How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 206

[I’m starting now.]

The spirit of Arrogance.

The black dragon, Kamon Vade, didn’t hesitate as he began channeling his power.

Instantly, a gray mist unfurled, wrapping around my body.

Ziiiiiing.

Inside the black barrier, my body began to undergo a profound transformation.

‘…It feels refreshing.’

It was as if I’d been carrying heavy sandbags on my body all this time.

As soon as I touched the gray mist, I felt an incredible sense of freedom and relief.

And then—

‘So this is my mana circuit?’

The sensation was completely different from when I’d used the Orb in the past—much more intuitive and real.

It felt like an extra sense, almost as natural as sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing, yet somehow surpassing even those five senses.

The flow of mana around me grew vivid, buzzing with energy.

My whole body was brimming with an indescribable sense of fullness, a high that made me feel like I could accomplish anything.

Zzzzzt.

At the same time, the Orb, which had been disabled since Anne Carson’s appearance, began functioning again.

Technically, now that my mana circuit was restored, I didn’t need the Orb anymore.

“No, I still need it.”

Whoosh!

As I murmured to myself, a brilliant green energy surged from the Orb at an incredible speed.

The gray mist created by Kamon Vade mixed with the green light from the Orb, blending into a strange dark green aura.

But I didn’t care; I kept pouring out the Orb’s power.

And then—

“Kamon Vade.”

[Yes, Kang Hyunsoo?]

“Remove the barrier.”

[Heh, are you ready?]

“Ready? There’s no such thing. I’m just going to do it somehow.”

[Alright, it’s all over now.]

Kamon Vade’s voice echoed, and the black dragon’s form began to fade.

[Then… I’ll leave the rest to you, Kang Hyunsoo.]

With those parting words, like a final farewell, Kamon Vade’s remnants dissipated.

The black barrier that had been surrounding me also vanished.

And then—

“I’ll kill you, Kamon Vade!”

Anne Carson’s voice echoed from outside, filled with rage. I shook my head slightly and muttered to myself.

“No, Kamon’s already dead. He’s not here anymore.”

“What?”

“But in his stead, I’ll fulfill his will by taking you down.”

I threw out a line that felt like it came straight from some action movie, and then spread the dark green mist around me with full force.

Fwaaaash!

“What… What is this?!”

Anne Carson’s voice was filled with shock as the green mist rapidly expanded, covering the entire area.

And then—

Shuuuu!

The life energy radiating from the Orb began flowing toward the fallen and wounded.

“Ugh…”

“Ah…”

Kyle and Professor Phelan, who had been lying unconscious on the ground, started to groan as they stirred awake.

“Mm!”

“Huff!”

Even the tri-colored mages, Jamie and Beatrice, who had also lost consciousness, were beginning to open their eyes, showing signs of regaining their composure.

“Damn it! What’s going on all of a sudden?!”

Anne Carson’s irritated voice rang out.

“Tempestas Operit Mundum!”

She chanted some spell with words I couldn’t understand.

Whiiiiiish!

Suddenly, a powerful wind kicked up, threatening to blow away all the dark green mist that had covered the area.

I quickly reacted, using the essence of Grand Mage Katryzin to masterfully manipulate my mana and cast a spell in response.

“Fireball!”

Fwoooom!

Hundreds of massive white flames flared up around me, burning fiercely.

Then—

Snap!

Zzzzzing!

With a snap of my fingers, the fireballs morphed into long, spinning spears.

“Here, take this first.”

Shwoooooo!

The hundreds of blazing white spears shot toward Anne Carson.

“How dare you!”

Anne Carson responded with impressive agility, casting a defensive spell to counter my attack.

Ziiing!

A thick, dense shield of energy formed around her, creating a powerful barrier.

Thwip, thwip, thwip!

The rotating spears crashed into her shield, trying to pierce through, while her barrier held strong, resisting each strike.

As they clashed, neither side willing to yield an inch, I quickly snapped my fingers again.

Snap!

“Wind Blast.”

A tempest of wind surged forth, countering the gale that had been dispelling the dark green mist.

Grit.

Watching her magic falter, Anne Carson bit her lower lip in frustration and shouted,

“Do you really think a nobody like you can defeat me?!”

“Yeah, looks like I’m winning right now, doesn’t it?”

I gave her a mocking smile, taunting her.

Anne Carson laughed in disbelief and muttered under her breath.

“Ha, did you really think I’d fall for such petty provocations?”

I continued with my questions.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“…”

“Why are you so set on resurrecting the Demon King?”

“Isn’t your very existence the answer to that question? I’m going to shatter the fate imposed on this world.”

“And you plan to do that by summoning the Demon King to destroy the world?”

“…Summoning, you say? You’re still so far off.”

“What?”

“I am going to become the Demon King. After destroying this world, I’ll meet ‘god,’ kill him, and take his place. I’ll create a world where everyone is free, where each person can carve out their own destiny, free from any imposed fate.”

“Hah… Hahahahahahaha!”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at her words, genuine amusement coloring my voice.

“Laugh… at me?”

“Honestly, it’s just funny. So you’re saying you want to become ‘god’ by resurrecting the Demon King and absorbing its power. Don’t bother with grand ideals or lofty ambitions. Just admit that it’s your own desire. It’d be a lot cleaner that way. Right now, you’re just pathetic.”

“…”

Her face hardened, her expression growing dark and murderous.

She snarled at me, her voice sharp and venomous.

“I will tear you to pieces. Crepitus Lucis!”

With her fierce declaration—

Fwoosh! Chaaaa!

An overwhelming light erupted from Anne Carson, instantly disintegrating every spell in the vicinity.

Starting with her own protective shield, then my blazing white spears, and even the dark green mist formed by the combination of the Orb and Kamon Vade’s magic—all of it was wiped out.

