The Villain Rising: Ascension of Arcane Trickster. - Chapter 17: Princess, Pawn, and the Jester.

[WSA 2025 ENTRY]“What is this for??”Draven, a Pentagon champion, searches for a real challenge that will test his true strength. However, all his opponents bore him.Then, without warning, he's thrown into a magical world. Here, everything your power, status, and even your worth depends on the color of your Status System I.D.His given goal? Protect the Verdant and lift the curse using his skill, the Veilbreaker.Sounds easy for the likes of him?Think again.Verdants are cursed worse than commoners who have not even the slightest ability!He will bleed every time he lifts a curse!And he has to face beasts, monsters, high-breed animals, higher I.D.s and even gods![You unsealed Naisha skill: Stealth][You obtain Stealth skill.]Challenge accepted!

Seven days remained until the countdown to genetic mutation.Seven days later, all creatures on Earth would undergo mutations. Giant mutated creatures would swarm and attack humanity, putting their fate in jeopardy. The entire Earth would be ruled by these mutated beings!Yang Xiao accidentally walked into a genetic store where various gene potions were sold, capable of altering human body functions.From that moment on, he embarked on a crazy journey of genetic evolution.

The world of an NPC born inside an online game was destroyed. Reborn in the real world, he gains a second chance. However, the monsters followed and destroyed he died again. Julian believed everything was over, only to have regressed to the day the game launched. Julian returned to Avalon not as an NPC, but a Player.Avalon's Fall was a VR Online Game created by the goddess.A game to help humans fight back against the six devils. She granted the Players a chance to evolve and enhance themselves in the real world. Because of his fragmented memories, Julian discarded his past. He then focuses on survival and happiness instead of saving the world. There were only two months before the first devil started his attack on the world.Thanks to the perk of his SSS-Rank Class Shadow Mancer and saving his ex-girlfriend, a powerful Sword Master, Julian changes the future. He took a different path, allowing him to surpass anything he ever imagined.Given the power to summon an army of undead in the form of shadow warriors. He overcomes the demons of his past. Supported by his party, they struggle to survive in the collapsing world, desperate to survive.The Devils eventually discovered his true potential and focused their gaze upon Julian. A title given to one existence, he who would rule over all darkness. The Heir of Shadows. The 13th Divine.Erebus.

Zion, a solo adventurer, recklessly entered a dungeon beyond his ability.Alas, that was the last thing he did. Wandering inside a dungeon for hundreds of years, as an undead, he kept advancing into the dungeon. Slaying monsters left and right until his undead body underwent ‘evolution’ many times over――――By the time he regained his ego, he had already become the strongest undead: 【No Life King】.Humankind, who was made aware of the appearance of a new world-class disaster monster, felt dread as they fell into the abyss of despair. 「The world is… done for.」…Or so they think.「It’s okay, do I look like an evil undead to you?（Smile~）」「「「HIIIIIIIIIIIII?!」」」「…SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!」This was the tale of the humans who trembled in fear [out of their own convenience] and him, an undead, who actually had no intention to destroy the world.