Greedy malice

[Causal Deduction activated.]

[First use by host detected. Loading current reality node...]

[Year one of the deduction: due to a shift in the causal node, the system began issuing this year's overdue Fate Card.]

[Drawing... Congratulations, host. You have obtained the N-rank card-"Cursed Energy Allergy"!]

[Cursed Energy Allergy: You are extremely sensitive to cursed energy imbued with malice. The greater the danger, the stronger the pain.]

[Your consciousness fell out of the void, and your eyes flew open as the sensations of reality flooded back.]

[You almost cried out as a piercing, bone-deep pain seeped in through every pore of your skin.]

[Through Cursed Energy Allergy, you could clearly sense the monster on the ceiling shifting restlessly.]

[Steady footsteps broke the deathly silence. A man in a dark suit walked through the front door, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses.]

["What? It's not over yet? Did I get here too early...?"]

[After seeing you, the man couldn't help muttering to himself. Though his voice was low, you heard every word.]

[The man glanced at the mess strewn across the floor before his gaze finally lingered for a moment on the black box in your arms.]

[At that moment, you had no idea that this cursed tool named "Asagirimaru" was a "treasure" that could fetch five or six years' worth of the salary of Sato, the Assistant Supervisor standing before you, on the black market-even if he worked without spending anything on food or drink.]

["Don't be scared, kid. I'm Sato, an Assistant Supervisor. I'm a professional who deals with monsters like this."]

[Sato softened his voice, wearing a reassuring smile of false kindness.]

["That looks like something your parents left you... Something very important and valuable, right? Make sure you hold on tight to it."]

[You nodded blankly, your shoulders trembling.]

["Listen, that monster is still in the house, and I don't have a suitable sealing talisman on hand right now."]

[Sato walked over to Li Shunchen, rested a hand affectionately on his shoulder, and pointed toward the dark basement entrance.]

["Take what your parents left you and hide in the basement first. It's the sturdiest part of the house. Once I've dealt with that monster, I'll take you out of here, all right?"]

[Sato held out a slightly yellowed paper talisman.]

["Take this. It'll keep the monster from finding you."]

[*Liar.*]

[Li Shunchen kept his head lowered, his hand trembling as he accepted the talisman.]

[Through his "Cursed Energy Allergy," he sensed a fact that made his hair stand on end.]

[There was no cursed energy whatsoever on that supposed talisman, and compared with the monster above, this man before him, his eyes brimming with greed, wasn't even in the same league.]

[In fact... the monster was now moving silently along the ceiling directly above Sato's head, yet this "professional" Assistant Supervisor hadn't noticed a thing. His mind was entirely on the blade in your arms.]

[He wasn't trying to save anyone at all. He wanted you to die in the basement with the blade so he could then take away the "belongings left behind" with every justification.]

["What's wrong? Go on, child."]

[Sato gave you a gentle push.]

[You felt the piercing pain at the back of your head. The monster was already very close.]

[You knew that just a few more steps down would leave you facing certain death.]

[And the root of every problem was the blade in your arms.]

["All right... Supervisor Sato."]

[You sniffled, pretending to be utterly petrified, then turned and inched toward the darkness of the basement, step by step.]

[But the instant you turned, the terror in your eyes vanished, replaced by an almost crazed calm.]

[*Since you can't deal with the monster and want me dead... I'll give you what you want.*]