[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-488":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},336575,598,"Chapter 488: Echoes Before the Storm (1)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-488",488,"\u003Cp>Chapter 488: Echoes Before the Storm (1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Frey Starlight’s POV —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wheel had finally begun to turn, and there wasn’t much time left…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using my teleportation ability, I managed to escape the enemy’s land alongside Ghost without incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment we got far enough from that death zone, I was finally able to exhale, relieved after that unexpected clash against opponents who vastly outclassed us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost, in particular, had endured the worst of it. As soon as we reached safe ground, he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily and unable to compose himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was drenched in sweat, his hands trembling uncontrollably…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time I’d ever seen Ghost in such a state. The shadows of what he had just experienced had hit him violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what it meant to stand before two of the strongest demons in existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike me, he didn’t have an SSS-rank aura reserve that could keep him standing in front of beings like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spent a few long seconds watching him silently, then turned my gaze toward the Empire’s military camp, a few hundred meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had deliberately teleported a distance away to avoid drawing attention with a sudden appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, as I observed them more closely—the human forces .. I couldn’t help but ask myself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How are they supposed to survive, exactly?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clutching my head and pulling my hair back, a pounding headache took hold the moment I thought about the sheer scale of the catastrophe we were about to face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geppetto, also known as Thanatos… some named him the King of Death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Zibar, the Tenth Seat .. a demon capable of ending wars on his own, for he was an army by himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How exactly were we supposed to deal with beings like that at our current level of power?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve met Sir Alonne before. I know the power Maekar holds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to them, I might very well be the strongest human alive on this planet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, even at full power, all I could do was leave a shallow wound on one of them…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly are we hoping to accomplish?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention .. Zibar didn’t even come in his real body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know the exact limits of the clones created through Agaros’ Reincarnation soul , but from what I do know, each clone caps out at about 80% of the original’s power .. and the more clones, the weaker each one becomes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, at best, I was facing only 80% of the real Tenth Demon’s power—and even then, all I managed with my strongest technique was a mere scratch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time in a long while, that feeling came back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That suffocating sense of powerlessness .. as if my strength meant nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absolutely nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just how much more cursed power do I need if I’m to stand against monsters like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What must I do? What must I sacrifice?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I let go of my humanity? My very soul? Should I sell myself to one demon in order to kill another?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against beings like Zibar, I truly don’t know what I’m supposed to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gap in strength was overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Frey…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few minutes, Ghost finally managed to compose himself. It seemed he, too, shared my sense of dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do… do we even stand a chance of winning .. no, surviving?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked. And it was unlike him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was the right question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s see…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding my swords—Dark Sister and Balerion—I gave them a long look before answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our chances are zero. For now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost immediately caught the key part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded, then gently tapped his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our enemies are tougher than ever before, Ghost. If they join the war now… we’re going to die. Without question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To defeat an SSS-rank warrior, you need another of the same level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with all my cheats, only my aura had reached that rank. The rest of my stats are far below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning, I can’t defeat a true SSS rank warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let alone the Tenth Demon, who had already reached the higher stages within that rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because SSS isn’t a single tier .. it’s divided into seven stages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem is, I don’t know which level Zibar and Geppetto stand at. Their full strength is still a mystery to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They won’t participate in the war just yet. Something is forcing them to hold back, which means they’re here for another reason. A reason that compels someone like the Tenth Seat himself to descend upon Earth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the real question becomes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why are beings like them here in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m certain there are countless battlefields across this vast world that require their presence .. far more than this one. Humans pose no real threat to them, unlike certain other species.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why Zibar came only as a clone, not in his true body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that doesn’t change the fact that he still came .. with Geppetto no less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A reason that makes this war we’re fighting against the Ultras look like a trivial matter in their eyes…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Think…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would they come here? What task could beings of their level be entrusted with?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in thought, I tried to unravel their mystery…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Geppetto and Zibar… they’re part of the Black Faction. The group that follows Wesker. In other words, they’re acting under that damned demon’s orders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wesker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fourth-Ranked Demon who had lurked in my shadow for so long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one responsible for my father’s death. The vile entity stalking us from the corners of existence. The true embodiment of what it means to be a demon…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wesker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just thinking about him made a sudden realization strike me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A realization so sharp I immediately pulled up my system interface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If my assumption is correct… it should appear now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring all the other system functions and my chaotic stats, my eyes locked straight onto the mission tab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Main Quests\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– Kill 10,000 Ultras: 5,000 Achievement Points. (Completed)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– Defeat one of the Ultras’ main powerhouses: 5,000 Achievement Points. (Completed)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Final Mission Unlocked: Eliminate Wesker’s Shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mission Description:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wesker’s shadows are spreading across the world, and the hunt has already begun. This is a race against time .. who will hunt who first?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The catastrophe is inevitable. Your blade may be the deciding factor in the war to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before it’s too late, eliminate Wesker’s shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Shadow: The Eternal Witch, Beatrice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Shadow: The Death King, Thanatos .. also known as Geppetto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Third Shadow: The One-Man Army, the Tenth-Ranked High Demon, Zibar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fourth Shadow: ???\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reward for Completion: Unlock advanced phases of Shadow Adaptation. (One phase will be unlocked per defeated Shadow.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penalty for Failure: Humanity’s extinction and total defeat in the war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>System Note:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know, I know .. you’re probably wondering who I am, aren’t you? Who is this snarky system that keeps mocking you all the time? Let me tease you a little… if you manage to complete the mission, I’ll tell you who I really am! Exciting, isn’t it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But let’s be honest… this mission is harder than anything you’ve ever faced, and your chances? Paper-thin. Will you hunt them… or will they hunt you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Personally, I’m betting on the latter. But hey, who knows? Maybe you’ll surprise me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d love to call you a frog at the bottom of a well, but let’s admit it .. your strength has grown a lot lately. Let’s just say… you’re barely decent now. But not nearly good enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do your best, Frey Starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>",1271,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.347Z","2026-06-01T04:30:12.387Z",1,"novelbin.me","0f20dc114ccc2230816e311b6409b843b362e9ec50d31d74a3b3b0390c32342d","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-489","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-487",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]