Villain: Ultimate Mutation System in the Alternate World

"You inferior beings will never be able to hurt me with your puny attacks," the serpent hissed.

Its voice blended male, female, child, and elder tones, making it impossible to pinpoint or categorize.

It echoed in their minds as much as in their ears, a voice that seemed to come from everywhere.

This made them vigilant, and they instinctively gripped their katanas.

"We did not come here to fight; we were suddenly teleported here. So we apologize if we disturbed you," Will Razer was the first to speak, his voice much more humbled than when he had spoken to Reign.

"I don't care about your reasons, inferior beings."

Miyu's brow furrowed. The serpent's arrogance was worst than the monkey's behavior, which had at least acknowledged them as humans.

"All of you have passed the first test," the serpent hissed. "You hit me with an attack, though pathetically weak; it was passable. So I will give you a chance to move on to the next trial. But you must answer my question, or you will turn to stone."

The hunters exchanged glances, bewildered.

Stone? A question?

"Those who answer correctly," the serpent continued, "will be teleported to the next stage of the trial. Fail, and you remain here, as statues."

Adrian squinted, trying to make sense of the situation.

"A trial? What do you mean, trial? What's going on here?"

The serpent gave no explanation. Its silence only deepened the tension.

"Answer the question," it hissed again

The glowing light from its eyes now surrounded the man with the ability to control blue flames, wrapping around him like an aura.

The hunter felt a rush of fear as the light tightened around him.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady despite the pressure.

The serpent's eyes glinted as it spoke. "You must reveal your true reason for wanting power. Only then will you break free from my grasp."

The hunter felt the weight of the question pressing down.

He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. "I fight because I want to prove myself. I want to show that I'm strong enough to protect humanity!"

The serpent's expression twisted into a sneer. "LIAR!"

In an instant, the light around him intensified. He gasped as he felt his body stiffening, panic rising within him.

"Wait! help me!" he shouted, but his voice faded as his whole body turned to stone.

The serpent coiled back, its golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "One down. Who will be next?"

The glowing light from its eyes now surrounded Miyu. It did not even give them time to recover from the shock.

"What is the most important thing in your life?"

Miyu's heart raced. She looked at her companions, who remained quiet. This was a personal question, so they could not really help.

What was the most important thing in her life?

How could she be sure this wasn't some twisted trick?

What if she answered wrong?

As her mind scrambled for a response, fragments of her past started to surface.

She had faced demons, rival hunters, and uncountable dangers before, but this question reached into her soul, deeper than any fight ever had.

She closed her eyes, retreating into the memories she had kept buried.

Her little sister.

Miyu's breathing hitched as the memory came rushing back.

Her sister, lying frail and sick, waiting for a cure that didn't exist.

It was the reason she had become a hunter, the reason she trained tirelessly, to become stronger.

She fought for her sister, hoping that one day she would find a way to heal her.

That was her purpose. That was what mattered most to her.

Miyu looked up, locking eyes with the glowing serpent.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke clearly, her voice steady despite the emotions inside her.

"The most important thing in my life... is my sister," she said. "I became a hunter to cure her. Every fight, everything—it's all for her."

The serpent's eyes flickered, the glow intensifying for a moment.

The hunters held their breath, waiting for some kind of reaction.

For a moment, it seemed like the world stood still, as if the time itself was holding its breath.

Then, without warning, the light surrounding her burst outwards, like an explosion of energy. Her body began to shimmer, the glow engulfing her completely.

In an instant, she disappeared, vanishing from sight.

"Miyu!" Adrian shouted, taking a step forward, but Will raised a hand, stopping him. Discover stories at empire

"She answered correctly," Will said, his voice calm but cautious. "She's moved on to the next part of the trial... Hopefully,"

The serpent's head slowly turned, its gaze now falling on the rest of them.

The next victim of its question was yet to be decided.

Will Razer stepped forward this time, his face filled with resolution.

"I'll go next," he said, his eyes narrowing as he prepared himself.

The glow from the serpent's eyes shifted, wrapping around him just as it had done with Miyu.

"What is your greatest fear?"

"I fear…" he began, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "I fear not being able to protect those I care about. Every time I step into battle, I worry that I might fail them."

The serpent's expression remained unchanged, but the glow around him intensified, and everyone waited to see what would happen.

Tension filled the air as the light pulsed, brighter and brighter.

Suddenly, just like with Miyu, he burst out into a brilliant light. It enveloped him completely, blinding everyone for a moment.

When the brightness faded, he was gone.

"Now, it's time for you two," the serpent hissed, its golden eyes narrowing as they settled on Adrian and the diamond body hunter.

Adrian felt a wave of unease wash over him.

He glanced at his companion, "Are you ready?" he asked quietly, trying to steady his own nerves.

The diamond hunter nodded, though doubt flickered in his own eyes.

"We have to face it. There's no backing down now."

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Authors Note

I posted a new book titled 'My Girlfriends Are Hardcore Yanderes.' Please check it out and leave a review if you enjoy it.Nôv(el)B\\jnn