[{"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-70":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},759810,1006,"Chapter 70","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-70",70,"\u003Cp>Leetanka, an F-rank fighter participating in this battle royale, honestly thought he might be able to take down Count Palatio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this wasn’t because he underestimated Alon’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much Alon might be ignorant of the ways of the world, it made no sense to dismiss the already infamous Count Palatio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason he thought this was simple—because the Count was a magician.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Essentially, magicians needed time to cast spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The higher the rank of the spell, the shorter the casting time, but there was always a slight delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in this confined arena, Leetanka knew that this delay would give fighters enough time to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why, despite his tension, he believed he had a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming that Count Palatio was part of this battle royale, Leetanka gathered all the other fighters, confident they could take him down together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Leetanka’s arrogance was quickly shattered the moment Alon’s magic unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the… this is insane—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t help but let out an exclamation as he stared blankly upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of ice pillars were entangled, forming a small mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the peak of that mountain, the man stood, gazing down at the fighters with no emotion, just cold indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While all the fighters held their weapons, paralyzed and unsure of what to do, overwhelmed by the sight, Alon exhaled a frosty breath amidst the chilling cold, watching them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So far, everything is going according to plan,’Alon thought as he formed a hand seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, before entering today’s battle royale, Alon had agonized over which magic to use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was used to fighting stronger opponents, so most of his spells targeted individuals rather than groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing he could only cast magic six times, he foresaw this situation and, after much deliberation, settled on his strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What I need here is magic that can cover the widest range with enough power to take down F-rank fighters.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that conclusion, he arranged his spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wong—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enhance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a shield formed in the center of the massive iceberg Alon had created.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Compress.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following his command, the center of the enormous iceberg compressed into the shape of a large dome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The center of the mountain instantly transformed into a spherical shape, making the structure look unstable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spectators silently gasped in awe at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enormous sphere floating at the heart of the iceberg, on the verge of collapse, looked like a magical work of art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vacuum.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Alon spoke again, the shield, which had just been compressed into what looked like a sphere of magical energy, shrank even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Return to the Primordial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Alon’s final words,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boooom!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The iceberg exploded, sweeping away the fighters gathered around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fragile snow-capped mountain crumbled with a deafening roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White dust rose into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when the white cloud settled, what remained on the battlefield was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon. Alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence that followed lasted only a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ah, ahem! The winner of the battle royale is Alon Palatio!!!!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commentator, who had been flustered, quickly regained his composure and announced the result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his ears, the sound of thunderous cheers began to echo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If it hadn’t ended in one shot, it could have been dangerous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the mana hole within him empty, having used more magical power than expected due to the large range of the spell, and broke into a small cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Looks like I’ll need to practice adjusting the spell arrangement more.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One more task had been added to his to-do list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right after the battle royale ended, Alon, who had instantly been promoted from an F-rank fighter to a D-rank fighter eligible to issue challenges, was thinking about which C-rank fighter he would challenge next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Count.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it, Evan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yutia sent a gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A gift?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this from Evan, who had been waiting at the guild, Alon quickly made his way to his room and saw a staff placed on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Sparrow Staff he had been trying to acquire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She sent this as a gift?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. She said you’d like it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan’s words left Alon perplexed as he examined the staff. Even after inspecting it, he confirmed it was indeed the Sparrow Staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What is this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression turned blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no wonder. From what he knew, access to the Colony’s treasure vault required one to prove their qualifications as a fighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Colony’s royal family had upheld this tradition since they established the kingdom, so Alon never even considered buying items from the treasure vault with money, knowing it was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which led him to wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How did she manage this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though curious about how Yutia had acquired the Sparrow Staff for him, Alon set the question aside for now, deciding to feel grateful toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to her, he had obtained the item he had originally intended to acquire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Since I’ve exhausted my mana today, I won’t be able to use it. I’ll give it a try tomorrow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling as if he had received a gift from a well-raised daughter, Alon gripped the Sparrow Staff in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon infused mana into the staff, just as “it” had described,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Huh? Who are you? Why are you waking me up?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gruff middle-aged man’s voice, full of irritation at the world, echoed in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Alon Palatio.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So what?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was introduced by the Dragonkin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So what?