A Villain's Will to Survive-Chapter 201: Edge of Winter (4)

With the density of demonic energy in the air significantly thinned and the southern advance losing momentum, it was uncertain whether this was merely a temporary lull or the successful end of the battle. Either way, those who had fought on the battlefield had now surrendered themselves to a well-deserved rest.

“Phew!”

Thud—!

"That makes thirty thousand!" Ria declared, clapping the dust from her hands as the Saberoth—a bipedal demonic beast with fangs jutting past its lips—collapsed like a felled tree.

That makes it exactly thirty thousand, Ria thought.

Just as Ria nodded in satisfaction...

"Ria! I think I’ve gotten way stronger than before!" Leo shouted excitedly beside her.

Then again, they had never faced such intense combat with such an overwhelming number of enemies before. One day, this experience would shape them into something far greater.

"Leo, you should handle the cleanup here and make sure to help the injured knights too!"

“Where are you going, Ria?”

Ria stood in silence, looking toward the distant forest.

The Forest of the Land of Destruction was thick with demonic energy; however, the more she traveled the world and braved danger, the stronger her Adventurer attribute became—making it the perfect ground for gaining experience.

"Wait here! I’m gonna check out that forest real quick! I’ve got a feeling about it!" Ria said.

Driven by a sudden instinct and her instinctive senses, Ria sprinted toward the forest where the mana disturbance had just taken place.

Swish— Swish, snap—

Ria sprang forward, darting through the forest with the agility of a squirrel, her feet barely touching the branches. But then, a sudden question surfaced in her mind.

“... Umm, what?”

Ria had already cloaked herself in a Defensive Mana Barrier, yet not a single demonic beast stirred—not even the ant-like creatures that usually skittered across the forest floor.

"Is it really over?" Ria mumbled, kicking a small stone along the ground with a hint of disappointment.

Tap— Tap— Rattle—

Just as Ria took a few steps forward, following the rolling stone...

“Huh?”

A stream of dark crimson liquid trickled down the slope, winding its way like a small brook until it reached her feet.

"It's demonic beast blood," Ria murmured, her eyes widening.

Ria immediately sprinted after the trail, and before she had climbed far, a faint silhouette came into view.

“Who is that...”

Ria blinked, stepping closer as she climbed the slope, reaching the gentle peak of the mountain.

For a moment, she was speechless as she saw the stench of blood cling to the heart of the Forest of the Land of Destruction, with the ground littered with the mangled corpses of demonic beasts. Yet, beyond the slaughter, a man stood alone in the ruin, and Ria’s eyes widened.

“Deculein...”

In the middle of the blood-drenched carnage and scattered corpses, Deculein stood undisturbed, his robe and the suit beneath untouched, as if by time itself, not a single speck of dust upon them. With his eyes closed, he remained the very picture of composure.

However, the violet veins pulsing beneath his pale skin told a different story—his body was deep in the throes of Overload. Like an overstrained container, the excess demonic energy consumed him, resembling a grotesque and bloated flying entity through the skies from a distant galactic war.

"Professor? Professor," Ria called as she stepped closer, tugging at the hem of his robe and tilted her neck to look up at him—he was well over six foot three, making her neck ache. "Professor, are you okay? Professor?"

After a few more shakes, Deculein finally opened his eyes. The moment Ria met those blue depths, a sudden weight pressed down on her chest, robbing her of breath.

"... Are you okay?" Ria asked, swallowing hard as she looked up at him.

Deculein said nothing, his eyes deep and unreadable as they rested upon her, yet somehow, Ria felt the weight of unspoken words within those eyes.

"... You," Deculein said at last, finally acknowledging her.

"Yes?" Ria replied with an easy smile.

For a moment, the slightest shiver rippled through his pupils—barely perceptible, yet clear, like the first drop of rain disturbing the stillness of a frozen lake.

"... I cannot bring myself to like you."

The way Deculein murmured his words was cold, yet for some reason, it carried a quiet loneliness. Like a giant tree with deep roots standing unshaken against the harshest winds, its isolation only felt more sorrowful.

"Why? I didn’t do anything wrong."

At that moment, Deculein reached out his hand, and Ria flinched, squeezing her eyes shut so tightly that her lashes trembled. But nothing happened, and cautiously, she cracked her eyes open, only to find his hand still reaching toward her.

"You remind me of someone I once knew," Deculein said, his breath barely a sigh as he lowered his hand.

Those words of Deculein struck Ria like a sudden spark in her heart.

