[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-250":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","THE VILLAIN'S POV",{"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},336687,598,"Chapter 250: Ashes of Tomorrow (2)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-250",250,"\u003Cp>- Frey Starlight's pov -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I left the training grounds, night had already fallen, but the temple was still lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an effort to distance themselves from the looming chaos of war, the temple's overseers ensured that the place remained bustling around the clock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the students did their part in their own ways, and the temple's walkways were now packed to the brim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wandered between restaurants and shops that looked more like a small city than facilities belonging to an academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments like these… I really missed the old man, Shaheen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knows what that cursed geezer was doing right now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just hoped he was still alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After wandering a bit, I picked a restaurant that served dishes from what used to be called French cuisine, then sat and started fiddling with the system for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new system hadn't changed much ... except for the introduction of the Affection Point feature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I checked my stats, same as always, alongside my current achievement points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was in Rank B-, right at the peak of that tier to be specific.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of abilities, I had unlocked the Third-Person Perspective—a feature that allowed me to observe or even lightly influence people who had high affection toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On that note, I decided to test it out, since I didn't have much else to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first person that came to mind was my sister, Ada, but I'd already used it on her several times. So I decided to switch things up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My pick ended up being Danzo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His affection score toward me was 50 ... probably the bare minimum required to activate the ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danzo Smasher\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Affection Points: 50\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– Danzo sees you as both a friend and a trusted ally. Your unwavering will—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>... strong enough to endure hell and still remain standing has earned his deep respect.–\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Available Information:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Name: Danzo Smasher\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rank: B-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combat Style: Sky Maneuver\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright then… let's give it a shot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I activated the ability, and that strange sensation of immersion returned ... like my soul was being pulled out of my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of nausea hit me as everything went dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened my eyes again, I found myself floating in the air, and the scenery around me had changed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was inside a spacious room ... simple, yet elegant in its details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down, I saw someone familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huff... Huff...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard the sound of rough breathing, and sweat dripping heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There he was ... Danzo, doing push-ups like a madman, muscles gleaming under the light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Push-ups, huh? That checks out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was exactly what I expected of him. The scary part was ... he wasn't even counting. I figured he'd just keep going until he physically collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging from the look of it, his rep count must've been in the thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spent the next few minutes drifting around in my ethereal form, not gonna lie ...I was pretty excited at first. I mean, spying on people as a ghost? Yeah, it's unethical… but also kind of thrilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To watch everyone, knowing none of them could see you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I wasn't mentally stable, I'd probably have caused some disasters with this power by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stay sane, Frey... stay sane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed aside any unwelcome thoughts and continued floating near Danzo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tested the limits of the ability ... like range, for instance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, I couldn't move more than a few meters away from the target, meaning I was stuck orbiting Danzo's ass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, I wanted to know if there was a time limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes passed, one after another ... but no signs of the ability ending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I concluded it must be aura-based.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, I could probably stay in this form as long as I wanted, thanks to my SSS tier aura reserves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept drifting lazily above Danzo, who had now switched to doing one-handed push-ups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bored, I opened the system interface and idly scrolled through it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So far, every system ability had held some kind of meaning. Whether it was the direct advice, the writing functions, or something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system didn't give anything without purpose ...well, aside from side missions, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which made me wonder: what's the point of this new Affection System, really?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the system trying to push me into deepening my connections with others? Trying to make me understand them better?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I thought about it, the more confused I became…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn't just Affection Points that had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was another ability I hadn't touched in a long time ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Glimpse of the Future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ability that once let me see a snapshot of a coming event had evolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– Glimpse of the Future –\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The upgraded ability now grants a short sequence ...a few seconds of a future event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image… had become a video.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a terrifying skill, to be honest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I mean ...it literally showed me the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't use it during the Victoriad, because I was too afraid of seeing myself lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now… now it might just be one of the most powerful tools I had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, I remembered what I'd seen before ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That vision of half the temple in ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, I thought the cause was the temple core explosion ...but I was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it really safe to trust that the future shown to me is accurate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don't know much about time manipulation, but one thing I do know is that the future isn't fixed ... it can shift with even the slightest action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, just by seeing a glimpse of the future, my own behavior might change and create an entirely different outcome. And that change won't necessarily be for the better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So where did I even get an ability like this in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that the future is actually predetermined? That the destruction of half the temple hasn't happened yet ...but will, inevitably?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started getting a headache just thinking about this whole time-based nonsense, so I decided to shelf it for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah… let's not mess with time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was probably for the best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a realization hit me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait… what exactly happens to my body when I enter this state?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I thought that, I realized I'd been spying on Danzo for over half an hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bastard was still doing push-ups which must've thrown off my sense of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately deactivated the ability, and invisible hands dragged me back into reality along with a wave of nausea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened my eyes ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found my face buried in the mashed potatoes and chicken stew that had been served to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hair and face were a complete mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slowly pulled myself up, wiping off my face ... only to see everyone in the restaurant staring at me like I was insane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few staff members were whispering worriedly, and I could tell they'd probably tried to wake me several times without success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly paid the bill, muttered an apology, and rushed out of there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's not do that in public again…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah. That was embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I returned to the Elite Dorms afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't really have anything to do…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the system missions were empty aside from those twisted side quests telling me to get into a relationship with people like Seris Moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd been ignoring those for obvious reasons, so I was left with nothing to occupy myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I knew this quiet wouldn't last forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That blue-eyed bastard… the Engineer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew he wouldn't leave me alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like he knew too much about me ...as if he had orchestrated everything from the start… from the moment I was born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man like that could be lurking nearby right now, somewhere I couldn't see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's why I was sure this peace was only temporary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storms would return again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Storms I wasn't even sure I'd be ready for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All I can do is keep giving it my all, just like I always have… right, father?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a faint smile, I returned to my room ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>thus ending another day within the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>",1374,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:12.387Z",1,"novelbin.me","8cf098a3f6d0ea0f8462f6cfebcc7a02c8f5f8efea6cafcb12abb4216e007dc0","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-401","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-249",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]