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Chapter 82: The Villain Appears

After utterly defeating Professor Barquio,

I calmly walked out of his office.

Professor Barquio and I had the worst possible compatibility.

Especially since I’m the ultimate nemesis for attribute magicians who wield multiple elements.

‘Most magic doesn’t work on me anymore.’

If Barquio hadn’t clung to his past and instead focused on honing his magical research,

I wouldn’t have been able to stand a chance against him.

But Barquio chose to let himself wither away,

indulging in the glory of his past instead of sharpening his magic.

As a result, his magical prowess had regressed,

leaving him far weaker than he once was.

‘He probably clung to the Magic Tower even harder because he knew this deep down.’

He merely chose to look away.

A warped dream festers and rots in the most hideous way.

‘That’s why he lost to Lucas, in the end.’

Of course, Lucas didn’t beat Barquio as easily as I did.

I exploited Barquio’s arrogance and complacency,

dulled by years of teaching and far removed from the battlefield,

successfully landing consecutive attacks.

Lucas, on the other hand, barely managed to defeat him after a grueling battle.

Even so, Barquio is no pushover.

He’s a formidable foe, one who would’ve been tough to take down without Lucas.

‘Then again, I essentially defeated him through elemental advantage.’

My body, hardened by years of training,

had accumulated a steady build-up of resistance stats.

Although these stats were invisible to the naked eye,

they were firmly ingrained in my physique.

My resistance was particularly notable.

Physical resistance, fire resistance, electric resistance, ice resistance—

after putting my body through the wringer for so long,

I had practically maxed out every type of resistance.

‘Especially when it comes to ice.’

As I covered my right eye, I could feel the flow of frost.

It was the remnant of the ancient dragon that had forcibly neutralized Barquio’s ice magic the moment he tried to cast it.

Apparently, the remnant took offense at being targeted with ice magic.

Thanks to it, I had become virtually immune to lower-tier ice spells.

‘It’s calm for now.’

But I remembered how Sharin once treated me like a walking ice bomb.

I had to keep the dragon remnant’s surges in mind at all times.

Situations like today’s could happen again, so I’d need to stay cautious.

BOOM!

While I was lost in thought, another explosion echoed from the student council side.

The student council members wouldn’t be able to break through the boycott group.

It was time for someone other than the student council to step in.

Normally, it would be Lucas and his team, but this time, it was probably Isabel instead…

“AAARGH!”

At that moment, from below the window,

I saw the boycott members being swept away in an instant.

“What?”

This was far faster than I had anticipated.

Watching the boycott members rolling across the ground,

I quickly leaned out to get a better look.

When I saw what was happening, my jaw dropped involuntarily.

The ones breaking through the boycott group—

their firepower far exceeded anything I had imagined.

At the forefront stood the lazy genius, Ban.

With each swing of his sword reflecting the moonlight,

boycott members fell without even a chance to resist.

Few could withstand the sword aura wielded by Ban.

No matter how carefully I had selected the boycott members,

none of them could face Ban head-on.

Then there was the genius among geniuses, Sharin Sazaris.

Every time her staff moved,

her star-like projectiles would blast students away.

Even with my high resistance, I’d have a hard time handling their power.

The boycott members stood no chance of enduring them.

The academy’s top assets from both martial arts and magic arts,

these two were a disaster for anyone who dared oppose them.

And they weren’t the only ones.

There was Beaquirin Monem, a second-year from the special arts department,

contracted with a high-ranking spirit despite losing to the Lord of Spirits.

Farsen Xaviros, the eldest son of the Holy Knight Commander,

a hulking man wielding a massive greatsword.

Isabel’s friend, Lina, and more.

The crème de la crème of Zerion Academy had gathered there.

The boycott members were like autumn leaves in a storm before their advance.

It was the academy’s most elite forces.

Resistance was futile.

And at the center stood Isabel Luna.

Even amidst such formidable companions,

she fought freely, as gracefully as a butterfly.

‘How in the world did they assemble such a team?’

Even for someone as experienced in the “Flame Butterfly” like me,

it was impossible to gather such a roster at this stage of the game.

Their assembly was solely a testament to Isabel’s capabilities.

‘She really does live up to her title as the main heroine.’

She had a knack for bringing people together.

‘What should I do?’

If the boycott was subdued this quickly, it would be disastrous.

The bigger the commotion, the more memorable the uprising becomes.

Not to mention, the boycott members still searching the faculty office and student council room needed more time.

I thought quickly before stepping up to the window’s edge.

I tightly adjusted the Veil Bandages around my face.

With Sharin present, this called for a dual disguise.

There was no other choice.

Even if it meant reusing an already defeated third-rate villain card,

I had to play it once more.

A time-stalling third-rate villain.

I kicked off the window ledge and leaped.

My robe flared dramatically as I soared through the air.

THUD!

I landed right in front of the group tearing through the boycott members.

