Villain Retirement

Chapter 1179: Chapter 1179: Vania’s Reasons

"So, that’s what happened to you."

"Yes, Queen Vania. Quite interesting, wouldn’t you agree?"

"It is."

Riley had recounted everything that had happened since their last meeting—from the Planet of the Gods, to being flung 600 years into the future, the Realities Tower created by Paige, the Grand Triangle, and now, Camrose.

Throughout his story, Queen Vania listened in silence. Occasionally, she hummed or nodded, her gaze fixed on Riley, who remained lying with his head resting on the chopping block the entire time.

Even as a heavy silence settled between them, Riley didn’t move. He simply stared up at her.

"I find something even more interesting now, Queen Vania," Riley finally broke the stillness. "I have stopped time... and yet not only can you move—you are able to speak with me. I was not aware you could also manipulate time."

"I can’t," Queen Vania replied with a soft hum. "But I can move through stopped time. There’s a subtle difference."

"Interesting. I do not quite understand it, but still... interesting," Riley smiled. "And how fast can you move through frozen time, Queen Vania—oh?"

Riley blinked, and in that instant, he felt his head slowly tip off the block, rolling across the platform before coming to a stop at Queen Vania’s feet—her heel gently pressing down on it.

"Stop pretending," Queen Vania said, her lips twitching as she looked down at him. "I know you well enough to recognize when you’re being theatrical, Riley Ross."

"I am not pretending, Queen Vania," Riley’s severed head blinked, then rolled itself away from under her foot, leapt back onto the execution block, and reattached itself to his body. "I was genuinely shocked at your speed. You are able to move that fast even while time is stopped? I I do believe I can not do that."

"Try," Queen Vania stepped back as Riley stood up. "I want this to be fun—for you, at least."

"Hmm?" Riley tilted his head at the subtle shift in her tone. "Is that... hostility I detect, Queen Vania?"

"I would love to spend even a moment inside your mind, Riley Ross," she said, her green hair beginning to flicker with light. Her eyes remained closed, but her voice trembled with heat. "Yes. I am angry. Furious. I abhor you, Riley Ross."

"Hmm?" Riley’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Did I do something to offend you, Your Highness?"

"Everything about you is wrong," Vania growled, her composure cracking as her breath grew uneven. A snarl slipped through her clenched teeth, her expression twisting. "You freed them. Those abominations who dared call themselves gods—and you weren’t even there to fight them. We were. My people. My family. They died because of you."

"As much as I would like to take credit for that, Queen Vania... I can not," Riley replied, exhaling softly. "Releasing the gods and getting trapped in a time-distorted domain was an accident."

"You should have been there, Riley Ross." Lightning crackled from Queen Vania’s eyes, raw and barely contained. "You should have stayed to fix what you broke."

"If I had been there, Queen Vania—do you not think things might have turned out worse?" Riley tilted his head.

Queen Vania shook hers without hesitation.

"If you were there, the war wouldn’t have happened at all. They would’ve been afraid of you," she said, stepping forward. "And you probably would’ve killed them all... because it would’ve been fun."

"Hmm. It would."

"And my family—my people—would still be alive."

Tears spilled from Queen Vania’s eyes, only to be seared away by the lightning streaking from her glowing irises.

"So I took it upon myself," she continued. "I hunted them down—every last one. I killed them all, Riley Ross. I broke my people’s vow of peace. Because of you."

"Hmm," Riley tilted his head again. "I believe you are just looking for a reason to kill me, Your Highness. But it would be difficult to do here—this world plays by rules. Unless you can outrun both Fate and Death like Mr. Van, you would die the moment you made a wrong move. Have you seen your role yet?"

"I have."

Queen Vania raised her hand, summoning her Book of Fate.

"Hmm?" Riley tilted his head again as he saw the role chosen for the queen of the evaniels, "You are a Villain, Queen Vania—I do believe there would be a conflict of interest, as I too, have become a Villain."

"Check again."

"Oh?"

Riley snapped his fingers, and his own Book of Fate appeared in a burst of light. He watched as the letters shifted. First, he had been Camrose’s Hero. Then, a Villain.

Now?

Hero again.

"Do you know what this means, Riley Ross?" Queen Vania’s lips curled into a sharp smile. "It means I can destroy anything I want—with no consequences. But if you so much as burn down a single home? This world’s system will punish you."

"Oh?" Riley smiled back. "It seems Fate wasn’t done making her moves after all. Here I thought she was allowing me to tear this dimension apart without any resistance."

"Don’t play dumb, Riley Ross," Queen Vania snapped. A vein twitched beneath her brow. "Before you crossed into this dimension, I felt your presence scouring the cosmos. You knew I was out here."

"Well, that is true," Riley shrugged, "After all, someone moving with your speed made me nervous."

"You? Nervous?"

"Of course," Riley started stretching his limbs and cracking his neck, "You were running from one end of the growing universe to the other again and again in different directions in less than a second—it is hard to ignore that, Queen Vania. But since you seem adamant in trying to pick a fight, then—"

"Wait."

Before Riley could finish, Fate appeared—descending from above like a ghostly silhouette. She stepped between them, her presence making the very air bend.

She looked first at Queen Vania, then turned to Riley.

"Are you here to fight me too, Fate?" His smile widened.

"No," Fate replied. "I’ve intervened too much already."

And with a breath, her white hair unfurled, reaching out like tendrils across her dimension—grabbing hold of every living being instantly.

Then, she vanished.

And with her, everyone else disappeared.

"Oh?" Riley blinked, glancing around. The bustling plaza was now empty. Even the birds had vanished. "Now why would you—"

Before he could finish, the world around him changed in an instant.

He was no longer in the plaza. He was above Camrose—looking at the entire planet.

No...

Watching it crack apart.

Queen Vania’s hand was around his neck.

And then she slammed him straight through the planet’s crust—driving him down, down, through the core, and out the other side.

"Where are you—"

And again, before the words could leave his lips, his entire body was obliterated—along with the very fabric of space around him.

All from a single punch.

A punch so fast, it couldn’t be measured.

Or rather...

If it had to be measured, it would be in Van.

Queen Vania had hit him at nearly the speed of Van.