[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-449":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},336736,598,"Chapter 449: The Brother I Once Knew","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-449",449,"\u003Cp>The hunt, war, death, pain...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of these were things the Human Empire had begun to experience one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the kidnapping of their most promising talents, to Maekar’s disastrous raid, and finally the last battle where Frey and his companions were rescued ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather... what remained of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the sudden death of the Silver Dragon Guild Leader’s son, Danzo ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight full months had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long months filled with skirmishes between the Empire and the Ultras.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, the Empire worked on rehabilitating its most prominent warriors, who had been trapped inside the prison cube, hoping to make use of them in the coming war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the leadership of Sir Alon, whose battlefield experience was unparalleled, and Aegon Valerion, who had demonstrated sharp strategic brilliance ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empire had managed to close its gates throughout those eight months, withdrawing into itself to repel the Ultras’ aggression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the Ultras never launched a full-scale assault, making the situation increasingly clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battlefield for the coming war would not be the Empire .. But the cursed land of the Ultras themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took the Empire eight full months to prepare, and the Ultras had willingly given them that time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if saying, word for word:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take all the time you want.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result will be the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was obvious that some hidden conspiracy was at work, and invading the Ultras on their own soil was likely a terrible idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sir Alon knew this, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this time, the Empire would be the challenger .. Unlike the war eighteen years ago, which they won through the sacrifice of Abraham Starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, history would repeat itself .. But on a different battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cursed land where death had long since claimed dominion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Starlight Estate, Eastern Ocklas Mountains —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside one of the magical forging chambers of the Starlight family, two women stood at the edge of the room, watching the mages prepare the long-range teleportation array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eight months have passed...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada Starlight spoke with a face that reflected both longing and anticipation. Carmen Starlight, standing beside her, nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The war summit is finally happening... it will be a massive event, gathering all the major powers of the Empire to formally launch the war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Belgrad Summit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an event traditionally held every year to discuss the Empire’s state of affairs, attended by the heads of the great families and other notable figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, the summit had transformed into a war council, where the final touches would be made in preparation for the long-dreaded conflict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They ended up appointing me as the deputy commander of this entire council...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada sighed in frustration, recalling the moment Sir Alon chose her as second-in-command for the upcoming war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Am I even worthy of such responsibility in the first place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had wanted to refuse at first, but the decision wasn’t hers alone anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She now represented an entire family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fall would mean their fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a gentle smile, Carmen patted Ada’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sure you’ll do well. Sir Alon might seem like a senile old man, but he knows how to judge people and their capabilities. If he placed you in this position, it’s because he sees that you’re capable of carrying it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada Starlight had proven her worth before ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she wisely refused to join Maekar’s disastrous raid, making the Starlight family the only one to preserve its full strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, she devised a strategy that convinced the Iron Emperor himself to follow her without hesitation, further proving her competence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t see anyone else more deserving of this position... but the real problem lies with the commander you’ll be serving under.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mere mention of him, Ada’s face darkened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aegon Valerion...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems the prince has already secured his place on the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even managed to convince his grandfather to give him full command of the coming war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sir Alon had entrusted the entire command to the younger generation, led by the brilliant Aegon Valerion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While veterans like Alon and the elders would supervise from afar, they would enter the battlefield only as devastating weapons of mass destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of the prince deepened Ada’s frown, but Carmen was there for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry. If anything happens, I’ll be right there beside you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let this old woman be your shield.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After months of training, Carmen Starlight had nearly reached her full potential, on the verge of entering the SS Rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, someone like her would have been sent to the battlefield without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But an exception was made this time, allowing Carmen to stay behind and protect Ada in case anything went wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a faint smile, Carmen remembered the day Ada was appointed as Aegon’s deputy commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It happened eight months ago, right after the Imperial soldiers trapped in the cube were freed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was the condition he set for you, wasn’t it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, he never would have agreed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada let out a soft sigh... remembering him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey has changed a lot since his friend’s death...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, he never involved himself in family affairs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brother had always struggled ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rising and falling, again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had often seen him broken,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if he were fighting against the entire world alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But every time, he rose again ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this time was no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet unlike before, Ada felt something different in her brother...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something dark enough to send chills down her spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was like a wounded beast, consumed by rage, Unable to hide his murderous intent anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no room for doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey wanted to fight this time—more than ever before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to kill, to slaughter the Ultras until their blood flowed like rivers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His achievements were no secret, especially the story they told about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tale describing how he defeated an army of one thousand men .. alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His burning desire for battle made it clear that Frey would be at the very front of this war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if no one ordered him to go, he would march into battle on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there would be no stopping him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s really going back to that hell he barely escaped from...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the elite students would struggle with the idea of returning to the Ultras Continent, where they had suffered so much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Frey was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He left home eight months ago, saying he would isolate himself to train... and not to disturb him until the war began.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave them the coordinates of where he was headed ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Nightmare Lands .. And from that moment on, Frey Starlight disappeared from sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During his absence, Ada regularly checked his life signal through the device she had planted near his heart, Just to make sure he was still out there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And throughout all that time, nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey wandered alone in the Eastern Nightmare Lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And since then, no monsters had attacked from the east, leaving the borders eerily quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He wanted us to call him when the time for war arrived... and now, that time has come.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Ada and Carmen were in that chamber now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The warp gate is ready, my lady.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the mages spoke with deep respect, bowing before Ada.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before them, a bright blue portal glowed intensely, releasing waves of aura so powerful that it was clear the mages had used an immense amount of energy to activate it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This gate will take you directly to Lord Frey’s coordinates. Finding him there shouldn’t be difficult for Lady Carmen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another mage explained, and Ada gave a brief nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skipping any further formalities, Ada stepped into the portal, with Carmen following close behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite everything that had happened, Ada couldn’t hide her longing to see her troublesome little brother again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been eight months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wondered if he was still the same as when she last saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he eating well?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he sleeping enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he hurt? Was he okay?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had his appearance changed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His birthday had already passed. He was nineteen now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely, signs of maturity had begun to show on his face by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada wanted to see him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted to see him so badly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, she was about to fulfill that desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stay close to me once we reach the other side. Don’t forget, it’s still Nightmare territory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen’s warning was valid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the coordinates were precise, there was no guarantee they would land exactly where Frey was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nightmare creatures could attack at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen was ready to handle whatever might appear before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, both women stepped through the portal, initiating the teleportation process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the light engulfed them and the scenery rapidly shifted before their eyes ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada and Carmen prepared themselves for several possibilities upon arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps they would find Frey right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps Nightmare creatures would attack them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe, they would simply arrive in an empty, barren place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All were possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But reality... told an entirely different story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Ada stepped out of the portal behind Carmen, The ground beneath her feet was not solid earth ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a thick, viscous liquid that made her instinctively recoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What hit her nose wasn’t the pungent scent often found in the Nightmare forests...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And repulsive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smell of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lot of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the stench of death and rot.\u003C\u002Fp>",1598,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:12.387Z",1,"novelbin.me","645fcb45da1d0b1bcda545a9cf6daeaf388746ec7761958fec700adf1c0a08f0","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-450","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-448",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]