[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-became-the-patron-of-villains":3,"chapter-became-the-patron-of-villains-became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-172":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Became the Patron of Villains",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},759462,1006,"Chapter 172","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-172",172,"\u003Cp>“Ahaha— Is that really something to be so surprised about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emil…!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine’s eyes widened in disbelief. The Apostle of Greed let out a laugh, as if enjoying her reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her attitude was as if she were greeting an old friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan, who had been wearing a lighthearted expression just moments ago, immediately drew his sword at Rine’s unusual reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he had not yet reached the level of a Master, he instinctively knew how dangerous the sudden visitor before him was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the moment when his tension reached its peak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgh~!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp pain struck the back of Evan’s head, causing his body to tilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing that the one who had struck his neck was Rine’s golden crown, Evan’s face filled with confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry. But this is the best option.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Rine’s voice fading into the distance, Evan lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my, how clever. Or is it for another reason?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Apostle of Greed’s sneer, Rine glared fiercely at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Rine used the golden crown to move Evan to the opposite side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you so angry? I don’t think our relationship was that bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you really think that’s something to say right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. Who do you think first taught you how to use the ‘Library’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that word, Rine’s body flinched slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never needed something like that…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you really think so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emil chuckled leisurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine’s expression twisted in irritation, her lips tightening as if there was no longer a need for conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>፡፡\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, golden eyes, unseen just moments ago, revealed themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden crowns shot toward Emil, scraping fiercely against the surrounding pillars and marble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speed was blinding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm— I did read up on this information beforehand, but you really carry around some interesting things, Rine. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s from the Ilaneph Empire?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden crowns, which should have riddled the Apostle’s body with holes, stopped powerlessly the moment they reached her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sinister energy spread from the Apostle, and branches materialized in midair, blocking the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine’s brows furrowed even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Emil, the Apostle of Greed, simply smirked and casually twitched her fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the very branches that had blocked the golden crown now crept along its surface like vines, beginning to invade it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine quickly retrieved the golden crown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a shame.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite her words, Emil’s voice carried no genuine disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if she were merely indulging Rine, she made no move to launch a counterattack, only responding to the attacks as they came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as confusion swirled within Rine over Emil’s sudden appearance, she focused on finding a way to break through the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What should I do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this weren’t an underground space but out in the open, she might have been confused, but not anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, she could use Pluto without restriction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, she wasn’t sure she could guarantee victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were ten years ago, perhaps, but now—she fully understood just who the person before her was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was underground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A space too small to properly use Pluto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she was willing to risk the collapse of the underground chamber, she might be able to attempt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the cave collapsed, Rine was confident she could survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon and Evan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she wasn’t careful, Alon and Evan could get caught in the destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine racked her brain, desperately searching for a way to overcome the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Apostle of Greed merely watched Rine with a relaxed expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if she were curious to see what decision Rine would make.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, in the ashen world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Answer me, mage. I asked if you were the one who called me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sheer coldness in Kylrus’s gaze, Alon gathered his thoughts and answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……………It’s true that I called you, but I have no idea where this place is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus furrowed his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if attempting to discern the truth, he stared intently at Alon before suddenly extending his index finger and drawing a straight line in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble~!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue magic that flowed from his hand was different from what had been used in the labyrinth, slicing through the air before dissipating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Kylrus let out a sigh, his face tinged with disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What nonsense are you spouting, mage? There’s no way you don’t know this place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……You really don’t know anything, do you? Just how did you manage to pull off something so absurd with such a lack of knowledge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll explain it only once, so listen carefully, brat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, he instantly downgraded Alon from a mage to a mere rookie of the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place is a realm of the mind, separate from the world you live in. Every person who has achieved a great deed carries their own unique world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… is this your realm of the mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon thought his reasoning was quite plausible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the story of the Golden Dragon, Lanisius, he knew that the mage before him had fought against the Black Ones, regardless of what his final fate had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then, could this be a manifestation of the world after his battle with the Black Ones?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon silently observed the ruined world around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just looking at this devastated landscape was enough to remind him of the Black Ones’ true danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…The world from a thousand years ago is far worse than what I saw in the game.