[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son":3,"chapter-reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-chapter-221":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son",{"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},1366120,1806,"Chapter 221  [Hollow Town] [3] [Monster]","reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-chapter-221",221,"\u003Cp>Cobwebs filled the corners of the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beautiful yet terrifying designs covered entire pillars that supported the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old, blackish stone made it hard to understand most of the patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old lady sat down on the floor while I looked around the place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A part of me didn't want to be here, but another part wanted to know everything about this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You asked whose temple this is?\" The lady's voice made me glance at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Have you heard of the primordial demoness?\" The old lady asked with a smile on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Azariah?\" Nella, who stood beside me, whispered, her voice concerned as I nodded my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aren't they bold to have her temple?\" I asked, getting a grip on my emotions. \"The church will annihilate this place if they find out about it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let out a hearty laugh, her old and ragged robe moving along with every movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Do you know how old this is?\" she asked, her voice deep, looking at me with those blurry eyes, \"...Two hundred years and it's still intact even after so long.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because nobody has found this place,\" I replied but quickly dismissed my own words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temple is within the town, and there's no way people haven't seen this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why?\" Nella, who seemed to catch up to the conversation, asked, \"...Why is this place here even though people know whose temple this is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old lady glanced up at her, her cracked lips grinning widely. \"...Because no one wants to upset a goddess for a mere temple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A goddess who doesn't exist,\" I added, looking at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I wasn't even trying to get on her nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's the truth—she is long dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buried by her own pawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her nose wrinkled as she glared at me. \"W-what do you know, arrogant being! A goddess can't die!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure, if you say so,\" I replied, turning to look around the place. \"...So, are you going to tell me about her? The goddess and her relation with this town?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old lady seemed hesitant, her blurry eyes moving around the place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Four hundred years ago, when this town was just established,\" her deep voice echoed within the temple,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"a drought swept through the entire town. It was hard for people to live. Many died with no food or water to sustain them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Tough luck,\" Nella mumbled, earning a glare from me, which she shrugged off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But one day, a man came home with grains, even though it hadn't rained for years,\" the old lady continued. \"...People asked him about it, how he got it and from where.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old lady looked at me as if waiting for my answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The goddess,\" I replied, and she smiled, showing her blackened teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...He told everyone in the town about the beloved goddess who helped him,\" she whispered, standing up with the help of the staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...People didn't believe him at first, but those who were dying did, and they lived because of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At what cost?\" Nella asked, making the old lady glance at her. \"...She wasn't doing it for free, was she?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...People soon noticed one more thing,\" the lady continued as she moved towards the end of the temple, \"...How low the number of children had become.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...So, in exchange for the souls of children, she blessed them with food?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It went on until...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old lady's voice trailed off as she stood face-first in front of a wall, frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confused, I stepped forward to look at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I immediately stepped back as she hit her head against the wall, hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I yelled to snap her out of it, but she didn't listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hit the wall again, blood gushing out, dripping onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dripping blood soon covered the portion of the ground around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Azariah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to look at Nella, who stood at the edge of the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the strands of hair on my neck stood up as I instinctively turned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sucked in a deep breath as the old lady now stood in front of me, a smile on her wrinkled face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood dripped down her open skull, slowly sliding into her open mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You will die,\" she creepily whispered, looking at me, \"...You all will die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gruesome and hollowing roar echoed in my ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned around, returning to her previous place, and banged her head against the wall once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Azariah, we need to move!\" Nella's voice echoed from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took steps back while keeping my eyes on her, and just as I walked out of the temple, Nella grabbed my wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look!\" she yelled, pointing towards the center of the town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The desperate shouts of people filled my ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I squinted as my gaze landed on antlers big enough to peek above the houses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...The monster,\" I whispered, abruptly looking at Nella.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She moved, and so did I, running towards the town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"RUN!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The desperate voices of people shook the entire town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People ran back to their houses, their fearful eyes trying not to look back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...To not look back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...To not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A child no more than ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body froze in place as he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...A monster looked down at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its body was larger than the houses that surrounded it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An elk-like body that oozed a terrifying aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She brought her skeletal head, which resembled a human torso topped with antlers in place of legs, closer to the child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gigantic spikes protruded along her spine as she bent down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pair of human-like hands reached out to touch the child, and a pair of bright yellow eyes where the crotch should be looked at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She touched the boy's face with her tiny human-like hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy tried to move, but his body remained frozen in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes moved around, only to find nothing—not a single person was in his sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster seemed to finish what seemed like recognizing him as the tiny hands moved around its waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It slowly tightened the grip—.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something moved towards it, his tiny hands tightening up, holding nothing but air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her head turned to the side, glaring at the girl with her bright yellow eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nella jumped, leaping up while using the walls to reach the rooftop of a house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster screeched in anger, its voice echoing through the silent town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning around, it started to run towards the girl, each step breaking the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chi and mana rushed around Nella's body as a large whitish exoskeleton slowly formed around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised her hand, extending it forward, stopping the monster from breaking the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low booming sound echoed as they collided before the monster stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey! Deal with this thing!\" Nella yelled, glaring behind the monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster stopped as a chilly wind hit its back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning around, it looked at the white-haired boy who stood behind her on the rooftop of a house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azariah tilted his head, looking at the beast, his lips parting as he mumbled, \"...A Redom?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recognized the monster, something he had learned about when he was a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster's gruesome voice echoed as it rushed towards Azariah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azariah moved as well, leaping towards the monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its mouth opened to bite off his leg, but Azariah skillfully landed at the center of the head before he jumped again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He landed beside Nella, who stood inside the exoskeleton, protecting the child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I also want something cool like this,\" he mumbled softly, looking at her enviously, \"...I also want to become bigger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Poor Christi—.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't make your stupid jokes,\" he cut in, glaring at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster turned around, moving again, running towards him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neplh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azariah sighed as an icy mist escaped his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his hand, hundreds of ice spikes emerging from thin air around the monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his hand, the spikes moving forward, lodging themselves deep within the monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster screamed in pain, but soon its body started to freeze in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ice slowly started to form around its body before completely freezing it, giving it a slow death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azariah jumped once again, gently landing at the top of the monster before sitting with his leg crossed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence lingered in the town for a while before people slowly walked out of their houses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some immediately kneeled in front of the frozen monster, praying in front of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azariah looked down at them from where he stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips parted, words cutting through the praying crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Don't pray; your God is dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1438,"2026-06-05T21:29:08.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","a10d869b60b511370cc744e370ddd0e2deb4db987b57d743c52f8f77e92db588","reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-chapter-222","reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-chapter-220",556,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-cover.jpg"]