Villain Hides His True Color

Chapter 25

An interior surrounded by darkness greeted me once I came out of my room.

Wax was slowly dripping down from the candlesticks on the walls as the flames fluttered and the shadows fluctuated.

Outside the windows, the bleak sounds of wind can be heard tapping against the windows as it shook loudly each time like it was going to break.

The scenery was completely different from what I saw during the day.

It was like a scene from a horror game.

I walked down the hallway amidst the gloomy atmosphere.

There was no sound even though I was stepping on the floor, so I felt like I was a ghost.

Whenever I took a step forward like that, I felt as if I was being watched from somewhere. Was I just being paranoid? It was a strange chill different from a cold.

Rattle– Rattle–

At that moment, I felt a presence around the corner of the corridor.

It was just supposed to be me and Choi Bokhee in this castle. So what the hell was she doing this late?

I carefully approached step by step and looked around the corner.

‘?!’

Then there, two cute looking teddy bears were dusting off the decorations with a brush.

— Puu~ Puu~ (singing)

What’s this? I didn’t see them during the day.

They seemed to be one of Choi Bokhee’s creations…

Fortunately, they didn’t notice me. I got as close to the wall as possible and passed them.

There were many more dolls cleaning the castle as I went further down.

Sweep, wipe, shake off.

It was eerie seeing them bustling around in the dark. I found a gap and went down the stairs again.

Soon after, I saw the entrance to the basement.

There were no presences of the dolls like earlier.

Instead, a giant teddy bear stood in front of it. It was enough to be twice my height.

I see. Is that the one in the armor during the day?

It was looking around with its eyes bulged out.

The door to the basement was the same as I had cut it.

There was no need to make a fuss.

I activated my skill.

*Gas

As such, I passed through its body in my transparent state.

— Puu?

It looked around for a moment, but it couldn’t find me.

I continued down the stairs to the basement but this time without a single speck of light. The stairs spiraled without end.

The chill grew stronger and stronger the lower I went.

As if someone was watching me in the dark, it felt as if a pair of eyes were sticking to my whole body.

Finally, I reached the end of the stairs. I felt the walls and turned on a switch.

Then an old light bulb lit up, and the view of the basement appeared.

This…?

The basement was full of dolls. Fortunately, they weren’t moving like the ones earlier.

As if someone had cleaned it up in a hurry, the dolls were found on the floor packed like luggage.

There was still a strange chill, but it wasn’t coming from any of the teddy bears.

They appeared to be really innocent toys.

Choi Bokhee had this kind of taste.

Considering her age, it could be said to be quite a childish hobby.

There’s probably something else besides these.

I slowly looked around the basement under the dim light.

Then, among the stacked teddy bears, I found a book that looked very suspicious.

The book was bound in smooth leather made from an unknown animal.

Was this the cause for the chills?

The bloody warning on the cover caught my eyes.

— Anyone who reads this book will not be able to avoid the anger of the endless night.

An ominous warning that chills the spine. Was it a cursed magic book?

I checked my status window.

However, considering that there was no item information, it didn’t appear to have any special effect.

Then it’s not a big problem.

I squatted down on a doll lying on the floor and opened the book.

— I’m(LORD) the ruler of the darkness(DARK) who oversees the death(SABBATH) of all things.

— The queen of the night(THE QUEEN OF NIGHT).

— To keep the pledge of divine blood(PROVIDENCE OF GOD), I’ve (LORD) sealed(SACRIFICE) my own power.

— This book(BLACK CODEX) is a record of my past(FUTURE).

.

.

.

“Erm…?”

What is this? I’m merely reading the sentences, but why does it feel painful? Can it really be a magic book?

I continued to read it.

And to summarize the contents, it was as follows.

The owner of this book called herself the queen of vampires.

And she says that her power was so powerful that the balance of the world had collapsed, so she chose to seal her power and live in the darkness.

“Hmm.”

The identity of this magic book began to feel more and more suspicious.

I endured the painful feeling and turned to the last page.

Then my doubts turned into conviction.

— …as such, I’m(LORD) an absolute existence(SUPER KING GOD) that cannot be matched.

— Anyone who

irritates

me.

— The old seal(SACRIFICE) will be released and the world will be plunged in darkness.

Next to it was a picture.

A middle school girl wearing a cape Dracula would use, and posing in a strange manner.

It was my stepmother, Choi Bokhee.

“…”

I quietly closed the book and put it back on the bookshelf. I didn’t know she had this kind of hobby.

Well…That’s possible.

I had wondered why she felt the need to dress up the way she did when I thought about the clothes she usually wore.

Anyway, it’s polite to respect other people’s taste.

Hmm…Does that mean there’s nothing here?

