The Villain's Apocalypse - Chapter 9: Shadow I

In a world where everyone is a slave, someone is born who cannot be controlled. At the same time, an unstoppable villain rises on a quest for revenge. But the truth is darker than he ever imagined, and now he must face an unbeatable enemy — including himself.***Bruno was a young man born on Earth, the son of an influential modern Emperor. Despite having everything money could buy and receiving the best and most rigorous training to succeed his father, he chose the opposite path, defying his family’s ruthless rule.The price of his innocence? A merciless death and the complete erasure of his existence by the deity controlling his fate. On Earth, the law of the powerful was absolute; a slave could never rebel.But then, he wakes up again.He’s reborn in a world of cultivation, where freedom was promised to those strong enough to claim it. Now, he could soar like a free bird and carve his own destiny... or so he thought.The harsh reality of this new world soon showed him how insignificant he still was. He realized he had only changed masters.The freedom he sought was an illusion. The heavenly laws treated everyone as servants, and their rules were unbreakable. Bruno learned this bitter truth after losing everything that made him happy due to an unjust rule.But who was he to question?Hopeless, Bruno died... and was reborn as Alm, an unstoppable villain. With a soul poisoned by pain and vengeance, he sowed chaos across the universe. Planets were destroyed, countless lives taken, and his name became synonymous with terror.A hero rose to oppose him, wielding a sacred sword of hope. People from all corners of the universe united against Alm, raising their voices and weapons to stop the villain who defied the heavens.But Alm was no longer just fighting for revenge. He was challenging the heavenly laws that sought to control him, fighting fate and all living beings.And against all odds... the sacred sword shattered. The alliance of the entire universe was defeated.The villain won!Now, Alm found himself alone in the empty void of a dead universe, facing his own inner demons. Who could be more ruthless to him than himself?“What have I done?”At that moment, the doors of truth opened to him.Everyone was a puppet of a supreme figure, an entity that manipulated minds and even the heavenly laws.“I will find you, no matter where you are!”Thus, the last emissary of the true Heaven’s Will awakened. Alm, who once only relied on his sheer will and rage, now had a system to guide him. But his opponent was an immortal existence, above even the heavens.The villain who destroyed an entire universe now faced a new beginning. He discovered that the universe he devastated was just a tiny grain of sand in an infinite cosmos, where countless other universes existed.And so begins the legendary tale of the villain’s rise... and the Sacred Round God? A strange Duality of Shadows existed within one person.But this time, he wouldn’t be alone.***To clear up any potential confusion or frustration, here are some key points about the story. I’ll avoid major spoilers, but a few things will be revealed.You might find this concerning at first, but just check the book cover—it shows the main character and his only partner. She first appears at 10 years old, but rest assured, there’s no inappropriate content or early romance.At around 13, SHE starts developing feelings for the protagonist, but he doesn’t respond until she’s an adult. With her determined personality, she tries to seduce him at 17/18, but it doesn’t work. Their relationship only happens much later.The book has nods to other works, with my own spin on them, and focuses on avoiding elements I find problematic in other stories.Lastly, the beautiful book cover was commissioned and created by HDIArt.

I, Hyoudou Issei, am a 2nd Year High school student and my age is equal to the number of years I haven’t had a girlfriend. And, someone like me got a girlfriend! I’m sorry buddies, I will walk the path of becoming an adult before you guys! – That’s how it was supposed to be, but why did I get killed by my girlfriend!? I still haven’t done anything yet! Are there no Gods in this World!? And, the person who saved me is the most beautiful girl in my school, Rias Gremory-senpai. I learned the shocking truth from her who isn’t a God but a Devil. “You have reincarnated as a Devil! Work for me!” Lured by Senpai’s breasts and treats, my life as a reincarnated Devil began. So the “Academy×Love Comedy×Battle Fantasy” starts here with just aggressive and worldly desires!

“So, you have been lying to me all this time?”She raised her head and realized that the face of her senior brother, one who she knew so well, was unfamiliar and scary.“What are you talking about?” Her senior brother scoffed and shook his finger. “All I can say is that none of you knew who I really am.”He then turned around and walked towards the Sky Throne, a symbol of absolute power.Master Sword Aura, Sea of Flame, Star Light…The dozens of skills that were used to stop the man from approaching the Sky Throne simply bounced off him. All the skills simply vanished into thin air.“No!” Xu Yingling bit her lip and turned to look at An Zhisu and Shi Liuli.They exchanged glances. All the despair, sadness, fear, and even love, were now meaningless. The only thing that was important at the moment was to stop that man.…A cultivation novel. The main character used his cheat ability, Time Travel, to secretly live among all the powerful sects while learning their skills. He eventually managed to gain the power to approach the Sky Throne and become an immortal.However, it seemed that things weren’t going as smoothly as he had planned…”

Vainqueur Knightsbane is your average dragon: a giant, fire-breathing lizard who loves to take naps on his golden hoard, kidnap princesses for fun, and make the life of adventurers miserable. Vainqueur's only pleasure in life is to watch his treasure get bigger, one coin at a time.

So when a would-be thief turned unwilling minion tells him about "classes," "levels," and "quests," Vainqueur wonders if maybe, just maybe, he should consider a career change.

After all, why bother hunting monsters for free when you can get paid for it?