Young Master's PoV: Woke Up As A Villain In A Game One Day

Chapter 226: Becomes A Cautionary Tale

There was a ringing in my head.

And I donʼt mean metaphorically.

I mean literally — a sharp, shrill, deafening ring. Like a giant tuning fork had been struck against my skull.

My body refused to move for a second.

My limbs didnʼt ache — they hummed, like overloaded machinery about to catch fire.

Everything around me pulsed in and out of focus, dipped in smoke and the metallic taste of blood coating the back of my throat.

If you want to understand what I was feeling — try not sleeping for three days, then get hit by a speeding car.

Thatʼs how bad my condition was.

A grunt clawed its way up my throat as I tried rolling over to my belly but failed.

My spine seemed to be bent over something — a broken pillar? Rubble? My own dignity? I donʼt know. It was hard to tell.

Above me, the ceiling of the ruined building swam like I was underwater. Or maybe that was just my vision doing the swimming.

My fingers twitched.

And I realized my both hands were currently empty.

Aurieth — my precious sword — had been knocked away from my grip when I crashed through the wall earlier. I could sense it on the ground somewhere to my left since it was tethered to my soul.

This was not good. Iʼd just been ambushed, and my attacker was already here.

I really shouldnʼt be empty-handed right now.

So I gritted my teeth and willed my soul-bound weapon to return to me.

There was a faint shing as Aurieth lifted off the cracked floor and flew toward me at blurring speed.

But then, a low whistle cut through the silence and—

Thooom—!!

A massive battlehammer struck Aurieth mid-air with a sound like steel shattering steel.

My sword was flung sideways along with the hammer.

Both weapons blasted through the opposite wall, demolishing the old concrete and crashing into the adjacent building in a spray of stone chunks and dust.

I spat blood on the ground beside me and groaned, half in pain, half in exasperation. ”Now was that really necessary, Jake?”

My voice was raspy, almost grating. I wheezed once, then pulled myself to my feet, cursing as pain flared in places I didnʼt even know existed in my body.

And when I finally stood upright and looked ahead… I saw exactly what Iʼd suspected.

The dark figure before me belonged to a young man.

A young man obscured by layers upon layers of swirling shadows that churned around him like black mist wrapped in chains.

Then, all at once, the shadows receded — revealing the young manʼs sharp face. His emerald eyes were soft like morning dew on fresh grass, and hair as green as spring leaves caught in sunlight.

Without a doubt, that was Jake Mel Flazer.

He looked taller than before. A lot leaner, too.

He looked… good.

And that was a massive compliment, considering he used to look like an overfed pig dressed in aristocratic arrogance before.

”I see youʼve gotten stronger,” I rasped, my voice still dry and cracked. ”And slimmer. Are you finally ready to share that diet plan youʼve been gatekeeping?”

Jake didnʼt laugh — or even blink — at my joke.

He just tilted his head slightly, his emerald eyes strangely calm as they studied me. ”Youʼre not at all surprised to see me.”

”Eh.” I waved a hand dismissively. ”Iʼve seen bigger disappointments.”

Still no reaction.

He just kept staring.

”No shock. No confusion. No ʼwhyʼ or ʼhow.ʼ I really thought youʼd be more surprised.”

I scoffed, rolled my shoulder, and wiped blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand. ”Oh, donʼt get me wrong. I am indeed surprised. Just… not about you.”

He stayed silent.

So I kept going. ”I knew you were behind the massacre.”

That got a little reaction.

His eyes narrowed — just a little.

I pressed on. ”I knew youʼd wait until the plaza was mostly cleared before making your move. I figured youʼd come for me. Or Michael. Or both of us.”

I gave him a crooked grin. ”Thatʼs why I asked Michael to distract the hellhound. Not just to protect the retreating Cadets… but also because I wanted a quiet little moment with you.”

His jaw flexed.

Barely.

But I caught it.

I smirked. ”I drew you to me. And you came running like the loyal mutt you are.”

To my surprise, he still didnʼt lash out.

He was acting far more composed than Iʼd ever seen him.

Too composed, even.

So I went for the jugular. ”And I know a lot more. For example… I know about the demon.”

And there it was.

Finally, his stillness cracked.

His pupils contracted. His lips quivered once. The ghost of a scowl flickered at the edges of his lips. ”…How do you know that?”

I let out a breathy little humorless chuckle.

”Does it matter how I know?” My voice dropped. ”What matters is… do you know what happens to people who make deals with demons, Jake?”

He didnʼt answer.

So I did it for him.

”They rot. Some slowly. Some screaming. But all of them end the same. They become horror stories to scare the next generation. Myths that end with: ʼDonʼt be like him.ʼ”

I stepped forward and locked my gaze onto his.

”And thatʼs what youʼll become now, Jake — a cautionary tale. Because what do you think will happen when the Monarchs find out it was you? When they realize you betrayed humanity by siding with a creature from the abyss? You wonʼt just die. Theyʼll break you. Dismantle you. Peel you apart until every secret spills from your throat. Until you tell them everything you know about your demon friend.”

I leaned in and whispered:

”And when theyʼre done? Theyʼll bury your soul under so many chains that not even hell will want you.”

Jake didnʼt flinch.

But the shadows curling at his feet tightened.

”You know what?” he said eventually, voice low and laced with venom. ”It doesnʼt matter that you know. Because youʼre not walking out of here alive.”

His eyes glowed faintly green, nothing but unbridled rage simmering behind them. ”Youʼre drained. Youʼre barely standing. If you were really that smart — if you knew I was coming for you — you shouldʼve let those Cadets die and saved your strength. Or you couldʼve brought Michael with you and turned this fight into a two-on-one.”

He scoffed. ”But instead? You decided today would be a good day to be the saviour. You played the hero. You saved lives. And now? Whoʼs coming to save you?”

I rolled my neck, letting it pop, then started stretching my arms. ”You know me, Jake. I donʼt play well with others. I work better alone.”

”Then youʼll die alone.” Jakeʼs tone was final — like he was delivering a death sentence. ”Because right now… Iʼm faster than you. Iʼm stronger than you. Iʼm sharper than you. Killing you wonʼt even be a challenge.”

My smile widened until it was a challenging grin — it was the kind of grin that doesnʼt just show teeth, but also dares someone to try and knock them out. ”Then come prove it.”

A moment of silence passed.

The air turned cold.

…And then Jake moved.

Shadows snapped around him like a shroud — and in a blur, a long obsidian dagger folded from the darkness and landed in his grip.

He lunged.

And I bent my knees, bracing to meet him head-on.