A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

Talulah struggled to her feet from the snow, using her sword for support, and looked at the guard who had ambushed her. A large gash was visible on the guard's uniform; he was the same guard Patriot had previously sent flying. Because of the guards' special status, Patriot had to hold back. If he had torn their uniforms, causing the demonic power within to react with the real world, the resulting annihilation would have been enough to destroy everyone present except himself.

That's why Talulah and her team had no chance of winning from the moment they faced the inner guards. They couldn't kill them, because if they did, the guards would self-destruct, putting them in an invincible position.

“That's caused enough trouble. Talulah, come back with us now. We still need to find that man. Otherwise, we don't mind slaughtering everyone here,” the guard said.

"..." Talulah watched everything unfold before her. The infected were no longer able to withstand the attack of the three inner guards, and Frostnova and Patriot were also in dire straits. With ten inner guards deployed, they simply had no way to defeat this team.

"I'll go with you, are you sure you'll let them go?" Talulah said through gritted teeth.

"You could die either way. You should know which option offers more choice." The guard clutched his chest, the pain making him very uncomfortable. He needed to complete this mission as soon as possible and return to recuperate.

"You—you damn—" Patriot also saw the current situation clearly; if things continued like this, Talulah would really be taken away by these people. So he began to chant an ancient incantation, intending to unleash his true destructive power and prepare to fight to the death.

"I..." Talulah was about to say something when she suddenly heard a familiar male voice beside her: "Choose whichever you want, but please turn your whole body to the right."

Talulah was taken aback, then immediately did as the man instructed.

"call out--"

The sound of something cutting through the air rang out from slightly above and to the left of my ear. Then, a bloodcurdling scream echoed across the entire snowfield.

"Stupid...idiot!"

The guard who had just been speaking with Talulah roared as a holy sword, radiating golden light, pierced through his face. Large amounts of black energy began to spill from the broken sword. Ripples spread through the space, and something enormous seemed to be emerging!

"Not good! Retreat quickly!" At this moment, all the guards immediately stopped fighting and quickly distanced themselves from the guard who was constantly emitting black energy.

"Talulah! Yelena! Everyone, get behind me and raise your shields!" Patriot leaped directly in front of Talulah, holding his shield up as if facing a formidable enemy.

The other shield bearers immediately raised their large shields, rebuilding the defensive line and having all the infected hide behind them. They all knew that the annihilation reaction impact caused by the inner guards' combat suits being torn would be unimaginable.

"You vile beasts—how dare you! Die! Die together! Hahahaha—uh!!"

The guard, whose head had been pierced, was still laughing and cursing like a normal person. As more and more black energy overflowed from his body, the demonic fragments within him would be completely released.

But before the guard could finish his maniacal laughter, he was suddenly grabbed by the neck and pulled up. A man had appeared before him without warning, seemingly unconcerned about the black mist emanating from his face.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're noisy?" the man said indifferently.

"You...it's you! So it was you who did it...die with me..." The guard recognized the man's appearance; it was Wang Chong, the one who had been told to orchestrate the unexpected failure of Talulah's fall from grace. He gripped Wang Chong's hand tightly, wanting to completely destroy this variable that had ruined their plans with the closest possible annihilation reaction.

"You don't really think this thing can hurt me, do you?" To everyone's surprise, Wang Chong looked at the inner guard with a mocking expression. The next moment, a black mist a hundred times larger than the inner guard rose from Wang Chong's body, instantly enveloping the inner guard.

"You—you—are really—evil—!!"

Before the guard could finish speaking, his consciousness was completely cut off... With a wave of his hand, Wang Chong drew all the black mist back into his body, leaving nothing in his hand, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion. The guard's body, along with the demonic fragments and the black mist, were instantly refined under Wang Chong's devastating black mist.

For a moment, the entire room fell silent.

Chapter Eleven: Standoff

"This...that's it?" Talulah peeked out from the side of the great shield, staring in disbelief at the scene before her. She had thought she had overestimated her opponent's strength enough. But the series of actions that had just occurred completely overturned Talulah's expectations.

