Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain

Leon, who was still kneeling on the ground, bathed in the blood of Aelthar, still lost in thoughts, questioning his morality and inner self.

However the questions evaporated when a sudden detonation of agony split his skull. He gasped, clawing at his temples, but the pain vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a searing warmth that flooded his veins.

Golden light cascaded over him, sealing wounds, soothing fractures, and finally calming his restless mind.

"What… was that?" Leon rasped, blinking through the afterglow. While his gaze wandered around before landing on Aelthar's corpse. Which crumbled to ash over the spear, carried away by a wind that smelled of burnt parchment and scented flowers.

His eyes then moved to the earth, where Rio's body lay motionless nearby, the man's chest still as stone.

"What happened? Didn't he win?" Leon asked in confusion, staring at Rio's face, fixed with a frown of pain and furrowed brows.

[Stop wasting time.]

[Get to the altar and find that damned legacy.]

Apollo, who healed his stupid avatar with great efforts, watched the idiot waste precious time and couldn't help but curse loudly.

[...Before anyone else comes following this commotion.]

Leon too looked around and saw shadowy figures bombarding the mystical barrier with multiple spells, hoping to get in.

(Wasn't the barrier set by them using the formation?) Leon thought, but after feeling the displeasure of his god, he ignored this question and started walking towards the altar.

[Take one more step, and I'll unspool your soul thread by thread, mortal.]

[A coward isn't worthy of god's powers.]

[Step away from that altar. Aelthar's legacy can only belong to my avatar.]

But the moment he raised his feet, a chill swept over his body. And an invisible pressure froze him in place, _followed by the warnings from several gods including the angry Mara.

[Ignore them, they can't do anything. Now go…]

Apollo rushed the hero once more, feeling angry and annoyed at how useless he was.

But there was nothing he could do now.

Gladly Leon too finally awakened his ambition and ignored the threats from the gods and started walking towards the legacy.

Towards the power he knew nothing about. But was willing to bet everything.

A satisfied smile came to Apollo's face. For the first time in the past couple of hours, he smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned his head to the direction where the gods were gathered, hoping to see their helpless and annoyed but angry faces, _ but seeing one of them with a smile _ made him frown.

(Isn't her avatar dead, why is she still smiling?)

(Also didn't she disappear to rush and protect him, why'd she stop?)

Apollo looked at Nyx, and the more he looked, the deeper his frown became.

Suddenly a thought came to Apollo's mind, and the brightened face of the god of sun couldn't help but turn pale.

(No, don't tell me that guy can still survive under a god's soul sacrifice.)

Apollo muttered and clenched his fists, while focusing all his attention on Rio.

His perception swept over, and his brows furrowed together as he found no heartbeat in the mortal's body.

(He's dead…)

The god thought, but just then a burning sensation shot in his eyes, forcing him to go blind.

Just then a chill swept over Apollo's whole frame, making his body shudder and his whole realm tremble.

Blinded by pain and darkness, Apollo felt a danger of death and immediately took back his powers.

But even though the sense of dread disappeared instantly, the god of sun couldn't help but touch his back covered in sweat.

"What was that?" Apollo muttered feeling cold all over, still struggling to regain his composure and restoring his vision.

(Was that Nyx? Or something else…) The god spoke, feeling confused and curious, but being cautious as he is, he didn't dare to dabble in uncharted territory himself again.

(Whatever it is, it's surely related to that mortal…..) Apollo thought and remembering the hatred between them, he didn't dare to take any chances.

"He's dangerous. If I let him grow, he'll surely ruin all my plans and efforts over the last millennia."

Apollo clenched his fists and after some inner struggle, immediately made a decision.

[Stop Leon.]

Suddenly the god spoke, making Leon halt his actions, who was just about to reach his hand to turn over the altar.

[Something's not right.]

[I sense a danger..]

[Go back and use your strongest attack on that mortal's corpse.]

[Turn it to ashes.]

Apollo immediately issued a couple of orders, making Leon confused.

But no matter what the hero asked or questioned, the god ignored and kept rushing him to not waste any second and slay Rio.

[Aelthar plans to possess Rio and then blast his body.]

[The impact of a god's soul sacrifice will not only shatter this dungeon, but will also explode outside and affect your home and city too.]

[So while the pair are fighting for control inside consciousness, pick your sword and end his life.]

"But weren't we here to save Aelthar?" Leon asked but Apollo shunned him again.

[Stop wasting time and do as I tell you. Or all the miners you saved and the army of adventurers gathered outside will all die.]

[So pick your damn sword and swing it …]

Apollo had already made his choice. For him solving an unknown threat was much more important than savoring the taste of strength.

(And besides, seeing that the blockade barrier is still holding on, maybe I can do both things before anyone interrupts.)

The god thought nicely, while urging Leon, who finally succumbed to influence and picked his sword.

Obviously if Apollo asked to kill someone else, like Katherine maybe, then he would've surely hesitated or struggled longer _ at least try to save everyone for once _ but after everything that Rio put him through earlier _ a part of Leon also wanted him dead.

Hence the results…

(I'm doing it for the greater good.) Leon muttered to himself, clenching the sword tightly and ignoring the voice in his ears which mocked his hypocrisy.

But just when he gathered his courage and steeled his resolve, _ suddenly Rio opened his eyes.

