[{"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-97":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},1506522,1956,"Chapter 97: Practical Assessment [2]","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-97",97,"\u003Cp>I didn’t shoot her. At this range, a shotgun blast would be messy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, I used my free hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Flash]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tiny orb of light exploded right in front of her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ack!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blinded, Elisha flinched, her landing disrupted. She stumbled as her feet hit the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That split second was all I needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swept her legs with a low kick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elisha hit the ground hard, her bow clattering away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could scramble up, she felt cold metal press against her forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood over her, the barrel of the shotgun resting lightly between her eyes. I wasn’t even breathing hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence in the arena was deafening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elisha blinked, her vision clearing. She looked up at the gun, then at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You monster,\" she huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. \"You’re faster than a rogue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m a marksman,\" I corrected with a smirk. \"I just like to get close.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sighed, relaxing her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I surrender.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Winner: Lucien Ashborne!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd erupted into cheers. It wasn’t just the weapon anymore. They had seen the speed. They had seen the tactical domination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I offered a hand to Elisha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took it, letting me pull her up. She dusted off her uniform, looking annoyed but respectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve been holding out on us during training,\" she accused, picking up her bow. \"You never moved that fast before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A villain always keeps an ace up his sleeve,\" I winked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whatever. Just win the whole thing, or I’ll be pissed I lost to a loser.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She punched my arm lightly and walked off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched her go, then looked up at the bracket screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Quarter-Finals were set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Quarter Final 1] [Kael (Class A) vs. Bordon (Class A)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Quarter Final 2] [Lucien Ashborne (Class A) vs. Mariella (Class A)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned. Mariella?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked toward the tunnel. The timid mage was peeking out, looking absolutely terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Well,’I thought, reloading my gun.’This is going to be quick.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Quarter Final 1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match between Kael and Bordon was brutal to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were best friends. They had trained together every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Kael... Kael was different today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry, Bordon,\" Kael said, his voice devoid of warmth. \"I can’t stop here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bordon raised his shield. \"Come at me, Kael!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It lasted thirty seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael didn’t use strategy. He used overwhelming force. He battered Bordon’s shield with a barrage of [Golden Sword Arts] so heavy that Bordon’s knees buckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Kael shattered Bordon’s mana defense and kicked him out of the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael didn’t celebrate. He helped Bordon up, muttered a quiet apology, and walked back to his corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were fixed on the finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Quarter Final 2]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lucien vs. Mariella]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mariella stepped into the ring, her staff shaking in her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I won’t give up!\" she squeaked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know,\" I said gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"[Fireball]!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She cast a spell. It was decent. Fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sidestepped it effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"[Smoke Shell].\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A canister landed at her feet. Grey smoke billowed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cough! I can’t see!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked into the smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boo!\" I whispered in her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"KYAAAA!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mariella screamed, dropped her staff, and accidentally triggered her own emergency forfeit mechanism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She vanished and reappeared outside the ring bounds, looking confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Winner via Ring Out: Lucien Ashborne!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd laughed. It was a comedy act compared to the previous fights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shrugged at the crowd. A win was a win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bracket updated one last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[SEMI-FINALS]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Kael vs. Celestia]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lucien Ashborne vs. ... Samantha Hall (Instructor Proxy)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Wait. What?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The announcer’s voice boomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Due to an uneven number of qualifiers in the bracket, one Semi-Finalist must face the Gatekeeper! Cadet Lucien Ashborne will face Instructor Samantha!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I looked at the center of the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha stood there, drawing her rapier. She looked at me and smiled—a terrifying, sadistic smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Prepare yourself, Cadet,\" she called out, her voice cutting through the noise of the arena like a whip. \"I won’t go easy just because you filed a report for me. In fact... I expect more from you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt the blood drain from my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Does the universe hold a personal grudge against me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at her calm, predatory smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Well, it seems it does.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold shiver ran down my spine, settling in the pit of my stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I racked the bolt of the Benelli. The sound was loud, but it felt insignificant against the aura she was emitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Instructor,\" I shouted back, my voice steady despite my nerves. \"What are the victory conditions? Surely you don’t expect me to knock you out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Survive,\" she said simply. \"Impress me. Show me that you belong in the finals with the monsters of this generation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised her blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Begin!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t hesitate. I pulled the trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slug tore through the air, aiming for her center mass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha didn’t dodge. She flicked her wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead slug was sliced in half mid-air. The two halves flew harmlessly past her shoulders, embedding themselves in the wall behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My jaw tightened. Parrying a bullet? That was high-level Knight bullshit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Too slow,\" she taunted. \"Reloading takes time, Cadet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, she didn’t vanish. She just moved faster than my eyes could track.