Patriot remained on high alert, equally astonished by the incredible abilities displayed by his opponent. However, being a man of many experiences, Patriot did not lose his composure despite the unfolding events. At the same time, he felt even more wary and apprehensive towards this "Yan Kingdom behemoth" named Wang Chong.

The most exaggerated reaction came from Frostnova. After all, it was her first time seeing the other party in action, and her mouth was agape in an "O" shape, her eyes shining brightly. Well, it was mostly curiosity and surprise, much better than the infected around her who were afraid because they associated the black mist with something bad.

Of course, if we're talking about who was the most terrified, it would undoubtedly be the internal guards themselves, who knew the situation best. They had been observing the situation throughout their evacuation. And what did they see? The annihilation reaction that was about to explode was abruptly swallowed up?

The elite warriors, carefully selected to fight against the demons, the inner guards who had never known fear, experienced panic for the first time. If this emotion were allowed to continue to grow, they feared they would be unable to suppress the demonic fragments within their bodies.

"Go!" Although the nine guards present were not standing together, they all had a consensus: they absolutely could not escape like this, because when they escaped, the seeds of terror would be deeply rooted in their hearts, becoming the last straw that broke their will. They would also be completely unable to suppress the demonic fragments and become bombs that could explode at any time.

"Heh heh, instead of running away, you're coming towards me? Your brother already taught you so profoundly with his death." Wang Chong picked up the glowing holy sword that had fallen to the snow. This was the treasure he had taken from the Gate of Babylon today, the prototype of the Sword in the Stone—the Sword in the Tree, Gram.

Wang Chong placed his sword on the snow, quietly waiting for the guards to charge at him, then attack him from all directions with the longsword covered in black weaponry.

"Om-"

"when--"

Several metallic clangs rang out. To the guards' surprise, it was their swords clashing together, while their original target, Wang Chong, had long since vanished from their sight.

"There...!" Suddenly, one of the guards noticed Wang Chong's back was not more than 10 meters away from them. Just as he was about to move, he was horrified to find that his body was starting to slip out of his control.

Then he looked down and saw a gaping wound in his body, the black energy within his uniform beginning to spread out. No… it wasn't just him; all his comrades around him were either severed in half, beheaded, or had limbs severed. But regardless, from the moment their bodies shattered, their deaths were inevitable.

Wang Chong remained in the standard posture of placing his sword on the snow with his hands on the hilt, as if he had never moved.

"What...what happened? Sir, did you see it?" Talulah watched as what should have been an attack by nine inner guards turned into a fatal wound in an instant. The problem was, Talulah only saw the result; she had no idea how it happened in between.

"Too fast...too fast...I didn't even see how he made his move, or how he moved to that position." Patriot's heavy voice undoubtedly delivered another shock to Talulah's heart. If even Patriot couldn't see the speed at which the opponent withdrew his attack, then if the opponent wanted to launch a surprise attack, wouldn't none of them be able to stop him?

"How...how is this possible? How did you..." A guard looked at the figure in terror, as if he were looking at an indescribable monster. Even when facing demons, he had never been so afraid. But because of his wavering will, his consciousness could not suppress the demon fragments first and was devoured, about to transform into an annihilation body.

"How noisy." The shadow behind Wang Chong once again emitted a large amount of black mist, swallowing the group of guards into it. The guards' agonizing screams, which had been audible, fell silent in an instant. The entire process, from beginning to end, probably took no more than half a minute.

Wang Chong gathered the black mist into his body, twisted his neck to relax, and then turned around to look at the infected people who had been watching him complete a series of operations and were now stunned.

"Tap...tap..."

There was only one sound in the snow: Wang Chong's footsteps. To the infected, that sound was like a death knell. Not all the infected had seen the man Talulah had brought in, and even those who did felt immense terror at the sight of someone with such incomprehensible power.

But just as Wang Chong continued walking forward, a massive figure blocked his way—it was Patriot. The sight of that tall figure instantly invigorated the still-fearful infected.

Yes, they still have Patriot here. If the other side really is some malicious villain, Patriot will definitely be able to lead them to eliminate those villains who want to invade. For a moment, they finally felt a little comforted, so much so that they subconsciously ignored the fact that the gap between how hard they all worked together to fight the guards and how easily Wang Chong single-handedly dealt with all the guards was just as vast.

