[{"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-85":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},500737,755,"Chapter 85 Ishtara [II]","young-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-chapter-85",85,"\u003Cp>After changing into the simplest and cheapest clothes I could find in my luggage, I was ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...At least, I thought I was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently, our mission supervisor disagreed with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Samael, didn't I just ask you to change into something modest?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned at Selene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I glanced down at myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was wearing a sleeveless black vest and matching slacks. \"Yes, you indeed asked me to do that. And so I changed! Now what's wrong with me?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selene facepalmed, gripped a few loose strands of her hair, and sighed loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked like she was seconds away from banging her — or most probably, my — head against the nearest wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, for starters, that outfit is not something a commoner would wear. Ever!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They wouldn't?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No! Your whole attire is from a luxury sporting brand. Believe it or not, most commoners don't have the money to splurge on brands — especially in a poor, war-torn region such as where you're headed right now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My frown deepened into a scowl. \"Oh, no. That's really a problem. Any clothes would look branded on me, after all. I could wear rags and still pull it off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selene ignored my remark with the practiced indifference of someone ignoring an annoying child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Besides,\" she added, pointing to my right arm. \"Your tattoo is showing. It completely defeats the purpose of being subtle and discreet. You can't stay low and hidden with that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gazed down at my forearm all of a sudden, as if only now remembering the tattoo was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than half of my dominant arm was covered in an inky black tribal design. Actually, it was an intricate pattern creating a swirling mix of what looked like some sort of ancient runes from a dead language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something I had gotten when I was in high school — or maybe it even was before that. I don't know, I forgot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was stupid, anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't choose that design for any deep reason. In fact, I didn't even know what it meant. Or if it even meant anything at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just thought getting a tattoo would make me look cool. Spoiler — it didn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to brush off her concern when I noticed the way Selene was staring at it. Her gaze had sharpened and her eyes were narrowed on my tattoo with an almost burning intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh, Instructor Valkryn?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes snapped back to mine as soon as I called out her name, but something in her expression was still off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where did you get that?\" she asked, her tone low and hushed, as if she didn't want anyone else to overhear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of my team was at the far end of the cabin, preparing to disembark as the jet began its descent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced past Selene's shoulder at them for a moment before turning back to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An ink parlor in Luxara,\" I said. \"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selene didn't hesitate to shoot another question almost immediately, as if she didn't want to give me even a second to think of an excuse. \"Is it a Warlock Mark?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My scowl deepened further, if that was even possible. I stared at her, giving her a chance to make sense. But when she didn't say anything else, I was forced to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have no idea what that is. But no, I don't think so?\" I shrugged, genuinely confused at this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She studied me for several long, silent seconds. Her expression was a mask of deadly calm as she kept staring in my eyes to… to… I didn't know. Explore more stories at empire\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no idea what she was trying to do at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was she looking for signs I was lying?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crack in my story?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I wasn't lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't even know what a Warlock Mark was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, after a few more seconds, she seemed satisfied and gave me a curt nod. \"Forget what I said. I must be mistaken. After all, as insufferable as you are, you're still a child. It wouldn't be possible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at her, unsure how to respond to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Uh, thanks?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go join your team,\" she said, stepping aside. \"And get a cloak or robe once you're in the city. You'll blend in better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked past her to join the rest of my Squad members, who were all in a deep conversation about a topic. I couldn't have cared less about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My thoughts were elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What just happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was that about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was she so fixated on a stupid tattoo?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the game, getting a reaction out of Selene Valkryn was as impossible as teaching a rock to speak. But here, she'd been visibly worked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She called it a Warlock Mark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did that mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd never heard that term in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever it was, it seemed important enough to draw Selene's attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I made a mental note to research it in the Academy Archives as soon as we returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selene Valkryn was going to be an enemy one day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And since she was someone as strong — if not stronger — than my father, defeating her would be no easy task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If something as simple as my tattoo could shake her, I needed to know why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>•••\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The jet landed smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We exited the aircraft shortly after our mission supervisor delivered her parting words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn't coming with us — doing so would defeat the purpose of sending us here in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she'd take the jet back to the Academy and remain on standby. If we succeeded or needed to retreat, we'd notify her, and she'd come for us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was a little sad to part with my luggage, especially after Juliana had been so kind as to help me pack and load it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it couldn't be helped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My clothes were deemed too luxurious, and the snacks I packed were deemed pointless. My Squad had practically forced me to leave everything behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Idiots. What would they know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once off the jet, we stepped onto the outskirts of Ishtara City, the capital of Kandara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stark contrast between a Conquered Territory outside the reach of the Monarchs and the pristine Safe-Zone we'd lived in all our lives was staggering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sensed the weight of the world shift as soon as I placed the foot on this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, the air was heavy — laden with the scent of dust and burning wood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky above us, though clear, seemed dim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if the sun itself hesitated to shine too brightly on this wounded land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horizon was littered with skeletal trees, their gnarled branches stretching from the ground toward the heavens like bony fingers pleading for salvation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patches of greenery clung to life here and there, but even they were muted — their leaves a sickly, yellow-green color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the west stood a crumbling watchtower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its stone walls were cracked and scorched, leaning slightly, as though gravity itself had grown tired of holding it upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond it loomed the faint silhouette of Ishtara City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even from here, I could tell the city was in dire condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buildings weren't polished structures but jagged, mismatched things made from salvaged metal and stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some looked as though they were held together by sheer stubbornness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasional plumes of smoke rose from factories recently built to boost the city's economy. They seemed out of place amidst the decay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city was still some distance away, but the land around us already bore its scars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground was uneven, cracked by the scorching heat of the sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each step we took stirred small clouds of dust that hung lazily in the air before settling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far off, I could see a group of children playing near the city's entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They ran and laughed like children of their ages do, and the sound of their laughter echoed against the backdrop of desolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sound was out of place yet strangely comforting. It was a reminder that life could persist anywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind us, the jet's engines roared behind us, breaking my thoughts. I turned in time to see it lifting off and shrinking into the sky until it was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I then turned to look at my teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were busy adjusting their clothes or scanning the surroundings. Their expressions were mostly unreadable but definitely tinged with unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew they could sense it, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out here, away from the protective Spirit Force of the Monarchs that shield their respective Safe-Zones, the world felt raw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something off about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like there was an instability in the air that I couldn't quite put into words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as though the very veil of reality here was thinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boundary between realms was fragile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sensation made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fuu,\" I exhaled sharply, breaking the stillness. \"Well, this is cozy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So cozy,\" Alexia muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stay sharp,\" Michael, who was putting a knot on his bootlaces, said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once everyone was ready, we started walking toward the city entrance while discussing our strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plan was simple — begin with investigations in the outskirts, then move deeper into the city to find out what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If needed, we'd split tasks between us and follow whatever clues we may find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We also had a formal meeting with the city's Lord — a noble tasked with governing this region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Academy had already notified him of our arrival, so protocol demanded we greet him as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From there, we'd adapt as the mission unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I already knew where things would lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I would ensure they went exactly where I wanted them to go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, our mission in Ishtara began.\u003C\u002Fp>",1655,"2026-05-30T12:03:22.767Z","2026-06-01T04:31:10.979Z",1,"novelbin.me","406a3d5f29e4277e7c357e251f9f19752854cfcea5c705ce8e0e939fcd74b7db","young-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-chapter-86","young-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-chapter-84",407,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fyoung-master-s-pov-woke-up-as-a-villain-in-a-gam-cover.jpg"]