[{"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-310":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},759750,1006,"Chapter 310 : What Is This... (1)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-310",310,"\u003Cp>In the northern part of the Kingdom of Ashtalon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps due to the influence of the northern weather, the place remained cold despite the presence of distinct seasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zukurak was staring at the strange gate—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, more precisely, he was looking at something that had come from within the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a rusted spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So corroded that no one would think it usable as a weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what caught his attention wasn’t the spear’s practicality, but its shape itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Another kind I’ve never seen before.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zukurak rotated the spear in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its appearance was too weathered to be clearly discernible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, there was one thing he could say for certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This spear was of a kind that didn’t exist in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it wasn’t necessary for him to figure that out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the mission he had received from Hazad wasn’t to investigate the gate’s nature, but merely to identify the source of its power and retrieve the “origin stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, he had grown curious about these things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because of the ever-changing, foreign landscapes he saw whenever he entered the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Scenery that looks like it’s drawn from another world. So maybe these are objects from another world—or perhaps from the distant past.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zukurak became lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you want to know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice interrupted him, making Zukurak snap his eyes wide open and turn his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood a man behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man dressed in black ceremonial robes, adorned head to toe with all kinds of chains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold sweat started running down Zukurak’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t because of the man’s appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I didn’t sense him at all…!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before or after receiving power from Hazad, he had never experienced anything like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No being had ever been able to evade the perception of his hyper-evolved senses, honed through repeated transcendence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Hazad himself, the one who had granted him that power, couldn’t hide from those senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man had completely eluded Zukurak’s perception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So perfectly that even now, standing right before him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as Zukurak looked straight at him, he still couldn’t sense a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why, by instinct, he drew his weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a motion of his hand, a giant hammer appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hammer even larger than Zukurak himself, who stood well over two meters tall—so massive it was hard to imagine how it could be wielded at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zukurak effortlessly lifted the massive hammer with one hand and stared at the man in black with a highly tense expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm~ I didn’t think I made an aggressive first impression. But I see your return greeting is rather hostile.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man in the black robe chuckled casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—tap—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, he closed the distance to Zukurak and lightly tapped Zukurak’s hand, which had begun to move reflexively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a very soft touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, just that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What~!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zukurak, who had tried to swing the massive hammer with speed, found his body frozen solid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if he had never been able to move in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rrghhh~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With bloodshot eyes, Zukurak’s body began unleashing explosive amounts of magic power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His muscles swelled to terrifying size, showcasing strength that seemed capable of obliterating the man before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no need to try so hard. You won’t be able to move anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as Zukurak struggled, the man in black remained composed, slowly pulling something from within his robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed it atop Zukurak’s arm—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zukurak’s body began turning black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the transformation began, the man picked up the spear Zukurak had been holding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I gave you a fine body that pleased you, so I figure I should give you a gift in return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swinging the spear lightly, he looked at Zukurak, who was writhing in an attempt to escape the binding force while slowly turning black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The gate is a fragment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zukurak didn’t hear him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Couldn’t hear him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rrgh~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was too busy flailing desperately to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood vessels burst in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His overpowered muscles tore apart from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a fragment of another world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man continued speaking casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the black substance flowing along Zukurak’s arm engulfed his mind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What reached him was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Eyes’—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dry voice, and—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fragment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of yellow irises—dozens of concentric circles overlapping grotesquely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About a week later—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well then, see you next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood, Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon arrived back on land and parted ways with Radan after exchanging goodbyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You seemed a bit somber. Did you notice something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan’s voice came from behind as he watched the distant ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shouldn’t you have said something to him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan’s point was fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon had clearly seen the worry on Radan’s face but had chosen not to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Alon shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he didn’t want to talk about it, there’s no reason to force it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled the look on Radan’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan had smiled in a way that was awkward enough to be noticeable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone could tell he didn’t want to talk about what was troubling him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, if Alon had asked, Radan would have surely answered, and it would have ended up forcing him to share his burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Alon didn’t ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Radan didn’t choose to speak, then he must have had a clear reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, after quietly watching Radan’s ship for a while—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s head out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon turned and walked toward the carriage that had been waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to climb aboard—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just... the carriage looks strangely clean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that a problem?