The Return Of The Exiled Villain

Caelkirk Town...

The small church stood on the outskirts of a quiet town just a few hours’ ride from the capital.

It was a humble building of white stone and stained-glass windows depicting heroic saints and divine light.

Inside, the afternoon sun filtered through the colored panes, casting soft rainbow patterns across the wooden pews.

At the front, near the altar, Father Elias stood with a gentle smile, surrounded by a group of excited children sitting cross-legged on the floor.

There were about fifteen of them, ages ranging from six to twelve, all dressed in simple clothes, their eyes wide with wonder as they listened to the priest.

”And so, children,” Father Elias stated warmly.

”God is not just a being who sits high in the heavens watching over us. He is love itself. He is the light that guides us when we are lost, the warmth that comforts us when we are cold, and the strength that lifts us when we fall.”

A little girl with pigtails raised her hand eagerly. ”Father! Does God really watch over every single one of us? Even when we’re sleeping?”

”Yes, little one. Even when you’re sleeping. He watches over your dreams and keeps the nightmares away. He is always there, protecting you with His divine light.” The priest chuckled softly.

A boy with messy brown hair gasped excitedly. ”Wow... so if I pray really hard before bed, God will make sure no monsters come in my room?”

”Exactly!” Father Elias nodded with a bright smile.

”Pray with all your heart, and God will send His angels to stand guard at your bedside. They have shining swords and wings of pure light, ready to fight any darkness that dares approach.”

The children let out a chorus of delighted whimpers and gasps.

”Eeee~ I want an angel to watch over me!” one girl squealed, hugging her knees.

”Me too! Me too!” another boy chimed in, bouncing in place. ”Can I ask God for a big angel with a really cool sword?”

”Of course you can,” the priest laughed gently. ”God loves hearing the prayers of pure-hearted children like you. He listens to every single word.”

A shy girl in the back raised her hand timidly. ”Father... what if someone is really bad? Does God still love them?”

At those words, Father Elias’s expression softened with compassion.

”Even then, child. God’s love is endless. He waits patiently for every lost soul to find its way back to the light. No one is beyond redemption if they truly wish to change.”

The children murmured in awe, some clapping their hands excitedly.

”God is so kind~” a little boy whispered in wonder.

”I want to be like God when I grow up!” another declared loudly, pumping his fist.

Father Elias smiled warmly at their enthusiasm. ”That’s the spirit, children. Strive to be kind, brave, and full of love. That is how we honor Him.”

He paused, looking at their bright, eager faces, then clapped his hands once.

”Now then... It’s time to play!”

The children cheered loudly, some jumping up in excitement.

”Yay! Playtime!”

But the moment the words left his mouth, Father Elias’s gentle smile vanished.

His eyes turned cold and sharp, like shards of ice. The warm, fatherly aura disappeared completely, replaced by an almost chilling presence.

He slowly turned his head toward the shadows near the altar.

”And who might you be?”

A calm, faint smile appeared in the darkness.

Gray stepped out from behind one of the thick stone pillars close to the altar, hands in his pockets, black hair and black eyes fully visible under the colored light of the stained-glass windows.

He wasn’t hiding his face at all.

Those unique features, jet-black hair, and pitch-black eyes were known to belong to only one person in the entire world.

Father Elias’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

”Gray Vireux?”

”The one and only,” Gray replied lightly, spinning two sharp daggers he had taken from his dimensional storage between his fingers.

He stopped the spinning and pointed one dagger straight at the priest.

”And before you ask...”

Gray’s smile remained faint, but his dull black eyes looked both cold and merciless.

”I’m here to kill you.”

The priest’s gentle, fatherly expression froze for a moment. Surprise flashed across his face, but surprisingly, there was no fear in his eyes.

”I don’t recall offending the D’Aurélion Family...” he stated calmly.

Gray instantly cut him off.

”Did you forget that I was exiled?” He spun one of the daggers lazily in his hand. ”I’m not here on behalf of any family. This is purely my personal interest.”

The priest’s fists clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles turning faintly white. His gentle facade began to crack.

”Personal interest...?” he mumbled.

Gray nodded lightly.

”You’re not human,” he stated flatly.

”You’re a low-tier demon under the Sin of Wrath, one of the High Noble demons. Your true name is Valthorak, a shape-shifting filth who’s been hiding in this church for the past seven years, wearing the skin of Father Elias.”

The priest’s face twitched.

Gray continued without mercy.

”You’ve killed thirty-seven children in this region alone. You lure them in with promises of God’s love, then devour their souls while they pray. And right now, you’re planning to infiltrate Gloria Academy disguised as a transfer student to get closer to high-value targets, talented young souls that can fuel your growth.”

Gray’s lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile.

”The Sin of Wrath won’t bat an eye if a worthless low-tier pawn like you disappears. You’re too insignificant for him to care.”

The church fell into heavy silence.

The priest remained completely still for several long seconds.

Then, slowly, his gentle smile twisted into something grotesque.

His skin rippled and turned a deep, bloody red. Two curved black horns sprouted from his forehead, and a pair of leathery wings burst out from his back.

His kind eyes became slitted and glowing yellow.

”...How did you know?” the demon hissed, the voice no longer sounding human, and instead, it was deep, rasping, and filled with killing intent.

