Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 152

Chapter 152
Alon possessed no prior knowledge of the Apostles.

His time spent in the game ‘Psychedelia’ had never brought him face to face with an Apostle, and the official history contained no records of the Apostles of the Five Deadly Sins.

But one fact about this ‘Apostle’ had become utterly transparent to Alon in this moment:

Boom!

They were immensely powerful.

His eyes were fixed on the scene before him.

Above the shattered remains of the Seolrang Guild’s former headquarters, brilliant yellow and sinister dark lightning collided at a velocity far beyond what his vision could track.

And then—

“Agh—!”

Seolrang was being forced into retreat.

Crash!

With an explosive impact, Seolrang was thrown backward, and the Apostle’s fist lunged forward to strike again.

Alon moved without hesitation.

He caught Seolrang as she smashed into the earth and instantly conjured a protective barrier.

But he did not stop there.

“Enhance, Anchor.”

Through verbal incantation and layered spellwork, three interlocking shields materialized directly in the path of the Apostle’s advancing fist.

Yet—

Crack—!

The barriers splintered as if made of fragile glass.

As though they were insignificant—completely futile and almost ridiculous.

But in that sliver of time, Alon had succeeded in pulling Seolrang beyond the Apostle’s immediate reach.

“Oh? A spellcaster?”

The Apostle, Seolgak, came to a standstill, his interest piqued, showing no immediate desire to press the attack.

Alon looked down at Seolrang.

The light in her eyes was fading.

This was not the disoriented, frantic look she had worn during the fight moments before.

This was something far more severe.

Something on the verge of being extinguished.

And in that very moment—

“You’ve become quite powerful, little sister. I am impressed. Who would have guessed the most fragile of our tribe could attain such strength?”

Seolgak spoke, his smile unchanged.

Seolrang offered no reply.

She merely stared at her brother with unsteady eyes, her countenance more severe than ever.

Alon sensed that something was profoundly amiss.

The Apostle’s power?

That was undoubtedly a concern.

But the true problem was—Seolrang herself.

She placed family above everything.

Perhaps even above her own life.

She harbored an overpowering sense of loyalty to the bonds of blood and kinship.

To her, family was: Sacred. Absolute. Something to be defended without question.

And now, standing before her was the sole blood relative she believed had perished long ago— The same person who had just obliterated everything she had built and cherished.

Before she could even process it.

Totally and completely.

Alon’s gaze swept across the devastation.

All he saw were the dead.

The slain members of the Golden Mane Tribe— Seolrang’s endeavor to create a new family.

‘This is very bad.’
His eyes returned to Seolgak.

The Apostle of Pride, her own brother, had been observing everything with a relaxed air, making no further move to attack after Seolrang’s initial assault.

‘No,’

He wasn’t merely observing.

He was ‘biding his time’.

Waiting for Seolrang’s sanity to fracture.

Alon’s frown deepened.

‘What course of action should I take?’
He had no understanding of why Seolrang’s brother had transformed into this.

But one thing was evident—

‘This must be stopped.’
Still, two reasons made him reluctant to act impulsively:

He had not yet fully deciphered Seolgak’s capabilities,

And—

He was not prepared.

The preparations he had been making since Seolgak’s appearance were still unfinished.

But time was a luxury he did not have.

He did not know how far Seolgak would go to torment Seolrang—

Or how much more Seolrang could endure.

In the end, Seolrang’s well-being was the priority.

Alon quietly studied her ashen complexion.

It wasn’t just about her potentially transforming into something corrupted— She was deteriorating rapidly.

Without wasting another moment, Alon began to weave a spell.

“Now, I can’t allow that.”

“!”

Boom!

In a flash, black lightning—moving faster than conscious thought—slammed into him.

“Master!”

Seolrang attempted to counter by throwing a punch toward Seolgak—

But—

“Ugh—!”

Her fist never made contact.

She fought desperately to free herself from Seolgak’s hold.

But—

“Sister, stop exhausting yourself. No matter how much you struggle, you cannot break my grip. And don’t be concerned—your mage is still alive.”

Seolgak’s smile remained, his tone almost playful.

