I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain-Chapter 715

With a brief chuckle, Yog’s whisper followed.

—That thing’s eye reflects the void. Not just the main body, but its other half might be peering over here through it as well.

As Ian raised his head, his gaze drifted upward.

—Which means, the reverse might be possible too. Perhaps even more than that. Of course, with my help and your consent.

The avatar convulsed, its head and upper body thrown back as it coughed up billowing sacred fire of judgment.

Rumble—

Azure sacred fire spread across its face and neck, crawling over the pair of small, writhing wings as well.

Embers rained down around Ian, but he did not look away. His eyes were fixed on the eye of chaos perched atop the crown of thorns beyond the creature’s tilted head. The eye boiled violently, darting in frantic motions as though it had lost all focus.

—If you’re going to accept my proposal, hurry, my friend. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The pupils, layered in multiple concentric rings, trembled precariously and scattered waves of chaos like a silent scream.

—Before the connection to the void is completely severed.

Before the whisper even finished, Ian broke into a sprint. He kicked off the avatar’s chest, now a sea of fire, and surged forward. He was certain Yog wanted to spite Dharmaraja just as much as he did. In that respect, at least, the treacherous snake could be trusted.

Rumble—

The blazing sacred fire of judgment swept past him. Yog clicked its tongue softly at the searing heat.

Whoosh—

Ian leaped again, kicking off the burning nape of the avatar’s neck. Beneath his feet, tracing a wide arc, the maw that now spewed flames instead of screams flashed past.

Even in that fleeting instant, Ian glimpsed the ominously boiling mark of the void beyond the gaping mouth. The indecipherable violet patterns were slowly dissolving.

His head snapped to the side.

A warning from his Intuition screamed through his mind. A violet trajectory was already hurtling toward him—a root-tentacle transformed into a thorny vine.

Whoosh!

Before Ian could react, a dark red flash erupted from below. The incoming tentacle twisted and collapsed instantly. Ian’s gaze dropped.

She is still doing her job.

The corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily. As the crescent-shaped divinity that had severed the tentacle faded, he caught sight of a dark red trail racing across the battlefield, dragging a long tail behind it like a meteor.

Clash! Crunch—

Mev was circling the avatar, carving through tentacles and flinging crescent-shaped sword strikes without pause.

—She’s just like Lucy. Lucy’s blood relative is quite useful. I’d like to give her the chance to be my friend. Won't you ask for me?

As Yog chuckled, Ian turned his attention forward again. The top of the avatar’s tilted head loomed close, along with the massive eye of chaos drifting wildly above the crown of thorns.

—Let’s go inside.

The leisurely whisper echoed through his mind. The eye of chaos, which had been spasmodically scanning its surroundings, snapped toward the approaching Ian.

Ssssssssh—

A violet wave burst outward, piercing through the partially melted pupils. Pain and visions intense enough to make every hair on his body stand on end followed in an instant.

Thump! Thump!

It did not shatter Ian’s mind, nor did it halt his movement. Instead, as the resonance of the essence bead grew clearer, the overwhelming visions were forced back.

Judging by how it's struggling, I must be on the right track.

A faint smirk tugged at Ian’s lips. Even as the assault continued, he thrust his left arm forward, manifesting the Platinum Barrier.

—All you need to do is allow me to interfere with your chaos, my friend. Trust me.

While Karha’s divinity blazed more fiercely as if sensing his resolve, Yog lowered its voice. Instead of answering, Ian tightly clenched his left fist.

Squelch!

The next moment, the shield blade of the Platinum Barrier drove deep into the center of the pupils of the chaos-laden eye. The eye was not solid; it felt like a viscous, jelly-like mass.

Grind, squelch...

Following the shield blade came his fist, then his arm, and finally Ian’s entire body was dragged deep into the violet eyeball.

Thump! Thump!

A revolting stickiness coated him as the resonance of his essence bead sharpened abruptly. The world flipped, and a strange weightlessness followed, as though he were being hurled somewhere at blinding speed.

—You know what to do. Don’t lose consciousness.

Yog’s whisper rang out with startling clarity, closer than it had ever been.

Ian felt something latch onto his awareness, like an enormous, thick serpent coiling tightly around his mind. Yet there was no visible form to match the sensation.

Thump... Thump...

Instead, in sync with the pulsing resonance of his essence bead, a quest window flickered into view. The text was badly corrupted.

A mod?

The moment Ian felt a surge of surprise, the letters returned to a readable form.

[The Advisor's Retribution]

The reward was experience points and a question mark. Immediately after Ian closed the window, the space beyond the dim violet darkness brightened. An ocean of countless ominously shining stars filled his vision at an incredible speed.

Ssssssssh—

The sight was no longer new—it was the void.

What surprised him more was the fact that Yog seemed to guide him this time. The thing gripping his consciousness was streaking through a corner of the void like a ray of light.

—Hmm.

Yog let out a low murmur. The reason was obvious.

Whoosh—

An unimaginably vast presence loomed deep within the violet expanse. The instant Ian felt that cosmic gaze fall upon him, his mind reeled.

Terror and agony surged through his consciousness, accompanied by grotesque visions beyond anything he had ever imagined.

—Share your chaos with me, my friend.

Yog’s voice sounded distant, as though muffled by water, even as its grip tightened around Ian’s awareness.

—Wake up! That thing isn't our target, is it?

Only then did Ian manage to cling to himself. He forced his focus onto the fading pulse of his essence bead, enduring pain that felt as though his very soul were being ground to dust.

