A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 18: University (1)

The next day, I took a grimoire and went to the hillside behind the mansion. I had already mastered Basic Telekinesis perfectly, with my Sharp Eyesight confirming 100% proficiency. I could now handle seven shurikens as easily as my own arms and legs, but going beyond that was difficult due to the limitations of the spell itself.

So today, I sought a place with cleaner air and higher quality mana than the annex—the middle of the forested hill behind the mansion. I intended to sit and practice Beginner Telekinesis, but my unbearable Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder prevented me from sitting on the ground.

Reluctantly, I brought a chair from the mansion. An antique chair amidst the trees and grass looked quite out of place, but I leaned against it and opened the grimoire.

Beginner Telekinesis

Having mastered Basic Telekinesis, the next step is Beginner Telekinesis. This level introduces eighteen additional straight lines and one circle compared to Basic Telekinesis, making the circuit movements twice as complex.

I activated Comprehension. In my mind and in front of my eyes, the spells for Beginner Telekinesis and Basic Telekinesis appeared like illusions. I overlaid the two magic circles as if layering shapes on a computer. This clearly highlighted the key differences between the spells, and I integrated those differences into my body.

The circuits of Beginner Telekinesis were inscribed over the simple spell of Basic Telekinesis, line by line. Heavier lines and circles were added to the feather-light spell. The overly simple Basic Telekinesis finally began to take on the complex form of a magic circle seen in various media.

“Sigh...”

Of course, I was in agony. Each time a new circuit formed, it felt like a chisel scraping my bones.

Scratch— scratch—

The mana invading my muscles tormented my nerves. If it had been a short and intense pain, it would have been better, but this prolonged endurance was agonizing. The magic spell spreading through my body like roots was torturing me.

As my mana depleted, a vague feeling of exhaustion and drowsiness set in. I recalled the events of last night... Yeriel. But there was no need to dwell on it. I just hoped the secret wouldn't be revealed. I quickly suppressed these distracting thoughts and opened my eyes.

Though I had less than 10% of my mana left, I was still physically strong. It was time for training. I returned to the annex. Although it was called a training ground, it looked quite peculiar compared to a modern gym.

The pull-up bars were lined up in a row and were far too high, and the metal’s weights used for dumbbells were incredibly heavy. I took off my clothes and folded them. My body, which had undergone repeated training, was quite satisfying even to my own eyes.

I placed my hand on the pull-up bar. After that, using Telekinesis, I brought a weighted belt. It secured itself to my waist, ankles, and wrists, totaling 100 kilograms in weight. I did ten pull-ups on the first bar, then jumped to the second, higher bar and did ten more. I continued this until I reached the roof, then landed back down.

Boom–─!

The massive impact spread through my body, but my posture remained steady. With that set complete, the next exercise was climbing the rope. I grabbed the rope that reached the roof and climbed up.

Once I reached the top, I jumped back down. As you can see, this is an absurd method that no ordinary human would attempt. Things like joints, ligaments, and knees were not considered at all in this brutal routine.

However, as long as my attributes were active, my bones wouldn't break, and my ligaments wouldn't stretch. That didn't mean there was no pain. However, thanks to Deculein's Personality Traits, such as immense Competitiveness and an obsessive routine, I focused solely on improving my physical abilities.

“Phew.”

After finishing this brute-force workout, my mana had already recovered to 40%. Then, I immersed myself in magic again. Following this routine, the expected time to memorize Beginner Telekinesis was at most three weeks.

Additionally, my physical abilities—including strength, agility, and endurance—developed through Iron Man training, and physical attributes like coordination, dexterity, and flexibility might now surpass those of a mature gorilla. However, I was still far from matching the combat prowess of various well-known named characters or villains.

***

When I arrived at the Mage Tower, I sat in my office chair and stared blankly ahead.

[Lv.1 System Shop]

The system shop allows characters to be enhanced using acquired Store Currency. As the game progresses, both players and named characters can be strengthened through this shop. However, opportunities to use the system shop are very limited—at most six times until the end of the game.

This is because the prices of enhancement items increase exponentially—Lv.1 Shop items cost 5-10 coins each, Lv.2 Shop items cost 10-20 coins, Lv.3 Shop items cost 20-40 coins, and so on, doubling at each level. Additionally, each shop level can only be used once. I know exactly which enhancements are the best choices.

───────

[Lv.1 System Shop]

■ 1. Blacksmith’s Luck...

......

■ 5. Qualitative Enhancement of Mana (Stage 1)

: The character's innate mana is qualitatively enhanced. Slight increase in mana output and efficiency.

