A Villain's Will to Survive-Chapter 198: Edge of Winter (1)

The Altar withdrew from the wall with nothing to show for their failed assault, yet strangely, they remained composed. Arlos, staying within the sanctuary, found it odd—no, the very nature of this place was a mystery in itself.

"This place seems to be divided into several different facilities, is it?" Arlos asked as she walked down the dim corridor alongside a low-ranking priest she had recently become somewhat familiar with.

"Accommodations, schools, dining halls, and training grounds for battle priests—we have spent decades of our lives within this sanctuary," the priest replied, briefly glancing at Arlos.

“In this darkness?”

"Yes. But soon, that will no longer be necessary. When God returns, He will cast judgment upon the godslayers of this continent and lead us into a new, untainted world—one where He shall walk among us once more."

Their beliefs were nothing short of fanatical, and their perspective on history and worldview were starkly different from those of the continent.

“Godslay?”

"Yes. In the distant past, the people of this continent slew God and built their nations upon that sin. Such a crime can never be forgiven."

To them, the people of the continent—more precisely, their ancestors—had slain God, staining their bloodline with an unforgivable sin. Every descendant was marked as a godslayer by birth.

In contrast, the Altar regarded itself as the last true faith, the only religion sanctioned by the divine, devoted to the resurrection of their fallen god. And when their god rose once more, they believed he would bring judgment upon the continent.

"Is there another plan now that the wall still stands?"

The Altar’s plan was to send their vanguard to break through the wall, then, just as the southern advance of the demonic beasts descended, seal off every escape route, ensuring the destruction of Rekordak.

However, Deculein had backed his confidence with overwhelming force, turning the battle into a farce. The vanguard, meant to break the wall, was forced into a humiliating retreat within ten minutes of their charge.

The priest remained silent, far more guarded than the lowest ranked members of the cult.

Creeeak—

“This will be your workshop. Step inside,” the priest said, pushing open a door along the corridor.

Arlos scanned the room, and from the finest mana stones to chisels, needles, thread, awls, and saws—every tool needed for crafting puppets was neatly arranged inside.

"Everything seems to be in order."

"Of course it is. But before that," the priest said, gathering demonic energy in his palm.

Zziiiing—

Then, he raised his hand and conducted an inspection, scanning Arlos from head to toe.

“... I don’t see any mana stones or devices on you. Go ahead and enter."

Arlos gave a slight nod and stepped inside the workshop, grabbing a tiny electronic device hidden in her pocket.

"Will the crafting proceed without issue?" the priest asked.

"I should be able to craft a few fine puppets."

"Good. That is what I expected. Good luck with that, troglodyte. Your cooperation will be rewarded with survival in the days to come."

“... Survival?”

"Yes. I'll take my leave now. The elder will bring down the detailed sheets soon."

Creeeak—

As the door shut behind the priest leaving the workshop, Arlos pressed the buttons of her device at intervals, transmitting a message in Morse code.

Tap, tap, tap—

Here, as every word spoken and every action taken would be under the Altar's surveillance, she chose to rely on another method he had created for transmitting a coded message.

***

Arlos’s coded message reached me, but it held nothing of value—only confirmations of what I already knew.

"... I suppose I’ll have to wait for her to dig deeper," I muttered, turning my eyes forward.

Before me loomed the wall—battered by continuous waves of demonic beasts. Its right flank, in particular, was barely holding together, its structure weakened by the constant pounding. It wouldn’t last much longer...

I pressed my hand against the wall and closed my eyes, reaching out with Comprehension to connect with it. My talent lay in fire and earth—elements that, when fused, gave birth to steel. Anything tied to metal was within my reach, allowing my abilities to extend to an exceptional level.

“Sigh...”

Of course, I had still to perfect Metal Enhancement, but this Comprehension was a necessary foundation for its completion. Even if I mastered the technique, a lack of mana could still render it useless.

"... I’ve won!"

At the sudden sound of a voice, I turned and found Yulie and Raphel standing there.

"I've finally won!" Yulie exclaimed, bursting with excitement and triumph after the spar.

I didn’t see the match myself, but if she managed to defeat Raphel, it means she must have improved quite a bit. She used to lose every time, I thought.

“Finally! Finally!”

"... Is your victory that sweet?" I murmured to myself with a slight chuckle.

With her victorious cheers fading behind me, I turned my attention back to my Comprehension of the wall. Once finished, I ascended to the top.

[Comprehension: 53%]

Having spent more than half my mana on Comprehension, the understanding I gained was at a level of satisfaction.

"Boss, you're here," Louina said with a smile, standing watch in my place.

I gave a slight nod and took a seat.

The day was nearing its end.