Unlike what she had said, there seemed to be no sealed curse here. No, maybe she meant this sealed dark past?

The moment I sighed like that. Suddenly, a foreign object caught the corner of my eyes.

Beyond the dim light, I can see the edge of the basement. And there was a small door there that was hard to notice unless you looked closely.

I approached it with a feeling of uncertainty.

As I approached the door more and more, the chill from a while ago began to feel stronger.

Slowly putting my hand on the door, a message appeared in front of my eyes.

This…

At that moment, as if someone was pulling me from behind, my body suddenly began to be sucked across the room and to the basement stairs.

I grabbed the floor and tried to resist, but I quickly returned to the path I came from.

And at the end, my new mother stood watching me with a cold look.

— Puu! Puu!

I was caught and was buried by a fluffy teddy bear. And in front of me, Choi Bokhee approached and spoke.

“I’m sure I had warned you not to go down here.”

Overflowing energy that resembles a human face rose around her body.

She was indeed A-class. The energy was so tremendous to the point where I even felt nervous breathing.

But she can’t hurt me.

For the next decade she won’t be able to escape the shackles she had put on herself, and the same goes for me.

She probably hadn’t expected me to do this…

I don’t know why she wanted to adopt me, but I had nothing to lose as long as my safety was guaranteed.

However, in order to continue our cooperation for the foreseeable future, there was no need to sour the relationship.

To show some self-reflection, I bowed my head.

“I’m sorry…I was so curious about the basement that I couldn’t help it.”

“Huu…Tell me. What did you see downstairs?”

“A lot of dolls. By the way…Does stepmom cherish those things?”

“T-that’s! It’s just a catalyst to create familiars! Don’t change the subject and tell me! What else did you see down there?”

She briefly stuttered before exuding her power. I pretended to think for a while and spoke.

“Ah! Come to think of it, I saw something a little suspicious.”

“What…?”

“Um, what was it? The Queen of Night? I think it was roughly that name, but anyway, it was a very childish book.”

“?!”

Her power disappeared in an instant and her facial muscles twitched as if they were broken.

“I-is that so? I don’t know anything about that. I can’t believe such a book was in my house. I’ll have to clean it up after I see it later.”

“But I think there was a picture of stepmom in the book. You really don’t remember? Anyone who

irritates

me…”

“S-stop! I got it! Okay…Let’s stop talking about this today.”

She shouted with a bright red face. Then after a moment,

“Huu…How did it end up like this…”

She sighed while kneading her temple. At the same time, I was released from the binding of the teddy bear.

“Then can I go up now?”

“Okay…It’s late, so hurry up and go to sleep…”

“Yes!”

I obediently answered and turned my back. Then I recalled the identity of the door I saw in the basement a moment ago.

I can’t believe she was hiding something like this inside her house…

If I’m not wrong, it was clearly a ‘dimensional gateway’.

Such a thing was like an airport that connected Earth to other worlds.

It was unimaginable for an individual to own a dimensional gateway.

This was an incredible fact. My judgment cannot be wrong.

Even if I was mistaken, the status window wouldn’t have.

[Challenge – Dimensional Traveler]

Condition: Visit more than three dimensions other than the Earth.

Period: Unlimited.

Reward: 1x Random Box (Advance), 1x Unknown.

It’s become fun.

For some reason, I felt my gamer instinct wriggling. In the basement of her house, a quest to open new content was waiting.

Knowing this now, I can understand why she had tried to keep me from entering the basement.

Crossing dimensions without permission is a serious crime that would never be tolerated even if you’re a noble.

Rather, it would be right to think that nobles were at the helm in controlling the movement of Earth’s people to other dimensions.

I didn’t like their policy in the last round, so I broke all the dimensional gateways on Earth, and as a result, even someone like me has never been to another dimension.

If I had left at least one, I wouldn’t have suffered from a lack of content…

But the most important thing is that she was unlikely to open the dimensional gateway to me.

She has no choice but to be conservative since it relates to her life.

Perhaps she may try to remove me at the expense of the contract’s penalty the moment I mention the dimensional gateway.

“Hmm…”

As soon as I thought about it, I recalled the fact that I knew another witch.

Yes…There was finally a use for that girl.

A witch who will never betray me.

* * *

Sitting in front of a monitor, Elizabeth scrolled down the screen with her chin propped up on one hand.

Countless search results related to Noah were displayed on the screen.

[The young hero Choi Noah who stopped the terrorist attack. Who is he?]

[The miracle of Lake Town that surprised the world!]

[Scouting report: Choi Noah is a genius who is already above D-class.]

.

.

.

Her expression was gloomy as she looked at the screen. This is because they were all articles that she had already seen several times.

So she kept scrolling down.

And then suddenly. Her eyes began to sparkle.

