[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-young-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam":3,"chapter-young-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-young-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-chapter-26":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Young Master's PoV: Woke Up As A Villain In A Game One Day",{"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},500678,755,"Chapter 26 Typical Side Villain [I]","young-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-chapter-26",26,"\u003Cp>Everyone was dressed comfortably in sporty attires, but with an air of readiness. Like they were preparing for a war they all knew was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girls wore high-waisted fitted pants or leggings, paired with sleeveless athletic tops and tough boots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guys were dressed in combat pants, some wearing gym vests, others in loose t-shirts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few teens had gloves or jackets on, but none had yet summoned a Card or a weapon. They were all preserving their Essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for me, I was in a deep black jacket that fit snugly over my frame, the fabric light and soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't flashy – no unnecessary frills, no splash of colors, no trendy design – just clean, sharp lines that followed the natural curve of my shoulders and arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the jacket, a sleeveless shirt clung to my chest, its breathable material perfect for the heat of upcoming battle. My pants were comfortable and allowed utmost flexibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a simple outfit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A functional outfit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all I needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even in such plain clothes I still looked good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then again, I looked good in everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh.\" A small, proud smirk tugged at my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, I had become such a narcissist recently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since I awakened my past life's memories, I'd started appreciating my looks more and more each passing day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's hard not to compliment yourself when you have a charming face and a perfectly lean body like mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, to be fair, every Awakened looked good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment a child manifested their Origin Card, their body underwent subtle but noticeable changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spirit Essence strengthens the soul, and in turn, the body refines itself into near peak-human condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So yeah, finding an unattractive Awakened was almost impossible. Almost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even still, I had yet to find anyone better looking than me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smirking a little more, I glanced around… and suddenly my eyes stopped at my Shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the cocky smirk on my face was wiped off clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She donned a similarly simple outfit – a long jacket, pants that hugged her shapely legs, and tightly laced boots – but somehow she made it look more… graceful. If that was even possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her deep crimson jacket contrasted sharply against her pale skin, a bold declaration that she intended to stand out on this battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hair was tied back, but a few loose strands framed her face with a careless elegance, as if she wanted everyone to know that the upcoming fight was nothing more than a trivial side quest for her and not at all a daunting ordeal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk.\" I clicked my tongue and turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine. Maybe some people looked as good as me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, Lily — my ex-girlfriend and the game's original female lead — was downright stunning as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then there was Alexia Zynx in the game. She was the main heroine after Lily. And while she wasn't as pretty, her rough, girl-next-door charm more than made up for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had yet to meet her in real life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main guys were no slouches either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ray Warner, one of the secondary protagonists, was known to be a lady killer. Albeit, he was a bit of an airhead with a knack for attracting trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kang Tae-jin, Alexia's Shadow and the supporting male lead, was also extremely handsome, though he had a feral edge to his appeal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had yet to meet those two as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, there was Michael Godswill himself — the main character of the story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Micheal began as a chubby nerd, bullied by… well, by me and my so-called friends in high school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by the start of the first term, he would undergo a drastic transformation. In the game, he was the most handsome of them all, which made sense – he was the hero, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, come to think of it…\" I muttered a soft whisper and started scanning the area, half-lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where were all these people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coliseum was vast. No, calling it vast was actually an understatement. But still, I should've been able to spot a few named characters at least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ray was a popular online influencer. So I bet he was being swarmed by people who had recognized him by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily and Alexia both should be drawing gazes and turning heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kang Tae-jin was loud-mouthed and brash, so he should be attracting a crowd as well, bursting into unprovoked violence and picking pointless fights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spotting these people shouldn't be too much of a problem since they attract people toward them like iron scraps to a magnet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no reason for me wanting to see them. It was only out of pure curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to see them just because.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I mean, who wouldn't want to meet the characters from their well-loved piece of media if given a chance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was kind of thrilling. I knew these people. I knew their personalities, I knew their backstories, and I alone knew their fates for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, with untamed eagerness, I kept looking around me, trying to find a spot where too many people were gathered or something odd was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was when I heard a voice, raucous but familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Samael? Hey, Sam! Is that you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tuned to the sound of my name, trying to pin down the source of it. Then I saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man was making his way toward me through the throng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about my age, and the first thing I noticed about him were his dark emerald curls catching the light, and his eyes, a shade softer, glinting like beads of dew on fresh moss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those features would've looked good on anyone... except him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why? Because he was overweight — extremely so!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listen, I don't fat-shame, but I was ready to make an exception for him. He moved like walking was a workout and breathed like it was a chore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face, for lack of better words, was a flesh potato — utterly unsightly to behold. All that paired with his short stature made for a comical sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember when I said it was almost impossible to find an unattractive Awakened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, emphasis was on almost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy was one of the rare, unfortunate special cases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I recognized him instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake Mel Flazer — eldest son of a Count who served under my father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our fathers weren't just esteemed nobility. They were close acquaintances, which meant Jake and I practically grew up together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were childhood friends. Or, well, whatever you call two people forced into friendship due to proximity and wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But being his friend… was the biggest mistake of my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need to remember him, though. He won't be relevant to the story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sam!\" his round face flushed like a ripe tomato — whether from the excitement of running into me or the sheer exhaustion of walking, I couldn't tell. Maybe both. Most definitely the latter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What were you looking around for? Me?\" he asked between shallow breaths as he reached me, beaming like a fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Yeah, right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, I forced my most pleasant smile – the kind of smile you show your close friends when you see them after a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Actually, yes!