Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

[One and a Half Months Later.]

"Huff…."

In the sprawling, ever-shifting maze of gothic castles, crumbling catacombs, and thorned gardens, I stood alone.

The entire place was bathed in the glow of a blood-red moon.

The architecture was organic, with walls that pulsed like veins and floors coated in a thin, sticky layer of blood.

Stained-glass windows depicted scenes of ancient vampiric rituals, and corridors rearranged themselves to disorient intruders.

Six colossal, beating hearts were suspended in a cathedral-like chamber at the kingdom's center.

They pulsed rhythmically, pumping blood through visible arteries that snaked across the kingdom.

Lazarus stood at the center of it all, staring dead into my eyes.

The vampire slowly raised his hand, and I immediately tensed up.

"Temporal Rift."

I mumbled to myself as I snapped the halberd in my hand.

A silvery decorative clock formed before me, the time on it moving backwards.

"Sun disk."

I mumbled again, and in the next instant a disk formed before my head.

Lazarus lowered his hand, and in an instant thousands of blood soldiers crawled out of the ground.

Each of them was around the middle level of Primeval Rank.

In the blink of an eye, they all ran towards me.

The ground shook beneath their charge, the wet slap of their clawed feet, the hiss of blood mist spilling from their mouths.

I spun the halberd once in my grip, the cracked shaft mending itself with a hiss of steam.

"Alright," I murmured. "Let's thin the herd."

The first wave leapt, their claws arcing toward my throat.

I ducked low, pivoting on one heel, and the halberd's blade carved a half-moon through the air.

BOOOM!?!!

Half of the herd that was in the front line was obliterated in an instant.

The blast shredded through flesh and bone, spraying crimson mist across the chamber walls.

Before the mist could settle, the second wave was already on me.

I let them come closer as I placed the Sun Disk in front, I passed my mana into it.

BOOM!??

A beam of condensed mana burst out that immediately burned everyone else.

Once again, Lazarus and I were left alone within his kingdom.

Lazarus lowered his body as he grabbed his own halberd.

Sensing the intense gaze of a Peak-Eternal, my senses sharpened.

A beam of crimson light hovered in the air before it burst towards me.

I leaped back as I brought up the halberd to intercept him.

BOOM!!

The impact rattled my bones.

Crimson sparks exploded outward, scattering across the pulsing walls like drops of molten metal.

The blood running through the living architecture seemed to quicken, pumping harder.

Lazarus didn't give me a heartbeat to recover.

He twisted his halberd, forcing mine aside, and stepped in with frightening speed.

I ducked under his sweeping strike, my boots sliding against the slick, blood-coated floor.

The metallic scent clogged my throat, but I didn't slow.

With a quick spin, I reversed my grip on the halberd and slashed upward, aiming for his side.

The blade bit into something but not flesh.

A black, liquid-like shield burst from his body, catching my weapon mid-swing.

The impact sent a shockwave through my arms, and the shield writhed like a living thing before shoving my halberd away.

The tip of his halberd grazed my cheek, slicing a shallow cut that burned instantly.

I gritted my teeth and forced my body to ignore the sting.

The halberd in my hands ignited with burning mana as I thrust for his ribs.

He pushed himself back—

"Rejection of Time."

The world slowed down around us as everything turned grey.

I let go of the halberd as I moved behind him.

I pushed his head into the halberd, spun, and grabbed my weapon again.

Time flowed constant, and the tip of my halberd pierced his head.

Lazarus's body turned limp as I burst open his head.

"Huff…."

Just when I lowered my guard for a second, his body moved again.

He grazed his hand on the halberd before he poured the blood in my mouth.

"Argh, fuck! Not this again!?"

I yelled as I pulled myself back.

In an instant, I felt his blood turning more viscous and solid.

The drop of blood soon turned into a hand, and that hand began to turn into a complete body.

All of that was happening right inside my fucking body.

'Fuck.'

"Temporal Rift!"

The clock behind me shattered, and the world around me paused.

In front of me, a solitude of all the action I took in the last one minute lit up.

I moved back to the time frame right before Lazarus fed me his blood.

I took that place, and in an instant the world resumed at that time.

Quickly dodging the blood, I kicked Lazarus's body back.

He rolled on the ground like a ragdoll as I looked around the place.

'Flawless Kingdom is really something.'

I thought for a second before I turned the halberd upside down.

"Happ!!"

Using both my hands I—

Lazarus's body stood back up before I could even break the kingdom.

I let go of the halberd as I turned towards him.

"Alright! That's enough!"

