[{"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-38":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},1506363,1956,"Chapter 38: Practical Assessment [End]","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-38",38,"\u003Cp>[Boss Monster Defeated]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>+2500 Points Earned\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy hell... that was half another skill right there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn’t have time to admire the notification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place now smelled like someone drowned a dead cow in boiled vinegar and lit it on fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My nose felt like it was dissolving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I coughed sharply, turned on my heel and rushed out of the boss room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor outside was already quieter — stale dungeon air never smelled sofresh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael’s team was there — limping, bruised, bandaged by sheer adrenaline. Celestia sat against the rock wall, pale and exhausted, while Mariella’s cane trembled in her hand. Elisha had broken arrows still stuck in her quiver — empty, spent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes snapped to me the moment I stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael was the first to speak — voice hoarse, bitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Why didn’t you step in earlier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was how he’d start it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saved their asses — and the first thing he says isaccusation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Typical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought he had moral high ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought he could guilt-trip me because they \"almost died.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at him blankly, voice like iced steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hate guys like you the most. I give you an inch, you demand a mile. You’re not entitled to my help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael’s brows knitted, thrown off. He expected fluster, defense — not a blunt counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I continued — colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why should I? We weren’t a team. This was a competition. And for your information, you should be saying ’thank you,’ not whining like a kid who dropped his candy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He froze — completely shell-shocked — because he knew... logically... I wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just didn’t expect someone to say it out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Y-You—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Kael could explode, Celestia caught his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s enough, Kael.\" Even her shaky voice carried authority. \"We would have died. We owe him our lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned toward me — posture proper despite the exhaustion — and bowed her head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cadet Lucien Ashborne... on behalf of everyone here... thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...you’re welcome, Princess.\" I replied simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I tilted my head and gave Kael a lazy half-smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See? That’s how proper nobles speak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vein popped on his forehead — he nearly lunged — but this time not one person backed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elisha looked away, ashamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mariella stared at me like she was seeing me for the first time — confusion, disbelief, something else mixed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then — footsteps thundered down the hall in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally — three Academy knights rushed in — panting, armor dented from running full sprint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Police in another world too — always late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Princess! Are you injured?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They nervously bowed — then quickly distributed mid-grade heal potions to everyone — stabilizing those barely hanging on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The dungeon assessment is concluded — we must escort you all out immediately!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want to breathe another second of vinegar anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the dungeon—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fresh air hit like a blessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And standing right at the boundary — clothed in academy uniform — was Ariana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hands were clenched nervously against her chest — face pale, eyes darting madly searching the stream of cadets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she spotted me approaching — bloodstained sleeve, soot streak on cheek — her shoulders sagged in relief as if her spine finally remembered how to relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rushed forward — almost stumbling — the relief in her eyes painfully obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re safe...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice cracked — barely audible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone actually waited for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time all cadets were out of the dungeon, the outdoor staging ground was pure chaos — the chaotic kind that only comes from hundreds of exhausted, blood–dusted teenagers trying to look like they weren’t about to collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some groups celebrated loudly — recalling their kills and bragging about \"perfect synergy.\" Some looked half–dead — sprawled on the ground, healers rushing between them applying salves and basic spells. A few were quietly puking to the side, shaken by their first real taste of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was exactly how a real dungeon exam aftershock should look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon a knight strode to the front — voice clear and practiced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All first–year practical examinees, remain gathered. You will now be teleported back to the Academy. Formation by group.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within minutes, shimmering circles formed — runic arrays humming — and just like that, the entire class was swept back to the academy grounds in a multi-layered teleportation chain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we appeared, Instructor Samantha was already waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression was unreadable — but the edges of her lips were very, very slightly curved. She was satisfied. Real battle was the only thing that made students grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She clasped her hands behind her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You all survived — good. Today you saw clearly what a dungeon truly is: unpredictable, unfair, merciless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes swept through the class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Submit your bracelets here. Your rankings will be announced tomorrow. And yes — this will factor into your year standings. Go home. Wash. Rest. And before you sleep — reflect. Learn from whatever mistake you made today — and ensure you don’t repeat them in a real battlefield.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dismissed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we stepped out the academy gates the late–evening sun had already dipped — the horizon stained orange and crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana looked at me — eyes almost sparkling like a child remembering a secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...did your diner open today?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked — then smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So curious? Shall we go check?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her answer was immediate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We reached my street soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new nameplate — embedded into a polished wood slab — [KITCHEN 21] — carved clean, elegant, metallic ink glimmering faintly in lantern light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared — the pride on my face was damn near obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we opened the door — warmth and sound washed over us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clatter of cutlery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light chatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scent of butter and spices drifting fresh from kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t full — but there were a solid fourteen or fifteen customers seated already. It was damn good for first day’s business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half the faces belonged to Reena’s craft team... and the people she hadobviouslydragged along— were halfway through a platter of fried chicken, passionately debating which dish they liked more. Reena herself was leaning back in satisfaction, sipping fruit wine like she owned the place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rest few were strangers — commoners— the curious sort who had wandered in with the idea of checking out the new place... and were now completelyhookedjudging by the empty plates and glowing eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mother with her little kid was spoon–feeding pancake pieces — the little girl’s cheeks puffed round like she was storing treasure in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They came out of curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were staying because flavor was its own cult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as we stepped in — a waitress in a crisp black–white uniform greeted instantly — posture neat, voice bright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome. Table for two?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help the small chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily went overboard — but she did damn well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another waitress was at the far left — swiftly carrying pancake plates toward customers. A third was taking orders in a calm but confident rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the counter — pen behind her ear, ledger open — was Alicia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her posture was straight. Her handwriting was neat. Her entire face was focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Ariana whispered, \"Your maid is surprisingly competent...\" I smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow appeared behind us — silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good evening, Young Miss. Good evening, Young Master Lucien.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana blinked. \"Lena? What are you doing here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin–maid coughed lightly into her fist — trying to act totally normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Miss was away. I grew... bored. So I came to assist.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana narrowed her eyes — catching the tiny twitch of Lena’s nose when she looked toward the desserts section.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...assist? Or eat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lena looked away immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Y–Young Miss... you must be hungry. I ordered a new dish. Pancakes. They are... very tasty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana froze for two seconds — then nodded with total seriousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...just one portion won’t be enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Food > logic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She followed Lena instinctively — like a duckling following a breadcrumb trail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed under my breath and walked to the counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>tap tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia lifted her head from the ledger — her expression softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boss. Welcome back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How’s business?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All right,\" he said. \"I’m heading upstairs. Bring something up. Anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Boss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien turned toward the stairs — legs heavy — dungeon adrenaline finally fading.\u003C\u002Fp>",1406,"2026-06-06T04:52:01.856Z",1,"novelbin.me","0cda0120c8b7345b15e27ed6998190c1e0c3ab90d7c0dafab2c2405953d780f9","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-39","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-37",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]