World's Strongest Became the Game's Weakest Villain

How? Why? Since when?

Dozens of questions flew past Anatolia's mind. Had it been before she had grown, she would have blanked out almost immediately. But now, even as her heart beat faster than her body could handle and her breaths grew more hastened than she could exhale, she didn't lose track of her thoughts.

Her eyes trembled. Her lips pressed down. She wanted to clench her teeth and fists but held herself from doing so.

He had changed. Incomparably so.

Scars ran down his neck to his chest, a missing finger, hair long and sharp with a build that wouldn't surprise her to be a result of years upon years of hard work. It was something unimaginable for the scum of a man she knew who couldn't even do anything but harass women and then scream when he was shown his place. But there was no mistaking that face.

She couldn't mistake those hateful eyes.

The one who ruined her life, who killed her with his own hands, who abandoned his humanity and spurred the world toward destruction.

Eugene Hall was in front of her.

And he had changed.

Dozens, hundreds, she thought a thousand thoughts.

And all of them pointed her at the same thing.

The way a person could change so much. The way a person could overhaul who they were and completely turn their image on its head. She knew how it was possible because she was someone who had done that very thing.

'He's a regressor too...'

There was no other explanation. It was either the same thing as her, or to say that someone from another world had taken over his body, how absurd would that be?

"Ana, are you ok?"

Anatolia was taken out of her trance as her brother leaned toward her and spoke in a soft voice. She noticed that she had been breathing heavily and sweating all over.

She forced out a chuckle as she wiped her forehead.

"I am alright, lord brother, I apologize."

"If you are not well you should rest, dear."

"I was just a little dazed, it's nothing."

Ateles thought for a few seconds before sighing and nodding. He couldn't express how proud he was of his sister who had matured so much, he was more than prepared to go back and tell every one of her tenacity at the dinner table.

With a renewed smile, Aletes turned toward the adventurers and spoke, his voice booming with enhancement magic.

"Heroes of the Adventurers, I, the crown prince of the Atreus Empire welcome all of you with open arms for joining us on this auspicious time."

Her brother's speech began and Anatolia lowered her head.

She narrowed her eyes and stared at the man at the back with the other Platinum-Ranked adventurers.

The woman standing next to him noticed her gaze and slapped the back of Eugene's head. Anatolia's eyes widened in surprise as Eugene heard something from that woman and bowed his head lightly so as to not dismiss her gaze but not offend the speaker either.

'Eugene Hall... got slapped and didn't throw a fuss?'

This much was enough to make him tie up and torture a maid in her previous life. The atrocities he had committed on that talented young girl named Lily still pained her heart.

But, he got slapped and even bowed?

'He's grown cunning.'

It was useless to imagine someone like him being a loser the entire time. They had all seen many years, and it was natural for him to grow smarter, even more so after making contact with the one called the smartest amongst all the planes of existence, his demon partner Dantalian.

Her heart raced slightly as she focused her energy on her eyes.

She peered into Eugene's body, besides a single ring, there were barely any traces of demonic energy on him.

Her heart pounded in excitement again as she realized the implications of her finding.

He hadn't made contact with the demon yet.

'Then, I can do something...'

The situation wasn't all that bad.

No, it was fucking great. If she could stop him right now, then no problems would ever befall her friends and lover. She could live the happy school life that she had been aiming for.

Anatolia's lips curved into a cunning smile as a plan formulated in her head. She focused on finding holes within it and smoothening it out before making a couple more plans.

She could do it.

"Then, I would request all the adventurers to learn of their postings from the knights behind me. As for Sir Kaiser and Lady Death Queen, I would tell you of your posting personally."

With that, the distribution of work began as the knights and servants walked around and informed the different adventurers of their postings after receiving appropriate data from the guild.

Alete and Anatolia stepped down the podium and walked up to the two Mythril-ranked adventurers who knelt in their presence.

"We greet the bright sun of the empire."

"Please, relax yourselves. It is embarrassing for me to be greeted like this by people who have taught me."

Kaiser stood up and scratched the back of his neck while smiling.

"Sir Kaiser and Lady Death Queen, I would request that the two of you be posted at the palace."

Most adventurers were going to be guarding the streets of the first three districts while some would be assigned to the most important members of the nobility as personal guards. It was necessary to prepare for the war that had been a havoc in her previous life.

As her brother and the two adventurers finished exchanging words, Anatolia spoke up.

"Brother, it seems I have recognized someone I know."

"Oh? Who is this person?"

Her brother asked and looked at the adventurers curiously. So did the other two adventurers, smiling.

"It is that man at the back,"

"Eugene?" Kaiser asked.

"Yes..." a chilling voice left Anatolia. "Eugene Hall... the son of Marquis Hall from the Schwarz Empire."

"A child of a Marquis? That's interesting."

"Say, Sir Kaiser," Anatolia asked. "Is he capable?"

Kaiser looked down at his fists. A small scab had formed on his finger that he used to block Eugene's attack.

"Capable is putting it lightly. He's someone with great skill."

"Perfect," Anatolia smiled. Alete recognized this face she made over the last two years whenever she planned something cunning.

"I was thinking, can't we assign him to that Lady? The blooming flower of our Empire?"

Eugene Hall.

She was going to kill two birds with one stone.

Along with the flower to be sacrificed to King Balam.

She was going to handover the cancer of this world.