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

"I...I'm sorry!"

Talulah scratched her head in exasperation, looking at the injured man who was howling for ages just to have his dislocated shoulder treated, and Wang Chong, who was giving him treatment that was half-threatening and half-intimidating. She felt that if things continued like this, no one around her would ever have a peaceful day.

"Alright, the matter is resolved, and the person is healed. It's time to go. Come back with me, Miss Talulah." Wang Chong noticed Talulah's arrival and stood up, inviting her with a smile.

……

Soon, the two returned to the tent. There were some things Talulah wanted to clarify in private, so she was willing to take the risk once again.

"Thank you, sir, for rescuing us today, and thank you again for saving Sasha's life." After entering, Talulah leaned forward slightly and said earnestly.

"You're too kind. I just did it on a whim. You should know that my only target right now is you," Wang Chong said slowly.

"..." After hearing the other party's straightforward answer, Talulah did not get angry as easily as before. She thought about the whole thing for a long time before finally speaking up, "You said before that you only valued my identity and bloodline. So I'm very curious, what exactly happened to make you... value me so much?"

"What? Now you finally think I have no ulterior motives and am just doing this for you?" Wang Chong chuckled, but before Talulah could speak, he continued, "Alright, alright, I won't say any more. But instead of guessing all this time, why don't you use your own eyes to see for yourself? This past month hasn't just been about me pursuing you; you also need to see people clearly, right? Don't you even have the confidence to judge people in a month?"

“…That’s true. Perhaps it’s because of these experiences that I’ve become less confident than before and more hesitant and indecisive,” Talulah sighed.

"You're just a little girl, why are you sighing like this... What's wrong? Is it really because of your adoptive father that you've been so devastated? Or are you still struggling with those things?" Wang Chong asked.

“No… Actually, I’ve already told Mr. Patriot and the others about my situation. To be honest, at first I thought it would be difficult to tell the truth… but after I told them everything, I felt incredibly relieved, as if there was no burden left in my heart. Speaking of which, I have to thank you for your guidance, sir,” Talulah said.

"You're thanking me more now, which is completely different from how you were before, all wary and suspicious. So, it seems only a direct declaration of love can dispel people's doubts? No wonder there's a saying: 'Love must be shouted out.' That's probably it," Wang Chong teased.

“No, it’s just that you’ve completely demonstrated your overwhelming strength and earned our respect. As you said, if you really wanted to harm us, one punch would have been enough,” Talulah said.

"Talulah, has anyone ever told you that being too serious and earnest can actually create distance between people?" Wang Chong shook his head and said, "Never mind, that's just your personality, and it's probably hard to change it. Why don't you tell me why you're sighing like this?"

“You're feeling lost about the future…” Talulah looked out of the tent. Outside, amidst the snow and firelight, a few people were moving about. She said, “We survived the Inner Guard's siege, but what’s next? Because of the Black Serpent's failure, will the Empire launch even more frequent raids on our infected force? Which city should we go to after heading south? And… is there really a future for us to save the infected?”

“These things… are not just your burden, but everyone’s burden, aren’t they? Why not ask the Patriots for their advice?” Wang Chong said.

“Well… but the final decision rests with me. They all hope I can lead them to achieve that ideal… but I myself have already failed once. I can no longer prove whether the path I chose in the past was correct. If my path was wrong, then where is the right path?” After Talulah finished speaking, her gaze turned back to Wang Chong, and finally she asked, “Mr. Wang Chong, could you teach me how to act? How to make choices?”

Chapter Fourteen: Kissing – There are only zero times and countless times.

"Talulah, why do you think I can help you?" Wang Chong asked, looking Talulah up and down with curiosity.

“…Perhaps it’s because of your guidance earlier, sir. I’m sorry for saying something strange. After all, this is a matter for us infected, and you shouldn’t have to worry about it.” After Talulah finished speaking, she waited for a while, but seeing that Wang Chong still didn’t seem to want to say anything, she could only give up for the time being.

Besides the reason she mentioned, the most crucial reason why Talulah sought Wang Chong's help was that she valued his "long history" and broad perspective. She felt that perhaps someone with a long lifespan, who could witness the rise and fall of a nation, could guide her through her confusion from a higher vantage point.

