A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 199

Chapter 199: Edge of Winter (2)

[Extreme Mastery Achieved: Metal Enhancement Completed]

◆ Purification of Mana Quality

◆ Property Granted

The purification of mana quality and the single strand of property granted beneath it signified a refined magical aura. It meant that my mana had taken on a distinct characteristic, a quality that set it apart. At the same time, it served as a clear marker of the level of mastery I had achieved.

[Mana Purification: Metal and Demon Destruction]

Mana purification was the process of removing the primal impurities from my mana, allowing it to be replaced with a distinct character.

“... Hmm. So you did have a plan after all.” Ihelm murmured, giving a nod.

The wall, once on the edge of breaking under the blasts of demonic energy, had already mended itself, now reinforced by an even denser flow of mana.

Like Yulie’s mana, always carrying a chill of frost; like the shadows seeping into Josephine’s; like the wind swirling around Sirio’s—the dual properties of Metal and Demon Destruction had now taken root in my mana.

I turned to face the gathered knights and mages—named characters standing as one—and ordered, “I’ll handle the wall. Ready yourselves for war.”

“... Oh. Yes, Professor.”

Delic and his knights moved first, with Yulie and Raphel following close behind.

However...

“If that’s the case,” Epherene said, stepping forward confidently and stopping beside me. “I’ll protect you, Professor.”

“Begone,” I commanded.

“What?!”

“Having a mage guard another mage is a waste—not exactly the most efficient use of resources,” Primien said, standing nearby.

Epherene puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

“Join the knights atop the wall and lend them your assistance,” I ordered.

Epherene was far better suited for the role, as her mana quality, capacity, and talent for destruction spells were beyond anything I could hope to rival—simply put, there was no other way to say it. _{freeweɓnovel.cѳm}

“... Okay,” Epherene said, pouting before turning away.

Epherene dragged her feet at first, but the moment the ninth blast struck, she broke into a full sprint.

“Have no worries. I am more than capable of handling myself in battle,” Primien reassured.

Knowing where Primien was from and the blood of the Scarletborn running through her veins, it was hard not to worry. However, the death variable was not in play around her—at least, not yet.

"I leave my back in your hands."

Thud—!

Planting my staff firmly into the ground, I stood unshaken, my full focus locked on the wall.

But this time, even after the tenth blast, the wall reinforced with my mana remained untouched. At the very least, no attack forged from demonic energy could ever break through the Mana of Demon Destruction...

***

Beyond the Land of Destruction, an unending horde of demonic beasts surged forward, swallowing the horizon in a tide of darkness as Ria pressed a hand to her forehead.

Had the wall fallen—had the defenses not held—this would have been more than just a disaster; it would have marked the beginning of the continent’s end. And with that, the main quest’s difficulty had risen to an entirely new level.

“Ria, do you think you can do it?” Ganesha asked, watching as Ria nibbled at her fingernails.

They quietly observed the tortoise in the Forest of Demonic Energy.

"What was that? Oh, yeah. Of course. What about you, Leo?"

“Me too! Of course!”

Leo was a classic brawler, but with an unusual twist—he was a long-range fighter whose punches could reach far beyond a normal strike. Not in the way of a rubber bodied pirate with slinging fists across a ship, but rather, each blow carried its full force and weight across at least fifty-five yards.

"I learned how to box from you too!" Leo added, throwing quick punches into the air with a whooshing sound.

“Alright, then! Hah!” Ria huffed, letting out a big breath before turning to Ganesha. “I’m ready now!”

“Alright, alright~” Ganesha said with a warm smile, snapping a nearby branch.

The branch, soaked in demonic energy, would have seared human flesh on contact, but Ganesha stood unaffected.

"I'll take out the tortoise first. After that, follow me, and then... you know what to do next, right? Trust your instincts—they're just as important to train~" Ganesha added, then gripped the branch and drew her arm back, poised to throw it like a spear.

And then...

Whrrrrrrrrrrrrrshhh—!

The branch snapped from Ganesha’s hand and shot forward, ripping through the air in a violent surge. It streaked ahead, faster than any bullet—a supersonic force that pierced straight into the tortoise’s maw, followed by a shrill scream.

“Grrrr—!”

The pain must have been agonizing, as Ganesha’s two attributes, Invincible Body and Master of All Martial Arts, made her body as solid as diamond, while the latter infused anything she handled with that same indestructible force.

In other words, the ordinary branch Ganesha had just thrown became an invincible weapon the moment it left her hand—firm upon release and unstoppable upon impact.

“Hup!”

Ganesha hurled branch after branch, each one slicing through the air like a gunshot, making it all too easy for the enemy to pinpoint her location.

Ssssss...!

As the Altar’s mages began chanting their spell of demonic energy, Ganesha found herself unexpectedly powerless. As a pure martial artist at heart, she had no refined counter to magic—only the brutal simplicity of taking down the caster before the spell could take form.

“Ria, you’re up!”

“On it!”

And so, in times like this, Ria stepped forward, closing her eyes as she concentrated and gathered her mana. It rose to the surface like a thin, shimmering veil, sending gentle ripples through the air as a translucent blue barrier began to take shape.

Fwoooosh—!

The torrent of demonic energy rushed toward her, but it failed to break through the veil and scattered upon contact, bursting into a splash of water.

Splashh—!

This was Ria’s talent—Dismantler—a rare and advanced attribute that allowed her to break down anything, whether mana or demonic energy, at the cost of her own mana.

While she held back the tide of magical energies, Ganesha hurled branches like spears at the tortoise, and Leo, with a perfect balance of strength and strategy, struck down the approaching demonic beasts below with his fists of long range.

“Hmm?”

But then, Ria sensed something was off. Only ten mages controlled the tortoise—far too few—and not a single warrior stood watch to defend them.

Last time they came, there were about a hundred of them... Ria thought.

“... Oh!”

Ria realized it too late.

“This is a feint tactic!”

“... Paint? What paint? Do we have to paint something?” Leo asked, swinging his fists.

“No, not paint!” Ria said, shaking her head before pointing to the far wall of Rekordak. “The Altar’s entire army is probably...”

Only a handful of knights and prisoners stood watch at Rekordak’s rear gate, the very place where the Altar would soon descend.

***

Boom—! Boom—!

The battlefield trembled with the roar of exploding magic spells.

Thwwip—!

The intense twang of the crossbow, spitting arrows into the air like a haunting wail.

"Hold your ground and do not let them escape! For Her Majesty—let your loyalty be proven in blood!"

With a mighty shout, the knights charged into the chaos of battle.

“You motherfuckers, just die already—! Fucking die, you goddamn piece of shit—!”

The prisoners fought with fear, their white knuckled grips tightening around their weapons.

“... Hmm.”

From a distance, a man with flowing white hair watched as the unending war burned on.

“It seems they are barely holding the line.”

Zeit von Bluegang Freyden stood on a distant ridge, overlooking the entrance to Rekordak.

“Deculein holds the wall... and Yulie—she wades through the heart of battle,” Zeit murmured.

Then, as Zeit silently observed the battlefield, his eyes widened.

Whooooosh—

A sudden, ominous dark wind howled through the air, and from below, a group of hooded mages emerged from the shadows.

“Hmm..”

“I did not come to bolster Rekordak’s front lines... but it seems I have little choice,” Zeit thought, stroking his chin, then leapt from the ridge.

Boom—!

“Oh, yes. That would be me.”

Crack— Crack,crack—

Crack—

Thud—

Crackle—

Cruuuuuunch—!

Smaaaaaash—!

“Aaaaaahhh—!”

"Aahh—! Aaaaahhh—!"