XkarnationAlt

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 45: Death Knight

A blond-haired woman stormed down a corridor that reeked of human excrement. Her high heels clicked on the stone, but it was hard to hear her movements over the screams and cries as she passed by many prison cells. Her breathing was ragged due to stress and unease. Her eyes darted left and right as she pulled the fur coat tighter around her slim figure—the night chills crept into her bones.

“Queen Elizabeth, I will ask that you stay right there,” an armored knight proclaimed, behi...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 44: Framing the Prince

A firm hand landed on Damien’s shoulder, causing him to scowl. “Yes?” he questioned the man standing behind him.

Edward shoved a small wooden box into Damien’s ribs. “Damien. If you fail, don’t bother coming back.” King Edward’s tired voice made Damien clench his teeth in anger, but he controlled himself. Flicking the king’s hand off his shoulder, Damien took the wooden box, didn’t say a word, and left the palace.

There was nothing to be said—time was of the ...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 43: The Paranoid King

Damien leaned back in the plush chair and attempted to keep a straight face as he reviewed the legal document with the seal of the king plastered at the bottom. It stated that he would become an official duke of the kingdom, a promotion from his previous rank of honorary duke.

It seemed the king was turning a blind eye to the potential issues of offering such a high rank of nobility to a prince of another kingdom without marriage. Does he really feel that much pressure? Damien peered ov...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 42: Brother, I Want Everything

The city was in chaos, and understandably so. Damien coldly watched the residents hustle past him to their homes or places of safety. He was on his way somewhere and didn’t appreciate being bumped into or having to sidestep a distraught parent barreling down the pavement with their terrified kid in tow. Of course, Damien wasn’t so cold-hearted to belittle these citizens for their show of weakness, but it didn’t help that he was privy to the truth.

There was no werewolf. It was an ...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 41: Assemble the Court

As if signaling a start to a new age, the skies opened, and rain descended from the heavens. It was swift, aggressive, and drummed on the knights’ armor like a metal roof. All three knights on the night shift who had accompanied Olympia tore their eyes off the headless corpse of Duke Ferdinand and glared at the suited man who had emerged from the shadows.

“He’s a mage,” a knight muttered, but the thundering rain drowned out his voice. All three had reached a similar conclusion: ...

[Villian] Book 2 - Chapter 40: Plague Doctor

“Those are quite some injuries, scion of the Yaeldrin.”

Kharis suppressed a scream as the elderly man rammed his fingers into one of the deeper stab wounds he had self-inflicted on his leg. The old man stared at him with a fake reassuring smile. “Now relax and open your mana circuit for this old man… Let me help you!” Then with a chuckle, he added, “For a fee, of course.”

Kharis ignored the healer’s words as he lowered his mana circuits’ guard and let the healer�...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 39: Damien’s Attack Dog

Kharis Yaeldrin dropped to his knees, and the golden gun slipped from his limp hand and clattered to the floor. Kharis, alongside the two attendants who had been following his now dead sister, stared in horror at the headless corpses of Akna. Blood pooled around the two elves’ feet. Silence remained for a few seconds until one of the elves began screaming, and the other soon followed. Even Kharis started to freak out for his dead sister.

Still sitting on the couch, Damien used psychok...

[Villian] Book 2 - 38: Noble Dreams

Unsurprisingly, a commotion ensued, with Olympia ruthlessly purchasing every item at the auction. The crowd’s murmurs below transitioned into hurling insults with every bang of the auctioneer’s hammer. “The Silver Phoenix Elixir is sold to VIP booth number twelve for a hundred platinum,” the elf announced onstage as the next item was wheeled out on a cart. Every few seconds, the auctioneer would check over his shoulder at the VIP booth right over his head, where the Yaeldrin clan prin...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 37: Auction House

Damien found himself lost in thought as he sank back into the plushy armchair and fiddled with his golden pocket watch between his fingers. The last few days had been beyond hectic and weighed significantly on his mind. So many variables he didn’t wholly control had to go perfectly, or his plan would fall through, leading to his potential death. He flipped open the pocket watch and stared into the tiny mirror. Despite his body maintaining a near-perfect appearance at all times, he could see...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 36: Shadow Gunslinger

Two shadows moved through the night, their speed was abnormal for a human, and their silent footsteps furthered the notion that they were inhuman. But, of course, that wasn’t exactly unusual, but the pair’s destination was where non-humans were taken to be killed rather than invited.

