Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 196: Chapter 195- Forget about him?STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC196: Chapter 195- Forget about him?
"I am coming with you." Not many times Richard has seen Lilia not asking but rather relaying her decision with conviction.
However, as of now, he could tell that no one can stop her from partaking in what Richard is about to do.
Her demeanor oozed with determination and that was something everyone could sense.
She knew she could not stop him, not after she heard the whole story about the other world and the reason for which Richard was going to the other side. However, surely she can accompany him, given Lilia would surely not become a burden to him.
If not anything then Lilia was good at hiding. If she discerns that her presence might become a hindrance for her master then she will simply disappear.
She wasn't able to accompany her Lord when he went to that hell called Endless Hold, however, this time, she surely can.
Everyone looked at Richard, Emily being silent but her gaze expressing her inner thoughts. Her whole reason to be alive was to serve Richard and assist him any way possible. Surely, she wasn't going to miss this chance!
Cristina said nothing against what her daughter desired. Even though the lady knew that this mission was dangerous and could separate them forever, she couldn't take her daughter's life decision for her.
Richard heaved a sigh and leaned back in his seat. He expected Bella to be persistent on coming so he already said he would be taking her. But Lilia...
"Is there no way-"
"No, Richard. If you don't take me then I will follow you. The only way to get rid of me is to kill me right here and right now."
Her words made Emily gasp, and Richard let out another weary sigh, "Okay, I understand, so stop being so serious." He pulled her in his arms, making her sit on his lap.
"I understand, I will take you with me. And Emily,"
"I will also come!" She strongly expressed her desire. For someone who mostly remains passive nowadays, Emily was showing sudden changes when it came to Richard's safety.
Richard nodded, "You are my shadow, so I can bring you wherever I go. And so I can do it with Jasmine and Erwin(the large dude that fought with Lilia when the church members attacked)."
Turning his eyes toward Bella he said, "You aren't going to regret coming with me, right? Mom would be awfully displeased."
"We have already done various things in the past which Mom didn't like. And I know, if I am with you, we can easily get her forgiveness."
Richard smiled at that before his eyes went toward Ethan and Ruby, "I can ask you both only one thing; do not tell the others about it."
His eyes remained directed at Ruby, who slowly nodded, "I am not helping the evil, so naturally, I am not obliged to tell them."
Richard nodded, but he didn't trust her. However, even if she tells Eleanor and others before they can do anything, Richard will be back. After all the time zones of the two worlds were severely mismatched.
Alex then turned toward Carl and the bear-masked one, "You two can help us get to that gang and provide us with all the information, right?"
"Yes." Carl instantly affirmed, "We have been planning to attack those people for months, so yes, we know about them better than anyone."
Richard nodded before he asked, "And how do we reach there?"
"We can jump through any portal and we will reach Earth instantly." The masked one replied.
Richard thought for a moment but then decided to ask about it later.
"Okay then, everyone has two hours; prepare in the meantime and meet near the port."
...
After leaving Cristina's home, Carl and his subordinates were returning to their base to pack all the remaining equipment and weapons. After all, they were returning home. And this time, they won't be getting back here.
The masked one asked, "Can we trust them? You know about Jin, right? That guy can go to extreme lengths to keep everything under control."
Carl's eyes turned cold hearing that name, as he recalled that bastard who became his and his sister's friend initially and betrayed them once the gang from the East arrived.
It was Jin who told them about Rena and they took her away.
Now, Jin was the leader of the gang given his skill that works best when he has a whole bunch supporting him.
Carl looked at his friend before asking, "Did you see what Brother Richard did to our men? He is a Sage-ranked warrior. And sister Bella is already infamous for being the strongest mage on Earth."
The masked one sighed, "I know that they are strong but Jin has numbers. Truthfully, when I heard that the son of the Duchess was on our side, I was expecting a whole army to follow us for support."
Carl halted and turned toward the man before speaking in an annoyed tone, "Look Ben, I don't care if there are enough men or not. Brother Richard alone has given me the hope that I did not possess when I first came here. So rather than complaining we should focus on how we can assist him."
Ben's shoulders slumped as he removed his mask and revealed a guy in his early twenties.
With a black mark going down his left brow and ending near his chin, the guy looked hideous. However, Carl was used to seeing this face so he didn't react and heard him saying,
"So much misfortune we have seen until now...that slight hope now scares me, Carl. Sorry if I hurt your feelings."
Carl exhaled a sigh before shaking his head, "It's okay...sorry for speaking like this. Now let's go."
...
Lilia and Cristina were in the former's room, sorting out the clothes Lilia would be taking with her. And the equipment along with other supplies.
Lilia had many battle vests she made for herself and she bought her birthday presents in the past. Although they were a little tight now, given she bought them a few years ago, it would work.
Cristina was standing nearby, with her back pressed against the wall, looking at her daughter silently.
She doesn't know the whole story but Richard told her the gist of what they are aiming for. And the dangers involved in it.
"Your Dad used to say that you won't have a peaceful life with that boy."
Lilia smiled, "Peace bores me, Mom."
"I used to think the same thing, honey, until I met your father." Stepping closer to her daughter, Cristina held her shoulders and made her look toward her,
"Richard has so many people else loving him, so many people to protect him. His mother, the strongest witch in existence is there for him. Can't you just forget about him?"
Cristina might regret saying it in the future, but after her husband died, her only hope and reason to be alive was Lilia. And seeing her often getting involved in such danger, scares the lady.
As such, Cristina always thought that what if Lilia married a normal man rather than a future Duke who would be surrounded by danger? How her life would be much more stable and peaceful.
Lilia didn't push away her mother's or dismissed her words. Rather she calmly asked,
"Tell me, Mom, if I suggest you marry a man who is awakened and can keep you happy for the rest of your life...what will be your answer?"
Cristina lowered her eyes and didn't say anything since Lilia already knew the answer.
"Exactly, Mom. When you love someone, you don't see the drawbacks and advantages. No one can plan to love someone....it just happens."
Cupping the older one's cheeks, Lilia added, "And you have taught me how I should stick to the person I adore until the end. And now you are suggesting that I leave him?"
Lilia's voice began to crack a little, tears welling up in her eyes, as she said, "You know Mom, when I close my eyes and think about a life where Richard isn't a part of it ...what I see?"
In a whisper, she added, "Nothing....just nothing. There is no life for me without him. He is my life, Mom and I can no longer live without him."
Seeing Lilia cry, Cristina wasn't able to hold herself back either.
Resting her head against Lilia's, and while sobbing, she said, "Please be safe, baby. I have no one but you....so please return to me safely."
The duo remained like that for a long time. It was the first time they cried after Henry's demise.
The grief of their loss, the fear Cristina carried, the apprehension Lilia was feeling...everything they released through those tears.
Meanwhile, they completely missed to notice the person standing outside their room who heard their conversation for the most part. Read the latest on m_v-l'e|-NovelBin.net
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 197: Chapter 196- Desire*STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC197: Chapter 196- Desire*
Richard was feeling a bit complicated after he overheard the conversation between Cristina and Lilia.
Although he was elated and relieved to hear that Lilia wasn't forcing herself to be with him, Cristina's words made him realize that he was taking Lilia's safety for granted.
He always thinks of Lilia as a strong person who can protect herself if the situation arises. However, he often forgets that there is someone who still looks at Lilia as a little girl.
Although Richard loves and cares about Lilia, he couldn't just tell her mother to stop worrying about the only family member she was left with.
'Should I ask her to stay back?' Although it would hurt Lilia…Richard knew that if he told her, she would not insist on coming.
With those complicated thoughts, Richard entered his room and found Emily standing there, arranging his clothes.
"Ah…hey." She waved at him awkwardly when she noticed his presence.
Richard raised his brows, "I could have done it myself, you know."
Emily fidgeted at her place as she shyly responded, "I didn't have anything else going on so I thought ... .Did I overstep my boundaries?"
There was no teasing in her words but rather pure nervousness.
Richard heaved a sigh and inched closer to the girl.
Sitting on the bed, he held her hand and pulled her towards him.
Emily wordlessly followed his command and stood before him.
"Tell me Emily…why do you always remain nervous and uncertain around me? I have seen how often you stop yourself from saying something…is it that you regret accepting Aembr?"
She instantly shook her head, "I can never regret that decision since I wanted to live, Richard. And unlike what I used to believe, the side of Light is not as pure and benevolent as I thought they were."
"Then, what's the reason you remain so reserved around us…around me," Richard added the last part since he noticed Emily getting along with Violet and Lilia.
So it was more like she was avoiding Richard these days.
Emily looked down, her cheeks adapting a feverish shade.
"Should I really tell you…"
"Yes, or I will peek inside your mind and find it out myself."
Emily's eyes widened before she hurriedly shook her head, "Don't do that!"
"Then tell me."
