[{"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-436":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},759526,1006,"Chapter 435: The Strange (6)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-436",436,"\u003Cp>Of course, Alon had a plan for how to deal with the Father of Maggots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not strong enough to take care of Divine blood without any plan at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had also checked that plan over and over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...At least, up until just a moment ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blankly, he stared into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over there, a battle between gigantic monsters straight out of myth was unfolding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Divine blood draped in what looked like a black robe, grotesque masks hanging all over its body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thing swung a horrifying sword at the Father of Maggots as it drifted through the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon drifting through the air somehow avoided the sword, while the countless mouths attached to its body poured something down onto the ground without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwa-ga-ga-gak—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth exploded, and even where Alon stood, the enormous tremors could be felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unfortunately, the Father of Maggots’ attack did not continue for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because a Divine blood with horrifying arms all over its body dragged him down from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Father of Maggots crashed to the ground with a deafening roar, only to be beaten one-sidedly all over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching that scene, Alon finally managed to say,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What is going on over there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It looks like they’re all fighting each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it does.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan and Penia answered blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...That’s how it looks to me too...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yutia voiced her confusion as though she could not make sense of it either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon thought to himself,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Am I... lucky?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course he was lucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Divine blood killed the Father of Maggots for him, then Alon could reap all the benefits without any losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet at the same time, he felt a strange unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this really was a good thing, in all his life, his luck had never been this good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very moment his inner conflict deepened—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, this is—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, Evan, and Penia all let out sighs at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the Divine blood beating up the Father of Maggots in the distance had spotted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was definitely far away, but that gaze clearly fixed on them, and behind his blank expression, Alon frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Of course things weren’t going to work out that simply...!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking that, he quietly formed hand seals behind his pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia also seemed to be considering something, but soon silently gathered holy power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Divine blood that had quite clearly made eye contact with them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwaaaaah—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—as though it had not seen them at all, turned its head away and started beating the Father of Maggots even more fiercely than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon’s group was bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the middle of that, the Divine blood beat the Father of Maggots even more miserably and in a greater variety of ways, as if trying to put on a show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gigantic hand forcibly hauled the Father of Maggots—who had been pinned to the ground—back up into the air, only to smash him back down again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then the strange skull with those eerie glowing eyes, which until now had been fighting with a single sword, suddenly drew a second blade and began pouring pitch-black divine power in every direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...The Divine blood had started unleashing techniques that looked like ultimate trump cards for when they were losing a battle, despite the fact that anyone could see they had already completely won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the spectacle in front of him erupting in dazzling bursts, Evan let out a sound of admiration without thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up to now, judging by how the battle had gone, it had been about as close to a pure fight as possible—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...WWE...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—but now it was as if they were showing off, throwing around all kinds of flashy techniques that, while spectacular, did not seem necessary at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon and the others, all apparently thinking something similar,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>kept letting out dazed sounds of admiration as they watched the Divine blood mercilessly beat the Father of Maggots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■-!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a horrific scream, the Father of Maggots had his head severed and died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon realized once more that the Divine blood were looking at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring straight at them, as though fully aware of their presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Alon wondered if it might be better to run after all, but soon shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they did, if those things wanted to, they would catch them easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Five.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, Alon subtly prepared the magic he had been holding ready, out of their line of sight, so he could activate it at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, he tried to gauge whether they would have any chance at all if all five attacked at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Yutia, as though she had no choice, was about to raise her index finger,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Divine blood who had been looking at Alon’s group «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» all turned around at once and started heading elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Alon, who had expected a clash after the Father of Maggots died, it was a bewildering turn of events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“??”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia also looked stunned, but the Divine blood, once they had turned away, never looked back toward Alon at all and only kept moving farther away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, they vanished completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Divine blood disappeared, Alon’s group waited for quite a long time, just in case—really just in case—this might somehow be a trap, and only then headed toward where the Father of Maggots lay—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...They really left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—and realized that the other Divine blood had truly gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every one of them ended up with an odd expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, it was a good thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had avoided a fight with Divine blood and gained a benefit instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it did not feel real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That things had been resolved like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they stood there dazed for only a moment before—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Alon, so what exactly are we supposed to look for here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coming back to himself, Alon recalled what the Seeker had told him, but soon tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he thought about it, the Seeker had said there would be something useful here, but had never said what they were actually supposed to find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What exactly are we looking for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Didn’t you come here to find something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That is true, but—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What are we even supposed to find? He repeated to himself, only for a moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhk—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since setting out on this journey, except when it was time to eat, Blackie had not come out from Alon’s chest for a full month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it cautiously crawled out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spotting Yutia naturally standing right beside Alon, Blackie froze for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Blackie soon seemed to steel itself, dropped down to the ground, then scurried over toward where the Father of Maggots was lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>─────────!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a strange sound, the Father of Maggots’ body began to be absorbed into Blackie’s own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked similar to when it had absorbed Rakrakkamur before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting aside his curiosity for the moment, Alon moved first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For now, spread out and search.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the meantime, he thought there might be something worth finding somewhere in the Father of Maggots’ territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll look around too... Though I don’t know if there’ll really be anything to find here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan was definitely right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed impossible to find anything here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—more precisely, there did not seem to be anything left intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place where he stood, what had presumably once been a domain before the Father of Maggots settled here, had been reduced to little more than ruined remains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That said, they could not just stand around forever, so the group split up and began searching through the ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon also entered between the wreckage at random and began looking around, just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much time passed like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hoo—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon let out a quiet sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had expected as much, but there really was nothing here to find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Could it have vanished while fighting Divine blood?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only lingered on that thoroughly unappealing worst-case assumption for a moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through a gap in the ruins, he saw a strange sight in the grassland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, Divine blood standing far away—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While he was staring at that inexplicable afterimage, Yutia’s voice broke his train of thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, Yutia had come over and was looking at him with a smile at her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Yutia?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What were you looking at?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her question, Alon belatedly recalled what he had just seen and turned his gaze back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, the afterimage had disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only a wide grassland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still wearing a puzzled expression, Alon soon realized Yutia was there and answered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I must have been seeing things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. More importantly, what brings you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia stepped a little closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think I may have found something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she handed Alon an item she had found in the ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...This?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small glint appeared in Alon’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around the time Alon received something from Yutia, the Divine blood who had dealt with the Father of Maggots and then left without a word walked across the grassland in silence for quite a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until they had completely left the Father of Maggots’ territory behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally, when they had crossed out of it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Did everyone confirm it?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the Divine blood spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I saw it too.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Confirmed.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That was definitely the Star Eater.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every one of the Divine blood nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Did you see it? Did you?! The Star Eater saw me grab the Father of Maggots and slam him straight into the ground!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmph. Was that not just a simple slam? The one the Star Eater saw was me, stomping that bastard straight into the earth!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[No! It wasn’t you, it was me! The Star Eater clearly saw my black flames burning him down!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ha, it was me!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[No, me!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I’m telling you, it was me!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, a heated argument broke out among the Divine blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That’s enough, all of you!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Darkness-Eating Sword’s shout, everyone’s gaze turned to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Darkness-Eating Sword quieted the dispute from moments ago, then silently looked around at the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The one the Star Eater saw was ‘me,’ the one who dealt with the Father of Maggots.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a faint snort, recalling how he had killed the Father of Maggots just moments earlier—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ripped him apart.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—and left behind that single curt remark.\u003C\u002Fp>",1780,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.413Z",1,"novelbin.me","7c1495e9fe2fc98954522318a7a1c59e8eb05ae7bc7ec8f071c2990994fa6739","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-437","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-435",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]