"... Who?" Ria asked, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Deculein’s head tilted slightly, his eyes looking past her as if searching for the shadow of someone long gone.

"Someone who remains in my heart,” Deculein muttered.

Ria lowered her head, a strange sense of guilt pricking at her heart like a whisper of thorns, as the words, heavy with emotions that refused to fade and memories that would not be forgotten, settled within her.

Is it because of the settings I added long ago without much thought that they now weigh so heavily on Deculein? Ria thought.

“No, perhaps...”

Then, Deculein’s voice stirred her thoughts once more, pulling Ria’s eyes upward, where his eyes met hers.

“I am the one who has been left behind.”

Deculein let out a low, bitter chuckle—whether it was a smile or quiet resignation, Ria couldn’t tell. For a moment, her mind went blank.

“Unable to let go, I have held onto bitterness.”

Deculein's eyes mellowed as he looked toward her, a faint smile ghosting at the corner of his lips. Ria felt a tremor in her heart as a distant memory surfaced—of a man she had left behind in another world, in another time. Emotion welled up within her as well; she missed him—the one she had always loved.

“... Come to hate someone who never deserved my hatred," Deculein concluded.

But Ria quickly gathered herself since Deculein was not Kim Woo-Jin, just as the person in his memories was not Yoo Ah-Ra.

"... I don’t understand what you mean," Ria replied.

At those words, Deculein let out a quiet breath.

Ria grabbed his arm and added, “Let’s go, Professor. You’re not in a good condition to stay here—”

“... Go,” Deculein said, pushing her back.

“Huh?”

"There is still—”

"There is still one remaining."

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The response did not belong to Deculein. When Ria turned toward it, she found Knight Yulie standing there.

"... My apologies. I did not mean to overhear," Yulie said, lowering her head as she drew her sword, its tip pointing toward what lay ahead.

Ria followed the tip of Yulie’s sword and turned—only to find a grotesque creature lurking in the distance, one she had no idea had appeared. Its form was monstrous—little more than a mass of writhing flesh, its bloated belly swelling further with every passing moment.

“... Scavenger,” Ria murmured.

Ria recognized the creature instantly. The Scavenger was a demon that fed on the corpses of demonic beasts. Though it was the lowest of its kind, crawling beneath the earth like a worm, its power was anything but insignificant. Designed as a deadly trap within the game, it could bring instant death to any player who let their guard down.

Beginning no larger than a worm, the Scavenger needed only ten seconds to absorb corpses and trigger its detonation, an explosion that, to a player, would seem to appear out of nowhere.

"Knight Yulie! We have to run!" Ria shouted.

"Yes, I am aware," Yulie replied, moving like the wind as she hoisted Deculein onto her back.

Even in that brief moment, the Scavenger's body swelled to the point of explosion, and in just three seconds, it had expanded enough to fill the entire mountaintop.

Pat, pat, pat, pat—

With Deculein on her back, Yulie bolted forward, Ria keeping pace beside her as they raced away from the Scavenger.

“Eek!”

But the explosion seemed inevitable, and just as Ria glanced back and released the mana to dismantle...

The Scavenger's body detonated.

Shlick—! Shluuuuuurp—!

Chunks of flesh and a maelstrom of demonic energy burst outward, swallowing Ria’s mana as they came crashing down upon them...

***

... I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Epherene’s chubby face, her features filling my vision while stray strands of her hair brushed against my skin.

"Oh! Professor, you're awake! Alright, let's see... your eyes seem to be responding fine—"

"Have you lost your mind?" I muttered, pushing her hand away as she shoved a light right into my eyes.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" Epherene yelped, flailing as she tumbled backward.

I got to my feet and assessed my condition—mana exhaustion, demonic energy overuse, and mana circuit overload—three rather serious impairments. Aside from those, there were no other major issues.

"... What happened to the southern advance?" I asked.

However, I had neglected my duty. Judging by the fact that she was still alive and well, it was clear that nothing catastrophic had occurred.

"What do you mean, what happened? It’s only been three hours," Epherene muttered as she got to her feet, brushing off her clothes with a few pats before shaking her head.

Epherene added, "But it looks like it’ll be over soon. The number of demonic beasts has dropped a lot—most of them can be taken down with the crossbows now. I heard those things were great. Apparently, they’ve been more effective than most spells."

Without a word, I straightened my clothes, using Cleanse to smooth out the wrinkles and brushing away the dust.

"But..." Epherene mumbled, hesitating.

I turned toward her in silence, waiting for her to continue.