Emily's shoulders slumped and the blush on her face grew profound. As she thought there was no escape from this.
Heaving a sigh, she finally confessed, "Actually…Richard…after that ritual I have been feeling attracted toward you. It wasn't that strong when I was away, but when I am in front of you, various kinds of thoughts come to my mind, which makes me embarrassed. And that's why I can't even look you in the eye."
Richard frowned, "What kind of thoughts…"
Emily lowered her face even more and bit her lower lip. Her hair was tied in a bun which showed her finely shaped neck in full exposure. And right now her neck was turning red in embarrassment as well.
Slowly she muttered, "...things like you pinning me against the wall and having your way with me…until I go breathless…then pulling me to the bed…and…and…*fue*"
Steam erupted over her head as she covered her face and dropped to her knees. Her legs were trembling as she continued to breathe heavily.
Richard was…genuinely shocked.
He couldn't utter a single word for a long time. He could have never thought that the Aembr has affected her so much that she would desire him so badly.
Looking down at her, Richard rested his hand on her shoulder, making the girl tremble.
"Umm…okay, I understand. Get up now."
Emily heard his words and tried to get up. However, her legs were so soft at the moment that she fell forward, pushing Richard onto the bed.
He held her shoulders just in time before she could hit his face.
Their faces were inches apart with their hot breaths colliding.
The fragrance she extruded was not the regular one…she desired his touch and attention and he could tell just by the look in her eyes.
Her body seemed hot as Emily looked at him with a feverish look.
Her lips remained slightly parted as she closed her eyes.
Richard's heart was drumming strongly against his chest as the feelings he had been bottling up for a long time suddenly erupted and he wasn't able to stop himself from kissing her.
It was soft at first, just a fleeting touch, but the heat between them quickly grew. Richard's hands slid up to her back, pulling her closer. His breath quickened the intensity of the moment sweeping through them both.
With gentle pressure, he deepened the kiss, his lips moving against hers with a quiet urgency. Emily responded, her hands threading into his hair, her body pressed against his. She felt the warmth of his hands on her skin, the steady strength in his touch.
His hand roamed her warm and soft body, touching every inch of her back and continuing to devour her supple lips
"Mmm…" She moaned as his hand gripped her meaty buttocks. Giving it a strong squeeze, Richard pried his tongue into her mouth, turning the kiss even more intimate.
"Huff…I want….more"
He picked her as he got up and walked towards the table across from them.
Emily hungrily pressed her lips against him again as her legs wrapped around his back, her left hand clawing his hair.
**THUD**
The book from the table fell as Richard planted her on the table and her back pressed against the wall.
Their lips parted for a moment, the couple stared into each other's eyes before going at it again.
Richard's hand held her thigh and lifted it, caressing her soft leg and making her feel hotter than before.
"Mmm….ah…" She closed her eyes as Richard's lips went towards her chin, licking her soft skin before trailing down to her pearly white neck.
Emily felt her lower lips getting wet by his restless assault as she rubbed him against him. .net
Richard growled and roughly held her waist, "Stay."
Emily's body trembled to hear that tone as she nodded and stopped moving.
Richard inserted his hand inside the skirt and touched the wet spot on her panty.
Richard did nothing but just pressed his index and middle finger against her vagina and moved it left to right.
Her body shook, as she clutched the table. Her back arched and eyes rolled back.
Richard smirked before whispering, "Cum for me."
Heeding his command, her legs shook violently as Emily reached the climax.
"Annnghh….it's comming….ahhhhh!!" She couldn't believe this much was coming out.
Her toes curled, and her mind became blank as she released all her pent-up desires in one go.
Richard heaved a sigh as he took out his hand and told her, "We have to stop now. Bella and Lilia are heading toward the room."
Although she could barely hear him, Emily nodded and got up from the table after a few minutes of rest.
Just as she was about to get up, Richard suddenly kissed her and said, "Be a good girl and I will reward you again."
Her face turned red instantly as she gave a soft nod and made her way to the bathroom.
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A/N:- Damn…Emily is down bad.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 198: Chapter 197- Journey(1)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC198: Chapter 197- Journey(1)
What did Emily feel in those few minutes when she was surrounded by his warmth?
Bliss, excitement, thrill, slight fear, and a whole lot elated.
Why was she elated? In a corner of her mind she still knows that she once detested this man…then why? What changed?
Maybe because she got to know the real him in these few months? Or maybe because of the way he showed consideration for her? Or maybe it was his strength that impressed? Or…maybe his hot body that made her mesmerized?
Emily believed that it was a little portion of everything.
Emily knew that it was the effect of the Aembr that was making her feel like this toward Richard, however, she didn't dislike how she felt towards him.
The intense desire to serve him has never been so strong. And when he pressed her against the wall and claimed her lips, she knew, until her last breath, if she could belong to someone then it was Richard.
Richard….such a beautiful name.
Her feelings for him have already reached the height that transcended any emotion a person could contain toward someone. Above hatred or love, she felt more of a raw sensation towards him.
She couldn't explain how she felt. But she has decided that since her beloved doesn't like the way she ignores him, for whatever reason, she would do her best to express her emotions and intentions toward him.
A new path for Emily has opened up when he kissed her. And Emily was dead sure about walking on it until the end.
….
The group of several men, along with Richard's group gathered around the port.
It was already the time of dawn, and people could be seen roaming the street to open their shops and fetch ration for their eateries.
Richard was holding a bag over his back, in which Emily and Bella's clothes were also placed.
Lilia had her own bag since she needed to carry some battle gear and weapons to assist her master.
Cristina was told by Lilia to stay back home since she knew, her mother wouldn't be able to watch her daughter go.
Richard didn't ask anything about Cristina since he couldn't pretend that he never heard their conversation. When the time comes, he will talk to Lilia about it.
For now, "Where should we go?" Carl asked since there was no portal around that could throw them to the blue planet called Earth.
Richard answered their curiosity, "We will board a ship and head towards Bariswaine. It is an area surrounded by Ambrobates. The quality of Aembr is quite rich there, and if my calculations are right, most portals open up there."
Lilia frowned, as she took out her map, "But, master, there is no direct sea route to Bariswaine."
Richard nodded, "I know," pointing at the map, he said, "This port, Clawnhawk, from where we could head towards Bariswaine…if we follow the path we might come across a portal en route."
Bella smiled proudly as she said, "You are a genius, brother."
Richard patted her head softly before he told the others, "I have already bought that ship, but just in case, go and check if there is any spy or unnecessary presence in there."
Carl nodded before he told his men to go and check the ship.
"I will also go, master," Lilia said; as his maid, it was one of her habits to assess such places which could prove dangerous to her master.
Richard nodded before telling her, "Take care."
Lilia nodded, and with a smile, she went towards the big ship with a black sail.
Richard turned towards Emily and asked, "How long can you maintain an invisibility barrier around the ship?"
Emily thought for a moment. After gaining Aembr, she has yet to face a magical shortage.
However, there was a limit to how much she could absorb, and considering the ship would continue to move, she had to maintain her control as well,
"About four hours before I would need an hour of rest, at least."
Richard nodded, and before he could have said anything, Carl asked, "Why the barrier, brother?"
Richard explained, "Although Ruby assured us that she won't tell anyone about this, I doubt Eleanor would stop until she finds out the whole truth."
Carl was surprised. Hearing his words, he couldn't stop himself from asking, "Brother…is this person, Eleanor, is she dangerous?"
Richard scoffed, "Not just dangerous, she is probably that boss-level villain who becomes tedious to defeat even being weaker than you."
Emily added, "To make everything right, she can go to any length. And as of now, harming Richard is her only goal."
Carl's lips parted, as he slowly muttered, "Just like a certain mechanical suit engineer."
Soon the brunette maid and Carl's subordinates returned and reported, "No one was found inside. There were a few broken weapons which we threw into the water."
Richard turned towards Lilia, "There are a few magical signatures, my lord. I think you should take care of it."
The others who when to assess the situation were surprised, "There was any magical presence?" One of them asked.
Richard explained, "Don't be surprised; Lilia is the only one among all of us who can detect such minor details. She has very sharp detection skills."
They glanced at each other and then back to Lilia.
Truth be told, they weren't taking her seriously since she didn't give off any magical presence. Your journey continues at m v|l-e'-NovelBin.net
… However, they didn't know that Lilia had such a strong grip over her ether that they were misinterpreting her as weak.
Richard then followed Lilia, and behind him were Bella, Emily, and Carl—the male being interested in how Richard would be getting rid of the spell marks.
They entered the storage area of the ship and an awful scent of fish assaulted them, making Emily cringe.
Richard conjured a flame ball around them to illuminate the place as he advanced towards the place she pointed.
Richard couldn't discern the pattern; however, from his knowledge, the spell mark was once used to keep the things stored inside cool.
