A Villain's Will to Survive-Chapter 205: Proof (1)

Ria and Carlos bolted without hesitation, darting behind a nearby wall as if their lives depended on it.

“... I don’t see him.”

Fortunately, Deculein didn’t give chase—or rather, he had never intended to, which was surprising in itself. Of course, the instant his eyes fell on Carlos, his pupils flared wide, like a ghost. Seeing the Yukline bloodline awaken at the mere sight of a demon was nothing short of terrifying.

“It’s okay, Carlos,” Ria said, patting Carlos’s head.

Just crossing paths with him had drained the color from Carlos’s face, leaving him trembling with fear.

"Let’s see..." Ria muttered, peeking over the wall and scanning the area. Everything looked normal—no one was chasing them. "... Carlos? Let’s go. It should be okay now."

Carlos nodded silently, and the two slipped out like mice, moving quickly. Their destination was the entrance to the Passage, where their party awaited. Glancing around cautiously at their surroundings, they continued until, just as they approached their goal, a voice called out to them.

“Oh, there they are.”

Leo stood alongside Yulie and Sylvia, waiting. Ria, now safely reunited with her party, finally let out a breath of relief.

"What's wrong, Ria? Carlos doesn’t look so good either," Leo asked.

"Did something happen?" Yulie asked.

The two merely shook their heads before turning back to the passage. Its entrance, gaping like the maw of a cavern, remained sealed, yet the space around it bustled with people moving about.

"When will it open?" Ria asked.

“That fool has been standing there, acting important this whole time,” Sylvia grumbled, shooting a glare at a man who seemed to be in charge near the cavernous entrance. “... Should I just kill him?”

Geff, the supervisor of the cavern, sat absorbed in a book, a pipe clenched between his lips, his hair neatly parted down the middle, and his mustache curled slightly upward as he exhaled slow puffs of smoke. In the World of Voice, the key to clearing this place was to reach the deepest point of the concentric circles, and the cavern served as the entryway.

“Umm, I guess it’s not time yet.”

Ria recognized the NPC—he was a named character from the long-extinct species of beastmen. In other words, he was someone who had already died in the real world.

“Hmm,” Geff muttered as he finally got to his feet, tossing aside the book he had been reading and scanning the gathered crowd. "Quite the turnout. What, nearly nine thousand? That’s a hell of a lot."

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"Just open the damn door!" one of the men barked.

"Hold your horses. Let me explain first," Geff replied, eyeing the impatient men with a grin.

Ria carefully scanned the crowd. Though thousands had gathered for the limited spots, one presence was undeniable—Deculein was here, somewhere nearby.

"As y’all know, this Passage leads deeper into this world."

The moment those words left his mouth, a quest notification appeared.

[Independent Quest: Enter the Passage]

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"Of course, you could just barge in without too much thought," Geff continued, tapping his temple with a grin. "But listen here—this place ain't for the faint of heart. If you don’t have the guts, the patience, or the resolve to see it through, well... you might not make it out alive."

“Just open the fucking door, you fucking shit!”

Geff twisted his lips before unfastening the barrier blocking the cavern entrance. The moment it opened, a flood of people rushed in, pouring through like a breaking wave.

“Let’s hurry too!” Ria said, pushing the party into the rushing crowd.

“There seems to be no need to rush,” Yulie said.

“Carry yourself with some dignity,” Sylvia said.

Yulie and Sylvia clearly seemed uncomfortable with the pressing crowd, but Ria, determined to avoid any chance of crossing paths with Deculein, dragged them forward.

***

I walked through the long passage within the cavern, the darkness pressing in around me.

"All we have to do is walk?" Epherene asked.

"Keep walking, and a checkpoint will appear," I replied.

“A checkpoint?”

"It’s a place to rest, like an accommodation."

The cavern followed a spiraling path, winding deeper into the concentric circles. In theory, reaching the center was just a matter of walking—but if it were that simple, it wouldn’t be called a demon’s independent quest.

“But Professor, why did they run off? They left before I could even say hello.”

Ria and Carlos, the half-human, half-demon, had stirred my heart for a moment, but whether it was because the massacre at Rekordak had left me somewhat satisfied, or because the exhaustion had numbed my instincts, I didn't feel any urge to chase after them.

Besides, my wounds had yet to fully heal. Even if I had given chase, with Carlos and Ria working together, they likely would have slipped through my hand.

"It’s just spooky and empty... Do we really not have to run like them?" Epherene asked.

"They'll fall behind soon enough," I replied.

Rushing ahead held no real advantage. This cavern tested one thing above all—pure mental strength. And, if anything, that was Deculein’s greatest strength.

