The Villain’s Cheat Code: When a Gamer Becomes the Evil God’s Sidekick

When hearing the last name, Aurelianne's eyes lit up slightly.

She couldn't help but feel a faint sense of affection toward Claudia standing before her.

"Did Teacher send you to see me?" Aurelianne asked, her eyes filled with anticipation.

She had just received news that Viktor was returning to Bryston for some time, so her lessons were temporarily suspended.

Thus, she assumed that Claudia had been sent by Viktor to visit her.

Claudia didn't answer; she simply kept smiling, her gaze carrying a hint of indulgence.

Then, she reached behind her neck with both hands and removed the pendant she was wearing.

Bending slightly, she extended her hands, gently placing the pendant around Aurelianne's neck.

After standing upright, Aurelianne lowered her head to examine the black crystal pendant now hanging on her chest.

Under the sunlight, she carefully observed the peculiar shape of the pendant.

Though the pendant was exquisite, Aurelianne had no idea what it was.

Claudia spoke to Aurelianne with great seriousness:

"This is a talisman, a gift from me to you."

Placing a hand on Aurelianne's shoulder, she squinted her eyes and smiled slightly, saying:

"I admire your innocence and kindness. Hold onto this mindset and grow stronger."

Aurelianne blinked and looked at Claudia. "Are you... very strong?"

"Of course."

As soon as Claudia confidently spoke these words, half of her face was suddenly marked with several stripes.

An overwhelming aura erupted instantly, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze, transforming into countless spatial blades.

Even though it lasted only a moment, it was enough for Aurelianne to feel her immense power.

Before she could recover from her astonishment, Claudia had already withdrawn her aura, and the stripes on her face gradually faded until they disappeared.

Aurelianne, still dazed, stared at Claudia and murmured, "Amazing."

Claudia stood up and gently encouraged Aurelianne:

"You are still young, and your talent surpasses anyone else's."

"Let me look forward to the day when you become strong enough to defeat even me."

With those words, Claudia turned around.

Under Aurelianne's gaze, she slowly walked away.

Left alone in the garden, Aurelianne tightly held the black crystal pendant in her hand, raising it to examine it again.

Sunlight filtered through the pendant, casting a rainbow of colors into Aurelianne's eyes.

The small blade-like edges of the pendant were adorned with bat-like wings, and under the sunlight, it appeared almost sacred.

...

As Claudia walked along the path, she felt a gaze fixed on her, watching her every move.

She stopped in her tracks and chuckled softly.

"No need to keep staring at me, Aubrey."

"I know you don't like me, so I won't make things difficult for you."

"But the child is innocent."

A phantom red lion descended from the sky, landing steadily in front of her.

The lion carried an aura of immense authority, its gaze cold and unyielding, as if it were staring at a threatening beast.

The oppressive power made Claudia feel an unbearable heaviness.

"Remember what you said to me."

"Fulfill your promise."

Leaving those words, the majestic lion turned and walked away.

Its body gradually disintegrated into powder, vanishing completely.

Feeling its presence fade away, Claudia placed a hand over her left eye.

Her eye had turned a deeper shade of crimson, pulsating like a beating heart.

It was as if she had entered the battle state of a demon hunter.

She slowly raised her head, her gaze fixed on the sky.

In her crimson eyes, she recalled the scene of her battle with that demon:

She had lost. Her clothes were torn to shreds, her blade too heavy to lift, and even her mask was shattered beyond recognition.

Yet, the crimson eye, pulsating like a heart, remained locked onto the red demon in the sky.

A fifth-tier being—Claudia could feel its overwhelming power.

It was incomprehensibly strong.

Claudia couldn't understand how a demon could possess such strength.

At that moment, a crow flapped its wings and descended before her.

"You are indeed stronger than other demon hunters, but..."

"You failed."

Failures must accept their punishment.

"I will grant you the ability to maintain your rationality and freely adjust your power."

The red demon gradually disappeared into the endless darkness.

The sky was left shrouded in shadows, as if to engulf Claudia completely.

The crow's single eye glimmered mischievously, exuding an air of mystery:

"And I want you to return to the palace."

"This is what I promised Viktor."

...

Claudia gazed up at the bright sky, as if suddenly snapped back to reality, pausing for a moment.

If she had been more cautious, more rational...

Would she have been able to defeat that monster?

"Heh, defeated by a demon, coerced by a crow."

"Not exactly a pleasant experience."

The crimson hue in her eye gradually faded, returning to its normal state.

To freely maintain the power of a demon hunter.

Truly a miracle.

...

Demon hunters boarded carriages one after another, their bodies restrained by iron shackles, resembling prisoners being transported.

