A Villain's Will to Survive-Chapter 213: One Step (2)

Epherene walked down the passage, its walls shimmering with mana stones and crystals, having no way of knowing when it was built or for what purpose—only that it stretched deep into the unknown.

“Haah... Haah...”

The deeper she went, the more labored her breathing became. The mana was too thick, pressing against her lungs, and her heightened sensitivity only made it worse. Sweat clung to her skin as she pushed forward, one careful step at a time—until, suddenly, her foot touched something slick and wet on the cold, shadowed floor.

“... What is this?” Epherene muttered.

Epherene released her mana, casting a pale blue glow into the darkness, revealing a slick trail of crimson smeared across the cold stone floor.

“... Is it blood?”

It was not just a deep red stain—it was real blood. Epherene stared blankly, tracing the slick trail. At the heart of the underground chamber, a lone chair rested in silence, and as her eyes settled upon it, her eyes slowly widened.

“Professor...?”

Deculein sat in the chair as if he were reading a book, yet the blood pooled across the floor made it clear—something was undeniably wrong, for he would never allow his domain to fall into such disorder.

Gulp—

Epherene swallowed hard and hesitantly approached. At first, only his back was visible, but as she stepped around to face him, her heart pounded violently, and her breath caught in her throat.

“... Professor?”

Seated in his chair, Deculein remained still, his eyes shut and his face drained of all color. Beneath his skin, deep blue veins strained against the surface, stretched tight as if they might burst at any moment.

“Ah...”

Without hesitation, Epherene extended her hand, placing her fingers against Deculein’s neck to feel for a pulse—unsure if warmth still remained in his body.

— Will you not avenge me?

Epherene’s chest quaked as a deep voice resonated from within her heart. Then, as if something had snapped inside her, her body went limp, collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut, her vision blurred, swallowed by a ghostly blue glow. Mana coursed through her fingers, and a blade of light flared sharp from her nails.

And as it brushed against Deculein’s neck, leaving the faintest scratch...

Buzzzzzzzzzz—!

The Wood Steel trembled with an intense vibration, snapping Epherene back to her senses as the haze clouding her vision and her lost consciousness realigned.

“... Oh, Professor!”

Unaware of what she had just done, what she had almost done, or even the strange phenomenon that had occurred within her, Epherene placed a hand on Deculein’s shoulder.

“Prof—”

“Epherene,” Deculein called.

"Oh, you scared me!"

Deculein’s eyes fell upon Epherene, his deep blue eyes veiled in haze yet tranquil, like the quiet depths of an undisturbed sea.

Epherene took a step back, clasping her hands together and asked, “... Professor, are you alright?”

A quiet trace of sympathy colored Epherene’s voice, and a strange emotion swirled through her mind like a veil of mist. Epherene had long known how Deculein’s life would come to an end, yet witnessing his slow decline before her eyes felt oddly lonesome—achingly sorrowful.

Deculein looked toward Epherene in silence.

"I apologize, I really needed to sleep... Oh, but what is that? It looked like a beast's blood. Have you been researching chimeras down here...?" Epherene said, trying to brush past the moment.

At the very least, she didn’t want to embarrass him by making it known that she had seen him in this condition.

“... Professor?”

Even so, Deculein remained silent for a long while.

Is he in a condition where he can't even speak? Is his illness really that serious, or...

“Epherene,” Deculein called.

“... Yes, Professor?” Epherene replied.

Deculein fell silent once more, his eyes unusually heavy with fatigue as he stared at her, as if searching for something—seeing straight through her. Then, without a word, he slowly shook his head.

"Forget it."

"I’ll take care of this," Epherene said, biting her lip as she avoided his eyes, gesturing toward the blood pooled on the floor.

With a single glance, casting Ignition Sight, an advanced spell, Epherene instantly evaporated every drop of blood on the floor. Then, scratching the back of her neck, she turned back to Deculein.

“It’s all... cleaned up.”

The moment she turned back, Deculein’s eyes were closed once more. As she carefully inched closer, she caught the faintest sound of his breathing reaching her ears—meaning that he wasn’t dead, but merely asleep.

