[{"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-90":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},1506515,1956,"Chapter 90: Mock Assessment [2]","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-90",90,"\u003Cp>The duels continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched a spearman dismantle a dual-wielder using reach advantage. I watched a gravity mage crush a swordsman into the floor tiles. I watched Mariella struggle against a rogue-type student, barely winning by blinding him with a [Flash] spell and whacking him with her staff in a panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a display of raw talent. These were the elites of the Empire, the future heroes and generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana watched with wide eyes, clutching my sleeve every time someone got hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That looks painful,\" she whispered as a student took a mace to the ribs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s combat,\" I whispered back. \"Pain is the tuition fee.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the ring was cleared of the last pair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructor Samantha stepped back into the center. She looked at her clipboard, then looked up. A rare, anticipatory glint appeared in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd quieted down. They knew the big names were left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha cleared her throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next match.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cadet Lucien Ashborne.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up, buttoning my blazer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Vs...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha turned her gaze to the other side of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cadet Celestia von Asteria.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arena erupted into whispers. The disgraced noble versus the Empire’s beloved Princess. The Villain versus the Prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked into the ring, my footsteps echoing on the mana-reinforced stone. Opposite me, Celestia stepped forward, her expression unreadable. She held a pristine white staff topped with a sapphire crystal. The air around her temperature dropped instantly, frost creeping across the floor tiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ready?\" Samantha raised her hand, her eyes darting between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I unbuttoned my blazer, letting it hang loose. I reached into the empty air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Inventory Open]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t pull out a sword. I didn’t pull out a staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled out the Benelli M4.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matte black metal gleamed under the arena lights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ripple of confusion went through the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A metal stick?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is he going to club her with a pipe? Hahaha!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughter bubbled up from the stands. Even Celestia frowned, tilting her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A strange artifact, Lucien,\" she said, her voice amplified by the arena acoustics. \"But do you think a club will reach me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t answer. I just racked the bolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLACK-CLACK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That mechanical sound—sharp, cold, and utterly foreign to this world—cut through the laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha narrowed her eyes. She felt the danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Begin!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WHOOSH.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia moved instantly. She didn’t underestimate me; she wanted to end this quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"[Glacial Spear].\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three massive lances of ice formed in the air above her and fired at me with the speed of arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised the shotgun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound was thunderous. It wasn’t thefwooshof a fireball or thezingof an arrow. It was an explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students in the front row flinched, covering their ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buckshot slammed into the lead ice spear, shattering it into a million sparkling diamonds mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM! BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I fired two more shots in rapid succession. The remaining spears disintegrated before they could come within five meters of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The laughter in the stands died instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia’s eyes widened. She had felt the impact reverberate through her mana connection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kinetic force... without mana?\" she whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t give her time to analyze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Haste].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My legs glowed with a faint green light. I kicked off the ground, blurring forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s fast!\" Bordon shouted from the stands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed the distance. Twenty meters. Fifteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia slammed her staff down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"[Ice Wall]!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thick barrier of translucent blue ice erupted from the ground, blocking my path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t stop. I slid on my knees, switching grip on the shotgun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I fired a solid slug point-blank into the base of the wall. The ice shattered, creating a man-sized hole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I vaulted through the debris, leveling the gun at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia grit her teeth. She was forced to move. Mages hated moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spun, her dress flaring as she cast a defensive spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Frozen Earth]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground beneath my feet turned into a sheet of frictionless ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lost my footing. I stumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Got you,’her eyes seemed to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Icicle Rain]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of sharp shards rained down on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rolled, abandoning the shotgun for a split second to pull two daggers from my belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang! Clang! Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I deflected the shards near my vitals, but a few grazed my cheek and shoulder. The sting was sharp, but I ignored it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed the shotgun again, rolled to my feet, and fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia raised a [Mana Shield], but the impact of the slug knocked her backward two steps. Her casting rhythm was broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was in range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dropped the gun. It vanished into my inventory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lunged CQC style, a dagger in a reverse grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You...!\" Celestia gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tried to swing her staff, but I caught the wood with my left hand, yanking her forward. With my right, I swept the dagger toward her neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a checkmate move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was a Level 8 mage for a reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Burst.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shockwave of pure cold mana exploded from her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a spell; it was raw power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WHAM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was thrown backward as if hit by a truck. I skidded across the ice, gasping for air, frost forming on my eyelashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impressive, Lucien,\" Celestia said, her voice trembling slightly. She was breathing hard, her perfect composure ruined. \"You forced me to use 40% of my mana reserve in thirty seconds.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised her staff high. The air in the arena began to hum. The temperature plummeted until breath turned to snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But this ends now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive magic circle appeared above the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grand Magic: Blizzard Domain]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s using a Tier 4 spell in a duel?!\" Elisha screamed from the stands. \"Is she crazy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to stand up, but my limbs felt heavy. The cold was seeping into my muscles, slowing the [Haste] spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Damn. She’s strong.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached into my inventory. I had one trick left. A Flashbang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled the pin and threw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blinding white light engulfed the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ack!\" Celestia shielded her eyes, her concentration wavering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sprinted. Blindly. Trusting my [Detection] skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I broke through the snowstorm. I was right in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised my fist—enhanced with everything I had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She opened her teary eyes, seeing me loom over her. Panic flashed on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She instinctively unleashed everything she was holding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Absolute Zero Pillar]\u003C\u002Fp>",1063,"2026-06-06T04:52:02.137Z",1,"novelbin.me","25ea2225be5ebb5529df955c8fb87872b3c229912e172a36e8bea1ecfd8b6bda","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-91","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-89",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]