How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 44

Seeing Diana, who had fallen for my provocation, crying out my name like a madwoman made me chuckle. I started moving again immediately.

Splash! Splash!

Sure, teasing Diana was fun, but the most important thing right now was to get the “Orb.”

Just as I was making my way toward the dragon statue, I heard an unfamiliar sound behind me.

Whiz, whiz!

“Huh?”

I turned my head back to see what it was.

“What the… Are you kidding me?”

There was Diana, using a whip like a vine, flying through the air by latching onto the columns.

Whiz, snap! Whiz, snap!

What is she, Tarzan of the jungle? Using a whip to swing around?

“Miss! That’s dangerous!”

“Shut up and wait for my signal!”

Diana shouted at her subordinates without stopping her movements.

“I’ll tear you apart with my own hands, Kamon Vade.”

Her eyes, filled with a crazed intensity, were fixed solely on me, making me shiver.

‘Did I provoke her too much?’

No, there’s no turning back now. I’ve already crossed the point of no return. Just ignore her and keep going.

At that moment…

Vroom, vroom!

I saw Diana gripping the whip with both hands, swinging back and forth around a huge pillar, gaining incredible momentum.

Like an acrobat performing a high-flying act in a circus, she created a powerful pendulum motion and…

Whiz! Snap!

Without hesitation, she released the whip and launched herself into the air.

“Miss!”

“Watch out! Miss!”

Everyone cried out in shock as they watched her.

“Now! Freeze the water with magic!”

At Diana’s command, the mages reached out towards the raging water.

Crack!

Simultaneously, the water began to freeze over again, forming a thin sheet of ice.

Crack, snap!

With a light step, Diana landed on the ice and took off into the air again.

‘Did she just… succeed again?’

I watched her with my mouth agape, then shook my head and quickly moved on.

Splash! Splash!

Damn, at this rate, she might really catch up to me.

“Stop right there, Kamon Vade!”

“Why should I, you crazy bitch?”

Hearing Diana’s voice much closer now sent chills down my spine.

Whiz!

I heard a sharp sound behind me, as if something was flying towards me.

Splash, thud!

I quickly dodged to the side, just as a long whip brushed past where I had been.

“What the hell?!”

“Almost got you!”

The distance between Diana and me had narrowed to where her whip could reach.

Swish!

I narrowly avoided the whip again and shouted at Diana.

“For fuck’s sake! Just leave me alone, you crazy bitch!”

Thud!

Diana, who had leapt into the air again, yelled back angrily.

“I told you.”

“What?”

“I will kill you no matter what. How dare you covet what’s mine? I’ll tear you apart, limb from limb.”

Seeing Diana scream with a half-crazed look in her eyes, I strengthened my resolve and pushed forward.

Splash! Splash!

To be fair, Diana, I came looking for you first!

Splash, splash.

Finally, I reached the dragon statue and quickly climbed up, aiming for its mouth.

But…

Whiz, snap!

Diana’s whip was faster, wrapping around the dragon statue’s arm…

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Swish!

She swung through the air, latching onto the dragon statue.

“What? Is that what you were after?”

Diana laughed mockingly and swung her whip again.

“No, don’t!”

I screamed in panic and reached out as fast as I could.

Swish!

Her leather whip made a sharp sound as it flew towards the “Orb,” seemingly faster.

“Got it.”

“What?”

With Diana’s short exclamation…

Whirr!

Her whip swiftly changed direction and wrapped around my hand.

“Ugh!”

The sting of the whip wrapping around my hand and arm was intense.

With a bitter smile, Diana sneered.

“Heh, heh heh. It’s over for you now, Kamon Vade.”

“What the hell are you talking about, you crazy bitch!”

“I won’t let you die easily, Kamon Vade. I will make sure you suffer…”

“Gah!”

I pulled the whip wrapped around my arm as hard as I could, throwing myself down towards the strong water flow below the statue.

“What, what the hell are you doing… Ah!”

Diana, taken aback by my sudden move, hurriedly pulled the whip.

But the weight of my falling body, enhanced by gravity, was too much for her to handle.

“Damn it, why are you so heavy…?”

Of course, I drank a potion to increase my weight to cross the strong water currents!

The potion I used to get through the trap had become an unexpected weapon in my favor.

“Ugh!”

Grabbing the whip with both hands and gritting her teeth, Diana tried to pull me up.

“How is it? Heavy, isn’t it? But it’s going to get even heavier now, huff!”

With a slight smile, I grabbed the whip wrapped around my arm with my other hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Let’s fall together.”