"Phew," Epherene murmured, shrugging off her robe and spreading it over the floor before plopping down beside Deculein.

As her breath steadied and her body adapted to the thick mana, Epherene lay back on her robe, seeking a brief moment of rest after a sleepless night—until her eyes returned to Deculein. As she looked at him, the present and future blurred together in her mind—his inevitable death.

A year ago, I would have called it karma. I might have even laughed, clapping at the sight of him like this, Epherene thought.

“Sigh...”

However, now, for some reason, her chest felt tight, sighs slipping free as a faint frown lingered on her face. Yet, it wasn’t hers to blame—nor was it Deculein’s.

“... Good night, Professor," Epherene whispered the words that felt most fitting in the moment—the ones she wished to say to Deculein, knowing he would never hear them.

***

I opened my eyes to the same unbroken darkness, untouched by even the faintest glimmer of light. From below, Epherene’s snores reached my ears, pulling my eyes toward her.

Snore... Snore...

It seemed she had tossed and turned in her sleep—Epherene’s hair was a tangled mess, her robe, once laid out like a sheet, had been flung far away, and she now lay sprawled sideways on the hard floor.

If she was just going to sleep like that, what was the point of laying her robe down on the floor in the first place? I thought.

I watched her, sprawled out like some wild animal, as my thoughts wandered back to the sudden current in the air from last night.

“... Death variable,” I muttered.

Epherene had, without a doubt, intended to kill me, and for a brief moment, she unleashed an overwhelming death variable. It was unlike any threat I had ever encountered—dozens of times more potent, more certain. Even now, that death variable remained within her, the power to end me, just waiting for the right moment.

But this was something I had long come to terms with. If I had feared retribution, I would have never kept her by my side. Deculein had wronged both this child and her father, and her resentment would likely never fade.

"Get it... kill it...” Epherene mumbled in her sleep.

It must have been a dream of some significance that she was having, I thought, shaking my head.

"It doesn’t matter. Even if you defeat me one day... Roahawk... come here, you round little thing..."

I took a moment to assess my condition.

[Completed: Mana Quality Enhancement (Level 3)]

The effects of Mana Quality Enhancement were undeniable. My mana channels felt clearer, and the energy coursed through them with newfound speed. If before they had been simple wires, now they were fiber optics—faster, sharper, and infinitely more refined.

Of course, since it had been a rushed reconstruction, the pain had yet to fade. Each time I activated my mana, searing ache flared—splintering my bones, setting fire to my insides. But this was a pain I could bear.

“... Let’s see,” I muttered.

Next, I assessed my magic’s output. Starting with the simplest spell—Telekinesis—I extended my hand toward the crystalline wall of mana stones before me.

Hummmmm...

A shimmering mirage rippled in my grasp, distorting the very air around it. This was no ordinary Telekinesis—it was a force of an entirely different scale. The power radiating from it was overwhelming, so much so that even I, who had wielded Telekinesis as naturally as breathing, found it difficult to control.

Crack—!

A chunk of the wall tore free and landed in my grasp. I blinked at the blue fragments, then at the jagged gash left behind, before looking back at the shards once more. The finest crystals and mana stones were known for their formidable resistance to magic—yet they had crumbled as if crushed beneath a titan’s grip.

“Ah! What was that?!” Epherene yelped, jolting upright. “W-Who’s there?!”

Epherene, her eyes barely open from the crust of sleep, blinked drowsily as she glanced around the room.

“... Get up,” I commanded.

That same pathetic look remained on her face, but a quiet question began to creep into my mind.

Was the Epherene I saw last night really Epherene? I thought.

"Epherene, who permitted you to come here?"

“... But, Professor, you always tell me to come to you when I need to sleep—”

"Clean the sleep from your eyes."

“Oh,” Epherene muttered, casting Cleanse to wipe her face. “You always told me to come to you whenever I needed sleep—”

“We’re leaving,” I said as I stepped out of the cave with Epherene.

“Yawwwwn...”

