The Return Of The Exiled Villain

”Time to check the rewards,” Gray murmured as he stepped into the final chamber.

The room itself looked like a shrine for victory.

And right at the center, sitting on a raised platform as if demanding worship... a large golden chest straight out of a fantasy game, decorated with jewels and intricate carvings that pulsed faintly with light.

Gray paused in front of it for a moment.

”A Master-level dungeon... with monsters strong enough to kill me hundreds of times. This reward better be worth it.”

He knelt slightly and flipped the lid open without hesitation.

[Ding!]

[You have obtained the Ring of Gluttony!]

[You have obtained a Trascendent Robe!]

Gray’s eyebrow lifted a little.

”Oh... that sounds promising.” He tapped the first item.

[Name: Ring of Gluttony

Grade: Low Saint

Type: Artifact

Main Function: Converts any consumed flesh or material into raw energy that permanently increases the wearer’s stats.

Additional Traits:

• Auto-Devour: When killing an enemy, the ring absorbs the corpse instantly, preventing loot theft and corpse-based abilities.

This ability is automatically connected with the Dimensional Storage skill!

• Endless Hunger: Increases stamina regeneration by 500% and removes exhaustion from physical combat.]

——+——+——+——

[Name: Trascendent Robe

Grade: Intermediate King

Type: Armor

Main Function: Nullifies 70% of all physical and magical damage from equal or lower realm foes. Reduces damage from higher realm foes by up to 20% based on attack type.

Additional Traits:

• Conceal Aura: Hides cultivation level and killing intent when activated from people below the Intermediate King level.

Special Traits:

• Royal Vessel: Can evolve into a Sovereign-Grade robe once nourished with the power of a Monarch or higher.]

”...Now that is what a proper reward looks like.”

Gray reached into the chest and lifted the robe out.

The fabric felt softer than air, darker than night, no thread marks, no seams, only a smooth living shadow that wrapped around his hands like liquid silk.

He let it flow over his shoulders and down his back.

The garment clung to his frame, adjusting perfectly as if tailored to his bones rather than his measurements.

The room dimmed for a second, and then his aura vanished.

If someone saw him now, they would think he was just a regular human strolling into the final floor of a deadly dungeon.

Which made it even more amusing.

Gray brushed one hand across the robe’s sleeve.

”...If I’m not wrong... this should work,” Gray tried a little experiment.

He injected mana into the robe, and it instantly expanded, creating a casual black wear for him to wear, perfectly fitting his body.

”Perfect,” he nodded with satisfaction.

Then, he grabbed the ring, putting it on his index finger, and closed the floating status screens with a flick.

[...How long do you plan to control the body?]

Jasmine suddenly asked as Gray headed towards the exit door that looked exactly like the door he had entered through to arrive at this special room.

”...Probably until the end of the Seven Stars Ball.”

[Why?]

”I want to meet up with my elder sister.”

Jasmine was a little confused by his words.

[Don’t you hate her? Why would you want to meet up with her?]

”Hate?” Gray almost laughed.

”Did you forget about the essence of my Sword Intent?”

[Ahh... but still! Normally, even if you are emotionless, you wouldn’t want to meet up with someone who threw you out of your house.]

”Jasmine. If I had to say who was the person who loved me the most in this entire world... it would be undeniable... Alina, my elder sister.”

He spoke as if confessing a trivial fact.

”However... my dumb self from a year ago wasn’t able to connect the dots, but now, perhaps because I’ve lost my emotions, I can easily understand the meaning of her every move.”

’...Especially how she’s been stalking me for quite a while, but it seems that her attendant didn’t enter this dungeon.’

”And even if I wanted to kill someone... it would be my father and Maelis. However, my father is already set in stone, while Maelis... she has her uses for now.”

[I see...]

Fwooosh...

The moment he opened the door, a strong, cold wind clawed at him.

He stepped out into the familiar expanse of snowy mountains... and behind him, the impossible tree had vanished entirely.

”Hm.”

He scanned the white landscape.

”I’ll just go directly to the boss,” he muttered.

He closed his eyes and slowly extended his forcefield, turning it into some kind of spiritual sense.

As he extended it, a small amount of force started hitting it, and soon...

Crack!

A creature successfully broke his forcefield.

”Hah...”

A line of red slid from the corner of his mouth. He wiped the blood away with his thumb and fixed his gaze toward the direction of the creature that had broken his forcefield.

”...The peak of the Grandmaster Realm?”

