[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-villain-s-path-system":3,"chapter-villain-s-path-system-villain-s-path-system-chapter-11":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Villain's Path 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},1138416,1475,"Chapter 11: Too Soon","villain-s-path-system-chapter-11",11,"\u003Cp>Lucian had just left his dorm, heading toward the chapel library, when the system flared to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[URGENT: HIDDEN EVENT DETECTED]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE - TIME LIMITED]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Forgotten Vault\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Location: Old Academy Ruins (Abandoned East Wing)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danger Level: High\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Potential Rewards: Ancient Artifact, +50 Fate Points, Rare Skill Unlock\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time Window: 2 Hours (After that, the protagonist will discover it)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[WARNING: This location is above your current combat level. Proceed with caution.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian’s jaw tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was supposed to meet Aria in fifteen minutes for their study session.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Safe. Low-risk. Good for building her affection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ancient artifact. Rare skill. And if I don’t go now, Cassian gets it instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The choice was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sorry, Aria. Study sessions can wait. Protagonist’s loot cannot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He changed direction, heading toward the abandoned east wing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ruins were exactly as depressing as expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crumbling stone. Broken windows. Vines creeping through cracks in the walls. The academy had sealed this section off years ago after some structural accident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect place to hide something valuable,Lucian thought, slipping through a gap in the barrier fence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system guided him deeper into the ruins with a glowing arrow only he could see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Down a collapsed hallway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through a partially caved-in classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Into what used to be a basement storage area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there, hidden behind a false wall that had cracked open over time, was a door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ancient. Covered in faded runes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[FORGOTTEN VAULT ENTRANCE DETECTED]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[WARNING: Magical trap detected. Disarm before entering.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian studied the runes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay. In the original novel, Cassian just blasted through this with raw power. But I don’t have that luxury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He activated his newly acquired Medical Knowledge skill and—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait. Why would medical knowledge help with—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[SKILL SYNERGY DETECTED]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Medical Knowledge + Combat Analysis = \"Mana Flow Reading\"]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You can now see the flow of magical energy in traps and enchantments.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian’s vision shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The runes lit up in his sight, showing him the pattern of mana flowing through the trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There. The third rune is the anchor. If I disrupt it...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed his hand on the rune and channeled what little mana he had into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wrong direction. Opposite flow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trap sputtered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[TRAP DISARMED]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[+10 Fate Points]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door creaked open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond it, stairs led down into darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian summoned a small light spell—barely more than a candle’s worth of illumination, but it was all he could manage—and descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vault was small. Circular. Empty except for a single pedestal in the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On it sat a crystal orb, pulsing with soft blue light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ITEM DETECTED: \"Memory Stone of the Forgotten Sage\"]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[EFFECT: Unlocks one lost magical technique. Can only be used once.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[VALUE: Priceless]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackpot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian approached carefully, checking for more traps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temperature dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breath misted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ice spread across the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh fuck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[WARNING: GUARDIAN ACTIVATED]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the shadows, something emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Massive. Crystalline. Shaped vaguely like a wolf but made entirely of jagged ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its eyes glowed with cold, dead light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ICE WRAITH - LEVEL ???]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[DANGER: EXTREME]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have GOT to be kidding me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wraith lunged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian dove aside, rolling across the frozen floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ice spears erupted where he’d been standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think. THINK. I can’t fight this thing. I’m too weak. But there has to be—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scrambled toward the pedestal, grabbed the Memory Stone, and—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wraith was on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Claws of ice slashed across his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pain exploded through him. Hot. Burning despite the cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood sprayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian stumbled back, clutching the wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shit. Shit shit shit—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His left arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wraith circled him, predatory. Taking its time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m going to die here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The realization hit like ice water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everything. After reincarnating. After getting the system. I’m going to die in a fucking basement because I got greedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wraith raised its claws for the killing blow—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire vault shook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of pure mana exploded through the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wraith froze mid-strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just...disintegratedinto a million shards of ice that evaporated before hitting the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian stared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My my. What do we have here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman’s voice. Amused. Sultry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian turned, still clutching his bleeding chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at the entrance to the vault, one hand still raised from the spell she’d just cast, was Professor Myra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her arm was still raised, lazy almost, like the spell had been an afterthought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blonde hair spilled over her shoulder, catching the last streak of evening light. The black corset cinched her waist sharply against the pale fabric beneath, severe and precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When her eyes finally met his, they were cool and brilliantly blue — the kind of gaze that didn’t search for approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You look surprised,\" she said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>",801,"2026-06-03T12:08:46.595Z","2026-06-03T12:08:55.308Z",1,"novelbin.me","7c48da964903fdde83eb5deda1004a967b7ea00377dd1b11384f6c7815f056d3","villain-s-path-system-chapter-12","villain-s-path-system-chapter-10",157,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fvillain-s-path-system-cover.jpg"]