[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-a-villain-so-what":3,"chapter-i-am-a-villain-so-what-i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-135":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Am a Villain, So What?",{"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},1506410,1956,"Chapter 135: World’s Malice","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-135",135,"\u003Cp>Even before passing the Imperial Academy’s main gate, the whispers began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s trash Lucien.\" \"It’s him.\" \"The sewer brute.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, I was practically a school landmark. A monument to infamy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially after yesterday’s incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He beat up the Sewer Guards! Six of them!\" \"Ugh, horrifying! Why would he do that? Does he just enjoy violence?\" \"No manners, no class. A disgrace to the Ashborne name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Protagonist Party, with all their influence, couldn’t cover up the assault on the city officials. Witnesses had seen me smash a guard’s face with a rifle butt. They didn’t see the reason—the tearful reunion with Irina or the desperate escape—they only saw the violence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Such is my fate.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I adjusted my tie, ignoring the glares.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after saving the city from a nuclear-level mana explosion, my reputation didn’t improve. It was as if the world itself was rewriting the narrative to keep me in the role of the villain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Passive Effect Active: World’s Malice]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Description: The world resists changes to the destiny of the Villain. Good deeds are misinterpreted; bad deeds are amplified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Yeah. It’s definitely against me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Class A - Lecture Hall]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere in Class A was chilly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always, I sat in the back corner, isolating myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mariella was sitting at her desk, her head bowed low. She looked pale. The morning paper—branding her a clumsy fool who caused a massive explosion—was tucked inside her bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael and Elisha glanced at me repeatedly, their eyes filled with a mix of guilt and hesitation. They wanted to talk, to thank me, to apologize for Mariella taking the fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignored them, deliberately pulling out a cleaning kit for my rifle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click. Clack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of metal on metal created a barrier around my desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I’ll handle the Arlon debt later,’ I thought. ’Not here. Not where the vultures are watching.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened, and Instructor Samantha swept in, her purple robes billowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today is Basic Magic Training.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room quieted down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elementary magic is a mage’s domain,\" Samantha announced, placing a stack of crystal discs on the podium. \"ButBasicmagic is different. It is a survival skill. With a textbook, anyone can learn it in a day. It has low difficulty but excellent utility.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She scanned the room, her eyes lingering on the physical-oriented knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A knight who doesn’t know basic magic is like an explorer without a first aid kit. You are a liability. If you cannot light a torch in a dark dungeon, or cauterize a wound with a spark, you will die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She waved her hand, and the crystal discs floated to each cadet’s desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The learning goal is the Five Elements: Fire, Light, Wind, Aqua, Earth. Know that failing to master them will critically impact your cadet record.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ugh.\" \"I’m screwed...\" \"Hah, magic. I hate memorizing formulas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The swordsmen groaned. To them, manipulating mana was harder than swinging a greatsword 1,000 times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Magic, huh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked down at the Five-Element Tablet on my desk. It was a grey, dull disc. The goal was to infuse mana and shift its nature to light up the five colored gems embedded in the rim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, I was a novice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had spent a ridiculous amount of System Points and chugged High-Grade Mana Potions to forcibly expand my mana pool, but mytalentstat for magic was still abysmal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I placed my hand on the tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Begin!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[20 Minutes Later]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Done!\" \"Yay! I got Aqua!\" \"Finished!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within ten minutes, the talented mages had cleared the assessment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elisha had lit up all five gems in thirty seconds, looking bored. Mariella, despite her mood, finished quickly with her immense mana control. Even Kael, who had mediocre talent, brute-forced it with his protagonist determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They glanced at me again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh...\" \"Hmm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael stepped toward my desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cadet Lucien,\" he started, lowering his voice. \"About yesterday...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t look up. I kept my eyes closed, my hand hovering over the tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m concentrating,\" I said coldly. \"Get lost.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael flinched. He looked at the unlit tablet, then at my stern face. He sighed and retreated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I’m sorry, Mariella,’ I thought internally. ’I’ll make it up to you with interest. Just... not now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, the Protagonist Party gave up and left for their free period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room emptied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five minutes passed. Then ten. Then twenty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only ten cadets remained—the \"Leftovers.\" The ones with zero magical aptitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gritted my teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Skill: Mana Manipulation (E-Rank)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I visualized the flow. Not as a mystical force, but as gunpowder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignite.(Fire)Flash.(Light)Flow.