[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-385":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},336948,598,"Chapter 385: Blood of the Close Ones (2)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-385",385,"\u003Cp>A monstrous figure, over five meters tall, loomed above him—casting a terrifying shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spear was still lodged in his chest...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to the sheer size of this giant beast ... now with a single eye and four muscular arms—it looked insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahh... so I’ve tasted my blood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lawrence’s voice had changed. No longer the voice of a lean, mad youth ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had become deep, grating... monstrous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he opened his enormous mouth, Ragna froze, paralyzed by the unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder... how YOUR blood will taste?! AHAHAHAHA!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him, that gaping maw opened wide ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A portal into a personal hell pulled from Ragna’s darkest nightmares.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elsewhere, the Ultras warriors retreated even farther .. And it became clear why they had left such a wide gap between themselves and Lawrence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The empyrean of Mirgo .. Lawrence was a beast no one could ever predict. The only one who had ever managed to keep him under control was Mirgo himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why getting too close to him was never a good idea. At times, simply on a whim, he wouldn’t spare friend or foe alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would transform into a grotesque monster, shrouded in a cursed, blood-drenched aura... mouth wide open before his prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna tried to act immediately—but froze when he found himself unable to pull his spear out of Lawrence’s body, no matter how hard he tried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flesh and blood of that monster had hardened, turning into something akin to reinforced steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now disarmed, Ragna was completely isolated... left helpless before the beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mere moments later, the Ultras army heard the sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of Lawrence’s bite—crushing down on Ragna’s lower half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna didn’t even move. Lifted high into the air, he was devoured from the waist down, his legs and entrails torn apart and ground between jagged fangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finally tasting the blood he so desperately craved...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lawrence spat Ragna aside, his mangled body tumbling across the dead soil of the Ultrassian plains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Delicious! So delicious! Deli—DELICIOUS! AHAHAHAHA!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughing like a monster, Lawrence cackled, his bloodstained mouth dripping with fresh crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Ragna...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply lay there... staring up at the sky, aimless and empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t dare look down. He already knew what he would see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You were right, Danzo...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Collapsed on the ground... his intestines scattered, his organs mangled—Ragna Claud met a fate darker than the one that claimed the father he had come to avenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna Claude vs. Lawrence — another battle ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Ultras army continued to march, trailing behind Lawrence, whose monstrous form was slowly crumbling... reverting back to the emaciated young man he once was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked euphoric—intoxicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like someone who had just spent the night with the woman of his dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that state, approaching him was dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why the army deliberately stayed at least a hundred meters behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their next destination: the remaining elite students, each fighting their own desperate battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now this... is interesting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somewhere in the western zone ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena and Aegon Valerion appeared inside a battlefield prepared specifically for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing his ever-present smile .. one that never wavered, no matter the situation—Aegon let out a small chuckle, analyzing their predicament as Selena stood beside him, her expression dark and clouded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They placed their trap right at the gateway meant to send us home—knowing full well it was our only exit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A trap formed of a magical circle that scattered us randomly... splitting us apart to make the hunt easier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked slowly, hands behind his back, and Selena followed, a note of unease in her stride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If this really is a trap, then we’re in serious trouble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, it’s definitely a trap,\" Aegon replied calmly, glancing around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place they had been sent to was a desolate city—completely cut off from the rest of the Ultrassian lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if they went to the trouble of isolating us like this, I assume our executioner is already here... waiting for us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking for some time through the empty city, Aegon came to a halt—and so did Selena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it?\" she asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She readied every trick and spell she had, bracing herself for anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon’s eyes were locked on a massive building topped with an old, rusted clock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there .. atop that building stood the one meant for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There you are,\" Aegon said with a smirk. \"The executioner they prepared just for us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena’s despair deepened tenfold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it not, when the one standing there radiated an SS class aura?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing a black cloak that resembled the plague-doctors of old...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wielding a massive scythe...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And exuding a murderous intent so raw it made Selena tremble involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Hollow—Ludwig.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same cursed creature that had appeared in Yharnam just one year ago, where he singlehandedly fought the Empire’s finest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they spotted him ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spotted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that’s Ludwig the Hollow, huh? Impressive. The Ultras actually managed to tame him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this really the time for your damn commentary?! He’s SS class!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena immediately deployed a magical barrier around herself and Aegon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We have to get out of here—right now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Activating her spell, Selena attempted to teleport them as far away as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it was random ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was better than standing face-to-face with Ludwig the Hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bzzzt—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena was just about to activate her magic—when a focused electric jolt struck her from behind, knocking her out cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She collapsed unconscious, and Aegon let out a sigh as lightning danced lazily between his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are most girls around me this annoying? Look how perfect you are when you’re quiet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After attacking his only ally, Aegon turned his gaze back to Ludwig, who had just leapt down, now standing face-to-face with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hollow began walking toward him slowly, dragging his massive scythe behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The screech of metal scraping against the ground... the crushing weight of his overwhelming aura...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it pressed down on Aegon, who didn’t budge an inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... they’ve sent someone of your caliber against me. I suppose this is their way of trying to force my hand ..make me play a few of my cards, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon exhaled in annoyance before walking forward to meet Ludwig himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well. You’ll get what you asked for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As both of them advanced toward one another ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon slipped his hands into his pockets, and a crooked grin spread across his face while his expression turned darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They say you were raised among Nightmare beasts, Ludwig. That you’re no different from them now. Which means you probably can’t even understand a word I’m saying...kekekekeke...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His golden eyes gleamed as the air around them thickened and warped, causing Ludwig to stop in his tracks without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nightmare creatures are no different from wild animals. They fight using instinct and limited intelligence ..but what they do have... is a strong sixth sense. A survival instinct sharp enough to feel danger of every kind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his hands still in his pockets and an air of superiority, Aegon asked his foe in a low, commanding voice ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, Hollow Ludwig... what do you see when you look at me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air grew heavier and heavier. Ludwig didn’t move a muscle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do I look like prey you think you can hunt?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Answer me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon continued speaking without pause...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the world around him no longer felt the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Selena been conscious, she might’ve gone insane from the sheer pressure of the killing intent now flooding the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the cursed Ludwig found himself frozen—gazing at this strange, defiant prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"LUDWIG!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon suddenly shouted, fury in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Ludwig ..without hesitation ..stumbled back several steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without warning ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hollow retreated, vanishing into the distance, his scythe swung behind his back once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It all happened right before Aegon’s unflinching eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finally let out a tired breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll see nothing from me, you bastards... not even you, Beatrice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning back, Aegon walked toward Selena, who still lay unconscious where she’d fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What should I even do with you now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He considered leaving her there... but quickly dismissed the idea. He knew Selena was still a tool that could prove useful later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, carrying her in his arms...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon walked off, as if taking a casual stroll through the royal gardens, not the deadly plains of the Ultras continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After making a Hollow flee without even lifting a finger in combat—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon ended his battle victorious without ever fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, too, became a free player on the board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon Valerion & Selena Hemsworth vs. Ludwig the Hollow\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another round concluded—its outcome as cryptic as ever ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a rogue prince no one could quite figure out.\u003C\u002Fp>",1458,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.347Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","44300d426722cd01029f4b9e61a4349910c63ab28ca53bb298fcc59b430fdd92","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-77","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-76",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]