[{"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-239":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},759729,1006,"Chapter 239","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-239",239,"\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you finally coming to your senses?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia stepped forward to stand in front of Seolrang, who was groaning in pain as she rolled on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang, a mess, covered in cuts and bruises all over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike her, Yutia showed no signs of having taken any hits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang opened her mouth with a still-hostile gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Master is pitiful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Covered in dirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tear-filled eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice slipping through clenched teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Seolrang’s trembling words, Yutia’s expression hardened again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her index finger twitched without her realizing it,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that moment, Yutia’s eyes filled with a heavy killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…‘You’re a good person.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a voice echoed in her head, and the killing intent subsided once more into the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her twitching index finger curled back in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia let out a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t provoke me like that, Seolrang. It’s not like I don’t get angry too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why do you seem so calm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because my anger is aimed elsewhere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Else, where?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. I need to unleash my rage not on you, but on them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia stepped closer to the shaky-looking Seolrang and whispered something quietly into her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing everything, Seolrang said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’ll be back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned around immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike her weakened body, her face was filled with uncontainable fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took a few steps forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Seolrang turned back to Yutia again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as confusion began to form on Yutia’s face—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squeeze—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sorry, Yutia…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was just… too angry… I thought you didn’t care about Master… so I got mad—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang rushed in and tightly embraced Yutia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a child clinging on, she stammered as she apologized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia smiled, slowly raised her hand,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s okay, Seolrang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gently stroked Seolrang’s head for a while,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand your feelings completely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Seolrang vanish in an instant, leaving behind a small laugh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I truly understand…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia murmured,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Because I felt the same way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked up at the Milky Way illuminating the dark moonlit night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>###\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mood among the soldiers had become unsettled after the Union collapsed, but after passing Dalma, it sank into total gloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hope that they had survived that hellish place had kept their morale from dropping too low until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the brutal scene they witnessed in Dalma showed them a chilling dose of reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the camp where everyone except a minimal watch was asleep, preparing for the next day’s march—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, trying to clear his mind which was a bit more cluttered than usual, spotted Ryanga walking alone toward the forest in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rose from his seat and followed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Chief?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was the forest, oddly, there were no trees in that spot, and faint moonlight seeped through the gray sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, staring blankly at the sky, Ryanga spoke without turning around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon hesitated for a moment but soon stepped beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why are you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face, usually so lively, was now devoid of energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga’s eyes, as she looked at Alon, were clearly filled with deep sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if she had lost something incredibly precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Alon said nothing, she forced a fragile smile and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you come because you’re worried? Afraid I might do something like before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon recalled what happened earlier in Dalma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing the bodies of her parents, and even the villagers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga tried to end her life right there with a nearby blade, unable to believe what she saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if she had no will to live anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon glanced down at her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga’s left hand was wrapped in bandages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he gave a small nod in response, Ryanga, who had been silent, finally spoke in a weak voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief, can I ask you something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why do you care about me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga lowered her head and looked at her own hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest, I don’t understand. I mean… I’m totally useless, aren’t I? I can’t do anything. I’m just a kid who happens to be a bit strong, and I only cause trouble… I’m really no help at all…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice trailed off into a barely audible question—why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon was conflicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Objectively speaking, Ryanga wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, her presence was of no help at the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Answering her question would have been simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did he consistently show concern for a girl who was of no help?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew she would become the leader of the Hundred Ghosts in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew that wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Alon thought long and hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sensed instinctively that this answer was incredibly important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated, carefully choosing his words again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he realized that Ryanga had thrown herself into his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being shorter than him, she gripped his pants and buried her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re a good person, Chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said that and just held tightly onto his thigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Can you grant me one request?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Help me… kill Baarma.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spoke slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you help me… I’ll give you everything I have.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon looked down at Ryanga.