A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 205

Chapter 205: Proof (1)

Ria and Carlos bolted without hesitation, darting behind a nearby wall as if their lives depended on it.

“... I don’t see him.”

Fortunately, Deculein didn’t give chase—or rather, he had never intended to, which was surprising in itself. Of course, the instant his eyes fell on Carlos, his pupils flared wide, like a ghost. Seeing the Yukline bloodline awaken at the mere sight of a demon was nothing short of terrifying.

“It’s okay, Carlos,” Ria said, patting Carlos’s head.

Just crossing paths with him had drained the color from Carlos’s face, leaving him trembling with fear.

"Let’s see..." Ria muttered, peeking over the wall and scanning the area. Everything looked normal—no one was chasing them. "... Carlos? Let’s go. It should be okay now."

Carlos nodded silently, and the two slipped out like mice, moving quickly. Their destination was the entrance to the Passage, where their party awaited. Glancing around cautiously at their surroundings, they continued until, just as they approached their goal, a voice called out to them.

“Oh, there they are.”

Leo stood alongside Yulie and Sylvia, waiting. Ria, now safely reunited with her party, finally let out a breath of relief.

"What's wrong, Ria? Carlos doesn’t look so good either," Leo asked.

"Did something happen?" Yulie asked.

The two merely shook their heads before turning back to the passage. Its entrance, gaping like the maw of a cavern, remained sealed, yet the space around it bustled with people moving about.

"When will it open?" Ria asked.

“That fool has been standing there, acting important this whole time,” Sylvia grumbled, shooting a glare at a man who seemed to be in charge near the cavernous entrance. “... Should I just kill him?”

Geff, the supervisor of the cavern, sat absorbed in a book, a pipe clenched between his lips, his hair neatly parted down the middle, and his mustache curled slightly upward as he exhaled slow puffs of smoke. In the World of Voice, the key to clearing this place was to reach the deepest point of the concentric circles, and the cavern served as the entryway.

“Umm, I guess it’s not time yet.”

Ria recognized the NPC—he was a named character from the long-extinct species of beastmen. In other words, he was someone who had already died in the real world.

“Hmm,” Geff muttered as he finally got to his feet, tossing aside the book he had been reading and scanning the gathered crowd. "Quite the turnout. What, nearly nine thousand? That’s a hell of a lot."

"Just open the damn door!" one of the men barked.

"Hold your horses. Let me explain first," Geff replied, eyeing the impatient men with a grin.

Ria carefully scanned the crowd. Though thousands had gathered for the limited spots, one presence was undeniable—Deculein was here, somewhere nearby.

"As y’all know, this Passage leads deeper into this world."

The moment those words left his mouth, a quest notification appeared.

[Independent Quest: Enter the Passage]

◆ Store Currency +2

"Of course, you could just barge in without too much thought," Geff continued, tapping his temple with a grin. "But listen here—this place ain't for the faint of heart. If you don’t have the guts, the patience, or the resolve to see it through, well... you might not make it out alive."

“Just open the fucking door, you fucking shit!”

Geff twisted his lips before unfastening the barrier blocking the cavern entrance. The moment it opened, a flood of people rushed in, pouring through like a breaking wave.

“Let’s hurry too!” Ria said, pushing the party into the rushing crowd.

“There seems to be no need to rush,” Yulie said.

“Carry yourself with some dignity,” Sylvia said.

Yulie and Sylvia clearly seemed uncomfortable with the pressing crowd, but Ria, determined to avoid any chance of crossing paths with Deculein, dragged them forward.

***

I walked through the long passage within the cavern, the darkness pressing in around me.

"All we have to do is walk?" Epherene asked.

"Keep walking, and a checkpoint will appear," I replied.

“A checkpoint?”

"It’s a place to rest, like an accommodation."

The cavern followed a spiraling path, winding deeper into the concentric circles. In theory, reaching the center was just a matter of walking—but if it were that simple, it wouldn’t be called a demon’s independent quest.

“But Professor, why did they run off? They left before I could even say hello.”

Ria and Carlos, the half-human, half-demon, had stirred my heart for a moment, but whether it was because the massacre at Rekordak had left me somewhat satisfied, or because the exhaustion had numbed my instincts, I didn't feel any urge to chase after them.

Besides, my wounds had yet to fully heal. Even if I had given chase, with Carlos and Ria working together, they likely would have slipped through my hand.

"It’s just spooky and empty... Do we really not have to run like them?" Epherene asked.

"They'll fall behind soon enough," I replied.

Rushing ahead held no real advantage. This cavern tested one thing above all—pure mental strength. And, if anything, that was Deculein’s greatest strength.

"Keep quiet and follow."

“... Okay.”

Thud, thud— Thud, thud—

Step by step, we continued walking through the darkness.

***

Epherene stepped forward through the dark cavern. Water splashed beneath her feet, rippling through the silence. And so, they simply kept walking.

“Professor, would you like a snack?” Epherene asked, pulling a treat from the bundle she carried and holding it out.

There was no response from Deculein.

Epherene popped one into her mouth and said, "Professor, it’s really good... Are you sure you don’t...?"

Stomp—

Epherene came to a sudden stop. Something was off—or rather, at some point, Deculein had disappeared. The spot ahead, where he should have been, was empty.

“... Professor?”

With Deculein’s strides easily twice, perhaps three times her own, Epherene hurried forward, breaking into a run.

“Professor!”

Epherene ran, calling out, but no response came. The cavern's darkness grew heavier, and sweat trickled down her forehead. _{freeωebnovēl.c૦m}

“... Professor.”

As Epherene gasped for breath and muttered to herself, a strange voice crept into her ear.

— ■■■■■.

A distorted, garbled voice crackled like a broken frequency, forcing Epherene to cover her ears. But soon, the noise changed, morphing into a voice she knew all too well.

— Epherene.

As the voice echoed through the air, Epherene's eyes widened, snapping toward its source.

“... Ah.”

There, in front of her, stood her father, Kagan Luna, standing just three steps away.

— Epherene. Deculein killed me.

But blood streamed from his eyes like tears, a noose tightened around his neck, and his face was as pale as a corpse. Epherene tried to step back, but her legs refused to move, her feet frozen in place.

— And yet, you!

The wail of the dead rushed toward Epherene, its chilling breath ruffling her hair, and tears gathered in her eyes.

— What are you doing there?

Those were words that cut through her heart like a blade.

— Will you not avenge me?

— The only one thing I ever expected from you.

— I wanted you to kill Deculein and avenge me.

— You...

Decalane once told me that nonsense—that my father never loved me. Was it the truth, or just a cruel ploy to break me? If it was the truth, then what did that make me? I had lived believing in nothing but my father and became a mage for his sake...

“Gasp...!”

No... that’s not my father. He can’t be. The father who always told me he loved me, who said he always believed in me...

Grit—

"Sniffle!" Epherene murmured as she looked up, swallowing her tears.

Tap— Tap— Tap—