Villain: The Creator's Revolt

Chapter 3: The Wicked Do Not Tell Lies

Why does this man know so much about me?

Amanda frowned slightly. Before her tribesmen were captured by Sean, her older sister had still been the princess of their clan. But after a series of unexpected events, Amanda had taken on the role. Even if her people had been tortured for information, her identity shouldn't have been exposed.

The only force capable of uncovering such details was the [Academy], whom she had encountered before.

But the Academy had its own agenda. They had been planning to kidnap Sean themselves and use him as a bargaining chip against the [Golden Ghost]. There was no reason for them to reveal any information about her to others.

Amanda's crimson eyes darkened as her mind processed the possibilities.

Sean, watching her closely, smirked. He could tell that suspicion and doubt had already started to take root in her mind.

He leaned against the wall and chuckled. "Golden Ghost is one of the four giants of Paradise City, after all. Miss Amanda, you underestimate us."

Amanda tilted her head, her silver hair catching the dim light. "So… you're in my hands now?"

Sean blinked, feigning innocence. "I didn't expect you to act so decisively."

"So?"

"So, let's talk about cooperation." His tone remained steady. "The airship from the Academy may look powerful, but it's not enough to get your people safely down the mountain. However, I have a way."

Amanda narrowed her eyes, considering his words. Then she let out a soft chuckle.

"You're too weak. Besides, if you really have a plan, why should I let you walk free? You're nothing more than a trophy."

Sean wasn't fazed. Instead, he smirked. "For example—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Amanda whistled softly.

A strange metallic-green reptile slithered out of the metal sphere in her hand, its segmented body pulsing with an eerie glow.

She played with the sphere as she spoke, her voice teasing yet laced with quiet menace. "This little one is a rust worm. It feeds on enriched energy. But few people know…"

Amanda leaned in slightly, her crimson eyes glinting. "It also has a fondness for human blood. Once inside, it burrows into the atrium, feeding on the host's blood while releasing waves of vibrating waste energy. The pain is…" She smiled. "Exquisite."

Before she could finish, Amanda's eyes widened in shock.

Because Sean—without hesitation—opened his mouth and swallowed the rust worm whole.

"You… you…" Amanda stuttered.

Sean chewed deliberately, then sighed as if savoring fine wine. "Mmm… Were you feeding it with your own energy? You taste pretty good."

"You!" Amanda's expression turned from disbelief to irritation.

Sean merely chuckled. "Sounds terrifying, but rust worms have weak host capabilities and are incredibly light. They're entirely edible. Any skilled interrogator knows that the best way to use them is to plant them in someone's ear canal to control them." He tilted his head and smirked. "Consider this a free lesson."

Amanda was dumbfounded. She had spent years surviving the brutal world outside the city walls, learning the cruelest tricks from the worst kind of people.

Yet here was a man who wasn't even fazed.

Sean's gaze turned serious. "Miss Amanda, let's talk about cooperation."

A Dangerous Proposition

Amanda studied him in silence. If he could plant a seed of doubt in her mind, he had a chance.

Because at this moment, he wasn't just trying to survive.

He was looking for an opportunity.

An opportunity to become stronger.

Sean understood better than anyone just how cruel the world he had helped create truly was.

But before he could push further, Amanda's gaze shifted, and something in her expression changed.

His instincts screamed danger.

Oh no…

Her scoundrel instincts were kicking in.

"You wait—ahhh!"

Before Sean could react, a sudden force lifted him off the ground, hurling him into the air.

Amanda bent her knees slightly, then launched herself upward, her movement graceful yet powerful.

With a flick of her wrist, she caught him midair—as if he weighed nothing.

The wind howled, rain lashed against their bodies, and the city blurred below them. Somewhere between the chaos, Sean heard her voice.

"Your people are here. Let's find a safe place to talk."

Sean barely had time to scream before the world spun around him.

"Hold on tight—!"

Shelter in the Abyss

At the bottom of a massive crater, where thick dark-purple gas seeped from the earth, two figures sat inside a dilapidated building.

The deep rift was notorious for its toxic fumes, but Amanda had chosen her route carefully, leading them to an area where the poison was at its lowest concentration.

In the middle of the room, she had cleared a space and started a fire using broken wooden boards.

Sean sat beside the flames and, without hesitation, peeled off his wet clothes to dry.

Though he was a genetically evolved [Veto], his physical enhancements were minimal compared to warriors like Amanda. His endurance was nothing special.

This was the brutal reality of Paradise City—where combatants fell into two major categories:

1. The "Kuru" – those with cybernetic enhancements.

2. The "Veto" – those with genetic mutations and superhuman abilities.

Sean belonged to the latter group, but compared to Amanda, he was practically an ordinary human.

As he wrung out his clothes, he felt Amanda's intense gaze on him.

She was staring—completely unbothered.

Sean raised an eyebrow. "Made a deal with the Academy, didn't you? Even if they give you an airship, it won't be enough to evacuate your people."

Amanda hugged her knees and replied flatly, "And? You think I should trust you instead? I've already killed your men. Compared to Golden Ghost, the Academy is the better choice."

The Ultimate Test

Her red eyes sharpened, watching Sean closely.

Even if what he said was true… trusting him was another matter entirely.

Amanda's energy flared subtly, making the ground tremble. Sean **felt it—**like a beast waking up from its slumber.

This was her reverse scale—the one thing never to be touched.

Amanda's face, usually cold and indifferent, now carried a dangerous frost.

She lifted her weapon again, pressing it to his throat. "My people do not betray their own."

Sean exhaled slowly. "This is Paradise City. Betrayal? It's easier than survival."

A dangerous glint flickered in Amanda's eyes.

Sean smirked and leaned in slightly. "Oh yeah… Don't your Rainbow Nest clansmen have heightened perception? When you kiss someone, you can tell if they're lying, right? Why don't you test it?"

Silence filled the space between them.

Amanda's crimson eyes narrowed.

Then, she stood up.

Her white hair glowed softly in the firelight as she stepped closer, walking with a slow, deliberate grace.

She stopped right in front of him, her face unreadable.

"Repeat everything you just said."

Sean's heart pounded. Is she really going to—?

But he kept his composure. He repeated himself, word for word.

Amanda watched him for a long moment.

Then, slowly, she lowered her face toward his.

The fire crackled.

Sean swallowed.

Oh, hell.