[{"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-287":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},759577,1006,"Chapter 287 : Treatment (6)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-287",287,"\u003Cp>“The scenery is killer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way to the place where Rangban had left his secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan muttered as he looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Penia nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right? The Eastern Kingdom’s scenery is beautiful overall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, thank you so much for the compliment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps pleased by the praise, the fox-eared girl who was guiding them swayed her fluffy tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A proud smile appeared on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I always get sentimental when I see scenery like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan joked as he brushed his hair back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it more like you're acting on instinct rather than sentiment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia shot back without missing a beat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What makes you say that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at you. You're already getting all flirty—your instincts are clearly overactive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I used to not be like this, but lately it feels like people are treating me worse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Of course they are, considering your behavior has become excessively predictable. Honestly, it's kind of pathetic.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Evan looked flustered, Basiliora chimed in without missing the opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut it, you pet snake head.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Tsk tsk. Even when presented with the cause, you refuse to face it. You’re the textbook definition of a foolish human.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the three of them got caught up in their spirited bickering, Radan calmly watched on, clearly used to it by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon turned his gaze from the group toward the fox beastkin girl who was guiding the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t mind, may I ask you something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course you may. How could I refuse a request from His Majesty’s guests?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fox girl politely bowed her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing traditional clothing resembling a hanbok and swaying her fox tail, she looked very much like a gumiho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This might be a sensitive question, but I heard the Eastern Kingdom is not in a great situation right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Alon's careful words, the fox girl hesitated for a moment before smiling awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. You may have heard already, but the Eastern Kingdom is currently going through a very difficult time due to General Cheonga’s rebellion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cheonga… you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fox girl remained silent for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts, and then began explaining the situation in the Eastern Kingdom in detail to Alon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To summarize her words—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, General Cheonga staged a rebellion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, along with other generals, he has taken over the eastern region and continues the war.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon paused for a moment, recalling Historia’s face, and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard that Historia had been requested to help. If that’s the case, won’t the war end soon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon didn’t know the exact strength of the Eastern Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only speculate based on the DLC information, which suggested that the recommended entry point into the Eastern Kingdom was around the mid-to-late part of the storyline when the sins start appearing more actively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Historia was strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Possibly even much stronger than what Alon knew through Psychedelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even just glimpsing a fragment of her power was enough to understand her overwhelming strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As far as I know, Great Race is providing assistance, but even for such beings, I imagine it won’t be easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their forces are that powerful?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They have tens of thousands of soldiers, and the generals, including General Cheonga, have all reached the state of ‘Doknyeom.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Doknyeom…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, my apologies. I believe it’s called ‘Derivation’ in the West.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean Unique Abilities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow passed over the beastkin girl’s face as she nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And recently, I’ve heard that General Cheonga and the others have grown even stronger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Do you mean they’re giving off a dark aura?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, exactly. How did you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re facing the same issue on our side.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Images of the Eastern Kingdom’s current state began to form in Alon’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They were already in a tough spot because of the rebellion, and now it seems some fanatics have stolen Abyssal Beings and scattered them here. But where do those Abyssal Beings keep coming from?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Abyssal Beings were originally created by Duke Komalon, and according to Alon’s assumptions, the Apostle of Sloth who resumed their production had already been dealt with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, the Abyssal Beings continued to appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon sank further into thought—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see… In any case, if possible, I truly hope Great Race can help resolve this matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nodding in agreement with the fox girl’s heartfelt words, Alon shared her sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Alon was heading to the place Rangban had led him to, in the eastern part of the kingdom—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man in splendid attire, the king’s son and current acting ruler of the Eastern Kingdom, was speaking to another man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you send the letter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the arrangements?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They said they will definitely get it done. I heard they’ve already made extensive preparations to deal with Great Race.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you certain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They assured me not to worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Satisfied with the servant’s report, Birang nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anything else we need?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All internal personnel have been handled. We’ve secured everyone we can, so the only thing left is for you to ascend the throne tomorrow once everything is over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang responded to the servant’s flattery with a deeply satisfied smile and looked out the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive palace came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After staring at it for a while, he muttered quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If only Father had just handed the throne over to me peacefully…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason Birang had joined hands with the rebellious General Cheonga—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because of his father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, because he realized that King Urang, the current ruler of the Eastern Kingdom, intended to name the second prince as his heir rather than Birang, the first prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth was that this decision wasn’t due to favoritism, but rather because Birang himself was wholly unfit to lead the Eastern Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shortcomings were obvious to everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Birang alone refused to acknowledge that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing he accepted was this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That he must depose the current king and claim the throne as his rightful inheritance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, he would rule as king.