However, it seemed the other party didn't take the guidance seriously and was rather capricious. Talulah could only put it aside for the time being, and stood up, saying, "It's getting late, so I won't disturb Mr. Wang Chong any longer. Please get some rest."

“Wait a minute, there’s one more thing I almost forgot to mention.” Wang Chong stood up, walked closer to Talulah, and said.

"What is it?" Talulah asked, puzzled.

“Although I really like the new identity you’ve arranged for me, I still have to emphasize one thing… I’m not a giant beast from Yan Kingdom. So, you know what’s going to happen next, right?” Wang Chong said with a smile.

"Hmm... Hmm? You're not the Yan Kingdom's behemoth?" Talulah was taken aback at first, then quickly realized what the other party meant by "what happened next." Talulah was about to back away when she felt a strong hand press down on the back of her head again.

"Waaaaah!!"

A sob of resentment rang out once more, but this time Talulah seemed particularly aggrieved. It wasn't the identity of the Yan Kingdom's behemoth that she had arranged for Wang Chong! This was clearly the result deduced by the Patriots, who knew that you weren't even a Yan Kingdom's behemoth.

"Ha...ha...then, what country's behemoth are you from?" Talulah's first reaction after the kiss ended was to ask Wang Chong. Unconsciously, Talulah had begun to get used to being forcibly kissed by Wang Chong like this.

“I am not a giant beast from any country. I am not a giant beast at all. Who told you to make wild guesses and then tell others? This is another punishment for you,” Wang Chong said.

"Not a giant beast... How can something that isn't a giant beast have such power? You're a monster... Waaah!!" Talulah had barely finished speaking when her mouth was covered again, and she was sucked on for an unknown amount of time before finally being released.

"I...I didn't lie! Why are you kissing me again!? And before too! That was just our reasonable guess! It wasn't lying at all!" Talulah said angrily, but the focus of her anger inexplicably started to become strange.

“What you said makes a lot of sense.” Wang Chong even nodded slightly in affirmation of Talulah.

“Then why…” Talulah was about to say something, but Wang Chong stopped her with his finger and interrupted her, “Remember when I said that there were actually two reasons for kissing you? I only told you the first one, and I haven’t told you the second one yet.”

"The second one?"

“Yes. The second reason is actually that I really like kissing you, Talulah. That’s right, it’s just a simple liking.” Wang Chong said with a smile, “Talulah, you look really beautiful when you’re shy or angry, your cheeks are so pink, and sometimes I can’t help but want to kiss you a few times.”

"You...you!" Talulah's face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. The other person's almost blunt statement caught her completely off guard.

"So, Talulah, for the sake of my affection, can I kiss you one more time? Just one last kiss, as our farewell?" Wang Chong stared into Talulah's eyes, their noses almost touching once more. Talulah swallowed, momentarily at a loss for words.

"You... sigh... whatever, just consider it as being chewed by a dog." Talulah thought to herself that she had already been kissed so many times, one more or one less wouldn't make any difference, so she closed her eyes and accepted the kiss without resistance.

This time, however, she only felt the other person gently touch and kiss her lips, without going any further. Then she heard a voice enter her ears:

"Since you're so well-behaved, let me give you a heads-up. In the future, don't try to prove yourself right whenever someone says something bad about you. Like that bet we made in the snow, if I said you were scared, you had to prove to me that you weren't. Just like your adoptive father said that human nature is evil, you had to prove that human nature is definitely good."

"Are you going to cut open your stomach to prove you didn't eat their noodles if someone falsely accuses you of stealing them? You've already been burned twice already, don't fall into the same trap too many times. That would be really stupid, so stupid that people would want to bully you."

When Talulah opened her eyes again, she found that Wang Chong was already lying on the bed, with his back to her.

"Ha...you can always do whatever you want? I'm really a little envious of you...am I...so stupid?" Talulah murmured Wang Chong's words as she walked out of his tent. Wang Chong had already closed his eyes, and after everyone had left, he quietly used his clone to take over, returning to his Dimensional House to enjoy a comfortable night.

……

The next morning

"You didn't see it... how terrifying that Black Mist Beast was before, it just waved its hand and wiped out... sigh, never mind."

"Hey! You're keeping things to yourself, aren't you? Next time I cover for you, don't expect me to bring you any news!"

"No...it's him...he's here!"