Sssshhhhh!

A blinding light spread, engulfing everything in its path.

I clenched my teeth and bit my lip as I shouted.

“Gladys Sector Caelum!”

The ultimate spell taught to me by Jamie, the Yellow Mage.

The Sword That Splits the Sky.

When Jamie had cast this spell before, it created a mesh of swords that filled the entire sky.

But this time, the spell I was casting was different.

Booooom.

I poured everything I had into this spell—all the knowledge I’d gained so far. The essence of the Grand Mage, the practical application I learned from Professor Beroen, the spirit formations taught by Dean Delmon, and even the magic Jamie had shown me.

“With a single slash stronger than infinity, I’ll end this.”

Perhaps because of that…

For a brief moment, it felt as if the blue sky had darkened.

High above, only the edge of the blade glinted in a faint teal light.

Unlike any sword Jamie or I had summoned before, this one was colossal—hundreds of times larger, an incomprehensible mass of light.

And the teal aura it exuded was filled with a deathly power that drained life from anything it touched.

“Try erasing this too, Anne Carson.”

Booooooom.

With a tremendous hum, the colossal sword of light began to descend toward us.

“…Another pointless attempt.”

Anne Carson, who had just been erasing all magic in the vicinity, turned her gaze toward the descending sword, sensing something was different.

But soon—

“A futile struggle. You fool.”

Ziiiiiiing.

She unleashed her radiant energy toward The Sword That Splits the Sky.

And the moment the sword and light collided—

KABOOOOOOM!

The two forces clashed, neither yielding, as the descending sword radiated enormous energy, while the light attempted to obliterate it.

“Hup!”

I poured every bit of mana I had left into the Sword That Splits the Sky, pushing it down with all my might.

“This ends here. Haaaaa!”

Anne Carson, too, poured all her strength into trying to annihilate the massive sword.

And finally—

Crack, crack, craaaack!

Starting from the tip, the enormous sword of light began to fracture and crumble.

“Hahaha! What did I say? I told you it was pointless, didn’t I?!”

Seeing The Sword That Splits the Sky disintegrate bit by bit, Anne Carson burst into laughter, celebrating her victory. But I just smirked back.

“Do you really think so?”

“…What?”

Despite the spell breaking down, I showed no sign of disappointment, which seemed to confuse her.

Whooosh.

Suddenly, the dark green mist that had spread around us began to glow.

And then—

“…Huh? Where am I?”

“What the…? What’s going on?”

Thud!

One by one, those who had fallen to the ground began regaining their consciousness and standing up.

Even more—

“Huh? I feel… completely refreshed?”

“…We’re fully healed?”

It was the Grand Mage Katryzin’s life energy that had reached them.

Jamie, Beatrice, and even Kyle—the main protagonist—all recovered their consciousness and seemed to be back to full strength.

“Kamon?!”

“My Disciple!”

“Hey, you…!”

All three of them called out to me, shocked to see me standing across from Anne Carson.

But I ignored their shouts, focusing solely on Anne Carson as I spoke.

“Still think it’s pointless?”

“Ha, you’re unbelievable.”

She chuckled as if she couldn’t believe my words, shaking her head before responding.

“So, did you think reviving those bugs would be enough to stop me?”

“Maybe a little?”

“I’m not sure whether to laugh or be angry at your audacity.”

Anne Carson sneered, rolling her eyes, then shot me a chilling glare and spoke in a low, menacing tone.

“This is perfect. I was growing tired of this. I’ll kill all of you in one fell swoop.”

Just then—

“Who said you could kill anyone?”

“That’s right, I already claimed him for myself.”

Jamie and Beatrice, now fully recovered, stepped forward, blocking Anne’s path.

However—

“Hey, what’s the big idea? Kamon is my student. I called dibs first.”

“Uh, just because he’s your student doesn’t mean he’s your property, does it?”

“What was that?”

The two of them began bickering, which only made Anne Carson shake her head in irritation. Without another word, she snapped her fingers.

A massive shadow whip materialized in mid-air.

“Pathetic insects. Die already.”

Whoosh!

“Aether Fly!”

“Fast Blink!”

But both Jamie and Beatrice reacted swiftly, casting dazzling spells to dodge the whip’s attack in an instant.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for the older senior to step down first?”

“Exactly. I’ll take good care of my mentor while I move on to a new life.”

As they continued to bicker, Anne Carson chanted another spell without missing a beat.

“Umbraine Dominik.”

The shadow whip began to move as if it had a mind of its own.

Whoosh, boooom!

Whoosh, crash!

However, Jamie and Beatrice deftly avoided the attacks, countering with their own strikes whenever they could.

“Acutum Ferrum!”

“Plantibus Petalis!”

A razor-sharp strike came slicing through, followed by a storm of flower petals whirling toward her, each petal like a deadly blade.

Thunk!

Their attacks were easily blocked by her dark shadows, rendered completely ineffective.

As the intense battle between the tri-colored mages and Anne Carson entered its second round—

“Kamon.”

Kyle had approached me at some point, calling my name as he tilted his head and spoke.

“No… you’re not Kamon, are you? So… what should I call you?”

Sigh. At this point, it seemed like everyone and their dog knew my true identity.

If he knew all along, he could’ve just said something earlier instead of acting all mysterious… Whatever.

“Just call me Kang Hyunsoo.”

“Alright, Kang Hyunsoo.”

Kyle smiled brightly, then spoke again.

“Sorry for pretending not to know all this time. But I had my reasons.”

“I don’t care about your reasons. Just focus on taking her down. That’s our priority.”

At my blunt response, Kyle nodded and gripped his sword tightly.

“Alright, got it. Kang Hyunsoo… my friend, even though I only just learned your real name, this time I’ll fight with my life on the line by your side. Let’s go.”