He was quite disappointed, but this level was already quite high for a Master-level dungeon, so, without any hesitation, he started heading towards the place where the boss was.

But unfortunately for him...

”GRAYYYY!”

A familiar and annoying voice called out his name.

Instantly, he snapped his finger, and the familiar hypnotic rings appeared on his eyes, but if that wasn’t enough...

”I’m going to borrow your Authority of Beauty.”

[...Alright.]

Jasmine didn’t seem surprised anymore.

[Ding!]

[You have acquired the skill Blessing of Beauty!]

[The skill Blessing of Beauty has reached level four!]

[Ding!]

[You have received the Authority of Beauty!]

[The Authority of Beauty has reached level four!]

”...Lyra?” He turned around with a faint smile.

Thump!

She directly threw herself onto Gray’s arms, wrapping her own’s against the back of his waist tightly.

”Where were you! I was looking for you for ages!” she pouted, puffing out her cheeks as her golden eyes stared into his pitch-black ones.

Gray patted her head lightly.

”I was simply looking for the location of the boss, and just found it now,” he pointed in the direction he was heading.

”Mhm...” She eyed him suspiciously, but seeing his calm smile, she sighed.

”You can’t do this again! Next time, at least give me a warning that you were going to look for the boss!”

She warned him, to which Gray simply nodded while gently brushing her lips.

This action made her a little embarrassed, and soon, she turned her head to the side, causing Gray to chuckle lightly.

[...How are you this good at imitating people?]

Jasmine asked as Gray ’comforted’ Lyra.

’The other Gray’s character is based on my anger and personality from when I was a Playboy. Why wouldn’t I be able to fully imitate him?’

[What do you mean by that...?]

Her confusion was so adorable that it nearly made him laugh aloud.

’Oh... Oh my... he didn’t tell you? I guess you need to have a little chat with him later.’

[Is he hiding something from me?]

’You should ask him about that as I won’t be answering.’

Lyra pressed her forehead to his chest for a moment longer before stepping back, her lips curved in that sweet yet insistent pout.

”We should gather the others first,” she advised, her golden eyes shining with concern. ”The aura that thing is giving seems really strong... attacking it alone would be reckless.”

Gray clicked his tongue at her words.

He wanted to go straight to the kill. But he wasn’t stupid, as revealing his power here would make future problems annoyingly complicated.

And besides... he still needed to measure Adrian’s true strength.

”...Okay.”

Lyra smiled in relief and pulled him by the wrist, practically dragging him through the snow until the little shelter came into view.

Inside, the rest of the team sat in a loose circle around the make-shift fireplace.

Leon, Adrian, Selina, Selene, and Claire lifted their heads mid-conversation.

”Guys, I found Gray!” Lyra announced with a bright grin.

Five gazes snapped to him.

”Where were you?!” Selene shot up, storming toward him faster than the wind.

Her hands immediately grabbed his shoulders, sliding down his arms, checking him as if expecting blood to gush from somewhere.

She was seconds away from tearing open his shirt.

A single finger raised by Gray stopped her completely.

”I’m fine,” he replied simply.

”I was scouting the boss’s location.”

Selene froze, cheeks heating before she stepped back with an awkward cough.

”Mhm....”

Across the room, Selina hummed at him, her eyes narrowing as she scanned him from head to toe.

Gray ignored her.

”Where is Maelis?”

”No idea. She disappeared just like you. Probably searching for the boss too... just didn’t find it yet.” Leon was the first to answer, leaning forward with a sigh.

”Hm.” Gray closed his eyes, a small pulse of force sliding invisibly outward from him.

A quiet ripple that brushed across the dungeon like a sixth sense.

And there she was, locked in battle with the same beast that had cracked his barrier.

His lips curved.

”I found her.”

Leon and Adrian shot upright, synchronization so sharp it was almost comical.

”Where?!” they both demanded.

”She’s already fighting the boss. North side of the mountain. I’ll meet you there.”

He turned without giving anyone the chance to argue.

”Gray, wait—!”

”[✧Swap✧]”

He vanished from their sight, only to be replaced by a single drifting snowflake slowly falling through the space his head once occupied.

”That bastard! He’s doing it again!” Selene stomped her foot, rage burning in her voice as she quickly grabbed her sword.

”Come on! We’re going after them before he gets himself killed!” Leon also stood up, adjusting his coat, his eyes already sharpening with determination.

”Hurry! Let’s catch up!”