The impact sent a jolt through me, but I quickly straightened my posture.

Raising my head slowly,

I drew their attention under the dark night sky.

Even in this dim light, my striking appearance was impossible to ignore.

Naturally, all eyes turned to me.

“Wait, isn’t that senior Vikamon?”

It was Isabel’s friend, Lina, who reacted first.

Staring at my face, she muttered,

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“Still as handsome as ever.”

“Senior Vikamon, we’re in a hurry. Could you please step aside?”

Farsen, the knight, addressed me politely,

despite the fact I was an expelled student.

It was a knightly gesture befitting his status.

But—

“Sorry, this area is off-limits to unauthorized personnel.”

Sliding my arm out from under the robe,

I firmly blocked their path.

At the same time, I scanned the gathered members.

Sharin’s half-lidded eyes widened slightly as she spotted me.

She held her staff,

and had likely already figured out who I really was.

But I was still hidden under Veil Bandages.

I had wrapped them to be prepared for any situation.

So, Sharin likely thought I had disguised myself as Vikamon.

She wouldn't have guessed that my true identity was Vikamon himself.

However, she must have surely realized that I was Hannon.

As for Ban, he seemed intrigued.

He must have estimated my abilities based on my movements earlier.

Recently, Ban has taken a renewed interest in wielding his sword.

I could see the excitement for a new opponent reflected in him.

And finally, Isabel...

For some reason, she smiled faintly.

Isabel has always been someone who smiles often.

But not to the extent of smiling in this kind of situation.

Moreover, that smile appeared the moment she saw me.

"What does it take to become someone authorized?"

Why did her smile seem so sly?

Isabel has definitely changed.

"You can't."

I cut her off abruptly and stomped my foot, which was engraved with a magical seal, onto the ground.

Thud!

In an instant, the vibration spread across the ground.

Rumble!

The combination of the magic seal and its mystical power amplified the effect.

"It's magic!"

Lina shouted as she leaped from the ground.

Following her, the others also jumped up.

They reacted immediately to avoid losing their footing in the tremor.

However, being airborne was also a vulnerable state.

Bang!

As I kicked off the ground, the magical seals engraved on my body caused consecutive explosions.

With the momentum of the blasts, I soared forward, only to be blocked by a towering knight.

Farsen twisted his massive body mid-air, trying to intercept me.

His heavy sword swung toward me.

But swinging a sword at me was the worst decision he could have made.

Thud!

My hand collided with his greatsword.

‘I had something stored up for this.’

The lightning charge concealed beneath the bandages around my arm.

It was the lightning spell I had absorbed earlier from Barquio.

"You're sturdy; you won't die from this."

The lightning spell I released from my hand engulfed his greatsword.

Crack-boom!

Before he could react, the black lightning surged out, scorching Farsen completely.

Crash!

Farsen, now smoldering and emitting black smoke, plummeted to the ground.

Even the toughest knight couldn't withstand the lightning magic of a master like Barquio.

Landing on the ground, I noticed everyone staring at me with wide eyes.

"That's high-level magic! How is that possible without a staff?"

Beaquirin, a spirit scholar with a deep understanding of magical science, frowned in disbelief.

"But Vikamon was only capable of low-level magic before,"

Lina added, clearly shocked by what she knew of Vikamon's skills.

Thanks to the magic seals and Barquio's lightning magic, I had quickly ascended to the status of a high-level mage.

Not bad.

If they think I'm a mage, they'll be even more cautious when fighting me.

‘Just as planned.’

As I thought about steering the situation further in my favor—

Chill!

A sudden chill ran down my spine.

Instinctively, I tilted my head back.

A blade from the shadows narrowly grazed my chin.

Looking down, I saw Ban standing there.

Even amidst everyone's shock, he alone had closed the distance to me.

Swish! Slash!

I hastily dodged Ban's strikes.

Ban, this guy...

His skills had improved significantly since the last time.

Even though my physical abilities had also grown, dodging his attacks felt much harder than during our sparring sessions.

‘How long has he been preparing for this?’

While his growth was impressive, the fact that his sword was now aimed at me was infuriating.

And now, since they perceived me as a mage, blocking with my body was not an option.

‘Do I have no choice?’

Just as I prepared to use the remaining lightning magic to create an opening, Ban's sword suddenly bent mid-strike, heading straight for my chest.

It was an illusionary swordsmanship technique using sword energy.

He had advanced to such a level now.

I had fallen for his trick.

Left with no other option, I moved my arm.

It was a move that others couldn't see, hidden from their line of sight.

I'd endure with my steel body.

Clang!

Simultaneously, Ban and I widened our eyes in surprise.

Between us, an axe appeared, blocking the way.

The wielder was a small woman with red hair fluttering in the air.

A girl wearing a mask, her forehead shining under the moonlight, stood there.

"I'll take you on!"

Seron Parmia.

She appeared out of nowhere.

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