How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 192

A Archmage’s research lab. If there aren’t treasures here, then where else could they be?

With that thought, Chelsea and I left the first room and continued walking down the long hallway, eager to explore what the next doors might hold.

“There’s another door,” Chelsea said, pointing ahead.

We approached the second room and opened the door cautiously.

*Swoooosh!*

“Ugh, what the hell—”

“That smell’s awful!”

A powerful gust of wind hit us, accompanied by a putrid, foul odor that made both of us wince.

Once the wind died down, we peeked inside the room and saw…

“Is this… a prison?” Chelsea murmured, tilting her head at the sight of the large iron bars filling the room. Scattered on the floor were several bones—huge ones and small ones alike.

“Those are monster bones, right?”

The varying sizes of the skeletal remains made it clear: this was a holding area for different monsters. We realized this must have been a place where creatures were held for experimentation.

“Looks like they used to trap monsters here for experiments,” I said as I scanned the room more thoroughly. My eyes soon landed on small plaques hanging from the iron bars, identifying each cell’s occupant.

[Snow Ogre], [Crimson Orc], [Valley Werewolf], [Mega Harpy], and more.

Seeing the names of these rare and unique monsters confirmed it. There was no need to linger here. I turned and said, “Let’s move on to the next room.”

Neither of us had any particular interest in monster studies, so we left the second room and quickly located the third.

This time…

“We hit the jackpot,” Chelsea whispered.

“Looks like we did.”

The room was filled with shelves stacked high with various potions and strange concoctions. From the labels and the descriptions, it was clear that these potions had been personally brewed by Archmage Katryzin herself.

Scanning the room, we quickly began grabbing anything that looked useful or interesting.

Among the potions, one, in particular, caught my eye.

[Potion of Nonexistence]

The name alone was intriguing enough to warrant attention. It wasn’t just a simple invisibility potion; it was a potion that could make you entirely undetectable—not just invisible, but untraceable in every sense.

[Did such a potion really exist?]

Frilla wondered aloud.

[If it was created by Archmage Katryzin, it’s not impossible. She was rumored to have mastered even the art of creation magic.]

Frilla’s tone was full of admiration.

[Hah! Creation magic? Is she trying to be some kind of god of magic? Humans and their arrogance…]

Airsya grumbled.

I nodded at Frilla’s assessment.

‘Exactly. That’s why we need to take these with us. Potions like this are rare, and we’ll never find them anywhere else.’

We continued to pack our bags with the most valuable-looking potions. I called over to Chelsea, “Take what you need, and let’s move on. There’s still more to explore.”

“Got it,” Chelsea responded, her hands already full of potions.

We moved on from the third room, leaving with armfuls of rare and strange potions. The next stop was the fourth room, and it felt like we were entering an actual treasure trove.

“Whoa, what is all this?”

“These are… artifacts. At least at the Unique grade, possibly even Legendary or Mythical.”
Chelsea’s eyes were wide with astonishment as she looked around.

She wasn’t exaggerating. The fourth room was like a display case for incredibly powerful magical artifacts. Items that would be priceless on the market were just lying here, waiting to be claimed.

“What’s this?” I asked as I picked up a circular artifact resembling a hula hoop.

“That one… it’s an artifact for continent-wide teleportation. You can use it once a week,” Chelsea read from the description nearby.

“What? Continent-wide teleportation?”

[That… that kind of magic is possible?]

Airsya asked, clearly taken aback.

[If rumors about her mastering creation magic were true, then this makes sense.]

Frilla added, still calm.

Teleportation magic was highly advanced. Even for the most skilled mages, teleportation had its limits, usually restricted to specific distances. Yet, here was an artifact capable of teleporting across continents.

‘If something like this already existed, magical engineering would have been far more advanced by now.’

Living in this world as Kamon Vade, I’d learned that the technology and magic levels were surprisingly inconsistent. There were times when certain advancements felt more advanced than 21st-century technology, while other aspects felt frustratingly medieval.

“Kamon, look at this. Is this what I think it is?”