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danger!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My instincts screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I threw myself to the right, abandoning dignity for survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SWISH.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air where my head had been a microsecond ago split apart. Samantha was there, her blade extended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good reflexes,\" she praised, her voice right in my ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spun, firing from the hip.BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sidestepped. The movement was so minimal, so efficient, it looked like I had simply missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But your aim is sloppy when you panic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lunged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I brought the shotgun up to block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force of her rapier hitting the reinforced steel barrel was like a sledgehammer. My arms went numb. I skid backward five meters, my boots carving grooves into the stone floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that all?\" she asked, taking a leisurely step forward. She hadn’t even broken a sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gritted my teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not even close.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached into my pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Smoke Shell]. [Flashbang].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I threw the grenade high and loaded the smoke shell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arena was flooded with blinding light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I fired the smoke shell at her feet, enveloping her in a thick grey cloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Visuals gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I activated [Movement Arts: Dash]. I circled to her blind spot. I drew my daggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I couldn’t shoot her, I had to get in close while she was disoriented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I leaped into the smoke, aiming a strike at her arm—just a scratch. Just one touch to prove I could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My dagger sliced through the smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha’s fingers were wrapped around my wrist. Her eyes were closed. She wasn’t blinded; she just didn’t need to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Visual deprivation,\" she lectured calmly, holding my arm in a vice grip. \"A classic rogue tactic. But against a master swordsman, intent is louder than noise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She opened her eyes. They were grey, calm, and terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Punishment time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She threw me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I flew through the air, crashing into the stone floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cough!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could stand, she was on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slash. Slash. Slash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t cutting my skin. She was cutting my uniform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her rapier moved like a blur of silver light. My jacket sleeves were shredded. My collar was sliced off. My pants were slashed at the thighs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rolled, dodged, scrambled, fired wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!Clang.BOOM!Miss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was breathing like a dying horse. Sweat poured down my face, stinging my eyes. My mana was bottoming out from the constant use of [Haste].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She, on the other hand, looked like she was taking a stroll in the park. Her uniform was crisp, unwrinkled. Her hair was perfectly in place. She wasn’t even breathing hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Damn it. She’s not even using 5% of her strength.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was at my limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ten seconds left, Cadet!\" she announced. \"Do you have anything left? Or will you die here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the finals bracket where Kael was waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I’m not losing here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Skill: Adrenaline Surge – ACTIVATE]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUMP.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart stopped, then hammered. The world turned grey. The sound of the crowd stretched into a low drone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha moved toward me. In this slowed time, she was still fast, but she wasn’t a blur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw the path of her blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dropped the shotgun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I steppedintoher guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She widened her eyes slightly in slow motion. She hadn’t expected me to close the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dodged the rapier by a millimeter—I felt the cold steel graze my cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached out with my hand, fingers glowing with the last dregs of my mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Discharge.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t have a spell. I just blasted raw mana from my palm directly at her chest plate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time resumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BAM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impact wasn’t strong enough to hurt her. But it was strong enough to make her slide back. One inch. Two inches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I collapsed to my knees, gasping, my vision swimming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence filled the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha looked down at her chest plate. There was a faint scorch mark on the silver metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at her feet. She had been forced back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at me—bruised, battered, my uniform in ribbons, bleeding from a cut on my cheek, but eyes still burning with defiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, she sheathed her rapier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smile broke across her face. Not the sadistic smile from before, but a genuine, terrifyingly proud grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have guts, Ashborne,\" she said loudly. \"And excellent tactical awareness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She brushed a speck of dust from her shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I acknowledge your strength. You pass.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Winner: Lucien Ashborne!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd roared. They had just watched a student survive three minutes against the Demon Instructor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Medic!\" Samantha called out casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to stand up to bow, but my legs gave out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t push it,\" Samantha said, catching me by the collar before I hit the face-plant. \"Save that energy for Kael. You’re going to need it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two medics rushed in with a stretcher. As they loaded me up, I looked at Samantha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did I... pass the test?\" I wheezed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Barely. Now get out of my sight before I assign you detention for ruining my shoes with that smoke bomb.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was carried away to the infirmary for a quick heal, I stared up at the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I made it.’\u003C\u002Fp>",1743,"2026-06-06T04:52:02.137Z",1,"novelbin.me","acce5dbd2663cafd6cbb0c480d47241fbd1ef18dc978e04afdc3c0c0f688c097","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-98","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-96",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]