My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System

Dar thought carefully. In the end, she knew Zane was right. He had done most of the work—and most importantly, if she had to choose between trusting Zane or Asphalt, it wasn't even a debate.

"I agree," Dar said softly. "You have my vote."

Zane turned to Asphalt. "That's three out of four. So I'm keeping them."

Asphalt looked at Zane with a serious expression but said nothing.

Zane pressed, "If you want my trust—and want me as your friend—then show it. This is just a bit of wealth. Why is it so hard to give a little trust in return?"

A moment passed in silence.

Then Asphalt suddenly burst into laughter. "Alright, alright. I trust you."

Then he gestured toward the waiting crowd. "But look at them—they're anxious. Let's call out their names and let them enter the gate."

"Agreed," Zane smiled.

The four of them began calling out names, letting students enter the Ruin.

Every time a name was called, Zane would neatly store that student's M.O.U. in his silver pouch.

The students wore polite, friendly smiles as they passed by the four gatekeepers. But the moment they crossed the gate and got far enough away from the 2-star boar, their expressions twisted into something ugly—hate and disgust flashing across their faces.

Zane noticed the glares, as did the others. But none of them gave a hoot.

Zane only chuckled from time to time, amused.

As the four continued their roll call, letting in four students at a time, the group of 300 senior third-year students and 150 teachers finally arrived at the scene. They were there as a precaution—to protect the freshers in case something unexpected happened in the Ruin.

However, they didn't intervene or approach the freshers. It was against the rules for them to interfere with the tournament.

Still, the sight before them was... strange.

Four students and a 2-star boar seemed to be controlling the entire gate.

The teachers and seniors grew curious. They started asking around, trying to understand what exactly was going on before their arrival.

A senior went and fetched one of the freshers from the back of the line.

He brought the boy forward.

"Boy, what's going on here?" asked Ronaldo Goswamy, one of the teachers. "Who are those four, and what are they doing—calling names and letting others enter the Ruin?"

The fresher bowed respectfully. "Sirs, I'm Guha, from Silicy County in the West."

Then he began explaining everything, starting from the moment the students first arrived at the Ruin's stone pillars.

"Ten students lost an arm trying to force their way through the gate. That's when we realized the entrance was locked behind some kind of ancient mechanism. There were murals and symbols all over the pillars. We figured the only way to open it safely was to decipher them.

Some of the scholars from the Super-families and Noble Houses claimed they could break the code—said it would take about three days. Then that hateful Zane Carter appeared."

Guha pointed directly at Zane.

Even the teachers and senior students frowned. They already knew of Zane—and more importantly, they knew who his father was. Their dislike of Zorro Carter was no myth, and Zane was suffering from the weight of that name.

"So what happened next?" asked Ronaldo, eyes narrowing. "Did he decipher and break the code?"

"No," Guha replied. "Quite the opposite. He just… pulled out a golden key and opened the gate like it was nothing."

"Good for him," Ronaldo muttered. "Then what are they still doing there, standing in the way like gatekeepers?"

"They're not just gatekeeping, sir," Guha said bitterly. "They're extorting us. Everyone."

"What?!" one of the senior students barked. "They dare extort their own classmates? What scum. That kid really is his father's son! Teacher, give me permission—I'll teach him a lesson myself!"

Guha smirked inwardly. This was the reaction he had hoped for.

But Teacher Ronaldo didn't seem fully convinced. His eyes narrowed. Something about this seemed too deliberate.

"Guha," Ronaldo said sharply. "I know what you're trying to do. Stop twisting it. Tell us everything, and don't leave out a single detail."

The authority in Ronaldo's voice hit like a slap. Guha suddenly felt cold sweat run down his back. He realized that pressing this further could land him in real trouble.

"Yes, sir," he muttered, bowing again.

This time, he gave a full and accurate account—from how Zane used the heirloom key to open the gate, to how Asphalt cleverly set up a system of "donations" to pass through, and finally to the bait-and-hook of offering loan applications through their newly named People's Bank.

He even described how the crowd, pressured by the time limit and rankings, had no choice but to sign the M.O.U.s.

When he finished, the silence among the teachers and seniors was thick with outrage.

"That's not just extortion," one senior said, shaking his head. "That's leeching off the future efforts of every student here. These four aren't clever—they're hooligans. I'll go grab those M.O.U.s myself!"

Several others agreed and were about to follow him.

But Ronaldo raised a hand. "Halt! No one is going anywhere."

The seniors froze.

"No one here is allowed to interfere," Ronaldo continued. "This is their tournament. Our role is strictly to observe and ensure safety. If there's any breach of law or conduct, they'll be held accountable—after the trials."

"You're too kind, sir!" a female senior muttered bitterly.

"Quiet," Ronaldo snapped. Then he turned to Guha. "You, go on. Good luck with your rank."

Guha bowed quickly and scampered off, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Ugh… I'm not smart enough to manipulate those teachers," he muttered to himself as he walked away. "If I pushed harder, they would've beaten me black and blue. Note to self—no more running my mouth next time."

Meanwhile, Zane and his team continued calling names. After two hours, the last group of four students rushed through the Titan Ruin's gate.

Their job was done—for now.