THE VILLAIN'S POV

Chapter 601: The Dawn of a New Path

She gestured to him and explained, steady and clear.

”What lives inside you, Frey Starlight, is a creature—a living thing that must be killed if you want it gone for good. Unfortunately, my golden power cannot do that. The shadow has fused with you so completely that sacred power no longer affects it.”

Wisker’s shadow had become part of Frey’s body—akin to the full Demon Seed that had taken root in Sansa and Danzo. Once merged, no amount of holy power could cleanse it.

”Fused with my body... what the hell,” Frey laughed, dragging a hand down his face. ”So I’m suffering the same thing he did, aren’t I?”

He meant Danzo—the man Frey had failed to save.

When a complete Demon Seed fused, there was only one sure end: kill the host. That was the choice Frey had made then. And now, here he was, staring at something all too similar.

”It’s like fate is mocking me... ha.”

None of the others understood the name he’d left unspoken—he’d never told them about Danzo—but they understood enough: Frey was in real danger.

”If the shadow fully proliferates, I can’t imagine what you’ll become,” Liora said. ”At worst ..a mindless beast lashing out at everything on Wesker’s command.”

The thought sent a chill through both Uriel and Snow. Frey turning on them with his monstrous power would be a catastrophe.

”There has to be a way to save him. Lady Liora, aren’t we the closest to the Lord of Light? Isn’t His power the best answer for things like this?” Uriel pleaded.

Liora paused, considering, then answered.

”The Lord of Light is not all-powerful—and He is no god. He is a noble, mighty being, and He stands with us. But there are things even He cannot do.” A small smile touched her lips. ”Fortunately, this is not one of those things.”

That caught Frey off guard. ”What did you just say?”

”I’m saying we can deal with the shadow inside you ..or rather, he can.” Liora lifted a finger and pointed at a particular someone.

The person she pointed to was none other than Snow Lionheart.

”Huh? Me?” Snow himself didn’t grasp it at first.

”If SSS-rank sacred power isn’t enough, what could I possibly change with what I have? All of my holy power comes from Vermithor.”

Snow wasn’t wrong—but something clicked for Frey when the saint indicated him. Frey knew what Snow was truly capable of.

”This might be possible...”

Wesker’s shadow resembled a Demon Seed, but it wasn’t the same thing.

A Demon Seed sprang from a World-breaking power ..there was no known cure for it.

But Wesker possessed no such authority, which meant his shadow could be destroyed, unlike the Seed ..and the key was Snow.

”To explain this properly, I need to guide you first—so you can find the path you’re looking for, learn your origin, and know your truth,” said the saint, turning her back to them.

”Follow me, all of you.”

”Where to?” Snow asked.

”The World Tree,” Liora replied.

The golden, mysterious tree that had sheltered her for years.

”That is the means by which you’ll learn everything you need to know about yourself, Snow Lionheart. It will connect you to the one being who knows you completely ..the same one who gave you that sword you wield.”

Understanding whom she meant, Snow whispered the name.

”The Lord of Light.”

Liora nodded. ”That’s right. To save Frey Starlight, and to show you the best path—the one that will draw out your true potential—you must learn the full truth of yourself and your origin. The only one who can lead you there is the Lord of Light.”

At that, Snow fell silent for a few heartbeats, parted his lips—then said nothing. He glanced toward Frey; Frey gave him a steady nod, urging him on.

”Is that even possible? Meeting the Lord of Light...?”

Until now, the Lord of Light had been little more than a name. Snow couldn’t believe he might meet Him so simply.

”It’s our duty as saints to support the hero,” Liora assured him. ”I’ll prepare the way. All you have to do is go with the current. The Lord of Light will not turn you away—because you are the one knocking at His door. He cannot refuse you.”

Her confidence was absolute. ”You don’t know the truth yet, Snow Lionheart, but you matter deeply to the Lord of Light. From the years I watched the world from the Tree, I learned this: even Kazis was only a forerunner to your coming—and yours alone.”

As the four of them made for the World Tree, Liora shared revelations about Snow Lionheart—revelations Snow struggled to accept.