"Stop here! People of Yan... or rather, you should be called the behemoth of Yan." Patriot said in a deep voice, holding his shield.

"Mr. Patriot!" Talulah was startled to see Patriot directly confronting Wang Chong and rushed over, wanting to say something.

“Behind me, Talulah.” However, Patriot seemed quite resolute, directly blocking Talulah with his giant halberd.

"A giant beast from Yan Kingdom?" Wang Chong frowned first, then narrowed his eyes as he looked at Talulah. This girl, has she come up with another new identity for him? Fine, fine, she's ignoring my warnings, isn't she? I'll deal with her properly when we get back.

But a giant beast from Yan Kingdom? Hmm, that identity is much more normal than some kind of demon, and it can even provide a lie to justify my excessive power. It has to be said, Talulah's knowledge and ability to fabricate stories far surpass mine.

"So, Mr. Patriot, what do you want to do by stopping me?" Wang Chong asked, spreading his hands.

“I don’t know your purpose in joining us. I cannot place such an unstable element among my compatriots. Therefore, I hope that Your Excellency the Beast can give a truly definite answer. What exactly is your purpose in coming here?” Patriot said in a deep voice.

“Didn’t I already have Miss Talulah convey my purpose? Didn’t she explain it?” Wang Chong pointed at Talulah and said.

“So… you’re here for Talulah too?” Patriot said.

“That’s right, I joined Reunion for Talulah.” Wang Chong nodded, admitting it directly.

The entire audience erupted in uproar. Yet another person had shown interest in their leader. They had truly escaped one danger only to fall into another.

"If that's the case... if you want to take Talulah away, then step over my dead body and let me experience just how powerful this behemoth really is." Patriot raised his giant shield, preparing to launch another attack.

Chapter Twelve: I fell in love with Talulah at first sight

Seeing Patriot's hostile expression, Wang Chong was taken aback at first, but quickly understood the key point. He then said softly, "Mr. Patriot, I think you may have misunderstood something. Please carefully review what I just said. I said, 'I joined the Reunion Movement for Talulah'. If I wanted to forcibly take Talulah away, do you think I would still go back to the camp with her?"

Upon hearing Wang Chong's words, Patriot lowered his massive shield slightly, but clearly he hadn't completely let his guard down. He had simply changed his mind from intending to fight to seeing what else the other had to say.

“You don’t intend to take Talulah away, but since you’ve come for Talulah, you must have a specific reason,” Patriot said.

"This reason involves personal privacy. Is it really necessary to explain it?" Wang Chong said with a somewhat helpless expression.

“It must be stated!” Patriot said in a deep voice, “Behind me stands not only Talulah, but also a large group of infected compatriots. They all joined the Reunion Movement for the same ideal. They have already done their best just to survive... But for Talulah—for the ideal depicted by the leader of the Reunion Movement, they are willing to give up their own hope of survival in order to bring hope to others and realize the future depicted by the leader.”

"That is why your attitude toward the leader will determine our attitude toward you. Your Excellency, if you are truly just an ordinary passerby, simply experiencing the various aspects of life and playing around in the world, and thus have developed a slight interest in Talulah and want to be a witness, then we will not be so ruthless. After all, it is an indisputable fact that you saved us."

"But...ha...cough...but if you harbor malicious intentions and want to use Talulah, or us, to achieve your goals, then my great halberd will show no mercy. Even if we die in battle, we will fight to the very end!"

This was probably the longest Patriot had spoken since Oripathy caused him to have throat problems, to the point that his voice began to become blurred and hoarse towards the end. However, the stinging pain in his throat could not deter Patriot's determination, and his hoarse yet powerful voice inspired everyone behind him.

“Sir…” Talulah looked at the departing figure, feeling both touched and deeply regretful that she had managed to control her anger and almost dragged herself and those who cherished her into an abyss of no return.

"Clap clap clap..."

The applause was naturally from Wang Chong. While clapping, Wang Chong said, "Alright, considering Mr. Patriot's awareness, I'll be frank."

Talulah looked at Wang Chong, wondering if he would really tell her the truth about why he was targeting her? Perhaps it was some other secret related to her background and bloodline?