“A machine is the sum of its many moving parts. Throw a wrench into the many cogs, and it will eventually collapse on itself,” Damien whispered to Olympia, who silently ran by his side. “With the ...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 35: Vampire in Chains

“Darling, you don’t look so well.” Elizabeth Greentail circled the desk and held up her son’s hand. It was shaking, and he looked deathly pale. “August, dear, I left you a present in the usual place, okay? You need to look your best for your father’s upcoming party. A king’s birthday is a joyous occasion after all.” Elizabeth had a sly smile on her face and whispered, “Since he is one year closer to death.”

August reeled back from his mother’s tender touch to grab ...

[Book 2] Book 2 - Chapter 34: Owl’s Regular Customer

Damien let out a sigh of relief as Jannalor faded into the void and vanished from the room. Vanity also calmed, returned to her comfortable chair, and threw herself into its warm embrace.

“I plan to reject the royal decree. Any objections?” Damien asked, and everyone raised their hand. Even Vanity. He gripped the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Why? Can’t you see the party is a death trap?”

Vanity had her eyes closed, and since she didn’t bother to breathe and her ...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 33: Noble Politics

The streets were alive with activity as residents of Blackthorn muttered between themselves in hushed voices as Damien and his crew walked down the main road with a fleet of armored knights. Although all the knights were technically under Damien’s control as the de facto lord of the region, just from a glance at their differing armor quality, a person could tell between the various factions within the knights’ ranks.

The ones walking on the left side of Damien wore polished silver a...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 32: Infrastructure Projects

“Is everyone here?” Damien’s gaze didn’t leave the window as he asked over his shoulder. Despite his smart-casual clothes, he brought out his black cane as he liked to use it during demonstrations.

“Not yet, Master. Roselyn is on the way,” Thar answered, his voice booming through the small office.

Randy sat on one of the many chairs scattered around the disordered office with his legs crossed. He desperately tried to rub the sleepiness from his eyes as the door opened,...

[Villian] Book 2 - Chapter 31: Happy Wife, Happy Life.

The warm water rippled around Fay’s breasts, making them look like two small white islands. Damien poked one of them, causing Fay to giggle and playfully splash his hand away. “Hey! No touching.” She was lying on top of him while the two were floating in the enormous bath.

“Why not?” Damien nibbled at her ear, and she yelped.

“Because you have already had enough!” She twirled around—her enchanting scarlet eyes were an inch from his face. She smirked and sealed her ...

[Villian] Book 2 - Chapter 30: Woman Troubles

Damien tapped his foot with an impatient rhythm as he watched the incompetent employees of Thar attempt to hoist a piece of magisteel armor onto the final Aurel.

To be fair to them, this particular Aurel was being uncooperative despite being smothered in Angel Tears.

“Come on, men! One more time! HEAVE!”

“HO!”

“HEAVE!”

“HO!”

Grunts of manual labor echoed through the stone prison as the men used an improvised pulley system to bring the titani...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 29: Enslaving an Immortal

Damien reentered the portal, and after a split second of inertia, he was through to the other side and strolled past the procession of carriages and people. They all had clouded expressions and moved as if following a set program. It was rather creepy, but all was fair in war. These people never stood a chance. The Ravenhall family lacked an A-grade powerhouse, so if Vanity sacrificed some ichor blood, she could have destroyed the city in a single night. Damien shook his head as he remembered...

[Villiain] Book 2 - Chapter 28: Spoils of War

Damien opened his eyes to a ceiling that filled him with a sense of familiarity and comfort. The sandstone brick held up by well-crafted wooden support bathed in a warm glow from the midday sun sneaking through the curtains was a welcome change from the featureless white walls of his hospital room.

Why does the sunlight feel so…rejuvenating? Damien thought as he looked around. Although he was mostly immune to the sunlight, it still made him feel slightly uncomfortable on usual days. B...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 27: Blood Portal

With immense inertia and a loud pop, the world returned to normal. The fallen angel vanished, and only an exhausted Victor stood within the Ravenhall ballroom. Damien lay asleep in Fay’s embrace on the floor.

Victor turned on his heel, and a portal appeared with a snap of his fingers. Before walking through, he looked over his shoulder at the furious Fay and chuckled. “We will meet again, young one. I cannot dally here. Otherwise, the administrator of this region will forcefully rem...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 26: Ancestor

With the formations gone, only crude stone walls and a medieval iron gate stood between a horde of Thralls and the city of Staedbergh. Damien passively watched from within the inner wall alongside hundreds of people as a Thrall gripped the iron bars with its pale, veiny hands.

Its face was sickly, gaunt, and ferocious, like a starved beast hungry for human flesh. Putrid saliva dribbled between shark-like teeth that gleamed like obsidian shards under the candlelight.

The Thrall’s...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 25: Control Mage

Damien had an arm under Fay and Olympia’s chests as he flew through the massive hole toward one of its rock faces; slowly being pulled up the slanted surface by a cable was a metal box on crude rails. As he approached the elevator, he whispered to Fay, “Activate your mist.”

