[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-became-the-patron-of-villains":3,"chapter-became-the-patron-of-villains-became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-324":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Became the Patron of Villains",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},759764,1006,"Chapter 324 : Dog (1)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-324",324,"\u003Cp>As soon as Alon arrived at the explorer camp, he was showered with another round of “thank you” greetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling embarrassed, he left the camp and moved straight to the Mage Tower, and two weeks had already passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re finally here—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Penia spoke while looking at the distant scenery of the Mage Tower, Alon replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t think I’d be coming to the academy this often.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I agree with you on that. But... was it really okay not to stop by?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Principality of Luxible. You said you would visit at least once, but you ended up coming straight here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon recalled that moment a little late and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, when he first arrived at the campsite, he had debated whether to visit the Principality of Luxible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ronovelli Jungle was close to Luxible, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Alon ended up not going because of a rumor he heard by chance when he arrived at Kaslot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, did you hear about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I haven’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh come on, man. I’m just trying to make conversation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahem. So what is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard they’re preparing something in the Principality of Luxible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Preparing? Preparing what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They say they’re secretly preparing soldiers. I don’t know exactly what for, but it seems like things are really hectic there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Soldiers? Are they planning a war or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm, I doubt it’s that serious, but anyway, that’s the rumor going around.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it was something he kept hearing during the two days he stayed in Kaslot, Alon decided not to go to Luxible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to visit a busy kingdom without a proper reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, the rumor about the soldiers is probably false, though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Alon didn’t believe the rumor completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that where there’s smoke, there’s fire, but he had also recently felt firsthand how easily rumors could be distorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They looked busy, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, Alon gave a short reply to Penia and then briefly recalled another rumor he had heard in Luxible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They said three powerful warriors died in Ashtalon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not long after, Alon realized that rumor was distorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the information he got from the information guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out the three warriors who had taken a request in Ashtalon had simply gone out of contact, and that led to the rumor being twisted that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Alon was suspicious about what had actually happened in Ashtalon, so he had made an additional request to the guild for more information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I’ll find out soon enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon soon set that thought aside and naturally brought up another topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think they’ve decoded at least one more magic spell by now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia immediately responded to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I doubt they’ve finished everything yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, there isn’t a huge difference between first-tier and second-tier magic... but since hierarchical magic itself is like a big chunk of information, it must be harder to decipher.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Penia added, “We’ve only just found two phrases from the first tier ourselves,” Alon nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, even at this pace, it’s impressively fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Penia said, the progress in deciphering hierarchical magic was much faster than expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just two weeks, they had managed to find two phrases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But things will get really tough from here on out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean finding the sentences?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I think we can find the last phrase pretty quickly, but finding the sentences is basically like hard manual labor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an obvious statement that he had no choice but to agree with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even finding the three phrases had been grueling enough to make their eyes bloodshot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to what they’d heard from Heinkel, finding the sentences was even worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much time had passed as Alon thought about that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis, please step down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as they arrived at the Mage Tower, Alon saw Basiliora slip into the ring as if he had been waiting, and he began walking inside with Penia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment they entered to meet Heinkel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was momentarily stunned to see so many mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There weren’t supposed to be any mages here at this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Penia, is it already time for the academy meeting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh—no? That should still be a long way off...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia answered, just as confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rubbed her chin for a moment as if trying to remember if she had missed something, then shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Alon, Penia, and Evan all stood there blankly staring at the crowd of mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? It’s Marquis Palatio!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“??”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surroundings went silent in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place that had been buzzing with chatter went quiet so quickly that Alon froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barely had time to look around in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis Palatio?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where, where—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, over there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gasp—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if they had been waiting for this moment, countless eyes focused on Alon all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Alon could even say anything—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis Palatio! Please, please come teach us at the Red Mage Tower!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis! Let’s at least have a discussion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An exchange meeting! Let’s hold an exchange meeting!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or even just one magic demonstration!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it true that what you used last time was really Light?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the mages rush at him like madmen, Alon was completely overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whew—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you okay, Marquis?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine. Thanks to you, I survived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, come on—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Alon was able to escape the crowd of mages thanks to Penia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Penia had stayed with House Palatio for quite a while, she had always attended the academy gatherings, so perhaps that’s why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as she showed a hint of her temper, the mages parted like the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What kind of life is she living when I’m not looking?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon briefly recalled how the mages had panicked and cleared a path the moment Penia showed a bit of hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm~ But this might get troublesome. I think the Tower Masters will be arriving soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tower Masters...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. It seems like the impact of that Light magic was huge. Did you see earlier? They were all crowded together over there, using Light magic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, he had seen it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as they stepped aside to make way for Penia, the mages from the five towers kept shouting “Watch my magic!!” and endlessly fired off Light spells along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon had felt like a celebrity walking a red carpet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had never wished to feel that way...