But what happened next was something Talulah would never forget. Wang Chong coughed twice and then answered with an extremely serious expression, "There is only one reason why I came for Talulah—I fell in love with her at first sight!"

"what?"

Frostnova was the first to react, her rabbit ears bobbing back and forth as if she had heard some incredible news. She first glanced at Wang Chong, then at Talulah.

Talulah's eyes, which had been in a daze, seemed to snap out of it. As shock washed over her, a blush crept up her neck, then her face, and finally to the back of her ears, making her incredibly embarrassed.

"Something's not right. In the past, many people have expressed their admiration for Talulah, but she always managed to politely decline with a sunny smile or a firm attitude. Why is Talulah blushing this time? ...Something's fishy!" Frostnova felt as if she were possessed by a great detective, and no clue could escape her eyes.

However, compared to Frostnova's surprise and wonder, and Talulah's shame and anger, Patriot's fighting spirit not only did not diminish, but became even stronger.

"Are you making fun of us?!" Patriot clearly didn't believe the other's words. He even felt that the other's words were a severe insult to Talulah, especially in front of all the Infected. Therefore, he felt only anger.

"What? You think I'm joking?" Wang Chong's voice also began to turn displeased as he spoke.

"A colossal beast of the Yan Kingdom, an existence of immeasurable age and immense power, developed feelings for a girl who, by the standards of such a being, is short-lived and as fragile as a floating duckweed, after only one encounter. Do you think I would believe that?" Patriot said.

"Heh..." Just then, Wang Chong, who hadn't moved for a long time, took his first step with a cold snort. The instant he took that step, a terrifying aura as large as a mountain rose from Wang Chong's body, suppressing everyone present.

"Mr. Patriot—no, I should address you as General Bozokasti and the last pureblood Wendigo of Kazdel. I am speaking politely to you out of respect for your deeds. But that does not mean you can disregard my words!"

"Conspiracy? Tricks? Exploitation? Ha, perhaps, but those are just harmless little schemes. But there's one thing I think you, as a fellow top expert, should understand very well! If we were to do something truly significant... our fists alone would be enough to crush everything. Especially against weak and short-lived creatures like you, I would never stoop to using any schemes or tricks to harm you. Call it arrogance, call it conceit, but this is the pride of our existence."

As the words fell, his footsteps continued forward, and behind Wang Chong rose a massive black mist hundreds of feet high, as if blotting out the sun, or like one of the deepest fears engraved in the hearts of all Tailai creatures: natural disasters.

Humanoid Catastrophe. This term couldn't be more fitting for Wang Chong now. Wang Chong floated up, stepping through the void like a true god. He coldly gazed at the infected below, their eyes filled with a hint of fear as they stared at him, finally fixing his gaze on Patriot.

"Patriot, even you have had your moments of passion, you once had a family. So what about the behemoths? They also have human thoughts and feelings, and the same spiritual needs as humans. What? You who have always advocated getting rid of the prejudice that ordinary people have against the infected, are now the ones who have this prejudice against the behemoths?"

After Wang Chong finished speaking, he awaited Patriot's reply. Patriot was facing the heaviest and most weighty pressure; if not for his willpower, he would have been crushed by this overwhelming force long ago. However, upon hearing Wang Chong's last sentence, he seemed to seriously consider Wang Chong's question, and finally, he slowly said, "I underestimated your words."

As soon as he finished speaking, the heavy pressure began to slowly disappear from his shoulders, and the towering black mist gradually receded. Wang Chong then regained his smiling demeanor and said, "It's alright, as long as it's explained clearly. I admit that even I would find it hard to believe if I heard such a thing. The fact that Mr. Patriot was able to speak about it so fearlessly is enough to earn him respect."

“Well then, Miss Talulah.” At this moment, Wang Chong looked at Talulah. Just now, when he was rising with black mist, Talulah tried to stop Patriot from stopping him, but unfortunately, she was suppressed by his aura and Patriot blocked her way, so she failed.

However, now, Wang Chong turned his gaze to Talulah, held up one finger, and said, "Give me a month. Stay in the Reunion Movement for a month and give me the opportunity to pursue you. If I fail to win your heart within a month, I will personally apologize to everyone for the disturbance and the panic and unease I caused, and I will leave on my own initiative."

