[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-88":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},336969,598,"Chapter 88 88: The Story of an Old Man","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-88",88,"\u003Cp>Days passed, one after another. I was still inside the temple at the administration's request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But aside from me and the other elites, everyone else had already been dismissed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I decided to take the chance to explore the now-empty temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elite hall was still somewhat lively, with the student council struggling to maintain order. It was a difficult task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many wanted to return home already. Honestly, it was surprising that this many had even stayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course... I didn't care. I left immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing that greeted me was the elite academy's garden—now completely ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once-vibrant greenery and multicolored flowers that had adorned this place were nowhere to be seen. All that remained was scorched, barren land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter where I went, all I found was more and more destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I got lost in my thoughts for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temple had suffered not just physical devastation but also a severe blow to its reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the ruling powers would turn to Bloodmader and use him as a scapegoat, placing all the blame on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that plan... would work perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bloodmader...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought of that old man with his radical ideals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he did was sheer madness. Regardless of his motives, he had caused the deaths of students who had yet to even take their first steps in this temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>876 to 430.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the final toll of the invasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>876 students had perished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the temple had managed to eliminate 430 Ultras and traitors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These numbers weren't entirely accurate, but they were close. And that wasn't even accounting for the wounded—those who would never be able to fight again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a crime you've committed, Raphael Bloodmader...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I knew…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As someone who had knowledge of this world's future, I could say this with certainty—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn't wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bloodmader... the worst is yet to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood spilled here was merely a drop in the ocean compared to what would soon follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These thoughts consumed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been getting lost in my own mind more often lately. So much so that I only just realized I had wandered into an entirely different place...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the destruction around me, I suddenly remembered something important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait... Shaheen!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panic surged through me as I sprinted toward the food district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn't thought about it until now, but the invasion had affected the entire temple. And now, I remembered that old man I had spent countless hours with here...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it... you better not have gotten hurt, old man...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes later, I was standing before the familiar place—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I couldn't stomach what I saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That magnificent tent, reminiscent of a circus canopy... The gaudy lights that had once given it a unique charm...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it had been destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had torn everything apart, reducing it to scattered, broken fragments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No way...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped forward, my footsteps heavy, gazing at the ruins before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then I saw something worse—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scattered bloodstains across the debris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is he... dead?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bitter feeling welled up inside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just a senile old man who had reminded me of something I had long forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple man who had helped me rediscover a sliver of the humanity I thought I had lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just another character in this damned world...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But still... I couldn't accept it. I couldn't accept that he was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I reached a dead end in my thoughts, I heard footsteps behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, kid! What are you doing there? The place is wrecked, so there's no service today!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That voice... that familiar tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned immediately—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short, muscular old man standing in his usual white apron, his arms and chest exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I instinctively placed a hand over my face, a smile forming on its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're still alive...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I muttered without thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other hand—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm? Oh! It's you, Frey! Don't scare me like that—I didn't recognize you for a second!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was strange...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I saw him alive, all those troublesome emotions just vanished, as if by magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled at myself, realizing how ridiculous I was being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I really had gotten soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waved at Shaheen with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, well... I can't believe you're still breathing, you senile old man. How the hell did you survive?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaheen's expression shifted in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He furrowed his brows and thumped his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Foolish brat! Do you have any idea how long I've been here? I've survived more than all the idiots in this place combined!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed the distance between us and jabbed a finger into my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Besides, look at yourself! How the hell did you make it with that scrawny body? You're softer than my kids!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old man really was something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha, I'm stronger than I look, Shaheen. I could take ten of you with one hand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression darkened instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can take my ass, you little punk! Get over here—I'll teach you a lesson myself!