Protagonist? Antagonist? I Reject Both

Chapter 261: The Black Star[II]

Chapter 261: The Black Star[II]

Leon paused, taking a moment to catch his breath as he tried to connect the dots with his understanding.

He pondered the gods' reasons for actively creating protagonists and villains, speculating it was likely to save their own sorry ass from dying.

Yet, some aspects remained puzzling, like the concept of fate favoring the protagonist and how villains, born with black fate, should be subjected to a cruel destiny rather than enjoying life without much pain or suffering.

Furthermore, how did it choose? And among the group of protagonists and villains, who were chosen by fates and who were chosen by Gods.

It was a question that nagged at him.

Some protagonists, despite being jerks, suffered tremendously. Leon recalled reading stories by masochistic authors where the protagonist loses everything, parents, friends, and love. In terms of suffering, no one seemed to come close to the protagonist.

One thing became evident to him amidst this confusion.

That heaven might save you during hard times, it would first toss you into a sea of suffering for you to become stronger.

The misery felt endless until one achieved their desired purpose.

However, amidst it all, what frustrated Leon the most was that everyone seemed to be mere pawns and puppets of fate and the gods, playing around for some unknown reason and he seemed to be one of them.

All he can conclude was that

Those with black fate were the protagonists chosen by fate, while those chosen by the gods were test subjects walking similar paths.

They either die or become strong enough to resist the end, while still being controlled by gods to fight the black star ones.

This realization irked him to the extreme. Leon didn't want to be anyone's puppet. Did this mean that in his past life, everything he did was predetermined by fate?

The deaths of his parents and others felt utterly meaningless at this moment. A person needs a purpose to be alive; otherwise, they're just an empty shell.

He felt empty and had died the moment he fulfilled his purpose, only to be dragged into this shitty situation. The only reason he accepted it was his desire to see and experience a new world.

Since he was dying, why not explore some new things?

His goal now was to get stronger to enter dimensional zones, encounter fantasy creatures and monsters, and then, when he grew tired, he would stop.

He had never harbored grand ambitions to go until because everything felt futile until now...

For a moment, his eyes lost their purpose, becoming hollow, but Leon shook his head.

A dense killing intent coalesced in his eyes.

Arthur choked, seeing the overwhelming anger in Leon's gaze.

Rubbing his chin, Leon revealed his fangs with a gruesome smile.

"Does fate have some kind of consciousness?"

"UhhMaybe!"Lia answered, confused by Leon's question.

"It seems that I need to have a friendly chat with this so-called fate."

Lia and Arthur felt a sense of dj vu as Leon's words struck like thunder in their ears.

"Leon, you know what you're talking about. Don't lose your mind now," Arthur muttered, wiping his sweat.

Although they had sealed a part of his psychopathic tendencies, no one knew when they might resurface.

"I'm perfectly fine. I'm just contemplating getting stronger until I have the power to have a meaningful encounter with fate. It's nothing major," Leon replied, shaking his head.

"No, you're not. You're thinking something ominous. I'm getting goosebumps, and even if you managed to meet this so-called fate, how would you talk to it?" Arthur exclaimed frantically.

He knew it was impossible, but just in case...

Upon hearing this, Leon offered a gentle, benevolent smile.

"There's no one who won't speak when compelled by spanking and violence."

Lia and Arthur swallowed hard, sharing a single thought: 'This is messed up... Someone's in for trouble.'

"Oh, by the way, what happened to that jerk Austin? I can't seem to find him."

Upon hearing this, Lia flashed a harmless smile with a gentle blink, but Leon understood.

That guy was disposed of immediately after he served his purpose.

He simply shook his head, silently praying for the departed soul.

'Knowing her, his death wouldn't have been simple.'

"Leon, there's something else you should know."

"Yes, I'm all ears," Leon replied.

Lia hesitated for a moment, while Arthur, aware of the situation, held Lia's hand.

"During this period, as you're aware, you all are on your own. Each of you will face challenges, and if we intervene, things might take a turn for the worse. So, you, Irina, and Gwen Stacy are on your own to deal with your troubles so"

"During this time, Irina was harmed," Lia slowly began to narrate the events concerning the Gu.

Leon listened quietly with a smile his glaring eyes conveying a different message altogether.

........

In FrostHeaven...

In a primitive laboratory hidden deep within icy mountains, a figure hunched over a crude wooden table. Shelves filled with jars containing writhing creatures surrounded him.

The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay, chilling anyone who dared to enter the bone. In front of the man lay a glass container filled with wriggling Gu worms, their translucent bodies pulsating with a sickly green glow.

With a steady hand, the man picked up a wriggling Gu worm and carefully inserted a small metal probe into its body. This elicited a series of frantic writhing movements from the creature, which squirmed and twisted in agony. The man, however, paid no heed, his focus unwavering as he continued his experiment.

A cold smile crept across his lips as he observed his handiwork.

Stepping away, he squeezed the Gu and placed it on his skin.

"Finally... After so much work, I have bred a Gu capable of traversing through meridians and veins. Not only can it repair broken veins, it can also widen and improve them."

"With this, I will enhance my constitution and win the hearts of my senior sisters. Soon, I will step into Em... Achooooo!"

His speech was interrupted by a loud sneeze.

"Damn! Who's cursing behind my back now?"