“Still, it is intriguing. The sister I recall would have been weeping uncontrollably by now. Hmm. Perhaps you have gained some composure with age.”

He let out a soft laugh.

“Not that it is much of an improvement.”

“…Did you join forces with them?”

Seolrang’s shadowed expression broke the short silence.

Seolgak’s grin broadened.

“Join forces? With whom?”

“With those ‘black creatures’ that annihilated our home!”

“And what makes you believe that?”

“Because I can ‘scent’ that fiend’s foulness all over you!”

Seolgak looked down at his own form.

“Oh? Ahh…”

He emitted an exaggerated sound of understanding, then gave a low chuckle.

“Correct. I had forgotten—I still carry the curse from that time.”

“Curse…?”

“Indeed. Thank you for reminding me, little sister.

Now I won’t need to trouble myself with more difficult methods.”

Seolgak’s grin turned sly, but his eyes shone with venom.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, black lightning darted toward Seolrang’s head.

“Gah!”

Agony erupted, sharp and immediate.

“Sister, allow me to share something interesting.”

He locked eyes with her.

“The one who slaughtered our people was not ‘him’—”

Before Seolgak could complete his sentence—

BOOM!

Seolrang witnessed it.

Seolgak was violently thrown back, his body crashing into the rubble.

She felt a pair of hands softly cover her ears.

“Do not listen.”

A voice she knew.

“Do not listen, Seolrang.”

A deeply familiar voice.

Seolrang lifted her gaze.

There he stood.

Not wearing his typical detached expression.

But with a look filled solely with worry—

Alon.

Her eyes opened wide in astonishment.

***

Alon, having forcefully repelled Seolgak, frowned slightly.

At the instant of the strike, he had lessened the injury by employing shields and wind magic in combination, forming a responsive guard.

Simultaneously, he had been quietly channeling another spell without Seolgak’s detection.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been unfeasible, but one of the new sigils he had crafted in his recent studies made it possible.

This sigil diminished his magic’s potency but hid its presence from others.

Thus, Alon successfully cast a concealed incantation to thrust Seolgak away.

However—

“Remarkable, that’s fascinating. I detected no magical energy. How did you accomplish that?”

He had failed to wound him.

“And what is the purpose of covering her ears like that? She has already ‘recalled’ everything.”

Upon hearing Seolgak’s words, Alon released a soft sigh.

While covertly casting his spell, he had no difficulty deducing what Seolgak intended to disclose.

He understood precisely how much psychological harm Seolrang would endure if the truth Seolgak held back were revealed to her.

There was only one thing Seolgak wished to tell her.

“Well? Do you remember now, little sister? The fact that it was ‘your brother’ who murdered the villagers and our own family…!”

A mocking grin entirely devoid of remorse.

The statement was exactly what Alon had anticipated—matching the very wording he had imagined.

Clench—

Alon pressed his hands more firmly over Seolrang’s ears.

He knew she had already heard the truth.

No matter how tightly he covered her ears, the words had found their mark.

He had seen Seolgak unleash black lightning at Seolrang just before, dismantling the magical seal on her memories—something Alon himself had not fully perceived.

Even so, he did not withdraw his hands from her ears.

It was futile.

But despite knowing it was pointless, his hands refused to budge.

…Because Alon comprehended precisely how much the idea of ‘family’ meant to her.

“Let me share something amusing, Seolrang. Killing your own kin is quite exhilarating. Watching those weaklings, decayed by tranquility, weep and plead for mercy—it is pure bliss.”

“Do you recall Paun from next door? That playful child you often played with? He wept, begging for his life. I tore him apart, gripping his head and legs.”

“And Yuseon from the blacksmith’s—remember him? Your closest friend, who loved his parents dearly. I personally slew his parents before his eyes and plucked out his eyes before he perished.”

Seolgak’s words were incessant, like sharp knives, intended to push Seolrang’s mind to its limit.

Cruel, inescapable truths.

“How does it feel, little sister? To finally perceive the reality you have been blind to all this time?”

When Seolgak finally concluded his account, Seolrang, who had kept her head lowered until now—

Slowly raised her eyes.

And—

The faces of both Alon and Seolgak went blank.

