Redeem The Villain [Quick Travel] Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Imprisoned “Come In”

Lu Qinian had not completely lost consciousness when he fainted that day. He clearly remembered the Deer Beastman’s actions, and when he woke up, he simply offered a brief thank you without further interaction.

A few days later, the Elf’s mental state had recovered significantly. His long golden hair looked groomed, the bloodstains on the tips had been cleaned, and the wound on his abdomen had formed a thick scab. If his sickly, weak appearance hadn’t obscured the view, the truth might have been discovered long ago.

Lu Qinian swallowed all the rice porridge in one gulp, tossed the porcelain bowl aside, and leaned back against the iron bars to rest with his eyes closed, as he had done every day.

Even though the rust on the bars flaked off, making his back red, swollen, and itchy, he hadn’t thought about changing positions these past few days. After all, this spot was more suitable for the black fish to peek at him.

Based on the time Thor and he arrived, they had been imprisoned in the Dungeon for half a month. In these few days, let alone the mission, he hadn’t even seen Aleksi himself. However, that black fish came to spy on him daily.

Estimating the time was right, Lu Qinian opened his eyes and looked toward that spot.

Sure enough, in the darkest corner outside the iron bars, a small black fish arrived as promised.

It didn’t need to move its fins or wag its tail, and it even had white fuzz clinging to its body, yet it remained motionless, floating in the center of the seawater.

The Elf casually raised his eyes, pausing for a moment when his gaze met the black fish.

He had a plan in mind, so he no longer relied on the System to observe the black fish’s movements as he had in previous days. Instead, he boldly looked over, staring intently at the black fish.

When they weren’t making eye contact, Lu Qinian had only considered it the villain’s sick pleasure. But the moment their eyes met, Lu Qinian’s breathing instantly hitched, and he nearly got up to run away.

The black fish’s pair of dead, fish eyes had no black pupils. The pale eyeballs looked like fake eyes made of paper, particularly bright in the darkness, staring deeply and fixedly at him.

It was like looking at prey.

Lu Qinian couldn’t describe the feeling; it was as if he were standing naked in front of the other party, being thoroughly scrutinized from the inside out by that fierce gaze.

The air in the prison was extremely dry, and under the fish eyes’ scrutiny, it seemed to drop a degree. The other party’s gaze felt substantial, cold, and eerie, like a sharp knife that sent shivers down his spine.

What was Aleksi doing?

He tried to call out to System 009 in his mind, but the mechanical voice was slow to appear.

It was as if he wasn’t looking at a living person, but a piece of fat meat on a cutting board.

The fish eyes continued to stare. He shivered, then suppressed the slightest movement in his brows, remaining outwardly calm.

—It won’t happen.

He bet that the other party had no intention of killing him at this moment.

He didn’t know how much time had passed; Lu Qinian’s whole body had become stiff. He was still gritting his teeth and holding on, appearing calm on the surface, but his inner resolve was about to break—

In an instant, the fish eyes shifted their gaze. The cold, dark sensation left him, and the prison temperature returned to normal.

It was as if the black fish had invisible puppet strings attached to it. As the gaze disappeared, the puppet strings instantly snapped, and the long-dead black fish stiffly crashed onto the ground. Only its pair of dead fish eyes still looked in Lu Qinian’s direction.

He had left.

Lu Qinian let out a sigh of relief and said with certainty, “He won’t kill me. If he wanted to kill Thor, you wouldn’t have sent me into this body.”

The Main God Space would indeed select the most suitable identity for the host before assigning a mission. 009’s silence eased Lu Qinian’s tense nerves slightly; he had guessed correctly.

He had been thinking these past few days: what was the reason Thor, who publicly provoked the Merfolk at the banquet, wasn’t immediately gutted? How could a villain who could cook his father’s heart into soup for his younger brother, and then chop off his younger brother’s head in front of all the Merfolk during his coronation, let go of an outspoken Elf?

Lu Qinian had retained some suspicion initially, but combined with the System’s reaction, he was now certain.

The Elf must possess something that Aleksi absolutely needed.

What could it be?

.

The iron door of the Dungeon creaked open. With the sound of footsteps and a familiar cart, the Beastmen inside instantly grabbed their broken porcelain bowls. At the same time, some Beastmen had already wiped their bowls clean and rushed toward the hated iron bars.

“Don’t push!”

A Beastman strained to reach his arm out, but was bumped by the person behind him, causing his entire arm to scrape against the iron bars. The pain made him instantly curse, “Hiss! It hurts! Who bumped me!”

