THE VILLAIN'S POV

Chapter 122 - 122: The Games Begin

- Frey Starlight's Pov -

"Hey."

Smack.

"Wake up!"

A familiar voice, followed by a stinging pain, jolted me back to reality.

Ghost.

It took me a second to steady myself before I sprang to my feet.

"What happened? Where did she go?!"

I frantically scanned my surroundings,

"These are the words of Mesait Umbra—the greatest assassin."

Ghost took a step closer, his gaze sharp.

"So tell me, Frey Starlight… What are our odds here? One-on-one, you against Frost—what are your chances? Your answer will decide whether this fight is worth a suicide mission."

I remained silent for a moment.

Ghost wasn't bluffing.

If I gave him even the slightest sliver of hope, he would risk everything.

I respected that about him. So I told him the truth.

"One-on-one against Frost, huh? Let's see…"

"To have a real shot, we'd have to strip him of his personal weapon—Rimshard. That thing amplifies his power massively, so as long as he has it, we're looking at a dead end."

"But… if I somehow manage to disarm him and fight at full power without holding anything back, then…"

I paused. Ghost waited for my answer.

"Fifty-fifty."

His eyes widened slightly. He muttered the words back in disbelief.

"Fifty-fifty?"

I nodded.

"Yes. A battle to the death."

Ghost took a moment to process that.

"…Against someone ranked S-."

I wasn't joking, and he knew it. I wouldn't lie about something like this—not when my life was at stake.

The assassin fell silent, weighing the odds. What was the best move? Where was the highest chance of survival?

A few minutes later, we had our answer.

---

- The Second Chamber -

A long, narrow tunnel.

I shut the door behind me and stepped forward alone.

Waiting for me were unfamiliar faces.

"Well, well… Frey Starlight."

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment."

"Today, you die, you filthy bastard."

I scanned my opponents.

Seven in total. The strongest among them ranked B or B+.

The rest weren't far behind.

One of them stepped forward, a crazed grin splitting his face.

A young man with white hair and a lean frame, holding twin daggers with curved edges.

He looked… excited.

"I heard you're a lustful bastard who enjoys raping women. So, how about I do the same to you? Kihihihi."

"I'll violate you myself—let you experience that feeling firsthand."

He raised his dagger in front of me.

"But I'll be using this… to make it even more enjoyable."

The others behind him burst into laughter.

I smiled too, just as the serpent tattoo on my body started to burn.

"Oh? What's wrong? Is your dick too small to pull it out in public?"

His expression twisted instantly.

Meanwhile, my shadow expanded, swallowing a section of the room in darkness.

"Now then… Ghost."

He was still with me. That meant I could go all out.

"Come forth… Balerion."

My life was on the line. My hands were already stained.

Harden your heart. Let everything loose.

Balerion—the black blade—looked darker than ever.

This would be my first real battle since reaching Rank C.

So, I wanted to test the limits of what I could do.

In the darkness cast by Ghost's shadows, my enemies grew more alert… but I saw everything.

"Hawk Eyes + Phantom Steps + Balerion."

With a single step, my body surged forward in a violet flash.

The young man from before sensed the attack coming and instinctively raised his blade to block it.

But Balerion cut through both metal and flesh alike.

I was almost surprised—I had already reduced the first one to two pieces.

I ignored him entirely.

I turned to the second. Then the third.

Each had different combat roles—one was a defensive specialist, another a Wave Controller, and the last a spearman.

But Balerion cut through everything.

Within minutes…

The darkness faded from the tunnel, and the shadows receded.

I stepped out alone, leaving behind seven corpses. Some were still dying, their lower halves missing. Others were in far worse conditions.

Faced with all of this, I shut off any unnecessary emotions.

It was time to bury that humanity.

---

Inside a particular monitoring room, a young and arrogant lord sat watching the screens before him with a deep frown.

Frost Moonlight.

Frey Starlight had entered the tunnel. Then, darkness had swallowed everything—Ghost's handiwork.

But when the light returned, Frey had emerged, unscathed, with a bloodbath left behind.

It didn't seem like Ghost Umbra had aided him; the injuries were all from a sword.

"What the hell is going on?"

Could Frey be stronger than expected? No… perhaps he had used some kind of trick.

Two figures suddenly appeared behind Frost, emerging from nowhere.

"Sir, we've lost contact with the team assigned to lure Frey into the chamber."

"What?"

Frost was starting to hear things he didn't like.

He had sent a team to drag Frey into his little game.

Among them was an S-class Awakened, ensuring Frey's capture.

And now, that team was missing.

"What the hell is happening…?"

On the screen, Frey was advancing toward the third chamber.

Just then, a certain girl stepped into the room.

The moment Frost saw her, his frown vanished—instantly replaced by a smile.

It was Seris.