[{"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-288":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},759578,1006,"Chapter 288 : Treatment (7)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-288",288,"\u003Cp>Alon stared at the presence before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its form wasn’t clearly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was a man or a woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even whether it was an elder or a child—he couldn’t tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Alon’s eyes, it appeared only as noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Even when I first saw Yongrin, it wasn’t this bad.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he thought that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmm—?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A suspicious voice flowed from the being in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Alon raised the gaze he had lowered—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Interesting.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noisy figure looked at Alon and made that observation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……What do you mean by that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon asked back, but the noise didn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You truly know nothing.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You know nothing, and yet you’ve become one who devours stars by awakening resistance where there should be none.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It uttered incomprehensible words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you talking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Even if I explained, it would be useless. Besides, explaining would require a great deal of time—your body wouldn’t be able to endure it.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What in the world—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Alon’s expression began to contort at the awkward conversation—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt a moist sensation and instinctively raised his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized that blood was dripping from his nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had happened so suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he confirmed the dripping blood, he quickly tried to look up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t meet its gaze—that is the only way you and I can remain in contact for as long as possible.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the creature’s advice, he quickly lowered his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then Alon realized the strange sense of incongruity he’d felt the moment he saw the noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is definitely what I felt when I looked into the mirror at the observatory.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heartbeat accelerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he tried to steady his rapidly pounding chest, the noise continued speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[How unfortunate. Had you arrived with a bit more awareness, I could’ve told you so much. But because someone is twisting fate and closing your ears, it is impossible.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff, huff~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon couldn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart was pounding so wildly that it made his throat tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, just as blood began to pool in his eyes—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that appeared to be the noise’s hand touched Alon’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart, which had been racing moments ago, gradually began to calm down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked surprised by the change occurring within his own body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t lift your head. Doing so would only shorten our time to talk. Just listen like that.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon silently nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[When I disappear, take the magatama and seek the Eastern Observer. She will teach you how to communicate.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Eastern Observer—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Let us continue the conversation there.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Would it be possible to ask just one question right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[............Perhaps a short one. But keep in mind—even with my help, your body can only endure another three minutes.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon immediately asked his question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know about Sin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Are you referring to the black beings?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon was about to start explaining from the beginning but held his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t enough time for that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no choice but to ask—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even without the Apostles of Sin, do the Sins still appear?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he posed the question in its most condensed form, the noise responded with a question of its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Do you know the word ‘inevitability’?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That’s what the black things are. Whether there are apostles or not is irrelevant. Their appearance in this world is inevitable. Something that cannot be changed by anything—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noise paused briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It is the inevitability we created.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon widened his eyes and looked at the presence before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he still couldn’t see it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It remained filled with noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[There isn’t much time left. Do you have one final question?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as it acknowledged the end approaching, the noise’s voice remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alon’s mind was in complete turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that brief instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts became tangled by a single word spoken by the creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should he ask?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should he confirm if it was the one who created the black beings?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or should he ask what its true identity was?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe, why it did such things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless other questions also swirled in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But amid the chaos, Alon made a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is it that only I can use the incantations?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He decided to stop questioning the black beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he heard the certainty that the Sins would appear regardless, there was no longer any need to hear more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, Alon was now in a position where he had to stop the black beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So instead of pursuing the mystery of the Sins, he asked another question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One that might increase his power to fight them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noise paused for a moment at Alon’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You don’t even realize the constraints you yourself placed under that 'eye.']\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Oh child of the black eye, ■■.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It left its final words behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the conversation with the noise—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you all right, Marquis?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he stepped outside, Radan and Evan rushed over with worried expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon waved his hand as if to say he was fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m all right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......What happened in there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia followed up with a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon exhaled and then spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s talk about it on the way back. I need to organize my thoughts first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his companions were very curious about his answer, they had no choice but to hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, on the way back—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the tense atmosphere they’d had while coming here, the mood had grown quieter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon calmly organized the words he’d just heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I got what I wanted.