CHAPTER 32: NEW WORKSHOP

That evening, Marcus leads me through the deepest parts of the Underground Arena. Past the fighting rings, past the black market, past even the illegal enchanter workshops.

To a door that doesn’t exist on any map.

"Took me three days to set this up properly," Marcus says, pressing his hand against what looks like solid stone. Enchantments flare in unlocking. The wall slides open. "But I think you’ll be impressed."

We step into Ravenna’s new workshop, and I stop.

"Marcus. This is incredible."

It’s not large, maybe twenty feet by thirty but every inch is optimized. One wall holds shelves of books, magical texts that would get someone arrested if found in their dorm.

Another wall has alchemy equipment, beakers, burners, distillation apparatus, all enchanted for precision. The third wall is covered in magical diagrams and research notes. And the fourth....

"Is that a testing chamber?" I ask, pointing at the reinforced glass cube in the corner.

"With full containment wards, yes. She can experiment with dangerous magic without risking the whole arena." Marcus looks proud. "The wards auto-activate if they detect unstable magical formations. And there’s a living space through that door, bed, bath, small kitchen. Everything she needs."

"This must have cost....."

"Isabella fronted the money. Said consider it an investment in our survival." He shrugs. "Hard to argue with that logic."

Ravenna emerges from the living area, and for a moment, I barely recognize her. She looks... lighter. The permanent tension in her shoulders has eased, and her purple eyes are brighter.

"This is mine?" she asks softly, as if still not believing it. "Really mine?"

"Completely yours," I confirm. "Research what you want. Keep the texts. Use the equipment with no restrictions and no judgment, no one looking over your shoulder."

She walks to the bookshelf, fingers trailing over spines. "These texts are forbidden. The academy would expel me just for possessing them."

"Good thing we’re in the Underground then. Different rules down here."

"I could..." She turns to face us. "I could actually do real research. Not the sanitized, approved stuff. Real research into void magic, dark techniques, things that could actually make a difference."

"That’s the idea." I move to the research wall, examining her notes. Complex magical formulas that might as well be gibberish to me. "I have a project in mind, if you’re interested."

"I’m listening."

"Anti-holy magic techniques. Adrian’s greatest advantage is his holy affinity and his SSS-rank power. We can’t match him in raw strength. But if we could disrupt his magic consistently, effectively..."

"That would level the playing field," she finishes, eyes lighting up. "The disruption crystals were just the start. I’ve been thinking about this since the duel. Holy magic operates on principles of order and light. Dark magic on chaos and shadow. They’re natural opposites, but we don’t usually leverage that opposition because most dark mages avoid direct confrontation."

"But if we weren’t avoiding confrontation...."

"Then we could design techniques specifically to counter holy magic. Disruption fields, void barriers, shadow corruption....." She’s talking faster now, excited. "It’s possible. Difficult, dangerous, might explode in my face a few times, but possible."

"How long?"

She considers. "For basic techniques? A month. For reliable, combat-ready magic? Three months. For something truly revolutionary? Six months to a year."

"Start with the basics. We’ll build from there." I glance at Marcus. "Can you help her source materials? Whatever she needs?"

"Already planned on it. I’ve got contacts in the Underground market."

"Good." I turn back to Ravenna. "One more thing. I want you to research protection too. Not just weapons. Do wards, shields, defensive magic. I don’t want to build an arsenal at the cost of safety."

Her expression softens. "You actually care about not getting people killed."

"I care about keeping my people alive. There’s a difference." I pause. "You’re part of this now, Ravenna. Part of the faction."

She’s quiet for a long moment. Then, so softly I almost miss it. "No one’s ever protected me before. My family was supposed to, but... once the accusations started, they abandoned me. I’ve been alone for so long."

"You’re not alone anymore." I meet her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispers. "For this. For believing in me. For... everything."

```

[RAVENNA BLACKTHORN: RECRUITMENT PROGRESS 55% → 70%]

[LOYALTY: Rapidly growing]

[EMOTIONAL BOND: Significant]

[RESEARCH FACILITY: Fully operational]

[DEATH FLAG TIMELINE: Significantly altered]

[NOTE: You’ve changed her fate completely]

```

As we leave her to settle in, Marcus nudges me. "You’re good at this."

"At what?"

"Giving people purpose. Making them feel valued." He grins. "Most villains rule through fear. You rule through actually giving a damn."

"Don’t spread that around. It might ruins my reputation."

"Your reputation as what, exactly? The villain who saves heroes and recruits victims?" He laughs. "That ship sailed at the Spring Festival, my friend."

Maybe it did. But I don’t mind.

☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆

Late that night, alone in my room, I finally let myself relax.

Some flags down. Eight to go.

Each one harder than the last.

The system chimes.

```

[DEATH FLAG #4: OFFICIALLY CLEARED]

[COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION BEGINNING...]

```

The interface expands, showing me side-by-side timelines.

```

[ORIGINAL TIMELINE - DEATH FLAG #4]

YOU: Dead from Shadowbane poison at Spring Festival

- Damian betrays you (manipulated by Adrian)

- Agonizing death in front of hundreds

- Remembered as pathetic bully who died alone

- Faction dissolves immediately

- Resources seized by Adrian

DAMIAN: Executed for murder within a week

- Regrets betrayal too late

- Dies branded as traitor

- No one mourns him

ADRIAN: Hero status enhanced massively

- Victim of villain’s final plot

- Public sympathy at maximum

- Narrative perfect: villain defeated himself

- Gains all your resources and allies

- Path to domination cleared

RAVENNA: Dies alone at Chapter 89

- No one helps her

- Executed for "forbidden magic"

- Adrian gets credit for catching dark mage

- Forgotten within months

COUNCIL OF FATES: Completely satisfied

- Script followed perfectly

- Troublesome villain eliminated on schedule

- Hero’s path cleared of obstacles

- Cycle continues as planned

```

I read it twice, feeling cold. That was supposed to be my fate. Death, disgrace, forgotten.