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just, we left it sitting here for about a month, didn’t we?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And usually, after that long, it should have at least gathered a little dust.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon nodded absentmindedly at Evan’s observation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t paid much attention to cleanliness, but it made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wuuuuum~!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling uneasy, Alon used a bit of magic to inspect the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But aside from it being unusually clean, nothing else seemed wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s just go for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, well...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the two got into the carriage and began to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, for some reason, Blackie and Basiliora were playing a board game that resembled chess in front of them, seemingly having learned it somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Kuhahaha!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Meow.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Basiliora’s dim-witted moves and Blackie’s cute little paws calmly push the pieces, Alon began to quietly reflect on what needed to be done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘First, I need to find those three items.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mask of the One Who Walks Ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crying Blessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jewel of the Closed-Eyed One.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Alon already knew the locations of two of the three items he needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even the process to obtain them wasn’t especially difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Jewel of the Closed-Eyed One hadn’t even appeared in Psychedelia, so he had no idea where to begin looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll have to rely on Nangwon for that.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone could help, it would be Nangwon, who ran the intelligence guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I win, you stupid beast! That proves your intelligence is lower than—gaaahh!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Meow-]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While he was lost in thought—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blackie had pinned Basiliora’s head to the board with his paw, completely taking over the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as Basiliora flicked his tail in protest, Blackie pressed down on his tiny snake head without budging an inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that, Alon suddenly wondered—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...When is Blackie going to grow up?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was physically impossible for Blackie to mature just after a year or two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since he grew faster the more he absorbed, the question didn’t linger long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis. There’s something I forgot to mention earlier that just came to mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it important?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, not really. It’s just... because of you, the bandits are pretty much extinct now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon tilted his head, not understanding the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest, I don’t fully understand it myself—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan made a vague expression and began explaining in earnest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A little time passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So let me get this straight. If someone defeats some bandits and presents proof, they’re allowed to enter the Divine Land of the Palatio Marquisate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?????”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of question marks popped into Alon’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who spread that kind of rumor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not sure...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just to be clear, we didn’t actually put out an announcement like that, did we?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not. The notice we posted was vague, just like you instructed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how did it turn into some bandit-hunting recruitment— No, wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed the side of his head, starting to feel dizzy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More importantly, why are people trying to enter the Divine Land in the first place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seems like a rumor started circulating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A rumor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, don’t know where it came from, but apparently if you train in the Divine Land, you can use Kalannon’s power. Something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I have to ask, just to be sure. We didn’t start that rumor, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan answered firmly, and Alon fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, no matter how much he thought about it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t understand how a vague call for “righteous individuals” had transformed into “bring proof of slain bandits and gain access to Shinto, where you can train with Kalannon’s power!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...What in the world is going on?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was left with a strange, uneasy feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been a few months since Sin had destroyed Fildagreen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to help from human mages, the city had been mostly restored and now resembled its old self again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside one of the royal chambers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sat Rine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a serene expression, she sipped her black tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creeaak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the door opened naturally, she looked up and showed a faintly surprised face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone was standing there who shouldn’t have been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That person was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yutia, what brings you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Yutia Bludia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the blue moonlight at her back and her signature crimson eyes glowing, Yutia appeared before Rine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t look so surprised, Rine. You must’ve heard from Hidan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t expect it to be now, that’s all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s you, you must’ve sensed I was coming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled as she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, you noticed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yup.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that lighthearted exchange—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold silence enveloped the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heavy, chilling silence.\u003C\u002Fp>",1718,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","570f63a08a29b97750a97f29ef03dc70a10eac812b055d2fa833bd4bf7b70b30","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-311","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-309",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]