.
.
Silence returned to the Dragon King's Palace.
The corpses of the Dragon Slayers slowly dissolved into crimson mist.
The ancient palace, once filled with murderous intent, became peaceful again.
The Dragon Spirit looked at Knox and Lyra with satisfaction.
"The inheritance has chosen its successors."
Golden light enveloped the two of them.
A stream of ancient memories flooded Knox's mind.
Not cultivation techniques.
Not sword arts.
But knowledge.
The rise and fall of the Dragon Kingdom.
The betrayal of the Dragon Slayers.
And one mysterious name that appeared again and again...
The Shadow Empress.
[Ding!]
Memory Fragment Obtained.
New Main Quest Unlocked: Find the Shadow Empress.
Reward: Supreme Villain Authority +2%.
Knox frowned.
"The Shadow Empress..."
Before he could think further, the Dragon Spirit's body began to fade.
"My mission is complete."
"The Dragon King's will has been passed on."
Lyra stepped forward.
"Wait!"
"Will we meet again?"
The Dragon Spirit smiled gently.
"When dragons once again rule the skies..."
"I shall awaken."
With those final words, the ancient spirit disappeared.
The Dragon King's Palace began collapsing.
"It's falling apart!"
Alexander shouted.
"We need to leave!"
Outside the palace, Vorthar landed before them.
"Hurry!"
"There isn't much time."
Everyone climbed onto the Ancient Dragon's back.
Moments later—
BOOOOM!
The Dragon King's Palace collapsed into countless fragments of golden light.
The Dragon King's Ruins slowly began to disappear from the world.
Three days later...
The five geniuses returned.
No...
Six.
Lyra had officially joined the academy as a special disciple.
News of the expedition spread like wildfire.
Knox defeating Orion.
The Dragon Princess awakening.
The Dragon Slayers' invasion.
Within days, every major power in the Eternal Divine Realm knew their names.
Inside the Void Pavilion...
Knox sat alone, examining the Dragon King's Seal on his palm.
Suddenly—
The room became cold.
Too cold.
The candles extinguished on their own.
Knox calmly looked toward the window.
"You've been watching me since the Dragon King's Palace."
A soft laugh echoed.
"So you noticed."
A woman stepped out of the shadows.
She wore a silver fox mask.
Long black hair flowed behind her.
Even with her face hidden, her beauty was undeniable.
She radiated elegance...
And danger.
Knox remained seated.
"You broke through the academy's formations."
She nodded.
"They're disappointing."
"You came here just to insult our security?"
She laughed.
"I came to meet you."
[WARNING!]
Unknown Entity Detected.
Power Level: Impossible to Analyze.
Recommendation: Extreme Caution.
The woman removed one glove.
On the back of her hand...
Was the same black crown symbol Knox had seen on the Throne of the First Villain.
His expression finally changed.
"You're connected to the First Villain."
She smiled beneath the mask.
"Very observant."
"My name..."
"...is Nyx."
"The world calls me..."
The Shadow Empress.
Knox stood.
"So you finally came."
Nyx tilted her head.
"You were expecting me?"
"The System mentioned your name."
She laughed again.
"So..."
"The System is awake."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Nyx slowly walked around the room.
"I've watched you since your first battle."
"You don't act like the villain written in destiny."
Knox answered honestly.
"Because I'm not."
"I'm someone who refused the script."
Nyx stopped walking.
For the first time...
She looked genuinely surprised.
Then...
She smiled.
"The First Villain once said those exact words."
A long silence filled the room.
Finally, Nyx spoke.
"The Celestial Court has begun moving."
"The Demon Realm is gathering its armies."
"The Dragon Slayers have awakened."
"And the Heavenly Dao itself has chosen new heroes."
She looked directly into Knox's eyes.
"You don't have three years."
Knox frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Nyx's voice became serious.
"You have..."
"One."
The room fell silent.
One year?
The System had said three.
Suddenly—
[WARNING!]
Timeline Distortion Detected.
The Host's actions have accelerated the main storyline.
Current Estimated Time Until the Great War: 12 Months.
Knox's expression remained calm.
Inside...
He immediately began planning.
Twelve months.
Every decision from now on mattered.
Nyx tossed a black crystal toward him.
Knox caught it.
"This is?"
"A key."
"To the Abyss Realm."
"The place where the Crown of the Fallen King sleeps."
Knox remembered the guardian's words.
The three legendary treasures.
The Heart of Rebellion.
The Crown of the Fallen King.
The Blood of the True Enemy of Heaven.
He had already discovered clues to one.
Now another had appeared.
Nyx turned toward the window.
Before leaving, she said one final sentence.
"Knox..."
"If you truly wish to become the greatest villain in history..."
"Then stop chasing destiny."
"Make destiny chase you."
She vanished into the darkness.
Only the black crystal remained in Knox's hand.
He looked out at the moonlit sky.
A faint smile appeared.
"The Abyss Realm..."
"It sounds like fun."
Far beyond the Eternal Divine Realm...
A massive pair of crimson eyes slowly opened within endless darkness.
"The heir has taken his first step."
"Prepare the Abyss."
The next stage of Knox's journey...
Had begun.
End of Chapter 23
.
.