[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-15":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},336802,598,"Chapter 15 15: The Nightmare Lands (3)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-15",15,"\u003Cp>-Frey starlight POV -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lunged forward, firing blindly as I ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind me, dozens of those grotesque crab-like creatures gave chase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no chance I could fight them—not when I had barely managed to kill one while it was already wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sprinted, clutching my injured shoulder, my breath ragged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of gnashing teeth echoed behind me. I didn't dare look back—I didn't need to. I knew exactly how terrifying the sight would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were ravenous, desperate to sink their claws into me, so much so that they crashed into each other in their frenzy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their numbers kept growing. The distance between us kept shrinking. Their attacks lashed out, some missing me by mere inches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew I wouldn't last. Not like this. Fighting wasn't even an option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced my mind to race, searching for a way out. But no matter how much I thought, no matter how hard I tried—one truth became clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was going to die here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to make things worse… there was that fog obscuring my vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait… fog?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snapping back to reality, I realized I had been running through the mist for some time now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dense, suffocating fog—so thick that I could no longer see a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, my heart sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stopped running immediately and hid behind a tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wrapping my arms around my body, I squeezed my eyes shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this fog could only mean one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I prayed—prayed with every fiber of my being—that I was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that the creatures hadn't already torn me apart confirmed my worst fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no idea when I'd entered its domain, but now, I was inside the territory of one of the deadliest monsters in all of Nightmare's Lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mist Stalker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I covered my head and curled in on myself, keeping my eyes sealed shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what happens… no matter what I hear… I must not open my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the only way to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat frozen, listening to the slaughter unfold around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sickening sound of flesh being torn apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The agonized screams of the creatures that had chased me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bodies thudding to the ground. Blood splattering. Limbs flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like a battlefield—a massacre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I resisted the primal urge to run, forcing myself to stay motionless, my world consumed by darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, the carnage faded. And then—silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stillness stretched on, endless and suffocating. A few minutes felt like hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept my eyes shut, my heart pounding, praying for the nightmare to pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, just when I thought it was over, a whisper brushed against my ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl's voice. Soft. Gentle. Almost… soothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A delicate touch grazed my chest. But instead of comfort, an unbearable weight settled in my gut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the voice was familiar. Ada.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was whispering to me in my sister's voice. Touching me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at me… Frey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice coiled around me like a serpent, insistent, inviting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even then—even as my body screamed at me to respond—I refused to open my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's wrong? Don't you love me anymore, Frey?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A different voice now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One I didn't recognize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But whoever it was, they weren't going to leave me alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft, warm body pressed against my back, embracing me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at me… Frey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it. Get away from me, you filthy creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gritted my teeth, cursing inwardly, praying for this torment to end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice went quiet for a moment before speaking again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at me, ****.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…What?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stiffened. That name…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one should know that name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that was the name I had been called in my old world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at me, ****… Don't you love me anymore?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lips quivered. My entire body trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was my mother's voice. My real mother's voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt. I knew this was nothing but an illusion. I knew that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this… this was too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Open your eyes, my son.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father's voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We've missed you, brother…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My brother's voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit down on my lip until blood spilled down my chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longing crashed into me, overwhelming, suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nearly gave in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel their warmth—the embrace I had missed so much. I wanted to reach out. I wanted to hold on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I knew…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I opened my eyes, it would all be over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the midst of my mental battle, the warmth vanished. The gentle touch disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in their place, something else loomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something massive. Something inhuman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Open your eyes, you filth!.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whisper was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Replaced by something monstrous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice so nightmarish, so inhuman, that my mind conjured the most horrifying demon it could imagine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at me, you worthless bastard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice scraped against my sanity like nails on glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle inside my mind dragged on, endless and torturous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no idea how much time passed. Minutes. Hours. Days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I stayed there. Eyes shut tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I anchored myself in pain, refusing to let go, refusing to lose my grip on reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The presence vanished. The voices stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I still didn't move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hours passed. One after another. And still, I remained motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when I was certain it was truly over did I slowly, cautiously, open my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, my vision blurred, struggling to adjust from darkness to light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, clarity returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fog was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And all around me—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens. No, hundreds of corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The severed limbs of the crab creatures littered the ground like discarded shells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a battlefield. A massacre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A one-sided slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I fought the urge to vomit and sat there, completely drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of hell have I stepped into?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Oklas Mountains – Starlight Family Stronghold\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seated at his grand desk, the immortal lion, Leonidas Starlight, sifted through a stack of documents, his fingers absently shuffling the pages. Yet, another mountain of paperwork loomed, waiting for his attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His work seemed endless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him stood a masked figure draped in an elegant black robe. He remained motionless, unwilling to disturb Leonidas, silently awaiting his turn to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hours passed before Leonidas finally looked up, meeting the masked man's gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've returned quickly… Khalifa.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Khalifa inclined his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"\"Indeed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I assume you bring news.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You assume correctly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Khalifa paused for a moment before continuing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey Starlight has perished within the Nightmare Lands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm… Did you kill him yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unfortunately, I did not. But I can confirm his death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leonidas tilted his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And how can you be so sure?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's simple. I saw him enter the domain of one of the Nightmare's most terrifying creatures… the Mist Stalker.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leonidas's eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mist Stalker—its name alone carried immense weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, that abomination was a monstrous being, and even Leonidas himself wasn't confident in his chances of survival if he ever found himself in its domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was powerful, but worse than that, it possessed attacks that targeted the mind, making it an absolute nightmare to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his 150 years of life, he had never heard of a way to escape the creature once caught in its mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So yes, Frey was dead—beyond any doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should have recovered his body… or at least what remained of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My apologies, Lord Leonidas, but even with my teleportation abilities, I lack the courage to step into the mist.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exhale…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leonidas sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No matter. You've done well… You may go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you command.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a whisper of displaced air, Khalifa vanished, leaving no trace he had ever been there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leonidas leaned back into his opulent chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, this is how it ends… Abraham, you were wrong. Your son was never the chosen one after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes, recalling that fateful night… the colossal battle in which the entire family had fought under Abraham Starlight's command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had won in the end, but at a price. That night, Abraham lay in a pool of his own blood, his final words all about his son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now… that son was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>",1377,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.067Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","337f03b8f78c22fb9b2a635459912a9daac7cbc17d96b59dba192c65053f60f2","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-16","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-14",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]