A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Chapter 424: Assassinator, Despiser - II

"…"

Helen's brow furrowed unintentionally, she covered her head slightly, murmuring subconsciously, "Why... can't I think of it suddenly?"

The moment her thoughts began to flow, an invisible barrier instantly severed them, leaving her to watch as inspiration slipped away, unable to continue her train of thought.

She gazed at the Nidhoggur cluster for a while, then shook her head, dismissing the odd sensation and attributing it to signs of soul healing.

Although... the duration was peculiarly long, much longer than Myron had mentioned, her memory was indeed gradually recovering, becoming more complete. It seemed it wouldn't be long before she fully recuperated.

"My knowledge… is still scarce."

The alchemist who understood Nidhoggur's workings best murmured, "Far too scarce."

Even as an alchemist, Helen's knowledge on the extraordinary level was astonishingly vast, yet she still felt that what she knew was insufficient.

Whether it was a new design concept to make Nidhoggur more robust, a direct method to alter its quality through energy supply, or...

As she pondered thus, Helen stored Nidhoggur into her bracelet, whispering, "As long as it can resolve father's issue, then—"

Her words were interrupted by a streak of blood that appeared on her face.

— Had she not turned her head in time, it would have been more than just a bloodstreak.

"..."

Surrounded by a shimmering transparent barrier, Helen watched the scene before her with slightly narrowed pupils.

Nidhoggur… was not under her control.

The countless mechanical insects, nearly invisible to the naked eye, danced wildly in mid-air, not returning to her bracelet as she willed.

The invisible strike that had attempted to pierce through Helen's skull moments ago had come from Nidhoggur.

Helen silently retreated as four floating cannons materialized behind her, their glowing muzzles indicating they were ready to unleash their firepower at any moment.

Nidhoggur's rebellion was impossible—when Helen created it, she had made arrangements for a soul binding, making Nidhoggur an extension of her limbs, absolutely obedient to her. Normally, there should be no possibility of it going berserk.

But now—

Boom!

A floating cannon above Helen's head exploded without warning, its mechanical fragments and fiery waves blocked by the transparent barrier. Before Helen could react, one, no, three almost simultaneous booming explosions occurred.

Perhaps in just the blink of an eye, all four floating cannons were destroyed.

"Have you… no other means?"

A harsh, grating voice echoed in the alchemy workshop, as if it belonged to someone who hadn't spoken for days or even hundreds of days.

Helen didn't foolishly ask who the unseen visitor was but instead immediately tried to control Nidhoggur. However, her intent, cast into the vast swarm of alchemical insects, vanished without a trace.

"The correct choice would have been to call your elders."

As the mysterious person spoke again, Helen saw the wildly dancing Nidhoggur transform into a multitude of tiny but indestructible blades.

Why he could completely dominate Nidhoggur, and the precision of such manipulation skills, was a mystery...

"There are at least three fifth-stage extraordinary beings here who could immediately support you, yet you haven't even thought to ask for help. How come... Even when your life is threatened, you no longer wish to involve them in the slightest?"

The blades formed by Nidhoggur easily tore through Helen's activated defense field, making the invisible barrier seem like a mere illusion. Just as the storm was about to completely shred Helen, a red-black iron wall suddenly materialized in front of her.

"…You learn quickly."

Helen, who managed to block the attack with a barrier formed by a few Nidhoggur under her control, finally spoke, her lightless purple eyes devoid of any emotion:

"Knowing the risks, why do you still dare to come after me?"

"Risk? It's only a risk if there's a possibility of it happening, and you... clearly wouldn't do that."

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The Nidhoggur under Helen's control began to "waver." This alchemical creation, connected to her soul, was being plundered as if it were a mere trinket on a table.

Nidhoggur had appeared in that war, and many within the Tower of Babel were aware of it. It wouldn't be surprising if this mysterious person used something similar to Nidhoggur to attack Helen.

But this mysterious assassin… was able to completely dominate Nidhoggur, which belonged to Helen and was bound to her soul.

In this world, only Father had a far superior understanding of Nidhoggur than she did. He could accomplish such a feat, but there was no reason for him to do so.

So, was it a… highly skilled soul sorcerer?

If his intention was to kill her, then what purpose did his words serve?

As Helen's thoughts flickered momentarily, the attacker's onslaught did not pause for her contemplation. Nidhoggur, which had been utterly tame in Helen's hands, now unleashed unprecedented violence towards its master with ferocity.

"How ugly."

The raspy whisper echoed in the alchemy workshop: "I see nothing of value in your eyes."

"Better to gouge them out."

