[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-114":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","THE VILLAIN'S POV",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},336751,598,"Chapter 114 114: Return to the Present","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-114",114,"\u003Cp>Time passed swiftly, and history etched itself once more, step by step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lone girl stood in the midst of it all—one who had lost all her light overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bright smile that once illuminated her face had vanished entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All that remained was a hollow expression, her features worn down by tears that had long since dried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You told me you would come back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said I was the most important thing in your life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she never returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she left this world—by her own will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaning against the tree that had held her sister's lifeless body, she sat there, unmoving—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a field where the stench of death clung to the air, thick and suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A place no child should ever be forced to endure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All that remained were children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children too young to comprehend what had happened—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some still believing it was just a nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A terrifying one, yes—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But real nonetheless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in this nightmare, lurking demons found their perfect prey—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones who had lost their light entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But humans…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans can be far worse than demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All it took were a few carefully chosen words—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spoken at the right place, at the right time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you want revenge on the one who did this to your beloved sister?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The monster responsible for all of this… was none other than your own father—Lord Drogo Moonlight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, Baylor Moonlight sowed his venomous seeds in the minds of the children who remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them was a fragile girl, burdened with a weight no child should ever bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who survived that place—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the very moment they did, their fates were sealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baylor Moonlight understood this better than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was the one who had crafted this very environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the architect of those icy barriers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who isolated Lord Drogo Moonlight's estate from the outside world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had never been Drogo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was always him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Baylor, things would never have spiraled this far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what was done ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, here they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baylor had set the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All that remained was the final act of this wretched play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, with precise calculation ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew that small, fragile girl into his web.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl who knew nothing of the world ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl who had lost everything ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He handed her an object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, she went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She walked straight toward the one she saw as the source of all her nightmares.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beast who had long since lost his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris entered the room—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room where Drogo awaited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By then, he was unrecognizable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face—mutilated beyond belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body—twisted into a grotesque monstrosity, a mass of rotting flesh with distorted eyes staring in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even as Seris approached, step by step—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drogo did not move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only watched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somewhere deep within that monster ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some faint, dying ember of reason ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kept him from striking down his youngest daughter on sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris reached out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her small hand clutched a strange, golden cube.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she touched him with it ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blinding light erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A searing radiance that swallowed everything in sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like divine flames purging all sin ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drogo burned within that holy inferno.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick, black smoke rose from his body, twisting violently as if purging the world's very evils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was completely immobilized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frozen in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that moment ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood no chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A colossal spear of ice tore through his chest—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ripping open a gaping hole that no mortal could ever hope to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even then, Drogo made no sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely closed his eyes ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had endured his own personal hell ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, it was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baylor Moonlight had slain Drogo ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not before making him suffer every last torment imaginable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the end—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He painted himself as the hero who had ended the nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada watched the scene unfold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression was void of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This… is too much to take in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just witnessing it was enough to break the mind of any sane person ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let alone living through such horrors firsthand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her, Rem shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face twisted with nothing but disgust toward that man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drogo had once looked up to Abraham ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who had stood above him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he failed to realize ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That he, too, had once been looked up to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially by someone who had lived in his shadow since childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone who had been doomed from birth to remain in the dark ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone who had never been able to shatter the ice of his older brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most fragile doll of them all ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had never been Drogo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had always been Baylor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man consumed by his pursuit of power—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Power that remained just beyond his grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A desperate soul like that would cling to the first lifeline thrown his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drogo's death sent shockwaves through the empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Emperor Maekar Valerion himself came ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unwilling to believe the claims of treason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the truth of what had occurred within those walls...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was buried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world was told that Drogo had massacred his own sons and most of his daughters after losing control of the power that had consumed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tale difficult to swallow—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the church's revelation of the demonic aura lingering in Drogo's corpse cemented the claim, leaving no room for doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only survivors were children, most of whom had been shattered beyond repair, their minds fractured to the point where truth and delusion blurred into one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And those who retained even a sliver of clarity—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were silenced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By Baylor's hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the main family knew the truth of what had transpired behind those sealed doors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some whispers of reality slipped through the cracks—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They became nothing more than rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tales told by strangers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the empire's greatest pillars fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in its place, a new lord rose—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One who seized his throne through the most vile and ruthless means imaginable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you sure you want to show me all this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm an outsider to your family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem merely shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Given what you're planning, Lord Starlight… you're about to bring real change to this house. A change that must happen—if you truly intend to preserve the legacy left behind by Lady Semiramis.