Richard raised his finger, before shooting a bundle of ether at the mark—
**CREAK**
The wooden wall cracked and the spell mark instantly disintegrated into fragments.
Carl's eyes widened as he said, "Crazy….Bro, you are a broken character."
Richard smiled as he ruffled the younger one's hair and said, "Now let's go. We have a long way to go."
…..
Not so long after, everyone boarded the ship and thanks to the fact that one of Carl's subordinates can manipulate wind, it was easy to push away the ship from the port.
There were not more than six members of Carl's gang that left. There were over a hundred, but the numbers were brought down to single digits because of Richard's agitation.
Richard was expecting animosity from the other members, especially the bear-masked one since he seemed the second leader of this gang.
However, they seemed completely unaffected. And when Richard asked Carl why, he said, they were nearly strangers to each other. And most of them were recruited after they came here.
That…helped Richard to be rest assured.
Emily had created a barrier around the ship, and it seemed to be working quite well. One of the members dove into the water and swam away to check whether the barrier was working….
….and after a few minutes, Carl had to bring that man back since he got lost completely in the sea; being not able to locate the ship.
Bella was currently with Carl, talking things about Rena.
Richard…didn't want to hear their conversation since the more he heard about his childhood friend, the more his heart felt heavy.
His only intention to return to Earth was to save her, and for that, he was prepared to hide things from his mother.
It was risky, yes. However, Richard had confidence. Until he has the black heart, he knows he couldn't possibly get defeated unless, on the other side, there is an immortal.
'Although now I think about it…there is definitely a Demon General who has taken Earth under control.'
There was no doubt about it; after all, the whole place is filled with Aembr users.
Richard had already faced one back on Clion, when he was trying to save his family.
'Haah…I hope this one doesn't turn out as twisted as that guy….'
Richard was about to get up and get himself some water when suddenly a bottle was extended toward him,
"Want some?" The bear-masked man asked.
Richard took the container, "Thanks."
The man sat down beside Richard and allowed him to first drink some water.
Once he finished, the other one finally asked, "Can I ask something?"
Richard raised his brows, "What is it?"
Turning his eyes toward the redhead, he asked, "How does it feel to live as a fictional character?"
"..."
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A/N:- Damn…you cannot forget that the novel was not written only for Richard.
Thanks for reading. Drop a comment and add a review if you have been enjoying the story so far.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 199: Chapter 198- Journey(2)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC199: Chapter 198- Journey(2)
The moment the bear-masked one saw Ethan, he knew that his suspicion was right. This world belonged to that novel that he read back when things were normal.
He was a kid at that time so his memories are a bit vague, however, the moment his eyes landed on Richard and Emily, he knew that this indeed was that book which wasn't that famous even when it was at its peak.
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Ether, Aembr, Ambrobates…these terms were familiar to him. Although he didn't read until the end, Ben knew that this character, known as Richard, was supposed to be dead.
However, considering a resident from Earth has been reborn as the novel character, it doesn't remain surprising that Richard was able to survive.
Not only that, he has somehow shifted the plot so that Emily is on his side, as well as the Protagonist.
Ben has been holding back his curiosity since last night. He didn't even tell Carl about it.
And the person he chose to talk about it was none other than the same minor villain who left a very significant impact on Ben's remembrance.
Richard heaved a sigh. He wasn't shocked to hear that someone was aware of this world which was portrayed as a story back on Earth.
Not just Ben but Richard believed that back on earth, many people might recognize him.
Leaning back in his seat, Richard said, "I know you won't believe it, but a resident of Clion wrote that book. And I was Richard all along…"
Ben raised his brows, "You mean Ray and Richard were the same person?"
Richard nodded, "It's up to you to believe in it. But yeah, it is what it is."
Ben…somehow believed him since the utter nonsense he has seen until now through these few years, reincarnation and rebirth are not something he could disregard as completely impossible.
A brief pause descended between the two as Ben thought about how difficult it might have been for Richard to live as a minor villain.
Then suddenly something struck him and Ben was not able to stop himself from asking, "Umm…Brother, is Duchess Bellarine as beautiful as it was written in the book?"
Duchess Bellarine is the most popular and loved character in the novel. Someone who won the yearly poll for three years straight.
Richard smiled upon hearing that as he informed the guy, "She is more beautiful than what is written. The epitome of beauty."
The image of the red-haired beauty appeared in my mind as Richard spoke.
Ben sighed before leaning back, "Wish I could have seen her once…but well."
Another brief pause descended before Richard broke the silence this time, "Are you close to Carl?"
The masked one nodded, "Kind of…we have been together since the time he was traveling alone with big sis. We three formed a group and used to work together to survive."
"Since we knew the numbers were low, we used to hide in tall buildings initially. Stole ration, raided stores, and helped people when we found them in need."
"Slowly, our group became bigger, and we were as happy as we were. Like a family."
"Until he came…." Ben clenched his fist as agitation oozed from his demeanor.
Richard frowned, "Who?"
"Jin…the reason why Rena is in that condition."
Richard's eyes turned solemn as he heard the man continuing, "He was a very friendly dude, who got along with everyone. Not only was he helpful towards the weak, he showed a strong front in front of enemies."
"A true asset from the group's perspective, and a true friend from our perception."
"...until one day, a gang from the Far East arrived and completely defeated us. They took over our territory, took away our supplies, and killed several of our members."
"We had no option but to run away, and as weak as they perceived us, they didn't even bother chasing us."
"...however, Jin realized that if he remained among us, he would not be able to reach his goal. So he betrayed us and in exchange for golden information, he got himself a spot in the gang."
"He told them about Rena's powers," Richard added, urging Ben to nod in agreement.
"Yes…he backstabbed us and they took big sis away. I still remember how devastated Carl was for a very long time. He nearly died thrice while trying to rescue Rena, and along the path, his only life goal remained was to save his sister."
Heavy silence engulfed the duo as they sat wordlessly for a few minutes. Their minds were cluttered with thoughts relating to the same person.
Ben couldn't forget that day when those people came knocking on the door and took away Rena.
Ben did his best to fight back however, he was beaten black and blue easily. At that time when Ben was searching for Jin's support, that scumbag was standing on their side.
Richard remained silent for another minute before asking, "How strong is this Jin?"
"When he was with us, he was our strongest warrior. The only one who fought against an A-rank and came out alive, barely. However, as of now, he must be quite stronger given he has become the gang leader."
Richard hummed and decided to talk about the strategies and other important stuff once they reached Earth.
There was no way he would attack them without a plan. After all, even though the earthlings were weaker in comparison, Jin had the number to balance out the difference.
"Master." Suddenly Lilia landed before them, startling Ben as they heard the brunette maid say, "A dragon is advancing in our direction."
Richard frowned, "Is it the same dragon?"
Lilia nodded, "Yes…it's the same dragon that attacked you back in the academy."
Richard clenched his fist and got up, as he heard Lilia muttering, "It seems the invisibility turned out to be counterproductive. The dragon is heading straight toward us."
Richard realized his mistake. Ether-users are hyper-sensitive towards Aembr, and Emily is an Ambrobate now.
"Emily, take the barrier down."
Emily nodded, seemingly also aware of what went wrong.
Once the barrier was removed, they all went towards the deck and watched the small creature flying in the sky and turning bigger, passing each second.
Richard was about to step forward and take care of the creature when suddenly Emily suggested,
"Richard, let me handle this."
Richard frowned, "Can you?"
Emily nodded, "Trust me."
Emily erected a barrier beneath her feet and manipulated it to ascend into the air.
Everyone watched in awe at how fluently and expertly she was using her spells.
Once airborne, Emily waited for the dragon to advance towards them.
"Is this safe, brother?" Bella asked; her concern lay in the fact that once near, the dragon could attempt to sink the ship rather than harming the passengers.
And they were too far away from the shore to go back now.
Richard nodded and told her, "I trust her."
Bella frowned, hearing the fondness in his voice, but didn't say anything about it.
"Here it comes!" A masked man exclaimed.
The dragon roared, diving straight for the ship. Emily raised her hand, her barrier forming in an instant.
"Stop."
A translucent sphere shot forward, trapping the dragon mid-flight. It thrashed violently, wings smashing against the glowing walls. Flames erupted from its mouth, slamming into the barrier, but Emily didn't flinch.
Everyone froze as the dragon intensified its assault.
"It's holding!" Carl gasped, wide-eyed.
The flames licked the barrier, causing it to shimmer under the heat. The dragon clawed at the sphere, its talons screeching against the surface, cracks forming only to seal seconds later.
"Unbelievable," Ben muttered, his voice shaking.
The dragon roared again, twisting its massive body. It slammed its tail against the barrier repeatedly, each hit sending shockwaves that rattled the ship. Emily's hand trembled slightly, but her gaze remained firm.
"How is she holding this?!" Carl exclaimed, gripping the railing as the air seemed to vibrate from the force.
