I’m the Main Villain but the Heroines Are Obsessed With Me

26 – 12. Abyssal Presence (2)

“An urgent quest has occurred!”

“Survive from the abyssal presence.”

“Success: Partial revelation of a hidden secret / Failure: Eternal death.”

The situation was becoming urgent.

With their colleagues disappearing in the blue light. And the sudden appearance of the quest.

In case of any unforeseen circumstances, where perfectly fine people were banished from the illusion, they would temporarily pause the war game and summon the survivors to the base.

“But it seems like that’s not the case now.”

However, if that were the case, all the people should be excluded. There was no reason to only leave oneself behind.

In other words, it meant that someone had sent the other people out of this space in order to kill oneself.

The culprit was obvious even without looking.

“In the era of Dura, there was a notification that the presence of the Abyss was watching. So, are the culprits demons?”

The ones who tried to kill Ariel were probably demons as well.

However, the demon targeting oneself this time seemed to be slightly different from before.

Ian looked at his own body.

Arms covered in goosebumps.

It wasn’t because of fear. It was a reaction to the magic that filled the space.

If someone could emit this level of magic, they definitely wouldn’t be ordinary.

“What on earth…?”

– There’s something strange about Ian. The atmosphere is unusual.

“I feel the same way. It seems like someone considerable is harboring a grudge against me.”

Even Neltalion felt the same sensation.

Although he may be immature, Neltalion is definitely an ancient god. His senses never lie.

Ian was confident that the enemy targeting himself was definitely not an ordinary person.

As if confirming Ian’s expectations, changes began to occur in an instant.

Kurr!

As the magic engulfed the space, the scenery in front of them started to distort.

Ahhh!

The green grass turned into raging pillars of fire. The lively earth quickly turned into dry land.

And when the space itself completely flipped, a woman could be seen walking from afar.

Using magic, dragging two corpses, the woman approached.

Ian knew who she was.

“Lilith. Nothing more than a incarnation of Asmodaeus’s subordinate….”

It was the moment to face the closest aide of Asmodaeus, one of the Seven Great Demons.

***

Ariel, who received the judgment of death and returned to reality, continued to bow deeply.

Not only did she keep her gaze fixed on the ground, but she also put a towel over her head, completely blocking the gazes of others.

“I simply couldn’t bear to see the faces of others anymore.

Ariel, with a pallid expression, continued to tremble.

‘Ah… ah…’

The objective of this war game was simple.

Although she couldn’t defeat Marcin, she wanted to prove that she was not the kind of person who would easily crumble.

Furthermore, she wanted to make it clear to the nobles gathered here that she was the one who belonged in the role of a noble.

That’s why she went to great lengths to gather exceptional squad members and organize a party, but the results were disastrous.

‘What am I going to do now… What should I do?’

All of her comrades had been killed by Ian Volkanoft.

That alone was a significant problem, but there was an even bigger issue.

Her words and immature actions were now on display for the nobles present, making her look clumsy and dimwitted, contrary to her desire to appear exceptional.

Ariel couldn’t bear it.

Blocking her vision and covering her ears with her hands was her response.

Even now, it seemed like she was hearing voices from somewhere.

– It’s because of you that we lost!

‘No…’

– If you hadn’t planned recklessly, we wouldn’t have been annihilated by Volkanoft…

‘I wanted to do well. I didn’t do it on purpose.’

– Is that what a hero is like?

‘Ah… aaah!’

It felt like the squad members following her and the nobles in this place were whispering something.

Of course, no one actually said such things to Ariel, but at least she felt that way.

In the end, Ariel completely fell apart.

Watching her daughter bow her head in misery from a distance, Letitia also let out a sigh.

“Ariel….”

Seeing her daughter lose her resolve and slump down, it felt like her heart was being torn to pieces.

Of course, Ariel had not done well. She had made overly ambitious plans and had not made proper judgments.

That was a fact.

