[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-210":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},336647,598,"Chapter 210: A Feast for Crows","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-210",210,"\u003Cp>When night fell, And darkness ruled ... Only blackness remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lone figure ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walked silently through the back alleys and darkened corridors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silent assassin—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost Umbra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eyes closed ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He followed a specific path. Winding through back streets ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twisting through hidden corridors until eventually ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He descended into the filthy sewers beneath the capital city of Belgrad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost finally arrived at a wide, open clearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clearing covered in white flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the scene before him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the pipes above, dripping steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the crumbling, rotting walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sight that made him wonder ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could such flowers grow—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a place so desolate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step by step, Ghost walked forward, Heading toward the center of the white garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few paces—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two others silently followed behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost didn't turn to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply continued forward ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until he stood before a man clad entirely in black, standing alone at the garden's center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man wore a black mask shaped like a skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two behind him wore the same attire,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though their masks had different designs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost smiled bitterly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recognizing them immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn't expect them to send The Numbers… for someone like me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response to his words ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three men removed their masks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each bore distinct features ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man directly before him, Looked strikingly similar to Ghost himself,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>save for a long scar across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kneel, Ghost Umbra.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silent assassin obeyed without resistance ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lowering himself onto one knee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You accept your fate, then…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence settled over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each stared at the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Ghost and the man standing before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everything has a price in this life, Ghost Umbra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You know how things work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You know the rules that must never be broken.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Any last words?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men behind him spoke in turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost's expression remained utterly unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did… my father say anything?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any words?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anything at all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We are nothing but killing tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weapons, forged perfectly for a purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Leader of the Court is no different.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He stayed true to himself to the very end, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man before Ghost .. His elder cousin ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the first to draw a sword—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short, deadly blade black as night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost knew exactly what was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Before I die i wanted to know…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How far the elders had reached.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not really expecting an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, unexpectedly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three replied without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seventh Court.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seventh Court.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both men behind him spoke together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the man at the front answered differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eighth Court.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They spoke in terms only assassins could understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost replied—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face as vacant as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tenth Court.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those faint words ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Made even these seasoned killers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Visibly react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn't help it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could they when they realized the frail-looking young man kneeling before them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had reached the very final Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having walked the same hellish path themselves ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They understood each other without needing further words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing but respect—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And mutual acknowledgment between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could even glimpse hesitation in their eyes ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of doubt ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As to whether killing this talent was truly the right choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Ghost represented their peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The very pinnacle of their struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But orders ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both men behind drew their blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had known from the start—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That escape from the shadow Court was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the Numbers head-on—was a foolish notion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting for the end,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost muttered softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have no regrets.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had trained harder than anyone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had stained his hands with blood ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endured every savage training ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watched others die while he survived ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Climbing higher and higher .. Until he reached a level no one else had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even he had limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expectations placed upon him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had always been sky-high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the son of Mist Umbra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as a man who had walked through the darkness, he had seen it ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he had seen, with painful clarity, the limits of his potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That level had not satisfied the silent assassin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted an ending worthy of all he had endured throughout his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was then he understood .. that darkness was nothing without light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he had risked everything for his beliefs, fighting against Snow Lionheart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To die now, after fighting for what he believed in...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that was simply his fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have no regrets.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had come so close...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>so close to discovering the answer...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what awaited him in the end was the executioner's blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassins raised their swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their reflections gleamed across Ghost's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And without warning ..The white flowers were dyed red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood gushed forth, staining that isolated place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost stared, wide-eyed, as two heads rolled past him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still unable to grasp what had happened, soaked in the blood of those men...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader spoke, after cutting down his companions:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ghost Umbra… The Shadow Court has judged your actions.The verdict blood must be spilled.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader gripped his sword and raised it high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You once asked about your father's words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very well .. listen carefully.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What you did is a debt. A debt that must be repaid .. and the price is human lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man laughed bitterly as he stared at his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But not your life... It seems your soul is far too valuable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, three other souls have been offered to settle the debt.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"W-What?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grim assassin drove his sword violently into his own throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your debt has been paid, Ghost Umbra.