He had a few barrier users in his team…but none of them could have even withstood a single strike from the dragon.
Slowly, under everyone's astonished gaze, while maintaining the barrier's strength, Emily began to decrease its size.
Emily's eyes were cold and calculative; gone was the benevolence and mercy. If someone attempts to harm Richard, then they deserve death. And this dragon has already caused a lot of mayhem.
The barrier slowly decreased to the size in which the reptile could barely fit, as it slowly stopped moving its body.
However, just as they thought that they would see a huge mass of blood and gore, suddenly, a blinding light erupted from the dragon, and the creature began to transform.
Emily also stopped shrinking the barrier, since she couldn't retain her focus on the spell. However, she ensured to maintain the strength of her barrier.
Richard frowned as he didn't shield his eyes like others and looked closely at the dragon slowly turning into a human.
Soon, the light subdued, and a woman appeared from behind—glaring daggers at Richard with teary eyes.
"Release me now!!!!"
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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a review if you have enjoyed the story so far.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 200: Chapter 199- Journey(3)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC200: Chapter 199- Journey(3)
Richard asked Emily to accompany him inside the room where he led the prisoner.
The others were guarding his hip for any other possible attack.
Inside the small cabin, Richard sat while facing the red-haired woman who seemed somewhat familiar,
"You are from the Scarlette clan, right?"
Richard asked without beating around the bush. Red hair was very rare in this world and considering how strong she seemed, Richard believed she must be a part of a strong clan.
The lady sobbed as she nodded, "Yes…I am your grandmother."
Emily's eyes widened upon hearing that. Seeing the woman in front, one wouldn't regard her as more than a thirty-year-old woman.
She still has such fair skin, perfect and well-toned shape, along with perky breasts that it is hard to believe that she is Richard's grandmother.
'Are all women of Scarlette house this….packed?' A sense of inferiority was born when Emily looked down at her still-growing breasts.
Richard frowned," She is dead." He simply stated.
His mother told him about her family and all the close relatives she had back when she used to live with them.
And from his knowledge Richard knew that his grandmother was dead.
"I was considered dead since I betrayed them." Her eyes turned solemn when she said that.
Richard could sense clear detest towards the Scarlette clan from her. For some reason, it seemed she hated even talking about them.
"Betrayed?" He asked, "From what I know, Mother said you were met by an accident during your magical experimentation and-"
"It was all a lie which even my daughter accepted since she also assumed that I am a traitor." The lady sighed, her shoulders slumping when she mentioned her daughter.
"Okay then, tell me…why were you branded as a traitor?" Richard never paid much attention to his maternal side of the family since the only person from the Scarlette house who mattered to him was his mother.
But now that he was soon going to get involved with them, it was better to understand to get to know about their history and past relations.
The woman glanced at Emily before saying, "Send her out. The history of the Scarlette clan cannot be disclosed to an outsider."
Emily narrowed her eyes but she didn't say anything against that.
She assumed that Richard might send her out since gaining knowledge about her past was important, it seemed.
However, to her utter surprise,
"She belongs to me. You can start speaking now."
Emily stared at Richard, with her eyes parted wide.
Her face began to turn hot hearing how he showed his possession over her. The bliss of being regarded as someone close to Richard made her nearly drop her barrier but she soon collected herself and focused on her job to keep the woman locked.
The woman heaved a sigh, "You are the first person after the Flame Warden who can afford to have multiple wives."
Richard shrugged and silently urged her to get into the main topic.
The lady leaned forward, her hands resting on the table as she asked,
"You must be aware of the tradition that the Scarlette clan follows, right?"
Richard raised his brows, "About the mandatory union of Scarlette clan's woman with the descendent of the Warden?"
The older one nodded, "Yes….that…" The woman clenched her fist and said, "Our clan might be cursed since a single man takes multiple wives to have a single woman who becomes the destined one."
"I was that chosen wife who gave my husband a daughter, and named her Bellarine."
She took a pause, seemingly collecting her thoughts before saying, " We loved her…well at least he showed concern and love for his daughter. However, when it came to sacrifice her, he showed no hesitation whatsoever."
Richard frowned. Without telling her he knew that the sacrifice in question here was giving birth to Flame Warden's descendent.
Wordlessly he urged her to continue.
The woman looked reluctant but she continued, Stay tuned with mvl
"I didn't want Bellarine to meet the same fate as our ancestors so…when she was at the age of seven, I took her and ran away from the Scarletre clan."
"I thought that if I keep Bellarine away for a few years, then she would be spared….however,"
"You got caught," Richard added that the reason was obvious. His existence.
She clenched her fist, " I underestimated their reach and connection and ended up believing the wrong people. In the end, Bellarine was taken away and I was told to never come back."
Somehow Richard expected that. No mother wants their child to get sacrificed over an oath that years ago someone took for them.
However, if his mother had been reluctant then he might have been able to sympathize with his grandmother.
"Why are you helping the Apostles? Did they promise you something?" Emily asked, given the lady had fought with apostles and caused Richard great trouble.
There was a brief pause; however, since most of the story was already out, she decided to reveal it as well.
"When I ran away with Bellarine, a person sheltered me…and that person was an Apostle."
"After roaming around for years, trying to not get caught by those twisted beings of the Scarlette clan, I met that person again. And this time when he asked for my help, I didn't reject."
Richard thought for a moment before asking, "Who was this person?"
"I don't know his name…he always wears a hood. But I can identify his voice and know his hair color. Platinum silver."
Richard thought back on those and then faxed them back to the academy…however, he couldn't remember if there was any silver head among them.
Who can it be who suddenly sent his grandmother to attack him?
'Well, I am already the enemy of humanity…' There was no point in trying to think about it.
Richard got up from his seat before telling Emily, "Throw her away, as far as you can."
" Wait! You are sparing me?" The lady looked bewildered, given she tried to harm him twice by now, and knowing her grandson, she thought she was surely going to get killed today.
Richard paused in his tracks, and without turning to look at her, he said, "Thank that picture frame on Mom's working table."
He didn't wait there to explain anymore and walked out.
Emily manipulated the barrier in which the lady was stored before she began to take her out.
" It won't hurt right?" The older one asked.
The good girl emotionlessly stated, "After what you have done, be thankful that I ain't squeezing the life out of you."
The older one gulped and decided to remain silent for the time being.
This girl was serious about that.
…..
After they dealt with the infiltrator, Richard, along with others, gathered around the deck.
Richard didn't explain to them about the woman's identity but her red hair told them that she must be related to Richard.
Bella wanted to ask what he heard from the woman, however, but she held back for the time being.
Standing with his arms Richard looked at others and said,
"Once we land on Earth, we are going against the biggest Asian gang, which comprises high-ranking hunters and beasts. I don't need to tell you how dangerous this would be and what are the chances of your survival."
"There is a high chance for you to die out there."
He plainly stated.
Carl looked unaffected, and so did Ben, Emily, and Bella. However, the other four members were affected by his words and his current demeanor.
Looking at them, Richard added, "You can spend a normal life on Clion. You are not obliged to fight and no one will blame you if you back off now."
Richard gave them an offer. He wanted to see their determination and if they failed to meet his expectations he might as well leave them here.
However,
"When I speak, I will be speaking on behalf of all of us." The fox masked one stepped forward,
"Those people have taken everything from us….family, friends, lovers and our dignity. They had treated us as beasts, snatching everything away which we once held dear."
With his fist clenched the man could be seen shaking in raw agitation, as he added, "So rather than asking whether we are willing…you should just tell us who we should kill…where we should kill….how many times a person has to die."
Richard felt a chill down his spine feeling their bloodlust. There was no doubt in the fact that more than anyone, these people antagonized those bastards.
There was no doubt. When the time comes they won't back out so possibly they can be trusted.
And Richard wanted nothing more than that.
With a smirk, Richard stepped forward and patted the guy on the shoulder,
"When the time comes, I definitely will."
—------**-------
A/N:- Thanks for reading..make sure to drop a review and comments on the chapter. And also, tell me if I should publish NSFW images on discord?
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 201: Chapter 200- OathSTRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC201: Chapter 200- Oath
The interrogation went for half an hour and after hearing things from the prisoner, the council was, once again, gathered in the conference hall to discuss the matter.
The atmosphere of the hall was more severe than it initially was, a testament to the things they learned about the other side.
The preparations, the troops, and the fact that every being on the other side is an Ambrobate internally shook the people of the council.
The soldier who heard about it was told to remain silent on the matter since if the news got out, people would begin to panic even more. The portals have already caused a ruckus.
"A war is approaching." The Emperor began, "They are preparing to launch an all-out attack on us to gain control over humanity."
The chief advisor added, "While we remained uncertain about these portals, they were sending troops to assess the situation on this side to prepare themselves."
Gideon snarled, "Such underhanded tactics."
