Chapter 981: The Retired Villain is Secretly...

"You were... resurrected?"

Esme spent an entire hour literally telling her life story after she came back from being an Undead — and suffice it to say, Katrina and Liza, who were completely unaware that Riley was actually sent to the Domain of the Gods, couldn't really believe what they just heard.

Katrina was able to recover fast, since she already knew that anything was possible when it came to Riley; Liza, however, was still completely stuck in her own thoughts and just trying to wrap her mind around everything she had heard. They were all seated at the bar, and yet it almost felt like she was millions of miles away with her thoughts.

As for Silvie, she could really only concentrate on the very first part of Esme's story, her introduction, and how she was resurrected from the dead.

"Wait, did you say you were resurrected by a Randall?" Silvie looked Esme straight in the eyes, "Large, red skin, unnecessary number of horns?"

"Oh...?" Miss Pepondosovich, who was just planning on being an observer for the entire conversation, could not help but let out an amused breath as she heard Silvie's words, "I guess you encountered Randall?"

"He's..." Silvie looked at Riley, "...He's the god I told you about, Riley. The one who fixed and healed my variants!"

"I suppose I already expected that," Riley nodded to himself, "Randall has told me he had been atoning for his sins, it is reasonable for him to just help people instead of involving himself in the war."

"Wait... wait!" Silvie then lightly slammed her palm on the counter as she pointed at Riley, "If Randall was able to resurrect Esme, doesn't that mean he could also resurrect other Undead Themarians!?"

"As long as their body is completely intact, Silvie," Riley nodded.

"You..." Silvie's finger remains pointed at Riley, "...How many Undead Themarians are you hiding in your pockets?"

"A lot," Riley just shrugged, "I took all of the young themarians that were immortalized in New Theran before the battle with King happened, Silvie."

"Then... doesn't that mean you could help increase the number of themarians again!?" Silvie let out an excited breath.

"I suppose," Riley shrugged.

"Then—Oh..." Silvie's excited breaths were almost doused away as she realized something, "...We don't know where Randall is."

"Hm," Esme tilted her head to the side as she looked at Silvie's face, "I believe I have really only seen you once, Miss Silvie. My consciousness during my time as an undead was extremely fleeting and light, but I remember a glimpse of you."

"I do not remember the two of you ever meeting," Riley interjected as he looked at Esme and Silvie.

"I..." Silvie looked away; her voice, slightly turning meek, "...I was there. I've just been dealing with some other stuff. But, I guess that's enough about me. Kat, you..."

Silvie then once again realized something as she looked at Katrina.

"Wait..." Silvie pointed at Kat, "You're... clearly aware that Riley is Darkday, and for sure he's Halfday... so why are you still here?"

"...Where else would I really be?" Katrina just shrugged as she looked around the restaurant, "I don't think any of us are really where we belong, Silv. Nothing's... normal anymore. I'm staying with Riley because I can."

"That's..." Silvie took in a small gulp as she looked at Riley, "...Then I will stay here as well for now, just in case Riley tries something with you."

"Oh..." Katrina let out a small but slightly shy chuckle, "...I already let him try me, we're way past that."

"What?" Silvie raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What are you—" And as soon as she realized what Katrina meant by that, her eyes started to widen as much as they could.

"...And my variant's pregnant with his baby too, so," Katrina winced as she continued to chuckle awkwardly,

"As they say — if you know you're going to fuck up, might as well get fucked."

"Absolutely no one is saying that!"

***

[It has been weeks since Halfday...]

"These humans... they sure do know how to let loose."

Somewhere in the New World, a tall blue-furred humanoid was currently watching the news about Halfday's rampage in the territory of Humans, New York. His mane was long; his fangs, incredibly sharp. His eyes...

...completely covered by a mask.

"Heroes and villains..." The tiger-like humanoid then let out a small growl before making his way to his window; his eyes, reflecting the vast dark green jungle in front of him. The people, living inside giant trees the same as him,

"...That's a concept not existing in ours. Perhaps, we—Kh!"

The tigerman's words were interrupted as a spout of blood showered from his mouth, completely staining the window with red and covering the view of his city.

"Ha..." The tigerman seemed to only be perturbed for a few moments, however, as he just wiped away the blood that managed to get into his fur before shaking his head again, "...Time again, moves my death closer to me."

The tigerman then once again turned to look at the news that was showing Halfday; a growl, once again escaping his black lips. But soon, however, a wide smile crawled on his face, which was soon covered as he wore a mask; his eyes and snout, now completely hidden from the world.

"Halfday..." The tigerman then whispered before just casually smashing his bloodied window. And without even any hesitation, he leaped out of the verdant building he was in; landing with both his feet and paws touching the ground.

And as expected, those who were just casually minding their own business around the streets were shocked to see a masked individual suddenly descending from above — but before they could even wonder what was going on...

...one of them was already slashed into pieces.

"Halfday..." The tigerman then said as he raised his paw; flesh and blood, just dripping from his claws,

"...Before I die, let my name also be etched in the history of men. Blood will flow in the path of I...

...Arguar the Warclaw!"

Arguar was not the only one. Almost as if a beacon was lit, or the wrong side of a domino trail was flicked...

...Villains began to rise.

"Well, that is not good at all."

A few weeks had passed since Silvie reunited with Riley, and the New World was now currently in a predicament they had not really faced since its inception — villains, spawning left and right.

Silvie, Katarina, and even Liza were responding to the calls for help, but even with Silvie, the three of them were not enough to stop this deadly epidemic from spreading and wreaking havoc. As for the one who started this movement, Riley, he was currently watching the news while shaking his head in disapproval.

"What's not good at all, Riri?" Miss Pepondosovich stood beside Riley in front of the TV while carrying a tray of food, "That Esme and I are the only ones working here?"

"No," Riley shook his head, "It would seem I made a miscalculation, Miss Pepondosovich."

Riley then raised his finger, letting the plates fly toward the table who ordered them.

"I meant for my action to arouse the spirits of heroes in all the species and races and let them rise up," Riley let out a small but very deep sigh as he continued to watch the devastating news, "But it would seem Halfday had the opposite effect, Miss Pepondosovich."

"...Isn't that already to be expected?" Miss Pepondosovich rolled her eyes, "These people just found out they're no longer ageless and their time is ticking — you really think they would spend the rest of their short lives trying to save people?"

"Yes," Riley nodded without hesitation, "Because they will be wiped out if they do not — I wanted for them to flourish and to repopulate so it would be fun and more fulfilling to turn them all into Nothing, but at this point... I believe they are going to destroy themselves, Miss Pepondosovich."

"That sounds about any history I know, Riri," Miss Pepondosovich waved her hand as she walked away, "And if you wanted heroes, then you should have just created one; I mean, you inspired the three ladies to don on their suits — you could just create more. What was that again you had in your old world where heroes can gain benefits or something..."

"The Hero Association, Miss Pepondosovich," Riley placed his hand on his chin.

"You need to reward them for risking their lives," Miss Pepondosovich shrugged.

"But then they wouldn't be heroes, Miss Pepondosovich — they would be mercenaries," Riley shook his head.

"But that's a start, no?" And with those words, Miss Pepondosovich just left Riley as she took the order of the new diners that arrived.

"But I already did that once," Riley placed his hand on his chin as he remembered the Paige and Paragon Superhero agency, "But it was short-lived and no one really joined, hm...

...should I just create the entire Hero Association myself?"