10 coins

───────

Qualitative Enhancement of Mana. There's no need to consider anything else. The other options are only good for specialized builds, and this is the only practical choice. So, I need to gather just four more coins.

Knock, knock─–

At that moment, there was a knock, and the door opened. Allen walked in hesitantly.

"Allen," I said.

"Y-yes. I came because you called for me," Allen replied.

Allen stood quietly, looking at me. Normally, one might ask, "Why did you call me?" but he was simply docile. Just docile.

"Do you have any interest in appointing an assistant mage?" I asked with a small smile.

"... Pardon?" Allen said, tilting his head in confusion.

I used Telekinesis to float the official document that had arrived last week.

"It's an assistant professor evaluation."

The document was an official notice to nominate a mage for evaluation as an assistant professor. Allen's eyes began to widen as he grasped my intent.

"W-what? What?!"

"Yes. I intend to recommend you—"

"What-?!"

“As an assistant professor.”

By the time I finished speaking, Allen was already on the verge of tears, his eyes brimming with tears that looked ready to fall at the slightest touch.

"But, but... Professor, you said I had no talent..." Allen stammered, his eyes filled with tears.

Of course, Allen lacked talent. Even the Wealthy Magnate and Villain's Fate attributes didn't see any remarkable potential in him. While those attributes weren't perfect, Allen's lack of talent was evident. Perhaps that’s why he hadn’t left until now. With no one calling for him, he had nowhere else to go.

"It was a test all this time. Only you, with your diligence, passed my test," I said.

Deculein is authoritative and dislikes giving praise. However, overcoming some aspects of his Personality Trait is possible, especially since certain traits hold higher rank. For instance, the most challenging traits to overcome are his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Noble Etiquette. Now, I genuinely can't stand anything dirty.

"W-what-?!"

"Don't ask any more questions. Here, take this," I said, handing a gift to Allen.

It was nothing special, just a bracelet. I had ordered it from a nearby jeweler and had the Yukline emblem engraved on it.

"Keep up the hard work."

It was a way to ensure he stayed. Allen's skill in handling various tasks, organizing documents, and his quick wit were all valuable to me.

"So, does this mean I'm officially your best pupil...?" Allen asked, trembling and looking surprised as he held the bracelet.

"There are still two more steps to go, so keep working hard," I said, making something up on the spot since I hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Oh, y-yes! I understand!" Allen said, bowing energetically three times in a row.

"Now that you're an assistant professor, you need to actively participate in my class in two days," I said.

"P-p-participate? Participate? Participate?!" Allen stammered, repeating the word three times.

The blood vessels in his eyes looked like they were about to burst, which annoyed me slightly.

"Don't react so dramatically. I do not appreciate it," I said, narrowing my eyes and snapping at him without thinking.

"... Oh, yes, I’m sorry, sir..." Allen said.

"Good."

I stood up without giving it much thought. However, Allen was greatly startled and cowered, trembling as if to defend himself with his arms.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you," I said.

"S-sorry? Oh... I'm sorry. W-where are you headed, sir?"

"The library," I said.

Luna's research paper had been fully deciphered, but the composition of the paper itself was ambiguous. The topic was indeed the creation of Pure Elements, but there were too many gaps and quite a few errors.

So, I decided to go to the library to browse some books. Even with the Comprehension attribute, it was essential for a professor to study magic. If I found any useful grimoires, I would learn from them too.

"I-I see! Oh, by the way, here, Professor!" Allen fumbled as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me.

"Please be careful, sir!"

WANTED: Mage Killer Lokhak

There have been reports of sightings of the mage killer Lokhak on the outskirts of the capital. Novice mages are advised to avoid going out at night whenever possible.

The mage killer. I know this guy. He's the biggest threat to mage players in the early to mid-game. If I were the original Deculein, I could easily track him down using my underworld connections. However, I had unknowingly severed those ties that made Deculein powerful.

"These days, this mage killer is truly terrifying. They say he targets only skilled mages," Allen said.

"Allen," I said.

"Yes?"

"Do you know who I am?" I asked with a quiet chuckle.

"... Sorry?"

"I asked, do you know who I am?" I asked once more.

The mage killer. This guy is a mid-boss level villain, specifically against mages—though not as high-ranking as Deculein—but I am confident in my abilities.

"Ah! You are the Monarch-rank mage who commands all elements and the youngest Head Professor at the prestigious Imperial University, Deculein, sir!" he said so smoothly that it caught me off guard.

"... Right."

Anyway, this mage killer and I are not a good match. Theoretically, I am his natural predator. Therefore, there's no need to worry.

"Allen, you should be careful," I said.

