How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 204

“……”

Step, step.

Thankfully, the purple barrier moved along with me as I walked.

[Aye, Kamon. What are you doing?]

[Master, this is dangerous.]

Airsya and Frilla buzzed anxiously beside me, but I ignored them and continued forward.

As I walked through the devastation of the academy’s buildings, a familiar figure caught my eye, lying injured on the ground, groaning in pain.

“Professor… Phelan?”

It was Professor Phelan, the bald, aging head of the Magic Department, who had always been ambitious for the position of headmaster. The sight of him lying here, bloodied, was strangely jarring. For someone who usually seemed the type to flee at the first sign of danger, his presence here was surprising.

“Who… who’s there?”

His voice trembled with fear as he looked up, and I quickly approached him, lowering my head.

“Professor, are you alright?”

“K-Kamon?”

“Yes, it’s me, Kamon.”

Once my sponsor, and someone I’d shared multiple encounters with—though we didn’t exactly have a warm or positive relationship, there was a shared history between us.

“Damn it. You need to get out of here. You shouldn’t be here!”

“What?”

“This place is extremely dangerous. Go to the Flix Hall immediately. Professor Beroen has set up an emergency teleportation circle there. Get out of here quickly…”

Boom!

Before he could finish, an explosion tore through a nearby building, swallowing his words.

Then—

Grab!

“Kuh, Kamon!”

With blood running down his forehead, blinding one eye, Professor Phelan grabbed my arm, pulling me close as he shouted urgently.

“Don’t be afraid to run! There’s no shame in being weak. The talents of you and the other students shine brighter than anyone. Take this defeat and anger, use it as fuel, and grow stronger to get your revenge!”

“…What?”

“Go, now. We, the professors, will hold the line.”

His tone was grave, his expression serious, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of disbelief.

‘Is… is he serious?’

The Professor Phelan I knew, in both my experience and the novel, was someone who acted purely out of self-interest, motivated by status and personal gain.

And yet here he was, risking his life to protect the academy’s students.

[Aye, this old man’s right, Kamon. Now’s not the time to stick around. Don’t mess with that crazy woman.]

[Anne Carson is a monster. Running is the right choice, Master.]

Even Airsya and Frilla, who usually bickered, were in rare agreement, urging me to flee.

Still silent as I processed their words, Professor Phelan, growing frustrated, snapped at me.

“Ugh, you’re such a nuisance. Kamon, if you don’t want to get expelled, then leave now!”

“…”

“As the Head of the Magic Department, I command you—get out! Or do you think I won’t expel you on the spot?”

His tone held a power and authority that was hard to resist, and instinctively, I rose to my feet.

“…Understood, Professor. I’m sorry.”

At my reluctant apology, he only glared and barked.

“Just shut up and go already!”

Rumble!

With Professor Phelan’s shout, another building collapsed nearby, adding to the devastation.

And just like the collapsing structures around me—

‘It feels like everything I thought I knew is crumbling.’

Up until now, I had navigated this world based solely on the knowledge I’d brought with me, judging and making decisions based on that alone.

Whom to approach, whom to avoid.

How to react to any given situation.

But now—

‘From Kamon Vade to Professor Phelan…’

Everyone was defying my expectations, revealing new sides to themselves.

Step, step.

As I continued walking, various scenes unfolded before me.

A professor lying unconscious, bleeding.

Someone struggling to rescue another, groaning in pain.

Others rushing to protect students, leading them to safety.

Even amid the worst of situations, Flance Imperial Academy’s professors and staff were fulfilling their duties.

Yet, even so—

Boom!

The continuous booming from the skies above never ceased.

Though I wasn’t sure of Anne Carson’s full power…

‘She’s holding her own against two of the Three Mages?’

It was astounding that she could withstand the combined assault of figures who stood among the strongest in this world.

[Ugh, just the shockwaves are enough to knock me off balance.]

[The power is affecting even us. This is truly a battle of monsters.]

Hearing the spirits’ remarks, I shook my head in disbelief.

What exactly was she?

‘She wasn’t even mentioned properly in the original story!’

I could only clutch my head, overwhelmed by the gap between my knowledge and this altered reality.

The world I knew was so different from the one I faced now.

Yet I still couldn’t let go of that knowledge, clinging to what I knew of the original story.

‘Kang Hyunsoo, you idiot.’

Everything was collapsing, reduced to rubble and ashes. And in this ruined place…

Step, step.

I started walking again.

“It’s fine. Everything’s gone wrong, but as long as Kyle is alive, it’ll work out. The protagonist’s overpowered cheat abilities should be enough.”

In the novel, Kyle, the protagonist, could overcome any obstacle effortlessly, like a living Deus ex machina.

If I could just guide him, ensure he survived and grew stronger, there had to be a way out of this mess, even if the original story had been twisted beyond recognition.

“Please, I hope he managed to escape…”

At his current strength, Kyle couldn’t possibly survive against an enemy that could hold her ground against two of the Triadic Mages.

If this were the latter half of the story, it might be a different matter, but right now, we were still only in the early stages.

