[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-am-i-the-villain-or-not":3,"chapter-am-i-the-villain-or-not-am-i-the-villain-or-not-chapter-72":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Am I the Villain or Not?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},571531,820,"Chapter 72: “Elden Ring”","am-i-the-villain-or-not-chapter-72",72,"\u003Cp>At the same time, within the entire royal palace, everyone who knew that the princess had been abducted was thrown into chaos like a pot of boiling porridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was guards or servants, all of them fell into panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confusion, doubt, despair, and anxiety filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was the princess? The princess had been abducted by Viktor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, they didn't even dare to report this news to the emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would dare tell the emperor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The princess had been taken away right under their eyelids. If the emperor got even a little angry, their heads might be separated from their bodies the next second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, they absolutely had to find the princess before the emperor learned of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how were they supposed to find her? Where were they supposed to look?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a teleportation spell from a Tier 4 mage, with an extremely large coverage range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor could appear in any corner of the capital, and even worse. He could have already taken the princess outside the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Aurelian's personal female guard seemed to have thought of something and quickly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Captain Gwen! She is Viktor's fiancée!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe she knows where Viktor is!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, this seemed to be the only possible solution left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She put on a black cloak and said to the group of panicked servants, \"Don't panic yet, keep this matter under control.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If even Captain Gwen doesn't know where Viktor is, then what should we do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the servants asked anxiously. A dim look flashed in the female guard's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then we immediately report this to His Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The princess must not meet with any accident.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>———\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Delin Mansion]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen stood at the door, looking blankly at the royal guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked, listening to the news brought by the royal guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Her Highness the Princess had been abducted by Viktor?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What trouble was Viktor causing again? Could he not feel comfortable if he didn't create some kind of incident every day?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The matter is urgent. We ask that Captain Gwen immediately set out to search for Viktor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the guard's request in front of her, Gwen also felt troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no idea where Viktor would take the princess, nor how she was supposed to look for Viktor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen was completely at a loss. Where was she supposed to find Viktor now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kefra, next to her, poked Gwen's waist with her finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen shivered all over and gave Kefra a rather resentful look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kefra, however, smiled cheerfully and said, \"Of course you can find Viktor. He left something for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen froze for a moment, then suddenly remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor really had left something for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hurriedly pulled out a golden piece of parchment from her waist, with faint traces of magic lingering on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was magic Viktor had left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had asked for a batch of refined steel and specifically left this parchment to inform her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This piece of parchment was able to locate his position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a wave of doubt arose in Gwen's heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What exactly is Viktor trying to do?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted to abduct the princess, why would he give her something in advance that could reveal his location?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it a slip-up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impossible. Viktor was definitely not someone that careless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the hesitation and confusion on Gwen's face, Kefra reminded her, \"Since you can find Viktor, then just bring more people with you, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen was puzzled, but Kefra spoke as if she already understood something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe Viktor intentionally wants others to go find him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>———\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, Aurelian had already walked through most of the path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way, she was once again ambushed by monsters. This time, there was one more flower-type monster than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Aurelian had become incomparably calm this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She calmly cast spells one after another, attacking the monsters at their weak points. Clusters of terrifying flames wiped out the monsters, leaving not even residue behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the monsters were already dead, she still felt a bit scared afterwards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just like bungee jumping clearly there were safety measures around, but the repeated tension of approaching death constantly provoked her nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this time, she would not lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second, several monsters reappeared and pounced toward Aurelian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She continuously released spells, consuming her mana again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Aurelian's astonishing talent, her mana barely decreased, and these ordinary treants were swept away by her in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her increasingly practiced weak-point attacks made handling these monsters much easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian panted lightly, her cheeks slightly flushed from fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking to the corpses, she didn't forget to pick up materials just like Viktor had done at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been walking this mountain path for almost two hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, she had \"died\" at least twenty times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time she approached death, Teacher Viktor's flames would spread to all the monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that also meant she had to start over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if the monsters were deliberately re-summoned. She repeatedly challenged this same path more than twenty times in a row.