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's why I won't stop you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Though… if you intend to destroy that legacy—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will not stand idly by.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada let out a weary sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced down at her hands—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both marked with symbols of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A weight far heavier than she could bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To think that the one man who always claimed to be neutral—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was the very cause of all this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Appearances have always been the greatest lie of all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Baylor Moonlight betrayed himself. His people. His own family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even now, I can't fully grasp what I've seen and heard. But what I don't understand is—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image of her brother resurfaced in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brother whose fate she had foreseen—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fate that predicted his death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does Frey have to do with any of this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem remained silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Revealing something entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey Starlight…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You could say he was just another unlucky soul—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One who found himself caught in this filth and chaos.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem revealed a series of visions to Ada—glimpses of pivotal moments where another's fate had been sealed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it unfolded within a library, now isolated from the outside world by a massive, impenetrable gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And standing before that gate was a lone figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With sleek blue hair, pale skin, and an aura of sheer dread…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Baylor Moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>- Frey Starlight's Pov -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huff… Huff…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gasped for air, my body sprawled across the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wouldn't be lying if I said I had completely wrecked myself just now. It felt like forcing a tiny faucet to pour out an entire ocean in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen's voice reached me. She sat beside me, still struggling to process what had just happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a weak smile, I forced my lips to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who was it again… that you called half a man?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked in surprise before a muffled chuckle escaped her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn… what's your secret? Are you even human?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Groaning, I pushed myself off the ground with great effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think I am.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took me a moment to steady my breathing before I spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for my secret, I should be asking you a question first. Will you swear your allegiance to me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lowering her gaze, she stared at both hands, recalling the moment that barrier—the one that had held her back for so long—finally began to crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she repeated the process with me, breaking through from S+ to SS- would only be a matter of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man before her was the son of Lord Abraham Starlight, the very person who had shaped her into who she was today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same man she had loved… in her own way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wide grin spread across my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, you're accepting the offer of the half a man standing before you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring my sarcastic remark, Carmen spoke with unwavering resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From this day forward, I swear my allegiance as your knight. If your life is at risk, I will lay down my own. Your secrets will die with me. When you live, I shall live. When you die… I shall die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait—scratch that last part ...No need to jinx us\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen smirked, her tone playful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This level of commitment is necessary to build trust. Or… would you prefer if I offered my body instead?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen… her body—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A violent shiver ran down my spine as I frantically waved my hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll have to decline that tempting offer… especially since you're stronger than me. Maybe I'll consider it once I surpass you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh? Surpass me? With an A-rank talent?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She scoffed, only to fall silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memory of that terrifying aura flashed through her mind, and for a brief moment, her thoughts came to a halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An A-rank talent meant my stats should have been permanently capped at that level. Yet I had far exceeded it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've sworn your loyalty as my knight. As your new lord, I swear in turn to treat you properly and never force you into anything against your will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused before continuing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now, here's what you need to know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised a single finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First, my talent isn't A-rank.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don't need to know my true limit or why everyone else is unaware of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second, the aura you felt… and how I survived inside Nightmare Lands for a whole year…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to weave truth and lies together into something believable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't reveal everything to her, but I managed to share some scattered truths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the source of my power—I attributed it to the Shadow Sect. I gave her a brief explanation without diving into details like the statues and other hidden aspects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, I did tell her about the Ten Thousand Steps of Shadow technique. To reinforce my claim, I revealed my sword—Balerion, the Black Dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes widened as realization struck. She finally understood how I had been able to wound her that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It looks like…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen muttered absentmindedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your sword… It resembles Abraham's.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was well known that Abraham once wielded Dark Sister, the blade meant for the Sword God Avalon during the Empire early days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Balerion and Dark Sister were black swords, so I understood the comparison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sort of…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I brushed it off, unwilling to discuss the secrets of the Seven Legendary Swords any further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now, let's focus on what you need to do, Carmen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing I addressed was the curse placed on me and the fact that I was being targeted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, she didn't seem shocked. Instead, she looked as if she already knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you… already know about this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen nodded, confirming my suspicions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hesitated before answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I learned about it from Ada.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since you've brought her up, that leads to the next matter. I want you to continue supporting her—that's one thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped closer, my tone serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But on the other hand, I need you to tell me… What exactly is my sister planning?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada knew too much. I had no doubt she was preparing for something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to grasp the situation now to strategize my next move effectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn't get the answer I wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry, Frey,\" Carmen said firmly. \"Your sister placed a strong restriction on me. No matter how loyal I am to you now, I physically can't speak about what she's planning. That's how serious she is about this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I brought a hand to my chin, deep in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada had done something drastic enough to force Carmen into silence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was becoming more troublesome by the second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing my frustration, Carmen quickly reassured me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey, your sister is completely on your side. She would never do anything to harm you—be certain of that. The best thing you can do right now is ask her directly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suppose you're right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to talk to my sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the real question was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where is Ada?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, neither Carmen, despite her strength, nor I realized that someone had slipped through her barriers. A hidden figure lurked in the shadows, silently watching everything unfold.\u003C\u002Fp>",2310,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","413a81468104c46aeab12a118c8d72dc6dde731504ef0c4c5b422c5baab98006","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-115","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-113",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]