***

“... It’s been pretty quiet lately,” Epherene mumbled between bites as she ate atop the wall.

There wasn't much of a menu to speak of—just a few chunks of meat and a single bowl of porridge on the tray.

“Chew, chew— Chew, chew—”

Even Epherene, a known foodie, struggled with the meal, chewing it like gum, as if she had been working on the same piece of meat for minutes.

"A storm is approaching. Brace yourselves," I said.

The reason for such peace had a simple explanation—the lesser demonic beasts had already fled, their will broken by the oppressive force of the advancing horde.

"I see," replied Deputy Director Primien, hugging a portable heater to herself as she remained in Rekordak.

“... Hup! Haaah!”

At that moment, a spirited shout rang out from beneath the wall, drawing my eyes downward.

Clang— Clang, cling—!

Sirio and Yulie crossed blades in a duel, sparks bursting with each clash. Yulie’s movements, slipping effortlessly between the strikes, had never been more fluid.

Boom—!

Yulie’s sword hammered down with crushing force, the strike landing with the weighty impact of a mace.

“Oh!”

“Oh? Yulie, you’ve improved a lot! What was that move just now?” Sirio exclaimed, his eyes wide as he stepped back after managing to block the sudden strike.

Yulie said nothing and adjusted her grip on her sword.

“What was that?” Sirio asked again, grinning from ear to ear.

“It’s a variation of my swordsmanship. You may have relied on my old patterns until now, but they won’t work anymore,” Yulie replied.

“Whoa...”

Yulie had clearly advanced in her swordsmanship—undoubtedly the result of my guidance. The other knights seemed to think the same, and the proof stood beside me—Raphel and Gwen, standing nearby, pretending not to be interested.

"So, Yulie defeated the both of you," I said.

At my words, Raphel and Gwen flinched, their shoulders tensing. They stirred uncomfortably for a moment before both cleared their throats at the same time.

"Ahem. I wouldn’t say we lost... more like a brief miscalculation. Right, Raphel? Yulie’s swordplay just got a little messy all of a sudden," Gwen said.

“That is correct,” Raphel said.

Without a word, I flipped to another page of The History of the Imperial Palace. It might have seemed like I was reading simply for the sake of it, but this book, imbued with magic, contained a staggering five hundred thousand pages within its bindings.

It contained the days when the Empire was a mere kingdom, and before that, a collection of tribes—it held the very essence of history, a book among books.

“... Mind giving us an analysis as well?” Gwen finally asked, cutting to the chase.

I tilted my head slightly upward.

“... Well, we had it all wrong. Seems like your feedback actually makes a difference. I guess you do have an eye for it...”

"That is true," Raphel added, backing Gwen’s words.

"I will take it into consideration," I replied.

"Consideration? Why?" Gwen asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"That, too, will be decided based on your performance this time. Survive first—and take down as many as you can," I answered.

Raphel and Gwen seemed to accept the reasoning, at least to some extent.

Whoooosh—

As a cool breeze rolled through, Raphel made his way down from the wall, while Gwen approached Drent, who was sketching a magic circle onto parchment. I lifted my eyes from the book and took a moment to take in the sight of Rekordak.

"’Ere, got yer firewood all chopped up."

The villagers who had taken up the task of woodcutting hauled carts of freshly hewn logs from the forest, while mages with categories in Ductility melded wood and steel, shaping them into arrows.

"And here, some snacks for y’all. Must be gettin’ hungry—go on and have some while ya work. Heheheh."

The villagers, somehow having procured and prepared pieces of taffy, handed them to the mages. Sweets were a rare treat, and the mages accepted without hesitation.

"Sending up the arrows," one of the mages said.

The freshly crafted arrows were hovered up to the top of the wall, along with buckets of oil, metal grenades, and other siege weaponry—each supply reinforcing our defenses.

"Professor, I think we’ll need a lot more oil. I ran an experiment, and when a fire property spell is used on it, the power increases up to threefold," Epherene said.

"You always speak as if you've just uncovered some grand revelation," I replied.

“... What?!”

Just as Epherene babbled on...

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Boom—!

A massive vibration rippled through the ground, freezing every movement atop the wall and within its defenses instantly.

Boom—!

I pushed myself up from the chair and glanced toward Delic, giving a silent signal with my eyes.

"All but the knights and mages, fall back to your shelters," Delic ordered with a nod to those gathered below the wall.

At the announcement of the impending battle, the villagers quickly ran to their accommodations.

"... What is it, Professor?" Epherene asked, stepping up beside me.

Beyond the horizon, the Altar’s legion stretched on, cloaked in dense, swirling mist. Among them, one presence stood out above the others.

"A gunship," I muttered.

“... