The SSS Ranked Villain's Return - Chapter 298

Chapter 298: The Obscura Castle
With that, Neraxis was the first to step through the blood puddle. Immediately, he reappeared in front of some giant castle, one he only vaguely recognized.

For certain reasons, Delta had never let him see the outside of this place, but now, it was there on full display.

It was a problem since now the Eternal Sin could technically find them. Then again, he wasn’t exactly the most alive right now.

Nonetheless, Neraxis looked at the towering spires and thick stone walls that surrounded the castle.

It was menacingly open and old. However, he knew better than anyone that the inside was much more dangerous.

Though, it’s a little sad to see Marcus like that. I didn’t know him well, but he’s still one of the people who originally greeted me, Neraxis thought, trailing off. I guess he’s not dead on the outside though.

Putting those thoughts aside, Neraxis watched as several other people began appearing beside him. Soon, even Kyle emerged.

He stretched his back, cracked his neck, and walked up to Neraxis.

“So? Not getting cold feet now, are you?” Kyle teased.

“You wish,” Neraxis shot back. “I’m just a little cautious. Who knows what’s inside that castle, you know?”

“There’s a girl called Amara, or that’s what I heard anyway,” Kyle commented. “She’s incredibly strong, just slightly weaker than our leaders. For that, she has to go.”

“And you think we have enough power to deal with her?” Neraxis mused. “Don’t you think we should’ve gotten stronger backup, perhaps?”

“Nah, we have numbers, she has power,” Kyle replied with a shrug. “Worst-case scenario, we all die. But if we do, then we’re going to send over some important intel to the higher-ups of the Eternal Night.”

Neraxis nodded. Fanatic spotted.

“Yep, you guessed it.” Kyle chuckled. “Our deaths will only extend the inevitable. Once the leaders finally move, Obscura will be done for.”

“Humor me…” Neraxis trailed off. “Do you think there’s only one person inside the castle? Amara, right? What about people like the man you killed just earlier?”

“Sophia and Sarah? Those two?” Kyle asked, earning a puzzled look from Neraxis. “Well, they’re already dead, believe it or not. We dealt with them shortly after recruiting you.”

“I see…” Neraxis muttered.

With that, it was time to focus.

The people adjusted their gear and weapons, then slowly began marching forward.

Since he was supposed to be the one behind the movement, Neraxis paced toward the front and began leading the march.

The moment they arrived at the castle, a massive buff man from the backlines ran into the wall, smashing it to bits without stopping.

He continued, hitting the castle’s exterior. However, unlike the wall, it didn’t fall in a single hit.

Instead, Neraxis noticed the man fall backward with his eyes gouged out and brain matter flowing from his skull.

Oof… Neraxis shivered. Now that’s a tough fucking castle.

“Send the other one in,” Kyle said, pointing to another one of those giant buff men.

And of course, without even a single objection, the man complied. He ran with full force straight into the wall and…

Splattered.

“Next,” Kyle signaled, and like that, four more men tried their luck.

On the very last attempt, one of them actually managed to cause a crack to form in the wall. However, before they could rejoice at that fact, someone from the inside sent out a wave of mana.

The mana seemed harmless, but the man simply fell back, his entire face melted.

And through the small crack, Neraxis could see Amara, and she was pissed.

Her glare was sharp, and to top it all off, he could see another figure in the distance.

If it wasn’t Sophia or Sarah, then it was definitely Delta.

Or so he thought. Soon, a bow and arrow came into view before slowly vanishing.

Neraxis’s eyes widened in realization.

Is that Eris…? he pondered, puzzled.

The only reason Eris came to this world was because of him. Yet she was now here, which shouldn’t be possible.

No one else he knew in Obscura used a bow and arrow.

Though I guess she wasn’t in the Obscura either, more like a contact… Neraxis thought. This just got a bit complicated.

It seemed like something else was at play.

As he recalled back to the day he went to her world, he figured out the reason why.

The request was still put in. That meant one of them had to head over to that world and deal with the monarchs.

If he had to guess, then Amara was likely the one responsible since her golden hair resembled his in a way.

Nonetheless, he knew there were only two options left here.

Be decimated when they enter the castle.

The other option? Simply turn on the Eternal Night here and now.

He wouldn’t lose anything. After all, his parents were dead, his sister was dead, everyone hated him, and to top it all off, the only friend he had was some overconfident crackhead.

But…

It’s just too good to be true, Neraxis furrowed his brows. If the choice was that easy to make, then this wouldn’t be the third floor.

The second floor was a total mental disaster for him. And so far, this floor has been rather tame.

He still didn’t understand the actual objective, but he was starting to lean toward one.

[Objective: Confront the shadow of your own choices. Survive the truth you’ve hidden from yourself.]

What if he had to confront them by going through them?

Then there was the part about surviving the truth he had hidden from himself.

Yet this wasn’t him. He wasn’t someone who would ever go down this path.

Or maybe I am… if Evangeline hadn’t turned around, then this might’ve been my life, Neraxis thought with a frown.

If he looked at it from another perspective, then the trial made sense.

I have to confront the shadow of this Neraxis’s choices, and survive through them…

He let out a sigh, glancing at the people who were slowly marching toward the crack.

This isn’t going to end well…