Of course, there was a chance it could be dangerous due to my lack of real combat experience. However, with my Personality Trait, there was no difference between practice and real combat for me. In fact, I hoped to encounter him. I wanted him to become the source of my store currency...

***

Surprisingly, Sylvia had a hobby outside of magic—collecting literature and languages. It wasn't just a simple pastime; she was more like a collector, dedicating all her time, aside from her magical training, to this pursuit. Thus, the first place Sylvia visited upon entering the Imperial University was the library.

Unfortunately, she was disappointed. Although the Mage Tower library had some rare books, there was hardly anything that could be considered a collection by Sylvia's standards. So, today, Sylvia made a big decision.

"Oh, I see. Well, Miss Sylvia, you're certainly beyond the level of a Debutant," the library security guard said.

"Is it possible?" Sylvia asked.

"Umm... This is the executive library, reserved for professors... But hold on. I think I'll need to make a call," the security guard said.

She had visited the executive library at the Mage Tower, which was reserved exclusively for professors.

"Sure, I'll wait."

However, she didn't sneak in stealthily. She approached the main entrance openly and confidently.

"... Yes, yes. Yes, Professor. Miss Sylvia is here looking for something to study... Mhm, yes, I see," the security guard said.

"It’s approved. You can go in, this year's novice mage. There’s an exception clause. You will need a special access pass, but it should be fine," the library security guard continued, smiling brightly after communicating with someone through a crystal orb.

"Thank you," Sylvia said.

Despite being a student, Sylvia proudly entered the library without any restriction. After all, she was the heir of Iliade and this year's novice mage.

Even though it was a room reserved for executives, there were hardly any professors who would challenge Sylvia, the future professor, especially considering the amount Iliade had donated to the Mage Tower of the University. It was just a matter of the sequence changing a bit.

Sylvia, feeling excited for the first time in a while, examined the interior of the library.

Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.

Her steps were light as a rabbit’s as she walked around.

“Aha.”

Sylvia scanned the shelves with her wide eyes and finally found it—a collection that satisfied her interests in both literature and languages. It was a novel written in Etynel, the language of the fairies. Sylvia carefully pulled the book from the shelf and read the title, Witrospy ba Mitrogy, Stirio lagio pe bardio.

Although the fairies had long since disappeared from the Mortal Realm, their novels remained on the continent. These rare finds in Etynel had immense value. The only problem was their extreme difficulty. The fairies' language system was highly inconsistent, making learning and translating it incredibly challenging.

For instance, the title word Witrospy meant man, and the word Omesip, found on the first page, also meant man. The term Radeoman, appearing later, also meant man. How they managed to communicate with such an arbitrary language was beyond comprehension. Nonetheless, Sylvia had studied Etynel enough to decipher it to some extent.

Skimming through the content, she found it was a romance novel. Even better. She couldn't wait to go home and read it. As Sylvia turned to leave with the book in her arms, she bumped into someone.

"Hmm?"

It was Professor Retlan from the Spirit Studies Department. Naturally, he recognized Sylvia but simply gave her a gentle smile and passed by. Sylvia felt a surge of pride and twisted her lips.

Yes, this is how it should be. In this vast university, no professor was bold enough to punish her just for entering the executive library... except for one.

But she knew that person hadn't visited the library in five years, almost as if he had built a wall against it. Feeling emboldened, Sylvia decided to look for more books. An Etynel dictionary would be perfect, she thought as she turned a corner.

Then she bumped into someone else. Sylvia's drowsy eyes scanned the tall figure. He wore a tailored suit jacket with a matching vest over a crisp white dress shirt, sharp reading glasses, and gloved hands holding an antique leather-bound book.

It was Deculein, the distinguished Head Professor. This unexpected encounter caught her off guard. Even in that tense moment, Sylvia couldn't help but eye the rare-looking book he held. Feeling his gaze, she glanced up. His deep blue eyes behind the glasses were fixed directly, intensely on her.

Only then did she realize the seriousness of the situation. Sylvia stood still, blinking. One second, two seconds, three seconds. Their gazes locked in a strange silence. Finally, he closed his book. At that moment, Sylvia turned on her heels to leave.

Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack—

Her footsteps echoed rapidly and desperately, but soon his deep voice halted her in her tracks.

"Stop now, or you'll face disciplinary action."

Sylvia froze, standing rigidly.

Clack—clack—clack—

The sound of his steps approached from behind, slow and deliberate, like a ghost creeping closer. An ominous, cold air seemed to envelop her. When his footsteps finally stopped, Sylvia swallowed nervously, feeling the tension.