[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system":3,"chapter-villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-chapter-148":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Villain of Fate: The Tyrant System",{"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},560736,810,"Chapter 148: The Man Behind the Mask","villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-chapter-148",148,"\u003Cp>The Man Behind the Mask\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar voice echoed inside Julian D’Aurelius’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Congratulations to the host for surviving the casino scenario.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reward obtained: Chaotic Punch (usable five times).\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment, Julian’s eyes flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his expression slowly darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside his mind, he cursed without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shitty system...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re pulling this crap again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, he had started noticing something strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tyrant System had become more and more unreliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original plot of the world was collapsing piece by piece... and the rewards the system gave him were becoming more and more ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost like it wanted him to die sooner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two one-time Old Martial Arts rewards he had obtained earlier were the only reason he survived when Evan nearly killed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had used those poorly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would have already been a corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now this reward?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaotic Punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the system’s explanation, the power of the punch depended entirely on whatever words he shouted when throwing the punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julian’s lips twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of nonsense ability is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this system secretly mocking me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint unease crept into his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some instinct told him something unsettling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This damn system...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might not actually be on my side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Julian was silently cursing the system...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the monitoring room on the first basement level—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas stood in front of the surveillance screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was darker than storm clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell is going on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the monitor, the footage clearly showed the scene in the restroom corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than thirty men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weapons in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were being beaten like dogs by a single young man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas’s eyes narrowed dangerously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are all your subordinates useless?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze turned sharply toward the casino owner, who stood nearby sweating nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man stammered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I don’t know either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind was equally blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was happening?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than thirty armed men...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they couldn’t even deal with one rich kid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even an Iron Realm Old Martial Arts expert would struggle against such numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet that young man was fighting as if he were strolling through a park.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The casino owner swallowed nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he be a monster like Young Master Lucas...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His patience had run out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll handle it myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a cold expression, he walked out of the monitoring room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stepping into the hallway, Lucas rolled his shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bones emitted a series of snapping sounds like popping beans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then something eerie happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body began to shrink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His spine bent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His muscles shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within seconds—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tall, elegant young master had transformed into a slightly hunched middle-aged man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was one of Lucas’s specialties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bone-Shrinking Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After adjusting his posture, he pulled out a thin human-skin mask from his pocket and slowly placed it over his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mask adhered perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas had become a completely different person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his aura changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now no one would recognize him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His plan was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kill the brat named Julian D’Aurelius first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then allow the remaining thugs to capture Charlotte Bonds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would return with his original identity...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And play the hero who saves the beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas even imagined the scene already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charlotte looking at him with admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after saving her...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t even tell her his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would simply disappear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving her wondering who that mysterious savior was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, sometime later...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would meet her again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And by then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her heart would already belong to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absolutely perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the elevator reached the casino floor, the doors slid open quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He happened to witness something interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the surviving thugs had secretly approached Julian from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man raised his knife and slashed downward viciously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade struck Julian’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t even cut through his clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas’s eyes narrowed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a Silver Realm peak expert, he immediately understood what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An invisible protective aura surrounded Julian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas murmured softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this the Undestroyable Barrier Skill?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After inheriting Old Martial Arts knowledge from the Black Dragon Gem, Lucas had learned many lost techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them was this legendary defensive art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undestroyable Barrier Skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A technique famous in ancient times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its defense was said to be nearly absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was rumored that once mastered—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone below the Silver Realm couldn’t break through it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas’s lips curved faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But unfortunately...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m at the peak of the Silver Realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the Undestroyable Barrier Skill protecting him...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing him wouldn’t be difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas inhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His inner energy surged violently through his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a hunting leopard—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lunged forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow suddenly flashed before Julian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could even react—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas’s kick had already struck his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julian staggered backward several steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp pain spread across his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His pupils shrank slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That kick nearly shattered his Undestroyable Barrier Skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could clearly feel the protective aura weakening rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the aura disappeared completely—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The skill would lose its effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julian raised his head and stared at the attacker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hunched middle-aged man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas sneered coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what if you’ve mastered the Undestroyable Barrier Skill, you worthless piece of trash?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was deliberately lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely different from his usual tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charlotte reacted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes flashed with determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She swung the watermelon knife in her hand toward Lucas’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A precise sneak attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lucas didn’t even turn around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if he had eyes on the back of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers moved casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He caught the falling knife between two fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a slight twist—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knife broke instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this scene—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julian immediately understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Damn it... it’s really Lucas.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(This guy loves showing off like this every time he appears.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Bone shrinking... disguise... those are his specialties.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Just like I thought.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(With Evan gone... Lucas has stepped in.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, however—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charlotte had no time to listen to Julian’s thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the knife shattered so easily, she reacted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her leg shot upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vicious kick aimed directly at Lucas’s crotch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just before the strike landed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Charlotte could even react—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas appeared behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand moved like lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His palm struck the side of her neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charlotte’s eyes widened briefly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then her body collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lost consciousness instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas caught her lightly before she hit the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he placed her aside casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dealing with Charlotte—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas slowly raised his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze locked onto Julian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murderous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was destined to die.\u003C\u002Fp>",1129,"2026-05-30T15:14:55.252Z","2026-06-01T04:31:33.482Z",1,"novelbin.me","4c01e42b59392c18367ef1334342fcfb464c1ba7f432df481df5e7df73ae51cf","villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-chapter-149","villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-chapter-147",232,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fvillain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-cover.jpg"]