[{"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-98":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},1506523,1956,"Chapter 98: Practical Assessment [3]","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-98",98,"\u003Cp>The arena floor had been repaired by the earth mages, but the air still crackled with the residual mana from my fight with Samantha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, it was time for the titans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael walked out of the tunnel. He had cleaned the mud off his face, but the intensity in his eyes hadn’t dimmed. He drew his sword—a standard academy-issue steel blade, yet in his grip, it seemed to hum with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opposite him, Princess Celestia stood with royal grace. She tapped her staff on the ground, and a circle of frost expanded instantly around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were friends. They were party members. But right now, they were obstacles in each other’s path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won’t go easy on you just because you’re my friend, Kael,\" Celestia said, her voice cool and composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wouldn’t have it any other way, Princess,\" Kael replied, lowering his stance. \"I need to prove something today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Begin!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WHOOSH.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia moved first. She knew Kael was a close-range fighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Glacial Prison]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of ice pillars erupted from the ground, aiming to box Kael in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael didn’t back down. He dashed forward, weaving through the erupting pillars with terrifying speed. He slashed his sword—left, right, overhead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang! Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ice shattered on impact. His sword glowed with a brilliant, blinding golden light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s cutting through magic?\" Mariella gasped from the stands. \"That’s reinforced ice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael closed the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ice Lance]! Celestia fired three projectiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael spun, deflecting two and ducking under the third. He was a blur of motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Solar Slash]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swung his blade. A crescent of golden energy ripped through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia’s eyes widened. She raised a [Mana Shield] in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impact skidded her backward five meters, her boots carving grooves into the ice. A spiderweb crack appeared on the surface of her shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Is it just an illusion?’Celestia thought, her hands trembling from the vibration.’Or has Kael become much stronger than last week?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia’s doubts were correct. Kaelhadbecome much stronger than a week ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what she didn’t know was that Kael was not like any other cadet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the Protagonist of this world. He was Heaven’s Chosen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His luck was not just good; it was offensive. It defied the laws of probability. While ordinary people tripped and broke their ankles, Kael would trip and land on a pile of gold. Even when things seemed to be going badly for him, the universe conspired to turn it into a blessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same thing had happened here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was suspended from the Academy—a mark on his record, a humiliation that sent him spiraling. But for Kael, rock bottom was just a trampoline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Lucien was calculating points and buying skills from a shop, and while the rest of the students were buried in books, Kael was living his own genre:The High Fantasy Adventure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During his suspension, humiliated and angry, he had fled to the Beasts’ Forest on the edge of the capital to vent his frustration on monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fought for three days straight, sleeping in trees and eating berries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fourth day, while chasing a wounded Dire Wolf up the misty peaks, he slipped on wet moss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell down a hidden ravine, tumbling through vines and jagged rocks, landing in a forgotten cavern hidden from the world for centuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just a cave. It was a tomb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, sitting on a stone throne, was a skeleton wearing rusted golden armor. In its lap lay a dusty manual bound in dragon leather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Lost Arts of the Sovereign Sun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a technique forgotten by history, a sword art developed by the First Emperor to cut through darkness—and magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While everyone else needed to train for years to increase their mana capacity by a fraction, Kael had tripped on a root and fallen onto a legendary artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spent the remaining three days in that cave, reading the manual by torchlight, practicing until his hands bled, unlocking a power that shouldn’t belong to a first-year student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Present Time: The Arena]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"HAAHH!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael roared, his aura exploding outward. The golden light intensified, turning the air around him scorching hot. The frost on the ground melted instantly, turning to steam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia grit her teeth. The heat was overwhelming her ice domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you want to win, you’ll have to survive this!\" she shouted, desperation creeping into her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slammed her staff into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"[Grand Magic: Blizzard Domain - Glacial Coffin]!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temperature dropped to absolute zero. A massive construct of ice—a giant, freezing tomb the size of a carriage—formed in the air and crashed down toward Kael.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same spell she had prepared for Lucien, but faster, stronger, and infused with every ounce of mana she had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael looked up at the falling mountain of ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sheathed his sword. He took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his center of gravity, his hand hovering over the hilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Lucien uses tricks. Celestia uses talent. I... I use will.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Sovereign Art: First Form - Dawn Breaker]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SHING.