I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space-Chapter 66: Future concerns

She stared directly into his eyes.

Expressionless. Cold.

There wasn’t even a flicker of emotion on her face, not a twitch in her brows or a shift in her gaze. Her icy demeanor felt like a wall immovable, distant.

Razeal looked at her, disappointment clouding his eyes. For a moment, he searched for something in her expression regret, confusion, even little shame of what she had once done but found nothing. Just a frozen, hollow indifference.

And that hurt him actually even if he refuse to admit it.

But instead of reacting, he simply looked away, as if he no longer cared. As if whatever he had expected... wasn’t worth it anymore.

"Whatever," he muttered under his breath as took step forward.

Razeal turned and continued walking, his destination already decided. He moved toward the very back of the classroom the last seat. The farthest from everyone. Unsurprisingly, it was the only desk left untouched. Everyone here had scrambled for the front, eager to sit as close to the elite as possible.

He is here? In the royal classroom?

The thought ran through more than one student’s mind, whispered internally with disbelief.

This is the most sacred room in the entire academy... how can someone like him, with that past, with a criminal record, be allowed in here?

No, that’s not the point why is he even still in the academy at all? Shouldn’t they have kicked him out already? Doesn’t his very presence taint the school’s name? Are the higher ups just asking to become enemies with the Great Houses?

"Wait... did he actually collect 1,000 cores? Who helped him?"

The murmurs began. Whispers, questions, suspicion rising like heat from a boiling pot.

Razeal heard it all. His sharp senses didn’t miss a word. But he didn’t flinch or show any flicker of emotion. He walked like a man whose ears were deaf and heart feels no emotions. One foot after another, calm, collected, uncaring.

Like who the fuck cares? He thought in his head.

"Hey."

A voice called out clear, calm, feminine even laced with ever so present authority deep within.

Celestia.

The girl with platinum hair. The girl sitting in the first seat the very picture of nobility and grace. She looked directly at him, her platinum eyes sharp and unblinking.

And just like that, the classroom froze.

A sudden silence descended, as if someone had snapped their fingers and stolen every sound from the air. Even the whispers stopped, caught mid-breath. A pin could’ve fallen, and it would’ve echoed like thunder.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward the two of them.

But Razeal... didn’t stop.

He didn’t even glance at her.

He walked right past her, completely ignoring her existence as if she were nothing more than empty air. As if the most important girl in the academy, the imperial princess herself, wasn’t even there.

And the classroom gasped.

Loud and collective.

Even the senior students who usually kept their heads down and minds on their own business jerked upright there lazy eyes narrowing.

Did he just ignore her?

"Did he just... ignore the Imperial Princess?" someone whispered with trembling lips, their voice barely audible.

But before the sentence could fully leave their mouth, the student sitting behind him slapped a hand over their face, hissing through clenched teeth, "Are you trying to die, you idiot?!"

All breathing halted.

No one moved. No one dared. The atmosphere felt like the edge of a sword, stretched tight and ready to snap. Every gaze was fixed on Celestia waiting, bracing, terrified of what would come next.

Only one sound echoed through the tension Razeal’s footsteps, steady and indifferent, moving toward the back of the classroom.

He sat down on the very last seat.

Silence lingered.

All eyes kept shifting between Celestia and Razeal. Everyone waited.

Even Areon, Sylva, and especially Selena, were frozen tense, unmoving. Selena’s hand was already twitching, ready to jump in if even the slightest ripple of danger appeared.

But what came next...

Was nothing like what they expected.

Celestia didn’t react with anger. She didn’t even acknowledge it. She just rested her elbow casually on the desk, her chin propped up gently by her fist. Her eyes gazed ahead, blank and bored, like she hadn’t even noticed what just happened. As if Razeal’s complete disregard meant absolutely nothing to her.

She didn’t turn her head. Not even once.

Another ten seconds passed.

And then suddenly everyone in the room let out the breath they hadn’t realized they were holding. A synchronized sound of relief. Some students even wiped sweat from their foreheads, heartbeats pounding like drums in their chests.

It was terrifying how just her presence could bring that kind of pressure.

Even though Razeal had been the one to break etiquette, everyone felt as if they might be punished. That’s how dangerous Celestia was. If there was anyone in the academy who could bend or break the rules, it was her.

And she hadn’t done anything.

Yet.

"What a fucking idiot..."

Dozens of eyes turned toward Razeal again this time not with curiosity or disgust, but with barely restrained killing intent.

How could he be so reckless? So stupid?

Selena gnawed at her fingernails, her eyes glued to Celestia.

She’s was his ex fiancée...

Does he even hate her now?

She wondered, her mind spiraling, the pace of her biting growing frantic.

Razeal sat down at the very back of the grand Royal Classroom, his figure slouched casually as his eyes drifted upward to the ceiling. There was no window on his side, no comforting breeze or distraction to stare at. So he didn’t know what he was supposed to be doing here, and honestly, he didn’t care. As for that "woman" who had just tried to call out to him he dismissed the memory with a sneer in his thoughts.

He didn’t want to talk to people like her.

