[{"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-176":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},759466,1006,"Chapter 176","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-176",176,"\u003Cp>The Apostle of Greed looked at the man with an unreadable gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the blue moon behind him, he wore a genial smile and stared at Emil with bright blue eyes, as luminous as the moon itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splat~!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood burst from Emil’s lips, trickling down her throat and pooling on the blade that had pierced through her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, drops of crimson blood pattered onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who… are you…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing her impending death, Emil asked, her pale face now void of its former smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, in stark contrast to Emil’s grave expression, the man’s smile remained unshaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does that matter right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it obvious?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if unwilling to reveal her loss of composure, Emil’s voice remained calm, even as her face stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man nonchalantly tossed back a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shouldn’t I at least know the name of the person who killed me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Killed? Oh, no way~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… are you going to spare me at this point?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, there’s no need for that. After all—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shluk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll just come back to life, won’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At those words, Emil’s expression hardened even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had somewhat expected it when he drove his blade into her back, but now, his words confirmed her suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew about her reincarnation magic—a secret known only to the Apostles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mind whirred frantically, trying to piece everything together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who among the Apostles had leaked the secret of reincarnation magic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And more importantly, just how much did this man know? How precise was his knowledge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her thoughts were cut short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ack—! Haaah—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if punishing her silence, the man drove his sword even deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She coughed up another mouthful of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drip, drip~!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crimson droplets splattered onto his pants like disordered raindrops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, the man’s face remained eerily serene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to worry too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know where your next reincarnation will take place, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emil clenched her teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t believe him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he truly didn’t know, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to reassure her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of unease crossed Emil’s face as she lifted her gaze to him with great effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was still smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in this blood-soaked scene, he remained unchanged, standing against the backdrop of the blue moon with his ever-pleasant smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as if extending a hand of salvation to a dying soul, he reached out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I came here to give you a warning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… A… warning?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gently stroked her cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A warning about what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment, his eyes flashed coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do not touch Marquis Palatio.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said it clearly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shluk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgh—ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do not touch Marquis Palatio. Of course, I know he isn’t someone your people can take down easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you see, people are strange creatures.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch~!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They tend to worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eliban chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head, an expression completely unfitting for the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Approaching the brink of death, Emil felt an inexplicable sense of dissonance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bizarre, unsettling familiarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if she had seen this man somewhere before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somewhere profoundly uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, that’s why I came to tell you. It may sound cold, but I honestly don’t care what you and your people do. You can pursue whatever goals you wish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emil kept retracing her thoughts, trying to pinpoint the source of this unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if she were being consumed by the thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you must never target Marquis Palatio. That man must never fall—at least, not now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as death loomed over her, the question echoed endlessly in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember my words, Apostle of Greed—no, Emil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She realized it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The identity of the unsettling familiarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t want your greed to lead you to eternal slumber, you’d better heed my warning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where she had seen the eyes of the man who now held her weakness in his grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Never lay a hand on him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was from deep beneath the roots—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far below even themselves—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Nebula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emil’s thoughts could go no further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world went black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she realized the source of her unease, her head had already twisted around twice, her neck snapped, and her life extinguished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Eliban—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if his smile had never existed, he erased it like a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a word, he turned away and walked off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days after leaving Lartania.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmm, I’m exhausted.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? Did you tire yourself out from being so adorably insignificant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Human, if you utter one more word, I swear I will tear you apart.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grrrrr—! If only I could manifest physically, you—!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you can’t, can you? What are you gonna do about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Kraaaaaaah!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For days now, Evan had been relentlessly teasing Basiliora as if he had found the perfect excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phrase “adorably insignificant” had triggered an unexpected ripple effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the two bicker, Alon quietly sighed to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During their time in Lartania, things had happened in rapid succession, leaving little room for contemplation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that he had time, there was too much to think about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And foremost in his mind was the vision he had seen when he met Kylrus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A world utterly destroyed—nothing left but desolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What nonsense are you spouting, brat? This is your mental world.