And she knew it well, having gone to the battlefield before marrying Kylaine Volkanoft in the past.”

However…. just because of that, would it not be possible to say something to the lifeless daughter?

What Ariel needed right now was warm support, not cold criticism.

What should I do…. I wanted to hug Ariel right away. I wanted to tell her that it’s okay, that everyone makes mistakes in their lives.

I wanted to protect the fearful daughter from the gazes of others.

But it was Ian Volkov who made Ariel escape from the gazes of others.

Ah!

“What. What is it! Why me?”

“I’m not dead, am I? Why…”

Numerous survivors suddenly returned.

Due to the people who returned with a death sentence without knowing the truth, the executives of Ark began to bustle.

But the nobles did not pay attention to them.

To be exact, they couldn’t pay attention.

“What the hell is that?”

“Is it… a demon?”

Because unbelievable things were happening on the screen in front of them.

The nobles were speechless by the mysterious woman who appeared in front of Ian.

Grand Duke Vernogia opened his eyes wide in horror.

“That…. Could it be!”

He didn’t want to believe it. Why did that woman appear in the midst of the illusion?

The Grand Duke didn’t want to believe what he was seeing. Unfortunately, it was the reality.

Just by watching it on the screen, the dense magic could be felt. The benevolent face of Duke Vernogia crumpled.

He was not the only one who couldn’t understand the current situation.

Leticia, Ian’s mother, was trembling.

“Grand Duke… What is that?”

“Release….”

“What? What did you say?”

“If I’m sure of what I’m seeing, then that is definitely a demon named Release. A high-ranking demon.”

A high-ranking demon. When those words came from the Duke’s mouth, Letitia was surprised.

She knew how terrifying demons were.

The mana emanating from their bodies made even breathing difficult. The overwhelming difference in power rendered their abilities useless. In such a situation, the appearance in front of Ian, someone he had always treated as invisible, couldn’t be taken lightly.

“This high-ranking demon… why?”

“I can’t answer that. But one thing is certain, Lillith is a manifestation of Asmodeus.”

“Ah, Asmodeus…”

“Ian might not be able to handle him. He might even die.”

“Die…”

Of course, Ian was a skilled fighter, but there was an insurmountable barrier.

The Duke of Vernoquia had countless memories of standing on the battlefield and fighting with those called high-ranking demons.

Therefore, he was convinced that Ian would not win if he fought Lillith.

“The mana of the high-ranking demons… even I can barely withstand it. Just approaching them would burn your flesh. If I could attack from a distance using a weapon, that would be one thing, but Ian would be exposed to the mana as he gets closer. Ian’s defeat was inevitable.”

In such a situation, he couldn’t just stand by and watch. So Vernoquia approached the officer in charge of managing the war games, but the response frustrated him.

“You can’t intrude into the fantasy realm. Because the mana barrier is interfering.”

“So, are you just sitting idle because you can’t do it? Isn’t breaking the barrier your job in any way?”

“I will try my best!”

“This is not the time to try your best. If we don’t get in right now, do you really not understand that the kid will die?”

Even if it’s called a fantasy realm, it’s not without consequences in reality. Even if the body is fine, the mind could break down, and Ian could become a vegetable.

Moreover, isn’t Lillith a demon? If she were to receive her attacks as if they were her own fantasies, Ian’s mind would not remain unharmed.

The Duke did his best to persuade the officers.

Unfortunately, Lilyss was already approaching Ian.

Swish!

Lilyss’s magic began to coil around Ian. In the end, Veronogia closed his eyes tightly.

“Haah.”

Ian couldn’t bear to watch himself burn in her magic.

It was at that moment, as he thought.

Kwaaang!

A deafening noise echoed through the great hall on the screen.

Duke Veronogia slowly opened his eyes.

“W-What!”

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing as he widened his eyes.

***

Lilyss never started an attack without warning.

Thump!

After laying the bodies of two corpses on the ground, she floated in the air and gazed down at Ian.

