[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shattered-innocence-transmigrated-into-a-novel-a":3,"chapter-shattered-innocence-transmigrated-into-a-novel-a-shattered-innocence-transmigrated-into-a-novel-a-chapter-1027":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Shattered Innocence: Transmigrated Into a Novel as an Extra",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},552537,801,"Chapter 1027: Steam and speculations","shattered-innocence-transmigrated-into-a-novel-a-chapter-1027",1027,"\u003Cp>Vitaliara finally settled down, curling herself into a perfect white circle on his pillow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tail wrapped over her nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her golden eyes blinked once... twice...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a long, delicate yawn escaped her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...ahh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her ears twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She flattened her head into the blankets and murmured one last thought, faint and sleepy:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t stay up too late.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion huffed a soft laugh. \"I’m going to wash. Go sleep.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Already am.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just like that, she was gone—breathing slow, steady, whiskers twitching as if still annoyed at him even in dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion stood for a moment, looking at her curled form, something unreadable flickering through his expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he peeled off the last of his clothing, grabbed a towel, and stepped into the adjoining bath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he slid the door open, warm mana-lit steam greeted him—soft white mist rising from the tiled floor. The Academy’s personal bath chambers were a ridiculous luxury: self-cleaning marble, embedded runes along the walls, temperature wards, and—most importantly—the functional glyph that had many different functions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion touched the rune with two fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It pulsed beneath his skin—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a low hum, warm, familiar—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and then spread across his chest and shoulders like liquid heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ache in his muscles eased immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bruised tension in his ribs loosened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mana pathways, overstrained and still faintly burning, cooled into something manageable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a quiet breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just... equilibrium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion stepped into the water, letting it rise up to his shoulders. The heat soaked into him, turning the faint glow of his mana refinement into a soft shimmer beneath the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a long moment, he simply sat there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the thoughts came back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unwelcome, but persistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You disappeared.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She wasn’t with us either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sank deeper into the bath, water rippling around him. His jaw tightened—not visibly, but in the way only he would notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara wasn’t with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara disappeared at the same time he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that is the case...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she meet someone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A newmale lead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The idea slid through his mind like a stone across still water—smooth, light, but leaving a widening ripple behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...It is early,\" he muttered under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steam curled around his words, swallowing them before they touched the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But early or not—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>this world didn’t follow his pacing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara was the main character of a romance fantasy harem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original structure was built for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accidental encounters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mysterious meetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sudden disappearances aligning with fateful first contacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ran a wet hand through his hair, pushing it back as the heat traced down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did she already cross paths with someone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He refused to admit how much that thought bothered him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion sank deeper into the heat, letting it lap at his collarbones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The recovery glyph pulsed again, warm threads knitting through his muscles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dragged a hand down his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Another exam added,\" he muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water rippled around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no such thing inShattered Innocence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No oral assessment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sudden eighth exam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a new development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One not written.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One that shouldn’t be there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let his head fall back against the smooth stone wall, eyes half-lidded in the rising steam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It wasn’t in the novel,\" he said quietly. \"Not anywhere.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers traced idle patterns on the water’s surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of all the changes they could’ve made... this one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He snorted under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that it mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in the way Cedric’s words had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But logically—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Itdidmake sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new compulsory test announced the exact eveninghedisappeared from the public corridors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A test scheduled to hit students individually, Magister-level, no warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because of me,\" he murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was almost obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructors had already been paying too much attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His performance in the illusion zone didn’t help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another exam added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Effective immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a slow, controlled breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re being pretty obvious now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pushing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Testing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Cedric’s voice resurfaced—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She wasn’t with us either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion’s fingers curled under the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did she really meet someone...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new male lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s early,\" he said again, but it didn’t sound convincing even to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too early for major flags.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too early for rival route triggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the world had already been shifting away from what he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Characters he influenced acted differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Events warped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arcs flexed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why wouldn’t her encounters shift too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brow knit—subtle, restrained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...If she did meet someone,\" he murmured into the steam, \"the narrative won’t wait for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft clink echoed through the bathing chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion straightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not danger—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just Vitaliara’s mana signature brushing faintly against the edge of his awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door slid open a crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small white paw nudged something onto the tiled floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sealed envelope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the paw vanished again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion blinked once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You weren’t asleep,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A half-asleep grumble drifted through his mind, faint and smudged with drowsiness:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hated the sound of your thoughts. Take your letter.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion huffed a laugh. \"You just wanted an excuse to peek.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door was already shut, but her reply drifted lazily into his mind—unbothered, unashamed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Maybe.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the closed door for one long, incredulous second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Of course,\" he muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a flicker of embarrassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even the courtesy of denial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head, droplets sliding down his hair to his shoulders. \"Unbelievable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...And your fault,] she added, voice sleepy but firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion snorted under his breath. No effect whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He should’ve known by now she wasn’t easily teased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or anything resembling normal, really.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed the envelope from the floor, water dripping off his fingers as he stepped out of the bath. A towel wrapped around his waist, steam curling off his skin as he padded back into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The letter’s wax seal glimmered in the lamplight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He broke it with a thumb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single line of elegant ink unfurled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>LUCAVION\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WEDNESDAY — 12:00\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magisterial Annex Hall C\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled—quiet, steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No surprise. No irritation. Just acknowledgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An oral interview...\" he murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not part of the original timeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not something he remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But changes were changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the world wanted to rewrite itself, he wasn’t about to waste time worrying over it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts flickered for a brief moment toward Elara—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her schedule,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her absence,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric’s stare,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the question hovering between all three of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lucavion pushed it aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking circles around something he couldn’t confirm wasn’t his style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Elara met someone, she met someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The narrative shifted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d deal with the fallout the same way he dealt with everything else:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By moving forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, as he laid the letter on the desk, a quieter thought brushed the edge of his mind—so soft it barely registered, more memory than intention:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...A promise is a promise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice from years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hand on his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please look after her if you can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one person he was sworn to guard, whether she ever knew it or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vitaliara, half-asleep, shifted on the pillow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tail flicked once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Did you say something?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion looked over his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing important.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Whatever...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her consciousness faded again—warm, soft, drifting—as she sank fully back into sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucavion leaned against the desk, arms folded, the lamplight catching the faint shimmer along his mana pathways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wednesday. Twelve o’clock. A new exam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new shift in the story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes briefly, letting the room’s silence settle around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomorrow would come with its own chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he would meet it—as always—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>on his own terms.\u003C\u002Fp>",1266,"2026-05-30T14:49:20.351Z","2026-06-01T04:31:30.507Z",1,"novelbin.me","7c09e6ef43508df9925793e554e0040b8350bba59010c39f4173d6794c5b4c86","shattered-innocence-transmigrated-into-a-novel-a-chapter-1028","shattered-innocence-transmigrated-into-a-novel-a-chapter-1026",1055,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshattered-innocence-transmigrated-into-a-novel-a-cover.jpg"]