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ‘Psychedelia’, the Black Ones inflicted great damage on the continent, but they were ultimately stopped by Eliban and other powerful figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that, the situation had never escalated to this extent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, in a world where the Black Ones had not been stopped, the result was utter destruction—complete and absolute ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Alon, who usually remained indifferent, was momentarily stunned by the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus let out a hollow laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What nonsense are you spouting, brat? This realm of the mind—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His next words were even more shocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon’s mouth fell open, unable to process the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My… realm of the mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I, who have lost everything, have no reason to possess a realm of the mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus scrutinized him with a look that suggested Alon didn’t even understand something as basic as that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, after casually glancing around, he shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, brat, this is your realm of the mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Are you saying this is really the same kind of realm of the mind I know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Though in your case, you lack any formulaic constructs, so it’s merely being shaped by your strongest memories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus’s words made Alon swallow his confusion and try to gather his thoughts—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could do so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, brat. Why did you summon me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden question halted his train of thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief silence, he answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I had something to ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something to ask, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus stared at Alon for a moment before saying—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak. Keep it concise. You did manage to defeat me, so I’ll at least grant you that much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved slowly and sat atop a pile of rubble. His words urged Alon to speak, though Alon hesitated, as there were many things he wanted to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After deliberating for a moment, Alon finally asked his first question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I heard it from the Golden Dragon, Lanisius. That you were originally a mage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus’s expression turned strange at those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You met the Golden Dragon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, he’s still alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Alon nodded, Kylrus relaxed his previously furrowed brow and let out a small sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That’s a relief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A whisper so quiet that even Alon barely caught it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon briefly considered telling him how Lanisius had survived, but before he could make that decision—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, whatever, brat. What you really want to know is why a mage like me ended up as an Outer God, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus asked, and Alon nodded in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s simple—revenge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Revenge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer came swiftly, without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I abandoned everything to become a goblin so that I could take revenge against the Black Ones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is that even possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. It’s impossible—under normal circumstances.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus’s brow furrowed as if recalling the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In my battle against the Black Ones, I lost everything. My comrades, my friends, all of them. The only things left around me were corpses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, too, was barely clinging to life, waiting for a death that wasn’t far off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I didn’t want to die. I wanted revenge on the Black Ones who had killed my comrades and friends. I wanted to annihilate them with my own hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A peculiar glint flickered in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I searched for a way to survive. I forced my shattered mana core beyond its limits to barely keep myself alive and think. And at that moment, the goblins appeared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression, however, remained unnervingly calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hundreds, perhaps thousands of goblins who had burrowed underground, cowering from the presence of the Black Ones, emerged—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And they feasted on the corpses of my comrades.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus’s eyes burned as if he were witnessing that moment all over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was then that Alon finally understood the strange light in his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A mage’s hand—the same hand that had exchanged jokes just the day before—was mercilessly chewed to pieces in a goblin’s mouth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A mage’s head—the same head that had worried for his disciple just the day before—became nothing more than a plaything for the goblins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A young mage’s body—the same body that had envisioned a future just the day before—was ground into mincemeat and fed to young goblins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was ‘rage’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet, emotionless rage that only burned all the fiercer for its stillness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In that moment, as I watched those goblins devouring my comrades’ corpses, I found my way to survival.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next words came from Alon’s own lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The goblins’ god.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if affirming that deduction, Kylrus continued his tale with eerie composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I squeezed out the last dregs of my mana and transformed into a goblin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I slaughtered goblins with my broken mana core to instill fear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I seized my comrades’ corpses before the goblins could devour them—only to then grant them back, earning their worship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I degraded my fallen comrades into mere chunks of meat—offering them up to the ravenous goblins, stuffing them down their insatiable throats to secure their reverence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, the puzzle pieces clicked together in Alon’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why Kylrus, once a mage, now bore the appearance of a goblin as an Outer God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why he could no longer use the Death Shadow Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My realm of the mind, my magic, my honor, my dignity, my comrades—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I abandoned everything,” Kylrus said, but then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice wavered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face twisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And I became the Outer God, Kylrus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, Alon understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where Kylrus’s strange, simmering rage was truly directed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t toward the Black Ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t toward the goblins, either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the reason I still exist in this world as an Outer God.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— ‘Self-hatred’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rage wasn’t for his enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was for himself—the one who had survived in disgrace, the one who had clung to life in the most wretched, grotesque way possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep, unrelenting self-loathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon could find no words to say.\u003C\u002Fp>",1913,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","2b5ff77eb6cc3935150a290ee8c1e983767734f547e7a02aa551f139f9db930a","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-173","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-171",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]