"Leon…"

The coldness of that tone and the murderous intent flashing through those abyssal eyes, sent shivers down the hero's spine, and the metal sword couldn't help but fall to the ground as he staggered back in fear unconsciously.

His shoes slipping over Aelthar's ashes.

"You…you..you…"

He tried to speak, but couldn't form the words. Let alone a sentence.

A feeling of dread and regret washed over him, as he watched Rio stand up and slowly walk towards him.

Every step of his, felt like a hammer to his heart _ echoing an illusion in his eyes that death was creeping close. But he could just stare and stand helplessly.

His body, though fully healed and filled with energy, couldn't even find the courage to turn around and run away.

"Why?" Rio asked coldly, his gaze staring straight at Leon as if he wanted to see through his soul and search for an answer.

"I _ I was just _ I thought _you were possessed and would explode…so I _ I just… for everyone's safety….."

"Liar." Rio, who heard his sanctimonious answer, sneered in his heart.

When he woke up and saw the hero ready to kill him, he wondered why the protagonist suddenly turned so heartless, but hearing him speak, Rio only felt disappointed.

He'd rather face a dangerous degenerate than this disappointment.

"I should've killed you long ago." He muttered coldly.

Dozens of messages and warnings from the system flashed in front of his eyes, but Rio ignored everything and flashed right in front of Leon's face.

His blackened fist blasting through his armor and magical defenses, _ ripping his skin_ aiming to take his heart and end this farce.

..

..

..

But it seemed the heavens hadn't forsaken the hero yet.

Cause just as his fingers were about to wrap around his frail heart, a weak voice reached his ears.

"Rio, stop…"

Rio turned his pupils and saw Katherine coming over with a hasty breath. He didn't even know when she woke up, or how much she heard or saw, but the point was…

"Stop. Let him go. Please." She said, still struggling to speak due to the blood loss and pain, yet not backing down.

"He tried to kill me." Rio replied with a frown.

The scene of her standing up for his enemy, pleading for mercy, was bringing back memories he'd rather forget.

But Katherine didn't notice his displeasure or perhaps she did but chose to ignore it, as she raised her hand and placed it over his shoulder.

"Calm down. I know _ I saw _ he was just trying to help. It's not what you think." She said remembering how she witnessed Leon walking back and forth with constant frowns before finally picking his sword.

"You didn't have a heartbeat, so _ thought you were dead and Aelthar was about to…"

"I don't care."

Katherine was still speaking, when Rio coldly cut her off.

"He dies."

Rio said and turned his attention back to Leon, who was spewing blood from his mouth, and shaking slightly with every breath.

Under the horrified eyes of Katherine and Leon, Rio was just about to clench his fist and crush Leon's heart _ when suddenly a light shone under Leon's stomach.

Rio felt a heat burning his fingers, as he found a flame suddenly appear in the hero's body, and surrounding his heart.

Protecting it from his corrosive claws.

The sudden change and flames caught Rio off guard and he couldn't help but grunt in pain.

But he wasn't about to give up.

Since the puny protagonist dared to try and kill him, it showed that he had been too lenient all these years.

He would never let this go.

But just when he wanted to ignore the melting pain with gritted teeth and still blast the hero's heart with hellfire _ a pressure fell over his shoulder.

Almost making him kneel and causing the ground all around him to crack in spiderwebs.

[Let Him Go.]

An angry roar echoed in Rio's mind, causing his ears to bleed, _ but without even caring to who that tone belonged to, Rio still kept pushing his limits.

Inside Leon's body was happening a battle between flames born in hell and ruling at heavens. Making the hero go through a pain inhumanely possible.

Leon felt all of him was starting to melt and turn to vapor.

His body was turning lighter and he felt like floating.

But it wasn't just an illusion caused under extreme pain, _ but the reality.

His body truly was disappearing.

Albeit a bit slowly.

Right before Leon completely disappeared from the dungeon, Rio, who noticed these changes, and knew that these things were all backhands left by Apollo _ and that he wouldn't be able to kill him. - Changed his target.

"If I can't kill you." He whispered, "I'll make sure you remember."

Instead of still struggling over Leon's heart, Rio ignored the ball of bright flames, and flicked his palm.

Wrapping the hero's spine with threads of darkness.

And just when Leon completely disappeared, teleporting out of this dungeon and away from danger _ the threads got stretched beyond limits and started breaking one by one.

Though there was no proof, no crushing cracks of bones, or ear piercing echoing screams, _ Rio knew his job was done.

How?

Simple.

Cause just after he felt his threads break, he heard the harrowing anger of Apollo.

[I Will Kill Youuuuu.]

Hearing the empty threats floating in the world system page anonymously, Rio just sneered as he looked at the sky and clenched his fists.

(Not if I kill you first.) Rio muttered in his heart and punched the sky.

His sloughing skin melted away and his fingers were just white bones sticking out _ but even then the power behind it shook the 'heavens'.

The barrier, which didn't break even under the attacks from Nyx's temple of night's followers, trembled and turned into tiny crystals before disappearing in pieces.

The mark of fist blasted the clouds, leaving an empty hole - like a middle finger to the lodu lantern.

(((((Cough cough, he wasn't that strong, he was just showing off. It was system who took it's trick back.)))))

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Ps This arc ends tomorrow

Any questions ask away