"Hey, what did you say he's coming...!!!"

Near the wounded camp, two patrolling infected were discussing yesterday's battle, and happened to mention something called the "Black Mist Calamity Beast." However, one of the guards, who had witnessed the battlefield firsthand, seemed to have caught sight of something unclean, and immediately trembled, shrinking his neck as if he wanted to hide his head completely under his clothes.

The other infected person, who was about to ask something after seeing his companion's behavior, looked in his companion's direction and saw the real "Black Mist Beast" that everyone had been talking about—Wang Chong—walking in their direction.

"Can't see me, can't see me."

The infected man muttered something under his breath, but it was precisely because of the sound of his muttering that he attracted the attention of the "beast" he least wanted to see.

"Hey bro, if I remember correctly, the wounded are staying over here, right?" Wang Chong asked with a smile.

"No...no...no no no...it's! It's this way!" The infected person was so frightened that he was trembling, and even his memory began to falter.

"Is it yes or no...?"

"Yes! It's...it's over here. Please...please come in!" Clearly, these infected people were terrified by the scene they had witnessed last night. Even if they hadn't seen what Wang Chong looked like when he summoned the black mist, they were indirectly frightened by the news passed around by other infected people.

Wang Chong naturally wouldn't make things difficult for these infected people. He bypassed them and headed straight for the wounded camp.

"In just one night, I went from being called the 'Beast of Yan Kingdom' to the Black Mist Disaster Beast. Tsk, who knows how outrageous the rumors will become if this news keeps spreading. It seems I overdid it last night... Oh well, let's find Talulah first."

As Wang Chong pondered this, he headed towards the wounded soldiers' camp, hoping to try his luck and encounter Talulah.

When he arrived at his destination, he not only didn't see Talulah, but instead saw that brat who had ruined his mood the day before.

"It's...it's you! You're the one who ambushed me yesterday, preventing me from being with Sasha immediately. You bad guy! Don't even think about getting close to Sasha!" A child who looked very thin, obviously malnourished, short and frail, with a pale face, although his expression and tone showed some fear, had a hint of chaos and madness hidden deep in his eyes.

The white powder in the boy's hand had begun to condense, and it seemed that if Wang Chong made any move that would be detrimental to the two of them, the white-haired boy would instantly unleash his Originium Arts.

“Stop… Ino. He is Mr. Wang Chong, my savior… cough… you can’t be so rude.” Faust, propping himself up on the bed, immediately stopped the other man’s actions.

"Tsk, it's that white-haired brat again." Wang Chong put one hand on his hip and walked directly toward Faust and Ino-Mephistopheles.

Chapter Fifteen: Ino and Sasha

"Huh... he saved Sasha? He's a doctor?" Mephisto was taken aback when he heard this.

“Yes, it was Mr. Wang Chong who brought me back from the brink of death. And Mr. Wang Chong knocked you unconscious out of kindness, so that you could calm down,” Faust continued.

After hearing this, Mephistopheles deflated like a punctured balloon, lowered his head, and whispered, "I...I'm sorry. I...I didn't know you were the one who saved Sasha."

“The patient needs to rest and recuperate to recover quickly,” Wang Chong said simply, then looked away from Mephistopheles and sat down next to Faust, asking, “Did Talulah come by today?”

"As for Sister Talulah, she came here this morning to offer her condolences, but she needs some medical supplies. Since we've already scouted the nearby villages, there's basically nothing useful left to collect. So she and the vanguard are going to see if they can gather some supplies in a more distant village. But it looks like they won't arrive until tonight at the latest," Faust replied.

"Hmm... Talulah rushed out like that? Okay, do you know which direction she went?"

“I don’t know. Even those who do know probably went with us. The combat personnel left in the camp today are the Yeti squad led by Frostnova who was on patrol last night. The rest are basically us wounded and support staff, and those children who are younger than me and Ino,” Faust shook his head and said.

"Did Patriots and the others go out too?" Wang Chong asked.

“No, the sir and his predecessors were responsible for patrolling and guarding the area. Basically, the guerrillas were responsible for eliminating those imperial hyenas,” Faust said.

"Hmph... You really do answer every question. You casually reveal our deployment and whereabouts to someone who's only been here for a day. Aren't you afraid of any danger that might arise?" Wang Chong picked up a fruit knife from the table, casually flicked it, and threatened.

