[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-13":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},336800,598,"Chapter 13 13: The Nightmare Lands (1)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-13",13,"\u003Cp>-Frey starlight POV-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey, are you okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw a hand reaching toward my shoulder, but it recoiled the moment our eyes met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm fine, Ada… I just need some time alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, I'll go prepare what we agreed on… I'll be back soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I simply nodded, not bothering to say anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the moment, I was sitting on a couch that had been oddly placed in the middle of a vast hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been asked to wait here a while ago, and that was exactly what I was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel dozens of eyes watching me from afar, so I didn't dare to do anything foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, my wait didn't last long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of high heels clicking against the floor echoed as my escort returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get up, Frey. Let's get this over with quickly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and stood up, following Carmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everything has been arranged. Go inside and choose two skills, but neither can exceed Rank D. Sorry, but that's the best you're going to get.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't care much about the skill rank—I was more concerned with the skill itself. After all, I could develop any skill over time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it, why do I have to babysit?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen had been grumbling like this from time to time ever since she was assigned to escort me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't apologize. It was my choice, so I have no right to complain…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anyway, your situation is pretty bad, little Frey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\" I sighed. My standing in this family was worse than I had anticipated. If I hadn't somehow won Carmen over, I'd probably be dead by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Trust me, it's even worse than you think. The moment you choose your skills, one of the elders will immediately transfer you to the Nightmare Lands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You won't have time to do anything… You'll find yourself alone in the Nightmare Lands. Isn't that laughable? I mean, you were supposed to become a lord today…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, it's pathetic.\" I forced a laugh. The feeling of being despised and having a target on my back was new to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow, I had ended up on a path that would lead straight to my death… Even the old Frey would have survived until at least the start of the Temple Arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't believe my choices were worse than the old Frey's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn't matter… I needed every possible reason to hate this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That hatred was the only fuel keeping me going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen ran a hand through her hair, an empty expression on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But little Frey, maybe you deserve this, don't you think? I don't know much about your family's affairs, but you've done so many foolish things that even I've heard about them. Maybe the heavens finally decided to punish you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled at her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've already been punished…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment I was brought into this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, we're here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked ahead to see a massive door with a giant eye in the center. The eye was locked onto us, glowing red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mechanical voice echoed from nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Identity confirmed. Welcome back, Miss Carmen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I noticed Carmen's satisfied expression… This old woman was in her eighties, yet she still enjoyed being treated like a young lady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, the door opened before me, and I stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remember, Frey—two skills, and neither can exceed Rank D. I'll wait for you here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I entered alone as the door closed behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So… here we go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found myself inside something resembling a library. I was only allowed access to the first and second floors, where the weakest skills were located.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking calmly, I scanned the various shelves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skills and techniques were stored in either books or scrolls. One only needed to learn the correct formula to master a skill, so I had to choose wisely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already had a few ideas in mind—every skill I aimed for was meant to counter the protagonist's abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wandered for several hours, narrowing down my choices little by little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I made my decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contrary to my expectations, there were quite a few good skills among the Rank D ones, making my selection difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the two scrolls in my hands:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Phantom Steps] - Rank D\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A skill that increases the user's speed by 10% and makes their footsteps silent—even while running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hawk's Eye] - Rank D\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enhances the user's vision accuracy and allows them to see long distances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alright, these should be good enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked toward the door, and the same eye scanned me once again, this time inspecting the skills in my hands. In the end, the door opened, allowing me to exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, I found Carmen lounging on the same couch as before. Was she bored?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood up as soon as she sensed my presence, clear boredom written all over her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So? What took you so long? What did you choose?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She grabbed the skill scrolls from my hands, gave them a quick glance, and her expression immediately soured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Phantom Steps… A skill suited for assassins, but not very useful in direct combat. And Hawk's Eye… A skill fit for snipers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey, remind me of your class again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I answered nonchalantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm a swordsman.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression worsened after hearing that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it. If you told me you picked at random, I would have believed you. But you took all that time to choose skills that don't even suit you? Why did you waste my time in the first place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry, but these are the ones I want.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine, do whatever you want.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She handed the skills back to me, and we headed to another location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She might think they're useless, but in reality… after the modifications I planned to make, these skills would become natural counters to one of the protagonist's abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, we reached a separate room, and Carmen stepped aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's finish this quickly. Inject your power into the scrolls, then read what's written on them. That'll be enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and did as she instructed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A purple aura surrounded my hands as I transferred my energy into the scrolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the characters on them began to glow. As I read them aloud, I felt something being engraved into my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I repeated the process for both skills until the inscriptions vanished completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, we're done here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen walked out, and I followed behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I walked after her, I now possessed three skills—though one of them was completely useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let's test this out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hawk's Eye.