I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

Chapter 366

A wave of desolation overwhelmed him as countless thoughts surged chaotically through his mind. But in the next instant, Ian’s awareness snapped back to reality.

A wriggling sensation near his side jolted him back. He finally noticed the figure of a girl collapsed beside him, her face buried against his body. Without needing to look closer, he knew—it was Lucia.

The realization came late, lost amid the shock, the searing pain coursing through his body, and the strain of his armor stretched awkwardly. He hadn’t landed here alone.

"Ugh... ngh...." The muffled groan reached his ears, and Ian shot upright as if propelled.

Ignoring the dizzying pain coursing through his body, he gripped Lucia’s cloak with both hands and pulled her upright with him.

Puff...

Faint yet ominous, black smoke wafted out like powder from the tattered edges of her cloak, which had miraculously stayed on despite its battered state.

It carried the same eerie foreboding he had felt beyond the Black Wall.

No way.

Her lips moved faintly. "Ian... Sir Ian?" Her voice, trembling as if in a whisper, revealed she could still sense his touch, even in this state.

Watching the black smoke trickling from her lips, Ian responded immediately. "Yes, it’s me, Lucy."

"What... what is happening?"

"Don’t force yourself to speak. For now, it seems like you—"

"Urk—!"

Seems like you’re contaminated with chaos

Before Ian could finish, Lucia’s eyes snapped open, revealing her completely blackened eyes, devoid of any white. Her cheeks puffed out as if she were holding something back, and with a panicked motion, she shook off Ian’s hand and turned her body away.

"Blarg—" She collapsed onto her hands, her head hanging low.

What Lucia vomited was a lump of pitch-black, clotted blood. Like the smoke emanating from her body, a dark mist rose.

"Cough, cough... ugh..."

Yet, Ian’s gaze, fixed on her, grew steadily calmer.

This looks just like what happened to my character in the game.

He realized her body was rejecting the chaos and madness. Though it was clearly painful, it was a far better outcome than allowing it to remain inside her. Even with the help of Ian’s chaos, the process would have been painful, regardless.

"Don’t hold it in. Let it all out," Ian whispered, gently patting her back.

Lucia, of course, couldn’t reply, too consumed by the effort of expelling the impurities. It was clear she would need more time to get rid of them fully.

I suppose I should be thankful we didn’t get separated.

Either way, the situation was a sharp wake-up call for Ian. They had reached Chapter Four, the point in the game where progress became impossible. Not only was it far earlier than planned, Ian had arrived with Lucia.

Memories from the game and those from reality—after it had all turned real—swirled together in his mind. The many plans he had intended to execute after surviving the erosion now felt like distant dreams, crumbling into nothing.

There isn’t a time for this.

Even amidst the chaos of his thoughts, Ian’s Mental Fortitude held firm. Forcing himself to stop thinking, he shook off his swirling emotions and turned his attention to the present. The priority was to assess the situation and respond accordingly.

A shadowy landscape unfolded before him. It was a murky twilight, somewhere between night and dawn, though the light was enough for Ian to make out his surroundings.

A valley?

The place where Ian and Lucia had crash-landed appeared to be the center of a valley, likely formed by the collapse of a rocky mountain. Slopes of dark soil and jagged stones stretched to the left and right, culminating in towering cliffs at either end.

Surviving such a fall was a miracle in itself. A faint memory from his dream surfaced in his mind—it must have been this that had saved him.

A pale darkness shrouded the base of the valley ridge, making it impossible to see below. In any case, the scenery was entirely different from the first landscapes Ian had seen in the game. It didn’t even resemble the North. Surely, they couldn’t have flown far enough to leave the northern region entirely.

Is this some kind of spatial distortion?

Given that they were in a demonic realm, it wasn’t entirely implausible. The lingering sense of unease and warped perception added to the strangeness of the place.

Still, Ian’s Intuition didn’t send him any warnings. The subtle discomfort he felt seemed to stem from the ominous nature of the environment itself rather than an immediate threat.

That’s a relief.

With that thought, Ian turned to look behind him. He could discern the direction they had come from. Beyond the distant mountain peaks lay an area shrouded in a different darkness—a dense, shadowy mist that rippled ominously. It looked like an expanse engulfed in thick shadows.

And at least that part was exactly the same as in the game. The distant background was veiled in a similar shadowy mist after crossing the wall back then. When the player stepped into it, a warning message appeared, advising them not to proceed further.

Ignoring it and going further meant a game over.

Ian had no intention of testing whether the same applied to reality. Besides, he had a rough idea of where that shadowy darkness led. If his guess was correct, it would lead to a fate far worse than death.

"Phew... Phew..." Meanwhile, Lucia had finally stopped coughing and was gasping for breath. Her face, still pale beneath her hood, was now etched with shock and fear.

"This... what is happening?" she murmured, her voice trembling as she brought a hand to her cloak. Her wide eyes darted across the dirt-covered ground, searching. The blood she had vomited had already soaked into the earth, leaving behind only faint wisps of black smoke.

"Are you seeing things? Hearing voices?" Ian asked softly, narrowing his eyes as he studied her. "Perhaps feeling an unknown desire or some kind of compulsion?"

"No... no, it’s not that," Lucia stammered, shaking her head weakly. She lifted her gaze to Ian, her bloodied lips parting to speak. "I can’t feel the warmth of the Blazing Goddess, Sir Ian. Not even a trace... not at all."

