CHAPTER 272: SECOND VILLAIN ACT [4]

Rin Evans POV:

Let’s be honest about my power for a second.

If I didn’t count [Soul Bound Staff]—Lan—most of the relics I owned were just things I’d scraped together after the golden goblin incident at the academy.

I had a teleportation relic, sure, but it only worked twice a day. Useful for running, not winning. Then there was the so-called inventory relic—handy, but locked tight unless you registered as its owner. Not exactly combat material.

The Gambler’s Mercy? Still sealed. I hadn’t made the contract yet, which meant it was just dead weight in my hands.

And then there was Black Shadow. My one offensive relic. Originally, it had been Shadow Fang, a dagger. But the shadow inside had attached itself to the blade, and now—after being with me—it had shifted back into its original form. Black Shadow.

That was it. That was my arsenal. Nothing flashy. Nothing game-breaking.

And could I beat Alice Draken with that?

...Not a chance in hell.

Even if I tried everything—teleportation, Black Shadow, enhancements stacked to the limit—it wouldn’t matter. I might get away. I might stall. But win? No.

Not against her.

If Enhancement grew stronger—if I reached the point where I could layer multiple enhancements at once—then maybe, maybe I’d have a shot. But right now? She was untouchable.

Alice Draken. The Platinum Witch.

To anyone else, she was just an A-rank hero. Dangerous, sure, but still human. To me, who had read the settings book, I knew the truth.

She wasn’t just strong. She was a calamity sealed into human form. A being closer to disaster than person. Even shackled by the seal, even with her true body locked away, she was still absurdly powerful—one of the highest-ranked A-ranks alive.

So how could I possibly beat her?

The truth was simple—I couldn’t. And that truth pressed down on me like a stone lodged in my chest, heavy and unmoving.

But just because I couldn’t win didn’t mean I was helpless. I had a few tricks. Enough to bluff, to stall, maybe even to turn her curiosity against her.

That was why I changed Lan’s form. Turning one of my few real weapons into a tailcoat wasn’t some act of arrogance, or a weird obsession with fashion, or even a way to save on clothes.

No—there were reasons. Always reasons.

On the surface, it kept her from connecting me—Rin Evans, the boy with a blade—to this masked version of myself. The less she knew, the longer I lived.

But deeper than that... Lan wasn’t just a weapon. It was a shield, a relic that could harden, bend, and protect me in ways nothing else could. To anyone else it might look ridiculous, walking into a firestorm wearing a suit, but for me?

It was armor. Disguise. Lifeline.

And if I played my cards right, maybe—just maybe—it was enough to convince Alice Draken that I wasn’t just a toy for her to burn.

That’s why I provoked her from the start.

Alice Draken wasn’t the type to listen to strangers—and she sure as hell wasn’t going to listen to some masked creep dragging her out in the middle of the night. If I wanted her attention, if I wanted her to take me seriously, I had to corner her pride.

Of course, I knew what that meant. Provoking her wasn’t a game. It was basically begging to get roasted alive. But I did it anyway.

And the second she lit up the night with those flames, I pushed Lan to its absolute limit.

Lan—my so-called half-divine artifact replica. Even "half" was enough to put most artifacts to shame, and after I poured everything I had into enhancing it? Its defenses skyrocketed. That was the only reason I could stand there, spitting out calm words while Alice hurled attacks that could have incinerated anyone else on the spot.

But... damn.

It still hurt.

Every blast rattled through me, like my bones were ringing with the impact. The barrier held, but my body didn’t walk away untouched. I could already feel the sting beneath my ribs, the ache crawling up my arm where the recoil bled through.

I kept my mask steady, but inside?

Inside I was asking myself a very real question.

Can I even speak right now?

"...You did all of this? Just to make me listen to you?"

Damn. Look at her—she doesn’t even flinch saying that. No shame at all.

And now she’s tossing all the blame on me, like I’m the one dragging her through this game.

Being a villain is exhausting. People think it’s all grand speeches and cool entrances, but no—it’s mostly dealing with headaches like this.

I wanted to call her out on it, maybe throw a jab back, but I didn’t.

The last thing I need is to turn this into a drawn-out fight to the death.

So, I stuck to the plan.

[Yes. I’m only here to make a proposal. From here on, the choice is yours—and so are the consequences that follow.]

Her golden eyes narrowed, suspicious but curious. "A proposal...?"

[Yes. You’ve caught the eye of the Great One I serve. Won’t you join us?]

Truthfully, I’d always thought Alice had the potential to be a villain worth watching.

In the original story, Ryen cut her down because of that ridiculous thing with her seal. But that wasn’t her fault. That was my foolish friend’s mistake—he never saw the value in her, never understood what could’ve been done with her.

Small, deceptively cute, her true body sealed away, carrying a backstory just begging to be explored... And he killed her off?

Wasteful. Unforgivable.

She tilted her head, lips curving into that same mocking smile. "I don’t know what your Great One does, but I’ll tell you this—I don’t plan on submitting to anyone. Not for power, not for survival. That’s not me."

[Then let me correct you on two things.]

Her grin faltered, just slightly. "Two things?"

[First... He is not some lowly human. So watch your mouth when you speak of Him.]

The air shifted instantly. Heavy, suffocating, pressing down like a mountain.

Alice’s pupils tightened; her smile froze for a second too long. She felt it.

And damn it, I couldn’t help the thought creeping into my head.

This is getting fun again.

Which is dangerous. Very dangerous.