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew his sword in a single, upward slash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beam of pure, concentrated golden light erupted from the blade. It wasn’t just mana; it looked like a pillar of actual fire rising to meet the ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRASH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden light met the ice tomb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a second, the two energies struggled. Gold vs Blue. Heat vs Cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then... the ice cracked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive spell shattered into a million sparkling snowflakes, evaporating before they hit the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael burst through the falling debris, his sword point leveled at Celestia’s throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia stood frozen. Her mana was drained. Her ultimate spell was broken. And the tip of Kael’s blade was inching from her jugular, radiating a heat that dried the sweat on her brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence descended on the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael was panting heavily, his clothes tattered, but his sword hand was steady as a rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia looked at the blade, then up at Kael’s determined eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let out a shaky breath and lowered her staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... surrender.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Winner: Kael!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, no one moved. No one cheered. They were processing what they had just seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Princess. The Prodigy. The undefeated mage of the first year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had lost. Not to a noble trickster, not to an upperclassman. But to a Commoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, slowly, the applause started. It grew louder and louder until the arena shook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"KAEL! KAEL! KAEL!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestia smiled weakly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve grown stronger, Kael. That was... magnificent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael sheathed his sword, the golden light fading. He offered her a hand, pulling her into a quick, respectful hug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Semi-Finals are concluded!\" the Referee announced, his voice amplified. \"There will be a one-hour recess for the finalists to recover their mana and stamina. The Final Match: Lucien Ashborne vs. Kael will begin shortly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael walked back toward the tunnel, still breathing hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, he was swarmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kael!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bordon, Elisha, and Mariella rushed over, their faces a mix of shock and awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What was that?!\" Bordon shouted, slapping Kael on the back hard enough to make him stumble. \"That golden light... I’ve never seen a Sword Art like that! Not even from the Royal Guard!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you cut through a Tier 4 spell!\" Mariella squealed. \"Do you know how impossible that is? Ice doesn’t just break like that!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elisha looked at him suspiciously, though she was smiling. \"You didn’t learn that in the Academy library, did you? Where have you been hiding this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael grabbed a water bottle and downed it in one go. He wiped his mouth, looking at his friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I found something,\" he admitted vaguely, looking at his hands. \"In the forest. I’ll explain later. But right now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at the digital bracket on the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[FINAL MATCH: LUCIEN ASHBORNE VS. KAEL]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right now, I have one more wall to break.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cadet Duel Assessment was the most important event of the semester. It was the midterm that determined our ranking, our future resources, and our standing in the noble hierarchy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But right now, nobody cared about grades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire arena was fixated on the two figures standing in the center of the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one side, Kael. The Golden Boy. The Hero. He stood tall, his uniform tattered from the previous fights, exposing muscles that seemed carved from marble. A faint, golden haze distorted the air around him—the overflowing mana of theSovereign Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, me. The Villain. The Gunman. I stood loosely, the Benelli M4 resting on my shoulder, my other hand hovering near my ammo pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha stood between us, her hand raised. Even she looked tense. She knew this wasn’t just a spar. This was a collision of ideologies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you have anything to say before we begin?\" Samantha asked, looking between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael stepped forward. His eyes burned with a mixture of anger and pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lucien,\" he said, his voice low but amplified by the silence. \"You rely on tricks. On money. On weapons that you didn’t forge with your own soul.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed his sword at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You hid behind the rules to suspend me. You used technicalities to avoid a fair fight. But there are no rules to hide behind now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed, adjusting the grip on my shotgun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You talk too much, Kael. It’s a bad habit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you don’t respect true strength,\" he countered, his aura flaring brighter. \"You treat this world like a game. You treat people like pieces on a board. Today, I’m going to show you that there are walls you can’t climb with money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smirked, racking the bolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLACK-CLACK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I’m going to show you, Kael, that ’true strength’ doesn’t matter if you can’t hit the target.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha saw the air practically sparking between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ready?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She swung her hand down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"BEGIN!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>",1658,"2026-06-06T04:52:02.137Z",1,"novelbin.me","9576eceba786e056342d16f63b9824dc40c3cb4f90f10a922abd1ea0fcac6f74","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-99","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-97",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]