A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

The sleek black onyx sports car darted through Sector 12, its powerful engine humming as it soared through the night, the sound reverberating across the expansive farmland.

Even at this late hour, the highway lights illuminated the deserted roads, revealing the sprawling fields that flanked both sides—a stunning tapestry of golden grain mingled with darker, more vibrant crops.

"This area is largely desolate," Avendial remarked from his seat in the car.

In contrast to the bustling sectors filled with buildings and urban architecture, this landscape was dominated by farmland, evoking the essence of a quaint village.

Anyone entering this region would be blissfully unaware that it concealed the headquarters of the Nightcrawlers.

Indeed, Aecilia was driving him directly to the location where Leo was being held, confined in what could only be described as a form of imprisonment—a revelation Aecilia had provided earlier.

Not that Avendial felt any sympathy for Leo; on the contrary, the thought of whether Leo might endure the torture was of little concern to him.

His primary interest was in ensuring Leo's loyalty and determining whether the man would remain silent under duress, unwilling to divulge crucial information.

"Yes, no one would ever suspect," Aecilia replied in a casual tone as she pressed down on the accelerator.

The car surged forward, abruptly veering off the main road and into a sugarcane field, the vehicle ripping through the stalks that parted like curtains, scattering bits of sugarcane around them.

'Is this really a road?' Avendial pondered, feeling the power of acceleration coursing through him.

Although the car was a sports model designed for speed and agility, it should have struggled on the uneven terrain.

Instead, it glided effortlessly, leading him to realize that they were not on soil but rather on a cleverly concealed asphalt path.

Suddenly, a small hut-shaped structure came into view in the distance, appearing roughly the size of the car.

Aecilia pressed down harder on the accelerator, and without hesitation, they plowed straight into the hut.

Or so it seemed.

To Avendial's surprise, the ride remained smooth despite the apparent destruction of the hut.

Rather than coming to a halt, they found themselves gliding downward into an artificially constructed cave, its walls reinforced with solid concrete.

After traveling 200 to 300 meters underground, the car finally came to a halt.

Screeech!

Due to the incline and speed, a slight skid was unavoidable.

As the car settled, both Avendial and Aecilia swiftly exited the vehicle.

"Welcome, my lady, this way," came the voice of a woman cloaked entirely in black, with only her eyes visible.

She stepped forward to greet Aecilia and, having caught sight of Avendial, bowed respectfully before him as well, adding, "Greetings, My Lord."

Avendial, hearing her words, glanced at Aecilia, who nonchalantly moved forward, seemingly unfazed by the fact that her subordinate had addressed him as "Lord," suggesting that he had already been declared her husband without his consent.

"Where is Leo?" Avendial inquired, fixing his gaze ahead as Aecilia continued walking.

The cloaked woman, now beside him, acted as a guide, clearly anticipating his quest for information about Leo.

"My Lord, Leo is currently in the interrogation room with the team leader. He appears to possess a rather intriguing ability," the woman explained.

She detailed Leo's presence in the interrogation room and mentioned the unique powers he had exhibited.

Through relentless questioning and testing over the past few days, they had started to understand the extent of his abilities.

"Provide me with the reports," Avendial added, recognizing the professionalism in her tone.

He sensed that she had likely conducted her own research, so he hoped for a thorough report on Leo's capabilities.

Although he wasn't sure if she actually had a detailed file, he felt it was an appropriate request, given his authority as Lord of this place.

As he thought about the matter, he couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion.

'....Why?' Avendial noticing how these thoughts diverted his attention from the current situation.

He pondered why Aecilia showed him such favor, struggling to comprehend how she had come to love him.

He found himself reminiscing about the past, regretting that he hadn't noticed the moments that had led to her feelings for him.

Naturally, being green together with Rivia, and despite his past self-interest mostly in business, it was normal for him to notice her inclination towards him.

However, when it came to Aecilia, he could barely remember meeting her outside of business-related proposals, and they had never engaged in a proper conversation.

So how could someone fall in love like that?

It seemed like forced love, without any real reason.

Before he could dwell further on these distractions, the woman beside him spoke again, snapping him back to the present.

"Here, my Lord," she said, as if she had anticipated that he would ask for the report.

She presented it to him from a folder beside her.

The document was not the extensive file he had imagined, but rather a single, folded page.

It contained only three lines: the name 'Leo' and two descriptions of his abilities.

Avendial did not doubt the team's efficiency; instead, he felt a surge of admiration for their ability to anticipate his needs.
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They clearly understood that he would have read Leo's biodata—one that they had sent while he was in the hospital—and would require insights into his awakened abilities.

For a fleeting moment, he felt a desire to hire these talented individuals, recognizing their competence, but he quickly pushed that thought aside.

Instead, he focused on the text before him, eager to absorb the information it contained.

'?!'

'What?' Avendial halted in his tracks the moment his eyes fell on the description of Leo's ability.

It detailed how, with each beating and physical assault endured, Leo was not only becoming more accustomed to the force but was, in fact, growing stronger as a result.

His body was adjusting to withstand the force; moreover, his strength began to rise in tandem as if he were absorbing the very might behind each physical attack.

The third line of the description mentioned that a thorough examination of this ability was necessary since it seemed Leo could convert the physical damage inflicted on him into his own strength.

However, there were limitations—artificial damage such as that caused by bullets or hydraulic presses was not translated into power.

'Wait…' Avendial had never encountered an awakened individual like this in his past life, leading him to conclude that Leo had likely perished in that accident that day, given his current physical condition.

As he analyzed the description, it became apparent to Avendial that this ability was undeniably potent.

Yet there were significant constraints, such as the instant death or incapacitation from high-caliber weaponry.

These were just a couple of examples of how Leo could easily be overwhelmed or killed, especially if he was unable to elevate his ability to the level needed to endure bullets.

In simple terms, Leo was akin to a magical sandbag; with each regular beating, he could harden and ultimately be transformed into a form of armor.

Not only that, but he could also channel the same amount of force from those punches, making it his own.

Now, the crucial task ahead for Avendial was to search for another individual—an Empyreal—who possessed a physical ability.

Since getting Leo beaten by humans would not help him much in a short amount of time, after all, Avendial has only one thing that is limited: time.

However, it could not be just anyone; he needed someone with a physique capable of withstanding bullets or even anti-tank sniper fire.

A strike from such a powerful individual would undoubtedly provide a substantial boost to Leo's strength.

The real question remained: Where would Avendial find an Empyreal within the Free City, someone with physical prowess who could give Avendial a reason to make him come to Avendial willingly?