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could clearly feel her combat experience increasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless spell castings made her feel more and more skilled and relaxed. Even casting Tier 2 magic was no longer as difficult as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian continued moving forward. The forest grew denser and denser, and sunlight could no longer pass through the thick leaves, completely shut out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darkness gradually swallowed the remaining mountain path ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White mist slowly rose, covering the final stretch of the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her intuition told her that within that mist, there was danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if once she stepped in, it would be like falling into an abyss with no return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian stretched out her hand and touched the mist ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no abnormality, but she still gave herself a bit of encouragement. With a nervous heart, she stepped into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she entered the white mist, everything in front of her instantly became exceptionally clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before her was a wide, open field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surrounded tightly by dense trees, it looked like an intentionally cleared empty space, making it seem extremely strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian had barely stepped in when the path behind her was sealed by white mist. She was startled and hurriedly retreated a few steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter if she touched or patted it, the mist now felt like a solid wall, unmoving and unresponsive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was trapped here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very soon, rustling sounds came continuously from the forest, and the ground stopped being still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanied by a shocking tremor of the earth, a colossal creature broke through the intertwined roots underground and appeared before Aurelian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its entire body was wrapped in green leaves, vines, and fur, covering its face so its true appearance couldn't be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a pair of gloomy, red giant eyes glowed beneath the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strong, thunderous roar struck Aurelian's eardrums. The humid and suffocating smell also rushed into her nose, as if gripping the vitality of her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes widened. She could not believe the terrifying creature before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>———\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forest Ogre.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the lord-level boss at the end of Milut Path, one of the wild bosses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its respawn time was about once per week, and after its death, there was a chance for it to drop an item, [Ogre's Heart].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A material that could be used to craft equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor compared Aurelian's and the Forest Ogre's HP.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was only a level 20 Forest Ogre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not very strong, but because of its boss stats, thick HP and high defense, it was undoubtedly an enormous challenge for level-15 Aurelian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian stared at the monster in front of her. She felt its breathing like a huge drum being struck again and again, each heavy sound pounding on her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under its overwhelming pressure, she took a few steps back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she touched the wall of white mist, she realized that she now had no way out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'This… isn't this a bit too stimulating?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian, who had never had any close-combat experience, had no way to defeat it other than using magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But… would this thing really give her any chance to attack from long range with magic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A boss would never give people time to wait. The moment Aurelian hesitated, the Forest Ogre broke free of the vines and rushed toward her, dragging torn vines behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every step of its approach felt like it was venting its anger toward the intruder, as if it couldn't believe someone dared enter its territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just by raising its giant arm, its shadow completely enveloped Aurelian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A palm struck down, and in her slow reaction, Aurelian didn't even have time to respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could almost see her own death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as the Forest Ogre was about to hit her,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second, a white magic array gradually lit up across the entire forest, and the light swallowed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Aurelian opened her eyes again, she found herself standing where she originally was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Forest Ogre had also returned to its starting point, bound once again tightly by vines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian looked at her unharmed body, but in her memory, it felt as if she had already died once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She touched her neck, her head was still attached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the ground where she stood, a number had appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"1\".\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This recorded her failure, or rather…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Died once…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian raised her head to look at the monster again. Even the monster seemed confused as to why it was once again trapped in vines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn't care. All it needed to do was rush forward again and kill the fragile human in front of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian finally understood that she could no longer hesitate. She attempted her first counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn't use teleportation magic, but she still had a method to escape its lock-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, the black mist magic Viktor had her learn today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She built the formation with her hands, and because she had cast it several times before, she constructed it extremely smoothly and quickly this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Forest Ogre once again broke free of the vines and rushed toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before it could reach her, the overwhelming black mist instantly enveloped the ogre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ogre let out a sharp shriek and began wildly attacking the surrounding trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian knew the illusion spell had taken effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, she attempted to launch an attack from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless sparks flew toward the ogre, but the moment they touched it, the sparks were extinguished under the ogre's frenzied movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was due to thick leaves, the damp air, or the monster's massive body, Aurelian's attacks became extremely weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ogre was barely harmed, and instead, Aurelian's attack further enraged it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was extremely shocked. Her magic had absolutely no effect. She stared wide-eyed, frozen in place, not knowing what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could this...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could finish speaking, the ogre kicked up a huge dead tree from the forest and sent it flying toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Aurelian's vision went black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with the sign of death, after a white glow faded, she and the monster returned to the starting point again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint green light glowed over the Forest Ogre's body, that was healing magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelian glowed with blue light, her previously lost mana fully recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body also returned to its original state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if foreshadowing something, another mark was added to the number on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"2\".\u003C\u002Fp>",1924,"2026-05-30T15:48:18.711Z","2026-06-01T04:31:37.164Z",1,"novelbin.me","f37701d8d8023471a57a6bb55b94ee1018e18039b21598b37ffa88f18bfed93c","am-i-the-villain-or-not-chapter-73","am-i-the-villain-or-not-chapter-71",393,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fam-i-the-villain-or-not-cover.jpg"]