THE VILLAIN'S POV

Chapter 517: Ten Thousand Steps Into Madness (1)

Time moved fast … so fast, one wouldn’t notice until it was too late.

It had already been a month since the war began.

The Imperial camp had shrunk significantly as of late, with the main forces advancing deeper into enemy territory. One could say half the army had already moved, and it was only a matter of time before the rest followed.

Among the units selected to return to the frontlines, one stood out above the rest—Snow Lionheart’s squad.

He led his team forward, accompanied by a familiar face .. a young man who seemed lost in thought most of the time.

In war, vehicles were of little use. Their effectiveness was nearly negligible, and so most soldiers preferred to move on foot—especially considering how fast they were.

That alone made the battles feel primitive, almost archaic, compared to the era they were living in.

Every now and then, Snow would glance at the newest addition to his team .. the one assigned to shadow and observe him.

He waved a few times, right in front of the boy’s face, but the lack of reaction only confirmed his suspicions.

“Still lost in your own world, even though we’re deep in enemy land? What’s eating at you… Frey?”

Snow’s voice brought Frey Starlight back to reality.

“Ah… sorry. I was thinking about last night.”

As the two ran side by side, Frey pointed ahead.

“You mean the sudden withdrawal of the Saints?”

Frey nodded.

“Yeah. Since you’re the Church’s chosen hero, don’t you know the reason?”

“Sorry, I don’t,” Snow replied with a bitter smile, his hand gripping firmly around Vermithor’s hilt.

“I might be their chosen one—an important figure, sure—but my connection with the Church is paper-thin. I barely know a thing about them.”

You could say Snow Lionheart was part of the Church in name only.

Saint Eurasha, along with Uriel, had both withdrawn from the frontlines, returning to the Empire under the pretense of ’urgent necessity.’

With pressure from the Church, the commanders had no choice but to allow it .. especially after the followers of the Lord of Light promised to dispatch their full forces in compensation.

Frey still remembered the last words Uriel exchanged with him in front of the teleportation gate.

She didn’t say much—just apologized, told him she couldn’t go on like this anymore… that her time had run out.

For a moment, her retreat from the battlefield seemed like the right decision. It meant she would be safe—on the other side of the world.

But the look she gave him, and his inability to read her thoughts, left Frey wondering if retreat really was the right choice for her.

Uriel had been one of the main heroines .. the kind Frey had once written about.

Each of them held buried potential, immense power just waiting to be unleashed. Uriel, in particular, had a lot… yet her strength had yet to awaken.

Frey recalled the strange angel she summoned during their last battle. He couldn’t help but wonder if that was the real reason behind her sudden withdrawal alongside Eurasha.

“Is she going to pass on her title? A type of power, maybe?”

Frey thought, paying close attention to every piece of the puzzle.

According to the Engineer, Uriel was the key to dealing with the Fourth Shadow. That’s why Frey had begun using the third-person perspective on her.

If anything were to happen to her, he was ready to teleport to her side instantly.

Since her Affection Points toward him were high, he could teleport to her exact location at any given time.

“For now, I’ll monitor her quietly… It’s still too early to leave the frontlines,” Frey thought calmly, laying out his plans.

“For now, this war takes priority.”

After the withdrawal of Saint Eurasha ..an SS+ rank hero ..there was a gaping hole in Snow’s team.

Someone of comparable power had to be appointed, and the only candidate was Frey Starlight ..though the commanders were still unaware of the full extent of his current strength.

And he wasn’t the only powerhouse in the squad ..Sansa Valerion was also among them.

That alone made Snow’s squad even stronger than it was before—even without Eurasha.

They weren’t the only familiar names, either. The team also included others from the elite class.

Selena the Witch, a heroine much like Uriel.

And another individual Frey had been keeping an especially close eye on:

Dawn Polaris.

The black-haired, red-eyed swordsman with an innocent face ..who waved at Frey cheerfully the moment their eyes met.

Dawn walked beside both Frey and Snow, appearing just as he had back during their days in the temple.

’Bearer of the Last Survivor ability… an ability no human should possess.’

Whatever the truth behind that ability was, Frey was certain of one thing ..

Something… some enormous being… was behind Dawn.

But Dawn himself was unaware, and so there was no point in questioning him. Even if Frey tried to kill him, chances were he wouldn’t succeed—since that ability would save him one way or another.

To deal with a world-breaking ability, one had to possess a world-breaking power of their own.

Frey had met that condition. But he still couldn’t fully control Shadow Adaptation, which meant he wasn’t ready to face bearers of such powers—not yet.

That’s why he had no choice but to wait and observe, reacting accordingly.

Uriel. The Fourth Shadow. Dawn. The demons…

So much to worry about ..so little he could do.

“I’ll focus only on the enemy in front of me.”

The Ultras… they were the clearest obstacle..

An obstacle his blade could reach.

And those were the kinds Frey preferred.

Frey drifted back into his thoughts once more… Until a familiar voice echoed inside his mind.

’Frey… can I have a moment?’

The voice rang clearly within his head. In other words ..telepathy.

’Sansa? Since when could you use telepathy?’ Frey asked, glancing back at the shadow behind him …

The one darker than all the rest.

’I can use telepathy with someone I enter through their shadow. The ability manifested naturally once I mastered control over my power.’

’Impressive… I really look forward to seeing just how far your strength will go,’ Frey replied, genuinely praising her.

Sansa was both cursed and blessed.

Her transformation into a demon had significantly boosted her power. The demonic body allowed her to wield the power of the Seed freely—without restraint.

It was an automatic power, granted by the transformation. Not something Sansa had trained for or earned herself.

Sansa went silent for a moment, reflecting on what Frey had said.

’To be honest, Frey… I don’t think my power will grow any further. I’ve likely reached my limit.’

That was exactly what she had wanted to say.

Frey hadn’t expected her to say that—especially not now.

’I don’t know much about the demonic path, but I do know that the true power of the Shadow King goes far beyond your current level.’

The training methods for humans and demons were vastly different. While humans advanced through meditation and spiritual cultivation…

Demons grew by consuming ..devouring life itself.

The greater a demon’s hunger, the stronger it became.

That’s why Agaroth, their king, was described as the monster who devoured everything.

Sansa may be a demon now…

But whether she could truly walk that path was uncertain. Her power was borrowed—not something she built with her own hands.

And yet, the Shadow of the King was no ordinary force.

’I know the Shadow King is a power beyond imagination… but I’m not it. I’m merely a copy ..an imitation with limited potential.’