[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-865":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},337052,598,"Chapter 862  Forced Hand (2)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-865",865,"\u003Cp>The old man found himself staring at a colossal wave of blue fire ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>so vast it dwarfed mountains—so overwhelming that, for a brief moment… he froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the last possible instant, a colossal shadow surged upward from the ground—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>rising like a towering pillar between him and the incoming beam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexander's attack collided with it, scattering in all directions in a violent burst of energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shadow was damaged ... but it held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexander frowned immediately, turning his gaze toward the one who intervened—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>only to see Vayne returning to the battlefield, her body fully restored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you doing, you senile old fool?! Were you just going to let him kill you?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sharp, furious voice ...Wesker's voice, through Vayne's body ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maskith glanced at him with mild annoyance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And who said that strike would have killed me, boy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone remained calm, almost dismissive, as he continued watching the remnants of the shattered phantom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All I realized… is how fragile that imitation truly was. A worthless mockery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell are you even talking about?\" Wesker snapped, clearly done with Maskith's cryptic nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Alexander Rybak stood amidst rising smoke and dark blue flames, his presence turning increasingly violent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then just die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of blazing spheres formed around him ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and in rapid succession, he punched them one after another, unleashing a barrage of roaring aura beams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wesker responded instantly, expanding the King's Shadow across a vast area ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>intercepting the incoming blasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue flames and abyssal shadows collided violently, devouring each other in a relentless storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexander burst forward through the chaos, targeting Maskith directly—recognizing him as the greater threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Maskith tapped the air with his staff, and dark aura surged forth, shaping itself into a raging dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beast lunged, jaws wide, intent on swallowing Alexander whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexander ignited his fist and shattered its head instantly, piercing through it without slowing ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>only to find Maskith waiting inside, hidden within the dragon's body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could react, the old man placed his hand upon Alexander's chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark energy exploded through Alexander's body from within, black flames bursting out from his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attack bypassed his exterior, striking his core directly .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain was immense—but Alexander endured it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grabbing Maskith's arm, he locked him in place\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At this distance… you won't escape!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With one hand restraining him and the other igniting once more, Alexander prepared to crush his head ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but Maskith reacted faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He severed his own arm without hesitation, freeing himself instantly and retreating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with his remaining hand, he formed a strange seal in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive dark spear materialized from nothingness ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>slamming into Alexander and sending him crashing toward the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do not underestimate me, boy… I have lived far longer than you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than a second, Maskith regenerated his lost arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Wesker seized the opportunity ... his shadow tendrils surging forward toward Alexander's impact point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alexander detonated his aura, dispersing the shadows instantly, and shot back into the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You say you've lived longer than me, huh? Maybe you have…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His iron body expanded slightly as he launched himself forward once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe you've lived longer… but you've never spent as much time as I have—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>forging this power, perfecting these martial arts!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fist crashed forward, forcing Maskith to block with difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wesker joined in again ... but Alexander deflected the shadows with ease, enduring everything thrown at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his massive frame, his movements were fluid ... precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every strike. Every punch. Every kick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a single percent of error.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wasted motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wasted effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every one of his decisions was flawless—perfectly optimized for whatever situation his enemies forced upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That explosive fist was no ordinary technique… and Maskith had realized it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'How long… how many years… did this man devote to forging that fist?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wondered with genuine curiosity, silently acknowledging the superiority of his opponent's martial prowess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the point where he could fight both him and Wesker simultaneously… and survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No ... more than that. He was winning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the reason lay not only in his technique… but in the second anomaly that defined Alexander ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that strange metallic body of his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its durability was beyond reason, enduring all of their attacks without sustaining even the slightest damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexander Rybak's body had been forged by Nameless in the distant past ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>designed to be the absolute pinnacle of durability, a living armor that no one could break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that… had created a true monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexander had refined that body to its utmost limits through countless years of relentless training,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>guarding the tomb with nothing but discipline and war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result… was a monster that stunned everyone—his allies included.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Gehrman himself had been astonished by his growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surrounded by Maskith's darkness and Wesker's shadows, Alexander endured it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fist shattered a high-ranking demon and pierced through the defenses of a great Hell Duke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He beat them down, blasted them away, and carved the battlefield with their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was like a war machine that never stopped ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a machine neither the demon nor the old man could find a way to counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overwhelming defense. Explosive offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the perfect fighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wesker considered using the Eye of the King… but quickly abandoned the thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if time stopped, even if he could attack freely—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that body would not break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even the King's Shadow had been able to damage it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Maskith himself was struggling, and the shadow of defeat began to loom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Are we… really going to lose… to the Second of the Shadow Sect?!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wesker's mind nearly snapped at the realization ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that the Shadow Sect had been hiding such a monstrous existence all this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike him, Maskith remained calm to the very end…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and that, more than anything, unsettled Alexander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After clashing with him for so long, Alexander had realized ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the old man before him was a true monster at the peak of SSS, just like himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And despite everything he had shown… his instincts told him the man was still holding something back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that instinct… was correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will admit it, Shadow Sect warrior… your martial arts are truly extraordinary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maskith spoke suddenly, even as he endured another strike from the monster before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To surpass even my manipulation of aura… that is no small feat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As expected of the material world… its creatures are the strongest among all the worlds of the Writers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words came out of nowhere—cryptic, unsettling ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>enough to make Alexander sharpen his guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was winning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dominating even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because of that… Maskith had been cornered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've forced my hand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, the old man raised his arm once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexander stepped back immediately, reinforcing the aura around his body in preparation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wesker was out of the fight for now, heavily damaged from the last clash ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>leaving Maskith as the sole threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he blocked whatever came next…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexander intended to unleash everything he had in one final attack—to end it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he was more than capable of doing so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could kill Maskith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Maskith had no intention of allowing that to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time seemed to slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexander saw it ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a strange power gathering around the old man's hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gray energy… wrapped in a dark aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It carried no pressure. No weight. Nothing threatening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That insignificant power achieved what no other attack had managed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aether: Negative Energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Maskith's hand, a simple gray beam shot forth ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>striking Alexander's indestructible body… and piercing through it effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hole was carved into his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then… another through his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the stunned eyes of Alexander and Wesker ... Maskith had done the impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had bypassed Alexander's absolute defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Aether is divided into two aspects…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>positive energy, which creates life and grants unimaginable power…'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'And negative energy… which brings death—erasing all that lives, granting destructive force beyond measure.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With cold eyes, Maskith spoke as Alexander clutched the massive wound in his chest, struggling to remain standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As one of the Servants… I can wield negative energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only to a limited degree… but more than enough to deal with someone like you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've lost, Shadow Sect warrior…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>you lost the moment you made me your enemy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the power of Aether manifested fully ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maskith turned the tables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Alexander Rybak… found himself in a situation no one would envy.\u003C\u002Fp>",1430,"2026-05-30T03:41:46.111Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","d3d0ba39a6dac6b5b33cfa187be243d400f9c25e7b25c2ac4b7d0ed68e463551","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-866","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-864",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]