The moon hung high like a watchful eye, its pale glow casting silver shadows across the garden of the Imperial Palace. The King's Feast was over, yet the night had only begun for those who danced behind veils and moved beneath masks. For Priyanshu Yadav, the real banquet had always been the silence that followed the noise—the moment when true schemes came to life.
He stood calmly on the balcony, a thin breeze brushing his face. His white-gold robes fluttered gently, but his mind was sharp, calculating, alive.
That woman.
The masked one.
She had stared at him too long during the feast.
Not with curiosity.
Not with admiration.
But with recognition.
Which meant only one thing.
Someone was peeling back the veil he so carefully wore.
And that couldn't be allowed.
Not now.
Not when the strings he'd placed tonight were already tightening around the royal family, the noble court, and the hidden sect informants scattered across the empire.
He turned and disappeared into the corridor with a soft tap of his boots against the marble, making his way through the winding palace halls. It was late, and most guests had either retired or were still lost in wine and empty flattery.
But Priyanshu had no use for wine or rest.
He had a hunter to catch.
And maybe... break.
—
Two floors above, the masked woman glided like a ghost through the servants' corridors. She wore all black, not a single emblem on her clothes. Her mask—white with red strokes—resembled a laughing fox. Her footsteps made no sound. Her spiritual pressure was perfectly concealed.
She was clearly trained.
Elite.
Not one of the palace guards, and definitely not part of any known sect.
She reached the edge of the royal garden and leapt silently to the adjacent roof, only to stop—
Because he was already there.
Priyanshu stood at the center of the rooftop, hands behind his back, his eyes reflecting the moon.
"Running so soon?" he asked softly.
The woman didn't flinch.
"I was hoping you'd find me," she said.
Her voice was smooth, mature, with a slightly playful undertone. Not young. Not old. Somewhere in between—experienced, dangerous.
"Then talk," he said, stepping forward. "Because your mask won't protect you after tonight."
She laughed.
A rich, confident sound.
"Neither will yours."
In a blink, she moved—fast. Her blade shimmered into existence, an icy dagger with blue flames licking its edge.
She aimed for his neck.
And missed.
Priyanshu had tilted his head by a hair's breadth.
With a single gesture, a wave of shadow rippled outward, slamming into her like a tide. She flipped mid-air, landed silently, and launched herself again, slicing down in a precise arc meant to kill, not intimidate.
But Priyanshu caught her wrist mid-strike, holding it firmly.
"You're good," he whispered.
"But I'm better."
She twisted away, landing a soft blow against his ribs.
He winced.
Not from pain—but surprise.
She was faster than expected.
He snapped his fingers, and from the shadows, three figures emerged—his personal guard from the Dark Heaven Society.
But the masked woman simply smiled.
She touched her mask, and the sigils across her clothes glowed.
Then she vanished.
Vanished completely.
Even Priyanshu's spiritual sense couldn't track her.
Gone.
—
Back in his private quarters, Priyanshu sat silently, fingers steepled under his chin.
"Someone's playing a long game," he muttered.
The woman wasn't an assassin.
If she wanted to kill him, she would've used poison, illusion, or a trap.
That was a test.
She was measuring him.
His strength. His reflexes. His power.
And most importantly, his identity.
His fingers tapped the table slowly.
If someone had recognized him, they must've come across traces of the Dark Heaven Society. Or worse—someone from his previous world might have crossed over too.
The Hidden Villain System hummed to life.
[New Side Quest Unlocked: "Chase the Fox"][Identify the masked operative and her origin][Time Limit: 72 hours][Failure Penalty: Increased world awareness of Host's identity]
His eyes narrowed.
Failure wasn't an option.
—
The next morning came with golden sun and polite smiles.
The palace servants moved quickly, cleaning up after the lavish feast. The royal family prepared for farewell meetings and political discussions.
Priyanshu, dressed again in the robes of a scholar, greeted the king with polite bows and empty praises.
But all the while, he was watching.
Watching the guards.
Watching the maids.
Watching Ruolan, who kept glancing his way when she thought no one noticed.
The game was getting deeper now.
And it thrilled him.
He wasn't just manipulating side characters anymore.
Now the main cast was walking into his web.
He received a handwritten invitation that afternoon.
Not from the palace.
But from the Temple of the Nine Stars—a reclusive and neutral sect known for prophecy and time divination.
The High Oracle had summoned him.
Personally.
No one got summoned by the Oracle. Not unless the stars themselves whispered your name.
Priyanshu held the invitation for a long time.
There were only two reasons the Oracle would reach for someone like him.
Either they saw him as a threat.
Or worse.
As a variable the heavens couldn't control.
—
By nightfall, he returned to the Dark Heaven Society's secret base hidden beneath the capital.
All his core members had gathered.
Arthas Jin, Crimson Executor, leaned on his massive axe, bored as usual.
Zhao Miya, the Black Lotus, stirred her tea lazily.
Anaya, now draped in the formal uniform of a Shadow Whisper, stood calmly beside his throne.
"I have a message for all of you," Priyanshu said.
"Someone has found cracks in our disguise."
Miya frowned. "Do we eliminate them?"
"No," he said. "Not yet. They're not a threat."
He looked around.
"They're an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Anaya asked.
"To sharpen our deception," he said, voice low and firm. "To test how strong the illusion really is. And to turn suspicion into worship."
He pointed at the map hovering above them.
"We control seventy percent of the empire's dark trade routes, sixty percent of its nobles' secrets, and now… we're walking through its palace unnoticed."
"But it's not enough."
"We want everything."
Silence.
Then Arthas grinned. "So what's the next move?"
Priyanshu stood, eyes gleaming like gold dipped in poison.
"We crash the Temple of Nine Stars' heavenly ritual."
"Wait, that's—" Miya started.
"Suicidal?" he finished.
"No," he smiled. "It's art."
—
Three days.
That's all the time he had to chase the fox, silence the prophecy, and expand the web again.
Three days to turn divination into devotion.
Three days to remind the world why the strongest villain doesn't burn the world down.
He whispers it into submission.
And by the time they realize it… it's already too late.