"Ah." Ian let out a brief sigh, a faint bitter smile curling at his lips.

Not noticing his reaction, Lucia continued in a trembling voice. "My divine mark... it’s completely cold. I can barely feel it. What is happening?"

"That’s not strange at all, Lucia."

"What?"

"We’re in a place where the gods’ gaze can’t reach us at all."

"That doesn’t make sense. This is the North—" Lucia, who had been asking again in confusion, suddenly froze.

It seemed she had only now noticed the changes in her surroundings—or perhaps she had finally realized the source of the constant sense of strangeness. As Ian reached out to wipe the blood trickling from her eyes, he added, "We’ve crossed the Black Wall, Lucia."

"That’s impossible..." Lucia’s voice trailed off as she instinctively looked up.

Above them stretched a sky like an oil-slicked sea, with ominous lights shimmering like auroras. Floating beneath it were massive rocks, adrift like fragments of a shattered planet.

Her lips parted slightly, and she froze in place. Her hood slipped off, and her cloak pooled on the ground, but she seemed too stunned to notice.

Her reaction wasn’t surprising. Her last memory was likely just before entering the prayer. Falling into an entirely different world in the blink of an eye was bound to be overwhelming.

And I know all too well how shocking it can be.

Ian made no effort to force her out of her daze. Instead, he shifted to sit beside her and began undoing the clasps of his White Phosphor Armor. Now that his mutated body had returned to its original state, he looked like a child wearing an adult’s clothes.

Clink.

Ian quickly detached the White Phosphor Armor and set it down beside him. The battle had stripped half the scales from its surface, exposing the inner plating. Its distinctive luster was completely gone, replaced by grime, dust, and dried fluids.

Yet, despite its appearance, the armor’s durability, as displayed in the system, was still in decent shape. Its overall stats had dropped slightly, but they were still formidable.

Treasure is still a treasure, even when battered.

Ian reached for his greaves but adjusted the inner plating instead of removing them entirely. The last thing he wanted was to shock Lucia further by sitting there naked.

I wasn’t sure if it would work.

Fortunately, the inner plating of the armor stayed securely in place after Ian adjusted it.

He continued moving his hands mechanically while his mind assessed the magic accumulating within him. Glancing at his status window, he inspected his upper body, now returned to its original form.

As expected, his level had increased by one, and his magic was recovering faster than usual. His body showed no signs of permanent damage, though there were patches where regeneration hadn’t fully completed. The dull, throbbing pain with each movement was likely a result of this incomplete recovery.

Of course, compared to the pain he experienced in his fused state, this discomfort was trivial.

Both hands, Swamp’s Resentment, and Saint Damiel’s Ring were intact. Unlike the sacred ring, which had lost its radiance, Swamp’s Resentment exuded a distinct, otherworldly presence. It was likely an aftermath of his fusion or because he was in the demonic realm.

Judging by the amount of my magic, I must’ve been unconscious for only a short while.

At the same time, Ian realized that the Black Crown of the Dark Elder Fairy was still perched on his head. Despite the intense battle, the crown remained undamaged and in place.

Of course, that was where his luck ended.

The Legion Commander’s Greatsword, the shattered gauntlets and pauldrons, and even the Blessing of Della Lu that he always wore around his neck—were anywhere to be found. Just like his Assassin’s Rapid Fire Crossbow and the Gemstone, they disappeared without him even noticing when.

It’s too late to invest in crafting skills now.

He clicked his tongue in mild frustration, wishing he’d used his skill points on crafting instead of herbalism. After finishing the adjustments to his armor down to his lower back, he pulled his hands away. Though it was in rough shape, the greaves had returned to a snug fit around his lower body. Satisfied, Ian gave a small nod and reached out to drag the armor lying beside him closer.

"This really is beyond the Wall, isn’t it?" Lucia’s voice finally broke the silence.

"We’ve entered the continent’s greatest demonic realm. Into the incomprehensible territory." She glanced around briefly, finishing her words with a sigh. Her face bore the exhausted look of someone utterly drained.

As he pressed the inner plating of his armor into place with his palm, Ian spoke up. "This wasn’t part of my plan—dragging you into it, even less so."

"That creature." Lucia suddenly muttered, turning her head to look at Ian. "The avatar created by that ancient god—did you kill it?"

It surprised him that, even in this situation, that was the first thing she focused on. Ian couldn’t help but let out a faint smile as he replied, "Yeah, I made sure to finish it myself."

And thanks to that, I leveled up again.

Without stopping his hands, Ian glanced briefly at Lucia and added, "The priesthood has been avenged. The frontline is secure."

"I see... That’s a relief. Thank you." Lucia’s eyes, which had been nodding along, grew vacant and unfocused again. She seemed to be swept away once more by the tidal wave of countless thoughts.

Ian didn’t blame her. Despite her wealth of experience that far surpassed her peers and her status as an apostle chosen by the gods, Lucia was still just a teenager. Even by this world’s standards, she had not yet reached adulthood.

In fact, compared to the reckless things Ian had done when he first arrived in this world, one could even say she was rather mature.

—I’d love to watch you stumble around longer…

That was when a whisper-like thought pierced through Ian’s mind.

—But unfortunately, this will have to do for now.

It was a familiar tone, one that sounded somewhat arrogant yet oddly relaxed. As Ian froze, a deep furrow forming between his brows, the whisper continued, accompanied by a low chuckle.

—You’d better prepare to fight, my friend. Unless, of course, you want to be devoured.