"Keep quiet and follow."

“... Okay.”

Thud, thud— Thud, thud—

Step by step, we continued walking through the darkness.

***

Epherene stepped forward through the dark cavern. Water splashed beneath her feet, rippling through the silence. And so, they simply kept walking.

“Professor, would you like a snack?” Epherene asked, pulling a treat from the bundle she carried and holding it out.

There was no response from Deculein.

Epherene popped one into her mouth and said, "Professor, it’s really good... Are you sure you don’t...?"

Stomp—

Epherene came to a sudden stop. Something was off—or rather, at some point, Deculein had disappeared. The spot ahead, where he should have been, was empty.

“... Professor?”

With Deculein’s strides easily twice, perhaps three times her own, Epherene hurried forward, breaking into a run.

“Professor!”

Epherene ran, calling out, but no response came. The cavern's darkness grew heavier, and sweat trickled down her forehead.

“... Professor.”

As Epherene gasped for breath and muttered to herself, a strange voice crept into her ear.

— ■■■■■.

A distorted, garbled voice crackled like a broken frequency, forcing Epherene to cover her ears. But soon, the noise changed, morphing into a voice she knew all too well.

— Epherene.

As the voice echoed through the air, Epherene's eyes widened, snapping toward its source.

“... Ah.”

There, in front of her, stood her father, Kagan Luna, standing just three steps away.

— Epherene. Deculein killed me.

But blood streamed from his eyes like tears, a noose tightened around his neck, and his face was as pale as a corpse. Epherene tried to step back, but her legs refused to move, her feet frozen in place.

— And yet, you!

The wail of the dead rushed toward Epherene, its chilling breath ruffling her hair, and tears gathered in her eyes.

— What are you doing there?

Those were words that cut through her heart like a blade.

— Will you not avenge me?

Epherene remembered the vow she had once sworn and the determination that had once burned within her.

— The only one thing I ever expected from you.

To avenge her father—to make Deculein pay for torturing him and driving him to his death.

— I wanted you to kill Deculein and avenge me.

However, hearing those very words from her father struck a painful chord deep within her heart.

“Most fathers...” Epherene muttered, holding back the tears that welled up inside her.

To her, her father had been her only shelter. His love, the voice in his letters, and the warmth of his words had given her reason to live—had made her believe she was meant to be.

“... Wouldn’t ask their daughter to take revenge, would they?”

Kagan’s face hardened, his features twisting in fury.

— You...

Decalane once told me that nonsense—that my father never loved me. Was it the truth, or just a cruel ploy to break me? If it was the truth, then what did that make me? I had lived believing in nothing but my father and became a mage for his sake...

“Epherene.”

At that moment, a single word shattered the darkness, and the tension gripping Epherene dissolved in an instant.

“Gasp...!”

Epherene let out the breath she had been holding, her body trembling as if on the verge of tears. A flood of emotions crashed over her—resentment, hatred, fury, and grief—all the feelings her father had just thrown at her.

No... that’s not my father. He can’t be. The father who always told me he loved me, who said he always believed in me...

“Epherene.”

Once again, a voice called her name. Epherene looked up, finding herself met by a pair of blue eyes looking down at her.

"... Pathetic," Deculein said.

Deculein’s eyes held nothing but cold disdain—contempt, disappointment, and scorn, with not a trace of approval to be seen.

"I intended to see if you had the strength to endure."

Epherene wiped the tears pooling in her eyes and pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady her heart’s uncontrollable pounding.

"You remain as pathetic as ever."

"What did you say?" Epherene snapped, her temper flaring as she shot him a sharp glare.

"Did you meet your father?" Deculein inquired.

Epherene stiffened, her lips slightly parted, but no words came out.

"The man I killed?"

Grit—

Epherene clenched her teeth, her cheeks trembling with barely contained anger.

Then, with a look of disdain, Deculein continued, “No matter what he said—or what I say—there is no need for you to falter.”

"Sniffle!" Epherene murmured as she looked up, swallowing her tears.

"That is how a mage, by nature, must be," Deculein said, pressing his staff against her shoulder. "And if you seek to avenge your father, you must at least have the mental strength to withstand this. How do you expect to succeed if you break so easily?"

Tap— Tap— Tap—

Deculein’s staff pressed against her shoulder, but she refused to be pushed back, planting her feet on the ground and gritting her teeth as her glare locked onto him.

“... Do not disappoint me any further.”

At Deculein’s words, Epherene bit her lower lip and nodded, yet an odd feeling welled up inside her. Deculein was the man she hated most in the world, but somehow, he was the one she relied on more than anyone—a mentor she hated but couldn’t help but trust.