When the Beastman turned around, the area behind him was empty. For a moment, he couldn’t tell who had bumped him, so he treated everyone indiscriminately: “Was it you! When I get out, I’ll wipe out your entire clan!”

Lu Li was about to say something, but his arm was suddenly yanked by the Sheep Beastman beside him.

Lu Qinian glanced up. The Beastman’s arm was covered in long, thin cuts. He frowned; the wounds were filled with tiny rust particles. Given the conditions in the Dungeon, he feared that arm might be beyond saving.

The Beastman being yelled at showed a few seconds of guilt, then immediately retorted loudly, “It-it wasn’t me who bumped you! Besides, we are all Holy Sons of various tribes. Who do you think you are, threatening to wipe out our entire clan!”

The Beastmen who were originally watching the commotion were unwilling to suffer unwarranted blame, and inevitably threw in a few sarcastic remarks.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” A metal spoon was forcefully slammed against the iron bars, the loud noise instantly interrupting everyone’s argument.

A Merfolk Guard looked furious: “What are you all arguing about! You have the energy to argue over one bowl of rice porridge a day!? I think you’re too full? If you keep arguing, none of you will eat!”

As he spoke, he plunged the metal spoon, stained with rust particles, into the rice porridge bucket and stirred it repeatedly.

Instantly, all the Beastmen’s faces turned ashen. They stared at the Merfolk Guard’s actions but dared not speak. The porridge already contained very little rice.

“Give me a bowl.”

Lu Qinian sat in his usual spot. He turned his back to the Merfolk Guard and extended his arm sideways toward the rice porridge bucket.

The Merfolk Guard heard his tone and wanted to smash him with the spoon, but dared not get angry. He angrily scooped up a bowl of watery soup and poured it into the porcelain bowl.

The Elf’s gaze fell on the porcelain bowl in his hand. The rice porridge was almost clear, practically transparent. Lu Qinian mused that the porridge likely contained anti-water medicine; otherwise, it would be very dangerous for the Beastmen to stay Undersea for long periods.

With the System, he didn’t need to drink medicine, and he hadn’t planned on eating this bowl of porridge anyway, especially one mixed with rust particles. After receiving the bowl, he placed it aside and didn’t touch it again.

Lu Li immediately looked at Lu Qinian, then at the Guard who had scooped a bowl of pure water, deliberately avoiding all the rice grains. Frowning, he quietly extended his arm, his small deer eyes looking pitifully as he said, “Brother, can I have a bowl with rice grains?”

The pitiful little Deer Beastman squatted on the ground, holding up his broken porcelain bowl high with both hands.

“…”

After a moment, the Merfolk Guard scooped a full spoon of rice grains into his bowl.

A few minutes later, the Merfolk Guard carried the iron bucket and moved to the next Dungeon. Lu Qinian was surrounded only by the quiet sounds of people drinking porridge, until a pair of hands reached for the bowl beside him, completely shattering the tranquility of the cell.

The moment the bowl was lifted from the ground, Lu Qinian grabbed the other party’s wrist and lifted his eyelids, giving the person a deep, low glance.

The Beastman was startled by the sudden action, nearly spilling the porridge bowl in his hand. Seeing his intentions exposed, his face instantly flushed. When he met Lu Qinian’s warning gaze, the dissatisfaction in his heart could no longer be contained.

“If you hadn’t provoked that psycho at the banquet…”

He paused, timidly looked around, and then lowered his voice, continuing, “We wouldn’t be locked up here! Ultimately, it’s your fault we ended up like this!”

“…”

Lu Qinian would be leaving the Dungeon soon and didn’t care about this bowl of rice porridge. Half a month wasn’t long; these favored children hadn’t yet lowered their proud heads and wouldn’t fight over a bowl of porridge.

But given more time, it wouldn’t be certain. Lu Qinian could easily imagine what the Dungeon would look like a month from now.

The other Beastmen quietly watched the scene. In the distance, the scraping sound of the ladle hitting the iron bucket continued, and the entire Dungeon was extremely quiet.

Although Lu Li never blamed Lu Qinian, he could understand the resentment in the hearts of the other Beastmen. He wanted to get up and mediate, but Yang Luo held his hand tightly, preventing him from stepping forward.

Only when the Beastman couldn’t withstand the Elf’s gaze and slowly placed the porcelain bowl back did Lu Qinian release his fingers.

“I think he’s right. If it weren’t for Thor, we wouldn’t have been locked up.” The voice was very small, but it stirred up the resentment that had accumulated in everyone’s hearts for days.

“Exactly, if it weren’t for him, would we be stuck here?”

