[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-reincarnated-as-the-final-villain-s-vessel":3,"chapter-reincarnated-as-the-final-villain-s-vessel-reincarnated-as-the-final-villain-s-vessel-chapter-138":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Reincarnated as the Final Villain's Vessel",{"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},699920,934,"Chapter 138: The Meaning of Despair[1]","reincarnated-as-the-final-villain-s-vessel-chapter-138",138,"\u003Cp>What distinguishes Rank 3 is the ability to extract essence and make it tangible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Rank 4, it is the transformation the body undergoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what about Rank 5?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rank 5, which marks the beginning of the higher ranks, whether for humans or monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason awakened ones at Rank 5 stand out was not that ridiculous physical strength nor absolute control over essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, but something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Principle of Transcendence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power that makes every Rank 5 individual unique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Arthania was no exception. As someone at the peak of Rank 5, she had achieved her Principle long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, for the first time in centuries, some of the threads binding her mind and obscuring her from reality were severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, memories began to flood into her consciousness... things she had forgotten and never wanted to remember.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But part of her wanted to remember.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two conflicting intentions... like any other human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the moment she recalled the origin of those threads, she unconsciously used her Principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Principle that allowed her to burn essence itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the threads binding her burned away and disintegrated without return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arthania... Arthania, we must protect this place,\" an old and warm voice echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it did not come from anywhere around her—not Caius, who stared at her in shock, nor the old man in the distance, not even the others behind her spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she continued hearing those voices inside her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were old... very old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid wars that stained the world and humanity facing an existential crisis due to the rifts, Arthania was born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born in this hidden city between those walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both her parents were among the first awakened, those who received guidance from the system, which was different back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the era when the rifts first appeared, the system window was far more detailed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It did not only display ranks and abilities, but even the method of advancing through ranks, from Rank 1 to Rank 7.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, at that time, driven by death itself, humans managed to grow at an astonishing speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the age of three, Arthania’s mother died at the hands of a monster... even though the rifts were only just beginning back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So only her father remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for her father, little Arthania was not his only responsibility—rather, all of Asfaria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the strongest person in the city, it was inevitable that responsibility would fall upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, others were the ones responsible for raising her... they raised and cared for her with utmost sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that never replaced her parents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, every moment with him was etched deep into her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She still remembered when he came and stood before her with his large body and bulging muscles, as if he could crush her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his honey-colored eyes, like hers, held nothing but warmth as they looked at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That man who had spilled so much blood knelt before her, opening his arms wide and pulling her close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you miss me, little one?\" his deep voice echoed beside her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eight-year-old girl nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, I missed you, Father... a lot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But it’s only been two days since we were together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Arthania pouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two days is too long.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a soft chuckle, he lifted her onto his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you want me to take you somewhere beautiful?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that question, Arthania answered like any child would.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yes... yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the edge of the towering wall of the labyrinth, under a clear, star-filled night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Arthania sat in her father’s lap near the edge overlooking the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asfaria, which was much larger, filling the entire center before extending into the massive rifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?\" her father’s voice sounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amazed by the sight from such height, Arthania answered a moment late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wow... it’s so beautiful from here... even the sky looks different, and the stars are clearer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, the moon was still whole in the sky, and the cycle of day and night remained normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is beautiful. That’s why we fight for it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthania fell silent upon hearing those words, like a displeased child, though she did not show it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was not hard for her father to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You may not understand it now, but this is our home... the place we came from and return to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, we must fight for it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t care if this place collapses... all I care about is staying with you, Father,\" Arthania interrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t care if this place collapses either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really?\" it was clear she was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes... but what we protect is not the city itself, but what is inside it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes glanced at the many people walking below as he continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"People are what we protect... they are the ones who make a home, not stone structures.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his hand and placed it on Arthania’s small head, gently stroking her hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And for me, you are home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I must fight to protect my home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years passed, and the rifts increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although more awakened appeared, and those who survived grew stronger, it was not enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And eighteen-year-old Arthania awakened and had already reached the peak of Rank 2, even approaching her father at Rank 4.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her talent was praised, and it was said she could reach Rank 7 if given enough time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that girl did not care about those words... especially on a certain day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood there before a torn body wrapped in many white cloths... or what used to be white before being stained red with blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There lay a familiar man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He died protecting her and everything here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although many people spoke to her and surrounded her, trying to console her that day... she heard nothing and remembered nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything in her memory was hazy except one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image of her father’s corpse and the words he always used to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, she sat in a corner of the empty house, hugging herself with her head lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were only dark thoughts in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What is the point of all this fighting, Father?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Nothing... all that awaits us is death... only death.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lost in her thoughts and memories, she heard footsteps approaching her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The house was supposed to be empty that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, she raised her head to see an old man she knew well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elias. A mere elderly man who had somehow awakened and managed to climb the ranks even at such an age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly, miracles always find their way in the darkest times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthania narrowed her swollen eyes from crying as she asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you want, old man?\" her voice came out rough and broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But without any concern, Elias stepped forward and placed his hand on her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry, I’m not here to disturb your solitude.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His other hand moved as he pulled something from his pocket and handed it to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just an old paper envelope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m only here to give you this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthania looked at the envelope as she reached for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A letter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those simple words that explained nothing, Elias disappeared after delivering what he came for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthania looked at the envelope, her heart beating faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take a genius to know who it was from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With trembling hands and under the faint light seeping from the nearby window, she opened the envelope and took out a neatly folded paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hesitantly, she unfolded it, only to see that familiar handwriting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, in a faint trembling voice, Arthania read the words written in dark ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am writing this, hoping you will never read it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Recently, many rifts have been opening, far larger and more dangerous...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am always at the front, so I constantly see death before me... how fast and indifferent it is, the way it comes in an instant and imposes itself upon us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, I know I might die at any moment, without even saying goodbye to my beloved daughter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My daughter who has been showing incredible talent recently and fights in the rear... that girl I hear people around me praising... some even say she will reach Rank 7 at this rate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I don’t really care about that... after all, you are just a little girl to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps this era didn’t give us the chance to be father and daughter...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warm drops fell onto the paper in her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry, Arthania... sorry that I left... that I abandoned you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With every word, her faint voice trembled more, as if she were suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m proud of you... the proudest father.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know what you will do after I’m gone, but I want you to do what you want... you don’t have to carry the responsibility I carried if you don’t want to... and honestly, I don’t want you to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at the end of the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’No... don’t end.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once again...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry, Arthania.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Please...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I love you, my little one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The letter ended, and with it, her father’s final words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No... no...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her trembling hands, the thin paper was soaked with warm tears, her muffled sobs echoing through the empty house, as the ink forming the words blurred and mixed into a small chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>",1570,"2026-06-02T09:38:17.164Z",1,"novelbin.me","2a72f17cb587f3c2696c9fe70fe1c25deb54fe1cce95476b5355d2a86d6721c1","reincarnated-as-the-final-villain-s-vessel-chapter-91","reincarnated-as-the-final-villain-s-vessel-chapter-90",183,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freincarnated-as-the-final-villain-s-vessel-cover.jpg"]