[Exclusive Interview – Shocking remark by the young hero “It was the surest way…”]

It was her first time seeing the article. And on top of that, an exclusive report?

She moved the mouse cursor with a possessed look.

Click–

[Choi Noah who was active in the recent terrorist incident.]

[It was a big event that almost led to a terrible disaster, but thanks to the spirit of the young hero, we were able to overcome the crisis safely.]

[Noah was humble about his actions, saying that he did something natural.]

[Meanwhile, there are varying opinions on his excessive suppression against the villains.]

[Pyongyang citizen A: Do I need to say anything else? It’s very refreshing. Heroes these days need to learn from this.]

[Pyongyang citizen B: How can anyone dare say that?! Don’t they know how to thank their benefactor?! Are you telling me all the people who were there should have died?!]

[Rescuer C: Honestly, I don’t know. His actions certainly deserve praise, but the scene was more devastating than any other incident I’ve been in charge of.]

[Profiler D: I’m seriously concerned. His thinking is the same as those of extreme villains.]

[According to an exclusive phone interview with this newspaper, Noah dismissed the controversy, saying, “It was the surest way.”]

[What kind of person is he? Whether a new hero will be born or another villain will appear. His every move from now on will draw attention.]

[S2 [email protected]]

After reading all the articles, she trembled in her seat for a while.

And in a little bit. She began sending death threats to the reporters at a stormy pace.

‘How dare they! They don’t even know how to appreciate his grace!’

By the time she sent more than 20 emails in a row, for some reason, the articles were suddenly deleted.

In addition to these, articles with critical views on Noah were pushed back or naturally lowered.

It was as if someone was controlling the public opinion.

However, she gave a pleased smile. What does it matter? The fake reporters were wrong in the first place.

‘Huhu, people are finally discovering the true value of Noah.’

She turned off the monitor and stretched happily.

Then she looked at the clock and it was 3pm. She didn’t even eat lunch because she was surfing the internet.

She suddenly looked at her face that was reflected on the monitor screen. A dirty t-shirt and clotted hair.

There was no telling her apart from a beggar. When she saw it, she suddenly began to feel a sense of shame that was forgotten.

‘What the hell am I doing…’

While she was pitifully wasting her time, Noah was already in the spotlight of many people.

‘I thought it would change after that…’

After changing her fate with Noah’s help, she felt confident that she could do anything.

However, isn’t she still the same incompetent person as before?

She raised her knees and buried her head. Her long ears droop down.

‘I’m no help at all, so where did the confidence come from that time…’

She was naturally still trying to develop her ability by doing the homework Noah had assigned. According to Noah, she was a genius with tremendous talent.

But she couldn’t get the hang of it.

If there had been someone teaching her, she wouldn’t have wandered this much.

‘I’m a useless person…’

Like that, she fell into an endless self-deprecation. Suddenly, something popped up and blinked on one side of her view.

It was Noah’s ability to message her.

“?!”

He had never contacted her before. What’s going on?

Her heart started pounding.

But even before that thought was over, her body was already running toward the bathroom.

After washing her face and hair in less than 30 seconds, she hurriedly accepted the message.

Then Noah’s face appeared in front of her eyes.

“W-what’s the occasion? I-I was just taking a shower.”

Noah simply spoke.

— Do you want to live with me at my house?

“…”

That night. She couldn’t fall asleep at all.

* * *

“H-hello, mother! It’s a pleasure to meet you! M-my name is Elizabeth! I look forward to your kind cooperation!”

Dressed up in neat clothes, Elizabeth lowered her head like a newly recruited soldier.

Lady Fortune, who had received the greeting, looked at her with a dumbfounded look.

Black, straight hair and long pointed ears. And…the red eyes that symbolized a witch.

She was the same witch as herself. Her gaze naturally fell on Noah.

Even in this situation, he was smiling brightly.

Seeing that, she felt like her head was pounding again.

‘This boy…’

Events from the past two weeks replayed in her mind.

Not only did he cause a big problem on the first day he arrived, these days, he would bother her familiars or take her magic supplies.

And it was all because of him that she had gotten a phone call from a fearless reporter not too long ago.

‘I’ve definitely made a mistake.’

Her peaceful daily life was being destroyed little by little since the boy arrived.

She had even abandoned the idea of controlling Noah a long time ago. He was out of control.

There was nothing that she wished for more than for things to stay quiet for the next 10 years.

‘But now…he’s going to bring a girl home too?’

Lady Fortune looked at Elizabeth. The way she twisted her body in front of her was obviously like that of a new bride.

Considering the lifespan of the Elf race, she should be at least 30 years old. How can she set her eyes on such a young kid?

‘This woman isn’t normal either.’

