Chapter 190: The Villain Template Begins
Soon, Damian, Linsey, and Helena arrived not far from Garvek’s hidden base.
From the outside, it did not look like a bandit den at all.
Instead, it looked like a private merchant courtyard built near the edge of Black Stone Market.
The walls were clean, the gate was polished, and several guards stood outside wearing neat black-and-gray robes like proper hired escorts.
Damian stared at it for a moment before clicking his tongue. "Damn. Well-dressed bandits really are annoying."
Linsey’s eyes turned cold. "That place looks clean, but there are underground rooms beneath it."
Helena nodded. "Most of the dirty work should happen below."
Damian looked at the guards, then at the hidden formations around the courtyard.
A faint grin slowly appeared on his face.
Without saying anything, he reached into his storage ring and took out a set of black clothes and a black mask.
Linsey blinked. "Master?"
Damian casually changed his outer robe and placed the mask over his face. "You two wait here."
Helena frowned at once. "Master, you want to go alone?"
Linsey also stepped forward. "There are five Golden Core cultivators inside."
Damian turned toward them, his dark mask making his expression look even more wicked. "Don’t underestimate me, you two."
His Golden Core aura leaked faintly for a breath, heavy and chaotic. "After all, I am Selvara’s disciple. I’m not weak."
Helena’s expression became complicated.
That was true.
No matter how shameless Damian was, he had survived Elder Selvara’s personal training and reached Golden Core in a ridiculous amount of time.
Linsey still looked worried. "Master, at least let us support you from outside."
"That’s exactly what you’ll do." Damian pointed at them.
"Stay hidden. If I ask for help, move. If I don’t say anything, don’t move."
Helena hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Understood."
Linsey lowered her head slightly. "Please be careful."
Damian laughed softly. "Careful? Of course."
He turned toward the base again, his black clothes fluttering slightly in the wind. "Now then..."
His fingers flexed, and faint chaotic light gathered around his knuckles.
Damian’s grin became sharper beneath the mask. "Since they made their base so hidden, let’s use the villain template."
---
Damian stood in the shadow of the side wall, his black mask covering most of his face.
A moment later, his fingers moved.
A pair of black gauntlets appeared over his hands, wrapping around his fists like dragon claws.
The metal was dark, heavy, and sharp at the knuckles, making him look far less like a righteous sect disciple and far more like some demonic cultivator who had crawled out of a forbidden cave.
Damian looked down at himself and nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Very evil."
He stepped forward openly.
The guards at the gate immediately noticed him. "Who are you?"
Damian did not answer.
One guard reached for his weapon. "This is private property. Leave, or..."
Damian’s figure blurred.
SWISH!
The next instant, his black gauntlet smashed into the guard’s chest.
BANG!
The man flew backward, crashed through the gate, and slammed into the courtyard floor like a broken sack.
The other guards froze.
Damian slowly walked through the shattered gate, his black clothes fluttering in the dust.
One guard shouted, "Enemy attack!"
Spiritual bells rang across the courtyard.
DING! DING! DING!
Several well-dressed cultivators rushed out from the halls, drawing swords, sabers, and talismans.
Damian looked at them and chuckled. "Relax. I’m not here for money."
His voice lowered beneath the mask. "I’m here for your lives."
The guards’ faces changed.
One of them cursed, "Demonic bastard!"
Damian paused.
A second later, his shoulders trembled with amusement. "Demonic bastard, huh?"
He raised both black gauntlets, spreading his fingers like claws.
"Fine. Since you people love dressing like a righteous faction while acting like bandits, I’ll play the demon cultivator for you."
His Chaos Qi erupted.
Dark light wrapped around his body, and the pressure of the Golden Core Realm crashed down on the courtyard.
BOOM!
Several guards staggered back.
Damian took a deep breath.
Then he activated [Lion Roar].
Only this time, he twisted the sound with Chaos Qi, making it deeper, rougher, and far more savage.
ROOOOAAARRR!
The roar tore through the courtyard like a dragon’s fury.
The weaker guards screamed as blood leaked from their ears.
From the distant hillside, Linsey and Helena stared at the courtyard below, completely stunned.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The Damian they knew was shameless, lazy, flirty, and always laughing like everything was a joke.
The Damian below them was different.
That wild laugh echoing through the courtyard sounded less like a righteous sect disciple and more like a crazy villain enjoying the screams.
Linsey’s lips parted slightly, her eyes trembling with shock. "Helena... is that really Master?"
Helena’s hand tightened around her weapon.
Her face looked stiff, but the surprise in her eyes could not be hidden. "I don’t know."
She watched Damian walk through the dust like a demon king entering his own throne room.
A chill ran down her back.
"No... maybe this is also him."
Linsey swallowed softly. "His real personality?"
Helena stayed silent for a breath.
Inside the courtyard, Damian laughed again, savage and excited.
Helena’s voice became low. "Maybe Master has been hiding more than we thought."
Linsey stared at Damian’s black-clothed figure, unable to look away.
The man below was still Damian.
The same Damian who teased them shamelessly.
The same Damian who gave them gifts without blinking.
The same Damian who smiled like the world was just one big playground built for his amusement.
Yet now, that amusement had become something darker.
Crueler.
More dangerous.
Linsey’s fingers tightened around her short blade. "He looks happy."
Helena’s gaze sharpened slightly. "Too happy."
Meanwhile, back in the courtyard, Damian slowly turned his head toward the surviving guards.
His black gauntlets dripped with dust and blood, and chaotic light curled around his arms like dark flames.
The guards instinctively stepped back.
Damian laughed under his mask, low and wicked. "Listen carefully."
His voice spread through the broken courtyard. "Go call your boss."
No one moved.
Damian tilted his head slightly. "What? Are your ears broken?"
A guard trembled. "Y-You... who the hell are you?"
Damian’s grin widened beneath the mask.
He raised one black claw and pointed toward the deepest hall of the base. "Tell your boss that I’m here."
His Chaos Qi surged again, crushing the air around him.
WOOOM!
"I am the Black Dragon."
Damian’s laughter echoed through the courtyard.
"And tonight, I’m starting my conquest."