I glanced over at what Chelsea was holding. “A meteor scroll?”

A magic scroll capable of summoning a meteor. Now that was something you didn’t see every day. Seeing something like this made it clear that continuing to search for more treasures would be worth the effort.

“What are you waiting for, Chelsea?”

“Huh?”

“Start grabbing everything you can!”

My urgent tone made Chelsea give a determined nod. With renewed vigor, we started to take as much as we could from the treasure-laden fourth room. Unfortunately, some items were too large to carry, but we took what we could.

“It’s a shame we can’t take everything,” Chelsea sighed.

“We’ll come back later. This is more than enough for now,” I reassured her, though I did feel a pang of regret for the artifacts we had to leave behind.

We left the fourth room with bags full of artifacts and potions. As expected from a secret research lab, there were items here that could cause immense chaos if they were ever revealed to the outside world.

By the time we’d explored the fifth and sixth rooms, we had gathered an assortment of powerful potions, treasures, and ancient tomes. But something still nagged at me.

‘There’s no sign of Anne yet.’

Despite the fact that Anne Carson, the former Red Mage, had visited this place before us, she hadn’t taken anything—no potions, no artifacts, no scrolls. She left everything behind, only marking her presence at the entrance. It didn’t make sense.

‘Why would she ignore all this?’

[Maybe she’s already a great enough mage that none of this interests her anymore?]

Airsya suggested.

Frilla, however, shook her head.

[No. The Red Mage was incredibly greedy. The fact that she sealed me here and forcibly converted my power into life energy proves she always had a goal in mind. There’s no way she left everything here without reason.]

Frilla’s voice was filled with disdain as she spoke of Anne. It was clear that whatever Anne had done to her, Frilla hadn’t forgiven.

I nodded in agreement.

‘We’ll keep searching this place to the very end.’

“Let’s keep moving,” I said.

“Alright,” Chelsea agreed without hesitation.

After returning to the hallway, we continued our journey through the seemingly endless corridor. Eventually, we came to what appeared to be the final room.

“There it is.”

“That must be the last door.”

Unlike the other doors, this one was massive, covered in rust, and situated at the very end of the corridor. The way it stood there, almost beckoning us, made it clear that this was the final room of the research lab.

As we approached, tension rose between us. I grabbed the rusty handle, and as I did—

*Zzzzzing.*

The door began to glow with a bright light, and an unfamiliar voice echoed in the air.

The voice was ancient and raspy, but from the tone, it was easy to assume that this was the voice of Archmage Katryzin.

And then—

‘What?’

Suddenly—

“Ahhh!”

*Thud!*

“What do you mean by the essence of a Archmage…?”

My voice echoed as I repeated the old man’s words. The title alone carried immense weight—so much so that my pulse quickened at the prospect of what exactly I was about to inherit.

The old man—or rather, the echo of Archmage Katryzin—let out a soft chuckle, his form shimmering faintly in the golden light.

“Yes, the essence of the Archmage. It is the culmination of all the knowledge, power, and wisdom that Katryzin gathered throughout his long life. As the one recognized as his heir, you shall inherit this essence. Through it, you will gain unparalleled mastery over magic.”

His words left me momentarily speechless. The essence of a legendary mage like Katryzin?
That kind of power could place me among the most powerful beings in existence.

Yet, something didn’t sit right.

The earlier hesitation in his voice when he called me ‘heir,’ his comment about how I was only “somewhat” qualified—it was obvious that I wasn’t a perfect fit. Was this essence truly mine to take? Would I even be able to handle it?

And then there was Chelsea… She was lying unconscious, unprotected, and I had been whisked away here without a choice. Could I trust the situation?

I narrowed my eyes, maintaining my composure.

“I appreciate the offer,” I began carefully, choosing my words with precision, “but there’s something I don’t quite understand. If this essence is so powerful, why me? And why now?”

The old man’s expression remained calm, though a flicker of something unreadable crossed his face.

