I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 621 621: [Event] [The Beauty And The Beast] [1] A Troubling Arrival

Unlike the other capitals Iʼd visited—those obsessed with flaunting their beauty through soaring towers, gleaming domes, and artful symmetry—Fangoriaʼs capital couldnʼt care less about appearances. Especially compared to the Elven Kingdom, which practically screamed ʼlook at us!ʼ with their ridiculous amount of sparkle and elegance, this place felt grounded. Real.

But standing here now, I had to admit... Fangoria had its own quiet charm.

The buildings, though simple in structure, had a unique warmth to them. Made mostly of pale bricks, they carried a rustic tone—weathered yet sturdy. Not too polished, but not primitive either. You could tell, even without the flashy glow of enchantments or the glimmer of crystal-tech towers, that this city was far from backward. The people here knew what they were doing. Technology thrived beneath the rougher edges, woven subtly into the cobblestone and iron fixtures of everyday life.

The entire city was washed in soft grays and earthy browns—muted, almost sleepy tones—but despite that, the atmosphere was anything but dull. Streets buzzed with life. Laughter spilled from cafes and workshops. Merchants shouted over each other to boast about prices and deals, while children darted through the crowd with wooden swords and wolf-tail charms dangling from their belts.

Werewolves had indeed tails but most of them were hiding in other countries it it seems but not here.

Compared to the other capitals—where you had to keep your chin up, back straight, and pretend perfection was your default setting—Fangoria felt refreshingly free. No stiff necks. No overly polite smiles hiding daggers. People here didnʼt seem to care about putting on a show. Even the kids werenʼt paraded around in formal wear like dolls. They were loud, messy, alive.

And there are a lot of werewolves.

I mean, Iʼd seen my fair share of them before, but this was something else. Whole families of them. Old grandpas with thick silver beards and clawed canes. Teenagers with wolf ears poking out of hoodies. Even toddlers, fuzzy tails wagging as they toddled after their parents. Iʼd never seen so many in one place—it was almost overwhelming.

”Excuse me!” A high-pitched voice called.

A blur of kids rushed past me, all giggles and stomping feet, nearly knocking me over. I blinked, a little dazed, and chuckled under my breath.

I couldnʼt believe this was my first time here in over a year.

Then again, I hadnʼt exactly had time to go sightseeing. Too busy surviving. Too busy fighting.

I turned slightly and caught Roda in my peripheral. She wasnʼt saying anything, but I could see the way her gaze wandered across the street, soaking everything in. There was something nostalgic in her stance. Even with the mask hiding most of her face, I could feel it.

I got it. Sort of.

This was her home. Or at least, it had been—before Behemoth tore through it like a beast unleashed. Gods only knew what else had happened here in her world. Maybe more attacks. Maybe worse.

But right now, the city looked untouched obviously.

”Roda,” I called out, nudging her out of her thoughts. We couldnʼt just keep standing there in the middle of the street like lost statues.

”A—Ah, yes. Sorry…” She blinked rapidly, then gave a quick shake of her head.

”If you want, take your time and look around,” I said. ”I need to go check in with my professor anyway—make sure the others know Iʼm here. Just in case.”

She hesitated, brows knitting slightly under the shadow of her mask. ”But…”

”Donʼt worry,” I cut in with a half-smile, patting her back lightly. ”I doubt Behemothʼs going to attack again this soon. Itʼs your city—at least enjoy it a little while you can. Just… be discreet.”

Roda looked at me, and though her eyes were slightly guarded, I could still see the gratitude in them. ”Right. Thank you.”

”If anything feels off—or if you need help—message me,” I added, holding up my phone. ”You have my number. Iʼll do the same.”

Weʼd exchanged contacts after I bought her a new phone. It wasnʼt much, but at least it gave her a way to stay connected.

With a nod of mutual understanding, we parted ways.

Now… time to find my oh-so-lovely classmates.

I sighed under my breath.

Where would those guys go first after arriving in a new kingdom?

Instinctively, I turned my eyes toward the distant hill where a grand structure stood like a sentinel. The Royal Castle of the Moonfangs…that would be the obvious place.

I fished out my phone again and typed a quick message to Rodolf.

[Iʼm late. On my way to the castle.]

Short and direct. That should be enough.

Now, I just had to figure out how to actually get there.

I scanned the area, looking for a carriage, a mana-taxi, a rideshare —anything. But this city… it was different.

People here walked. Ran. Jumped rooftops. Some zipped past on sleek mana-bikes or enchantment-gliders, but there wasnʼt anything like a taxi stand or ride crystal around. No easy transport. It gave the city a kind of raw energy—but also, damn, it was inconvenient.

I debated whether to flag down one of the passing vehicles and flex my royal status a bit, just enough to get a ride. It wouldʼve worked. Probably.

But I stopped myself.

Given my current reputation—as the backstabber of Sancta Vedelia, public enemy number one in some circles—and the fact that Fangoria was set to officially banish me at the end of the month, doing something flashy or entitled right now would be... monumentally stupid.

Knowing my luck, it would backfire spectacularly. Someone would record it, twist the story, and boom—Iʼd be kicked out of the kingdom today instead of next week. And I couldnʼt afford that. Not until Behemoth was dealt with. Not until it was safe.

So yeah. For now, Iʼd play it low-key.

With no other real options, I wandered the streets of the capital at a casual pace—well, as casual as I could manage given the circumstances.

Unsurprisingly, I started attracting attention.

People didnʼt exactly rush up to greet me, but they definitely noticed. Some turned to stare for a few seconds too long before quickly looking away. Others began whispering behind cupped hands. It wasnʼt hard to guess why—my face had been plastered all over enough propaganda boards that anyone with half a brain could recognize me. Not everyone knew the full story, of course, but just enough to cast judgment.