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling Kylrus’s words, Alon tilted his head in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what he knew—and from what Kylrus had said—a mental world typically reflected one’s inner self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus had also explained that a mental world always fell into one of two categories:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For mages, whose inner worlds were solidified through the reception of mental images and formulas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or for those without such training, where deeply ingrained memories shaped the landscape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, of course, could wield Runes, but he had never received an imprint nor possessed any kind of magical formula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That left only one possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deeply ingrained memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would mean the devastated world had emerged from his own memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alon couldn’t comprehend this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had lived in this world for over a decade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had, for all intents and purposes, become a part of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, technically speaking, he was not originally from this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no memory of ever seeing such a ruined world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be a memory from the original Alon Palatio?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That, too, seemed virtually impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, when he became Alon, the body was still young—not even past his coming-of-age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And such a catastrophic sight was not something a noble youth would have ever witnessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memory of that ruined world didn’t belong to the original Alon either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then that leaves only one possibility… I simply don’t remember it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A forgotten memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon unconsciously stroked his chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he ever visited a place that resembled that world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much he thought about it, there was no such place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closest he could imagine was the North.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even that didn’t fit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lifeless wasteland and a world where life had been wiped out were fundamentally different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pondering for a while, he absentmindedly toyed with ‘Footsteps of the Past’ inside his coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘By the time we reach Colony, I should be able to enter again. I’ll ask more questions then.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After organizing his thoughts, Alon reached out and stroked Blackie, the little creature that had wriggled out of his chest pocket and was now purring against his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the height of summer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About a month later—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teyra arrived at the royal castle under orders from Carmaxes III.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And soon, he heard the name of the person suspected to be a Sage God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis Palatio, is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. When he arrives, confirm it for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he responded obediently, his mind was full of questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly, Teyra had no idea why Carmaxes III suspected Marquis Palatio of being a Sage God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well… His achievements are remarkable, but…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as an archaeologist, Teyra knew about the Marquis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had dealt with Outer Gods and monsters alike, piling up achievements far beyond what was expected of a noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was famous across the entire continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even considering all that, Teyra thought the king’s suspicion was misplaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Carmaxes III must have had reasons unknown to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Teyra was certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already seen a Sage God before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Sage Gods were impossible to miss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Marquis Palatio were truly a Sage God, he had no reason to hide it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well… I suppose there could be a reason to conceal his identity, but—’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if that were the case, disguising himself as a noble made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Though, to be honest, he didn’t fully understand why a Sage God would even bother with disguises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doors to the audience chamber opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man stepped in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draped in a dark coat, he showed no change in expression even before the king.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So that’s Marquis Palatio.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teyra was momentarily awestruck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen the man from a distance before, but meeting him up close—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something strangely compelling about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something difficult to describe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A presence unlike anything he had ever encountered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the Marquis in a daze—until—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How have you been, Marquis Palatio?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have been well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmaxes III’s voice snapped him back to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to act now—discreetly, just as ordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two men exchanged pleasantries, Teyra quietly gathered his mana and channeled it into the artifact hidden in his coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blue orb-like artifact he had acquired from an ancient jungle ruin ten years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its function was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It manifested the target’s power as a visible image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, he had used it on a Sage God in the Lizardman territory—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And had seen how divine power materialized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If Marquis Palatio really is a god, then a chained sphere should appear in front of him. If not, it’ll just be a plain sphere.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know why it manifested that way, but every Sage God he had encountered had exhibited the same result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the artifact activated, Teyra turned his gaze toward the Marquis without much expectation—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, his eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This… this is… impossible…!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, just like before, an orb had appeared in front of the Marquis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sphere wrapped in chains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teyra’s reaction wasn’t just wide eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite Carmaxes III’s orders to remain discreet, his jaw dropped open involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for good reason—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Marquis Palatio—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There weren’t just one, but four orbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Sage God had only ever possessed a single one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, in front of him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were four.\u003C\u002Fp>",1768,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","ecb02b7bafcaf57c2671b5b4e1d2944411e9af9be2171e276f97886dfbbfb3cc","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-177","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-175",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]