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It would be the same for an ordinary mage. I probably would’ve reacted that way too if I didn’t know,’ said Penia in the background as they arrived at the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Oh, you’re here?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They encountered Heinkel, who casually waved as if it was completely routine by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s been a month, huh? Did you finish everything?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I’ve completed what I originally set out to do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[How’s the research going?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Heinkel’s follow-up question, Alon gave a brief update on the current situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm~ So you deciphered two phrases? And you found the hand seal for Light magic?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, how’s the completed ‘Light’ magic?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It’s pretty overwhelming. Honestly, my mana can barely handle it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it to the point where you’re completely drained after one use?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heinkel nodded with a thoughtful hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d love to see Light in action, but before that, let me tell you about the research progress.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s the second-tier magic coming along?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Alon asked, and Heinkel thought for a moment before answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be blunt, it’s pretty tough. In the month you guys were away, I only managed to find one phrase.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At that rate—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, it’s not that fast. Oh, right. Honestly, if it weren’t for the friend you sent, it would’ve taken even longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is the difference between the first and second tiers really that big?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon had expected some difference, but seeing Heinkel this stressed surprised him a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a huge difference. The process of extracting the needed information from magic is the same, but finding the phrases gets way more complicated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For example?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heinkel hesitated for a moment, wondering how to describe it, then waved her hand as if recalling something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piece of paper floated over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...This is—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a blueprint. From the old days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spread out the extremely complex blueprint in front of Alon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Simply put, deciphering the first-tier magic you guys are working on feels like this blueprint. But the second-tier...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She waved her hand again and layered another blueprint on top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you can see. One blueprint is enough for the first-tier, but for the second-tier, you have to stack several of them together like this to find a phrase.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she layered the two blueprints, a new structure emerged before their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon nodded as if he understood, seeing the intricate and incredibly dense layout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[But don’t worry. It might take a while, but I don’t think it’s impossible to interpret the blueprint.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yeah—at least for now, that’s what I think. Oh, by the way, how long are you planning to stay?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the Mage Tower, you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yeah.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon thought for a moment before replying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll probably stay about a week. There are a few more things I’d like to ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Good. Then why don’t you go rest today, and maybe we can do the magic demonstration tomorrow?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After making that promise, they wrapped up their conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Alon returned to the first floor, he was able to see a familiar face for the first time in a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a while! Marquis Palatio...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tower Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Celaime Mikardo, the Blue Tower Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Approaching with his usual friendly smile, he also gave a brief greeting to Penia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How have you been!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been well. But what brings you here...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he answered, Alon suddenly recalled Penia’s earlier comment about the Tower Masters coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celaime beamed brightly as he cheerfully called out to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, I came because of your Light magic! I didn’t expect to actually meet you like this, though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Would it be possible to request a demonstration?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A demonstration?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, of the Light magic. I really wanted to see it with my own eyes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celaime looked at him with desperate eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon hesitated for a moment, but then remembered he was already planning to demonstrate the magic to Heinkel anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to agree—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“tsk-tsk—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He heard a sharp tongue-click and turned to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood a woman in green clothing, wearing an icy cold expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, Sharan Foranu. You came too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at her, Alon finally realized her identity thanks to Celaime’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Green Tower Master. Sharan Foranu.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was a character who occasionally appeared as an ally to the player in Psychedelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the Tower Masters, she was known as a grand mage who, while alive, had gotten closest to the ninth tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon was recalling all this information in his head, she continued glaring at him without hiding her hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I came. All because of someone’s utterly ridiculous lies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—that’s what she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of a forest soaked in blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a man standing among the dark red-stained leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s appearance was rather bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soaked in sloth, his vacant eyes each contained two pupils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All over his body, purple threads drifted around him as if floating aimlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting powerlessly on the fragments of a broken cocoon, as if he had no desires at all, “Sloth” blankly looked up at the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of the night. Above him stretched the Milky Way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cluster of big and small stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stars that shone particularly brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if they wanted to light up the entire earth like a sun, the sky was shining brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man, who had just been quietly staring up at that high sky, let out a long, heavy sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hate it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hate it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I haaaate it—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man kept muttering without end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if reciting a spell, he repeatedly voiced his genuine annoyance at the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he suddenly lowered his head deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He staggered powerlessly as he stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack—crackle crackle—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The broken cocoon beneath him quickly melted away helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, it was sucked into his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack—crackle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The area around him began to turn black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if expanding a territory, the blackness slowly spread outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching that scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But still—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man, with dull eyes, murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sin of Sloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even so, I have to do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He whispered, almost as if sighing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because... this is my duty.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2132,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","3f36be3df363c744a4edf00270e1d759314af282423a0cd0074e01379161c46c","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-325","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-323",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]