The anger with nowhere to vent seemed to find an outlet. One person spoke, and several voices immediately chimed in, all accusing Lu Qinian of dragging them down.

The brown deer eyes looked around. The sarcasm and anger on their faces were clearly visible. Lu Li’s displeasure deepened, and his gaze finally settled on the Elf.

His tone became firmer: “What Thor said at the banquet was right. Whether someone spoke up or not, Aleksi would have found an excuse to lock us in the Dungeon. He never intended to let us go back, don’t you understand?”

…A few Beastmen fell silent.

However, the golden-haired Elf remained silent, as if disdainful, merely turning his head slightly to give them a faint glance.

His eyes were filled with indifference and detachment, as if he wasn’t looking at living people, but treating them like dirt.

The Beastman who had started the commotion inexplicably shivered and couldn’t help but look away. When he mustered the courage to look again, he found that the Elf had withdrawn his gaze and was no longer looking at them. Instead, he raised his emerald eyes to face someone else.

“Thanks.” A clear, cold voice suddenly sounded.

Hearing this, the Deer Beastman looked up in confusion: “Huh?”

Lu Qinian said, “This is your reward.”

Looking at the rice porridge in the Elf’s hand, Lu Li was somewhat taken aback. The Elf in front of him, with his long golden hair draped over his shoulders, was confined in the Dungeon with them, yet he remained pure and flawless, untainted by dust.

He didn’t look like a prisoner; instead…

He looked more like a god who had come to deliver salvation.

His tone unconsciously carried a hint of shyness, and he repeatedly waved his hands: “No, no need. You drink it.”

One bowl of porridge couldn’t satisfy a full day’s hunger, especially since he hadn’t been full for half a month. He forced himself to look away, no longer staring at the bowl of rice porridge.

The next second—”Grumble, grumble,” the Deer Beastman’s stomach honestly made a sound. Lu Li quickly looked down at his stomach, scratching his head awkwardly, and tried to explain with some embarrassment: “I… I’m really not hungry, it’s just… Ah! You…”

Before he could finish speaking, the porcelain bowl full of rice porridge was instantly pushed into his hands. Lu Li subconsciously took it, then abruptly looked up at the Elf.

He found that the Elf’s attention wasn’t on him at all. The other party seemed to be listening to something. The words Lu Li wanted to say were interrupted by the sound of the lock on the iron door hitting the bars.

It was the Merfolk Guard returning after distributing the porridge.

The Beastmen who had been drooling over the porridge all turned their heads to look.

In just a few seconds, the Dungeon door was fully opened. The Guard looked impatient, holding the metal spoon and pointing it directly at Lu Qinian’s head.

His tone was unfriendly: “You, get up and come with me.”

Lu Qinian’s eyes were deep. He looked up, and after a moment, slowly stepped out.

Sure enough, the choice to face Aleksi directly was the right one.

Lu Li instantly snapped back to attention and was about to step forward to stop him, but his slightly parted lips were interrupted by Lu Qinian’s fleeting glance. He could only watch helplessly as the Elf’s straight figure walked steadily out of the Dungeon.

The Dungeon iron door was locked again.

“Push the cart and follow me. I advise you not to try any tricks,” the Guard paused, then looked mockingly at the wound on his abdomen, warning and reminding him, “Otherwise, next time it won’t be your stomach that gets pierced.”

.

The Elf’s clothes had long turned into tattered rags, barely covering the vaguely exposed vital areas. He hadn’t felt much in the cell, but once he left the Dungeon, the increasing number of probing Merfolk gazes made Lu Qinian’s cheeks feel hot.

After all, the biggest difference between him and being completely naked was just a few strips of cloth.

His physique was excellent; his healthy, lustrous skin was fair and clean, his powerful muscle lines were smooth and aesthetically pleasing, and his legs were long and toned. Moreover, the faint outline of his abs beneath the cloth made people drool with envy over his golden ratio.

Passing Merfolk frequently stared at the Elf. Their gazes were naked and bold, and even the Guard rolled his eyes, feeling envious.

Finally, the familiar Crystal Palace appeared before them. The palace was made entirely of blue crystal. The thick crystal walls not only prevented the interior of the palace from being seen but also became more dazzling under the sunlight refracted by the seawater.

Cheerful fish swam in schools around the palace, and beautiful, graceful Merfolk traveled together. Colorful small fish and crawling shellfish moved through the coral clusters on the ground.

Without exaggeration, this was the most beautiful place Lu Qinian had ever seen.

[Initiating Redemption Progress. Current Progress—0%]

(Note: 100% = The villain will not destroy the world)

Lu Qinian was focused on admiring the palace when he was suddenly interrupted by 009, instantly losing interest. He withdrew his gaze and continued to follow the Guard.