As if time itself had frozen.

Confronting them was Seolrang.

Her expression—

“So what?”

Was remarkably serene.

***

‘What… is this?’
Seolgak could not comprehend.

No, he ‘resisted’ comprehension.

Seolrang’s response fell entirely outside his expectations.

He stared at her as she stood up nonchalantly after pushing aside Marquis Palatio’s hand.

This was not how it was meant to unfold.

She was supposed to lose her mind, devoured by hatred, directing all her fury at him.

Eventually, she was meant to slay the mage she held dear and awaken as the ‘Sin of Pride.’

Keeping her alive had been a calculated part of his scheme.

The memory seal he had placed upon her—also a component of that design.

Unable to make sense of it, Seolgak halted briefly, then smirked.

“…There is no need to pretend any longer. You could not conceal your emotions earlier—do you believe there is any purpose in doing so now, little sister?”

He deliberately sought to antagonize her.

But Seolrang tilted her head slightly, appearing genuinely puzzled.

“What are you referring to? I have never hidden my emotions.”

“…What?”

“Why would I need to conceal what I feel?”

She inquired with sincerity, as if she truly did not understand.

“…A moment ago, your eyes were filled with disarray…”

Attempting to provoke her once more, Seolgak’s words trailed off.

Seolrang shrugged casually.

“Naturally I was. I failed to protect my master.”

“What?”

“My brother, you are powerful. I recognized that when I faced you. That is why I was frightened—I found myself in a situation where I could not safeguard my master.”

“That is all?”

“Yes.”

She tilted her head again.

“What else should have disturbed me?”

“What?”

“Did you genuinely believe I would be emotionally shattered by your petty theatrics?”

Seolgak scowled.

“…You have grown cynical, little sister.”

“Not at all, brother. I still love my family. Paun, Yuseon, and all the others you named—they are all cherished memories to me. But if I allowed such emotions to control me—”

Sway—

“I would be unable to protect the one person I have left.”

“And, brother, I believe you are mistaken about something.”

Instead of a slight smile—

Her gaze turned icy.

“I am already furious.”

Her eyes narrowed sharply.

“Because you attempted to kill my master.”

Silence fell between them.

Then—

“Ha… Hahaha!”

Seolgak erupted in laughter, his face twisted with incredulity.

“Very well! So, you have become quite shrewd over the last ten years, have you? I acknowledge it, little sister—I underestimated you. I did not anticipate you would develop this much! But still—”

Crackle—!

“You are not stronger than I am.”

Black lightning surged toward Seolrang.

Crack—!

His fist followed.

Seolrang moved.

But this time, she was quicker—adjusting to Seolgak’s velocity.

A faint golden lightning began to shimmer around her hands.

Seolgak’s smile wavered.

It was a manifestation he had never witnessed before—ominous and unfamiliar.

Yet, he did not lose his smirk.

Though startled, he presumed she still could not properly harness that power.

Seolgak thought to himself: ‘I will defeat her, then slay that mage directly in front of her.’
A malicious grin spread across his face.

His future seemed assured— His broken sister, and the use of her body as a conduit to summon the one who held all authority: ‘His Lord.’

However—

Clink!

Seolgak’s view fractured.

“1.”

He stared ahead in disbelief.

A transparent wall stood before him, cracking under his fist.

Mirrored distortions spread, warping reality into countless geometric shapes.

It was the mage’s work.

The moment Seolgak realized it—

“Seolrang, remain calm. And remember—you have already ascended to the next stage. So—”

A quiet voice.

“Simply have faith in yourself.”

Came from the mage.

“And never forget—”

“Welcome the lightning.”

In the next instant—

“Ah—”

Seolgak saw it.

“Mm-hmm!”

Seolrang, beaming brightly as if a realization had dawned.

Her body now pulsating with golden magic and shining with luminous, golden eyes.

“Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you, brother—I no longer have any reason to fear you.”

And Seolgak understood.

That power—

“Thanks to you, I obtained it.”

A power that exceeded even the royal bloodline, once believed lost to this world.

The divine capability known as—

“Thunder Deification.”

“Perish.”

Seolrang’s fist descended, charged with blinding white lightning.