Before we could continue to fight, a voice interrupted us.

The kingdom began to dissolve, and a woman walked towards me.

Inna smiled brightly towards me. "Good job."

"I could have killed him," I replied, annoyed. "Why interfere?"

She blinked innocently. "You did already."

"His kingdom isn't destroyed," I replied, stretching my body. "He could still fight."

"Lazarus was immortal in his own kingdom," she replied, taking out a towel and cleaning my face. "You weren't planning to fight him all day, right?"

I wasn't sweating even a bit, but I let her pamper me.

"I really hate it though," I replied, closing my eyes. "He is an annoying opponent to deal with."

"Lazarus's power output was almost equal to a low-demigod when he was Peak-Eternal," she replied, her voice soft. "I wouldn't be surprised if you can kill a demigod now."

"Urgh, you think too highly of me," I replied, opening my eyes. "Demigods are on a different level."

The place had changed back to the place of the graveyard.

Inna didn't say anything else as she just smiled.

"Papa!"

A voice echoed, making me look back as a child with golden hair rushed towards me.

I leaned forward as I grabbed the little girl in my arms. "Iffa!"

The girl giggled as she happily showed her hand. "See this!" She giggled. "She made this for me."

I touched the flower bracelet on her hand before I looked at the girl she was pointing at.

Nymeria still sat closely beside the grave of Buinal, lost in her thoughts.

She was kneeling, her hands folded loosely in her lap, eyes locked on the grave in front of her.

Iffa wriggled in my arms, still showing off the flower bracelet like it was some priceless treasure.

"It's pretty," I said, brushing her hair back. "You should thank her."

"I did!" she replied proudly, puffing her chest out. "But she didn't smile…"

I didn't reply as I patted the girl's back.

It's been more than a month and that girl is still staring at the grave.

She would occasionally leave the place, but most of the time, she stays here.

Curious as I may be, I didn't bother her to ask the reason.

A part of me was happy to see Ragnar's daughter suffer, but most of me felt pity for her.

Come to think of it, our situation is kind of similar to how our mother treats us.

But… that doesn't mean I would be lovey-dovey with her.

'Argh, whatever.'

I ignored her as I looked at the little girl who was staring at Nymeria concernedly.

"Iffa," I called her. "Can you show me the World Tree?"

The little girl blinked before she smiled. "Okay!"

The girl clapped her hands and then spread them apart.

The mark in my hand glowed, and in an instant the hologram of the World Tree appeared in front of me.

The hell energy was brimming around as its height was much larger than before.

Everything else looked the same as before except one thing.

I looked up at the top of the tree, where a glowing cocoon was floating.

It was beautiful to say the least, as its light bloomed in the place.

Inna leaned closer as she stared at the cocoon.

"She will be born soon," she mumbled with a smile. "The guardian spirit of your World Tree."

I remained silent as I kept on staring at the thing.

Inna leaned in so her face was in front of my line of sight. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I replied, pushing her face aside. "It's just… that thing feels familiar."

"I see," Inna mumbled, not saying much about it.

I stared at it for a while before I turned around and left it be.

'We will see when she gains her consciousness.'

Maybe I should talk with Elife to know more about the guardian spirit.

Hmm?

Just when I turned back, I found Nymeria standing right behind me.

I did sense her coming closer, but when did she come so close?

'Come to think of it… why do I always do this?'

Time and time again, I subconsciously lower my guard around her.

It's like my body and soul don't see her as a threat to my life.

'…I don't really like this.'

"What?" I asked, staring down at the elf.

"Was that the World Tree?" she asked. "Why do you have th—"

"It's not a World Tree," I lied with a straight face. "And mind your own business, please."

Her face twitched as I began to move past her.

"Huh?"

I let out a startled voice as Iffa grabbed onto the girl.

She left my hand as she clung to Nymeria.

"Iffa?" I mumbled, giving the child a blank look.

"Don't be rude to her," she said, before hiding her face in her bosom.

'What the hell?'

Whose child are you anyway?

"I don't like it," Nymeria mumbled as she stared at Iffa in her hand.

I smiled, raising my hand. "See, Iffa. She doesn't like—"

"I don't like just one side filled," she replied, leaning back away from my hand. "It would be better if there was another child."

My lips twitched as I glared at her.

Damn her and her fucking OCD.

Why does she have to be—

Hmm?

I ignored her as I turned to look to the north.

"It's Mariam," Inna said, unseen to Nymeria. "And—"

"Siersha?" I mumbled as I looked in that direction.

What are they doing together?