Thump... Thump...

The resonance of the essence bead surged, as clear as if its volume had been cranked to its limit. At the same time, the sensation of Yog coiled around his consciousness became unmistakable.

—Good job, friend... yes... don’t be captivated by something so trivial.

With a soft chuckle, Yog spoke as the pain and visions receded into the distance. Ian’s blurred vision steadied, and he released a silent breath.

Shit...

He could still sense the ancient god they were passing beneath under Yog’s guidance, but only instinctive fear remained. The soul-crushing agony did not return.

Whoosh—

It wasn't hard to guess the entity's identity. This was Eternal Agony—the ancient god Dharmaraja served, the being that had cast a fragment of itself down into the world through Akihatara’s sacrifice. It seemed closer to a concept than a creature.

Is that its true form? Or am I just seeing it in a form I can perceive? Maybe I...

Surprisingly, Ian could perceive the thing’s immense form, if only faintly. It was like the shadow of a planet, its surface covered in grotesque, ever-writhing rings. It even seemed studded with countless eyes, like those of a fish, rippling and quivering across it.

—It seems to have taken an interest in us. Perhaps, my friend, it wants you...

Yog suddenly whispered.

Ian snapped back to himself as the creature let out a low chuckle.

—So, it's best to give it only a moderate amount of attention. If you become that thing's slave, I will become one too. I have no desire to serve a mere thing like that.

It was sound advice. Ian deliberately pushed the ancient god from his awareness as it drifted slowly away. Instead, he turned his focus elsewhere.

Ssssssssh—

Yog pushed onward, slipping through a corner of the void.

—Yes, we're almost there. Its scent is growing thick.

It did not take long for Ian to realize what Yog was doing. It was deliberately searching for something.

Ian tried to take in his surroundings, one detail at a time. Beyond him lay countless ominous stars, and a vast expanse of darkness torn into all manner of twisted shapes.

Ssssssssh—

It did not take long for him to spot it. In one corner, there was a stretch of darkness that looked as though space itself had been torn to shreds. At its very center floated a familiar pupil, as if multiple violet rings had been layered atop one another.

—Yes... that’s the one we were looking for.

Yog’s whisper followed. It wriggled as it spoke, chuckling softly as it teased at Ian’s consciousness.

Dharmaraja...

Ian smiled inwardly as well. Just as Yog had suspected, it was peering at them through the void.

—As expected. It likely never imagined we’d reverse course and come after it. Naturally so...

Sounding thoroughly amused, Yog continued to writhe as it whispered. It must have noticed that Dharmaraja’s gaze was fixed on some far-off stretch of space.

—Normally, no one could hold as much chaos as you, my friend. Nor would they have an outstanding fragment like me at their side.

Yog cackled, its laughter sharp and wicked. For once, the sound left Ian feeling satisfied as well.

Then Dharmaraja’s gaze snapped toward him.

A violet disturbance rippled through the concentric pupils, a delayed reaction as though it had only just sensed Ian’s consciousness approaching at tremendous speed.

—Then shall we carve a memory into that fellow... one it will never forget for the rest of its life, my friend?

Yog whispered, continuing forward without stopping.

Ian didn't hesitate for a second. He answered in silent assent and focused his consciousness on the resonance of his essence bead.

Thump... Thump...

As his consciousness trembled, he felt Yog writhing as it accepted the chaos. Almost immediately after, a shadowy, indistinct darkness began to wash over Ian’s vision.

—Good... yes... You just stay back and enjoy the show.

Yog’s whisper grew even more ominous.

At that moment, Dharmaraja’s eye, which had been watching while scattering violet waves, wavered erratically. The shredded darkness around it started to fade, little by little.

—Trying to cut off the ritual only now? How foolish!

Yog’s mockery grew louder. Ian felt the creature’s coils loosen slightly around his consciousness.

Ssssssh—

In contrast, the hazy darkness covering his sight became sharper and more defined. The next instant, Ian perceived the shape of a massive serpent formed entirely of shadow, lifting its head.

—You’re even disappointing your god... You foolish half-breed....

A hissing laugh reverberated through Ian’s consciousness.

Even now, the darkness surrounding Dharmaraja’s eye was shrinking bit by bit, but Yog’s slick, surging advance was far faster.

—You will regret your decision for the rest of your life...

Through the shifting shadows, Ian saw the ringed pupil shaking violently from side to side. It was an unmistakably human reaction. Considering Dharmaraja had once been human, it made sense.

The shadow-draped head of Yog split its maw wide open in the next instant. Sharp, unmistakable fangs of shadow flickered within.

—You won’t feel pain anymore. You won’t feel anything at all.

With that final whisper, Yog shot forward like an arrow, plunging straight into the center of Dharmaraja’s eye.

Crack!

Ian’s consciousness jolted as the shadow drove deep into the pupil. Beyond the surging darkness, ominous violet light spread like spilled ink.

The interior of the void was instantly stained violet.

In the next instant, Dharmaraja’s eye convulsed violently. The entire pupil flared, glowing as though it were overheating all at once.

Snap— crackle—

Fractures raced across the writhing pupil, now swollen with light. The spasms cut off abruptly as Yog coiled tightly around Ian’s consciousness once more.

Boom, boom, boom!

Dharmaraja’s eye shattered and exploded in a blinding flash. The force hurled Ian’s consciousness away from the blast.

—My venom might have been stronger than I expected.

Yog’s whisper followed, careless and amused, its snickering laughter echoing in the aftermath.