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon felt a sudden headache, instinctively sensing that the conversation would be difficult, but pressed on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t seem to like long conversations, so I’ll get straight to the point. I heard you’re a mage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Looks like there’s still at least one idiot left in this world of morons.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I was told by the Dragonkin that you’d reveal your glyphs and phrases to me. Can you do that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What good would knowing that do you?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I plan to use them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Alon’s answer, the voice inside the staff let out a deep sigh after a brief silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I thought you were at least a fool with some knowledge, but it turns out you’re just a complete idiot.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged voice continued, filled with blatant disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hey, idiot, do you really think knowing my glyphs and phrases means you’ll be able to use them?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I couldn’t use them, I wouldn’t have asked. The Dragonkin said you’d explain everything clearly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Stop talking about things you’ll never be able to do. You haven’t even inherited my mental image, so how could you possibly use my glyphs?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice in the staff spat out words laced with denial, as if dismissing the entire conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Alon fell silent, pondering the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Count!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Evan burst through the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve received a challenge request.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From whom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From an A-rank fighter. The name is… ‘Philcion.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Colosseum came to deliver the message. How should I respond?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Evan’s question, Alon briefly considered it with some confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘An A-rank fighter, challenging me? …It’s not impossible, but…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>D-rank fighters were allowed to challenge fighters ranked one tier above them, but A-rank fighters could issue challenges to lower-ranked fighters as they wished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it was uncommon for A-rank fighters to challenge lower-ranked fighters. If they didn’t fight against others of their own rank, they risked their standing, and if they lost, they would be demoted. The risk was too great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Alon, this was an opportunity to rise to the A-rank in one swift move without having to fight several battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief pause, Alon made his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t believe me, why don’t we make a bet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Huh?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon smiled at the staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philcion, the A-rank fighter who had issued the challenge to Count Palatio, walked out from the opposite side of the Colosseum’s arena, eyeing the man entering the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘As expected.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Count Palatio, stepping into the arena amidst thunderous cheers, caught Philcion’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philcion smirked to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, this wasn’t a good match for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an A-rank fighter, beating Count Palatio, a D-rank fighter, wouldn’t bring Philcion any glory, and if he lost, he would be demoted from A-rank to D-rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But despite that, there was one reason Philcion had issued the challenge to Count Palatio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To generate buzz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true that Count Palatio, standing before him, was a D-rank fighter, but his strength had already been proven multiple times through rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, his power was definitively confirmed during the recent battle royale, making him even more famous within the Colony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, what Philcion wanted was to defeat Alon and steal the spotlight from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had heard rumors that the vacant position of Baba Yaga would soon be filled by one of the A-rank fighters, chosen by the royal family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, for Philcion, whose goal was to become the next Baba Yaga, this event was a rare opportunity he could not afford to miss. That’s why he took the gamble, though he was confident he could defeat the Count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Philcion wasn’t underestimating Count Palatio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As mentioned, there were many rumors about his strength, and he had already proven his power in the Colosseum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring Count Palatio would be a foolish act, something no fighter should ever do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially not fighters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there was one reason Philcion was confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Count Palatio only uses ice magic.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he knew that magicians could use other spells aside from their primary magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he also knew that if it wasn’t their specialty, the power of those spells would be significantly weaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, before sending the challenge, Philcion had thoroughly investigated and confirmed that Alon only used ice magic, which further boosted his confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with good reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smirk\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His race, the Flameclan, was inherently capable of wielding fire, an element with a strong advantage over ice magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how powerful Alon’s ice magic was, it would naturally weaken in the face of the high-temperature flames Philcion controlled, which brought a smile to his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[And now, let the match begin!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the commentator’s voice fell, Philcion unleashed his flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire surged, making the already hot ground boil even more, drawing gasps from the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the cold began to rise from around Alon, threatening to engulf the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Humph—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Alon’s frost could not reach where Philcion stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘As I thought!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philcion twisted his lips into a grin and drew his twin swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How should I finish this? In one strike? Or should I wait for the Count to cast a spell and then finish him? No, I can’t drag this out for too long. Better to make it as impactful as possible.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philcion, already thinking as though he had won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, unfortunately for him, his blissful thoughts were cut short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Array of Thunder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Alon uttered a new incantation, it was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brilliant blue sparks began to surround Alon’s body, clearly visible to everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>",1845,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","d3c3fabae5ff536bdac088096bd362d445044128c8d52a4b3b75def18d994ba3","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-71","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-69",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]