Rise Of The Villain : In a World Ruled By Anomalies

Chapter 137 - 136 : A not so generous friend

A few moments ago, Arthur, Elizabeth, Aiden, Aaron, Evangeline, Julia, and Isabella had also reached the hall where the results were being shown. The wide room was already packed with candidates, but as Arthur walked at the front of their group, the crowd reacted instantly.

Murmurs spread.

Heads turned.

And then, one after another, students stepped aside and opened a path.

It was not just because of Arthur. Walking behind him were well-known figures like Evangeline, Julia, Isabella, and Aiden, each of them already carrying a reputation from their families and kingdoms. No one wanted to stand in their way.

Arthur moved forward without hurrying, hands in his pockets, gaze fixed ahead.

He glanced to his side, where Aiden walked with a stiff expression, his shoulders slightly tense. Aiden’s eyes were unfocused, as if he was doing numbers in his head over and over again.

Arthur could almost hear the amount echoing behind his eyes.

’Fifty thousand dollars, huh... he’s still stuck on that,’ Arthur thought.

He smirked.

"What’s wrong? You look more nervous than I am," Arthur said.

"Shut up," Aiden shot back immediately, not even looking at him.

Evangeline, walking just behind them, chuckled softly at their exchange.

With the candidates continuing to make way, the group finally arrived at the center of the hall, directly beneath the huge holographic screen floating in the air. Lines of text moved across it, showing the rankings from top to bottom.

If anyone had trouble finding their name, they only needed to say their full name aloud or type it into the floating interface beneath the screen. The system would immediately highlight their name and rank for everyone to see.

Arthur lifted his gaze to the top of the list.

He saw his name there.

He did not smile.

He did not speak.

’I already knew it the moment I finished the test,’ Arthur thought. ’The only uncertainty was whether I would land in first place or second... but it looks like the examiners preferred my way of solving the problems.’

He let out a slow breath and turned around to look at the others.

The sight almost made him laugh.

Three mouths hung open in a perfect row.

First was Aiden, who looked like a businessman who had just gone bankrupt—eyes blank, shoulders slumped, as he stared at the ranking in disbelief.

Second was Julia. She looked at the ranking... then at Arthur... then back at the ranking... then at Arthur again, repeating the motion as if the world would correct itself if she checked enough times.

"How... how... my hard-earned savings... no way..." Julia whispered, voice breaking.

The third was Isabella. Money itself did not bother her, but something else clearly did. Her gaze was fixed on the very top of the list, lips parted slightly.

"In just three hours of study, to get the top rank... how is that even possible..." she said in a low voice.

Behind them, Evangeline and Aaron raised their hands at the same time and shared a sharp, satisfied high-five.

On the other side, Elizabeth stared at the screen with a calm, cold gaze. Her eyes moved from Arthur’s name at rank one down to her own, then back to Arthur.

"Looks like I was right on the money," she said quietly.

She focused again on her own result.

~ RANK #19

Elizabeth Crimson

[ Problem-Solving Accuracy & Intellectual Aptitude: 65.9% ]

[ Points: 65 ]

"Not as bad as I thought," Elizabeth murmured. "I studied for only two days before the exam."

She bit her lower lip.

’But still disgraceful from the perspective of a queen,’ she thought.

Her pride stung. Not even in the top ten—she could accept the number logically, but her heart refused to be satisfied.

Suddenly, a sharp smack echoed beside them.

Julia had brought her hand down hard on Aaron’s head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Aaron yelped, clutching his head.

"How are you smarter than me?" Julia demanded, eyes narrowed.

Aaron’s mouth twitched.

"Maybe because I don’t train like a gorilla warrior," he muttered under his breath.

The second smack landed even harder.

"How is it my fault?" Aaron cried, bending down as he held his head with both hands.

Julia let out a long, frustrated sigh.

"Damn it... I’m not in the top ten," she said, her shoulders dropping as she stared up at the rankings again.

"Alright," Arthur’s voice rang out, cutting through the noise around the rankings. "Five from Evangeline, three from Aaron, five from Elizabeth...and "

He counted on his fingers with an exaggeratedly serious face.

"That makes thirteen million dollars you guys have to pay them," he said.

Aiden, Julia, and Isabella stiffened.

Arthur’s smile deepened.

"And then, for me, twice that amount—you guys bet that, so it makes twenty-six million dollars. The total is thirty-nine million dollars."

He looked straight at the three of them.

"So it’s thirteen million dollars each that you guys have to pay."

He finished with a devilish smile, eyes gleaming as he stared at Aiden, Julia, and Isabella.

