Reincarnated as the Villain’s Father

-First Person POV-

Time flowed again.

The air trembled at the edge of the lava pool where Rebecca knelt. A shadow fell onto the ashes scattered on the ground. As the lava closed back over itself, from within those ashes, I rose in the shape of a silhouette.

Rebecca wiped her tears and glared at me with hostile eyes, grinding her teeth in anger. But when she saw that the silhouette was me, her eyes widened in shock. She dropped her staff and looked at me, unsure what to say.

"Leo?"

I looked Rebecca up and down. She looked utterly devastated in the truest sense of the word. I hadn't expected my death-or rather, the possibility of it-to hurt her this deeply. Yes, I had planned for her to be upset, but this much even surprised me.

Rebecca's voice was broken. "Leo?" she said again, more to herself than to me.

I was standing, but my legs still trembled with the residual heat of the lava. My skin felt as if burned from within but that didn't mean it hurt. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. But mental fatigue was far beyond physical tiredness. Still, I smiled. Because I felt a little guilty.

I had deliberately caused Rebecca pain, but beforehand, I had tried my best to build a good relationship with her. So when the earlier event happened, she would experience a deeper emotional moment.

I know what I did was shitty, but who cares? Sorry, I'm not one of those pathetic idiots chasing pink-tinged 21st-century ideologies who make the world worse. There's nothing I wouldn't do for power. The only thing that gives meaning to the lives of low-level life forms like us is the pursuit of power.

Would I use Rebecca for my ideals and manipulate her to fulfill my desires? Yes! But that doesn't mean I'll be merciless to her. Like "good" people, I plan to make her happy, as long as she remains controllable. If she ever stops being controllable, I'll respect the path she chooses, but it will no longer be my responsibility.

That, I call honesty and mercy.

Rebecca still said nothing. Her eyes were fixed on me, but her expression was changing. Shock was slowly giving way to awareness. And awareness often slaps a person harder than reality itself.

"Hi, Rebecca."

There was an authentic weariness on my face. When Rebecca first heard my voice live, she was shocked again but this time, the surprise was brief. She slowly walked toward me. The moment she realized I hadn't disappeared, that I was real, she ran to me through tears, wrapping her arms around me as tightly as she could.

When she hugged me, I didn't move my arms at first. I just stood there, motionless. Her body shook as she inhaled against my chest, but the trembling wasn't mine. It was the echo of a collapse that belonged to her.

"Is it really… you?" she whispered. Her voice seemed directed not at the outside world but into the emptiness within herself.

Yes, it was me. But not the person she thought I was. And never would be. Still, I placed my hand gently on her shoulder. Softly. Reassuringly.

"It's me," I said quietly.

No more words were needed. I wanted to seal this moment into her mind. The mind never forgets emotional traumas. I knew I would use this later to my advantage.

As Rebecca's tears ran down my neck, I lightly tapped her back, helping her regulate her breathing.

Rebecca pulled back a little. Her face was wet with tears, but now there was shame in her eyes.

"How? How did you survive? That monster… I saw it devour you with my own eyes."

I smiled and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I promise I'll explain everything, but let's get out of this dungeon first, okay?"

Rebecca nodded. She was still trembling. She took a few steps back, but her hands lingered in the air as if still wanting to touch me.

"I promise everything will be alright."

Despite my tired voice, Rebecca believed my clear words. The smile she gave while wiping her tears with her finger spoke volumes about who she was. once accused of being cold and secretive, now showing vulnerability.

I held her hand a moment longer. It was cold. But inside, it carried the resilience of a woman clinging not to me, but to the emptiness she lived in. It showed that something was still unbroken. She hadn't fully surrendered to me yet.

There were still countless unanswered questions in her mind, but I knew she wanted closeness more than answers right now. She wanted to feel safe. And sadly… only I could give her that safety. Because I had destroyed all other possibilities.

Rebecca slowly withdrew her hands.

"I'm fine. Let's get out of this dungeon now."

I turned my head. For the first time, I saw a slight recovery replace that fragile expression on Rebecca's face. But she was still tired. Still scattered. And most importantly: still attached to me.