“And I won’t be sitting here for nothing this month. The members of Reunion need to do something that contributes to the entire organization, and I will do the same every day. This will also help to calm everyone’s panic and win their trust. What do you think? Let’s treat it as a one-month bet, how about it?”

"..." Talulah's feelings were a complex mix. They had all just brushed with death, and now the very being who held their fates in his hands was willing to back down. Could it be, as he said, that he had truly fallen in love with her at first sight?

At this point, Patriot said no more, entrusting the decision-making power to the true leader of the Reunion Movement. Although he still had many questions, after sensing the other party's strength, those doubts were completely shattered by the overwhelming power. After all, as he said, they weren't even worthy of being crushed by the other party, so what was the point of talking about conspiracies and tricks?

“Oh, right, you still owe me something,” Wang Chong said. “I noticed you cared a lot about that child, so shortly after you left, I cured him.”

“Sasha…he’s healed. You saved him?” A hint of surprise flashed in Talulah’s eyes.

“Yes, you’ll see it when you get back,” Wang Chong said, pointing in the direction of the camp.

"...Alright, Mr. Wang Chong, you killed those 10 guards and saved us. This favor is undeniable, and as the leader of the Reunion Movement, I must acknowledge it. I am willing to make this one-month bet with Mr. Wang Chong, and I will also welcome you to temporarily join us on behalf of the Reunion Movement." Guided by the fact that Sasha had been healed, Talulah finally made up her mind and spoke.

Chapter Thirteen: Talulah's Confession

Night had fallen, and only the flickering firelight illuminated the entire camp. The infected felt unusually exhausted today; whether from the fierce battle or the terrifying sights they had witnessed, they were utterly drained, both physically and mentally.

This might be good news, though, because when you're exhausted, you'll sleep more peacefully. It's just unclear how many people will be woken up by nightmares tonight.

Talulah was currently in the area where the wounded were staying, helping to treat those injured in the battle. Among them was a child named Sasha.

"How are you feeling now?" Talulah asked, placing her hand on Faust's head to check for fever.

"It's... a little cold, but otherwise it's fine." Faust shook his head, then, as if remembering something, said, "Don't tell Ino, I'm afraid he'll..."

“He already knows… After all, you haven’t returned for so long, and news of your arrow wound has already spread, with some even saying you’re dead. So he’s gone mad trying to find you,” Talulah sighed.

"And what about him now...?" Faust asked with some concern.

"Because he bumped into someone and then clashed with them, he got a severe beating, which they called 'education of love,' and he's already knocked unconscious. Take him downstairs to rest." Talulah said, glancing at Wang Chong, who was performing bone-setting on an infected person, making the other person groan and cry.

"It's you, sir... You saved my life, and I don't even know your name." Faust naturally saw Wang Chong as well. At that moment, when he was at his weakest and about to leave this world, he vaguely heard the other man say, "Give him to me."

Afterward, he felt his body begin to settle, and his senses gradually returned. Although it was painful, at least he felt alive again. His body also began to cool down from the unbearable heat, and he felt cold again. At that moment, Faust knew that his life had been pulled back.

“His name is Wang Chong, and he’ll be staying at the camp for at least a month. But Faust, don’t get too close to him. He did save your life, but…” Talulah paused, unsure how to continue.

"I will confirm it with my own eyes..." Faust said this quietly. Before Talulah arrived, he had vaguely heard about Wang Chong's deeds from the newly arrived wounded soldiers.

"Anyway, take good care of your injuries and get plenty of rest these days. As for Ino, I'll keep a close eye on him. Since you're safe and sound, he won't be in any trouble either. Don't worry." After giving her instructions, Talulah got up and walked towards Wang Chong's side. The noise coming from there was keeping the surrounding wounded from sleeping.

"Oh no! My hand! It's going to break! It's going to break off!"

"It's not that easy to break. Look, it's just a matter of a moment—and it's back together."

"Ouch, ouch, ouch—hiss, it doesn't seem to hurt anymore?"

"I already told you it's your own psychological problem. Your pig-like screams made me think I was going to chop you into mincemeat."

"Ugh—don't chop me into mincemeat!"

"If you shout again, I'll really do it."