Then the system shows me the new timeline.

```

[ACTUAL TIMELINE - DEATH FLAG #4]

YOU: Alive and thriving

- Detected assassination in advance

- Saved Adrian’s life (ironic twist)

- Reputation complex but still respected

- Faction stronger than ever

- Gained crucial intelligence about real enemy

DAMIAN: Loyalty at 100%

- Never betrayed you

- Proved trustworthy when tested

- Now truly considers you family

- Will die for you without hesitation

ADRIAN: Indebted and confused

- Owes life to rival

- Forced to acknowledge your competence

- Non-aggression pact formed

- Narrative thoroughly disrupted

- Questioning his own assumptions

RAVENNA: Allied and hopeful

- Rescued early (saved 79 Chapters of suffering)

- Received resources and support

- Research facility established

- Death flag completely avoided

- Loyal and motivated

COUNCIL OF FATES: Extremely frustrated

- Assassination failed

- Both "anomalies" survived

- Script broken beyond repair

- Must reconsider approach

- Now wary of direct confrontation

```

Much better. I watched with eager eyes.

```

[REWARDS CALCULATION]

BASE REWARDS:

- Survival: +2,000 VILLAIN SCORE

- Captured Assassin: +1,000 VS

- Revealed Conspiracy: +2,000 VS

IRONIC BONUSES:

- Saved Enemy’s Life: +1,500 VS

- Enemy Now Owes You: +1,000 VS

RECRUITMENT BONUSES:

- Ravenna Early Recruitment: +1,500 VS

- Damian Loyalty Confirmed: +500 VS

STYLE BONUSES:

- Narrative Subversion: +1,000 VS

- Council Frustration: +1,000 VS

- Dramatic Irony: +500 VS

TOTAL: +11,000 VILLAIN SCORE

[ADDITIONAL REWARDS]

SKILLS UPGRADED:

- Poison Resistance: Rank C → Rank B

(You can now survive most common toxins)

SKILLS UNLOCKED:

- Conspiracy Detection: Rank C

(Spot patterns in seemingly unrelated events)

- Danger Sense: Rank D

(Instinctive warning of immediate threats)

TITLES EARNED:

- "The Hero’s Savior" (Complex reputation)

- "The Unkillable" (Survived impossible odds)

- "Council’s Headache" (Hidden, known only to them)

FACTION IMPROVEMENTS:

- Core Members: 10 → 13

- Average Loyalty: 75% → 82%

- Infrastructure: Basic → Developing

- Resources: Limited → Adequate

```

My Villain Score jumps from 3,500 to 14,500. A massive leap.

But it’s the next notification that makes me sit up straight.

```

[MAJOR MILESTONE: 10,000 VILLAIN SCORE ACHIEVED]

[NEW SYSTEM FEATURES UNLOCKED]

1. VILLAIN NETWORK (Advanced Faction Management)

- Track all members in real-time

- Assign missions remotely

- Monitor loyalty and morale

- Resource allocation optimization

- Communication network management

2. HERO SABOTAGE TRACKER (Enhanced)

- Adrian’s schedule visible

- Destined encounters mapped

- Faction movements tracked

- Opportunities identified

- Threat assessment automated

3. CONSPIRACY WEB (New Feature)

- Connect seemingly unrelated events

- Identify hidden actors

- Track money flows

- Predict enemy movements

- Uncover hidden alliances

[CURRENT STATUS]

Villain Score: 14,500

Villain Quality: MASTERMIND (Confirmed)

Rank: S-Class (Effective, though officially A-Class)

Faction Size: 13 core + 20 associates

Death Flags: 4 of 12 cleared (33%)

Adrian Relationship: Rival (Non-hostile)

Council Awareness: High (Direct attention)

```

A new interface blooms before me, the Villain Network. It shows every faction member as a glowing point, connected by lines of loyalty and communication. I can see Damian in his quarters. Marcus in his workshop (still tinkering). Lucille on a rooftop somewhere. Ravenna in her new workshop (researching, of course). Even Isabella was shown counting money!

Each member has detailed stats:

```

DAMIAN ASHCROFT

Loyalty: 100%

Morale: Excellent

Current Status: On duty (patrol)

Skills: Combat Butler (A), Tactics (B), Administration (B)

Available for: Any mission

Notes: Would die for you. Literally....

```

This is incredible. I can coordinate operations like never before.

The Hero Sabotage Tracker shows Adrian’s schedule for the next week. Classes, training sessions, meetings. But more than that, it highlights "destined encounters" in red.

```

[UPCOMING DESTINED ENCOUNTERS - ADRIAN]

Day 3: Meeting with Merchant Princess (Fate Points: 500)

Day 5: Dungeon rare item discovery (Fate Points: 800)

Day 7: Rescue damsel scenario (Fate Points: 1,000)

[SABOTAGE OPPORTUNITIES]

- Recruit Merchant Princess first

- Reach dungeon item before him

- Solve damsel problem before he arrives

```

This is a roadmap to systematically steal Adrian’s protagonist moments.

Not bad at all.

Now then, time to focus on the next things.