[{"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-33":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},1506358,1956,"Chapter 33: New skill","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-33",33,"\u003Cp>After we finalized the menu, I stretched my arms and let out a long sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That settles it. I’m going to sleep. Weekend’s over — and I don’t feel like being dragged to the disciplinary hall on Monday morning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructor Samantha’s warning echoed in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone misses the practical assessment, prepare for punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah. I wasn’t about to experience that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up, chair legs scraping lightly against the floor — but just as I was about to leave, Lily’s hand shot up like a nervous student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boss, one thing is still remaining.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused mid–step and glanced back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s remaining?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked dead serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...the diner’s name. You still haven’t decided what we’ll call it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah. Right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brand needed an identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A business needed a soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stayed silent for a moment — then the title clicked into place — simple but meaningful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"KITCHEN 21.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily blinked. \"...Kitchen... twenty-one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia frowned lightly. \"It sounds strange.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why twenty-one?\" Lily asked, genuinely puzzled. \"Does it mean there will be 21 dishes on the menu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just smirked — amused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would never understand theactualmeaning — 21st century cuisine — Earth’s glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not something you need to worry about,\" I said casually, walking toward the stairs, \"you’ll understand someday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I left the two girls whispering and guessing behind me...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>completely unaware that tomorrow —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KITCHEN 21 would be the name which will be remembered as the place which revolutionized the culinary world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I went up to my room with a strange mix of anticipation and calm buzzing under my skin. Tomorrow wasn’t just another academy day — it was the first real practical assessment. A dungeon dive. A field test. An event that, in thegame, was the first flag leading to chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there was a fat 5000–point reward for top 3.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Top 3? Please.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was aiming for first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already knew what kind of \"misfortune\" was pre–scripted to happen in that dungeon. The protagonist was involved — which meant narrative bullshit would definitely occur. Some near–death incident. A twist. A monster spawn that should not exist for a 1st year test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I wasn’t going in half–prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s shopping time...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I murmured under my breath, opening the system shop window floating before me like a transparent blue screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Current points: 4800.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t a small amount — but it wasn’t unlimited either. I needed to convert that into survivability. Real combat stats. Because right now? My physical capability was... tragic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strength? Pathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Agility? An embarrassing joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if my cooking made me feel overpowered in the kitchen, in an actual fight I was a 16–year–old noble brat with semi–decent aim. That’s it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scrolled through the skill catalog until I found exactly what I needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Movement Arts · Lv. 1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A foundational close–quarter movement skill designed for footwork, evasion, and acceleration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cost — 2000 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Painful. But crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I purchased it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I didn’t stop there. I dumped more points into it. Level 2. Level 3. Level 4. Level 5.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By level 5 the effect text got a bonus:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"[Agility Amplification +50 (temporary: when activated)]\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that was more like it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With roughly 1000 points left, I bought 30 mana bullets — good ranged fallback — and upgraded [Detection] another level. I wasn’t going in blind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I was done, the window updated:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Status Window\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Name: Lucien Ashborne\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Age: 16\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Race: Human\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Affiliation: Imperial Academy \u002F House Ashborne\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stats\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strength: 11\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Agility: 7 (+50*)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endurance: 7\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intelligence: 17\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana: 4\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charm: 63\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skills\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana Control Lv. 5 ↑\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horse Riding Lv. 3 ↑\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basic Etiquette Lv. 4\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intimidation Lv. 3 ↑\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cooking Lv. 8 ↑\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marksmanship Lv. 6 ↑\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Detection Lv. 6 ↑\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Movement Arts Lv. 5\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Culinary Creator (Passive)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Points Remaining: 50\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at the stat screen for a few seconds, absorbed in quiet satisfaction. My cooking level has gone up by 1. The agility boost alone was a life saver. Tomorrow when things go sideways inside the dungeon — and I’m betting they will — even if I am unable to counter it but I will atleast be able to run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just kidding. Nothing like that gonna happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I woke before dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sunlight hadn’t even warmed the curtains yet, but my body felt alert — mind sharp. Dungeon day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dressed, tied the academy uniform properly, and headed downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smell of lightly toasted bread and vegetables hit the air — Lily must’ve prepped while I slept. Breakfast was simple — omelette and bread with light seasoning — but it was enough fuel for the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I ate, I began packing lunch portions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just for me — for Ariana as well — and one extra portion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Experience had taught me something: whenever there’s a \"plot event,\" it’s never a bad idea to have spare food on hand. The \"extra\" would come in handy. Someone always ends up starving, fainting, collapsing, or stuck in a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I finished sealing the food containers, I loaded them into my mini storage pouch and slipped the pouch into the inner pocket of my uniform jacket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that — I called the two downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily and Alicia stood before me — both already ready, clean, dressed properly in the new clothes. Alicia still lacked emotions — but her posture was firmer than yesterday. Lily, meanwhile, had the bright focus of someone who had found new purpose in life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I retrieved a pouch from the drawer and placed ten gold coins into her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes widened. They stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boss...?\" Lily whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is for hiring kitchen helpers and waitresses,\" I said plainly, tightening the straps of my gloves. \"Go to the Merchant Association. They’ll guide you. Get a nameplate carved — ’Kitchen 21.’ Find Reena there — she’ll handle the logistics.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily’s lips trembled slightly. Alicia’s fingers clenched at her skirt. To them — slaves until yesterday — this was not just permission. This was trust. Authority. Freedom disguised as responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They bowed slightly — voices soft, but steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Boss. You can count on us,\" they said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded once — and headed toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Halfway through turning the knob, a thought struck me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused, walked back into the kitchen, opened the spice cabinet, and took out several tiny jars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I placed all the jars into the storage pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...almost forgot the secret weapons,\" I muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily and Alicia exchanged confused looks — as if I had just armed myself with magical artifacts rather than kitchen spices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only smirked and headed back toward the exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Work hard,\" I said simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We won’t let you down,\" Lily promised.\u003C\u002Fp>",1113,"2026-06-06T04:52:01.856Z",1,"novelbin.me","d8db168a8361e2d718babe5aca33255995259e684ce85cbf9a2bd9c69abb3072","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-34","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-32",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]