"Rather, it's quite cunning of them, no?" Bellarine suggested, and no, she wasn't showing favoritism just because she once belonged to that world.
After interrogation, it was discovered that those people had been sending men, under the guise of Ambrobate ambush, to discover this world and report back.
It was the most basic tactic in war to first assess your enemy—measure their strength and discover their weakness.
It was a failure on their part to not be able to catch the spies that entered Clion and have been living here for who knows how long.
"When did this start?" The newly assigned Prime Minister asked in a hesitant voice—the man has yet to completely integrate with the upper echelon, which justifies why he seems nervous around people like Bellarine and the Emperor.
"Over two weeks, it has become frequent. We still have no evident proof to say that these portals have been appearing before that. But there is a possibility." Harold responded.
The room was engulfed in a brief silence which was broken by the Commander of the Imperial Legion, "Your Majesty, I apologize if I sound impulsive, but we shouldn't wait and let the enemy attack us first."
Every eye turned towards Bennet who was wearing a grim expression on his face. His hands were clenched under the table.
"Your Majesty, we have a history of not initiating an attack even though we knew that the enemy forces were preparing to attack us."
"However, this time we cannot afford to rest back. We need to take the lead and dominate the enemy with our forces, my Lord."
His words weren't just fueled with anger—the man was devoted to his duty and his people. And this time the enemy is coming with the only thought of destroying the peace they have been preserving for so long.
Their enemy was the Dark side but unlike mindless Ambrobates, this time they were facing those beings who know how to utilize their head more than their strength.
If they had been any regular goon then they would have ambushed Clion by now. However, they used war strategies and prepared things silently.
If they hadn't caught the man they might not have caught the whiff of what they were planning.
Bennet's words were being seriously considered and no one in the room said anything against it.
"Bella…what do you suggest?" The Emperor asked, ushering every eye to turn in the lady's direction.
In the past, Bellarine has led many wars and has won all of them. Her battle intelligence and war strategy have always been effective, albeit a little brute.
Bellarine was in agreement with her student, as she said, "Bennet is right, Your Majesty, we shouldn't wait and attack them when we still have time."
Taking a brief pause, she added, "And when I say attack, I meant removing the root of the problem."
The Prime Minister gulped, "D-Do you mean the energy generator the prisoner talked about?"
From what they heard the earthlings have a steady and infinite magic source that is allowing them to summon these portals that led them here.
By what Bellarine is suggesting, they should not only take down the enemy forces but end the energy source as well.
"Won't it be too dangerous, tho? They must have kept that source hidden in the deepest depth of their base." Gideon added.
Bellarine heaved a sigh, "Look, we don't have any choice. The technology that allows them to open the portal can never be completely destroyed—however, the most important thing to utilize that artifact is a massive source of Aembr."
The technology must be widely shared among humans, Bellarine meant, and going around and destroying it would take ages.
However, the fact that only a single faction has been sending troops and is preparing for this war means that only they possess the factor that makes teleportation possible.
That power source. Explore more at mvl
"And what are the chances that other factions do not have such power sources? Or they won't in the future?" Harold asked, his question caused many people to shift in their seats uncomfortably.
Bellarine shrugged, "I play the deterrent."
Harold's face slowly turned pale as he realized what she was implying here.
The Prime Minister hesitantly asked, "Do you mean to say…you are planning to go to the other world and cause mass destruction, Madame Duchess?"
The tension in the room describes the horror they have seen in the past whenever Bellarine was allowed to run amok.
Not so long ago, when everyone was failing to deal with the Clones, Bellarine arrived and swept away the trash effortlessly.
And no one can forget the incident of the Headless Demon.
"Instilling fear in the heart of those otherworlders so they think twice before attempting something like this again ... .I find this suggestion quite appealing." Gideon voiced, and Bennet wordlessly agreed to it.
There were only three people in agreement with that suggestion—while the others seemed hesitant.
Regardless of their origin, they still were humans, they thought. And letting Bellarine go berserk to assert dominance sounded a bit…
"If you feel sympathy for your enemy, then you are nothing less than a traitor to your people, gentlemen," Bellarine added, which made the council members glance at each other nervously.
The Emperor allowed a sigh to seep through his lips, as he said, "Okay, Bella. We are going with your plan."
Bellarine grinned; feeling her palms itching for some action already.
The Emperor soon added, "However remember, your true goal should remain slaughtering that thing which is allowing those people to enter our territory."
Looking at Bennet, he added, "If the Duchess has to engage in battle with the masses, you, Commander, must eliminate the power source."
Bennet's eyes turned icy cold as he got up and swore, "I promise you, sir. Regardless of the obstacle and the person standing in my path, I won't stop until I get rid of the connection."
Lucius nodded, "I expect nothing less from you."
—------**-------
They finally were reaching their destination. The shore was in view, and it wouldn't take more than half an hour for them to touch the land.
Standing near the end of the ship, Richard gazed at nothing particular when he sensed someone approaching him.
"All preparations done?" He asked his beloved.
"Yes, my Lord." Lilia stepped forward to stand beside him before asking,
"Is…everything fine, Richard?" She could sense that he had been avoiding her for some time now, which was making her nervous.
Richard heaved a sigh before confessing, "I heard your conversation with Cristina last night."
Lilia's eyes widened in shock upon hearing that. The last person she wanted to hear those words was him.
"Richard…I-she didn't mean it…you know-"
"I know, Lilia, and I don't blame Cristina for worrying about you. It's every parent's right to be concerned about their children. And surely no mother would like to see their children getting into dangerous situations again and again."
Lilia looked worried….fearing about what he would say next.
Separation from her master was not something she ever even thought about. That's why she didn't even entertain the idea of breaking up with Richard even when her mother seemed so adamant about it.
Richard fondly smiled at her before holding her hand and saying, "I am the successor of the Death God…it's inevitable for me to remain surrounded by danger. However, it's a fact that I cannot live without you…I just can't."
Drawing her closer, he rested his hand on her waist and fondly said, "Keeping you close will be dangerous, and your mother will continue to suffer. However, I can't let you go, Lilia. Now what should I do?"
Lilia's eyes were filled with tears, but anyone, even a stranger could tell that these tears were of happiness.
Hugging his neck, she softly whispered, "Dying beside you is far more appealing than living without you."
Resting her head against his, she added, "So just hold me and never let go."
—-------**--------
A/N:- Okay, I need a Lilia now! Like, right now! Damn, my favorite is Lilia and Bellarine.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 202: Chapter 201- DisappearedSTRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC202: Chapter 201- Disappeared
They landed on the shore and took all the supplies they had been carrying with them.
There was not much—just a few guns and tools which would be enough to blow up several buildings.
Chatting with Carl allowed Richard to know that there are several humans who still rely on weapons to deal with the zombies. Although every single one of them is under the influence of Aembr, not each one of them was able to awaken a strong ability.
As such, they remained old school and stuck to the very basic mode of self-defense.
"Several nations were brought to ruins and were united by big clans and guilds to form a better defense against the zombies and the beasts. There is no government back on Earth, and the Monarchical system is being reintroduced."
Ben notified the others.
Richard heaved a sigh; there was a time when he envisioned it.
When he was around, people were in quite a disarray, running around and caring about their survival and the people close to them.
The leaders of the major nations went underground, trying to take control of things from the shadows.
However, now that Ambrobates have caused massive changes and the concept of Aembr has allowed even a regular citizen to wield the power of an army at the tip of their finger, it was inevitable for such changes to appear.
"The gang we have to target has the support of the Asian Alliance. However, it would be highly unlikely for them to send troops if we rescue Rena in a single night."
Carl added; his voice laced with concern.
Richard heaved a sigh—until he doesn't see the situation, he can not say if rescuing in a single night would be possible.
Bella had a frown on her face as she asked, "The Alliance you just said…how many men are we talking about if they suddenly interfere?"
Ben responded with a grim expression, "It's not about quantity, sister. It's about quality."
Taking a pause, he added, "They have several units in the Alliance which look after different regions. And the commander of each region calls themselves Seven Shades. They all are above A-rank and someone who has faced numerous battles in the past. I remember how once one of the Generals was tricked into a bunker full of the opposing faction's men. At the end of the day, the General walked out leaving a heap of dead bodies behind."
Ben and the other three members recalled several incidents about the Generals which were quite known on Earth.
"The Asian Alliance is one of the top three strongest factions on Earth currently and Jin's gang is under their protection," Carl added.
Richard was taking note of everything but refused to make any comment as of now.
Emily, who was walking beside him, nervously asked, "Are you okay?"
Richard softly smiled at her, and assured the girl, "Yeah, don't worry."
They soon spotted something that brought a pause to their feet altogether.
Far in the east, they felt a sudden surge of Aembr distorting the space.
Richard narrowed his eyes as he saw the anomalous occurrence for the first time.