"Hey! You... what are you doing! So... as expected, you're planning to..."

“Ino, calm down. I’m sorry, Mr. Wang Chong, my friend can’t take your jokes. Please forgive him.”

However, Wang Chong's manipulation did not frighten Faust, but instead startled Mephistopheles, who was already sensitive. However, as soon as Mephistopheles stood up, Faust stopped him with his hand.

"You actually think it's just a joke? I'm curious what your basis for that judgment is? Tsk... You're just eating these fruits?" Wang Chong casually picked up some scattered fruits from the side and found that they were not fresh, with some parts rotten, so he said.

“These are all the old fruits left… these are the freshest things available. Besides… the reason I have this judgment is probably because people who are willing to lend a helping hand to children can’t be all that bad,” Faust said slowly.

"Hmph, the world of children is so simple and easy. All they need to do is distinguish between good and bad and stick to their own judgment." Wang Chong reached into his clothes and pulled out a fresh apple. He spun the apple around, and with a quick flick of his wrist, he touched it with a fruit knife. A peeled apple quickly fell into his hand.

"Here you go. Consider it payment for answering my question. Also, next time, don't let your judgment of good or bad lead you to reveal secrets. You're a scout now, not just a child anymore, understand?"

After tossing the peeled apple to Faust, Wang Chong got up and left. Once Wang Chong was out of sight, Mephistopheles finally breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed, and looked at Faust, saying, "Sasha, that man was terrifying."

“Really? I think he’s much kinder than any of the adults we’ve met before. Don’t let his fierce words fool you.” Faust said, holding up the apple in his hand.

“Such fresh fruit… Yes, although he was bluffing us, he actually saved Sasha and gave her such fresh fruit. So he’s a good person.” Mephistopheles said happily, as if he had thought about it seriously.

"That's not all." Faust then grasped the apple and easily broke it in two. However, the smooth cut didn't look like it had been forcibly broken open; rather, it looked as if it had been cut long ago.

“You see, this apple is actually for both of us. The gentleman knows our relationship very well, and he knew I would definitely share one with Ino, so he thoughtfully divided the fruit in half beforehand.” Faust’s lips began to curl into a slight smile as he gave the other half of the apple to Mephistopheles.

“That teacher once taught us… to judge a person not by what they say, but by what they do and what the results are. He saved my life, and he took good care of our bodies, giving us fresh fruit. Most importantly, he fought off the internal guards and protected everyone in the Reunion Movement. Based on these results, I can believe that he must be a great person.”

"Mmm... Such sweet fruit! Sasha... I treated that older brother like that, and he still gave me fruit. Should I... apologize?" Mephisto nodded as he listened, taking a bite of the fruit. The delicious taste filled his mouth; it was the sweetest fruit he had ever eaten.

For a moment, Mephistopheles was happy, but also felt a little guilty. He had never been given such delicious fruit before, and he had just been doubting the other party.

“If you have the chance, give it a try.” Faust nodded. He was very clear about Mephistopheles’ personality problems. So, if there was a chance to gradually restore him to normal, he would definitely try to guide Mephistopheles back on the right track. And for some reason, Faust had a premonition that the gentleman who saved him should be able to help resolve Mephistopheles’ psychological issues.

……

"Achoo... It's getting colder and colder. Can we really get south this way?" The Yeti Squad members were gathered together, resting comfortably. After a night on duty, many had simply collapsed onto their straw mats and fallen asleep. They huddled together, hoping to at least retain some warmth.

However, not everyone could fall asleep immediately. As they drifted off to sleep, the Yeti team members chatted casually, looking quite relaxed and content.

"Probably. But with so many injured this time, we'll need to rest here for a while. However, the captain said that now that the Imperial Guards are dead, this place will be exposed sooner or later. Moreover, Ursus has lost so many Imperial Guards this time that it's a fight to the death. We need to leave from the south before Ursus realizes what's happening," one member said.

“But Yang Ge, now that we have that ‘Black Mist Beast’ in charge, we shouldn’t be too afraid of the Empire’s army, right? On the contrary, shouldn’t they be the ones who are afraid of the fact that 10 guards can go missing at once?” another member asked.

