I Am The Game's Villain



"Ugh..." I grimaced, clutching my throbbing head and using my hands to steady myself as I pushed myself up from the ground. My vision was hazy at first, but gradually it cleared up.

"Hey, are you alright?" I flinched when I felt someone's touch on my shoulders, but then I relaxed as I recognized it was Elona.

"You really scared me, Elona," I complained, shaking my head.

"Brother, what just happened?" Elona asked, concern evident in her eyes as she surveyed the others who were also getting back on their feet.

"Carla, Milleia, are you guys okay?" Jayden inquired, offering a helping hand to both Carla and Milleia.

"Just a bit exhausted..." Carla replied, her voice tired.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what happened all of a sudden," Milleia chimed in, looking bewildered.

Kleah, who had already regained her composure, surveyed our surroundings with a discerning gaze. "What is this place?" she wondered aloud.

"The air feels so pure..." Miranda commented, running her hand along the smooth walls of the corridor we found ourselves in.

The walls were impeccably smooth, devoid of any scratches or irregularities. They had a dark brown hue with reddish lines intertwining, creating a mesmerizing pattern that extended along the entire corridor. It was as if veins were pulsating through the walls, urging us to follow their path as the corridor stretched endlessly ahead.

Glancing behind me, I realized there was no alternative route. The same type of wall encased us, leaving us with no option but to move forward.

Miranda's observation was right; the air in this place was remarkably pure. It reminded me somewhat of the location where we discovered the Golden Grasses, but there was an undeniable difference in the atmosphere here.

"How did we end up here?" Carla muttered, voicing the confusion that lingered in all our minds.

Huh?

'Jarvis?'

I reached out mentally to Jarvis but received no response. Panic began to rise within me. Why couldn't I communicate with him? It was rare for Jarvis to be unreachable, except in places like the Goddesses' dimension. Why was it happening here?

'Cleenah?'

I tried reaching out to Cleenah as well, but once again, there was no reply.

("Only despair will await you.")

My heart sank remembering Brandon's warning. I couldn't shake off this sense of unease.

"We need to get out of here quickly," I declared, taking the lead and forging ahead.

"Sir Nyrel?" Milleia tilted her head, clearly puzzled by my urgency.

"He's right, Milleia. We should find an exit," Jayden agreed, following me with determination. The others joined us, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

As we walked further down the corridor, the reddish lines on the walls seemed to pulsate faintly, creating an eerie atmosphere. The air grew colder, and a sense of unease settled upon us.

"Look, something is written on the walls..." Jayden pointed towards a section of the wall where intricate symbols adorned its surface, forming an unknown language.

The script bore a resemblance to the language engraved on my pendant and the ones I encountered when I acquired Trinity Nihil. However, these symbols appeared more intricate and complex, surpassing my ability to decipher or comprehend them.

"I-I can read them!" Milleia suddenly exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise. "I-I don't know how, but I think I can..."

"The same goes for me..." Jayden muttered, his eyes widening in astonishment as he stared at the wall.

It made sense. Both Milleia and Jayden shared an exceptionally close connection to Eden, so it wouldn't be surprising if they possessed the ability to comprehend ancient languages or the language of the Gods.

"Can you read them? Are there any clues about an exit?" Kleah inquired eagerly, her gaze fixed on Milleia and Jayden.

"Y-Yes, I'll try..." Milleia stepped forward and reached out to touch the inscriptions. "It speaks of individuals locked in a relentless struggle..."

"What's the context?" Miranda asked, her curiosity piqued.

Milleia's expression grew solemn as she continued to study the intricate symbols. "They...they seem to be competing for some kind of victory."

"What are they trying to win?" I interjected, moving closer to Milleia.

"Sir Nyrel...I don't know...it's difficult to discern..." Milleia replied, a tinge of disappointment evident in her voice.

"That's alright, but do you have any sense of when these writings were created?" I inquired.

