ant more opportunities for the Soul Receipt.

But just as he was planning out an entire spreadsheet of hypothetical Soul Receipts opportunities, another notification flickered into view.

Ding!

[System Notification]

[To complete the Binding Process with Target: Helga

Required Action: Kiss the target on the lips to initiate binding!

Note: Consent is mandatory. Non-consensual action will result in binding failure and a Trust deduction!]

Kael’s smile froze.

His brain short-circuited for a full two seconds as he just blinked at the ssage like it had personally betrayed him.

"Kiss...?" he muttered, as if the word were in a foreign language. "Kiss. Her." He stared into the air like it would offer a better explanation.

Consent is MANDATORY?!

A tiny crack ford in his confident façade. ’Why does every cheat, every ability, every damn system in existence have to be so weird about it?!’ he thought.

He glanced at Helga, who was still humming softly as she folded the cloth napkin near the table.

Her expression was calm. Her arms were corded with muscle. Her back looked like it could bench press a cow.

And her expression practically scread ’Try anything stupid and I’ll tie your ribs into a bow.’

Kael swallowed slowly.

"Oh, great," he muttered under his breath.

The absurdity of it all was simply too much. He, Kael Draven, once a feared underground boss, now in a fantasy world with a cheat system that needed him to kiss a woman built like a war goddess just to get a taste of power!

He buried his face in the pillow. "...I’m going to shout."

But he didn’t shout. He wasn’t even that angry, actually.

Kael wanted to bind with Helga. That much was clear. The Trust ter hovering above her head with that lovely glowing number—67—made it all the more tempting to just do it.

But Kael had learned a long ti ago that rushing recklessly was for fools. There were traps in eagerness. Mistakes hiding in impatience.

He needed to recover first. Build more trust naturally. And most of all... ask the right questions. Build the right emotions!

There was one particular mystery that had bugged him since the mont he woke up in this world.

If he really had reincarnated into the body of Kael Draven, the feared leader of the Crimson Maw bandit group, then why the hell was he so weak?

He hadn’t even unlocked the First Gate. Not a single skill. No aura pressure. No unique bloodline activation.

He was just... at. Regular at.

anwhile, Helga, who had almost snapped him in half with one arm when they first t, had clearly already unlocked her First Gate, probably long ago.

Her strength was unnatural. Her movents sharp and trained. She could’ve squashed him like a fly if she wanted.

So the question clawed at his brain every hour: How the hell did the old Kael maintain leadership over soone like her?

Fear? Doubtful. Helga didn’t look like she feared anyone.

Loyalty? Maybe. But even loyalty needs a reason, especially in a bandit group built on survival and strength.

Did the old Kael have charisma? Cunning? Did he maybe have so kind of item or leverage that kept people in line?

He wanted to ask Helga so badly. But if he asked too openly, he’d blow his own cover. She might realize sothing was wrong.

So, Kael swallowed his curiosity and kept his mouth shut. For now.

Instead, he focused on eating his food, which Helga had brought in just a few minutes ago.

And speaking of the food... it slled amazing but looked like it had been beaten with a hamr, rolled in dirt, and baked in regret.

So kind of sticky brown mash sat beside what looked like alien jerky. He took a bite and—oh. Wow. Surprisingly delicious!

He chewed thoughtfully as Helga sat across from him, arms crossed, watching him like a mother hen pretending not to care.

She didn’t talk much during als. She just... watched. Occasionally scowled. Kael appreciated the silence.

He needed to recover. Fully. His limbs were still badly sore, but they were working again.

Each day brought more strength, more control over his body. And more ti to think.

He had plans to rebuild the Crimson Maw. To make it bigger, stronger, and more terrifying than ever before.

And that started by forming the first bind with Helga. He had to do it right. Had to ace it. And so he waited, watched, and let ti pass.

And just like that, a week flew by.

The days blurred together like lazy clouds over a dying sun. Kael spent most of his ti lying on the creaky wooden bed inside the main cabin, healing and slowly regaining mories that weren’t quite his.

The way the old Kael walked, how he talked, little habits—scratching his jaw before a lie, tapping his knuckles on wood when impatient.

The Soul Receipt System stayed quiet, but every now and then, it showed him vague ssages. Passive tips.

Flickers of how things worked. He experinted by thinking certain commands, learning that he could check his current bonded targets (which was zero), his next Trust Goal (Helga), and a map radius based on the vision reward he would receive when a bond was ford.

anwhile, Helga was a machine.

From morning till night, she was doing sothing.

Kael could hear it all from inside the room—her boots stomping across the gravel, the clang of tal, the heavy swipes of her practice sword slicing through the air.

She cooked in the early morning, cleaned mid-morning, rebuilt buildings until midday, cleared debris and trees in the surrounding valley during the afternoon, and trained herself before sunset.

Every single day!

Kael realized sothing: she was more than just strong. She was disciplined. Military-grade discipline.

And the more he watched her through the cracks of the doorway, the more he admired her.

Not in the romantic sense (though okay, her tits were definitely impressive), but in the "this woman might be the spine of my new empire" kind of way.

Then ca today. The glorious day. His body, after seven days of slow burning pain, was finally back in shape.

He stood in front of the dusty, cracked mirror in the corner of the cabin and blinked at the stranger in the reflection.

Then he blinked again. Wait. This was him?!

The man staring back had Greek god energy.

Tall. Broad shoulders. Chiseled jaw that looked like it had been carved by divine chisels. A sharp, mischievous glint in his silver-gray eyes.

Tousled dark hair that sohow looked both ssy and perfect. His shirt clung to his torso like it had been sewn by lust itself.

Kael stepped closer to the mirror and flexed his arm experintally.

"Oh no," he muttered, grinning. "I’m dangerous."

He chuckled like a man discovering he’d just been given a Ferrari with nitro boosters. This... this was definitely going to be useful.

He could use this face to charm his way through closed gates, closed hearts, and closed legs. But not yet. Not now.

Right now... he had sowhere to be.

He threw on a plain tunic and pants, then pulled a simple brown cloak over his shoulders. Nothing too flashy. Just enough to stay hidden.

Today’s journey was a short one, but important. Just as he fastened the clasp of the cloak, the door creaked open and Helga stepped in.

She, too, was wearing a simple traveling cloak. Her long braid was tucked beneath the hood, and her expression was that usual blend of unbothered and suspicious.

"You sure you’re healed enough for this journey?" she asked, voice calm but firm.

Kael smiled as he adjusted his sleeves and turned to face her fully.

"I told you before," he said with a wink, "never doubt . I’m fine. Let’s go."

She stared at him for a second. Then gave a short nod.

They stepped outside together, the valley wind brushing past them like a whisper from forgotten ghosts.

The Crimson Maw base, though still wounded, looked more alive than it did a week ago.

Kael inhaled the scent of the mountain air, the faint tinge of ash, soil, and tal, and his grin returned.

They were heading to the nearest village; Riverdale.

A place where Kael would test his charm, uncover opportunities, and maybe—just maybe—earn his first Sole Receipt.

The fiend had truly risen!