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With her face buried in his thigh, he couldn’t see her expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, he could feel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Ryanga’s words were completely sincere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was unlike anything before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t trembling with anxiety like the first time she made a request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t full of tears either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor was it a voice consumed by panic or rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga’s voice was simply calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was so calm, it gave him chills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why, after a long silence, Alon finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave Ryanga the answer she wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t add anything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t say her offer wasn’t necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He offered no consolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply responded with the same calmness she had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew what she needed now wasn’t comfort, but a comrade willing to walk into hell with her, even if it meant staking everything on a contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, truly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga’s voice came again, near Alon’s ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her calm tone had begun to tremble slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thigh was slowly becoming wet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon instinctively moved his lips several times, trying to say something comforting, but stopped himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew well that meaningless consolation had no power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, Alon simply patted Ryanga’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the faint moonlight, a quiet sobbing sound flowed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>###\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days passed after that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga was slowly beginning to return to her old self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the innocent childlike brightness she once had was gone, but she was gradually regaining her energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want some sweet potatoes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just wait a sec!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a little strange that this only happened when Alon was around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he watched Ryanga run off in the distance, Alon suddenly remembered that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning after they made their pact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga hadn’t been seen for a while and only returned by lunchtime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horns on her head, once barely noticeable, had grown longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body reeked of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he saw her, Alon realized what she had done the night before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood why the horns on her head had grown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why her body smelled so strongly of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no choice but to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had met the Queen of the Hundred Ghosts several times in Psychedelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How she obtained her power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alon didn’t say a word to Ryanga.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t want to comment on her choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew—It’s almost ready now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Alon was still watching Ryanga from afar,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia approached him and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon nodded and followed her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick fortress walls came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were still quite far away, so it was hard to gather any information beyond their presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as Penia had said, Alon’s group had managed to reach the Union base exactly on the sixth day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good thing nothing went wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia, sighing as if her life had been spared, suddenly clapped her hands as if she remembered something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come to think of it, Lord Marquess, there was something I wanted to tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s about the spell technique.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spell technique?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded and showed him the book in her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I finished reading it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Didn’t you say it was hard to read because you barely recognized the characters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After a bit of study, I managed to get the gist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was reminded again of how much of a genius Penia was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was there anything useful in it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm—This book doesn’t go into deep detail; it only gives a general understanding of spell techniques, so it doesn’t seem to contain any truly critical info. But I found one point interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For example, it said that every mage contains the potential to become a god.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The potential to become a god?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon repeated, and Penia nodded, beginning to explain what she had read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon listened carefully to her explanation for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not sure if my interpretation is accurate, but that’s the general idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, to become a mage, you first have to become a god…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if the spell technique isn’t passed down from a predecessor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She added briefly that it was only written in the book and hadn’t been cross-verified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as if she remembered something, Penia called out to Alon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, by the way, Lord Marquess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This might be a bit off-topic, but—how’s your divinity?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My divinity?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I was wondering if it’s been recovering well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her words, Alon momentarily examined his inner self to check the divine nature of Kalannon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the other divinities that remained unchanged, Kalannon’s divinity was still steadily recovering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, more than that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s recovering… faster than before?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon opened his eyes with a strange expression at the clearly quicker rate of recovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s still recovering. But why do you ask?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because it’s a little strange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s the past, but it’s recovering?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right? If this really is the past, then your divinity shouldn’t be able to recover at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Unless time and space are somehow connected?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we were inside the Strange Gate, that assumption might make sense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But this place isn’t unstable—it’s a fixed point in time and space.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, we should just be thankful that you can use your divinity and make the most of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, furrowing her brow, Penia began muttering to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Could time  and space really be connected? But if that’s true, then—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before anyone noticed, she had already fallen into her own world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>###\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somewhere far away, deep in the jungle, inside a massive temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting on a stone throne, carved in an unmistakably ancient style, was a woman revered by a tribe—no, a small nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman holding a blue-glowing spear in one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an indifferent expression, she stood tall above her people who bowed repeatedly in devotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inside, her thoughts were the opposite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite her detached, meaningless gaze, her mind was in turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where the hell is my divinity going…???’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had never used it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The divinity she had been saving solely to ascend as a higher god was disappearing without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The amount and speed of gathered faith remained the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet not only was it leaking without her realizing,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the faith she had painstakingly collected was vanishing endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Why the hell?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman—no,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘My divinity… give it back……’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one called “Kalannon, the lightning receiver,” wore a pained expression behind her cold, composed face.\u003C\u002Fp>",1934,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.413Z",1,"novelbin.me","fc90e1f3401b22dc9b11d3a72ac8ffd8288b1047b12b9fd5cc00f3d278ed5bf6","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-240","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-238",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]