“As I said, you possess the power—the life force infused within you. That power was originally Katryzin’s, and as the one who carries it, you are the heir by default.”

He paused, as if carefully weighing his next words.

“However,” he continued, his voice taking on a more solemn tone, “while you possess the qualifications, the true nature of the essence requires a mind and spirit capable of handling it. This is why I questioned your readiness. The essence will test you. It will push your limits. Only those with the strength to endure it can truly claim it.”

I frowned. “And if I fail?”

“If you fail, the essence will reject you. And it will take from you the very thing it was meant to give—your life force.”

Well, that was… comforting.

So it wasn’t just a simple inheritance of power. There was a price, and the gamble wasn’t exactly in my favor. But, I had come this far. If I backed down now, I’d lose more than I’d gain. Besides, I was never one to run from a challenge.

Still, I needed more information.

“You mentioned others have come here before but never made it through the door. Why is that?”

The old man’s image flickered slightly, his form growing dimmer as if he were fading away with each passing moment.

“The essence recognizes only those who are compatible with it. Many have tried, some stronger than you. But without the power of life force infused within them, none could enter. You are the first to carry this power, and thus, the first to have a chance to claim Katryzin’s legacy.”

It made sense now. The previous visitors—those who might have come to claim the Archmage’s treasures—hadn’t passed the test because they lacked the vital energy that I had inadvertently absorbed.

My thoughts turned to the Orb and the Silver Necklace, the two artifacts that had been instrumental in absorbing the life energy I now carried. Without them, I wouldn’t even be standing here, much less being offered this incredible power.

“Alright,” I said finally, my decision made. “I’ll accept the challenge. What do I need to do?”

The old man smiled, pleased with my response.

“Simply open yourself to the essence, and let it flow into you. It will seek out your deepest thoughts, your desires, and your weaknesses. If your spirit is strong enough, the essence will merge with you, and you will inherit all that Katryzin left behind.”

His form flickered again, dimming further as the golden light around me intensified.

“And if my spirit isn’t strong enough?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Then your life force will be consumed,” he said, his voice softer now. “And you will perish.”

A sharp breath escaped me, but I didn’t back down. I had faced life-or-death situations before, and this wouldn’t be the last. If I wanted power—if I wanted to survive this twisted fate and overcome the curses that plagued me—I needed to take risks.

“Fine,” I said, standing tall. “Let’s do this.”

The old man’s smile grew, and he raised his hand. The golden light around me coalesced into a singular point, swirling around my chest and forming a bright, pulsating orb.

“Then let the test begin.”

The orb of light shot toward me, embedding itself in my chest with a force that knocked the wind out of me. My body tensed, my vision blurred, and for a moment, I felt as if I were being torn apart from the inside out.

It was as if my very soul was being pulled in every direction, tested to its breaking point.

And then—images.

Memories.

Flashes of the past, both mine and not mine.

Kamon Vade’s memories.

The pain of being labeled a villain. The constant pressure of living under the curse that slowly chipped away at my life. The moments of doubt, of anger, of fear.

Katryzin’s memories.

A life filled with unimaginable magic, the battles against the Demon King Agnito, the creation of the hot springs, and the endless pursuit of knowledge. The joy of discovery, the burden of wielding such immense power, and finally, the decision to leave behind a legacy.

It was overwhelming. The weight of two lives crashing into one another, merging and battling for dominance.

My head pounded. My heart raced.

And then came the voice again.

“Will you accept it? The full weight of this power, with all its burdens and its risks? Will you stand tall, or will you crumble?”

The essence was challenging me, testing every fiber of my being.

For a split second, doubt crept in. Was I truly capable of wielding something this monumental? Was I ready for the consequences of what this power could bring?

But then I thought of Chelsea, still unconscious somewhere in this twisted space. I thought of the curses I needed to break, the enemies I needed to face, and the world I was determined to survive.

I gritted my teeth and pushed back with everything I had.

“Yes,” I growled through the pain. “I accept.”

The light around me pulsed, and then, suddenly—

Everything went dark.

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