"Now cough it up," Arthur said.

A chill ran down their spines at the same time.

Aiden was the first to explode.

"What kind of math is that?! I only bet fifty thousand dollars!" he yelled.

Arthur tilted his head slightly, still smiling.

"It’s my math," he replied. "They bet on me and they won. If they had lost, their money would have gone to you guys, including me paying the same amount you each bet."

Aiden’s breath hitched.

For a brief second, he looked like his soul had left his body.

’I wish I had a money-giving system instead...’ Aiden thought weakly.

Julia swallowed hard, panic creeping into her face.

"I don’t have that much," she said. "Can you please take a little less...?"

Before Arthur could answer, Isabella stepped forward, puffing out her chest as if she were about to go to war.

"Don’t worry, you guys," Isabella said. "That amount is nothing for me."

She pulled out a sleek black card, holding it lightly between two fingers.

Aiden and Julia’s eyes lit up instantly. For a moment, they almost saw her descending from the heavens like an angel.

Arthur’s expression, however, changed in a different way.

He casually took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, is this Aunt Ravina?" he said.

Isabella’s face darkened immediately.

Arthur continued calmly.

"Aunty, your dearest daughter was just about to blow thirty-nine million dollars on a bet," he said.

A sharp voice came from the other side of the call, loud enough that those near Arthur could faintly hear the anger in it.

"Arthur, is that true? Please, do something about this reckless habit of hers," Ravina said. "She doesn’t think twice about reckless spending not knowing the true value of hard earned money. I’ll block her card.."

Arthur smiled.

"Yes, please block it. It’s for her own good. Thanks," he said.

He ended the call.

A second later, Isabella’s phone started ringing. The name on the screen was clear—Ravina Crown.

Isabella answered, and the moment the line connected, Ravina’s voice erupted from the speaker.

"What were you thinking?!" her mother shouted. "Thirty-nine million dollars on a bet?!"

Isabella flinched.

"No, Mother, that’s not— I mean, it’s true but—" she began.

"I’m blocking your card and transferring all your money to Arthur, from now on he will handle your expenses." Ravina cut in. "Maybe then you’ll learn to control your spending."

The call disconnected.

Isabella froze, the phone still pressed to her ear. Tears almost formed in her eyes, and one small drop managed to slip out and fall to the ground. From being the wealthiest one there she had become the poorest one among them all in an instant.

Aiden leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Are you crying, Isabella...?"

"No," she replied quickly. "It’s just sweat coming from my eyes."

"I... see," Aiden said quietly.

Arthur suddenly burst into loud laughter, unable to hold it back anymore.

The rest of the group looked at him in disbelief.

Isabella’s hand moved to her sword. She drew it halfway, eyes blazing.

"You monster... I’ll cut you in half," she said, the same "sweat" forming in her eyes again.

Arthur, still smiling smugly, spoke without fear.

"Do that and you won’t get your allowance for this month," he said.

Isabella’s eyes widened. She froze, then slowly sheathed the sword back into its scabbard.

"I’ll remember this," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing," she replied immediately.

Now, the trio—Aiden, Julia, and Isabella—had all their escape routes cut off. They looked at Arthur nervously, knowing they had no more support left.

Arthur folded his arms and looked down at them.

"Don’t you guys worry," he said. "I’ll pay them in your stead."

Their eyes widened with sudden hope.

"But," Arthur continued, "from now on, that money will be treated as a loan, and you guys will have to pay me interest. Ten percent per month."

He tilted his head slightly.

"What do you guys say?"

The three of them exchanged exhausted looks. There was no strength left to argue.

They looked defeated and simply nodded their heads.

Arthur clapped his hands once, satisfied.

"I really am generous, aren’t I?" he said. "Repeat after me."

"Yes, you are, sir," the three of them said together, their voices flat.

"Perfect," Arthur replied.

Aaron, Elizabeth, and Evangeline watched the entire scene in stunned silence.

Then Evangeline suddenly burst out laughing, holding her stomach.

"You’re unbelievable," she said between laughs.

Before the laughter could fully die down, a loud voice echoed across the hall.

"Impossible! It can’t be!"

The sound cut through the chatter like a blade.

Arthur turned his head toward the source of the voice.

It was Diana Stormborn.

Her eyes were fixed on the rankings, disbelief twisting her expression.

Arthur’s gaze turned cold.

"I just remembered," he said softly, more to himself than anyone else. "I have another debt to settle."

He started walking toward her with calm and unhurried steps, each step slow and steady.