But oddly enough, none of them said a word. They didnʼt confront me, shout slurs, or throw things. No, they simply gave me a wide berth as if I carried some kind of disease. Not hostility—just distance.

And then there was the other reason for the stares.

I stood out.

A lone Human in the capital of Fangoria—tall, white hair and wearing clothes that didnʼt exactly scream ʼlocalʼ. Even if no one knew who I was, I was clearly foreign. And here, that was enough to draw attention.

”Hey, Human.”

Ah. There it is.

A voice—gruff, cocky, and dripping with false confidence—called behind me. I stopped walking, already knowing where this was going before I even turned around.

Emerging from a shadowy side alley to my left came a tall, burly man. His thick arms were folded over a battered leather vest, and his sharp canines gleamed even in the weak sunlight. Three others flanked him—less imposing, but clearly part of the same crew. Typical pack behavior.

I let out a long breath. Right. I forgot.

Fangoria had the highest delinquency rate of all the major Kingdoms of Sancta Vedelia. It wasnʼt exactly a tourist-friendly trait, but it kind of made sense. They were raised to be warriors, bred to be the strongest race in the known world. Their culture valued strength, dominance, and pride—things that, when left unchecked, gave birth to gangs like this.

Still didnʼt excuse it.

”Looks like you found a nice little target, Raken,” one of the thugs chuckled with a grin that didnʼt reach his eyes.

”Yeah, check out his ring,” another added, nodding at my hand. ”That Spatial Ringʼs gotta be top-tier. Probably loaded with goodies.”

”I donʼt like Humans,” the third growled with open disdain.

”Well, good news then,” I said with a forced smile, raising both hands as I took a step back. ”Iʼm only half Human. So maybe youʼll only hate me fifty percent and let me go?”

I turned slightly, making a move to leave. But before I could take another step, the big guy—Raken, I assumed—planted his hand firmly on my chest.

”No,” he growled. ”Youʼre coming with us. Walk. Or youʼll never walk again.”

He tried to add a threatening glare to punctuate the statement, but his twitching wolf ears kind of ruined the whole effect.

Sorry, Rodolf—I still canʼt take male werewolves seriously.

I glanced around, noting the growing number of curious eyes from passersby. No one seemed eager to intervene, but at least a few looked genuinely concerned. Some even seemed ready to step forward—before quickly thinking better of it.

I sighed.

”Alright, alright. Please donʼt hurt me,” I said in a shaky voice, doing my best to act like I was scared. I cast my eyes down and started walking, playing the part.

Raken smirked. ”Ehehe. Good. Smart choice.”

They led me down that narrow, grimy alley theyʼd crawled out of. The further we went, the darker it got. The sunlight barely reached the ground here, filtered out by stacked buildings and rusted balconies. Garbage bins lined the walls, and the smell was somewhere between mildew and wet dog—fitting, I guess.

Eventually, once the sounds of the bustling main street had faded into the distance, we stopped.

The largest of the gang leaned in close, his rather fool breath annoyingly hitting my ear. ”Whatʼs a damn half-Human like you doing in the Kingdom of the Strongest, huh?”

”Oh, I just came for the atmosphere,” I said with a shrug. ”You know, the charming alleys, the gracious locals... the warm welcomes.”

”Brother, I think heʼs mocking us.”

”I think so too,” another growled. ”Letʼs just kill him and take the ring.”

I sighed lightly, brushing invisible dust from my shoulder. ”Iʼd advise against that,” I said, glancing at them with boredom. ”Only my mana can unlock the contents.”

Rakenʼs expression darkened. ”Then weʼll just force you to open it.”

”And why,” I asked casually, meeting his eyes without flinching, ”would I do that now that I know youʼre planning to kill me?”

”Because weʼll offer you a very painful death if you donʼt,” Raken said with a smirk.

”A painful death, huh…”

I smiled faintly.

”...!”

–BAM!

Before he could even twitch, I grabbed the front of his vest and slammed him against the grimy brick wall with a loud, reverberating crack. The air left his lungs in a wheeze as he spat out a mouthful of blood from the sheer impact.

”Huh—Argh!”

”Brother!”

”What the—?!”

”Wait! That guyʼs dangerous!”

The three lackeys froze on instinct, their bravado instantly draining. They stared at me wide-eyed, their legs shifting uncertainly as if unsure whether to run or fight.

Raken, dazed but not unconscious, glared at me through bloodied lips. With a snarl, he wrapped one of his massive hands around my arm—his fingers easily encircling it—and tried to squeeze. His strength wasnʼt a joke. He had the build of a trained brawler.

But nothing happened.

His expression twisted in confusion when my arm didnʼt even budge. No strain, no flinch. Just silence as I looked down at him like he was a particularly unremarkable statue.

”Y–You... bastard…” He breathed in disbelief.

”Letʼs take the pill!” One of the goons yelled, suddenly fumbling through his side bag. He pulled out a small glass vial with a few yellow pills inside, trembling with excitement.

I narrowed my eyes.

That pill…

Iʼd seen it before.

”Are you stupid?!” One of the others shouted. ”Using that pill here?! Donʼt waste it!”

”What do we do, then?!”

”I donʼt know! Just—donʼt mess with him!”

What an annoyingly indecisive group.

I gave Raken one last disappointed look, then let him go with a shove that sent him sliding down the wall. Before they could react further, I leapt upward, my body twisting in midair before I landed easily on the roof of the adjacent building.

Down below, the thugs stared up in stunned silence before running away.

”I donʼt have time for trash,” I muttered to myself.

Rising to full height, I turned my gaze toward the towering silhouette on the distant hill—the Royal Castle of Moonfangs.

Enough wasting time.

Time to join the others.