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To do that, allying with the great general was Birang’s best opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So while the general caused chaos externally—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang plotted rebellion from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as of yesterday, all preparations were complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The appearance of Great Race was unexpected, but…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang decided not to concern himself with such beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the general he knew was as capable as he remembered, then dealing with some old fox shouldn’t be difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even aside from that, there were still variables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, just yesterday, guests of the king had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Of all times…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang’s brow furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even received help from ‘that person’ to block the sea route, and yet they still forced their way through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unexpected intruders brought him nothing but discomfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He soon took a deep breath and calmed his restless mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never believed that a plan like this could be undone by just a few outsiders in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I look forward to tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sly smile on his face, Birang imagined the day when a grand cause would rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this the place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was in the late afternoon, with the sun slowly sinking to one side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon had arrived at a mysterious location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though, visually, there was nothing particularly special about the scenery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four towering sarasu trees stood at the center of the landscape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the middle of the space was a staircase leading underground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Alon felt an eerie sense of familiarity with the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange, déjà vu-like sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that, he paused and watched for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, I’ll head down now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll be waiting, brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon moved forward alone, leaving the group behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The king had specifically instructed that he must go down by himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—thud—thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of his footsteps on the underground stairs echoed through the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his footsteps accumulated, the light from the surface slowly faded, and darkness consumed his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, just as the echoes of his steps began to scatter—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon found himself staring blankly at the underground chamber that had appeared before his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because the underground chamber was massive beyond belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon felt a strange sense of dissonance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a completely natural reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had come down a staircase, yes—but not one so deep that he would need to look up just to see where he came from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At most, he had only descended about twenty steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…The ceiling wasn’t visible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ceiling of the underground chamber was so high it couldn’t be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It defied spatial logic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alon didn’t bother cross-checking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he cautiously stepped further into the massive underground chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chamber was bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, it should’ve been filled with pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it was so brightly lit that Alon could see the surroundings clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he continued walking inward, he began to understand why the chamber was so bright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lotuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unusual lotuses were floating in a pond within the chamber, glowing with light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center of that pond stood a pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dreamlike and mystical scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, mesmerized, climbed onto the bridge that led to the pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as he arrived—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint light leaked from within his robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly reached inside to check the light’s source.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the white magatama he had received from the king, glowing with white light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his eyes and looked toward the pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its center, he found a slot shaped perfectly to fit the magatama.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As though it belonged there from the beginning, the magatama fit precisely into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon let out a quiet sound of amazement, but only briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lotuses that had been glowing gently were suddenly swept toward the pavilion by a gust of wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With perfect coordination, the fluttering lotuses began to converge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, they had taken on the form of a human being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled by the sudden transformation, Alon's eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed his eyes carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure was clearly in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t “recognize” it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like when he had faced Yongrin before becoming divine— even though the figure stood before him, he couldn’t comprehend who or what it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, maybe, but not now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon possessed many divine authorities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could even control a few of them properly now, and in Yongrin’s case, he could perceive her quite clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, Alon’s level had risen significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, he couldn’t see this being clearly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tension built within Alon without him realizing as he gazed ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I've been waiting, mage—or rather,]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A noble voice echoed in his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Star-Eater.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice that called his name.\u003C\u002Fp>",1806,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","7718cf7524a594f682f361350727ec7c8e5e5ba4684ffc222fb9535cfe77415a","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-288","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-286",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]