Gray flicked his thumb, spinning the dagger once more.

”That’s not information the dead should know.”

Swoosh!

Valthorak let out a small laugh, his wings flaring open.

”You arrogant little—”

Gray didn’t let him finish and simply flicked his thumb forward.

”Nine Heavens Thunder Claw.”

BOOM!

A terrifying surge of golden-blue lightning exploded from Gray’s hand.

Five razor-sharp claws made of condensed thunder and destruction tore through the air with a deafening crack.

The sheer speed and power made the stained-glass windows shatter instantly as the attack crossed the distance in a blink.

The demon’s eyes widened in horror, but it was far too late.

The Nine Heavens Thunder Claw ripped straight through Valthorak’s chest, tearing apart flesh, bone, and demonic core in a single devastating strike.

Lightning coursed through his body, frying him from the inside out as arcs of electricity danced violently across his red skin.

”GAAAAAHHHH—!!!”

The demon’s scream echoed through the church as his body convulsed.

His wings disintegrated into ash, his horns cracked and shattered, and his red skin bubbled and burned away under the overwhelming power of the technique.

Gray stood motionless, watching with cold eyes as the low-tier demon collapsed onto the altar steps, twitching violently before finally going still.

Then, he slowly walked toward the body before dipping his finger into the demon’s blood and taking out his book.

”Valthorak... here it is.”

Using Valthorak’s blood, Gray crossed the name on the list.

”This is already my nineteenth kill, huh?”

[Indeed... It’s a pity that these low-tier demons can’t even fill a little bit of my hunger.]

Jasmine grumbled slighly as the demon’s body dissipated to wisps.

[And what about the book? Which grade has it already reached?]

”I’m not sure... It’s been a while since I checked,” Gray mumbled, before opening his status window.

[———✵ Status Panel ✵———]

Name: Gray Vireux D’Aurélion

Titles: Vessel of Beauty & Destruction, Exiled Noble, Incubus In Human Form, Low-level Demon Hunter [NEW!!!]

Race: Human

Class: 𖤐 Villain 𖤐

Rank: Peak Great Grandmaster Realm [89%]

Divine Abilities: ✵Law of Seduction✵

Unique Skill: [✧Swap✧]

Unique Talent: Nullification [3910/3910]

Innate Blessing: [♛ — ✧Crown of the Abyss✧ — ♛]

Active Skills: Soul Chasing Extremities [100% (Severing Pursuit)], Nine Illusionary Dream Steps [7% (9th Step)], Spirit Eyes [Great GrandMaster (93%)], Nine Heavens Thunder Claw [Great GrandMaster (Perfected)]

Passive Skills: High Mana Recovery, Parallel Mana Processing, Heightened Senses, Sinful Mind [Class], Villain’s Presence [Class], Cruel Instinct [Class], Shadow of Sin [Class]

Equipment: Demon Converging Gourd (Godly), Phantom Loop Earrings (Godly), Sealed Unnamed Rapier (High Emperor), Ring of Gluttony (Early Saint), Trascendent Robe (Intermediate King), 2x Enchanted Demon Hunting Daggers (Early King)

Dimensional Storage: 15x Bottles of Bloodvein Poison, 29x Smoke Bombs, 1x Golden-Plated Needlebox, 1.090x Platinum Coins, 194x Gold Coins, 98x Silver Coins, 340x Copper Coins

Sword Spirit: Atrinae (Nine-Colored Attributeless Snake • Early Saint Realm [11%])

Personal Artifact: Demon-Hunting Book [Nineteen Low-tier Demons Currently Recorded • King Realm • 30% Boost]

——+——+——+——

”...Mhm... not bad at all,” Gray nodded thoughtfully.

As Gray started crossing the names in his book with the blood from those demons, the book surprisingly turned into an artifact.

Its effects were surprisingly simple... as long as he was fighting demons, he would get a 5% status boost.

However... that was when the book had turned into an artifact, but now that it had reached the King Realm, and that same boost had increased to 30%!

”And... I also got a title, huh?”

[✧ Title: Low-Level Demon Hunter ✧]

Level: 1/5

Proficiency: 1/5 (Five low-level demons needed to level up!)

Details: When it reaches the maximum level, it will transform into an Intermediate-Grade Demon Hunter Title!

Effects: When fighting against a demon...

+ 10% Demonic Magic Resistance!

+ 5% Attack Damage!

——+——+——+——

”...Ehh... not too terrible. But they could’ve given me this title sooner!” Gray grumbled slighly, but as he looked back at this list of demons needed to kill...

”Or maybe not...”

There were plenty of low-tier demons needed to kill.

”Mhm... how many demons for you to finally unlock 1% of your true power, Jasmine?” he decided to ask.

[...Only seventeen low-tier demons.]

”Great.”

Gray stretched his arms as he locked onto his next target.

”...Oh? It’s already his time?”

The name he was looking at was an important one... one that in the original story made Lyra go berserk, and almost got corrupted in the process.

Thankfully, Adrian arrived in time and saved her... prompting Lyra’s first surge of feelings towards her ”brother”.

”...I can leave this for Lyra to kill, no?”

The Lyra from now was dozens of times stronger than the Lyra from the original novel.

”...It shouldn’t be much of a problem.”