Under the mysterious person's command, a dense swarm of dark insects attacked, almost instantly aiming to burrow into Helen's eyes, to tear apart and devour those dim yet still magnificent purple irises.

Helen's defense, as fragile as paper, was easily penetrated, or rather... the Nidhoggur she had mobilized had already been commandeered by the mysterious person, leaving her... with nothing but a fate of being at someone's mercy.

Even so, you still wish to avoid any further contact with them.

The tone in which the mysterious person spoke these words was cold and disdainful, yet Helen, as he described, made no move to call for help even in such dire circumstances.

However, the Nidhoggur that was about to crush Helen's eyes suddenly halted in front of her.

"You're lucky."

The mysterious person's harsh, unpleasant voice sounded again: "But it won't always be this way... Be ready at any time, puppet."

"I will destroy you, who should not exist in this world, completely... After all..."

"You also feel that you are a meaningless, superfluous existence."

In the next moment, all the Nidhoggur floating in front of Helen vanished, those prototypes of weapons she had researched with endless effort were taken away as easily as pebbles by the roadside.

Yet, what caused an emotional stir in Helen's lightless eyes was not the mysterious person's enigmatic and powerful abilities, but the words he left behind.

Utter… nonsense.

Helen, trembling slightly, exhaled, grinding and concealing the uncontrollable emotions in her eyes.

Miss Helen, reborn, sighed softly, not losing control over the words that struck her deepest pain but instead calming down as quickly as possible.

He knows a lot... He's targeting me in these aspects.

Very few people are privy to these matters, and they have no reason to anger my father, unless—

Is it Evora, the Empress, or...

Or... a test from Father?

With this thought, Helen's breath and emotions became even more serene.

For her, if this was a test from Ansel, if this was a way to guide her forward, to turn the goals in her designed, false life into reality, a test set by Father specifically for her, then... there was no problem at all.

Rather, it was preferable this way.

Helen, having found a place to belong, still remains uncertain about how to prove her worth and capabilities to the one who has provided her with this sanctuary. Should this be a trial set by Ansel, then failure is not an option for her.

If it is a test from Father, she must deduce what her father desires. From the assassin's words and actions... why did he leave just now?

As Helen pondered these thoughts, the door to the alchemy workshop was abruptly opened without her consent, and Hendrik, looking anxious, hurried in:

"Ravenna... what exactly is happening? Etheric armaments and Evora... what's going on? Do you even realize what you're doing?"

"..."

Helen merely gazed emotionlessly at this man, her grandfather's most trusted student, the very person who had personally... severed her grandfather's head.

The information and truths contained within that scroll led to Ravenna's demise and Helen's birth. From this perspective, Helen ought to thank Hendrik, but… that is all.

She has no desire to associate any further with the remnants of her burdensome past.

Under Helen's intense scrutiny, Hendrik's pace gradually slowed, and he opened his mouth, his expression shifting from anxious to bitter.

"Rav... Ravenna, I mean no harm, it's just... why are you helping Evora? Mr. Pablo told me that you seem..."

"It's none of your concern."

Helen responded indifferently, throwing all the fragments of the floating cannons into the furnace, creating the illusion that she was merely crafting tools.

Hendrik, indeed, did not notice and was somewhat angered by Helen's words, but his anger quickly turned into a stifled frustration that he couldn't express.

He could only advise helplessly: "We are serving Lord Ansel, everything we have comes from him... how could you assist Her Highness Evora! Everyone knows the extent of their conflict! By doing this... what if you anger Lord Ansel?"

"The Tower of Babel... The Tower of Babel might fall into dangers far greater than ever before because of this!"

"...So?"

Helen stared at the molten metal in the furnace, her tone unchanged.

"Is the danger of the Tower of Babel my concern?"

Hendrik was stunned.

He stared blankly at the petite figure in front of the furnace, unable to speak for a long time.

When he finally came to his senses, regret, pain, sorrow, anger, helplessness... a mix of emotions made his words seem so pale:

"Ravenna, how could you—"

"A being who renounced the brightest of futures, deeming it a justifiable surrender to a feeble institution. "

Helen tilted her head slightly, her lifeless, dim purple eyes silently conveying her weariness, her disdain, her... contempt.

"A mere workshop designed to shackle and manipulate me, to assemble me into a counterfeit visage."

"Hendrik..."

Having cast aside her past, she spoke thus: "Why would you think that I harbor any fondness for this place?"

Were it not for Father's insistence that I live according to my former status, I would not even be present here.

The Tower of Babel was devoid of meaning and value from the outset... just like the person I used to be.

Only Father... can lead me onto the right path.

*