[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-367":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},336912,598,"Chapter 367: The Puppet City (2)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-367",367,"\u003Cp>Unleashing a destructive wave, he cleaved both the clown and the giant sentinel in two, all while continuing his rampage and roaring ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come out and face me! Simon Manus!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept shouting his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speakers crackled back to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoho? Who would’ve thought our dear Frey Starlight actually knows me... I’m truly impressed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slash!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forced to fight against the relentless onslaught of puppet soldiers, Frey had no choice but to keep them at bay—at least until Clana could escape the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cut the crap and face me already!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And why would I do that, little devil?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something strange happened ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mechanical giant sentinel rose again, and the severed body of the fat clown began reassembling itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve prepared plenty of gifts for you. No need for me to show up and ruin the fun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That clown puppet in particular was absurdly strong. Its belly split in half like a giant mouth, trying to swallow Frey whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he dodged the attack with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That damn Zombozo...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harnessing more aura and unleashing his power even further ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey began to tear through the puppets faster and more brutally, putting on a terrifying display of destructive might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balerion and Dark Sister—both swords were drenched in blue and red blood as Frey exhaled steaming heat from his mouth with every kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the chaotic madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey’s eyes widened as he saw something strange happening across the battlefield...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw them clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some puppets still alive were gathering in sorrow around those already destroyed...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puppets of children, men, women, the elderly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All kinds were there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Frey had already realized the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His teeth clenched as he continued slaughtering them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without warning ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey froze in place as an overwhelming surge of aura pressure slammed into him, forcing him to turn immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"SS Rank?!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his focus shifted ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single puppet standing atop one of the massive buildings...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black puppet with glowing red eyes and long black hair, holding two red katanas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey Starlight. Just like your father, Abraham Starlight... you are truly extraordinary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon Manus spoke again through the speakers, anticipation thick in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your father caused many disasters across this land in the distant past... and this is one of his many victims, returned to exact vengeance!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey’s face grew serious as he released his full power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Blood Form.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ready for battle, he faced the puppet that now leapt toward him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All while Simon Manus continued, refusing to remain silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me introduce you to the former Lord of the Ultras—the man your father killed! Val!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the ancient Lords, slain long ago by Abraham Starlight, had returned...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now reborn as an enraged puppet, thirsting for revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Val, seeing Abraham in Frey, launched his full strength from the very start. Their swords clashed with violent force as the true battle began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Abraham Starlight may be dead... so it’s only natural the son pays the price, right? Kikiki...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between Simon Manus’ twisted laughter, and the puppet army now surrounding Frey—led by an SS-Rank puppet of vengeance—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaos once again engulfed the Puppet City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– The Tea Party –\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside her splendid garden...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beatrice sat alone this time, sipping from her cup and thoroughly enjoying the performance unfolding before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Simon Manus... you’ve always been a deranged old man.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of her, a screen displayed everything happening in the Puppet City, in the highest possible resolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You say you don’t follow demons, but another race entirely... then what’s the difference between us? Hehehehe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She laughed, recalling Simon’s twisted hobbies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike her, who crafted her own homunculus..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon’s puppets were something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using a strange blue substance he’d obtained from the very entities he claimed to worship—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon had somehow transformed living humans into puppets that resembled machines, turning them into the \"art pieces\" he so often raved about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stripping them of their humanity, making their bodies out of steel ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon Manus had created elegant monsters shaped like dolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We demons gave humans our blood. But you... you poisoned them with your strange toxins. So tell me—what’s the difference between us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enjoying the spectacle...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beatrice watched Frey Starlight’s battle against the former Lord, now turned into a puppet by Simon—along with the entire population of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All those puppets Frey had slaughtered so far...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had once been real people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People who had lived lives just like his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he had known that from the very beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so—he didn’t hesitate to destroy them, offering them some form of release.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was incredibly strong...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was still just one man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder... how much longer can you last, Frey Starlight? Especially with someone weighing you down? Hehehe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Simon’s request...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beatrice had lured Frey into the Puppet City, making Simon yet another piece in the witch’s grand game—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A move that birthed the chaos unfolding now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s not much time left before we reach the final phase of the game, so I do hope you’ll give me a proper show... Simon Manus and Frey Starlight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Frey Starlight fought for his life far from them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of the elite class lay hidden among the Ultras, waiting for his return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phoenix Sunlight had ventured out again and again during those days, hoping to find Frey if he ever got close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he never appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the elite class had shown a willingness to wait—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the longer Frey delayed, the more others began to consider leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell is taking Frey Starlight so long?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daemon Valerion cursed, having lost his patience ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surrounded by the rest of the elite class, all of whom had reached their limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their food had run out, and the only things keeping them going were aura and the water Seris continued to create for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite having already discovered the route back home, the decision to wait under such harsh conditions had created a tense atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Figures like Scarite Sunlight and her brother were ready to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on the other hand, some made it clear they would wait for Frey no matter how long it took.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not moving from this spot until Frey gets here. Anyone who wants to leave—go ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danzo spoke indifferently as he wrapped a white bandage around his swollen fists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Danzo, Snow, Ghost, and Sansa were the most determined to stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This growing divide slowly began to fracture the elite class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sansa, who had isolated herself from the others, often immersed herself in trying to control her shadows and the power her body now carried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she had been able to go to him—she would’ve done so without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in her current state, she could do nothing but wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While meditating—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her dark eyes wandered, lost in thought...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Even though he’s not here... I often feel like he’s watching me from somewhere...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no concrete proof that the final survivor was Frey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Sansa was certain it was him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no idea about the third-person perspective skill Frey had occasionally used on her ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet still, she could feel his presence in an eerie, inexplicable way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that alone convinced her he was alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted to master her power quickly to prepare for what was coming, fully intent on waiting until the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But everything changed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Selena suddenly stood up, a dark expression etched into her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Selena... what’s wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris, who sat beside her, asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words drew the attention of everyone nearby, all eyes now fixed on Selena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with a heavy heart and unable to bring herself to say the full truth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The witch finally spoke, delivering a message none of them were ready to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The last remaining marker of the final survivor...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That fragile thread of hope connecting them to the one person still unaccounted for—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a single sentence—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despair gripped the hearts of some, while a faint light of hope still lingered in others.\u003C\u002Fp>",1343,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.347Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","c082ef3106033b8c0f6fd519ec06d14fbe394b8e71aa135d5108aba4e4bc5229","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-59","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-366",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]