[{"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-395":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},759685,1006,"Chapter 395: Budding (10)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-395",395,"\u003Cp>Cardinal Sergius of Rosario, the holy kingdom that served the Goddess Sironia, had been feeling a strange sense of unease lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—strictly speaking, it wasn’t unease so much as a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Lady Yutia?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sergius’s voice reached Yutia, who was standing by the window of the office, staring out at the Rosario scenery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yutia, as if unable to hear him, only kept staring blankly at the view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Lady Yutia?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when Sergius called again did a low sigh slip out, as if Yutia had finally snapped back to awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a calm smile settling over a face that had been expressionless, Yutia looked at Sergius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it, Cardinal Sergius?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-that... everything you ordered last time has been handled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Sergius’s reply, Yutia asked back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Handled?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah—didn’t you say it last time? About the matter in the eastern village area.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Yutia—who had been smiling softly—let out a quiet little sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. Was it handled well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I took measures exactly as you instructed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a relief. Thank you as always, Cardinal Sergius.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not at all. Then I’ll take my leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Do so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bowing to Yutia, who was smiling again, Sergius slipped out of the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the door closed, he—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s definitely strange.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—voiced his question about Yutia Bloodia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone had overheard their conversation, they would have asked what on earth there was to question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been nothing more than a short exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet Sergius’s doubts only deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had maintained this kind of relationship with Yutia for several years now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was true the beginning of that relationship hadn’t been pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But over the past few years, the time had given Sergius a sense of stability—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and it had been enough time to let Sergius understand Yutia, at least to a certain degree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Sergius could immediately sense that something had changed in Yutia lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Why are you forgetting so much?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People forgetting things was natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how clever someone was, if it was something they didn’t consider important, that was simply how it went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that kind of forgetting didn’t fit the Yutia Bloodia Sergius knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia remembered everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—beyond that, to the point Sergius sometimes wondered if Yutia was seeing the future, Yutia seemed to know most of the information that was needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But lately, something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia had been forgetting things far more often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, there had been countless times when Yutia even forgot orders Yutia had given personally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That didn’t mean Yutia was becoming a fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from that one part, Yutia was still the Yutia Bloodia Sergius knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was precisely why Sergius found it so unsettling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...What on earth is going on?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a long while, Sergius stared at the closed door to the office where Yutia remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang stared at the man in front of Seollang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden hair the same shade as Seollang’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beastkin who sat in the center of the shrine, waiting for Seollang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Let me ask again. Are you ready to throw everything away and accept the ‘fragment’?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that question, Seollang nodded without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A firm voice without the slightest wavering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if amused, the man watching Seollang let out a strange little sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Last time you were trembling in fear, but now you speak with certainty. Why are you so sure?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because I need power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...What a trite, straight-laced answer.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then hurry up and give it to me. You said you would last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Seollang’s urging, the beastkin let out a quiet chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t rush me like that. If you’re doing this because things are urgent outside, don’t worry so much. As long as you’re here, time outside won’t flow.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Won’t flow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[More accurately, it’ll be flowing extremely slowly.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the beastkin shrug, Seollang pressed lips together hard before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You talk too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[“You”? Isn’t that a bit much to say to the one who’s about to give you power?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said you’d give it to me whenever I accepted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t think about it so hastily. I told you, didn’t I? Time here is absurdly slow. And—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, the beastkin’s expression stayed relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[—I’m simply curious. You were backing away even when I said I’d give you power just a few days ago... so why are you trying to take it right now?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beastkin rose from where the beastkin had been sitting and walked toward Seollang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[As you know, essence—no, this power is strong. Which means there’s a price.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding up three fingers, the beastkin folded the thumb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[One. If you accept a power this great and can’t control it—if you lose control and go berserk—your whole body will be shattered and you’ll end up ruined.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, the beastkin folded the middle finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Two. Even if you control it and succeed in accepting the full power of Monster blood, you won’t be you anymore.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Like I explained last time. When you use essence, your age is fixed until you finish every trial of essence. And the moment the test ends, you’ll get back, all at once, a ‘maturity’ you never had.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lastly, the beastkin folded the index finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Third, in that situation full of dissonance, you’ll have to accept the memories of everyone who used this essence. And when that happens—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Seollang as if observing from a distance, the beastkin tossed the words out, casual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[—will you really be able to remain you?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sight of that beastkin staring fixedly with red eyes that strangely resembled someone else’s—almost as if this were enjoyable—Seollang closed Seollang’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If you have talent, and if you have heaven’s luck, you might be able to keep ‘you.’ But I’ll tell you in advance: plenty reached the final trial, but none fully accepted the power of Monster blood.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Not when you were called the Golden Mane Tribe, not when you were called the cursed tribe, not when you were called by any other name, either.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[And yet there’s no leniency in this. In the first place, this test is a great—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beastkin kept talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Seollang didn’t listen, instead recalling the “price” the beastkin had listed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming ruined because Seollang couldn’t accept the power?