[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-167":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},336854,598,"Chapter 167 167: Towards Another Hell","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-167",167,"\u003Cp>-Frey Starlight's Pov-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The games had begun…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of pounding footsteps and excited shouting filled the air, as if we were in some sort of chaotic marathon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temple's army had already started to scatter the moment we stepped into the accursed forest…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The towering trees blocked out the sky, and green vines slithered across the ground like serpents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a familiar environment… one that oddly made me feel nostalgic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved in absolute silence thanks to Phantom Steps, avoiding contact with the other students as much as I could. After all, they were already causing a ridiculous amount of noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nightmare creatures were drawn to certain things more than others—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light… and sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssssss\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only minutes into the island, the vanguard ran into their first challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creatures the size of humans appeared, taking the form of grey-scaled lizards that emitted a foul, filthy aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They resembled Komodo dragons, if anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment they appeared, the smartband on my wrist buzzed, projecting detailed information:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Type: Mutated Komodo Dragons\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rank: E\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reward: One point for every three killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I finished reading, laughter erupted all around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the test you've been hyping up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dragons my ass! They're just dumb lizards!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swords were drawn. Spears, bows, even bare fists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were a lot of them—these lizard things—but that was it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creatures like this… were nothing but pitiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of slicing and slashing rang out. The lizards bled just like us—vibrant, bright red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone charged in with reckless excitement, slashing them down in a frenzy, letting their adrenaline blind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slash\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I silently decapitated two of the creatures before they even saw me coming and moved on without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren't worth much… barely offering any points. They were more of a bait trap than a real challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staying here would be idiotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I wasn't the only one who thought so—many other participants were already moving on as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, my only focus was reaching my designated point… E6.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed slowly as I sprinted through the terrain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My running speed was terrifying, and my stamina was top-tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I must have crossed dozens of kilometers already—yet the map still showed me in the same square.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's when it hit me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't just an island…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was enormous. Vast beyond comprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where even were we? Were we still inside the Empire's borders?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden notification snapped me out of my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One hour has passed. Students are now permitted to attack one another.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it begins…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scanned my surroundings—no one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd wandered off on my own without realizing it. I was completely alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing that, I didn't lower my guard for even a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel it. One second you're alone, the next there's a blade at your throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that wasn't even accounting for the other students. I was sure this island was crawling with Nightmare creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smartband wouldn't give any information unless I encountered them directly—so there was no point in searching blindly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered what kind of creature I'd run into next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I got my answer, in the most unsettling way possible…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard screams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Howling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miserable, haunting sounds that made my face darken slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I erased my presence immediately and hid behind one of the trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peeking out carefully… I saw them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creatures with thick gray fur. Skulls far too large for their bodies, sunken eyes, and grotesque features made up of torn, decaying flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their hands ended in long claws, and their limbs were unnaturally thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them… were naked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them were covered in tattered clothes that barely managed to cover anything...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I covered my mouth, swallowing my dry saliva...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't want to see them... I didn't want to at all...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't need the smartwatch's warning to recognize them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ganados…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Type: Ganados\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rank: D\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reward: One point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I observed them for a moment before moving toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dark aura slowly enveloped my sword... and, on the other side, they noticed my presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another, they charged at me, rushing toward me like madmen... dozens of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a grim face, I swung my sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm sorry...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slash\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cut through them violently. I didn't want to prolong the fight because I was irritated by the whole situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five minutes...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, 30 nightmare creature corpses lay before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the least I could do... as the one who caused this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wiped the red blood off my sword and stared at the bodies around me for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had gained 30 points from this fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a decent number of points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether they were Ganados... or whatever they were called...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation around me made me drift off for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as I mentioned before... on this island, a second spent alone...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the next second...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A giant blade reflected in my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura of burning fire, and that strange young man who appeared out of nowhere, swinging his sword at my face, brought me back to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely deflected his attack, retreating quickly, but as soon as I did, two girls appeared around me, each wielding a pair of daggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw lines of light shooting from their hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rapid strikes targeted my vital points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a reflex, I spun around, defending with my sword, sending a wave of dark aura to push them back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately dashed between the trees as they pursued me directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using Hawk Eyes, I noticed many more of them approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This many…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they all appeared to be bigger than me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something's wrong…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrows charged with aura flew around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, I barely avoided the fiery projectiles constantly flying toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every now and then, some of their fighters would close the gap and engage me in close combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha, look at this! You older students are coming at me in such numbers...