The air grew heavy, suffused with an unnatural chill. A faint hiss slithered through the clearing like a distant breath being drawn.
The ground trembled, soft at first, then stronger, as black smoke began to seep from the cracks between the stones. It coiled like a living serpent, gathering in the center of the space.
The smoke thickened, twisting and writhing as if struggling to take form. A deep, guttural rumble echoed, and the mass of darkness shot upward, spiraling into the air. It expanded rapidly, forming a towering, circular void that pulsed with a sinister glow.
Everyone watched with a frown as several two-legged monsters jumped from the other side—groaning as they steadied on their feet and looked around.
"Verlisept. The agile monsters with the camouflage ability." Ben muttered.
Bella stepped forward and raised her left hand.
The profound magical presence made the creatures alert as they hurriedly turned towards the source of such disturbance.
The air turned lighter as Bella summoned a massive serpent of flames, swirling in the air and hissing at the prey who dared stand in front of its master.
Bella's eyes turned soft as she glanced at her brother, asking for permission.
Richard gave her a faint nod before Bella shot the spell in the direction of the creatures—allowing the serpent to unfurl its massive body as it slithered through the air to approach the trembling monsters.
…
On the other side of the portal, several hooded men were preparing to jump out of the portal when suddenly they felt the red dots from the screen attached to their wrists disappearing.
"What the-where did those monsters go?!" One of them asked in irritation as they found the monsters going out of the radar's range.
"There is no way they traveled over ten miles this soon…t-that means…"
A cold shiver ran down their spines as realization dawned upon them—however before any of them could mutter a single word, a menacing presence suddenly landed from the other side.
None of them were able to even let a single muscle in their body move, except for the leader who took pride in being a B-rank.
"You…!!" He raised his assault rifle—ready to put several holes in his enemy.
However…he wasn't able to pull the trigger as the gun was split in half….or more like…the whole person was split in two.
**THUD**
"Aaaaahhhhhh!!" Seeing their leader falling, the other men began to load their guns and tried to attack Richard as well.
However, very calmly, Richard raised his index finger, and tentacles of flame erupted from the ground, pierced the soldiers, and lifted them off the ground.
Carl shivered upon seeing their condition as he thanked God that he revealed his identity to his big brother in time or one of those tentacles would have ended him yesterday as well.
One of them, who was holding a dagger in his trembling hands, was kept alive.
Lilia stepped forward and easily snatched the blade from him before suggesting, "Answer him honestly and you will live."
The man suddenly found an angel in Lilia as he hastily nodded.
Emily pulled a chair before Richard sat down and after crossing his leg, he asked the man,
"Tell me, soldier. Where can I find this dog called Jin."
----**----
Eleanor sat on her seat in the conference hall, surrounded by the other apostles.
She has heard things from her mole regarding Richard's recent movements.
Initially, she believed that the redhead was here to brainwash Ethan. After all, it couldn't be a coincidence for them to be in the same place and at the same time.
However, after the report she received from Lady Junisha, it seemed Richard was planning to move towards the land in the west for some reason.
Her eyes turned towards the vacant seat on her right before she asked, "Is Ethan in his room?"
Ruby notified her, "He is in the garden, practicing his blade swings."
A brief fond smile extended her lips, but she soon hid that and asked the girl across from her, "Jessica, did you find any trace of Tia?"
The short green-haired female shook her head, "I can't locate her at all."
Eleanor frowned; after that night when she….tried to drug Ethan, Tia disappeared from the mansion.
There were no traces of battle in the mansion, and since every member was mysteriously sleeping at that hour, no one knew where the blond elf had disappeared.
It didn't help that she was an outcast back in her tribe, leaving no option to find her through her people.
"I sensed Aembr that night…." Suddenly a very hesitant voice called out.
It was strange that the most confident and bold member had turned so meek.
Eleanor asked, "James? Do you know who it was?"
James had mostly remained locked up in his room for most of the time ever since he faced Richard in the battle.
And just after ending his hibernating period, he was showing his usefulness, "I-It was h-h-him…"
No one had to ask who this 'him' was since James only showed such great fear when the conversation was about a certain redhead.
Richard.
Theodore frowned, "Richard was in the mansion and none of us noticed?"
"Isn't it because you all were sleeping carelessly?" Jessica added, making Theodore growl. However, since she was right, no one retaliated.
Jessica was out of the mansion that day so she couldn't be blamed.
Eleanor remained silent for a long time, pondering upon what might have happened. Then suddenly she proposed,
"Track Nora. I have a feeling that she can help us find our comrade."
A deep silence ensued in the place before Jessica hesitantly relayed,
"The connection with her was severed two days ago, chief." Explore stories at mvl
Eleanor frowned, "You mean…."
Theodore bluntly stated, "She is an Ambrobate now."
Eleanor clenched her fist, but to say she didn't expect it would be a lie.
After remaining silent for another brief minute, she commanded, "Contact the elven chief. He shall know how his daughter has betrayed her makers."
—-------**--------
A/N:- Thanks for reading. I failed to notice it in the last chapter, but we have reached 200 chapters!!! Thanks for all the love and support!
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 203: Chapter 202- ReturnSTRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC203: Chapter 202- Return
The Crimson Claw gang was situated in an island country which was formerly known as Korea.
Every section of the island was well guarded and surveilled by the gang members and military units they possessed.
Every member on that island is devoted to the gang since they know betraying the leader means nothing less than a gruesome death.
Since the teleportation through dimensions was still in a testing period—or so they told the world—no one but Crimson Claw and the factions under their command were allowed to use the teleportation portals.
The place where Richard and his gang landed was one of such factions under direct control of Crimson Claw.
Richard looked closely at the man and asked, "What are they planning by sending troops here and there?" Based on the answer he would be able to decide how he should proceed and if there would be a need to take down the Asian Alliance.
Although Richard's primary motive is still to save Rena, he has to discern the intentions of the earthlings for the future of Clion and the changes they can bring during the Great War.
The soldier has already surrendered and accepted his fate, so he didn't hesitate to reveal whatever he knew,
"We were told to integrate ourselves with major cities and plant them there." He showed a small pen-sized gadget that had a red dot near the crown.
Richard used telekinesis to pull the gadget, making the soldier tremble before the redhead inspected it.
There were three lines on it, and the word 'PinP' was written in English.
He could sense faint Aembr from the tech, signifying it was powered by magic.
He looked back at the soldier and asked, "What do you know about this?"
While still kneeling on the ground, the man responded, "Five of us were given this to plant at different spots but within fifty meters of range from each other."
Richard's expression turned grim hearing that, making Lilia concerned as she asked, "Young Master?"
Richard explained, "I can not be sure but it's a tracker beam that would allow them to possibly summon a teleportation portal anywhere they desire."
Lilia's eyes widened and the shock was shared by others as well.
If Ambrobates can be released anywhere on will, then the destruction they could cause would be unimaginable.
During a war, if the opposing forces release their soldiers inside their enemy's fort, the damage would be significant and the enemy forces could never be ready to face hundreds of Ambrobates at once.
No Empire would be able to withstand such a strategy and would fall before their enemy.
Richard smirked, "Technology has changed many things throughout the years. Nations were conquered but this time, a whole planet is in their target."
The soldier was astounded upon witnessing how quickly the young man discerned their plan.
However, he didn't know that Richard once belonged to this world and knew the extent of humanity.
They were slowly sending their troops under the pretense of random Bates appearance and spreading these pinpointing beams throughout Clion so that when the war began, they could damage the major empires from within.
'A cunning plan…'
While Richard was appreciating the effort, Emily asked, "What are we going to do, Richard?"
Richard suddenly got up and heard the soldier saying, "Umm…can you do me a favor and end my life here?"
Richard was surprised, "Why do you say so?"
The soldier's shoulders slumped as he confessed, "My family is under their radar, and if they find out that I betrayed them, they will kill my family right before my eyes before torturing me to death."
Emily frowned, "Then just run away?"
The soldier smiled in defeat, "Nothing is hidden by that monster. Jin can watch everything."
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No one spoke anything after that before a small explosion in the building occurred, and the soldier exploded on the spot.
Richard turned towards Carl and told him, "Burn the whole place and erase the camera footage. I don't want any of them to find out about us."
Lilia seriously asked, "What do you have in mind, master?"
Heaving a sigh, Richard explained to them briefly, "Before taking any action we need to search for the person who created this whole mess."
Carl's eyes widened, "We are not going to rescue Rena?!"
Richard looked at him seriously and rested his hand on his shoulder, "Nothing can stop me from saving her; however, if we take a rash step, then they might prepone their plan and attack Clion in haste—taking several lives of innocent people. And do you think Rena will ever forgive me or you if we let others die even though we could have stopped them?"
Carl didn't say anything after that. He trusted Richard's words and knew that until he was here, his sister would be saved.
Glancing at his men, they went to the computer and started erasing the footage.