Current progress 0%. It seemed that as long as he reached 100%, Aleksi wouldn’t destroy the world, and he could return to the real world for a rebirth.

The Guard passed the palace gate and kept walking, causing Lu Qinian to look ahead in confusion.

The other party seemed to guess his confusion, and thinking the Elf wouldn’t survive tomorrow, kindly explained, “What is your status? Do you think you can use the main entrance?”

Lu Qinian recalled a phrase: What is your status? What is my status? Do you even deserve to use the same one as me!?

The original owner was, after all, the Elf Holy Son, yet he was being reprimanded by this small Guard. Lu Qinian said coldly, “I don’t.”

“Hmph, you better be honest and obedient.”

After circling half of the palace, they finally entered the palace through a small door. Perhaps because it was a small entrance, the entire corridor was not lavishly decorated; instead, it was somewhat plain and gloomy. Glowing pearls hung on the antique lampstands on both sides, and there were only a few paintings. Lu Qinian followed the Guard past many rooms until they stopped at a room around a corner.

“Go in.” The Guard glanced at Lu Qinian and added, “Wash yourself clean quickly.”

After saying that, he didn’t say another word and turned to leave.

The door in front of them was ordinary. The entire corridor was filled with identical doors, none of which were marked with room numbers.

Lu Qinian had been quiet and still along the way, secretly memorizing the route roughly, but he lost his bearings in front of these rooms.

It seemed it wouldn’t be easy for him to accurately find the room later.

Pushing open the door, the interior decoration was even simpler than the corridor. The room had no extra decorations, not even tables or chairs. Only a worn but neat wooden bed stood in the center, and a set of clothes was placed beside the bed, looking clean and tidy, though not luxurious.

Lu Qinian withdrew his gaze and walked into the bathroom.

Approximately two hours later.

The High Priest, Yang Luo, walked toward the room with a look of resentment and dissatisfaction.

The thought of Aleksi scolding him made the High Priest furious. He didn’t know what was so special about that Elf that he had to personally come and fetch him!

He lightly knocked on the door. In less than two seconds, the door opened from the outside inward.

The scene before him made him freeze in place.

The Elf’s long golden hair was clean and neat. His pointed Elf ears divided the golden hair into two sections, and the long hair draped over his shoulders swayed with his movements. The Elf was captivating, and his pair of emerald eyes were bright and profound.

Even though he was wearing servant clothes, he still couldn’t suppress his inherent noble aura.

He hadn’t expected this Elf to be so handsome.

The High Priest’s eyes shifted, and he chuckled softly, “Holy Son Thor, please follow me.”

“Greetings, High Priest.” Lu Qinian bowed, mimicking the etiquette from his memory.

Yang Luo was not surprised that his identity had been seen through. He waved his hand dismissively and walked forward.

The two walked one after the other.

Lu Qinian’s gaze fell on the Merfolk in front of him. The Merfolk was wearing a pitch-black robe that enveloped his entire body. His eyes moved downward—beneath the black robe was a pair of legs.

He withdrew his gaze. Sure enough, the High Priest was Yang Luo, the Merfolk who had grown up with Aleksi since childhood.

Yang Luo was considered Aleksi’s savior when he was young.

He wasn’t an orphan, but he had no one to raise him. His father was the most selfish Merfolk in the tribe, and the two Merfolk least favored by the entire tribe were Aleksi and Yang Luo.

The little Merfolk’s father died when he was five. The young Yang Luo was driven out of the tribe, but he managed to survive on his own. However, he longed for friendship and wanted to play with other Merfolk younglings. Since he was disliked by the adult Merfolk, he was naturally shunned by the young ones, until the infant Aleksi was cast out of the tribe, and he secretly took him in.

If Aleksi was the demon who killed his father and brother, then Yang Luo was the black-hearted lotus who handed the demon the knife.

The black-hearted lotus appeared weak on the surface, smiling warmly at everyone, but his heart was extremely dark.

Yang Luo stopped walking. He stared at the Elf, the smile on his lips growing wider, indescribably eerie.

“His Majesty is inside. Holy Son, please enter.”

The High Priest smiled as if he were sending him to his death; he was indeed a black-hearted lotus.

Lu Qinian quickly turned his head. The door in front of him was covered with intricate patterns, but it gave him a chilling feeling of being watched.

Under Yang Luo’s gaze, he raised his hand and lightly knocked on the door.

“Knock, knock.”

The next second—

A cold, deep voice, like a ghost from the underworld, passed through the door and reached his ears.

“Come in.”