"There's one last thing we need to do before that."

Rebecca frowned. "What?"

I looked toward the far side of the lava pool. 

"Did you forget why we came here? Dungeon rewards."

"I don't care about dungeon rewards anymore," Rebecca said. Her voice still trembled, but this time it was a different kind of trembling. Not hesitation from an inner struggle but deep exhaustion.

I glanced at her sideways.

"Don't be foolish," I said, with a sharpness that contradicted the soft tone of my voice. "These rewards aren't gold or weapons. They're more valuable. Did we overcome all this hardship for nothing?"

Rebecca squinted, but I stepped closer and gently stroked her shoulder.

"We're no longer in danger. There are no more enemies in this dungeon."

"How do you know?" Rebecca's voice was still hoarse, but a fighting spirit still burned within her. She looked into my eyes, seeking reassurance.

"Just trust me."

Rebecca lowered her head slightly. This was a moment of decision.

"Okay, let's go."

And when she said those words, I saw the old strong Rebecca instead of the weak one. Not just in her voice, but in her eyes. She clearly realized that her weakness would help no one, and she had come back to herself.

Before turning away, I signaled Rebecca to follow me. After she picked up her staff from the ground, she carefully followed. Then I opened a secret door that only careful eyes could spot. Luckily, this door had been described in detail in the novel, so after a short effort, I was able to find it.

The secret door leading deeper into the dungeon opened with a heavy creak. The sound of rusty hinges announced as if no one had disturbed this room for thousands of years.

I took the first step inside. Rebecca silently followed behind me. Our footsteps echoed on the stone floor as we advanced. The place was dim, but not dark. It was as if the room itself was a living entity breathing in the darkness, waiting for us inside.

And finally... they appeared before us.

Three objects. Like relics of gods... Technical artifacts that no dungeon had more than one of, known throughout history as legendary singular items. And now, all three were here, before our eyes.

Rebecca held her breath. I stepped forward. There was nothing else in the room. No gold, no weapons, no piles of lavish treasure. Only those three objects.

The first was a black orb. Probably the essence of the dark element. As we approached, it twisted the surrounding air, radiating an invisible vibration. Reaching out to touch it felt like touching your own shadow.

The second was a delicate bracelet. But it was no ordinary accessory. The runes on it pulsed as if alive. Just looking at it sharpened my senses and cleared my mind.

And the third… was the most dangerous.

A single page.

Just a piece of parchment. But what was written on it was the kind that could change the balance of the world. Not a word; a formula. Not magic; a law code. Even touching it seemed to demand a price.

Rebecca couldn't take her eyes off them. But at the same time, she didn't take a single step forward. It was as if we had entered a room where even safety was unsafe.

"These are…" she whispered, voice as soft as a prayer. "Real?"

"Yes," I said. "And each one can change a fate. Yours… mine… or this cursed world itself."

I was silent. Because sometimes the right words are hidden in silence. Rebecca was silent until my voice echoed off the dim wall again.

"Like I promised, you can take one. Choose what you want and gain the Third technique seed."

Rebecca looked at me. It was a long, silent, weighing gaze. Decision was in her nature, but such a choice? There was no turning back.

She could only take one. And this wasn't an ordinary choice. it was the decision that would determine who she would become. Some choices shape people and can rewrite their destinies. Right now, one of those choices was taking place.

Rebecca first looked at the orb. It looked like a darkened, twisted heart, but the vibration echoing from within carried the pure and untainted nature of power. The dark element. If she chose this… she would carve a completely different path for herself.

Then she turned her eyes to the bracelet. It was more elegant. More alluring. And the knowledge inside was nearly as charming as the orb. It promised not just power… but superiority.

And finally… the parchment. She didn't just look, her gaze was locked on that page. It was instinctive. Because she wanted to touch not magic, but reality.

I watched her without ever breaking eye contact.

Rebecca's indecision was no longer a battle. It was more like an arbitrator weighing her past, character, and desires.

And finally, she stepped forward. Without a word, without asking. She reached out her hand.

To the Dark orb.