[{"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-5":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},1506330,1956,"Chapter 5: Getting Rich","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-5",5,"\u003Cp>Leaving that restaurant may have felt satisfying in the moment, but as I stood outside with an empty stomach and pride barely holding itself together, regret settled in quickly. I should’ve at least eaten what I ordered. Throwing away food in this collapsing world was almost a sin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I couldn’t go back inside while the protagonist’s party was still there. I wasn’t eager for a round two of public humiliation. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any other restaurants nearby either. The food industry in this world was severely underdeveloped; one establishment covering an entire district was considered normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no alternative left, I decided to return to the pawn shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering, I noticed the old man was gone. Instead, a little girl — no older than ten — sat behind the counter, her legs swinging back and forth as she nibbled on a candy. She had her hair tied into twin braids, and her curious eyes blinked brightly at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome!\" she said cheerfully before taking another small bite from her candy. \"What do you need?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked where the old man had gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grandpa went out for a bit,\" she replied. \"Some business.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That likely meant he was getting the items I brought properly appraised. The thought calmed me slightly — the more thorough the inspection, the better the price I’d receive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I had time to kill, I told her that I would browse around for a while. She nodded in an unconcerned manner and returned to her candy, leaving me to wander the cluttered shelves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shop had a surprisingly vast assortment — from rusting swords to expensive-looking spellbooks, magical scrolls sealed in protective cases, enchanted trinkets, and alchemical supplies. It was a treasure trove of mystery and mischief, and yet, none of it was useful to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With stats like these, I would probably cut my own foot off before properly wielding a sword. And magic? The moment I cast an intermediate spell, I’d probably faint from mana depletion. My mana stat was 4. I might as well set my skull on fire and call it a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was ready to give up my exploration when something unusual caught my eye — something that absolutely did not belong in a typical fantasy setting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shotgun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a rusty medieval prototype, but a genuine shotgun—sleek metal, polished wood, intricate runes carved into the barrel—displayed casually among swords and spellbooks, as if it belonged there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprised, I immediately called out the System window to examine its information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Reaver]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grade: Unique (Relic)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Origin: Lumeveil Empire\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Description: A restored artifact recovered from the dungeonified ruins of the Lumeveil Empire. Compatible with both physical and mana-infused ammunition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lumeveil Empire — I knew the name all too well. Two hundred years ago, they stood as the pinnacle of magical engineering, seamlessly merging sorcery with technology. Their creations included mana-powered firearms, mechanical golems, and spell-driven artillery—wonders far ahead of their time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the great dungeon outbreak occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cities collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The empire perished overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what remained of their legacy now lay buried deep within corrupted labyrinths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Firearms still existed in Asteria—expensive, relic-grade collectibles usually hoarded by nobles—but they were considered little more than eccentric toys. In a world of knights and mages, guns offered almost no practical value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all... what could a bullet do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fire at a mage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would simply conjure a magical barrier and laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shoot at a knight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even low-ranked ones possessed senses and reflexes sharp enough to evade bullets. High-ranked knights could outrun them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Try it against a monster?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shot would bounce off their hide like a pebble off a boulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guns were useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, for everyone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for someone like me—someone who couldn’t wield a sword properly and had the magical potential of a dead fish—this \"useless\" weapon felt strangely ideal. Even comforting. Familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was absorbed in my thoughts, a voice rasped behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something caught your eye?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man had returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gently lifted the shotgun, appreciating its weight and craftsmanship. \"How much for this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A gun, huh? That’s quite the unusual choice,\" he remarked with a knowing smile. \"But a customer’s preference isn’t mine to judge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That piece goes for ten gold coins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ten gold coins?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised a brow. That was a steep price. One gold coin was worth about a thousand dollars back on Earth. Ten gold for a weapon that nobody respected? It sounded absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It isn’t expensive at all,\" he countered, reading my skepticism. \"This is an authentic relic from Lumeveil, not some cheap imitation hammered together in a back alley workshop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Authentic or not, it’s still practically useless,\" I replied, attempting to negotiate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man chuckled. \"Practicality doesn’t matter to noble ladies seeking novelty. A rare artifact like this? They’ll pay any price if it lets them flaunt wealth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...He wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To nobles, money was simply another tool for ego.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, Lucien would have bought this without blinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But right now, I didn’t have that luxury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing me hesitate, the old man leaned forward with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What troubles you, young master? If it’s money, then worry not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All the items you brought earlier—sold,\" he announced proudly. \"Every single one was high quality. I barely had to lift a finger. They were snatched up instantly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart leapt before I could stop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So? How much?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of answering, he dropped a hefty pouch on the counter. Coins clinked loudly, a sound sweeter than any music this world could offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Five hundred forty gold coins,\" he declared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, my brain simply stopped functioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five hundred forty gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Equivalent to $540,000 back home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I... was rich. Filthy rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you, Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you for being a shallow, spendthrift noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the storm of excitement swirling inside me, I kept my expression perfectly neutral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poker face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Always maintain poker face.\u003C\u002Fp>",991,"2026-06-06T04:52:01.856Z",1,"novelbin.me","7f175bbf725887ad9811923f7302cfb00bd8eb1516f80470df81ece95d217827","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-6","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-4",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]