Chapter 23: Jingliu Gets Caught Again! (Patreon)

[You have succeeded!]

[You have obtained power comparable to an Emanator of Abundance!]

[You are the first being to obtain power comparable to an Emanator of Abundance through your own efforts, without relying on an Aeon. Even the Aeon of Abundance cannot help but cast a curious glance your way.]

[The Borisin revere you as their War Chief. Only after truly taking this position do you feel its weight and responsibility: the continuation of the race, faith in the Lord of Longevity, powerful external enemies, ill-intentioned allies...]

[But so what?]

[Whether Borisin or Foxian, what does their life or death have to do with you?]

[You only wish to climb to the very top, step by step, and become the strongest!]

[Everything else is merely a stepping stone.]

[The Xianzhou Alliance learns of the internal strife among the Borisin and chooses to strike decisively, dispatching the Luofu and the Yaoqing to launch an offensive.]

[Upon receiving the news, you immediately order all hunting packs to scatter and flee.]

[The Cloud Knights have no choice but to divide their forces to encircle and annihilate them.]

[You decisively seize the opportunity, leading an elite squad to execute a swift counter-attack, turning back to ambush and kill numerous small Cloud Knight units.]

[By the time the main Cloud Knight force arrives, you have already led your subordinates to escape on your Beast Ships.]

[The Borisin preference for close-quarters combat means they excel at boarding actions, even in space warfare. Thus, their Beast Ships mostly forgo defense and heavy weaponry, embodying the traits of being small, fast, and nimble.]

[Although the Xianzhou's technology is far superior to the Borisin's, their well-balanced War Junks and Starskiffs cannot match the mobility of the Beast Ships, and they can only watch as the Borisin escape.]

[Relying on your incredibly sharp intuition, you sense the scattered Cloud Knight forces, determining which ones are worthy of becoming your prey.]

[You soon lock onto a target and stealthily close in on its position.]

[The target you have chosen is an elite squad composed of Vanguards.]

[Vanguards are elites selected from the Cloud Knights who can even trade a few blows with a Sword Champion. Unfortunately, before you, this means nothing.]

[Like a seasoned hunter, you stalk this star sector, and a great number of Cloud Knight elites fall by your hand.]

[After an unknown amount of time, you finally run into a 'big fish'.]

[A strong contender for the Luofu Xianzhou's Sword Champion—Jingliu.]

Just as Victor was watching with great interest, the system suddenly displayed a message.

Victor quickly opened it.

[A Linked Script is now activating. Script difficulty will fluctuate. Settlement rewards are increased.]

A strange expression appeared on Victor's face.

He had been simulating for a long time without seeing so much as a hair of Feixiao. Judging by the era of the simulation's setting, Feixiao obviously hadn't even been born yet, which meant it would be several hundred years before he got to the 'main event'.

He hadn't seen the script's female lead, but another one had just crashed the party.

How interesting.

Seeing the bold words 'rewards are increased', Victor decisively shut his mouth, even hoping for more such intrusions.

After Victor closed the message, the simulation continued.

[Jingliu is undoubtedly a powerful and troublesome opponent. For a short time, you are unable to defeat her. However, relying on a regenerative ability far surpassing Hoolay's and your superhuman physique, you stand undefeated.]

[After five days and five nights of relentless, fierce battle, you finally capture Jingliu. She and the elite Cloud Knights she led have all become your prisoners...]

[Special plot triggered. Entering Reality Mode.]

Seeing that special prompt, Victor's breathing instantly quickened.

An inexplicable emotion began to grow wildly, and a dark desire spread like wildfire.

Only then did Victor realize that he was actually looking forward to this with immense anticipation.

'Looks like this damn system didn't pick the wrong guy after all. I was born to be a villain.'

Victor couldn't help but think to himself.

After clarifying his true nature, Victor instantly felt incredibly relieved. To put it in more metaphysical terms, his thoughts had become clear.

With a light and cheerful mood, Victor swiftly entered Reality Mode.

After a routine wave of dizziness, Victor once again entered the simulated world.

When he opened his eyes again, a pungent smell immediately assaulted his nostrils.

His keen sense of smell immediately allowed him to identify it: the foul stench of blood and gore mixed with the smell of burning.

Faced with a scent so thick with death, Victor not only felt no disgust but took a deep breath, an expression of utter intoxication appearing on his handsome face.

Suddenly, Victor's expression froze. His previous action was just like that of a psychotic killer. It seemed he was being influenced by his simulated self. The Borisin were truly a terrifying, innately bloodthirsty race.

This brutality and bloodlust were likely branded deep within the soul, and even though this body had completely surpassed the limits of the Borisin, it was no exception.

After calming down for a moment, Victor began to carefully observe his surroundings.

Countless mangled corpses lay strewn about the corridor before him. Severed limbs, shredded flesh, and blood mixed together to cover the floor like some kind of disgusting fungal carpet. Stepping on it was not only squishy but also sickeningly slick.

The scene before him was like something out of hell.

Yet, Victor felt no discomfort at all. He was not only perfectly adapted to it but even somewhat enjoyed it, because everything before him was 'his' masterpiece.

The metal plates on the ceiling were shattered, and numerous cables had been severed, their ends continuously emitting sparks with a sizzling sound.

Crash!

A sudden noise startled the entranced Victor.

A female swordswoman in tattered blue armor slowly climbed out from a pile of wreckage.

She leaned on her longsword, her body covered in wounds that were still seeping blood, looking as if the slightest touch would make her collapse.

Even so, she stubbornly and slowly straightened her body, staring directly at Victor opposite her.

"What a stubborn woman."

Victor flashed a standard villain's smile, crossing his arms and looking at Jingliu with a mocking expression.

"You've already lost. Be a good girl, put down your weapon, and become my war prize."

"In your dreams!"

Jingliu managed to force out the two words. She leaned her body against the wreckage, slowly raising the sword in her hand, its tip pointed straight at Victor.

The smile on Victor's face widened.

The more Jingliu resisted, the more excited he became.

Swish!

He transformed into a flash of lightning and lunged at Jingliu.

Jingliu instinctively raised her sword to thrust, but her body was too weak, and the sword was easily knocked from her hand by Victor.

Victor took the opportunity to lift her up and, ignoring her resistance and struggles, carried her to a high platform.

Even without her sword, Jingliu continued to attack Victor, but her assaults were no different from being tickled against his powerful physique.

Victor casually flipped her over, pressing her against the platform's railing and forcing her to look down.

On the vast, open deck below, nearly a hundred battered and bruised Cloud Knights, forced to disarm, were huddled together. Surrounding them, a dozen ferocious-looking Borisin stared at them like predators.