### **Chapter 5: The Chains of Character Lock**


    Leon stumbled into the infirmary, every step feeling like he was dragging the weight of the entire academy’s misunderstandings behind him. Blood caked his uniform, his ribs ached from Adam’s so-called *divine punishment*, and to top it all off, his so-called **Sympathy Bait** skill had activated at the worst possible moment—turning him into a tragic antihero in the eyes of the crowd.


    And now, to make things even worse—


    **[System Notification: New skill activated—<Character Lock>!]**


    **[System: Congratulations, my dear disposable temp! You’ve been promoted! You are no longer a forgettable background villain. Now, you are a *permanent* villain! Isn’t that great?]**


    Leon froze. “...What.”


    **[System: You see, you were originally an unfinished character. A scrapped idea, a piece of garbage left in the coding dumpster. But thanks to your *excellent* performance in the main events, you’ve now been classified as an essential villain! That means you’re no longer deletable! Woohoo! Except… you’re still trash, just slightly shinier trash.]**


    Leon clenched his fists. “You’re kidding. I didn’t even *do* anything!”


    **[System: Oh, but you did! You got involved in a major event, got the protagonist’s attention, and even made a heroine cry! That’s prime villain material! As a result, your free will has been slightly… adjusted. You must now act according to your role. Try to be nice? Oops—villainous lines only! Try to run away? Haha, you wish. You will *always* be at the center of trouble now. Enjoy your promotion! P.S. I am your one true system wife. Please rely on me, darling~]**


    Leon’s eye twitched.


    He barely had time to process this horrifying revelation before a soft voice called out to him.


    “Leon…”


    Sophia.


    She stood hesitantly at the door, her hands clenched against her chest. Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with guilt. She had been the only one to see him bleeding and struggling, and now, she looked ready to cry again.


    Leon gritted his teeth. *No. I can’t let her get involved any further.*


    He turned to her, but before he could even think of what to say—


    **[Character Lock Activated.]**


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    An unnatural chill ran down his spine. His mouth moved on its own.


    “Hah. What do you want, commoner? Come to pity me?”


    His own voice sounded foreign—cold, sharp, and mocking. Inside, Leon panicked. *Wait—NO! That’s not what I meant!*


    Sophia flinched. “I-I just wanted to—”


    **[Character Lock Adjusting Speech Pattern…]**


    “Spare me your crocodile tears,” Leon sneered, stepping closer, his villainous aura practically radiating off him like a final boss. “I don’t need your pathetic sympathy. I don’t need *you*.”


    Internally, Leon was screaming. *WHAT THE HELL AM I EVEN SAYING?!*


    Sophia’s eyes widened in shock, and for a brief moment, she looked like she wanted to protest. But then… she hesitated. A painful realization flickered in her gaze.


    “…I understand,” she whispered. “You don’t want me to be involved anymore.”


    She took a step back.


    “You think if I stay near you, I’ll just suffer more misunderstandings. You’re trying to push me away… so I won’t get hurt anymore.”


    Leon gasped internally. *SHE GETS IT?!*


    A spark of hope ignited in him—


    **[Character Lock Adjusting Scene…]**


    Leon suddenly scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk. “Tch. Don’t flatter yourself. I just can’t stand the sight of weaklings like you clinging onto me like a lost puppy.”


    Leon: *NOOOOOOOOOOOO!*


    Sophia flinched again, her expression pained. She took another step back. “I see… Then I won’t bother you anymore.”


    Leon clenched his fists, feeling his stomach twist into knots.


    Sophia turned away, biting her lip. “But… I won’t believe you.”


    She ran out of the room.


    The door slammed shut.


    Leon stood there, shaking.


    “…I’m going to kill this f***ing system.”


    **[System: Hehehe~ I love it when you struggle! Keep up the great work, my little villainous protagonist! ?]**


    Leon resisted the urge to punch a wall.


    Before he could even gather his thoughts, another presence entered the infirmary.


    Click.


    The sound of heels against the floor.


    A cold voice filled the room.


    “I see you’re still as pathetic as ever.”


    Leon stiffened.


    The temperature in the room seemed to drop. A powerful aura filled the air, drowning out the warmth like a blade pressed against his throat.


    He turned—


    A tall, elegant figure stood before him. Silver hair cascaded down her back, and piercing golden eyes gazed at him with a mix of contempt and indifference.


    The student council president.


    The perfect noble.


    His older sister.


    Selena von Edelweiss.


    “…Who are you?” Leon asked without thinking.


    Selena’s eyes darkened.


    Then, without hesitation—


    She slapped him across the face.


    Hard.


    The impact nearly sent him tumbling over the infirmary bed.


    Leon clutched his cheek in shock. “The f*** was that for?!”


    Selena crossed her arms. “You don’t even recognize your own sister? Have you finally lost all sense of shame, or are you just as brainless as I remember?”


    Leon blinked. *Sister?!*


    **[System: Ohohoho, surprise! Your beautiful, terrifying sister is here! And she absolutely loathes you! Isn’t this fun?]**


    Leon: *NO. NO, IT’S NOT.*


    Selena sneered. “Disgraceful. You’re not just an embarrassment to the Edelweiss family—you’re an insult to nobility itself.”


    Leon groaned. *Oh great. She’s one of THOSE types.*


    Selena flicked her hair back. “I heard about your little stunt in the cafeteria. Humiliating yourself in front of the academy, being beaten by Adam, and now making a girl cry? Tsk. You’ve truly reached new levels of incompetence.”


    Leon held up a hand. “Okay, first of all, I didn’t *make* her cry—”


    **[Character Lock Activated.]**


    Leon smirked cruelly. “Oh? Did it bother you, dear sister? Are you worried about the family reputation? How touching.”


    Leon: *OH COME ON!!!*


    Selena’s eye twitched. “Worried? Hardly. If it were up to me, I would have disowned you long ago.”


    Leon sighed. *Yep. We’re off to a great start.*


    Selena turned her back to him. “Regardless of how I feel, Mother has requested to see you.”


    Leon froze.


    “…Mother?”


    Selena’s voice was sharp. “Don’t misunderstand. It’s not because she cares. She simply has matters to discuss. Matters that even someone like you should take seriously.”


    Leon narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t seen his family in years. And now, suddenly, his *mother* wanted to meet him?


    Something wasn’t right.


    Selena gave him one last icy glare before turning toward the door.


    “I expect you to behave yourself. For once.”


    With that, she left.


    Leon sat there, rubbing his temples.


    His life had just gone from *bad* to *worse*.


    And somehow, he knew—


    This was only the beginning.