Frey, however, had seen this coming. ”Have faith, Snow. You’re still the most gifted person on this planet. Even I can’t compare in that regard,” he said with a grin, clapping his friend on the back.

Snow’s confidence had been badly shaken of late ..especially as he fell behind, unable to find a way forward ..and the brush with death against Blattier had been a coup de grâce, compounded by the past Liora had shown them. Confronted with enemies far stronger than he’d imagined, Snow had begun to feel very small in a very large world.

Liora was about to set that right by giving him the path made for him.

Standing before the World Tree, Liora laid a hand to its massive trunk. The tree opened its heart like a heavenly gate to another realm, inviting them in.

”Go on, Snow Lionheart,” Liora said.

”Once you’re inside, the Tree will flood you with its power. Don’t resist—let it wash over you. Let it lead you.”

Snow nodded and stepped through with heavy feet. The instant he entered, the Tree sealed the passage behind him, enclosing him within. Liora had expected as much; it posed no problem.

She turned to Uriel. ”Come, Uriel. You are meant to be the saint who walks beside the hero. My hero died long ago.”

Answering the call, Uriel stepped forward, then glanced back at Frey. He stood off to one side. When their eyes met, he gave her a small wave ..urging her to play her part.

For some reason, Uriel saw him as different from the rest of them.

Dark. So dark that their light seemed to irritate him.

”The saint who accompanies the hero... but which hero?” Uriel murmured, then moved to Liora’s side.

Liora took the lead and instructed her. ”Our task is to link Snow to the Lord of Light and ensure nothing interrupts them. To do that, you must form a bond with the World Tree. Cast your sacred power into it—it will answer you.”

Uriel nodded and did exactly as told. Within moments, her body shone, bathed in the Tree’s golden light.

Seeing it, Liora smiled, delighted. ”She succeeded on her first try... marvelous.”

Liora released her own power as well, her body gleaming beside Uriel’s. Standing together, the two of them were breathtaking in Frey’s eyes.

Above them, the Tree blazed brighter, signaling the beginning of the rite—the rite that would open the way for the promised hero and unveil secrets buried long ago... about the hero Frey had once written of.

From a short distance, Frey watched it all unfold.

He glanced at the blackness creeping over his skin, forced a crooked smile, and clenched his fist.

”I need to work harder.”

...

...

...

Author’s Note:

Hello everyone, it’s been a while...

I just wanted to leave a few random thoughts about the novel and its future. This may not be that important to you, so feel free to skip it. But if you’re interested, come and listen to the complaints of an amateur writer trying to find his way in this place.

So... The Villain’s POV has come a long way. We’ve already passed 600 Chapters—that’s a huge number, guys. But the shocking part is that I realized the story hasn’t even reached its halfway point yet... which means it might end up requiring around 1,500 Chapters to tell it fully.

Lately, I’ve been wavering a lot between release schedules of 3–4 Chapters a day, which I believe is higher than most authors here on NovelFire. Unfortunately, the novel’s performance has been steadily declining. Naturally, there are several reasons for that ..the biggest being that this is my very first novel, and I honestly don’t think the early Chapters were the best.

To be honest, I truly love this story. That’s why I keep writing so many Chapters even as I watch it fall. But a decline simply means I haven’t done enough to reach higher rankings, doesn’t it? Good is good, bad is bad ..there’s no need to sugarcoat things. Of course, there are outside factors too, like piracy sites where the novel gains some popularity but brings me nothing in return. Still, even Shadow Slave is pirated much worse ..so who am I to complain?

In any case, because of everything I’ve mentioned, I’ve started leaning toward launching my next novel earlier than planned. A new story, fresh blood, new ideas.

Of course, I won’t abandon The Villain’s POV. But to be completely honest... if things keep declining further, the release rate might drop significantly, and it could even go on hiatus.

That last possibility is the one I absolutely don’t want to reach. But in the end, it all depends on how this novel performs.

So I want to ask you now ..would you prefer to see the new novel released soon, even if it strongly impacts the update pace of The Villain’s POV?

Or should we wait, stockpile more Chapters, and let The Villain’s POV have its full chance to shine?

Your opinion matters to me.