“You bastard… Ahhh!”

Caught off guard by the unexpected force, Diana missed the timing to let go of the whip and fell with me beneath the dragon statue.

Swoosh, splash!

Watching Diana plunge into the stream after me, I immediately used my heavy weight to plant my feet on the ground. Then, swiftly,

“Phew!”

I quickly climbed back onto the dragon statue.

“Kamon Vade, you bastard!!!”

Diana, having fallen into the water and clinging to the edge of the statue, screamed in rage.

“I’ll never forgive you. I will definitely kill you!”

Splash, splash.

Seeing her struggling desperately to avoid being swept away by the current, I shook my head and muttered.

“How many times have you threatened to kill me now? It’s not even intimidating anymore. And you might drown before you get the chance to kill me.”

“Aaaargh!”

Leaving Diana behind as she screamed in furious frustration, I turned my attention back to the “Orb” shimmering inside the dragon statue’s mouth. I was about to climb up to it when…

Crack!

I heard the sound of something freezing.

“Hurry up, you idiots!”

Diana, who had been on the brink of being swept away, was now climbing up using the ice that had formed around her.

“Damn, she’s persistent!”

Muttering to myself, I ignored her and moved quickly to grab the “Orb.” But then,

“You’re dead now!”

Diana, gritting her teeth, began to climb the statue at an incredible speed.

Tap, tap!

Despite being soaked, she clung to the statue and climbed like a spider, her speed making me shiver with dread.

‘Fuck. This crazy bitch isn’t just crazy, she’s absolutely insane!’

“Kaaamon!”

Chasing after me with a voice rough as if possessed by a demon, I averted my gaze and quickly reached out.

Finally,

Clack!

I felt the sensation of the “Orb” in my hand.

“I got it. It’s all over…”

Grab!

“Who said it’s over?!”

Diana, now right below me, grabbed my leg with bloodshot eyes.

“You crazy psycho… Huh?”

Vroooom!

“What, what is this?”

The “Orb” in my hand suddenly began to react.

‘Is it absorbing mana?’

Vroooom!

At the same time, the milky white orb started to glow and stuck to my hand.

“Ugh! What’s happening?!”

It felt like a powerful vacuum was sucking in everything around it.

“Gah, ugh!”

I felt an indescribable, bizarre pain. Moreover, my body felt paralyzed, unable to move.

Seeing the “Orb” crazily sucking something out of my body, Diana shouted fiercely.

“What is that? Give it to me! It’s mine!”

‘Shit. What the hell is this?!’

“Ugh, ugh.”

Just as I felt like my body would be torn apart, the orb, which had been frantically absorbing my mana, began to change.

Its light grew stronger.

“What?”

Crack!

Suddenly, with a cracking sound, the intensely glowing orb began to absorb all the air around it.

“What the hell…”

Diana’s voice, clinging desperately to my leg, was cut off as,

Boom!

A massive shockwave burst out from the orb, emitting a blinding light.

Boom!

Bang!

Rumble!

With a powerful explosion of magical energy that swept everything away, everything on the altar was blown away. Even,

Sizzle.

The water that had flooded the trap around the altar rapidly evaporated.

The surprising part was,

“What the hell just happened…?”

I was the only one who wasn’t affected by the explosion, thanks to the “Orb.”

“…”

Everyone else was knocked out and scattered around the altar. Even Diana, who had been clutching my ankle, was now unconscious with her head stuck under the statue.

All of Diana’s subordinates, who were on the stairs connected to the altar, were also down.

“What the hell…”

Momentarily speechless at the overwhelming situation, I looked at the orb in my hand.

“Did it go berserk?”

It occurred to me that there might be more to the “Orb,” which had only been used as a trap item so far.

But I quickly shook my head to clear my thoughts.

“This isn’t the time for this. I need to get out of here.”

With both Elliot’s forces and Diana’s forces down, and with the “Orb” in my possession, escaping quietly was my best option.

Tap!

With my thoughts organized, I quickly climbed down the statue.

“…Vade.”

Despite being unconscious, Diana seemed to murmur my name.

“Ugh. This is really scary.”

I shook off my unease and started to walk away quickly. As I hurried to escape the chaos left by the orb’s rampage,

Bang!

I heard something break behind me.

At the same time,

“Stop right there!”

‘Huh? That voice…?’

Thump!

Wet footsteps approached as a voice called my name.

“Kamon Vade, don’t take another step.”

No way. Kyle, why are you doing this to me?!