"Take hold of it," Deculein commanded.

Epherene didn’t need to ask what he meant, for his staff once again pressed against her shoulder.

"You should be able to withstand the enchantments of this cavern."

If she held onto the staff Deculein offered, if she leaned on him and relied on his strength, the passage ahead would be easier, if only for a moment. But Epherene shook her head and sniffled, refusing the comfort.

“... No,” Epherene said with confidence, clutching her bundle of snacks tightly as she looked up at Deculein. “I can handle this. Whether it’s my father, my grandmother, my grandfather... even my mother—not that I’ve ever seen her.”

Epherene shoved his staff away.

"Whoever it is, let them come."

A brief silence followed before Deculein, without a word or reaction, turned and walked ahead alone. But Epherene saw it—without a doubt, the faint nod of his head and the faintest curl at the corner of his lips.

That Professor... damned mentor of mine. Maybe, just maybe, he felt a sliver of pride in me, Epherene thought.

Epherene pressed on like a soldier marching through the cavern’s depths.

***

“... It is complete. The theoretical proof in the paper has been completely established.”

Beneath Megiseon on the Floating Island, in the underground Chamber of Addicts, hundreds had held on to a certain professor’s thesis. And today, its theoretical proof was finally complete. A heavy silence filled the room as they looked up at the spell scrawled across the blackboard—a masterpiece, hailed as the most elegant and exquisite work of the decades.

“Oh...”

Some addicts gasped in astonishment, others wept in silence, while some, overwhelmed with admiration, fell to their knees.

“... Absolutely remarkable,” Astal, an Addict, murmured in admiration.

"Yes. However, the greatest challenge remains its practical application. This theory, with its myriad interlocking mechanisms, is a masterpiece in concept—but is there a mage bold enough to bring it to life? Even Deculein, its creator, may struggle to bring it to fruition,” said another Addict in admiration.

Astal nodded in agreement. Before them was the Invention of Pure Elements, a thesis penned by Deculein—the head professor of the Mage Tower of the Empire and one of the greatest minds of the era.

"This is an entirely new realm of magic, one that only a few will be able to replicate. Only a rare few mages will be able to comprehend its intricacies and put it into practice. However, consider the limitless possibilities that may spring from this foundation."

Even if one could not comprehend the theory in its entirety, it mattered little. A great thesis was not measured by its complexity alone but by the sheer brilliance of its ideas.

"Deculein’s theory will take root, its principles disseminating piece by piece. Whether it finds its way into academy textbooks or is taught by Deculein himself, its influence is only a matter of time."

The magic derived from Deculein’s theory would form a new school of thought, one that would bear his name—the Deculein School.

“The Floating Island will first preserve this knowledge. Furthermore...”

"Access will be granted to those individuals selected by Deculein."

“Yes, that is correct.”

Deculein had already selected several individuals who would be granted full access to the thesis, free of charge, once its proof was completely established.

"First... Sophien of the Imperial Palace?" Astal said as he reviewed the list.

"Yes. For her, it is not just access but the bestowal of a refined edition of the thesis."

At the mention of Sophien’s name, Astal’s eyes widened. The names of Grand Prince Kreto, Epherene, and Sylvia on the list were understandable—but Sophien...

"But Her Majesty is no mage," Astal said.

"Professor Deculein is Her Majesty’s appointed Instructor Mage."

Astal felt a bit unsettled, as the relationship between the Floating Island and the Imperial Palace had never been the best.

“Yes, there is no avoiding it—if it is Professor Deculein’s own request.”

Granting access to the thesis was not a simple matter, as its complex proof had demanded an immense amount of the Floating Island’s resources and manpower, giving them some claim to it. However, the true authority belonged to Deculein, leaving them with no choice but to comply.

"Then, I hereby announce it. Deculein’s completely proven thesis will be classified under the Tree of Knowledge grade, with its first recipient being Her Majesty, Sophien of the Imperial Palace," Astal declared.

And perhaps, it would be a groundbreaking event, one that would shake the entire continent.

"It will undoubtedly stir the entire continent," said one of the Addicts.

It was already unprecedented for a preliminarily validated magical thesis to be classified under the highest grade, the Tree of Knowledge. But for that thesis to be granted, free of charge, not to another mage but to the Imperial Palace—specifically to Sophien—was even more extraordinary.

“Yes. As some have said of Deculein, that he is a mage with the loyalty of a knight—this event will serve as undeniable proof of that,” Astal replied as he carefully placed Deculein’s thesis into an ornate case, sealed with multiple layers of protective magic.