URBAN VILLAIN SYSTEM

Chapter 186: Four Days Left

The celebration inside the Clark Family estate continued deep into the night.

Servants ran between halls carrying expensive wine, elders laughed loudly while discussing future plans, and representatives from countless organizations waited patiently outside the gates hoping to establish some connection with the family that had suddenly become the center of attention.

Only a month ago, many of these same people viewed the Clark Family as a declining giant slowly losing influence among the upper circles. Now the situation had completely reversed.

Thirty World Tree slots were enough to change the destiny of an entire generation, and those thirty slots belonged to Tony Clark.

Inside the ancestral hall, Patriarch Rion sat quietly while several reports floated before him. Every few minutes another message arrived. Business partnerships. Resource exchanges. Strategic alliances. Even ancient families that rarely interacted with outsiders had begun making contact.

The old patriarch looked at the numbers and couldn’t stop smiling. The rise wasn’t limited to prestige alone.

The family’s commercial branches were experiencing explosive growth. Stock values linked to Clark enterprises had surged repeatedly throughout the day, investors were practically throwing money at every project carrying the Clark name, and numerous martial corporations were competing for cooperation agreements.

Yet despite all the excitement, the topic discussed most frequently wasn’t the thirty World Tree slots.

It was Tony himself.

The future patriarch... The Crown Prince of the Clark Family... The greatest surprise of the younger generation.

Several elders still found it difficult to believe. Some of them clearly remembered criticizing Tony only months ago. Others remembered arguing against giving him resources.

One particularly shameless elder even claimed he had always recognized Tony’s potential, a statement that immediately earned ridicule from everyone present because they all remembered him calling Tony a hopeless troublemaker not long ago.

Meanwhile, the person responsible for all this chaos had escaped.

Tony sat alone atop the highest roof within the family compound, staring toward the distant sea-port lights. The cold night wind brushed past his face while the sounds of celebration echoed faintly below. For the first time in days, he finally enjoyed a moment of peace.

Unfortunately, the peace didn’t last.

A familiar golden screen appeared before his eyes.

[Fated Villain System]

The interface glowed softly in the darkness.

Tony’s gaze immediately moved toward the newly acquired rewards.

’Two thousand one hundred Fate Points... Dragon Soul Fragment... World Tree Entrance Map... Tyrant Dragon Physique Second Evolution.’

Each reward possessed tremendous value, yet his attention repeatedly returned to one item.

Dragon Soul Fragment.

The warning from the system spirit still lingered in his mind.

"Don’t absorb that carelessly."

The reaction alone had been strange enough. Throughout their interactions, the little spirit had remained calm even when discussing the World Tree, the Chaotic Life Energy, and the mysterious creator trapped in another world. Yet the moment she saw the Dragon Soul Fragment, genuine fear appeared on her face.

Tony slowly raised his hand.

A golden fragment materialized above his palm.

The object looked like a piece of crystal carved from condensed sunlight. Ancient patterns moved beneath its surface like living creatures, and faint dragon roars occasionally echoed from within.

The moment it appeared, the surrounding spiritual energy became restless.

Tony narrowed his eyes.

Something felt wrong.

The fragment wasn’t releasing power.

It was breathing.

Like a living creature sleeping beneath countless years of dust.

The realization caused a chill to travel down his spine.

At that exact moment, the system spirit appeared beside him so quickly that she nearly crashed into the roof.

Her tiny face immediately turned pale.

"You took it out?"

Tony frowned.

"You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

The spirit didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she stared at the fragment as though it might suddenly explode.

Several seconds passed before she finally spoke.

"Put it away."

Tony raised an eyebrow.

"No."

The spirit nearly choked.

"No?"

Tony shrugged.

"You tell me not to touch it. You tell me not to absorb it. Then you refuse to explain anything. If you want me to listen, start talking."

The little spirit opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Then opened it again.

For once, she seemed genuinely conflicted.

Finally she floated downward and sat cross-legged in midair.

"Do you know what dragons are?"

Tony laughed.

"Big lizards that like treasure."

The spirit rolled her eyes.

"That’s exactly why your civilization is doomed."

Tony grinned.

The spirit ignored him and looked toward the fragment once more.

"True dragons don’t leave inheritances the way humans do. Their memories, bloodlines, and souls are intertwined. When a dragon reaches a certain level, even a tiny fragment can preserve traces of its existence."

Tony’s smile slowly disappeared.

The spirit continued.

"This isn’t simply a treasure."

"It’s a remnant."

Tony looked at the fragment again.

The golden crystal suddenly seemed far more dangerous.

"A remnant of what?"

The spirit hesitated.

Then spoke softly.

"A Dragon Lord."

The night wind suddenly felt colder.

Tony immediately remembered the Dragon Lord transformation he obtained inside the World Tree barrier. The transformation had altered his life energy, strengthened his physique, and changed the very structure of his body. If this fragment truly belonged to a Dragon Lord...

Its value was unimaginable.

The spirit continued.

"The good news is that it’s dead."

Tony relaxed slightly.

"The bad news?"

The spirit looked directly at him.

"Dead doesn’t always mean gone."

The smile disappeared from Tony’s face completely.

Silence settled over the rooftop.

Far below, the sounds of celebration continued.

Far away, the academy remained brightly illuminated.

The world looked peaceful.

Yet Tony suddenly felt as though he had touched something ancient.

Something dangerous.

Something connected to secrets far older than the World Tree itself.

The spirit eventually pointed toward another reward floating inside the system interface.

The incomplete World Tree Entrance Map.

"Forget the Dragon Soul Fragment for now. That’s not your immediate problem."

Tony followed her gaze.

"The map?"

The spirit nodded.

"The World Tree is changing."

That answer immediately caught his attention.

"What do you mean?"

"The first time you entered, you only disturbed the outer layer. The structure remained stable. But after absorbing Chaotic Life Energy and triggering the Dragon Lord transformation, some things inside started waking up earlier than expected."

Tony’s expression became serious.

"Waking up?"

The spirit slowly nodded.

Then she looked toward the distant horizon where the Pacific Ocean lay hidden beyond mountains and cities.

"The World Tree Blessing wasn’t supposed to open for another thirteen days."

Tony understood instantly.

Now only four days remained. The accelerated blooming... The spreading cracks... The strange warnings.

Everything connected together.

The spirit’s next words made the situation even more unsettling.

"When the World Tree opens, the geniuses entering it won’t be the only ones competing for opportunities."

Tony frowned.

"What else will be inside?"

The spirit stared toward the darkness.

For the first time since meeting her, a trace of fear appeared in her voice.

"Things that should still be sleeping... The guardian spirits!" fгeewebnovёl.com

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