No actually he didn’t even want to be here not at all. If he had his way, he wouldn’t have stepped foot in this academy. His only real reason for coming was to unlock the basic functions of his system, which could only be activated after participating in the Gate of Worth. That was it. Beyond that, he had no desire to linger here. What would he even gain? Ridicule? hate? Contempt? This place would only remind him of everything he hated. He couldn’t even access the resources provided, even if he wanted to. And worst of all the people he despised most in the entire world were all gathered right here.

So why was he still here?

Because things had spiraled. Because choices, once made, had chained him into this mess. Because simply taking part in the trial had revealed his identity. And that revelation set everything else in motion. His mere presence had become a problem to the world around him. If not for his move in claiming a Duel of Honor yesterday, he would have been dead already. Literally.

That duel was his shield. The moment he claimed it, all open attempts on his life had to be postponed. The academy and the empire recognized it. No one could try to kill him until the duel was settled. Not even the ones whose blood boiled at the very sight of him.

So he would stay.

At least until then.

After the duel, if he won, the Holy Promise would grant him protection. No one would be able to touch him atleast not without defying sacred oath to church. They could hate him all they wanted but they wouldn’t be able to act on it.

And as for how he planned to win?

He smirked, his fingers lightly tapping the wooden desk.

People like Areon must be thinking he was stupid. Like giving up a dragon heart just to pass the trial and gather 1000 elemental cores was foolish. A desperate move. Wasteful.

But. No that was never the real reason.

The real reason? It was about setting the stage.

He had prepared for this duel far in advance.

The true key to his victory was the Fervine Serpent’s Venom the one he had secretly asked the dragon spirit to mix into the heart.

The Fervine Serpent’s venom.

Unlike other poisons, this one wasn’t lethal at least, not in the traditional sense. Yes, it could kill weaker beings, but for stronger cultivators, its danger wasn’t in death. It was in suffering.

Why is it feared?

Because it’s nearly undetectable.

No alchemical skill, no medical art, no divine sense can recognize it as poison. In most cases, it doesn’t even register as poison at all.

It hides in the victim’s body, silent and cruel.

And when it activates it unleashes hell.

Paralyzing pain. Agony that makes warriors collapse.

It drains a person’s strength, breaking them down to the point they can’t even lift a weapon. In some cases, it causes complete body failure for three entire months.

And because it cannot be identified, it cannot be treated. There is no antidote. No shortcut. The victim has no choice but to wait it out, helpless.

That was the true weapon.

Razeal’s plan wasn’t to defeat Areon in combat.

It was to ensure Areon couldn’t even appear.

Because the Dragon Heart was now part of Areon’s body. The moment it resonated with him, the venom would activate. And then? Areon would be bedridden if not completely paralyzed.

And by the rules, if a challenger fails to show up for the Duel of Honor...

The other party wins automatically.

All as planned.

Yes, Areon was from a powerful duke family. Yes, he had terrifying strength and backing. But that was the brilliance of Razeal’s scheme. Even if they realized something was wrong, they wouldn’t be able to do anything.

The venom was hidden too well. Buried inside the royal bloodline Dragon Heart. A sacred treasure.

No one would dare investigate it. They would simply assume the discomfort Areon experienced was a side effect his body adjusting to the new power source.

Perfect.

So if everything was prepared so flawlessly, why did Razeal still feel... anxious?

Because of one clause in the rules.

If a person cannot attend their Duel of Honor due to sincere injury or emergency, they are allowed to send someone in their place. A substitute fighter.

That substitute wouldn’t claim any of the challenger’s rewards or status even winning the bet rewards other party had promised already but the duel would still happen. A symbolic continuation of the honor of duel.

And that was what unsettled Razeal.

He had no idea who Areon would choose.

It could be anyone. And knowing Areon, it would be someone strong. Someone terrifying.

He might win the duel by default, but he still had to survive the battle. And survival wasn’t guaranteed.

And if that substitute was strong stronger than him then it wouldn’t matter how clever the plan was.

Razeal could die. Right there. On that stage

He sighed quietly, leaning back in his chair. His fingers stopped tapping. His mind ran through every possibility, every scenario. The room around him buzzed with quiet tension, whispers, and side glances but he was already far away, drifting deep into strategy and speculation.

He didn’t come here to learn. Its just that he had no other choice.

Just as he was lost in thought, a familiar voice called out from the side, laced with casual warmth and a hint of mischief.

"Hey, friends! Long time no see, huh? Looks like your numbers have grown quite a bit."

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Hey everyone!

Sorry for the late update I’ve been deep in planning the next Chapter route, which took a bit longer than expected. I also spent some extra time patching up a few plot holes I had left behind. Gotta keep the story tight and smooth, right?

Hope you’re all still enjoying the ride so far!

By the way, if you’re loving the story, don’t forget to drop some Golden Tickets and Powerstones it really helps and motivates me a lot.

Now, onto a small announcement:

The Harem route has officially won the vote with a score of 9 to 11!

Apologies to my single-female-audience readers but as promised, I’ll stay true to my word. That said, don’t worry I’ll make sure the romance remains meaningful, with no mindless additions or character overload. You know me I don’t even like plot holes, let alone shallow relationships or unnecessary waifus.

Thank you all so much for your continued love and support. Seriously i am not gay but i might just fall in love

Stay tuned things are about to get even better. I have planned something very cool.

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