"Shh—don't mention that person casually, especially you, Big Bear. Don't use names like 'Black Mist Disaster Beast' so easily. If you offend him, you'll become the culprit who brings disaster to the entire Reunion Movement," said Yang, a member of the Yeti Squad.

"Hey, I think that guy is too magnanimous to hold a grudge. Besides, he was quite polite. Everyone's only afraid of his strength, right? But look, even though he's so strong, he's not as arrogant as those hyenas and Ursus old men. And since he came back, he's been quite polite to the infected brothers. He even helped me reattach my hand," Big Bear said with a cheerful laugh.

"Tch, I wonder how terrified someone was when he took over last night. He was almost crying," a member of the Yeti team said disdainfully.

"How dare you say that to me! You cried too!" Big Bear snapped, getting a little agitated.

"Hey! All of you, be quiet! Big Sister is still resting!" Just then, an angry female voice rang out, and another member of the Yeti Squad came out of the tent next to them.

Chapter Sixteen: Healing Froststar

"Sorry, Petrova, we'll keep it down a bit." Big Bear looked embarrassed and smiled sheepishly.

"You guys are really something... You've been patrolling all night and haven't even had a proper rest. Don't forget there's another patrol tonight. Once you get through tonight, and get some rest tomorrow, it'll be our turn to take over the daytime patrols and purchasing. Conserve your energy. I'm going to stay and watch over Big Sister while she rests." Petrova, one of only two women in the Yeti Squad, sighed as she looked at her brothers' goofy expressions.

“Go ahead, let’s all keep our voices down,” Yang Ge assured them.

Seeing this, Petrova returned to her tent, and the others, having been interrupted, lost interest in continuing their conversation and began to fall asleep, leaning against each other.

It was nearing noon, yet the place was unusually quiet. However, this quiet didn't last long, as a frantic cry rang out from the tent once more: "Something's wrong! Eldest sister...something's happened to eldest sister!"

The sound startled the Yeti squad, who had been in a state of wartime readiness, from their light sleep. They all stood up and rushed towards the tent. "Who... quick! Go find the doctor, Big Sister... Big Sister's illness has flared up again," Petrova said anxiously as she emerged from the tent.

"I'll go find them!" After saying that, one of the Yeti team members turned and walked towards the wounded camp.

“But those doctors can only treat external injuries, and they probably can’t do anything about Oripathy… I’ll go find the captain. I remember he’s always the one who handles these kinds of things.” Upon seeing this, Yang immediately turned around and ran in the direction the guerrillas were patrolling that day, anxious to bring the captain back.

"You lot, hurry! Use magic to draw away the cold air. The three of you spread out the mats on the ground! I'll carry my eldest sister outside. The cold air she's generating can't be dispelled from inside the house!"

After giving her orders, Petrova returned to her tent. The other Yeti members sprang into action, lifting the curtains to ward off the chill. Petrova carried Frostnova, who was frowning deeply, out. Seeing that a straw mat had already been laid out on the snow, Petrova rushed over and placed Frostnova on it. Even after only a short contact, Petrova's entire body was covered in frost.

Petrova and several Yeti Sorcerers immediately prepared, laid out Originium, and began using Originium Arts to divert the cold wave generated by Frostnova's rampage due to her illness, so that at least the cold air generated by Frostnova would not accidentally harm them.

"Damn it, are we just supposed to watch like this?" Big Bear was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, somewhat at a loss.

Because only a few casters are needed, more would not be able to dispel more cold air. On the contrary, too many people using Originium Arts would lead to an excessively high concentration of Originium in the air, which would worsen Froststar's condition.

Big Bear looked left and right and realized that the methods they had used before had had little effect on Frostnova. Big Bear knew that yesterday, in order to fight against the two inner guards, his eldest sister had been forced to constantly push herself to release spells, which resulted in her illness, which was originally scheduled to flare up earlier, appearing to be more painful and intense than before.

"What can we do... If this continues, I'm afraid my elder sister won't make it to Yang Ge's place. As for the doctors in the camps, they're even worse; they can only treat war-related external injuries and know nothing about Oripathy... If only someone could save my elder sister... The wounded camp... That's it!" Da Xiong kept thinking of possible people in his mind. Suddenly, as if he remembered something, he immediately ran off in a certain direction.