Epherene walked beside me, the same as ever. Just as oblivious, just as tired—yawning with her mouth stretched wide, looking all the more pathetic.

“Oh? It’s raining,” Epherene muttered.

Drip— Plop,plop—

As we stepped into the garden, just as Epherene had said, rain was falling over the capital. The morning light had yet to fully break through the night, carrying the damp scent of rain-soaked air. Raindrops drummed against the earth, always stirring the fragrance of the land, and today, the garden was rich with the scent of flowers, grass, and damp soil.

“Hmm~”

Epherene closed her eyes and raised her face to the sky, letting the rain kiss over her skin. As the air filled with the rich scent of damp earth and blooming flowers, a faint, wistful smile crossed her lips.

"Epherene," I called, addressing the same foolish girl.

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"Yes?" Epherene replied, turning to me with wide eyes. "What is it, Professor?"

I looked into her eyes—clear, unclouded, and impossible to hide behind. The Epherene I knew was incapable of lying, as she was as foolish as she was honest, a girl whose expressions and words always reflected the truth. That was why the Epherene I had seen last night was a mystery I could not ignore.

“... I will ask you one thing.”

“Hmm?” Epherene muttered, blinking and tilting her head in confusion.

"How much do you despise me?" I asked, without hesitating or circling around the words.

I was not questioning her hatred—I had already accepted that; I was asking about its depth.

Epherene’s eyes trembled slightly, and she hesitated, rubbing her shoulder as she lightly ran her tongue over her lips.

“Oh... Umm...”

Epherene opened and closed her mouth a few times before lowering her head, clicking her thumbnails together as a quiet sigh escaped her lips.

Tap— Tap, tap—

Cold raindrops landed on Epherene’s shoulder, breaking into tiny rivulets.

“... Can I ask first?” Epherene asked after a brief hesitation.

"Go ahead."

Epherene raised her head, her hesitant words falling in time with the pattering rhythm of the rain.

“... Professor, do you hate me?”

Epherene wasn’t asking about the depth of it—only if it existed at all. I looked down at her in silence without any emotion. That was my answer.

“No,” I replied.

I neither despised nor favored her. Emotions, for Deculein, were never so simple. Love belonged to Julie, respect to the Empress, and disdain for demons. The emotions Kim Woo-Jin held for his younger sibling were reserved for Yeriel, while contempt and disgust were directed at the filthy and corrupt. Somewhere between them all, there was little room left for Epherene.

"You are not even worth that, as you are now."

However, Epherene didn’t seem to understand the meaning. For someone like her, a clear answer was necessary.

"I do not despise you," I concluded.

For a moment, Epherene’s body trembled as she looked up at me with a strange expression, her lips curled into a faint smile, yet her eyes threatened to spill over with tears.

“... W-Well then! I’ll be going now—!” Epherene shouted before bolting straight through the garden, running without so much as a glance back.

I watched her fade into the distance, flitting away like a moth, and my brow knit on its own.

Why does she take her answer and run? Is it just the nature of a pseudo-aristocrat? I thought.

"You are still in need of proper education..." I muttered with a sigh, walking through the garden.

***

Three days later, in the Imperial Palace of the capital.

“... Your Majesty, are you referring to the university’s entrance ceremony?” asked Maid Ahan in surprise.

“Indeed,” Sophien replied, nodding.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, for my lacking understanding, but... you do not mean to merely attend the entrance ceremony, but to—”

“I will enroll at the university myself and sit through the lectures—experience these so-called lessons firsthand.”

Ahan’s mouth fell open. This was nothing like the Sophien she had always heard of—one notorious for her lethargy, ennui, sloth, and distaste for anything troublesome.

"Why the shock? Even the late Emperor once walked the halls of a university, hiding his identity to live among his people and see their world for himself," Sophien said.

"Yes, that is indeed the case... but Your Majesty has already ascended the throne—"

"It matters not. If I decide to do something, then it shall be done."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ahan replied.

Ahan never questioned further but placed her forehead against her hands, bowing in quiet obedience.

Quite pleasing. Not as much as Deculein, who never once questions my words, Sophien thought.