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What followed was a full hour of messing around with Shaheen in the middle of the wreckage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arm wrestling, tests of strength, and all sorts of dumb games that should never happen between two people with such a ridiculous age gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Shaheen split his age into three, he'd still be older than me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none of this changed the way I treated him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, I found his strange belief that strength was all about muscles rather amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, Shaheen gestured for me to follow him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come… Frey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm? Where to?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a care, he simply started walking away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since you're already here, I assume you're looking for a meal. Am I wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His question made me hesitate before responding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well… you're not wrong, but your restaurant is completely destroyed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk, tsk. How many times must I remind you of your ignorance?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we stepped through the back entrance of the ruined tent, I was surprised to see a small stall set up beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could say anything, Shahin walked inside, laughing loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha! Discipline and perseverance! Give me the ingredients, and I'll cook even in Nightmare Lands if I have to!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm surprised you're still willing to work here after everything that happened.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paid no mind to my remark and was already preparing the ingredients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The usual, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him ignore my words, I simply nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, I found myself having a meal with the old man again, chatting like nothing had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as time passed, our conversation grew quieter, and eventually, silence settled between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We both drifted into our own thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, out of nowhere, Shaheen spoke, his expression unlike anything I had seen before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, Frey… do you remember when you jokingly asked if I had a daughter, saying you wanted to marry her?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked, caught off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was too serious for me to take it lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think I said something like that…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been nothing more than a passing remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaheen let out a quiet sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, I did have one… or rather, I used to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange feeling crept into my chest. I had a vague idea of where this conversation was going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly muttered, \"I'm sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he only shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need. It happened over twenty years ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I had a daughter… a truly gifted one. Far more than I ever deserved. I'm just a cook, the son of a cook. So when she was born with talent that could take her to heights I never even dreamed of… I was happy. And I was terrified.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't know why he had chosen this moment, of all times, to tell me this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I listened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaheen's gaze wandered over the ruined surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was happy because she was special… but afraid because I knew she would face horrors I couldn't even imagine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, I supported her with everything I had. She made it into the temple—this prestigious institution I never dared to dream of. Since her mother had died the moment she was born, I was all she had. Thanks to her, I was able to move my restaurant here… that way, I could always be by her side.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly sighed before continuing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But nothing lasts forever, does it? Frey… this attack today? It wasn't the first. Something similar happened twenty years ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Back then, I remember… I found myself cowering in fear while my daughter stood in front of me, protecting me. I—who was supposed to be her shield—hid behind her small, fragile body. When I felt her warm blood spill onto me… when I felt it slowly turn cold… that was when I realized I had lost her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaheen's eyes locked onto mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey… earlier, you asked me why I'm still here after everything that happened, didn't you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't move. I didn't confirm or deny it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I simply remained silent, waiting for him to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an empty expression, he gathered the dishes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I survived, Frey. I survived that day, and I've kept surviving ever since. And I will continue to survive until the very end. This is my punishment for letting her die. Everyone around me will perish, one after another… but I will remain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he washed the dishes, he glanced at me from the corner of his eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But you… you're different, Frey Starlight. Go back to your family. Leave this cursed place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words hit me harder than I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without thinking, I muttered, \"How?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaheen simply laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you really think I wouldn't recognize someone as famous as you? In the first place, who else would pay that much gold for a meal like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I replied weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He caught onto my hesitation immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey Starlight, I don't care about the rumors surrounding you. I've dealt with you myself, and I know you're a good person. So don't waste your time. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Cherish the things that matter… and leave. Don't come back. This world has no mercy for anyone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his final words of advice, I forced a small smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up, placing a gold coin on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry, Shaheen. I understand perfectly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark mist rose from my body as I turned my back to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The things that matter to me… the ones I hold dear… my family. If I want to return to them, I have no choice but to keep fighting. And I won't die. I'll stay alive until the very end. So you'll be seeing my face again, Shaheen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a smirk, I walked away, step by step, leaving him behind—though I knew he was staring at me, perhaps even overwhelmed by my presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I paused for just a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know, Shaheen… maybe I have no right to say this. But I think your daughter protected you because she loved you just as much as you loved her. She wanted you to live. So… live.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, I left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, I didn't know…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That this would be the last time I ever saw the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because by the next day, Shaheen had vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>",1883,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","7ac9de14e6e4d183d276dbde8e8e5e380e0cdad0b88ee9fe513a2b752c236cd0","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-395","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-394",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]