Villain Ch 1634. Barely

They sat there a little longer.

Silent. Not heavy. Just… still.

Then Allen stood.

“Next time,” he said. “No damage cap.”

Elio grinned, even as he ached. “Next time, I’m bringing buffs.”

Allen turned to leave, cloak swaying behind him.

“Hey,” Elio called after him.

Allen stopped, glanced over his shoulder.

Elio stood, brushing off his coat with a tired groan. “I’m gonna meet up with James and Noah. Wanna come?”

Allen raised a brow. “Right now?”

“Yeah,” Elio said, already flicking his fingers to open his guild interface. “They’re online now.”

Allen crossed his arms. “About what? Another dungeon raid?”

Elio smirked. “Sophia.”

That got a blink out of Allen.

“They said they’ve got info,” Elio added, glancing down at his menu. “Could be juicy. Maybe something that’ll stir some drama.”

Allen tilted his head, skeptical but curious. “…And this is supposed to convince me to come, why?”

“Because you’re already online, and you clearly have too much energy left.” Elio paused. “Ah, but wait. Gotta ask them first. I don’t drag royalty into meetings without permission.”

He tapped into guild chat.

Mac: Guys, where are you?

Lord*Hunter: We are in the tavern. Come, join us.

Mac: Allen’s here. Can I bring him with me?

Arrow_Master: Oh, he is welcome, of course. You can drag him if you can.

Mac: Nice.

Elio closed the menu and grinned. “They agree. C’mon.”

Allen sighed, but there was a glint in his eye. “Fine. Lead the way.”

The two of them made their way through Ront City’s quiet streets. Lanterns swayed above. More AFK avatars lined the streets, eyes blank, menus floating overhead. The further they walked, the louder the ambience got—music, laughter, mugs clinking.

The tavern sat in the middle of the guild plaza—warmed with yellow-orange light and crowded with late-night players recovering from event fatigue. The sign above the door read The Bleeding Mug in faded iron letters.

Inside was all wooden beams, long benches, and old-game atmosphere. Fireplace crackling. Tavern maid NPCs weaving between tables. A bard strumming something vaguely medieval in the corner.

Allen followed Elio toward the back.

There they were.

James and Noah were leaning over the table, talking with animated hand gestures and half-finished mugs in front of them.

Noah looked up first.

His eyes scanned Elio—then widened when he spotted Allen behind him.

“Oh gods, what happened to you, Elio?” he asked, voice sharp. “Did Allen bully you?!”

Allen raised a brow. “I didn’t bully him.”

“We had a duel,” Elio said, sliding onto the bench beside them. “I lost. Barely.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed. “Define ‘barely.'”

“He dropped me below half HP with six hits and didn’t let me land a single one.”

“Barely,” Allen echoed dryly, sitting across from them with the grace of a cat that definitely didn’t knock over the vase.

James chuckled and leaned back, arms crossed. “That sounds about right. Still. Duel or not—he brought you here half-dead. He owes us.”

“Owes you what?” Allen asked.

James gestured to the empty mugs. “Drinks. You, sir, can at least buy us a round. One for me, one for Noah, and one for the poor soul you diced up like he owed you rent.”

Allen sighed, snapping his fingers to open the tavern menu.

[ Purchase Menu – The Bleeding Mug Tavern ]

-Dragonspice Cider (120 Gold)

-Obsidian Brew (150 Gold)

-Silverleaf Mead (180 Gold)

-Warm Honey Ale (90 Gold)

-Recovery Tonic – Guild Edition (250 Gold)

-Healer’s Grace Mocktail (65 Gold)

He tapped in a few choices and confirmed the order.

[ Purchase Confirmed – 4 items sent to table via Tavernmaid NPC ]

A few seconds later, an NPC approached with their drinks on a tray, placing them down with practiced silence.

“Thanks,” Elio muttered, immediately downing the first half of his mead. “I needed that.”

Noah took his mug and narrowed his eyes at Allen. “So what are you doing in Ront City anyway?”

“Checking the market,” Allen said, shrugging. “I hit a few high-level dungeons while everyone else was busy with the event. Got some loot to sell. Figured it’d be quieter now.”

James raised a brow. “You really just solo dungeons for fun?”

“I get bored,” Allen replied, resting his chin on one hand. “And I like having the place to myself. No randos trying to selfie mid-fight.”

“Also,” Elio chimed in, “he’s banned from official events.”

Allen shot him a side glance.

Elio grinned. “I’m kidding. Mostly.”

James laughed. “Must be nice to be Goldborne.”

“It’s… a blessing and a PR nightmare,” Allen muttered, sipping his drink. “Depends on the hour.”

Noah leaned forward. “Anyway, back to the reason we’re here.”

James nodded. “Right. Sophia.”

Allen didn’t say anything, but the way he leaned back just slightly, arms crossed, gave it away. His attention was locked in, even if his face stayed unreadable.

Noah exhaled, tone dipping lower. “Darren and Liam have made their move. They’re working with Sophia’s boss now—Mr. Bell. You know, that uptight corporate type. They’ve been gathering evidence for a while. Hired a lawyer too.”

Allen’s brow twitched. Just barely. “That fast?”

“Very,” Noah confirmed. “They’ve already done a couple consults. Deep stuff. Why do I know this?” He gave a half-smirk. “I was the one who introduced the lawyer. Family friend.”

Elio glanced between them. “So does that mean this is… good news?”

James rubbed his neck, face grim. “Sorta. It’s progress. But Liam and Darren’s case is still shaky.”

Elio’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Because of the sex tape.”

“Yeah.” James sighed. “That tape Sophia has? It’s clean. Clear angle. Dates. Voice audio. Time-stamped. Still counts for more than whatever they managed to record back.”

Elio clicked his tongue, tapping his knuckle on the table. “They thought they could play her game. But they underestimated how far ahead she plays.”

Noah leaned in again. “And that’s not even the kicker. Mr. Bell’s position? Also crumbling. Sophia doesn’t have a tape on him—just screenshots. Chats. Flirty stuff, some veiled threats.”

“But that’s enough?” Elio asked.

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