\" I lied, matching his energy. \"I was just thinking about coming to find you, Jay!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a loud, easy laugh — sounding exactly as much of an idiot as he looked — before a frown abruptly creased his oversized forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, by the way! Why aren't you replying to my texts and calls, man? I was worried sick about you after... well, after what happened. Then I saw that video online… You really fought your father? Are you okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ugh. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I allowed my smile to dim just enough to convey the right amount of fake sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, I'm fine,\" I nodded. \"My father's had enough of me. Can't say I blame him. And my comm device broke, so I never got your texts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Juliana shot me a sideway glance, then quickly lost interest. She knew I was lying. Obviously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My communicator was fine. I was just ghosting this guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake shook his head, his heavy belly jiggling slightly. \"That sucks, man! You might not blame him, but I do! What kind of father challenges his own son to a Rite of Valor? How cruel could he be?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his defense, Jake was a good friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loyal one. And loyal friends are few and far between in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always stuck by me, even in my worst moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, at first he probably just wanted to cozy up to me because I was the Duke's son, and having me around meant we could get away with anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But over the years, he had become a genuine friend to me. Even now, when I had nothing, he was actually happy to see me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why, if he was such a good friend, was I itching to blow him off?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know whose fault all this is? That damned orphan bastard! Michael! I swear to the spirits, if I ever get my hands on him, I'll kill him!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted nothing to do with him because of this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake was the perfect henchman for some trashy side villain. But I didn't want to be a trashy side villain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not anymore!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I said before, I'd always been stronger than most kids my age. Back in high school, not many could hold their ground against me if I went all out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That strength, along with my desperate need for approval and way too much pride for a teenager, was a dangerous mix.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was a delinquent growing up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thrill-seeker who broke rules for the fun of it, doing all the things that rebellious teens do — alcohol, sex, parties, reckless behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I enjoyed that lifestyle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But despite everything...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite who I was, I had never been a bully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because I thought it was wrong, morally or otherwise. No, it was simpler than that – bullying was something I considered to be beneath me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I liked a good fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what was the point of tormenting someone who couldn't even hit back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, I had my moments. I lost my temper, yelled at servants, threw some punches, and abused my social status. But I never made it a habit to harass someone just because I didn't like them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this guy? He was my exact opposite in every way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a spineless coward! Always acting weak before the strong, and strong before the weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the one who started picking on Michael and made his already miserable life a living hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, maybe I'm at fault. I let it happen. I didn't stop it as actively as I should've.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn't start it either!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At most, I was a bystander. I was dragged into it out of nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only really got involved when I caught Lily kissing Michael. Even then, it was Jake who egged me on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He convinced me to go after Michael, to make an example of him. Show everyone what happens when you cross me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shouldn't have listened to him. I should've ignored him and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had already punched Micheal to my heart's content. There was no need to keep on going after him any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was stupid. I listened to my \"best friend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because of him that my conflict with Michael spiraled out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the reason I ended up fighting the supposed protagonist of this world and made him my enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, somehow, that wasn't even the worst part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The worst part was how idiotic this guy was!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were more than ten people in our group back at school. We all fought Michael together last time!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what happened after that was history!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He single-handedly wiped the floor with all of us. Alone! Bare-handed! With no other Card in his arsenal than his Origin Card!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And still, even after all that, this guy had the audacity to talk about revenge to my face right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Revenge!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could anyone be that dense?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn't take a genius to see that Michael was favored by something – a higher power, fate, plot armor, call it what you want.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who in their right mind would even think about going after someone like him again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why are all these side antagonists always the same in fantasy stories?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protagonist beats you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay. Move on. Get over it. What would revenge get you aside from another humiliating loss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no. This idiot was dead set on poking the beast again, as if his pride – or more likely, his stupidity – was some noble banner that he just had to wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...him together. And after that, we'll have the last laugh! Right, Sam?\" Jake's voice cut through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned, not sure if I'd heard him right. \"Sorry, what did you say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blinked at me, almost offended. \"What the hell, dude? Keep up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head like I was the stupid one between us, then a devious grin stretched across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said, let's jump him together and humiliate him in front of everyone!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There it was again. The idiocy of a textbook side villain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keep going after the protagonist until he kills you and your entire bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was so vexed that my facade broke for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost rebuked him on the spot, tearing apart his ridiculous plan and telling him exactly how much of an idiot he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, an idea hit me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could… use him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn't very useful, but I could think of a few ways. Besides, Jake was a nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was loaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If nothing else, I'd just throw him at Michael like a cannon fodder and drain him for all his money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of fighting the urge to scold Jake, I let it simmer down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My expression softened, and a smile — a real one this time — crept onto my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait, that's actually a good idea, Jay!\" My voice was calm but exhilarated. \"But we'll need a proper strategy. Something better than just charging at him like fools.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes lit up with palpable excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor guy had no idea how deep I was about to drag him into my own schemes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>",2436,"2026-05-30T12:03:22.485Z","2026-06-01T04:31:10.979Z",1,"novelbin.me","3c96668c7afbc5e10b131a05eec5a1db9d64684472694113d95c3376aa42bac7","young-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-chapter-27","young-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-chapter-25",407,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fyoung-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-cover.jpg"]