[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-40":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},336827,598,"Chapter 40 40: I want to fight him (1)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>-Frey Starlight Pov-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How the hell did I end up in this mess?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was supposed to be a simple duel. An ordinary, straightforward match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why the hell was the entire place packed?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood in the tunnel leading to a training arena, its stands towering on both sides. Everything seemed normal—except for the fact that every seat was filled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above me, the giant screens flared to life in a dramatic display, showing my face alongside Feyrith's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey Starlight vs. Feyrith Earlet – Arena 2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were probably broadcasting the same thing outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whatever… It doesn't change what I need to do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the tunnel's exit, I grabbed one of the training swords provided and made my way forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Running my fingers along the blade's edge, I confirmed what I already suspected—it wasn't sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Blunted training swords, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These weapons were meant to minimize injuries during duels, but that didn't really matter. The moment I infused my aura into it, this sword would become a weapon of destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn… I miss fighting with Balerion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, that wasn't an option right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I reached the exit, a familiar figure caught my eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sansa?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood there, her wavy blonde hair glowing under the arena lights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you showed up after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you really think I'd run away?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, you are that type of person, after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled as I walked past her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I guess you don't know me very well, princess~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From behind, Sansa watched me closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, the Frey she knew… felt different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you sure about this? He's ranked higher than you, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised a hand, waving her off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah… Just sit back and enjoy the show.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deafening roar of the crowd filled the air as I stepped into the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignored them, my thoughts still lingering on Sansa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She saw the original owner of this body as her childhood friend, which explained her casual way of speaking to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I wasn't the Frey she once knew, making it difficult to interact with her naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd deal with that later. Right now, I had other things to focus on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shifting my gaze, I turned my attention to the blond-haired young man standing at the center of the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feyrith Earlet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His long golden hair swayed slightly, his piercing blue eyes locked onto mine. A bandage covered his nose—probably from our last encounter. In his hand, he held a sword identical to mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A swordsman, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His glare was intense—if looks could kill, I'd be dead a hundred times over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That bandage on your nose suits you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my smirk, Feyrith's grip on his sword tightened. He raised it, pointing the blade directly at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey… you're going to regret this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We'll see about that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we squared off, a tall, dark-skinned man entered the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His posture was straight as a spear, hands clasped behind his back. His presence alone reminded me of the warriors from my old world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped between us, his sharp gaze commanding silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am Choupo Moting, overseer of the temple's arenas. I will be the referee for this duel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A surge of green energy erupted from his body, spreading across the arena and forming transparent barriers around us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The duel ends when one of you surrenders, is knocked unconscious, or is forced out of the ring. No lethal blows or excessive damage. If I see anything out of line, I will intervene immediately. Any objections?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We both answered in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. Then… begin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Choupo Moting vanished, leaving me alone with Feyrith in the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you want, you can call your friends over too. I don't mind making this a three-on-one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vein visibly twitched on Feyrith's forehead as he slammed his foot against the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's see if you're still talking when I bury you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment those words left his lips, the air around us shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A green, ethereal aura wrapped around Feyrith as the wind began to gather around his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wind affinity, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The currents intensified, sharpening into a blade of pure air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So much for using blunted swords. At this point, I was sure his weapon could slice through iron if he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's not as weak as I thought.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grinning, I watched my opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This just got interesting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feyrith swung his sword in a vertical arc, sending a massive crescent of cutting wind toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was fast—blazing across the arena and leaving a deep scar on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind slash continued forward, slamming into the barrier with a loud boom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy dissipated, leaving behind a massive gash in the arena floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Feyrith's mind, there was only one thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where is he?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked ahead—only to find nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, well… that was a pretty decent strike~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spinning around, he found me already behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes widened in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How? It's simple. I'm just too fast.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bullshit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feyrith swung wildly, unleashing three more wind slashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience gasped at their terrifying speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Too slow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dodging them was effortless. Feyrith was simply swinging at where I stood, rather than predicting where I'd be. With Phantom steps , I weaved through the attacks with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, his wind slashes crashed into the barrier before dissipating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I circled him like a predator, watching as confusion flickered across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy had some kind of inferiority complex toward Frey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant… if I wanted to break him completely, I had to crush him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's see…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised three fingers in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three moves. That's all I'll need.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tch! Keep talking, coward! All you do is dodge!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to rush… The real show starts now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a grin, I shot forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Snow Lionheart Pov-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had always wished for a chance to attend a normal school—to live the life I was once denied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That fateful encounter with Headmaster Bloodmader changed everything. Now, I was here, a student in the strongest class of the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I never expected… to feel this bored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instructor was explaining the fundamentals of swordsmanship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lecture was flawless—but I already knew all of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this rate, I wasn't sure if the temple would teach me anything worthwhile. Maybe I should've continued following the Path of the Lone Sword instead of coming here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was still lost in thought when the lesson finally ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finally.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up, ready to leave, but a girl blocked my path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lara…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her silver-black hair framed her face as she smiled brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, Snow. Want to go for a walk? We have an hour before our next class.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was actually planning to train.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her smile immediately faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Training again? Do you ever think about anything else?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seriously?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grabbing my wrist, she pulled me forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forget training for once and come with me. You'll regret wasting these days later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced down at her delicate fingers wrapped around my wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite her fragile appearance, her grip was firm—almost like steel clamps. The calluses on her fingertips proved she had trained just as hard as I had, no matter what she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lara Croft. A classmate… and the granddaughter of the Headmaster. She had latched onto me from day one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could be annoying at times… but I didn't hate it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. Let go. I'm coming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing she had overstepped, she quickly released my wrist, her face slightly flushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"S-Sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we walked side by side, I turned to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So… where do you want to go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard, Lara fell into deep thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For now, let's just get out of here and decide later. Sound good?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You had no plan, did you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving the Building\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We stepped out of the building without any trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For most of the time, my mind was elsewhere, which seemed to irritate Lara. She was clearly trying to start a conversation, no matter how forced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me… why did you enter the temple?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Answering wasn't difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, my goal had always been the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To gain more power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lara tilted her head at my response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To become stronger, huh? Even though you're already the strongest?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm still nothing but an insect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder what the others would think if they heard the top-ranked student say something like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to reply when the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large group of students was rushing toward something in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were in a hurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's going on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked instinctively, and Lara checked her smartwatch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few moments later, she had an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like there's a duel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A duel?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. Two students from Class B decided to fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She read their names out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Feyrith Earlet vs Frey Starlight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't recognize the first name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the second one…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a name I remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lara suddenly smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you interested? Should we go watch?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like I told you before… I'm fine with anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lara sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You never fail to surprise me with how indifferent you are… Fine, let's go. I don't have any better ideas for killing time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, we made our way to the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>",1573,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.067Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","34d07fbc62492b1214b763b43d63e16444e40bee13cbb63b61566184d8bc5828","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-41","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-39",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]