Villain's Survival: SSS Class Infinite Copy Eyes-Chapter 35. A fan

If Licht was going to shake up the script with his mana circle theory then he had to at least

Fortunately, the Academy had the perfect place for what Licht needed.

The school library.

So after a short walk, Licht pushed open the tall double doors and stepped inside.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t crowded and In fact, it felt... oddly quiet.

Licht soon realised that the reason it all felt so odd was that, for once, he finally wasn’t being watched.

Licht wasn’t trying to be arrogant about it, but ever since his rise to Rank 1, he had grown used to the constant attention.

It was like the entire Academy had developed a sixth sense for his presence. In every hallway and every training room, someone was always watching, gossiping.

But here, in the library... it was different.

People here moved with purpose. Heads down, fingers flipping through pages or scrolling through terminals. Focused.

This was no tourist zone. The Slayer Academy didn’t romanticise theory; instead it prioritized brutal practicality. And in an age with full neural net access and instant knowledge retrieval, anyone coming to the library wasn’t browsing for fun.

They were hunting answers.

Licht’s eyes scanned the aisles until they landed on a weathered spine tucked between two oversized hardback books.

He stepped forward and reached for it, only for his arm to bump into someone else’s. A clumsy collision ensued that made the smaller figure stumble awkwardly into the shelf beside him.

"Ah, sorry! I didn’t see you there!"

Looking down, Licht saw a kid with red hair and glasses, and his eyes twitched.

’Not this kid again.’

Riven adjusted his crooked glasses with a sheepish grin, trying to regain some dignity. But his apology wasn’t met with warmth, only a cold, narrow glare.

Once was an accident, two times a coincidence, but three times? Licht had his doubts

"...Are you following me?"

Licht’s voice was low and calm on the surface, but each word held a razor hidden beneath them with an obvious threat.

He didn’t drop his guard for a second. The glamour of being Rank 1 was a temporary illusion. Beneath it, Licht was still walking on a minefield haunted by the original Licht’s legacy. The enemies he’d made and the mess he’d left behind would catch up eventually

Riven flinched at Licht’s tone, quickly raising his hands in defence.

"N-no! I’m not following you, I swear! I’m just interested in the theory you proposed during class."

Licht narrowed his eyes. "You actually believed that?"

Riven nodded, awkward but earnest. "W-well, you didn’t seem like you were lying, so..."

Licht narrowed his eyes, studying the boy. Was he just innocent—or painfully naïve?

In Class, he hadn’t even proposed the basics of this theory, and it was literally just his word against everybody else’s, so he was surprised someone had even given it a chance

But as he looked closer, he saw a faint glimmer of excitement and admiration in Riven’s eyes, and that’s when Licht realised it.

’Is he a fan?’

This threw Licht off a little.

Given the traits he’d inherited from the previous Licht—the condescension, the sharp tongue, the imperious way of speaking he’d expected only hostility and envy. Not this.

But when Licht took some time to think about it actually wasn’t that strange.

He was the number one cadet. So to some, his arrogance might just seem like a quirk. A natural side effect of genius.

In fact, it would be more surprising if someone like Licht didn’t have fans.

Sure, the cadets ranked close to him probably hated his guts; after all, his condescending tone and biting critiques must have felt like direct attacks on their pride. But for the average cadet, those so far beneath him on the rankings that they were practically in another league, Licht’s arrogance wasn’t insulting; instead, it was aspirational.

Distant, confident and admirable.

An untouchable elite.

Having a better understanding of what was going on, Licht gave Riven a tired glance and shook his head.

Fan or not, it’s none of my business. As long as the kid isn’t snooping around trying to "investigate" me, he can do whatever he wants.

He turned back toward the shelf and pulled the thick tome from its resting place.

But just as he turned to leave—

Three figures stepped into the aisle, blocking the way.

They were fellow Slayer Cadets.

Each one of them kept their uniforms sharp and stood there with indifferent and intimidating postures.

One had dark blue hair and a perpetually furrowed brow. Another had a square jaw and bulky frame. The last had beady, needle-like eyes that didn’t blink nearly enough.

Licht’s gaze narrowed as he asked

"...Is there a problem?"

He didn’t raise his voice or make any threats because these days, he simply didn’t need to.

Your Trait「A Valtier’s Pride (S)」has been activated

His recent actions and his hard-won title were enough to make every word carry weight.

As Licht’s violet eyes met theirs, something primal stirred in the air. For a brief moment, it felt like a dragon had opened one eye behind his gaze.

A cold, scaly pressure seemed to coil around their throats, making it hard to breathe. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

The three cadets crumbled under his stare, causing the imposing stance to evaporate as sweat pooled on their brows.

"H-haha please stop joking," one stammered awkwardly. "There’s no way we’d have a problem with you, Licht."

"The guy we’re looking for is... behind you."

They weren’t lying.

But their fear only made their target more terrified.

Riven.

To Licht, they were just three meek cadets trying not to provoke a monster.

But to Riven... they were demons.

Each step they took toward him felt like thunder on the floor.

The lead cadet bowed humbly to Licht, then slung an arm casually and too tightly around Riven’s shoulders.

"Riven," he said with an oily grin, "where’ve you been, huh? We’ve been looking all over for you, friend."

"Thane, I don’t think I—" Riven started, his voice shaking.

"Hey."

Thane’s tone shifted. No longer loud and cheery, and was just a light whisper meant for Riven’s ears alone.

"We’re friends, right? Trust me. Following your seniors out of here... is the best choice you’ve got."

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