They were escorted by demi-human guards to Bryston.

On the territory of the Kravina family, they would undergo labor and ideological reform.

What Viktor needed was a team of demon hunters capable of unleashing their combat power at any moment, not ones who only reacted to demons and lost their sanity in the process.

Viktor watched as they boarded the carriages and gradually left, then turned his head.

Lia stood beside him.

"I've already informed Helnersen. He will send some craftsmen to repair the houses."

Although Viktor, as a mage, could easily restore the damaged houses with a few spells, Lia didn't want him to do so.

On one hand, she didn't want Viktor to concern himself with such trivial matters. On the other hand...

Lia glanced at Viktor. Even in the scorching summer heat, he remained unbothered, wearing an old trench coat.

She found it hard to accept Viktor's sense of fashion.

Crossing her arms, Lia said, "So, we'll need to stay in Bryston for a few days."

Viktor nodded slightly, agreeing.

"Considering the back-and-forth might be troublesome, I've postponed your and the princess's lessons for now. You can make them up later."

"Also, Henie will be coming with us for a few days. Well... you know why."

Lia sighed helplessly as she spoke.

Although Lia had figured out who had injured the prince—Henie had voluntarily clarified the matter to her—the whereabouts of the person who actually harmed the prince remained unknown.

At least for now, Henie was the one shouldering the blame.

Thus, Lia decided to take Henie back to Bryston to lay low for a while.

With Viktor's relationship with the princess, the royal soldiers wouldn't dare to march into the Kravina family's territory to arrest Henie.

"Besides, the academy hasn't started yet. If she goes there, it'll just be for voluntary work."

Lia explained to Viktor.

To be honest, Lia herself didn't understand why.

She and Henie hadn't interacted much, yet every time she saw Henie, she couldn't help but feel a sense of affection toward her.

An instinctive desire to protect her.

Even... an instinctive urge to touch her, like patting her on the shoulder or something.

Just yesterday, she had casually patted Henie.

Thinking of this, Lia felt a bit embarrassed.

Ever since Henie arrived, Lia had repeatedly questioned whether her sexual orientation might be... unconventional.

But whenever she thought about it, she would glance at Viktor.

Like now.

Standing beside Viktor, Lia carefully observed her charming brother.

Yes, she still liked men. No problem there.

At that moment, Viktor seemed to think of something and began to speak.

"Traveling back and forth isn't really a hassle. You didn't need to postpone—"

"Viktor."

Lia stood before Viktor, grabbing his collar with both hands.

Almost compulsively, she straightened his messy collar.

After finishing, she looked up, her eyes meeting Viktor's directly.

"I hope you can take a good rest for a while."

Viktor looked down at Lia's gaze, and the words he wanted to say trailed off.

"...Alright."@@novelbin@@

At this moment, Cocotte lazily floated over on a cloud, with Henie following close behind.

Cocotte collapsed onto the cloud, groaning in frustration:

"Why do I have to go with you just because you're going back home?"

Henie, standing beside her, looked at Cocotte with helplessness but said nothing.

Lia, snapping out of her thoughts, placed her hands on her hips and teased with a playful look in her eyes.

"Don't forget, you still have work to do."

"Slacking off isn't a good habit, my dear Elven Queen."

Hearing the words "Elven Queen," Cocotte's body trembled, suddenly becoming much more spirited.

"Fine, fine, I'll go!"

As her voice fell, the sound of rubble falling echoed behind them.

Everyone turned to see Vanilla emerging from the mansion amidst a slight cloud of dust.

She pushed aside the broken door and descended the steps, dragging a large pile of luggage.

Despite her petite frame, she showed no signs of strain.

Perched atop her head was a black, one-eyed crow, dozing off.

Vanilla approached slowly, her ears twitching, and reported to Viktor with a calm expression:

"Master, everything is ready."

The crow flew from her head and landed on Viktor's shoulder.

Viktor nodded, hands in his pockets, and turned around.

Then, a blue glow began to swirl before him.

The light grew larger, spinning rapidly in mid-air.

From the azure magic circle, a magnificent gate rose from the ground, gradually forming before their eyes.

The gate, seemingly a phantom creation, extended in all directions as if trying to expand.

Finally, the azure gate slowly opened, revealing a starry, deep passage rippling with blue waves.

A gust of wind burst forth, kicking up a cloud of dust. Everyone instinctively held their clothes against the gale.

Viktor, however, remained unfazed. Even as his trench coat flapped wildly and the collar Lia had just fixed became messy again, he seemed utterly unaffected.

He simply gazed at the azure gate, his voice reaching everyone's ears.

"Let's go."

"We're going home."

"""