"They date back to a distant past..." Jayden responded, his hand gently caressing the wall. "Even preceding the First Great Holy War..."

"I've heard that the Enigma Dungeon was created by Eden to aid us," Carla chimed in. "If that's the case, these inscriptions must have originated during the formation of our kingdom, long ago. No. Maybe even long before that…"

To be honest, I had no prior knowledge regarding the creation of the Enigma Dungeon in the Games or any details about its origins and I have never seen such a floor in the Game either.

As we ventured deeper into the long corridor, Milleia and Jayden remained engrossed in deciphering the ancient inscriptions. Their faces displayed a range of emotions, but we respected their need for silence and allowed them to concentrate.

"Um...I'm not entirely certain about what I've read..." Milleia spoke hesitantly, turning towards us and exchanging a brief glance with Jayden.

"Yes, I'll do my best to explain," Jayden replied, taking a deep breath. "The inscriptions depict a group of individuals who courageously faced various challenges together or individually. It appears they were referring to the Enigma Dungeon. These people entered the dungeon not for material wealth or fame, but rather driven by an intense obsession. These two characters here are of particular significance." Jayden pointed to two symbols on the wall.

One symbol resembled the infinity symbol (∞), while the other was a variation with a vertical line intersecting the middle of the figure-eight.

"This one represents 'God,'" Milleia pointed to the infinity symbol. "And...this one..."

"DemiGod," I interjected, recognizing the divided variation of the symbol.

"Yes," Milleia affirmed. "It seems that the Demigods aspired to reach Eden, but in order to do so, they needed to attain Godhood, at least in terms of honor. The Enigma Dungeon was created by the Gods themselves to reward the worthy Demigods with..."

"Godhood," Jayden concluded. "Those who successfully completed the Enigma Dungeon and reached its final floor were bestowed with the status of God."

"Wait! So if someone reaches the 101st floor of this Dungeon, they become a God?" Carla interjected, her expression one of disbelief.

Jayden shook his head. "I can't fully comprehend the intricacies, but in the era when these inscriptions were written, the Enigma Dungeon was considerably more formidable and demanding. Furthermore, it appears that the Gods have long since abandoned the Enigma Dungeons, thousands of years ago."

"Yes...the Enigma Dungeon has the ability to adapt itself based on the strength of the new Delvers," Milleia added.

"So we are significantly weaker compared to our ancestors, huh?" I mused, nodding in acknowledgment.

It wasn't particularly surprising, considering the passage of time and the inevitable changes that occur over centuries.

"This is..." Milleia continued to read the inscriptions, her voice filled with awe and fascination. "The Demigods who were granted Godhood as a reward were forbidden from approaching Eden, the Supreme Deity. That's why Lumen, Nihil, and Nox, blessed by Raphiel, decided to create replicas of the Three Holy Treasures of Eden, which served as a connection to the True Ones in Eden's Realm." As Milleia spoke, her demeanor changed. Her expression turned neutral, her voice became robotic, and her pink eyes began to glow with an intensified radiance. Pinkish-gold marks appeared on her neck and arms, adding an otherworldly aura to her presence.

"Milleia-"

I swiftly intervened, placing a firm grip on Jayden's arm to halt him from interrupting Milleia. "Just listen."

"The safety of Eden was of utmost importance, and 'I' would never have allowed any Demigods who possessed ill-intentions towards Eden to come near. However, there were those who found this unacceptable and unforgivable. They chose to abandon everything, forsaking Eden's teachings. They joined forces with the perpetual adversaries of Eden and became the Evil Gods—eh?" Milleia suddenly halted, her voice trailing off as she reached the end of the corridor.

Silence enveloped us as we absorbed the weight of those words. The revelation about the creation of the replicas, the existence of the Evil Gods, and the conflicted history of Demigods striving for Godhood left us speechless. 