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Alon received the answer he was looking for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason he’d come east in the first place was to confirm whether the Sins would appear even after the death of the Apostles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he’d heard an answer to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Alon remained troubled because of a new question that had formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The one who created the Sins… huh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noise had clearly said so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That they were the ones who created the Sins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet that being had clearly shown kindness to Alon, who was filled with determination to stop the Sins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clearly strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creator of the world-ending Sins—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was showing kindness to someone trying to stop them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least from Alon’s perspective, that made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t the only strange thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the ‘resistance’ the noise mentioned was unclear, and the phrase “Star Eater” didn’t make sense either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among all the confusion, the most puzzling part—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the noise’s final words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The constraint I placed on myself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon pondered what that could mean, he happened to glance at the ring on his finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ring that had made him form his first pact long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he fiddled with the ring, Alon shook his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much he thought about it, the two constraints he had placed in the past weren’t what the noise was referring to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the only restrictions he’d placed were on the use of incantations and hand signs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still deep in thought—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wh-what is that~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a horrified voice rang out, and Alon looked ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without even realizing it, he clenched both fists tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene that unfolded before Alon was the very same landscape he had seen just the day before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The view of the capital beneath the sunset hanging on the mountainside was nothing short of beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there was one key difference—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The capital—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy… shit…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at the center of that fire was the palace, situated in the heart of the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An attack!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fox beastkin, who had been nervously guiding them until now, cried out in despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, are we going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Radan’s urgent question, Alon turned around quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, they reached the city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fox beastkin recoiled in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What filled her view was the sight of countless soldiers’ corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them were brutally mutilated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that wasn’t all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corpses littered the road to the palace, the devastation indescribable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked more like the work of monsters than humans, making such a theory far more convincing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon and his group immediately sprinted toward the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at the very heart of it, they saw—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monsters devouring corpses that had been slaughtered in horrific ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a number of soldiers so great they filled the massive palace courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, uninvited guests.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at the center of it all, dressed in extravagant garb and glaring smugly—was the First Prince of the Eastern Nation, Birang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kneeling before him in a wretched state, face twisted in anguish—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grrk—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was Urang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t anticipate this sort of situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon and his party stood stunned, a calm voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang, gripping a blood-soaked sword with a lazy hand, said—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, are you guys stupid or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smirked as he tilted his chin up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I asked if you’re stupid. You should’ve easily guessed something like this would happen before even entering the capital. So I just can’t figure out why you bothered to show up here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tapping his own head with a finger, Birang chuckled mockingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To rebel against Cheonga—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang, pressed to the ground in humiliation, roared with fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh please, father, you're hurting my ears.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang clicked his tongue as if Urang’s words held no weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you had just handed me the throne, none of this would’ve happened, right? You’re the one who complicated things—so why blame me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sarcastic smile, he went on—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and just in case you were hoping for help from that so-called ‘great race,’ give it up. She probably died in the trap by now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words struck like a bolt from the blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-she’s dead? That can’t be—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If she weren’t, she’d already be here. She fell into the trap yesterday, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang was frozen in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang didn’t even look at his father as he turned his gaze elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well then, farewell to you too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a mocking flick of his sword—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clink!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the signal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The waiting soldiers all raised their weapons toward Alon at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that wasn’t all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monsters, who had been ravenously gnawing on the corpses moments ago, now turned toward Alon’s group as if on cue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eek—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fox beastkin let out a terrified scream and trembled uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alon calmly assessed the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There are a lot of enemies. More soldiers than monsters, and most of them are enhanced by abyssal energy. Same goes for the monsters. They all look pretty powerful.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now understood why Birang seemed so confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers empowered by the abyss clearly had superior magical and physical abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, naturally—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were not a threat strong enough to pose a danger to Alon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem, however, was in dealing with them efficiently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specifically—the civilians scattered among the soldiers, and Urang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If everyone here had been an enemy, he could’ve acted more freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in a situation where enemies and allies were mixed, it was trickier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was still weighing his options when the enemy soldiers charged in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sst—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the soldiers rushing toward Alon froze in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only the soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the rampaging monsters let out shrieks and then abruptly halted, as if time itself had stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the next instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slice—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers’ bodies split in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhhk—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an utterly surreal sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sharp metallic scent of blood that stung the nose—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reminded everyone that this scene was unmistakably real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wh-what the—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang, overwhelmed by the speed of the situation, stammered in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, what entered Alon’s vision—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was a girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......What happened here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing he saw was her silver hair, dyed in the glow of sunset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the five severed heads held in her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she descended amidst a sea of bodies, their torsos and legs split cleanly apart and the ground dyed red—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What stood out most clearly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll ask again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was a chillingly expressionless—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What exactly—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pair of white—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>",2019,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","db3fda0bd4499ad0e49ae3e5202c123f1fec2c31e58f6f418b712874e7143356","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-289","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-287",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]