Villain MMORPG: Almighty Devil Emperor and His Seven Demonic Wives - Chapter 1756: Dangerous Habit

Chapter 1756: Dangerous Habit

Villain Ch 1756. Dangerous Habit

Allen sat down quietly beside him.

“Thanks for waiting,” he said casually.

Elio blinked. “Sure.”

“You okay?” Allen asked, glancing at him, subtle but sincere.

Elio paused, then shrugged. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”

Allen hummed. “Dangerous habit.”

“You should try it sometime.”

Allen smirked. “I do. I just don’t overdo it.”

Red_King raised his glass. “To no Devil Emperor today, and to not dying in cursed fields.”

Yuna added, “And to Elio for not starting a duel in the middle of a PvP trap.”

Everyone laughed. Even Elio. Quietly.

They toasted.

The drinks clinked beneath the sharp midday light filtering through the velvet-glass awnings of Crystal Alley’s upper-tier lounge.

Outside the arched windows, the sun blazed high above Gorroc City, casting harsh, golden beams that shimmered off the pale sandstone walls.

The desert heat pulsed like a living thing, thick and dry, but inside, a cooling enchantment softened the air into a lazy, luxurious chill. Mana lanterns flickered faintly along the corners—not for light, but for ambiance.

Allen leaned back, one hand wrapped around a glass of something dark and strong. The flavor was smoky with a touch of desert cinnamon—probably overpriced, definitely worth it.

Elio tapped the rim of his glass once, watching the condensation slowly streak down its side.

Then he said it.

“But I still want to duel Allen.”

Red_King didn’t even look up. He just sighed and made the universal ’Seriously?’ face, brows drawn, lips slightly parted like someone just suggested raiding at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday.

“Here?” he asked flatly.

“Here in Gorroc City,” Elio clarified, deadpan. “Not in this tavern, I still have common sense.”

Allen arched an eyebrow, setting his glass down with a light clink. “What are you trying to prove?”

Elio swirled his drink. Not to be dramatic—okay, maybe a little—but to buy time.

He caught Allen’s gaze. It was calm. Bored, almost. But still sharper than anything else in the room.

“I’ll tell you,” Elio said. “Wanna hear my honest opinion?”

Allen didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced around the bar. The lounge was tucked in the quiet end of Crystal Alley, one of those upper-tier private rest zones and made you feel like your words stayed inside the circle.

Only a few other tables were occupied, and none were close. No other players nearby. Just them.

Secure enough.

Allen nodded. “Tell me.”

Elio took a breath. “You know… after what I saw today? I think you’re more terrifying than the Emperor.”

There was a pause.

Allen scoffed. “I know you’re joking.”

But Red_King leaned forward, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Nope. I agree with him.”

Allen blinked.

“You’re frightening,” Red_King continued. “More than the Emperor.”

The others didn’t argue.

Alex nodded slowly. “You don’t have epic gear like the Emperor. Or any broken-tier class abilities. And you still wiped out more than fifty players in that field.”

Yuna chimed in, tapping her fork against her empty plate. “Not to mention you did it without even sweating.”

Rei added, “And you barely used skills. Just… raw movement. Pure instinct.”

Red_King jabbed a thumb at Allen. “His build made it make sense, though.”

Elio raised his hand slightly. “Gil made a similar build. Dual dagger, evasion focus. But Allen’s… different.”

Red_King leaned back, thoughtful now. “Closest one I’ve seen is Valkyrie. But even she doesn’t hit like Allen. Her speed’s system-assisted. Allen just—moves.”

Allen gave a long sigh, hand running through his hair. “You’re all making me sound like a secret boss in some game.”

“You kinda are,” Red_King said, shrugging. “A hidden optional boss with zero drop table, maximum trauma, and one hell of a glitchy death animation.”

Allen narrowed his eyes. “That better be a compliment.”

“It is,” Red_King grinned. “Guess I’m lucky I managed to drag you along to save Alex.”

Allen raised his glass again. “I feel trapped.”

“You were,” Elio said, then leaned forward slightly. “And that’s why I still want to duel you. But this time…”

Allen glanced at him. “This time?”

“I want you to fight me like you did in the Field,” Elio said quietly. “No restraint. No analyzing. Just you.”

Allen sipped his drink and gave a very long, very slow exhale. “And what if I refuse? I don’t see any benefits for me.”

Elio grinned. That grin. The one that always preceded a really bad idea or a really dangerous bet. “Then I’ll call you ’my hero’ every time we meet.”

Allen choked on his drink.

It hit the back of his throat like betrayal and lava.

He coughed once. Twice.

Rei nearly snorted her wine through her nose. “Oh my gods.”

Yuna buried her face in her napkin.

Red_King leaned forward, looking genuinely delighted. “Elio. You evil genius.”

Alex looked horrified on Allen’s behalf. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, I would,” Elio said, his evil grin widening. “Loudly. Publicly. With sparkles.”

Allen wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grimacing like he just drank cactus water. “You said yourself—you’re not suicidal.”

“You said you’d rather duel me than hear that nickname again,” Elio said sweetly.

Allen muttered, “Dammit.”

The table erupted in laughter.

For a moment, it was easy to forget everything—the ambushes, the fake cultists, the Emperor’s looming shadow. Just six players in a posh bar, surrounded by glowing desert lanterns and overpriced food, acting like the world wasn’t trying to collapse every other week.

But Elio… wasn’t laughing.

Not completely.

Because even now, part of him was watching Allen.

Still trying to understand him.

Not just his skills. His mindset.

The lack of hesitation.

The silence between motions.

There was something in Allen that felt bigger than the numbers.

He hadn’t said a word about the Emperor. Hadn’t questioned the fakes. Hadn’t flinched when Elio said he was scarier than the most feared entity in the server.

Why?

What was Allen really thinking?

And why did he seem so comfortable being terrifying?

Elio didn’t know.

But he wanted to find out.

Even if it meant getting his ass kicked again.

Especially if it meant seeing Allen without the mask.

And if the price for that was being turned into a highlight reel?

Then so be it.