BJ Villainess Chapter 336

Side Story: Clyde’s Abyss

 

A woman with a blurry form appeared. She stretched out her hand toward him, crying out in anguish, calling his name.

 

“Clyde!”

 

It was his own name. The only detail he could gather about the woman was that she had long black hair. And that she was incredibly beautiful. Even though he couldn’t see her face, he was certain of it.

 

Clyde stared at the woman, her figure obscured as though hidden by a thick fog, feeling like he was on the verge of madness. He missed her desperately. It was a pain so deep that he wanted to die, yet at the same time, he was overcome with uncontrollable anger.

 

His emotions were a chaotic mess, tangled in confusion. He didn’t know what he missed so much, what he wanted to destroy, or why he felt such immense pain. Everything was vague and unclear.

 

Who are you? Is this all just a delusion, or are you a real person that I simply can’t remember? Am I the one going crazy, or am I just so mad with longing for you? Please, tell me.

 

“…”

 

Clyde woke up, drenched in sweat like someone tormented by a nightmare. He couldn’t remember the details of his dream. As soon as he opened his eyes, hot tears spilled down his face, and he muttered to himself, “Again…” with a sigh.

 

“What kind of dream is this?”

 

Even though he had just slept, he felt more unsettled than ever. Clyde got out of bed, still feeling uneasy. After taking a hot shower and drying his hair with a towel, he gazed out the window, lost in thought.

 

Was it a dream about the planet Signio?

 

The planet Signio had been destroyed recently by Emperor Ozworld. Clyde had narrowly escaped, almost becoming space dust along with the planet, but he had managed to flee with Hardy to another dimension.

 

Flutter, flutter.

 

“Where have you been now?”

 

It was thanks to a black butterfly that had just landed quietly on his fingertip. The black butterfly had transported him and Hardy to a strange new dimension—Pantheon, a planet designed as an entertainment hub for bored divine beings.

 

Clyde and Hardy had been living in a container in one of Pantheon’s most rundown areas. The reason was simple: they had learned that Ozworld had also arrived in Pantheon. Ozworld wouldn’t rest until Hardy, his adversary, was dead, and Hardy was still in poor condition from the aftermath of Signio’s destruction.

 

They were at a disadvantage in every way. To survive, they needed to be thoroughly prepared. Clyde had been gathering information, wandering the underworld of Pantheon with his face hidden behind a mask.

 

“It’d be best if you became a constellation soon.” Upon returning to their hideout, Clyde said this to Hardy.

 

Hardy nodded in agreement. “Yeah, the crackdown on non-constellations is getting worse. Good thing we found an awakening serum early.”

 

“Let’s not drag this out. You should awaken today.”

 

Becoming a constellation wasn’t something just anyone could do. If a being with a weak soul attempted it, they would be destroyed instantly. They had encountered countless beings who had failed and disappeared while attempting to awaken as constellations.

 

Through observing the successful ones, they learned a few key conditions for becoming a constellation. A living being had to either save or kill an immense number of lives. For fictional characters, they had to break their limitations through the creator’s sacrifice.

 

Hardy clearly fell into the latter category, but Clyde, with no clear memory of his origins, couldn’t recklessly attempt awakening. However, they weren’t too worried. Clyde had proven repeatedly that he was extraordinary enough to awaken in Pantheon.

 

Hardy eyed Clyde with curiosity. “Where did you grow up that the constellations of Pantheon all mistake you for one of their own?”

 

“How should I know?”

 

“Maybe you were some kind of infamous mass murderer?”

 

Not even Ozworld had figured out Clyde’s true identity.

 

“Stop talking nonsense and just awaken already.”

 

They filled a bathtub with water and poured in a vial of the dangerous-looking awakening serum. The water quickly turned an ominous shade of green. Clyde gestured for Hardy to go in first.

 

“You go in first.”

 

Hardy shot him a look of disbelief. “Why should I go first? You’re tougher than me. You should go.”

 

“Are you really whining about some green water when you’ll have to face Ozworld? Just get in.”

 

“You jerk… You don’t want to go in either, so you’re making me do it first.” Hardy glared at the tub. “This stuff looks like it’ll melt me to the bone. Are you sure it’s safe?”

 

“Stop complaining and get in.”

 

“Fine!”