"And where might Deculein be now?" Sophien asked, a faint smile playing on her lips as she rested her chin on her hand.

"The Professor is currently in Vahalla, Your Majesty."

“Vahalla.”

"Yes, Your Majesty. From what the rumors say... it is rather gruesome."

“Gruesome?”

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ahan said as she retrieved the report she had received from the officials just before arriving at the Imperial Palace.

Knowing that Ahan had recently gained Sophien’s favor, the officials had conveniently pushed the task of delivering the report onto her instead.

“They reported that the Scarletborn resistance... were decimated in an explosion, Your Majesty.”

"Decimated in an explosion?" Sophien muttered, furrowing her brow as she snatched the report from the maid.

Shuffle—

“... Hah. Just how deep does his hatred for the Scarletborn run?” Sophien muttered with a faint chuckle, turning the page.

It was, in the truest sense, death by explosion. The photographs showed bodies so ruined they barely resembled humans—flesh and muscle torn apart, entrails pulverized beyond recognition. It was as if they had detonated from within, leaving nothing but wreckage.

"As Your Majesty’s loyal servant... the professor detests what you detest and cherishes what you cherish. Furthermore, during his time in Berhert, he once defended the Scarletborn—only for their people to betray that trust and left him no choice but to—"

"You know quite a lot," Sophien remarked, a hint of surprise flickering across her face as Ahan recited the details.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I am doing my best to study and understand."

"That’s enough. The Professor will handle Vahalla on his own. You, on the other hand, prepare for an identity."

"If you mean by an identity, Your Majesty...”

"Since I cannot use my true identity, and if I leave it to the officials, word will spread like wildfire, you will secure a suitable identity for my university enrollment."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will see it done..."

Determined to carry out the Empress’s first direct command to perfection, Ahan lowered her head in quiet reverence.

***

... The battlefield of Vahalla, where the Empress’s First Elite Guard had arrived, reeked of blood. The sky bled red into the earth, and war had swallowed the land whole.

"Tch," I muttered, clicking my tongue, stripping off my leather gloves and tossing them to the ground like discarded trash. "Blood got on them."

Droplets of blood stained the surface of my gloves—a consequence of my Telekinesis growing stronger while my body had yet to adjust to the mana. The fine control I once had, shielding myself from the bloodshed of battle, had now become much more difficult to maintain.

“... Of all things, you're concerned about a little blood on your gloves?" Ihelm said, clearly in disbelief.

I turned to him, finding Ihelm staring at me in stunned disbelief, while the knights watched me in tense silence. The Scarletborn prisoners trembled, some even soiling themselves in fear.

"Blechhh—!"

Not far away, a knight gagged, his stomach twisting at the sight. No doubt, the numerous number of corpses strewn across the field was enough to shake even the hardened.

“There doesn’t seem to be any issue,” I replied.

The moment we set foot in Vahalla, the Scarletborn—mere fanatical pawns of the Altar—launched a sudden attack. I struck back without hesitation, and by the time it was over, nearly all of them lay dead.

"But to reduce them to this... isn't that a bit too far?"

Perhaps it was the brutality of it all that was the issue—even Ihelm twisted his face in disgust and shook his head.

"... This wasn’t exactly how I wanted it to be."

To be precise, I had failed to control my strength and lacked the precision required to handle the Wood Steel. As a result, I had no choice but to rely on Telekinesis. Yet, to those unfortunate enough to face me, it must have felt as though their bodies were nothing more than brittle shells, bursting apart like overstuffed fireworks.

"Their deaths were long overdue. Let this serve as a reminder for those who remain," I added.

"A reminder... Alright, have it your way~ I’ll go along with my partner’s call." Ihelm said, shrugging.

I glanced back at the knights, and the moment our eyes met, they straightened like tempered steel as I issued the command, "Advance."

“Yes, sir!”

As we advanced toward the heart of Vahalla, a fleeting glance brushed past me—there and gone in an instant, yet somehow I knew exactly who it belonged to. Having spent so many years together, I could sense it without a thought. Allen—no, Ellie—was here.