Richard brought Lilia and the other two ladies out of the building.
Standing outside the building Richard took a pause and inhaled a long, strong breath.
"Haaaaah~" Lilia smiled at him,
"Feeling home?"
Richard shrugged, "Kind of."
Bella hugged his arm, "I never thought we would be standing here again like this."
Richard confessed, "Well, when I got bitten by the zombie, I never thought I would see you again."
Bella still gets nightmares of that night and whenever she remembers it, her heart rate begins to elevate.
Richard caressed her head and told her, "Now I am here with you and no power in the world can separate us."
After a brief pause, she smiled at him.
Soon Carl and his group came out of the building, and reported, "Erased everything and burned the system."
Richard nodded before he told them, "Now please step back."
They did as they were instructed before Richard summoned a very small, candy-size orange-red orb on the top of his index finger before flicking it towards the building.
It was tiny, almost insignificant—a fragile wisp of fire that flickered softly as if a mere gust could extinguish it. Yet, the air around it shimmered unnaturally, bending and warping like heat radiating off molten metal.
The tiny orb imploded silently for a fraction of a second before releasing a deafening boom. A wave of searing heat erupted outward, ripping through stone, wood, and metal with merciless force.
Flames surged like hungry beasts, devouring the building in a heartbeat. Walls disintegrated into molten debris, and the roof was torn apart as if clawed by invisible hands. Windows shattered, their shards spiraling in fiery winds.
Lilia had to erect multiple barriers to protect the people while Bella witnessed the scene with a huge smile on her face.
Once Richard was done he turned towards the other and said, "We should first get ourselves a place to hide."
He knew that the explosion would alert the others and they would rush here any minute now. However, it was necessary to cause the explosion so the chance of them doubting someone destroying the system purposely wouldn't rise.
They all were superhumans, so hastily, in a blur, they disappeared from the site.
Not so long after, a large military truck appeared before the ruined building with several soldiers wearing similar uniforms as the ones who died , jumping off the vehicle.
They wordlessly began to inspect the site, some of them first extinguished the first and some of them went ahead and began to search the premise for any remaining soldier.
The commander of the battalion took a long breath before saying, "There were more than half a dozen people here just now."
Hearing his words, the second-in-command said, "An ambush?"
The search team began to look for any evidence that could lead them to the cause of the explosion.
The battalion leader closed his eyes, and instantly, the second in command told everyone to shut up.
The commander has the skill to inspect a certain area and track the mana presence left behind by the people.
However, the moment his eyes landed on the being who caused the explosion, the man's face became pale and his legs began to shake.
Such a profound presence that makes you feel you are gazing at the Abyss—the darkness in the energy left behind was condensed enough to make him suffocate as he hurriedly opened his eyes.
The soldier beside him instantly supported his senior and asked,
"What happened, commander?" He has never seen the man being so much shaken up before.
The commander took a brief moment to control his breathing before he told them,
"Contact the high command….this is possibly a Disaster-class danger."
The other soldiers' eyes parted wide in shock, but their training kicked in, and they began moving hurriedly towards the truck.
The Commander turned towards the place where the presence led him as he muttered under his breath,
'I have a feeling that a massive war is approaching…'
—------**--------
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment or review if you have been enjoying the story so far.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 204: Chapter 203- Can't stopSTRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC204: Chapter 203- Can't stop
For two years, Carl has been costly observing the territory of Crimson Claw to make bases and prepare for an all-out attack.
Naturally, during those two years, he formed several hideouts around the mainland and one of those bases can be used by Richard and his people for the time being.
The place Carl brought them was an underground facility which can only be reached if someone knows the exact location of the hideout. In the middle of nowhere, there is a secret passage that opens up under the plain ground, and the gallery leads to the hideout.
Seeing Carl inputting the third password in this five-minute walk, Bella couldn't help but think,
'Paranoia or just caution?' She couldn't comprehend how much grief and regret he must have gone through. Sharing one's pain and experiencing it, are two different things.
Bella or anyone else can assure him of the future and comfort him about the past, but the suffering he went through can never be erased.
*Clinq*
The metal door parted as Carl informed them, "This was a secret laboratory in the past, in which they were experimenting with human cloning."
Carl informed—he has read through the data left behind by the researchers, however, considering cloning is one of the known skills in today's world, it was useless to further pursue the topic.
"Hidden by the eyes of general masses, these people were working over inhumane projects for a long time," Ben added as his eyes went towards the mark of a certain symbol with which Bella and Richard were also familiar.
The Starfall Labs—the place where their mother used to work. And also, the research lab where she developed the virus.
Richard glanced at Bella and wordlessly told her to remain silent over it. If they heard that Bellarine was the cause of this whole mess, then an internal feud was inevitable.
Many people have lost their loved ones because of this apocalypse, and in a way, the things Rena is facing right now are also because of the virus.
They entered the huge space, which looked like an old laboratory, which was divided into two sections.
There were a few folded beds rolled up in a corner and a few fresh boxes of supplies nearby.
Lilia went ahead and checked the surroundings for any moles, but fortunately, there were none.
Emily was checking the situation of the place and she was astonished to find so many unusual and strange things lying here and there.
"Woah..." She pulled open a large box, and instantly, a cold breeze hit her face.
"It's a refrigerator, to keep things cool," Ben explained as he smiled at her reaction.
Emily raised her brows, "They don't use gemstones for this?"
Ben chuckled, "Even though there are things like mana stone available now, I doubt people have stopped using these basic things."
"Young master, if you allow me then can I clean up the place a little?" Lilia was feeling restless seeing how dirty the lab was; her hands were itching, and her left eyebrow was twitching in slight annoyance.
In her current mood, anything apart from yes would have disappointed her, so Richard gave her a nod.
Carl told the other three to help Lilia while Emily decided to arrange the beds and check what could be used to sleep on.
"Carl, bring all the maps you have of Crimson Claw's territory," Richard said before the boy nodded and rushed towards the other side of the lab where he had stored every important thing.
Bella pulled a table and used a cloth to clean it.
Richard closed his eyes and activated his 'Perspective Burst' to see what was happening above them.
'Hmm?' He frowned upon hearing the sound of tires screeching, which urged him to say, "Carl? There is something above us."
Everyone paused upon hearing that, however, Carl's following words eased their tension,
"It must be the regular surveillance. I will check just for assurance." He has several cameras planted on the surface, which is as small as grass, so they remain hidden from the surveillance vehicles.
Carl looked at the camera, and his brows drew closer—ushering Richard to ask, "Is everything fine?"
Emily saw the number of moving carts on the ground to be above fifty, "They are so many...."
Richard grew worried so he advanced towards the younger one and found there were indeed many military trucks roaming around on the ground and searching for something.
Them, possibly.
"How did they realize our position so soon?" Richard wondered. He was slightly astonished at how quickly they were found out.
Ben explained, "The high command always recruits a sensory-type soldier in each battalion. It must be that person who caught a whiff of our presence."
The atmosphere grew heavy—they were several feet under the ground and there seemed to be only a single route to walk in and out. Not to forget, the people above them were all superhuman with possible abilities to sense things under the ground.
If any of them sense Richard and others' presence, they wouldn't even come down and just demolish the base from above.
"We cannot stay here," Richard said to them, "Take all the necessary items and get prepared."
"What are we going to do? We cannot expose our arrival yet." Ben had a severe frown behind his mask as he asked Richard.
Richard looked at his sister before telling her, "When I go out, Bella, you need to erase your restraint over your ether. Let their sensors get overwhelmed by your presence so they won't suspect when the others leave."
If Richard goes out, they will still keep observing the underground facility to keep track of the remaining people. That's why Bella needs to blanket the whole place with her presence so they don't pay attention when the others escape.
Considering Bella's magical capabilities, he knew only she could do this—but,
"Her magical signature is different from others," Ben added, "They will know she is not from this world and will immediately send forces inside."
"You don't need to worry about that," With a confident smirk Richard added, "I won't let them look anywhere else but me."
-------**-------
Above the ground, the enemy forces have long discovered the peculiarity of the area from where they were receiving many presence. They were alerted that a high-ranking enemy had penetrated this world and needed to be handled.
However, the higher command strictly instructed them to bring at least one of them back alive.
The soldiers moved with precision, their boots stomping against the earth above the hidden base. One of them paused, holding a hand up. "The energy signature is getting stronger," he said, his voice sharp over the communicator.
"Focus your scans on the area beneath you," another voice ordered. The soldiers began deploying a series of devices, spikes glowing faintly as they embedded themselves into the ground, transmitting signals below.
Within the underground lab, tension rippled. The faint vibrations from the soldiers' movements above were growing more intense, like drums heralding an impending storm.
"They're closing in," Carl muttered, his fists clenched.
Emily glanced at Richard, her eyes filled with anxiety. "They'll find us any moment now."