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed away a swordsman who had been tailing me, continuing my sprint through the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is my neck that enticing to you? What an honor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard a snap, followed by a grunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I carefully watched their movements and continued to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were so many of them... dozens…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And all of them were from either second or third-year students... most likely the latter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing how agitated they were, it must have been a source of shame for them, chasing a first-year student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it must be orders from someone higher up, not their own will...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a terrifying grin, dark aura surged around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So this is how you want to play, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop, Starlight! There's no point in what you're doing…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The older students shouted unexpectedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We don't want to drag this farce out… give up, and let us eliminate you from this test. It'll be the worst thing that happens to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, you want to eliminate me, then leave to finish your test?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all clearly either regular students or Abyss students at best...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had gathered enough information... now... shall we begin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I passed by one of the trees, something unusual happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where did he go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pursuers were stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prey they had been chasing just moments ago had completely vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn't the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you think you're doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From above!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black meteor struck down above their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword, infused with dark aura, created several paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One sword, then two, then three, and then an endless array of blades...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands moved at an insane speed, relentlessly slicing through the bastards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each strike was lethal, leaving them powerless. While my attacks were blocked, it wasn't by them—it was by the shields protecting them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killer Strike !\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killer Strike !\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killer Strike !\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their defenses were shattered, but that only meant they had failed. The shields sent out a powerful shockwave, knocking out those I had struck down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were eliminated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a swift motion of my sword, I sliced through the arrows, dodging the various attacks from the Wave Manipulators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A terrifying smile spread across my face as I walked toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of drugs are you on? For people like you to think you have a chance against me ...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's true that I don't use Balerion...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But my style... Ten Thousand Steps of Shadow...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was ranked SSS, as you know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't get cocky!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same giant from earlier, who had attacked me with that massive sword, appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go home, you fool.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With just two strikes, the first sent his sword flying, and the second took him down. I walked calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I really should thank Aegon... for these free points...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take him down!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all attacked, and I rushed toward them as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of clashing swords filled the air...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them, enveloped in darkness, overwhelmed all of his opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was almost laughable...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huff\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took a deep breath, leaning against the trunk of a massive tree as I sat quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another hour had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been two hours since I entered the island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had taken down the third-year students who had been chasing me—28 in total...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five points for each of them, plus the points for the Nightmare Creatures I had killed...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced at my watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey Starlight: 170 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was better than I had expected...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised my hand, glancing at the bloodied wound on my right hand, which had almost healed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been rushing during the last fight, and an arrow had pierced my hand out of nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I had handled it, getting injured like this wasn't ideal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all in the C-rank...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn't have anything that qualified them to fight me...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I couldn't underestimate them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the injury on my hand was proof of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the last chase made me realize something important...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I casually drew in the dirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are two types of pursuers on this island...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First, the bastards who want to kill me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the extremists from the Moonlight family that Ghost mentioned... and perhaps some of them were from outside that family as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wanted me dead... but that would be very difficult since the island is under surveillance. Just seconds after I defeated the third-year students, they disappeared immediately, indicating that someone had transported them away—likely one of the professors or sorcerers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, those individuals won't act recklessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bigger problem... is that I don't know most of their identities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Secondly, the bastards who don't want to kill me... but want to eliminate me...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, they were sent by Aegon...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter can't kill me directly because that would mean an uprising against Starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, if he wants to get rid of me, he'll need some kind of trick...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he's playing with me by attempting to crush me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's why he had the third-year students attack me... and this is probably just the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon has built many strong relationships throughout his life... Most likely, he controls the strongest elites of the third-year students, who in turn control the rest of the ordinary students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most likely... I will be attacked the entire time I'm here, by stronger individuals... up to the big heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don't know what he's planning... but that's fine...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep sending me those free points, Aegon... I'll play with you as much as you want.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dealing with them, alongside the Nightmare creatures that some say even belong to the S rank...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've just stepped into another hell...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed in frustration as I dashed forward once again...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I must be reaching point E6 soon...\u003C\u002Fp>",1965,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","051d7f842418b1e933e5d9d0f45900845f8bc1b913f2ed925abe1e19f6bf60a0","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-168","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-166",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]