“... Umm.”

Epherene stole a few glances my way, hesitant to speak. If this had been in the past, she would have hesitated dozens of times, but lately, she had learned when to stop before I could grow impatient.

"Knight Yulie has been laid up," Epherene said.

"The reason?" I asked as I brushed the fabric of my sleeve, concealing any signs of concern.

"... While protecting you, Professor."

Click—

“That woman always concerns herself with unnecessary matters," I said, fastening the buttons of my sleeve before slipping on my coat, a slight furrow forming between my brows.

Epherene lowered her head, scratching the back of her neck, and said, "Knight Yulie is in the infirmary now. If you’re planning to visit her—"

"There is still much that needs to be done."

“But—”

"Not only is she," I said, "but there are many knights who did not make it back alive."

***

Recordak's infirmary was well-equipped with advanced medical facilities and a rich supply of medicinal herbs.

"... It doesn’t look too serious, does it?" Gwen mumbled, chewing on her fingernail.

Not only Gwen, but also Raphel, Sirio, Delic, and many other knights stood by the bedside, watching over the unconscious woman. Yulie’s veins pulsed with a violet hue—the aftermath of being caught in the Scavenger’s explosion. Without a gas mask, she had borne the full brunt of the demonic energy blast.

"She'll be fine... we can only hope she’ll recover," Sirio said, though even he, ever the optimist, sounded uncertain. "At least the demonic energy hasn’t reached her core, right?"

Deculein will soon be recovered, but Yulie... her core was already damaged, Gwen thought.

At that moment...

Bang—!

"Unbelievable! It’s really pissing me off! Fuck!" Reylie yelled, bursting into the infirmary, fuming, the door nearly slamming off its hinges.

The knights all turned to Reylie with wide eyes, startled by her harsh curse words.

"What's with you all of a sudden? Did something happen?" Gwen asked.

"No, listen! I just met Deculein—well, I didn’t exactly talk to him, but I saw him from a distance—and he’s perfectly fine! Completely fine! So, I thought I’d bring him here, but do you know what he said about Knight Yulie?"

Stomping her feet and panting in frustration, Reylie continued, “He said it was unnecessary! Said he wasn’t even worried about her! That there were plenty of other knights who died, not just Knight Yulie! But she’s the one who saved him this time too! She carried him all the way back—he wouldn’t even be alive if not for her!”

At Reylie’s words, a heavy silence fell over the knights. As the southern advance neared its end, Deculein had been caught in the Scavenger’s sudden explosion of demonic energy, leaving him in a precarious state. Even Deculein had his limits—had he taken the full force of the blast, the corruption would have surely consumed him.

"... What is Professor Deculein’s condition?" Delic asked, his eyes sweeping over the infirmary, measuring the mood.

"Looked perfectly damn fine to me!" Reylie snapped, glaring daggers at him.

"Hmm. That is good news."

“What did you just say?”

Delic cleared his throat, turned on his heel, and opened the infirmary door and said, “Regardless, the facts remain. Knight Yulie is alive, while many more knights have died. If anything, Professor Deculein has shown nothing but fairness to them all—”

“Oh, just leave already!"

“Ahem.”

Delic and the imperial knights hastily filed out of the room.

Pressing her fingers against her temples, Reylie groaned, "I swear, I could just— If something happens to Knight Yulie because of him—I might as well strap myself to a bomb and take Professor Deculein down with—"

"Do not let anger cloud your judgment."

At that moment, a deep, authoritative voice carried through the window—so distinct and weighted with command that everyone in the infirmary turned toward it.

“... Oh!”

“Oh my!”

“Woah?!”

Everyone flinched in surprise, their eyes widening before instinctively dropping to one knee. Their faces brightened with admiration and relief, and at their varied reactions, the man beyond the window let out a hearty smile.

"It has been some time."

A man whose mere presence commanded the knights' respect—the knight among knights. Zeit, the head of Freyden, known as the King of Winter.

“Knight Zeit!”

As the knights' voices echoed in unison, Zeit pushed open the window and stepped into the infirmary.

"It seems my sister has pushed herself too far again," Zeit murmured, his eyes resting on Yulie, her face pale with exhaustion as she lay in the infirmary bed.

“Oh, so—”

"Then, let’s hear it. Tell me—what exactly happened to my sister?" Zeit said, raising a hand to still Reylie before she could speak, his eyes sweeping over the gathered knights.

At that moment, a triumphant smile spread across Reylie’s face with the glint of vengeance gleaming in her eyes.