The unsettling atmosphere grew thicker as we processed the significance of Cleenah's earlier words. The absence of a garden, a tree, or the monolith in her previous experience hinted at a stark contrast to our current reality. The Demigods had regarded Eden as a model, unlike us who now worshipped him fervently.

Concerned by Milleia's sudden dizziness, Jayden approached her with worry etched on his face. "Are you okay, Milleia?"

"I feel a little dizzy..." Milleia murmured, clutching her head.

Could it be Raphiel's influence manifesting through her? Perhaps she was communicating messages from the past, or it could be an automatic recording triggered by specific circumstances. The exact nature of it eluded me.

"We have no choice but to press on," Kleah asserted, gesturing towards the entrance enveloped in a reddish smoke that billowed outwards.

We nodded in unison and stepped forward, braving the unpleasant odor that permeated the air. Elona voiced her displeasure at the stench, and I agreed, furrowing my brows in distaste. The scent of blood and decaying bodies hung heavy in the atmosphere.

But our discomfort was soon overshadowed by a horrifying sight that unfolded before us. Miranda and I halted in our tracks, mirroring the stunned expressions on the faces of our companions. The circular, expansive hall was littered with the lifeless corpses of Mana Beasts, their green and red blood staining the floor. Carla, unable to bear the gruesome scene any longer, summoned her wind magic and cleared a path, revealing the pristine white cobblestones tinged with the remnants of red.

At the far end of the circular hall, seven empty thrones sat in a dilapidated state, yet their crimson radiance remained intact, casting an eerie glow. Jayden's gaze fixated on a giant red circle drawn beneath our feet, prompting him to mutter a name: Zeus.

Confusion filled the air as Jayden's face drained of color, and he turned towards us with an urgent plea. "Guys! We have to leave—"

In an instant, everything froze. A paralyzing spell rendered us motionless, trapping us within its grasp. Panic rippled through the group as we attempted to move fruitlessly. The sensation was unsettling, and a sense of foreboding coursed through my veins.

"I can't move!" Kleah exclaimed, her voice laced with frustration.

"Nor can I... Could this be a spell?" Miranda questioned, her attempts at mobility proving futile.

My heart pounded in my chest, and a chilling realization dawned upon me. We were trapped, ensnared by an unknown force. Every fiber of my being screamed for escape from this perilous situation.

"Welcome players, welcome to the last floor." A chilling silence enveloped the hall as a disembodied voice echoed through the space. 

Every pair of eyes instinctively turned toward one of the seven thrones before us. Seated upon it was a solitary figure, their hand resting casually on the armrest, the other propping up their cheek.

An icy shudder ran down my spine upon beholding the dark silhouette before us. 

Move.

Move!

"Who are you?" Kleah's voice pierced through the tension, her gaze filled with defiance.

A twisted smile began to creep across the mysterious figure's face in response to Kleah's question. "How disappointing that you can't recognize me, Kleah. I was hoping to witness the desperation and fury on your face once more, just as I did when I took your sister's life."

Kleah's complexion turned ashen at his words, her disbelief and anguish etched upon her features. "No! You're lying!"

"Don't listen to him, Kleah!" Miranda interjected forcefully, her eyes fixed upon the man with a chilling tone and gaze. "Don't believe his words."

"Ahahahahaha!" The man erupted into laughter upon Miranda's defiant declaration. "Ahahahaha! You haven't changed, Miranda!"

Blood drained from my face, and a sickening feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

"The same face, the same look of disgust!" The man licked his lips, tapping his finger rhythmically on the armrest. His laughter subsided, and he slowly lowered his hood, revealing his identity. "It's truly a delightful sensation to see all of you once again."

As the hood fell, the young man's heterochromatic eyes, one black and the other amber, narrowed with a terrifying mix of ecstasy and malice. His gaze pierced through us, "I'll make sure to give you all a taste of hell once more."

"..."

My disrupted breath hung heavy in the air as my eyes reflected my own face.