Mystica: Reincarnated Into A Novel As A Villain With 3x Reward System
Chapter 36: Celestial Couples

Chapter 36: Celestial Couples

Jaxyn fell to the ground, barely conscious, his body battered and burned, no longer able to stand.

Stunned by what they had seen, the audience went silent for a moment before bursting into a chorus of whispers and applause.

The commentator’s voice finally broke through—"WOW! I didn’t even get a chance to do my commentary! What kind of insane battle was that?! Lioren Varkhali wins!"

Jaxyn sat on the chamber’s bench with his head down and his hands balled into fists.

He wasn’t angry—just disappointed.

He had fought with everything he had, but in the end, he couldn’t match Lioren.

Meanwhile, Arvian’s Rotten Heart pulsed with excitement, as if something it desired was finally falling into place.

After a short break, the next match was announced.

"Astrea Nyxbourne vs. Rhaizen Velmire!"

Astrea stepped into the arena, her golden cloak swaying as she gazed at her opponent—a tall student wielding twin greatswords.

The referee raised his hand.

"BEGIN!"

With frightful speed, Rhaizen charged, swinging both enormous blades, but Astrea hardly moved, her eyes glowing dimly.

Then, in an instant—she was gone.

Rhaizen’s blades slashed through empty air, and before he could react—

SHING!

A thin golden line cut through the air behind him.

His weapons shattered.

A deep gash appeared on his chest.

Astrea stood behind him, her massive, ethereal scythe—Celestial Reaper—gleaming with golden energy.

Rhaizen gasped, staggering, but his body wouldn’t move.

Celestial chains wrapped around him, locking him in place.

Astrea’s voice was calm.

"You’ve lost."

And then—BOOM!

A radiant explosion of celestial energy sent Rhaizen flying out of the ring, slamming into the stadium barrier.

The crowd roared.

The commentator’s voice echoed through the arena—"WHAT A TERRIFYING DISPLAY! ASTREA NYXBOURNE WINS IN SECONDS!"

Likewise, Arvian dominated his match, securing his spot among the top 10.

One by one, the other matches unfolded, each showcasing incredible skill and power.

When the dust settled, the final 10 students stood together in the arena—victors of the tournament.

The commentator’s voice echoed through the stadium—

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! THE TEN STRONGEST STUDENTS WHO WILL REPRESENT OUR ACADEMY IN THE UPCOMING INTER-ACADEMY TRAINING TOUR!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as the selected students—Arvian, Lioren, Astrea, and seven others—stood tall, ready for the journey ahead.

After the tournament ended and the chosen students for the inter-training war program were announced, the academy was filled with a heavy silence. Most students who weren’t selected were disheartened, including Jaxyn. But Arvian felt nothing about Jaxyn’s disappointment—whether Jaxyn was chosen or not didn’t matter to him anymore. He had a new heart now. A rotten, dark heart.

Evening arrived, and the ten selected students were instructed to remain in the academy. Their journey would begin early the next morning.

Arvian and Astrea sat among tall shelves of antiquated books in the academy’s enormous library. With its will against his own, Arvian’s tainted heart pushed him on. He had no choice but to endure it. He would have to deal with something much worse—something he could not afford—if he resisted.

Controlled by this rotten heart , Arvian ran his fingers along the spines of the books, pulling them out one by one, flipping through their pages as if searching for something only the heart knew. Sitting close by, Astrea watched him carefully, absorbed in thought.

Her eyes never left his as she watched his every move, her thoughts absorbed in quiet reflection.

The Story of Celestial Couples was the book that Arvian’s fingers finally stopped on. His heart, still under control, forced him to take it off the shelf without thinking.

Holding it up, he turned to Astrea and said, "Hey... Astrea, have you ever read this book? Or maybe heard the story from your parents or grandparents?"

Astrea’s eyes went wide with surprise. Without thinking, she responded, "This book... Yes, my parents told me about it. I remember seeing the same book at home. They told me I should only read it when I will be old enough ... and when I will be with my partner. They said it’s the most important tradition in our bloodline."

Arvian gave a tiny, unintelligible laugh—actually the rotten heart, "Huh... Well then, looks like today is the day the most important thing for you... is about to happen."

Astrea and Arvian approached the window and pushed it open, allowing the library to be filled with the brilliant moonlight.

The room was filled with a silver glow that gave the dust-flecked air and innumerable bookshelves an almost mystical appearance.

However, neither of them focused on the stunning view outside for very long.

Arvian sat down on a chair, while Astrea perched on the table in front of him, holding the book in her hands.

"You read it out loud," Arvian said calmly. "I’ll listen."

After some hesitancy, Astrea opened the book. Her feelings changed as she read; at times, her eyes widened in surprise, at other times, her cheeks flushed, and at other times, she paused, obviously embarrassed by what she was reading.

The story told of a woman from the Nyxbourne bloodline and a man from a lesser-known lineage. Despite their differences, they fell deeply in love. The woman had awakened her bloodline’s power—The Celestial Reaper’s Gift.

They eventually got married, and following their union, they experienced intensely romantic moments. On a mountaintop beneath the open sky, their love peaked. An unexpected phenomenon happened when their bodies entwined: a radiant aura of glowing energy surrounded them.

This was the Bloodline of the Celestial Reapers’ secret power. If someone outside the bloodline formed a deep bond—whether man or woman—with a Celestial Reaper, they, too, could awaken a higher rank within the bloodline. This transformation would make both partners true Celestial Reapers, granting them immense power beyond their original limits.

Astrea’s face turned bright red as she read further. Her heart pounded, and without thinking, she snapped the book shut, quickly turning away, unable to continue.

Deep inside, Arvian struggled to control himself. It felt as if an invisible chain was tightly bound around his lips, keeping his true emotions locked away. But even with that restraint, he was shocked and confused. The more he thought about it, the more he realized—everything was being controlled by the rotten heart.

Yet, there was no point in regret. This was the result of his own choices. If he had completed that first mission from the system, he wouldn’t have been given the inhuman missions.

He would not have gotten this rotten, cursed heart in the first place if he had completed those.

"..."

Astrea mumbled...