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fountain of blood sprayed across Ghost's face, painting it crimson red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three corpses now lay around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost sat there in shock for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes stared into emptiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had expected death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had been naive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What I do from now on...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>will decide whether others live or die?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mist Umbra's message had been cruel this time...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By breaking the Shadow Court rules, Ghost's actions had doomed others to die in his place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silent assassin stood up and wiped his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gathered himself .. as he always had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his bare hands, he dug and dug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dug three graves, and buried those three who had once been like brothers to him ... men who had endured the same suffering he had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After covering them with earth, the silent assassin stood once more and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"May you find peace…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, Ghost disappeared back into the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days left until the final battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As night fell, everyone else slept soundly in their beds, away from the chaos of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the young man with golden eyes and brilliant white hair drifted far away in his dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Lionheart, summoning memories of a past long buried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the outskirts of the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far away from the noise of the great cities — far from the turbulence of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst a lush green plain, a beautiful place that lifted the heart...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood an orphanage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive orphanage crowned with a sign depicting a white dove soaring into the sky ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a symbol of hope and freedom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yosefka Orphanage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the walls of that orphanage, built of black stone...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A boy with golden eyes, white hair, and pale skin often played.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was an exceptionally beautiful child ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a sight that lifted the spirits of all who saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He often played with his friends all day long until exhaustion took over and they collapsed into sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From time to time, he would cling to the skirt of the orphanage's deputy director, laughing along with everyone who saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The director himself would occasionally visit to check on them ... a frightening man, silent, with three red scars across his face, and golden reading glasses perched on his nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clad in the robes of a clergyman, he looked terrifying to the children ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>yet he was extremely kind to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why everyone loved him too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time passed, Snow was forced to say farewell to many of his friends as they left to continue their lives elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He often said \"goodbye.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day, he was warned not to approach a certain area within the orphanage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Snow... always be a good boy,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the deputy director would often repeat to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't be curious. Be content with what you have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contentment is a treasure that never fades...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he engraved those words a little deeper into his heart,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>perhaps what happened could have been avoided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you doing here...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So much blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His golden eyes widened in horror, and he struggled even to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The director stood there, blood dripping constantly from his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why didn't you obey orders, my boy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon the table ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mangled remains of a half-eaten corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The body of one of those he had played with for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, my dear Snow...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bloody hand gently ruffled his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You didn't see anything... did you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That face...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he would never forget it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're a good boy, after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the boy was yanked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow awoke, gasping for air, his body drenched in cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clutched the silver pendant hanging from his bare upper body ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his only adornment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His flawless, sweat-soaked body...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his trembling hands...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old scars do not fade easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they had become his greatest driving force to move forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>–Frey Starlight's POV–\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomorrow... everything would end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised my recently reattached right hand, testing a few movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hand responded, but I felt it clearly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slight delay, even if just for a fraction of a second, caused by the nerves not having fully healed yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, I couldn't rely on it for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was forced to wield my sword with my left hand again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting on the ground beside my bed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I checked my physical condition, and everything I had prepared over the past two years ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All my abilities... the ones I had forged for this very moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I recalled Uriel's words — how she had told me it would be impossible to fully recover before the battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I appeared fine now, the accumulated injuries had left their mark...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike my opponent, who would be fighting in perfect condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the only deadly weapon left at my disposal was Ignition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sole technique that surpassed Snow Lionheart's arsenal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I could only unleash it as a last resort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A normal sword would draw out far less aura than Balerion...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, even if I could launch a deadly blow, it would be much weaker compared to what I had unleashed back on the island. The risks were enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Snow survived the blast... I would lose everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First ... ordinary swords wouldn't withstand the ignition and would shatter into pieces — meaning I would lose my weapon after firing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second ... my body would be destroyed too, as I'd be forcing my aura pathways to channel far beyond their natural limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wouldn't even be able to fight afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The risks of using Ignition were simply too great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning, I could no longer fully rely on my most powerful weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That left me with a set of other skills I had honed until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Lionheart...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't face him the same way I faced others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pure willpower wouldn't mean much against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't simply exhaust him like I did with Daemon ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>if I tried, he'd annihilate me immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind had reached a dead end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew I would give it everything I had in tomorrow's battle — even if it killed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter how much I thought...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>no matter how much I struggled...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't see it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't imagine a scenario where I won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every path ended in defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, to keep myself from losing my mind, I spent the entire night staring at the system's advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoping to find salvation...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before I even realized it...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final day had passed in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, I was walking toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toward the appointed day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today... I will write the ending of this journey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2062,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:12.387Z",1,"novelbin.me","3e781076bb4feb0820cc29c7d3538763685d4f88643ac09bee07f734030fc713","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-211","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-209",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]