Richard didn't answer. He stepped forward, his hand rising to his chest as flames began licking at his skin. His fiery aura erupted like a dam breaking, filling the confined space with oppressive heat. The soft glow of his magic circles sprang to life behind him, pulsing with an ominous rhythm.
"Stay down here and prepare to move," he said, his voice calm yet carrying the weight of finality. "I'll give them something to think about."
He didn't wait for their response. With a sharp exhale, he propelled himself upward, his ether blazing.
Above ground, the soldiers froze as the earth beneath them cracked. A roar of flame erupted like a volcano, sending heat waves cascading across the plain. Richard emerged from the inferno, his form cloaked in a searing fire that danced chaotically around him. His eyes burned with intensity, locking onto the nearest soldier.
"Looking for someone?" he taunted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
The lead soldier barked into his communicator, "Target sighted! Engage!"
The moment Richard's fiery form broke through the surface, dozens of rifles snapped to life, spitting a relentless barrage of bullets. The roar of gunfire filled the plain, drowning out every other sound. Tracer rounds lit the air, their glowing arcs converging on Richard's figure with pinpoint accuracy.
Smoke and dust engulfed him as the bullets struck true, forming a cloud of debris that obscured all sight of the target. The soldiers didn't pause, continuing their assault with unwavering precision. Some reloaded, others switched to heavier-caliber rounds, determined to obliterate the intruder.
The firing finally ceased the echo of gunfire fading into the distant hills. A tense silence followed, the soldiers gripping their weapons tightly as they stared at the dissipating smoke, waiting for a sign.
And then, from within the haze, he emerged.
Completely unaffected by the assault that can easily take down a B-rank monster and even damage considerably a beast of the higher rank.
The soldiers were struck with a realization that mentally defeated them at once,
They were facing an immortal.
---------**--------
A/N:- Let there be carnage!!!!
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 205: Chapter 204- SkillsSTRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC205: Chapter 204- Skills
Through a barely lit corridor could be seen a man wearing a black and red uniform walking with hurried steps.
In his left hand was a screen terminal as he moved toward the end of the corridor where he needed to meet someone urgently.
He was sweating profusely, a sign of anxiety that the person carried. And the source of apprehension was stored inside the terminal which he was holding.
The two men who just walked out of the door raised their brows,
"Debroski~why do you look so pale?" On the left was a black-bearded man who raised his hand and greeted the advancing person.
The other one also seemed a bit taken aback at how much the walking person sweated, ushering him to ask, "What happened?"
The man, Debroski, paused and greeted them,
"Sir Shin, Sir Mike, good evening. The matter is severe so I decided to bring it to high command."
The bearded man, Mike, took the terminal from the surveillance chief before looking at the footage which made Debroski so panicked.
Shin also peeked at the screen before, at once, their eyes parted wide.
Chapter Enjoy:
"....three hundred soldiers in thirty seconds…what the fuck?!" Mike exclaimed, making the nearby soldiers shiver as they felt the aura of the man flaring.
Shin squinted his eyes and looked closely at the footage on the left side of the data.
"Why isn't there anything clear in this footage?" Only the faint view of destruction unfolding could be seen since the camera seemed to be bugged and showing a static screen.
Mike turned on his heel and pushed open the door. Shin and Debroski followed him as they entered the conference hall where four people were present.
The young man with flowing black hair and a pair of violet eyes, frowned upon seeing them, as he asked,
"Are you tired of living?"
Mike kept advancing towards the faction leader before connecting the terminal to the projector, "This is urgent."
Every eye turned towards the big screen where the data of dead soldiers were displayed and the time when their tracker went off.
Only half a minute it all took for three hundred soldiers to meet their makers.
There was nothing evident which was recorded by the cameras and all the vehicles were burnt into molten mess as well—leaving not a single trace behind.
The raven-haired youth, who was also the new leader of Crimson Claw, rested his face on his balled fist before asking lazily,
"From which gate did they jump from?"
Hearing his nonchalant words, the man with grey hair on his left said, "How can you take this so calmly? This presence is surely not from this world!"
He was one of the seven generals of the Asian Alliance, who asked Jin in an enraged voice.
If anyone else, the young man would have instantly obliterated their existence. But not this one. Jin has to keep his temper in control in front of the people from the Alliance.
His eyes shone ominously as Jin stared at the screen before asking, "You know anything about this?"
The question was directed toward the silver head sitting on his left, whose face was quite similar to a certain Emissary.
The one who was born from Ethan's essence looked at the aftermath of the battle closely. He knew that there was only one flame user who could cause such massive devastation.
However, turning back toward Jin he slowly shook his head and told him,
"I have no idea who that is."
Jin kept staring at the clone for a few moments before saying, "There is a chance that these people are from Clion, so send all the forces in that division to search for them and increase security on the borders."
Shin and Mike gave a firm salute and made their way out of the conference hall.
A massive battle was coming.
—------**--------
After destroying the enemy forces, Richard along with others, made their way towards one of the port areas.
And this time they weren't staying in any of those hideouts since Carl suspected that they might have discovered his other hideouts when he was in Clion.
It was a wrecked ship that they used for their temporary hideout.
It doesn't seem that the cruise ship crashed long ago, given the wooden floor was still intact and there were a few fresh corpses.
"They must have been attacked by an aquatic monster," Carl muttered as they made their way through the short corridor toward a room that was devoid of any dead bodies.
"This will work," Lilia stated as she paused and turned to her left before pulling the door.
It was a couple-themed room, and there was enough space for the nine of them to sit comfortably.
Emily first took out a water bottle and offered it to Richard.
With a thankful nod, Richard accepted the bottle, and instantly, the plastic bottle melted in his hand.
*Hissss*
Everyone looked at the molten plastic clinging to his skin in horror before Lilia swiftly moved toward him and removed the bottle first before taking out a vial of potion.
Even Bella was struck at her place seeing that, and if not Lilia, Richard might have removed the bottle himself.
"Didn't I tell you not to give him anything that can melt easily right after Master returns to his human form?" Lilia, in a displeased tone, reprimanded the blond teenager.
There were tears in Emily's eyes as she looked at Richard's burned skin.
It was a very common occurrence for Richard's body to remain hot enough to melt things like plastic. That's why he cannot wear just any clothes. All his clothes are made of a special fabric which has a high melting point.
Richard smiled at Emily before telling her, "It's okay, don't cry now."
Returning his gaze to Lilia, he said, "Don't be angry at her, Lili. She is slowly getting used to it."
Lilia didn't respond to it as she finished healing her young master's hand.
Richard gestured for others to sit back down while Bella advanced toward her brother and softly asked, "Does it hurt?"
Her words sounded so delicate that Richard thought that she might as well start to weep if he nodded.
However, he honestly told her, "It's nothing to worry about. When I was experimenting with my powers, I used to get far more severe burns."
Bella didn't want to even think about it.
Once they were seated and Richard somehow calmed Emily down, Carl said,
"They must have assigned soldiers from different regions to search for us. Border security must have intensified as well."
Ben added, "They know that no normal monster or a rogue can cause such massive destruction. So there is a chance that they might have discerned that the enemy forces are from the other world."
Richard showed no sign of nervousness even though he wanted to keep his arrival a secret.
He lazily rested on the chair, and asked them, "Before anything, I want to know about your skills."
Carl and Ben glanced at each other before the latter began, "I have…a skill similar to SONAR. I can send very low sound waves that detect things situated far away. The range of my detection is around seven hundred meters."
Carl followed, "My skill allows me to create tremors in the ground. I can create from shallow tremors to an earthquake of magnitude 7 or sometimes higher."
The bald man who goes by the name Boris, said, "I can control the earth element, however, only to a certain degree."
The long pink-haired girl muttered, "My ability revolves around the very air we breathe. I can alter its chemical composition at will—turning it into something harmless, like laughing gas, or something far more insidious, like tear gas or even worse."
Richard showed a surprised expression before asking, "What is your range and how long can you maintain it? And how many types of gases can you form at once?"
Founding Richard's attention on her, the girl blushed—however, as soon as she found three people glaring at her, she hurriedly answered,
"I can only form only a single type of gas at one time, and for a single minute."
Richard nodded before turning towards the last one.
It was the youngest-looking boy with delicate features and a pair of bright blue eyes.
He confessed his ability,
"I am a healer and can buff one's abilities for a short duration."
Richard heaved a sigh, "Oh, how fortunate." He always felt that there was a severe necessity for a healer in the team.
Once he was done, Richard got up and said,
"Emily, Ben, Laila, and I will be infiltrating the main base of Crimson Claw today."
Carl was startled, "So suddenly?"
Richard told him, "Before launching an attack we need to ascertain Rena's position."
Saying so, he turned towards Ben and Laila and told them, "You have four hours, rest and get refreshed since it's going to be a long night."
—------**-------
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment.
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