(Water)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buzz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the fifth gem on my tablet glowed a dull brown (Earth).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Phew.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up and walked to the podium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Twenty minutes,\" Samantha noted, checking her stopwatch. She looked surprised. \"I expected you to take the full hour, Cadet Lucien. Your entrance records showed near-zero mana sensitivity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve been practicing,\" I lied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You’ve got grit. Good. Free time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I walked down the aisle, a soft sound caught my ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ugh...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cadet was hunched over her desk, her shoulders trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames flickered weakly in her hand, sputtered, and died out. Smoke rose from her fingertips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it... why won’t it stabilize?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Ariana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Trouble with the fire element, huh?\" I asked, stopping beside her desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl jumped, nearly knocking her tablet over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes...! Oh, Lucien!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked up, her ivory hair messy and her glasses askew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Ariana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My alchemist. My partner in crime. And... well, technically, my girlfriend, though we kept that quiet at the Academy to protect her from my \"Trash\" reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t get it!\" Ariana whispered, pouting. \"I make potions that explode with the force of a cannon! I brew liquid fire! Why can’t I light this stupid little rock?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled, leaning against her desk to block the view of the other students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because you’re an Alchemist, Ariana. You’re used to using catalysts—sulfur, mana stones, oil. You’re trying to build a fire with chemistry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached out and gently corrected her hand posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Magic isn’t chemistry. It’s will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fingers brushed hers. She stiffened, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that matched the Fire Gem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t think about the fuel,\" I whispered. \"Think about the heat. Think about the burner under your cauldron when you’re brewing a Level 5 elixir.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana blinked. Her eyes focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The burner...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She closed her eyes. She imagined her lab. The hiss of the gas. The blue flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WOOSH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burst of fire erupted from her fingertip—not a small candle flame, but a blowtorch jet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eek!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She panicked, cutting the mana. The flame vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the red gem on the tablet was glowing brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Pass.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana looked at the tablet, then up at me, beaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I did it! Thanks, Lucien!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly squeezed my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way... I saw the newspaper.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice dropped, her eyes serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Top-Grade Mana Stone explosion? Mariella?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at me with knowing eyes. As a genius Alchemist, she knew a mana stone explosion didn’t leave \"no traces.\" It left radiation. The clean crater in the slums... that wasn’t a malfunction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You were involved, weren’t you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smirked, picking up my bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have no idea what you’re talking about.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana rolled her eyes, smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liar. Just... be careful. Rumors are scary things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I patted her head—a quick, affectionate gesture before pulling my hand back as Samantha looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m heading out. Don’t blow up the classroom, Alchemist.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey! I have perfect safety standards!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving a pouting Ariana behind, I walked out of the classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I walked out of the classroom, slinging my rifle case over my shoulder, someone blocked my path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hallway was crowded with students rushing to lunch, but they parted around this particular girl like water around a stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Clara von Marigold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pink-haired girl I had carried out of the burning crater. The puppet who had stood in the fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked different today. Her twin-tails were neatly tied, her uniform pristine, but the usual bubbly energy was gone. Her eyes were red-rimmed, yet clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... hi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, then looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master Lucien.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not someone to be called ’Young Master’ by a Marquis’s daughter, Lady Clara.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Master. Lady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were terms of respect reserved for highborn heirs of good standing. Technically, I was a Count’s heir, but since I arrived in this world—and thanks to the original Lucien’s reputation—this was the first time a peer had addressed me with my proper title instead of \"Trash\" or \"You there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" Clara shook her head firmly. \"You are the heir of House Ashborne. And... you’re my savior. To me, you are Young Master Lucien.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she put it like that, with such stubborn gratitude, I couldn’t insist otherwise. It would be rude to reject her dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. What do you want, Lady Clara?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"..... I just wanted to thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1504,"2026-06-06T04:52:02.137Z",1,"novelbin.me","0a26c90ea82bd463184530ca787d891a02dbd166040797ed54f8c29fa5fa30ad","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-136","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-134",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]