 

Grumbling, Hardy closed his eyes tightly and plunged into the tub. Fortunately, despite its appearance and foul smell, the serum didn’t dissolve his flesh or bones.

 

“Hmm, it’s safer than it looks.”

 

Clyde watched as Hardy began his transformation into a constellation, then prepared his own tub with the awakening serum.

 

Becoming a constellation means gaining a body that can generate its own core power.

 

Ozworld had already destroyed countless planets, absorbing their cores. He had become a true monster.

 

Am I becoming a monster like him?

 

A godlike being with immense power and a long lifespan… Clyde couldn’t quite understand why anyone would want that.

 

Ah, but there was one reason that made sense—constellations were granted their own world, their own Abyss. That was an interesting system. No one knew how the Abyss was created or what it was made of, which only added to its mystery.

 

Why didn’t any constellations openly talk about their Abyss? What was in it that made them so secretive? They treated it like a private diary, never sharing its contents with anyone.

 

Once I awaken, I’ll have my own Abyss too. I wonder what it will be like. Clyde stepped into the tub and closed his eyes.

 

* * *

“Clyde.”

 

A strange voice murmured his name. It was a warm, gentle man’s voice.

 

It’s not Hardy. Who is it?

 

“You’re taking a nap in a dangerous place again.”

 

A large hand gently brushed back his hair. The touch was so tender and caring that it filled Clyde with unexpected sorrow and anger.

 

This warmth didn’t belong to him. It couldn’t belong to him. His instincts told him so. But why did it feel so sweet? Why did it make him want to deceive himself?

 

“Lilia will scold me if she sees this. But you’re sleeping so soundly, I don’t want to wake you.”

 

The overwhelming joy of finally obtaining something long yearned for drowned out all the negative emotions.

 

Clyde felt himself becoming more alert as he slowly woke from the dream. The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was a man with long silver hair and strikingly clear blue eyes. The man resembled him in many ways.

 

“Did you sleep well?”

 

The man’s face, slightly lined with age, softened into a warm smile. His expression, his voice, his affectionate gestures, and the atmosphere around him all radiated absolute love. Clyde was momentarily dazed, unconsciously calling him casually.

 

“Father.”

 

Father… This man who looked at him with such love was his father. But wasn’t his father… a madman? Wasn’t he a man possessed by a demon, a man who acted more monstrous than any demon?

 

Clyde clutched his head as a wave of pain overtook him.

 

“What’s wrong? Does your head hurt?”

 

His father quickly pulled him into an embrace, holding him tight to keep him from toppling over the edge of the balcony where he had been sitting.

 

“I’ll call a doctor.”

 

“No, I’m fine now.”

 

“You’re not fine. Oh, Honey, perfect timing. Our son suddenly has a headache.”

 

Honey?

 

Clyde, still holding his aching head, turned to see a stunning woman with flowing purple hair.

 

“Oh gosh, why is our son not feeling well? And why is he sitting in a place like this? Clyde, didn’t I tell you that you could die if you fell from here?”

 

“Honey, Clyde’s not feeling well.”

 

“He’s overconfident in his abilities. Clyde, this is the second floor. If you don’t react in time to use magic, you could die.”

 

“Stop scolding him when he has a headache.”

 

“And you baby him too much, which is why he’s becoming so spoiled.”

 

“He’s right here listening, Lilia.”

 

Clyde watched them in a daze. It was all so surreal that he couldn’t process it. He vividly remembered preparing to awaken as a constellation. So this must be a dream, yet it felt too real to be just a dream. Maybe it was all an illusion created by his desire to believe in this reality. But if it were a dream, he never wanted to wake up.

 

“Father, Mother.” He stepped down from the balcony and pulled them both into a tight embrace.

 

“Oh my, why are you being so affectionate all of a sudden? Did you have a bad dream?”

 

As he felt tears well up in his eyes, Clyde nodded in his parents’ arms.

 

His life until now had been a nightmare. In that nightmare, his parents had been monsters. And he, born between those monsters, was an even more terrifying one. A creature who should never have been born. A being destined to bring disaster. A creature who had to constantly prove it was harmless. Could something like that really be considered alive?

 

He was nothing more than living trash, not someone as lovable as Hardy. But here, things were different.

 

“I missed you, Father, Mother.”

 

This was the world where he truly belonged.