A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Upheaval (1) Part 1

“Could you show up in my dreams... every time?"

Epherene's words were layered with meaning, and I watched her, turning her remark over in my thoughts.

“Quite bold of you, Leaf,” Ihelm remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"No, that’s not it..." Epherene replied, shaking her head. "I just thought that if I could construct the professor in my mind, I might have a chance against him."

"You are planning to construct Deculein in your mind? You’re only getting bolder with every word," Ihelm chuckled.

Epherene gave him a sharp glance and muttered, “... And why are you even here, Mage Ihelm?”

Ihelm shrugged casually and said, “You acted as a witness for me once. I thought it was only fair to return the favor—”

"That's enough," I cut in. "It's a sound approach."

Constructing an image of myself—Deculein—in her unconscious mind wasn't a bad plan. With my guidance, it was possible, though it would require time. For now, I needed to link our consciousnesses. I planned to implant an alert signal in her mind, one that would notify me the moment Decalane appeared, allowing me to step into her consciousness when necessary.

“For now, enter,” I commanded, motioning toward the machine.

"Yes, Professor," Epherene replied, pausing briefly before stepping into the Magitech Brainwave Explorer, a cylindrical machine.

Hissss... Clunk—

The door shut behind her with a soft mechanical whir. Almost instantly, she slipped into a deep sleep. I rested my hand on the explorer, closing my eyes as it began to transmit her memories to me.

~

... I saw Epherene. She was just a child, fragile and small, like a young deer finding its footing. She stood there, staring blankly at the gravestone.

Lerien Luna

Her mother had passed not long after bringing her into the world. Yet, there was no sorrow in young Epherene’s eyes. To her, this woman was just a distant memory, someone she never had the chance to meet.

Thud, thud—

The sound of footsteps made Epherene’s ears perk up. The man came closer, resting his hand on her small shoulder, prompting her to look up at him.

“Dad!” Epherene cried, her smile blooming like sunlight breaking through the clouds.

But he stayed silent, the stillness casting a shadow over her face. A lone teardrop slipped from above, landing on her head.

“... Dad, are you crying?”

He remained silent. To the child, her father's sorrow weighed heavier than the memory of a mother she had never known. With a trembling hand, she reached out to him.

"Because of you..." Luna muttered.

Her father’s voice barely reached my ears—or perhaps I simply chose to ignore it. Epherene just smiled and nestled into his arms. The soft joy of that fleeting moment washed over me too.

~

... The surroundings blurred, transforming into something entirely new.

“Filthy, lowly creature,” Glitheon spat, his voice dripping with disdain, like he was stepping on something beneath his notice. The soldiers of Iliade encircled the Luna mansion, their torches blazing in the darkness.

"I am not filthy, and I am not lowly!" Epherene snapped.

“Blame it on the misfortune of being born to a family without power.”

“What’s so wrong about that!”

Though small, Epherene stood before her grandparents, shielding them as best she could. Her body trembled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, but for her family's sake, she would not step aside.

"I intended to burn every one of you from the start... Tut. This is becoming tedious. You, over there!"

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers responded, hurling their torches into the garden.

"Leave this place. Live out the rest of your days on the outskirts, where you'll be forgotten," Glitheon ordered.

Whoosh—!

The garden Epherene had grown from seeds her grandparents had given her—a small paradise of flowers and butterflies—was now devoured by flames.

"Stop it! You monsters! Stop! Stooooop—!" Epherene screamed.

Only a moment later, a soldier’s boot struck her, sending her to the ground. She sobbed as the inferno blazed before her, but her tears could do nothing to douse the flames.

“No!”

Epherene dashed for water, hurling it desperately onto the flames. One bucket, then another, then another... but the inferno roared on, swallowing each attempt. As the fire crept closer, her grandparents pulled her back, shielding her from the heat.

“It's okay, Epherene. You did your best, really. That's enough now...”

All she could do was wail, her anguished cries carried through the garden, swallowed by the blaze.

~

The child’s wail faded, and the scene shifted once more, shattering into fragments like pieces of broken glass.

“Ah...”

The coffin emerged from the shadows of the cold, dark room. Inside rested a lifeless figure—her father, now nothing but a corpse. Epherene’s eyes were hollow as she looked at him. The man who had once vowed to rebuild their family now lay there, a rope coiled around his neck...

~

I opened my eyes. The Magitech Brainwave Explorer had laid bare Epherene's unconscious mind. Now, I had what I needed to implant the magic circle within her consciousness.

Slowly, I channeled the wave of mana into her brain. The explorer wasn’t only for observing brainwaves; it could manipulate them as well. That was a modification I had implemented using the Midas Touch attribute.

Whooooom—

Carefully, I inscribed a high-level supportive spell, known as Link, into her brain. Supportive magic wasn’t my area of expertise as it is not my specialization category, but as long as Epherene didn’t resist, it would be manageable.

“Hmm...”

Hissss... Clunk—!

“Ow!”

"Use this to focus your mind on me. This medium will be essential, both in forming your mental guardian and in standing against him."

Ihelm smirked as he glanced at her and said, “Ah, the world’s most capable acting lord. What a privilege it is to meet you again.”

“Hmph, it certainly is. If you knew how much profit it made each month, you'd turn green with envy,” Yeriel retorted with a smirk.

It was Yukline's Second Theory: Advanced—a continuation of Yukline’s First Theory, which I had penned a while back.

“Oh... Um... Okay," Yeriel mumbled, her cheeks flushing slightly as she took the book.