THE VILLAIN'S POV

Chapter 536: Runes of Twentyfold Wrath (2)

”Are you alright?”

A young man with black hair and crimson eyes extended his hand to her ..Dawn Polaris, the one who hadn’t sustained so much as a scratch since the battle began.

But the real focus wasn’t on Dawn.

He wasn’t the one who had unleashed that devastating display.

It was the woman standing just behind him.

”Damn these filthy creatures... how many of them do I have to kill before this nightmare ends?”

She looked genuinely annoyed ..a strange witch moving through the battlefield, a strange aura coiling around her along with several crackling sparks of electricity.

What stood out wasn’t just her power, but the strange runic symbols glowing across scattered parts of her body.

”We have to move quickly before the mist gets to us,” said Dawn Polaris, mindful of the injured Celine.

As for the witch, Selena Hemsworth... she didn’t even seem to acknowledge her presence.

All she wanted to do was move faster.

At once, the three of them ran, cutting through one battlefield after another.

Each time, Selena would annihilate any Nightmare Creature that dared cross their path.

Her body released magic instinctively, weaving every element at a level that was both high and incomprehensible.

Her aura had reached heights it was never meant to touch—she was shrouded in complete mystery.

Yet she handled dozens of mist-born abominations on her own. The fog seemed to have no effect on her, and Celine suspected it had something to do with the strange runes carved into her body.

They were scattered across her arms, legs, torso... even her neck and face.

It was as if glowing tattoos had been etched onto her with cursed ink.

Among the incomprehensible runes, there was one thing Celine could read—and so could anyone else who saw it.

On Selena’s right side, just above her waist... a certain number was carved.

”×20”

What did that mean? Times twenty?

That’s what Celine wanted to know ..especially after Selena unleashed more and more devastating attacks, slaying the mist-born at alarming speed.

”Next! Damn it!” the witch barked angrily, dashing about with Dawn and Celine following behind.

Then, without warning, Selena’s body convulsed, and she coughed blood before collapsing onto the ground.

Dawn rushed to her side instantly, supporting her.

”That’s enough, Selena. Your body can’t take any more!” he said urgently, only for the witch to shove him away in irritation.

”And what do you know about my limits?”

Sitting on the ground, she groaned from the sheer pain she had to endure.

”I might have overdone it this time... shouldn’t have pushed it to twenty times my power.”

Slowly, Selena exhaled as the runes faded from her skin.

Hearing that, Celine could no longer suppress her curiosity.

”Twenty times... your power?”

”Hm?” Selena didn’t even seem aware of the girl’s presence until now, her expression twisting in annoyance.

”Who’s this girl with the dumb face?”

”She’s the one you saved earlier, don’t you remember?” Dawn replied, earning a sigh from Selena.

”My focus was on the Nightmare Creatures. Looks like you had the time to pick up girls, huh, Dawn?” Selena grumbled—right before coughing up more blood, prompting Dawn to palm his face.

”We need to move soon. If we stay here, they’ll surround us,” Dawn pointed out, but Selena only chuckled at that.

”With you here? I doubt anything could happen to us ..even if the Demon King himself came down.”

Clearly, she was referring to her comrade’s bizarre survival ability.

”Not to mention, I’ll be vomiting more blood the moment I try to move.”

She had clearly reached her limit.

Trapped in the heart of the battlefield, their only option was to rely on Dawn’s luck to keep the danger at bay.

The fighting raged on, and no doubt Snow was still clashing with Cosmos—they could still feel the colossal fluctuations of aura from their duel.

Selena wanted to help, but her limit had come faster than expected. At that moment, Celine hesitantly raised her hand.

”Excuse me... I think I can help.”

Hearing that, Selena’s doubt was evident.

”Help? How? Are you going to cry at the enemy until they feel sorry for us?”

”Be kinder to her, Selena,” Dawn interjected, urging Celine to ignore the jab.

Celine summoned her power, and water began to form out of thin air around her.

”I can heal you enough to fight again,” she said, making both Dawn and Selena look at her in a new light.

”That changes everything !! In that case, come here and help your big sis!” Selena said enthusiastically, while Dawn frowned.

”She doesn’t look that much younger than us.”

”Shut your mouth.”

Celine just stared at them, baffled at how they could banter like this in the middle of such chaos.

Where... did they get this level of nonchalance?

She wanted to know.

But for Dawn, who knew his ability would protect him no matter what, and for Selena, who had witnessed that ability with her own eyes, staying calm beside him was natural.

”Come here, girl, and start healing.”

”Ah—right!”

Celine rushed over, placing her hands on Selena’s back, letting her power flow into her.

”My ability lets me turn the water I control into healing water. I can treat your internal injuries this way, but I can’t restore your aura reserves,” Celine explained.

”No need for that. Healing my internal damage is more than enough,” Selena replied with a laugh.

At first, Celine didn’t understand what she meant ..until she began healing and realized just how battered Selena’s body truly was. The number of internal injuries was insane.

”Don’t be shocked, girl. This mess is the price of my ability,” Selena said with a smile.

”Since you told me about your healing, I’ll tell you about mine!”

Forming a magic pen in her hand, she began writing over her skin.

”As you can see, I can grant myself different powers by inscribing runes onto my body. I can use this ability in many ways—like instantly casting spells or manipulating elements I normally couldn’t use,” Selena explained before her grin deepened.

”Or multiplying my power several times over.”

The last sentence caught Celine’s full attention ..she instantly remembered that ”×20” mark.

”Does that mean...?!”

Selena nodded.

”That’s right. Twenty is my limit... but I can multiply my power twentyfold. That’s how I was able to slaughter all those Nightmare Creatures.”

”That’s incredible!” Celine gasped, unable to hide her awe. Selena laughed proudly in response.

”Yes, it is!”

Frey Starlight wasn’t the only one who had honed himself through relentless training.

One of the story’s main heroines ..Selena Hemsworth ..had also awakened her true potential.