She nodded and softly chanted the spell, “ᚠᛟᚷ ᛞᛟᛗᚨᛁᚾ (Fog Domain).” Within seconds, a dense mist appeared all around them, and even Damien found it somewhat difficult to traverse the mist,...

[Villian] Book 2 - Chapter 24: Night of Slaughter

The endless tunnels of the Staedbergh Dungeon echoed with signs of battle and screams of bloodshed. Like bees attracted by the sweet scent of an exquisite flower, groups of Delvers followed the cries and found themselves headless on the cold stone. Many corpses remained ravaged, but those in good condition rose once more after a quick bite.

Olympia kept low to the ground, avoiding the soft glow from the glowstone above. Her strawberry-blond hair flowed with her movements as she ran towa...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 23: Child of Nightshade

“Finally!” Damien yelled as the group entered a cavern filled with orange light.

Jake Ravenhall turned around with the most curious expression on his ugly mug. “Something catch your eye, Nobleman?”

“Salvation.” Damien walked forward with his arms out wide. “No longer shall I clap as you slay weak beasts! This farce ends now.”

Damien could hardly contain his excitement. He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled wildly to himself. “Scion of a baron family? ...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 22: Staedbergh Dungeon

“Back so soon?”

Damien pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Yes, dear sister, I am back. Did you miss me? Actually, don’t answer that.” He was annoyed at his lack of foresight in the matter and could only sigh. “Sister…have you gotten complete control over the vessel and its mind?”

The albino guildmaster that Vanity was controlling nodded. “More or less. I can hear him ranting and raving to me, which is somewhat distracting, but his memories are well o...

[Villain] Chapter 21: A Devious Plot

“I’m coming! Stop bashing the fucking door!” The man pulled his fur-lined coat tighter as he stumbled down the stairs. He put his arms in search of the handrail and wearily placed his feet one at a time into the darkness. The wooden floor creaked under his step as he carefully avoided empty tables and misplaced chairs.

Thump thump.

“For fuck sake.” He tripped over a discarded beer mug and knocked his knee on a table. “AH—you fucking— Fuck ...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 20: Scarlet Eyes

Within a dense canopy of trees, a group of men who reeked of sweat and mud lounged around a poorly constructed fire. The crackling of wood drowned out their rumbling stomachs.

A sudden rustling of leaves alerted the exhausted men, and a young boy covered in wounds and wearing tattered clothes shouted with a strained voice, “Goldtooth! An armored convoy attacked us—” The boy stumbled forward and crashed next to the fire, passing out from fatigue.

Goldtooth was an older man wi...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 19: Blackthorn’s Assassin

Charlotte desperately tried to control her breathing; her knuckles were white as she clenched the bedframe in fear. She tried to divert her gaze from that thing in the sky that gazed upon everything.

A man in a red wine suit holding a black cane with a red gem stood calmly in the sky. His eyes drifted across the landscape as if judging the mortals below his feet. To the untrained eye, he seemed to be searching for something by sight, but alas, Charlotte was no mundane; her magic sight t...

[Villian] Book 2 - Chapter 18: (Interlude) An Oshal Spy

As springtime began to grace the wastelands, a convoy of carriages was on the move.

“Milady,” a voice insisted and shook a sleeping woman. “Milady, wake up!”

“Wha—?”

The old man shook her shoulder. “Milady, we have arrived at Blackthorn.”

The woman rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes. “All right, all right, I got it, hands off me.”

The man stepped back with fear in his eyes. “Milady, I can hear noises from the front; they seem t...

[Villain] Book 2 - Chapter 17: Vampires Don’t Wear Clothes

The room was silent, and nobody dared to make a sound; despite their usual boldness, even the Thornvlad twins remained tight-lipped.

Damien felt smaller and smaller under his sister’s judgmental gaze. She crossed her legs and inspected her nails one by one. After the silence had become awkward, she spoke while studying her hand. “Why?”

Damien frowned. “Why what?”

Her scarlet eyes met his. “Why do you wish to kill this prince? The only possible reason I can fathom...

[Villian] Book 2 - Chapter 16: Vampire Vacation

Damien awoke to the chirping of birds and the warmth of the midday sun. His head was buried into a feather cushion, and his hair covered his face. He tried to open his eyes with a groan, but his head was pounding, and his stomach growled; he needed blood.

He didn’t even have to open his eyes to know he was alone. He couldn’t hear Fay’s heartbeat or her calm breaths. He pushed himself out of bed with a groan and, without even bothering to cover himself, grabbed the glass on the sid...