The Villain's PoV - Chapter 311

Chapter 311: The next step (2)
Status :

Host: Frey Starlight (Dual Soul)

Class: Swordsman

Talent Grade: S

Current Rank: B+

Strength: B

Speed: A−

Agility: A−

Endurance: A

Aura: SSS

Magic: —

[Swordsmanship: Level 5]

(Limit broken — user can now reach Level 7)

Talent’s:

{Swordsmanship}, {Aura Manipulation}, {Poison Resistance}

Combat Style: Ten Thousand Steps of Shadow

Skills:

[Hawk Eyes] – Grade A

Grants the user enhanced vision in darkness, the ability to zoom in and out on distant objects, and long-range sight.

Additional Effect: Slight time dilation when under attack.

Also allows the user to see through lower-tier stealth abilities.

[Phantom Steps] – Grade A

Doubles the user’s movement speed and renders footsteps completely silent.

Additional Effect: The user briefly vanishes from sight when moving at high velocity.

[seduction] – Grade F

A basic skill that stimulates the target’s sexual desire. Stronger when used on the opposite sex.

The effect diminishes if the target’s rank exceeds the user’s by more than two tiers, and may fail entirely.

[Ascension] – Grade S

Grants access to a heightened state of focus, known among athletes as “the zone.”

This form eliminates all distracting thoughts, allowing the user to fight at 120% of their capabilities.

—

Abilities:

Shadow Adaptation – Level 3/7

Anti-magic – Tier 1

Allows the user to nullify magic through physical contact.

—

System Note:

“It’s been a while. Did you miss me?

Just wanted to remind you…

You’re still a bug.”

—

Achievement Points: 1500

Memories: Nameless Mask – Grade ???

Weapon: ???

Armor: ???

…

…

I stared at my stats … so much had changed recently.

Shadow Adaptation at Level 3… I still wasn’t sure what its full capabilities were. But with the knowledge I gained from that mask, something inside me stirred.

For some reason, I felt like I could do so much more now.

And that’s exactly what I needed, because crueler battles were fast approaching.

Especially now… that something had returned.

Frey Starlight – Dual Soul

As if to crown all my fears, the phrase “Dual Soul” had reappeared—the very same designation that once belonged to my father.

“So… who is it this time?”

Nameless? Or something else entirely?

“What kind of game are you making me play now?”

What struck me most wasn’t the revelation itselfc…cit was my expression. Unchanging. Blank.

Somewhere deep inside, I already knew what triggered this.

The moment it all began was the moment I wore the Nameless mask.

Without a doubt, that was the turning point.

I didn’t know exactly what happened… but the system had confirmed the presence of two souls within my body.

And the system had never lied to me before.

Unlike my father’s soul—just a remnant of willpower meant to support me—this time, the intruding soul might not be here to help.

It might be here to take over.

Out of curiosity, I decided to test something…

Following the system’s advice feature, I asked the question:

“How do I remove the Dual Soul?”

System advice wasn’t absolute, but it had answered many questions before—so I tried once more.

And it answered.

“You can’t.”

Blunt. Unforgiving.

A direct message from the system.

It was as if it were telling me:

“Don’t waste your time. You’ll never get rid of it.”

So that’s it, huh? I’m just a temporary soul, waiting to be replaced by the real one?

And strangely enough… I didn’t feel sad.

“I’m going to vanish, and Nameless will take over? The being powerful enough to rival Agaroth?”

Instead of despair… I felt something else.

Relief.

Didn’t this mean I had been granted extra time to live … time I never would’ve had otherwise?

And in the end, the true hero would awaken. One who could do the impossible and fix this broken world.

In other words…

My death would become the key to salvation—

The ending millions have waited for across generations.

“A death like that…

It’s worth it, isn’t it, Father?”

He once asked me to live my life to the fullest…

But what if my death was the key to something far greater?

I was certain … even my father would be satisfied with such an outcome.

“Yes… I will accept this fate.”

Accepting my fate without resistance, I laid down that night, finally able to close my eyes, with nothing left to ponder.

…

…

…

Days passed swiftly.

Frey Starlight and his companions returned to the temple, resuming their ordinary lives once again.

The Elite Class had become more active than ever, driven by the changes shaking the Empire to its core.

There had been no recent movements from the Ultras, and Nightmare Beasts had completely vanished from the Empire’s borders.

A stillness took hold—but it was an ominous calm… the kind that comes before a storm.

A storm whose scale no one could predict.

Both the Empire and the Ultras were preparing for war in their own ways.

And this time, it would likely be far more devastating than the last great war seventeen years ago.

As a result, the Elite Class had begun training its talents intensely, knowing they might soon be forced to play a pivotal role.

Among those talents, several prodigies began to stand out… but one in particular raised the most questions.

Phoenix Sunlight, the young lord of the Sunlight family, stood silently atop the viewing stands of a massive closed training arena, watching the battle unfold before him.

Melina, the claymore-wielding warrior and proud SS-rank combatant—known as the Iron Woman and hailed as the strongest duelist in the Empire—was locked in a fierce battle against a much younger opponent.

Flames sparked as their blades collided violently, scorching the arena around them.

But despite her explosive strikes and lightning-fast movements, Melina couldn’t land a single blow.

“What are those movements…?”

Phoenix murmured in disbelief as he watched Frey Starlight evade her every strike with flawless precision.

His form, his rhythm—everything was perfectly tailored to counter her style.

Wielding Dark Sister and Balerion with expert control, Frey managed to sustain his Blood Form barrier far beyond fifteen minutes.

Phoenix could see it with his own eyes … Frey was no longer just holding his own against Melina.

He was pressuring her.

“How did he do it?”

None of this made sense.

The explosive growth in such a short time—it defied all logic.

Frey felt like an entirely different person.

After hundreds of lightning-fast exchanges—dark aura clashing violently against radiant gold—Melina finally stepped back, ending the fight.

Frey tilted his head slightly, confused by her sudden pause.

“Shall we stop here?” she said, her voice empty.

“Why? I could’ve gone longer,” he replied.

“That’s the problem,” she muttered.

“Your growth is far beyond what I expected. If I push you any further… I’ll have to try to kill you.”

Melina realized it … Frey was no longer the boy she could teach.

How could she teach someone whose movements she could no longer understand?

“We’re done here.”

With swift steps, she walked past him.

“I have nothing left to teach you.”

Just like that… she declared his training complete.

Frey didn’t respond. He simply offered his gratitude in his own way.

“Thank you—for everything.”

Her guidance had been valuable once.

But compared to what that mask had given him… it felt like nothing.

All of this unfolded under Phoenix’s watchful eyes … he had been assigned to observe Frey.

And yet, without even realizing it…

That frail boy from the Starlight family had become something else.

A monster the likes of which he had never seen before.