My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System

Zane narrowed his eyes. This wasn't a team. This was a statement.

He scanned the stats of both the twins and their mount. Their personal power wasn't what caught his attention—it was the beast.

"A Two-Star core corrupted beast," he muttered. "We just passed through the village gates, and I didn't see a single beast nearby. Are they sourcing them locally and managing to tame them here?"

"They did tame it right here on this planet," Asphalt replied with a proud chuckle. "Pretty impressive, huh? Of course, they couldn't have done it without my help. Even without the beast, they're strong."

That comment caught the attention of the crowd.

Many top-ranked students turned their mana scans toward the twins and their beast. Most frowned after analyzing it.

Some began discussing whether they should invite the twins to their teams.

Others immediately objected—everyone knew the twins were notoriously difficult to deal with. Getting a civil word from them was rare. Only the Nitpicker himself could get through to them—and even then, they weren't exactly friendly.

The twins dismounted right before Asphalt.

The boar-like beast growled, clearly displeased by the numerous mana scans directed at it. Its saber-like teeth gleamed as it bared them at the crowd, ready to attack.

A chubby boy stepped forward and gently stroked the beast's head. "Calm down, Little Piggie," he said soothingly. "I get it. These people make me uncomfortable too. Just be patient."

At his touch, the beast visibly relaxed, moaning softly before collapsing onto the ground with a lazy thud.

Then the girl walked forward—her stride confident, more like a man's than a lady's—and raised her voice.

"What do you want, Nitpicker? We already agreed to join your stupid team. You know we hate crowds. Why call us here? Look at my Little Piggie—she's all tense. If she goes berserk and kills a few students, the responsibility will be yours. Are you willing to take that blame?"

Zane caught her tone. She wasn't just grumpy—she genuinely disliked Asphalt. Still… her character clicks perfectly with his. No doubt about it, he thought, hiding a smile.

Asphalt remained unfazed by her outburst.

"Aw, don't be like that. Little Piggie's calm now—thanks to our friend Har."

"Don't call me your friend, Nitpicker," the chubby boy barked.

Still, Asphalt didn't seem bothered.

Zane watched the exchange. He's patient. That's good.

Asphalt clapped once and smiled warmly. "Well, it's time for introductions. Zane Carter, meet the final members of our team."

He gestured to the girl. "This otherworldly beauty is Dar Varkoss."

Dar—who had been shouting a moment ago—suddenly twirled a lock of long hair like a bashful girl and flipped it playfully. Clearly pleased by the compliment.

Asphalt turned to the other. "And this… er… handsome man here is Har Varkoss, the greatest Tamer of our batch."

Har puffed out his chest proudly and laughed.

Dar, however, scowled. "Him? The greatest Tamer? Nitpicker, I thought you had a better sense of judgment."

"Shut up, Dar!" Har snapped. "Brother Asphalt is just being friendly."

"Friendly, my foot," Dar barked. "They didn't call him Nitpicker for nothing. He earned that nickname when he was five. So shut up—or I won't let you ride with me."

Har opened his mouth to argue but quickly shut it again—especially after hearing that threat.

Zane was beyond impressed. He had already figured out half the personalities of the three oddballs before him.

The twin siblings were hard to please—especially Dar—and Asphalt seemed like a wise man with diverse talents and layered character.

"I still haven't agreed to join your team," Zane responded flatly.

"Oh, come on. What's there to think about? The twins are already in. What's keeping you?" Asphalt said with a knowing grin.

"Fine. I'll join the team. But everything I hunt and find will be mine." Zane said sternly.

Asphalt burst into laughter. "Like I said before, we all click. That's the rule of our team—finders keepers."

The twins also sat beside them in the front row.

After a few minutes, Zane asked, "What are we waiting for? The Titan Ruin is right ahead."

Asphalt grew serious and pointed toward a dozen wounded students nearby. "See them? Some lost their arms trying to force entry into the Ruin. We're here studying those letters carved on the pillars. People from the Super Families are decoding the Titan's scripture. It'll take them around two days to open the gate. So, we wait."

Now Zane clearly understood the situation. To decode the scriptures on the pillars... That's easy for me.

He muttered under his breath, "System, can you help me open a gate into this ruin?"

Ding!

[Yes. Host needs a temporary key to open the gate.]

"Good, good. Give me the key."

[Host needs to purchase the key with 10 Two-Star Stones.]

His smile vanished. "Ugh, that's too much. Can't you reduce the rent to half?"

[No. Not negotiable.]

Zane didn't like the idea of bleeding his wallet. After thinking for a bit, he came up with an idea.

"Asphalt, we don't need to wait two days. I think I can open the gate to the Ruin."

"What? You can open the gate?" Asphalt was stunned.

So were the twins.

They both blurted at the same time, "You can open the gate?"

Their voices were loud enough to attract attention.

Asphalt hissed, "Shhh! Quiet!"

But it was already too late.

Dozens of people echoed the same words, "He can open the gate?!"

Now, everyone knew.

Asphalt sighed, softly slapped his own forehead, and gave a wry smile.

He was indeed a wise man, and he asked meaningfully, "Judging by that look on your face, there's still a catch, isn't there?"

Zane nodded with a forced smile.

"Alright," Asphalt said, "spill it."

"I need twenty Two-Star Stones to open a family chest. There's a key inside it—one that can unlock the gate to this ruin," Zane said, crafting his story on the fly.

"Easy peasy," Asphalt replied without hesitation. He turned to the twin siblings and called out, "Dar, Har, can I borrow twenty Two-Star Stones? I'll pay you back double."

Dar, the sister, gave him a sharp look. "Are you sure about this?"

Asphalt met her gaze with calm confidence and replied, "I've never lied to you. I'll pay you back double—just lend them to me."