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I activated the skill, and instantly, my right pupil shifted into a vertical slit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My vision changed completely. The accuracy of everything around me increased drastically, and I could zoom in on distant objects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amazing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time I had properly tested a skill…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey there, boy. Let's save the skill test for later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected from Carmen, she noticed that I had activated the skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I deactivated Hawk's Eye and resumed walking beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, we're here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The family's headquarters resembled a massive labyrinth, so moving from one place to another took some time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the moment, we were inside a small room filled with an overwhelming amount of aura. I could feel it clearly, pricking my skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room stood a masked man who seemed to have been waiting for us for some time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen nodded at the man before her, and he returned the gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me introduce you. This is one of the family elders—his name is Khalifa.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's fine, Carmen. I'll take it from here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was hoarse beneath that mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Will you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, I promise. No tricks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We'll see about that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Khalifa stepped toward me. He was covered from head to toe in black, making him look even more mysterious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shall we begin?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Begin what?\" I asked, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My ability is simple. I will use the aura in this room, combined with my own power, to open a portal. That portal will take you to the place you seek.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But first, I need to know exactly where you want to go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, I see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't know the precise location of the Ten Thousand Shadow Steps technique, but I did have the general coordinates of the region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sharing what I knew, Khalifa immediately got to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well. I'll begin at once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy in the room began swirling around him as he started forming a portal in front of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Normally, I wouldn't need to use the aura here, but the place you want to go to is really far.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contrary to his intimidating appearance, the elder was surprisingly chatty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's worth noting that he was an awakened being of S-Class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn't take long—within just an hour, a silver portal shimmered before us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Khalifa took a step back, his hand glowing with the same silvery light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Extend your hand, Frey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hesitant, I glanced at Carmen, but seeing that she didn't object, I did as he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I did, the aura transferred to my right hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I jerked my hand back, inspecting it. The silver aura had formed a geometric circle etched with strange symbols.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to worry. This mark will always guide you back to the portal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are now the master of this gate. The circle on your hand is your key—and your guide.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see. Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'So this is my only way back…'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Khalifa nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My work here is done. When you're ready, step through the portal. Once you do, you'll find yourself in the Eastern Nightmare Lands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took a deep breath. This was it... I was likely marching to my death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doubt crept in at the last moment, but unfortunately—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no turning back now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar female voice called my name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to see Ada standing there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're late… Ada. I was just about to leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't reply. Instead, she simply walked up to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took my left hand and slid a ring onto my ring finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the silver band on my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a Dimensional Ring.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it was one of those storage items with a pocket dimension inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This ring is the best I could find. Inside, I've prepared enough food and water to last you an entire year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I also packed plenty of clothes. There are various weapons, including all the guns you requested—along with ten thousand aura-infused bullets.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I added some armor and a variety of training potions, including health recovery elixirs, healing serums, and more, and more—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at Ada as she continued listing the various items inside the ring. A warmth spread through me—she reminded me so much of my mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a small chuckle and gently stopped her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's enough, Ada. You've done more than enough… Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She fell silent for a moment before shaking her head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was just fulfilling my part of the deal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to face the silver portal waiting before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tossed the backpack off my shoulder and stored it inside the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My laptop was in that bag—it was good that I carried it everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stretching my muscles a bit, I took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to step into the Nightmare Lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen leaned against the wall, watching me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey… To be honest, I don't think you'll survive. But good luck anyway. You'll need it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know… Thanks for everything, Miss Carmen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took my first step forward—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a slender hand grabbed my wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Ada.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey… Isn't there another way? Do you really have to go to the Nightmare Lands of all places?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gently removed her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. I have to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's okay… Ada, even if I die, no one will care. This is something I must do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With heavy steps, I walked toward the portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada watched my back with sorrow in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the frail shoulders of her little brother, she felt a deep bitterness inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She reached out for him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was already gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey Starlight had stepped into the Nightmare Lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alone.\u003C\u002Fp>",2046,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.067Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","c3f783c98c93ab2a6d432d8dc7812270bf1a252ce4e0c3bf37d720ffd91bb728","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-14","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-12",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]