If we could just get through this, I had plans to use every piece of knowledge I had from the original story to help him grow stronger, faster.

“Hang on, Kyle Perion! I’ll set everything up for you if you’re just alive!”

As I shouted—

Whoooosh!

A dark object plummeted from the sky.

Thud!

“Urgh…”

A voice groaned in pain, and as I looked closer, I realized—

“…Kyle?”

The figure before me was indeed the one I had desperately been searching for—the protagonist, Kyle Perion.

His body was scorched and battered, his injuries so severe that he seemed on the verge of death.

“Hey, Kyle! What happened to you?!”

“K-Ka…mon?”

Even in his condition, he managed a faint smile as he looked at me.

“Tha…thank goodness…you’re…here…” he muttered before falling unconscious.

“Damn it. Hold on!” I quickly reached out, intending to use the healing power stored in the Orb.

But—

Thud!

“What…?”

A strange sound echoed, and the Orb didn’t respond.

Thud! Thud!

“No… what’s going on?”

Then, a voice came from above.

“I’m afraid I already disabled the Orb. After all, I’m the one who created it.”

“Anne Carson!”

I turned to see Anne Carson hovering in the air, looking perfectly composed. Beside her, Jamie and Beatrice were barely clinging to life, held captive by her magic.

“Teacher… Sis?!”

“Who…who are you calling… sis… K-Kamon…” Beatrice murmured weakly, her voice barely a whisper.

Both of them, battered and bruised, were bound by Anne Carson’s power. Although they hadn’t lost consciousness, they were in grave danger and needed immediate help, just like Kyle.

“Disciple, you need to get out of here. This woman is too strong,” Jamie gasped.

“Yeah… Kamon, get out of here! We’ll handle this somehow…” Beatrice tried to say, but before she could finish, Anne flicked her hand, silencing them with a powerful blow that left them unconscious.

“No!”

“There’s no need to scream,” Anne sneered. “I haven’t killed them… yet.”

Glaring at her, the source of all this chaos, I demanded, “Who the hell are you?”

“Me?” She let out a mocking laugh, her voice lowering as she replied.

“You already know, don’t you, Kamon Vade? Or should I say… the man from another dimension?”

“What?”

“I am one of the Seven Deadly Sins—‘Wrath.’ I lead the Shadow Organization, and I am the one who will resurrect the Demon King in this era.”

The shock hit me like a wave. I couldn’t even begin to process what I was hearing.

“…”

The sheer absurdity of the situation left me speechless, staring at her in disbelief.

“By the look on your face, I take it you don’t quite understand yet. Are you surprised that I know who you really are? Or that I am a fallen spirit? Or maybe because I plan to resurrect the Demon King?” She chuckled, her gaze hardening as she continued, “Never show me that stupid expression again, outsider.”

Snap!

At the snap of her fingers—

Shatter!

The protective purple barrier around me shattered instantly, and a wave of crushing pain overwhelmed me.

“Aaagh!”

Thud!

[Ka-Kamon!]

[Master!]

Unable to endure even a second, I collapsed to the ground. Slowly, Anne Carson descended, her feet touching the ground beside me.

Thud.

As soon as she landed—

Whoosh.

[Wh-What? M-Master!]

[Gaaah! What is this…?!]

Airsya and Frilla, who were by my side, suddenly vanished, swept away by some unseen force.

“A-Airsya! Frilla!” I shouted, trying to call them back.

But they disappeared without a trace.

“Hm, quite tasty,” Anne remarked with a satisfied grin.

“You… what the hell did you do, you lunatic?!”

Tap. Tap.

Anne approached me without hesitation and kicked me hard.

Thwack!

“Kuh!”

Already overwhelmed with unbearable pain, her kick made my head spin even more.

But she didn’t stop there.

Whack! Thud! Thwack! Thud!

“Playing dumb in front of me, are we?”

Her relentless kicks continued, and I could do nothing to defend myself, taking every blow.

‘If this keeps up… I’m actually going to die.’

As the beating continued, my vision began to blur, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

“Haa, damn it,” she spat, stopping her assault to look down at me as I lay gasping in pain. She knelt down, staring at me with a mocking smile.

“Is this unfair for you? Yeah, I guess it is. Anyone would feel that way—just reading about this world, then being dragged into it like a puppet, suffering endlessly. It would be enough to make anyone feel miserable.”

She nodded mockingly, her grin growing colder.

“But so what? You think you have it worse than us, trapped in this world as lifeless dolls?”

Her eyes glinted with a dangerous intensity as she continued.

“This world is a story, with an ending that’s already set in stone. And how do you think I learned that?”

‘What… what the hell is this lunatic talking about?’

“Stop pretending. Just come out already, ‘Arrogance,’ you piece of trash!”

Smack!

“Kuh!”

The pain became unbearable, and I felt myself slipping out of consciousness.

Buzz!

“Oh, finally?”

A low hum filled the air as a black shield formed around me. Then, I heard a voice.

[Get a grip, Kang Hyunsoo.]

‘…Huh?’

A small, black dragon appeared before my eyes.

‘What… is this?’

[Wake up, idiot. I’m the real Kamon Vade.]