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t frightening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe thinking about what came after would bring up other feelings, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to protect Master, it was an easy choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gaining “maturity”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t frightening either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what kind of pain came with it, if it ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) meant saving Master, Seollang could endure as much as needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...The last one, more than anything, was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Want me to explain in detail? Having to accept the memories of those who used essence means your head will be filled with dozens of people’s memories.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Countless values will clash, break, and new values will be built on top of the wreckage.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Even what you like and what you hate will get tangled up in countless values until you go numb.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang remembered what the beastkin had said when they first met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a horrifying story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it meant every value Seollang held would disappear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Seollang treasured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang’s family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Seollang, they were precious—too precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia, who became family for someone who had nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine, who always looked after Seollang without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan, who always listened in silence when Seollang spilled complaints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deus, who played with Seollang without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Master, who—no matter what the situation was—threw Master’s own life away without hesitation to save Seollang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—calling them “precious” wasn’t even enough. They were everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People Seollang wanted to protect no matter what it took.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why it was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang was afraid what had been precious would stop being precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid what Seollang loved would stop being lovable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid what had mattered would stop mattering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid Seollang would come to see everything Seollang had—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>as if it were nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Seollang ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the ability to reach the end, Seollang didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the ability to gain power, Seollang didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give it to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Seollang chose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang was still afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A body trembling told that fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eyes shaking without mercy told that terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet Seollang chose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang had to choose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang had to protect them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if what had been precious stopped being precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if what Seollang loved stopped being lovable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if what had mattered stopped mattering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if everything Seollang had—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...came to feel like nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang still wanted to protect them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[.......]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Seollang’s resolute, unwavering answer,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the beastkin looked down at Seollang in silence with those distinctive red eyes that resembled someone else’s—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then let out a quiet laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hey. You know this? Even if you don’t take the power here, that guy can live. Of course—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muttering, “That’s as far as it goes,” the beastkin never took eyes off Seollang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hand it over. Now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang answered again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Why? Even if you don’t take the power, that guy won’t die, I’m saying.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beastkin asked back, as if it truly didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang spoke without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because that isn’t what Master would want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of person Master was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Seollang knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How sad Master would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Seollang didn’t want to see that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[.......]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beastkin, who had been staring at Seollang without expression for a moment at that solid answer—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if something about this was that enjoyable, a deep smile spread at the corners of the beastkin’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Fine. I’ll pass it on to you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Memories flickered through Seollang’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each one was a precious recollection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang kept bringing them up, again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Held onto them over and over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they wouldn’t be forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...So they could be treasured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Congratulations. Beastkin—no.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughing as if delighted, the beastkin’s red eyes gleamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You who can now handle every lightning.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those words were spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwaaaahk—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>pure-white light swallowed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not much time remained before the enormous mouth could fully close and swallow Alon’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The devouring one’s jaws were poised to shut completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The venom-swallowing one, dozens of eyes flashing, smiled as if the predetermined ending was amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So it won’t work after all...!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, as Alon forced mind to spin for a way out with time that was absurdly insufficient—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The devouring one’s closing mouth stopped, as if it were a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hadn’t stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>unable to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon could tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Alon could feel it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A killing intent so enormous it made the heart feel like it would burst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it didn’t take long for Alon to find the source of that killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Seol...lang?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood a single beastkin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive height, well over two meters at a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing that caught the eye was golden hair that fell all the way down to the calves of that huge body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next was the golden crown, like a halo, resting over that golden hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And last—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>eyes of gold, indifferent to the point of sending chills down your spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Alon had no trouble recognizing that it was Seollang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the moment Alon faced that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seollang vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it was midday, the world was being dyed into night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like night was eroding day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The midday world was erased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the midnight world unfurled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What formed was a night with a vivid golden moon hanging overhead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wolf Spear, Wolf Spear—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A golden moon made of lightning, pouring out brilliance bright enough to turn midday into darkness,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falling Moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It began to drop downward.\u003C\u002Fp>",1960,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.413Z",1,"novelbin.me","2b96282781e5963d69944ed26c781feb3f964f56d4a1b3ff6f5326deedabade0","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-396","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-394",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]