“To not be surprised at seeing me in the presence of a lowly mortal. I like that about you. It makes sparing your life worthwhile.”

“Did you plan all this?”

“You catch on quickly… Enough to make sparing you almost regrettable.”

Lilyss smiled with satisfaction, drawing a circle in the air.

“Originally, I should have taken that insignificant life immediately… But even so, let’s show a little mercy.”

“…”

“Speak. What are you scheming in your idleness?”

Ian didn’t bother responding to Lilyss’s words. Nonchalantly nodding as if it didn’t matter, she asked him once again.

“My patience is not boundless, so it would be best to open your mouth soon. Ah, if you’re worried that others might hear this conversation, you need not concern yourself. The Twilight Veil will conceal our conversation.”

She urged him to speak, but Ian couldn’t comply.

He couldn’t.

“What am I supposed to say when I don’t know anything?”

What did he say to the lazy Demon Lord? Shouldn’t Ian himself want to know the truth?

In a situation where he knew nothing, there was nothing he could say.

Furthermore, even if he did know, there was no reason to tell her the truth.

“If you do as the devil commands, then you’re a madman.”

Even Lilith wasn’t just a devil. She was a high-ranking demon, practically an incarnation of the great devil.

There would be no fool who would reveal their hidden secrets to such a woman.

There was no worth in having a conversation from the beginning. Negotiating with a terrorist was forbidden.

That was the reason.

“If you’re so curious, then find out for yourself.”

The reason Ian spat out harsh words in front of Lilith.

Her expression began to sour as she listened to his words.

She wasn’t a patient demon who could tolerate disrespectful words from mortals.

“Huh… a mortal like you. Blabbering without even knowing the subject.”

In the end, Lilith decided to end the conversation.

Frowning, she reached out her hand towards the corpses beside her.

Snap! Snap!

The corpse next to Lilith began to bend strangely. The corpses that were distorting abnormally started to gather together.

The blood pools slowly took shape, eventually forming a giant scythe.

Lilith, holding the ominous scythe lightly, looked at Ian with a seductive smile.

“If you had confessed earlier, I would have let you close your eyes without pain. Yet, you choose to endure your own suffering.”

There was only one thing she could do for a petty mortal who knew nothing about the subject.

“Burn in the magic fire. And realize. Your own foolishness.”

With those words, Lilith snapped her fingers.

Whoosh!

The wildly raging flames began to engulf Ian’s body, wrapping around him.

“Kuh…!”

The flames of the raging magic began to wrap around Ian’s body. As Lilith watched Ian burning in flames, she approached him slowly with the scythe in hand.

“A pathetic human like you.”

To defy her words. Lilith felt that the human in front of her was truly stupid.

Of course, she didn’t know what he believed in and acted upon.

He might really have known nothing. He might have believed that Belphagor would come to his rescue in a crisis.

However, he had been given a chance, yet he still didn’t reveal the truth.

‘He was told to find out if he was so curious….’

Upon further reflection, it was utterly perplexing.

Now it didn’t matter. All that was needed was to reveal how heavy the price for mocking a light-hearted comment could be.

Slowly succumbing to the flames of hell that even consumed the soul… No matter how tightly closed one’s mouth was, it would open on its own.

Thinking this, Lillis approached Ian slowly and, finally, when she stood before him, she asked once more.

“Do you now feel like speaking, mortal?”

“Yeah… I do.”

“In that case, speak.”

As she met Ian’s gaze and raised her face to his eye level, Ian opened his mouth.

“Bite down hard on this. Unless you prefer a life of just drinking water.”

“You rascal!”

Lillis attempted to swing her scythe at him without hesitation…

Kwaaang!

“Ku, Kuheok!”

Regrettably, Ian was quicker.

His uppercut landed squarely on her chin.

Floating through the air, Lily finally realized one thing.

“… How can he endure it so effortlessly, even within the flames of magic that consume even the souls of the deceased?”