[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-lady-s-butler-i-reincarnated-to-serve-the-vi":3,"chapter-the-lady-s-butler-i-reincarnated-to-serve-the-vi-the-lady-s-butler-i-reincarnated-to-serve-the-vi-chapter-101":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Lady's Butler: I Reincarnated To Serve The Villainess",{"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},725482,965,"Chapter 101: The Dragon Bloodline [3]: A Trial Of Will","the-lady-s-butler-i-reincarnated-to-serve-the-vi-chapter-101",101,"\u003Cp>\"That bastard,\" Darius muttered but there was a grin on his face as he finally understood that Adrian didn’t really think of him as weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just wanted to light that fire of defiance within him, which would them work to send him to this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His rival truly was a genius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darius didn’t even think to question how Adrian had all that knowledge about a bloodline that anything was barely known about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon ignored his tone or the curse, and slowly stepped back, its massive form casting a long shadow over him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{Regardless, you are here now, and that means you will be tested.}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A grin slowly forming on his face, knowing that he would also be granted a chance to awaken it, just as Adrian had promised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finally.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{If you fail,} the dragon continued, {your consciousness will shatter and your body will follow.}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then cracked his neck slightly, the grin still on his face even as he heard the dragon’s words, \"sounds fun, who am I fighting first?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment the dragon went silent before letting out what sounded like a chuckle and saying, {you truly are similar to him.}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{But no,} the dragon continued, {your first trial is not one of strength, instead, it’s a trial of will.}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That confused Darius quite a bit, wasn’t the easiest way to prove one’s worth through a contest of strength?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His line of thinking was simple, if he proved himself strong enough, then the strongest dragon might just choose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what the hell did this geezer dragon mean by a trial of will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before more questions could be asked, a glow suddenly appeared beneath both their feet and without giving Darius the chance to react, they disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darius found himself in what seemed to be a long corridor, the place was completely empty, save for the walls with some type of texts on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, there was one other thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the far end of the hallway was a single stone slab that was letting out a light blue glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where am I?\" He muttered to himself, and as if an answer to his question, the dragon’s voice was heard in his mind again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{This is your first trial and the goal is simple,} the dragon said, {reach the end.}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all it said before everything went silent, leaving a confused Darius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s it?\" he asked, looking around the empty corridor again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no beasts, nor were there enemies or even traps he could see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a straight path leading to a glowing stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re kidding me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he wasn’t about to complain, after all, the quicker he finished this, the faster he returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he would’ve very much preferred to fight something instead of just talking a walk in a corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine then,\" he muttered before rolling his shoulders and stepping forward, \"guess I’ll just walk and—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment his foot touched the ground ahead,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crushing pressure slammed down on him from all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"—gh?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darius’ body immediately bent forward, his knees nearly giving out as the invisible force pressed down on him like a mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell is this?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure was like nothing he had felt before, and it was almost enough to force him to his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Darius remained standing as he took another step forward, finally understanding what this test was about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This pressure was his obstacle that’d keep him from reaching that rock and he’d be damned if he let this much stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately though, the pressure was far from done, because the moment he took the third step, the pressure increased again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gah!\" Darius let out as he felt his knees buckle, and they started slightly trembling under him, but still, he refused to kneel or let this pressure stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he persevered, moving forward step after step, slowly closing the distance between him and the glowing stone slab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is, until he reached halfway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The increase in pressure that had been gradual all this while suddenly spiked and definitely not by a small margin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure increased by an overwhelming, suffocating amount and the result was immediately visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"UGH!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darius’ body slammed into the ground, and he only managed to catch himself with a knee causing a crater to be created beneath it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His arms trembled violently as he tried to push himself back up which caused his veins to bulge as he forced himself to go against the pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was all for naught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body was forced further down, his chest nearly pressed against the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it,\" he cursed as he tried again, only for the results to remain the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if to add insult to injury, the texts on the wall suddenly started glowing and the next second, Darius heard a familiar voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I told you,\" the voice said, \"you’re nothing but a failure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Adrian’s and it was full of disappointment, but the voices were far from done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a disappointment,\" another familiar one said, this time, belonging to the Grand Duke, his father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just give up,\" another said, \"accept that you’ll always be mediocre.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was silence for a while as Darius was fully forced into the ground, and he lay there unmoving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{....}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It truly seemed as if he had given up, and the dragon was about to end the trial in disappointment, but the next second,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly lifted his head, his red eyes burning despite the pressure trying to force them shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think... I don’t know that already?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers dug deeper into the ground and blood began to seep from his palms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know I was weak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know I couldn’t do anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body trembled violently as he forced one arm to push against the ground again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But that’s exactly why I’m here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground beneath him cratered as he forced himself up slowly, inch,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That feeling,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...that helplessness...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until he was back on his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I’m never feeling that again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure seemed to increase again, but this time, it did nothing to completely stop his movement forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, it forced him to the ground again, but Darius just started crawling towards the slab, his vision quickly turning blurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he was close enough, he lifted a trembling hand and a single finger managed to slightly graze the slab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was enough, because the next second, the pressure vanished completely and Darius immediately collapsed forward, breathing heavily as his body hit the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...hah... hah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His entire body trembled, but there was a grin on his face as he said, \"that’s more like it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{Congratulations, you have completed your first trial,} the dragon’s voice was heard in his mind again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I’m guessing you’ll give me some time to rest before the next one?\" He asked, hopeful that the geezer dragon would.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But its answer quickly came, {no.}\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second, a glow appeared beneath him and Darius couldn’t help but curse out before disappearing,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn you, geezer dragon!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1184,"2026-06-02T10:56:10.487Z",1,"novelbin.me","d4e80f53212585f07de44ae6a7ca471c652bfb1d020cc0878e29c5683b36b81b","the-lady-s-butler-i-reincarnated-to-serve-the-vi-chapter-102","the-lady-s-butler-i-reincarnated-to-serve-the-vi-chapter-100",146,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-lady-s-butler-i-reincarnated-to-serve-the-vi-cover.jpg"]