Lady Fortune was sure. The woman in front of her, like the boy, is twisted somewhere.

Although she wasn’t exactly sure what the dynamic of their relationship was, she had no desire to bring such a deviant into her home.

She spoke firmly.

“No. It’s actually the first time I’ve had an outside guest in this castle. I won’t make any more concessions.”

Elizabeth’s ears drooped pitifully. Noah, who was watching, spoke.

“Stepmom. Did you forget the contract?”

“Again! Again! What about the contract?”

Lady Fortune trembled and shouted. Now even hearing the word contract was enough to wake her up in her sleep.

She thought she just wrote down what was generally used between parents and children, but the boy has been viciously harassing her based on the contract terms.

If she could go back to the past, she would never have offered such a contract.

“It’s specified in the contract. Stepmom spares no support for my education.”

“What does that have to do with her?”

“Nuna has decided to tutor me. Right, nuna?”

“H-huh? Uh, uh…Right! Right!”

Lady Fortune rubbed her temple as she watched the situation unfold like a skit.

“In return, stepmom should tutor nuna too. I gave her my word a few days ago.”

“I remember I definitely said I didn’t like to do such things.”

But since the boy had asked, Lady Fortune had no reason to refuse.

Of course, she’s not sure if the contract would take effect even in these areas, but she didn’t want to take risks as she was always focused on stability.

“Haa…”

Lady Fortune sighed for a long time. And then she pointed at Elizabeth with one finger and spoke.

“Even if I allow her to live here, it’s a separate matter for me to teach the child. A witch’s ability isn’t something you just want but a talent. And I have no talent to teach those who have no potential.”

Then the boy smiled confidently and spoke.

“Stepmom should check it out herself.”

“What if she has no potential as a witch?”

“I’ll give up without saying anything.”

“…I trust that you’ll keep your word.”

Lady Fortune connected to the Astral World and opened up her spirituality. Her eyes began to shine like a red star.

Then she silently stared at Elizabeth. Upon receiving her gaze, Elizabeth’s whole body twisted for some unknown reason.

Soon, Lady Fortune opened her mouth.

“Interesting.”

“Right?”

Lady Fortune didn’t want to admit it, but the boy was right this time. The potential she saw from the child called Elizabeth was terrifying.

If there was a witch queen from the old legends, then perhaps she would be it.

Even for her, she couldn’t count how many stars Elizabeth was loved by.

Where in the world did a child like this come from?

‘Maybe…This may also be related to my death.’

It was clearly stated in her fortune telling. If she’s with this boy, her fate will change. Then, wouldn’t that include this affair?

After organizing her thoughts in her mind for a while, she looked at Elizabeth and spoke.

“I’ll show you to your room that’ll you’ll be staying from now on. Follow me.”

“Yes! I understand. Mother!”

“Don’t call me mother, just…Call me teacher.”

“Yes, yes! Teacher!”

* * *

I looked at Elizabeth’s twitching back that was chasing after Choi Bokhee for a while.

Now, the girl will do her part in earnest.

Although it may not be an abnormal speed like when she had absorbed the city-level energy under Rastus in the past, I believe that if she has talent, she’ll be able to grow at a sufficiently rapid pace.

In other words, the time to use the dimensional gateway will advance.

Well, Elizabeth’s problem was something that Choi Bokhee would solve on her own anyway, so I didn’t have to pay much attention to it.

More than that right now…It was time to pay attention to my own growth.

“Status window.”

*Guangcheng District

*Neo Pyongyang (House of Flowers)

*Neo Pyongyang (Elf Garden)

*Neo Pyongyang (Lake Town)

*Neo Pyongyang Outskirts (Witch’s Castle)

Places that I can move to were displayed in order in front of my eyes. But anyway, the place I have to go has already been decided.

[Do you want to move to Guangcheng District?]

“Anyhow, there’s no better hunting ground than here.”

And, with my current items and abilities, I’ll be able to target ‘that guy.’

I took out Red Velvet Curse, wore it on my waist, and activated my skill.

“Move.”

Then, along with a bright light, the surrounding landscape quickly turned into a dirty back alley.

The peculiar stale smell of Guangcheng District penetrated into my nose. I took a deep breath and then exhaled.

“It’s a warm smell.”

It’s only been a few months, but somehow I even felt glad. While I was immersed in such thoughts.

Someone shouted harshly at me from behind.

“Hey, the little punk in the sportswear! You over there!”

When I turned my head, a man with a tattoo on his head was walking toward me.

From the man’s chest, he took out something. It was a switchblade.

And I…ended up laughing without realizing it.

“Haha, as expected, this is my hometown.”

Guangcheng District, which I haven’t visited in a long time, was welcoming my return home.

== Translator’s Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section.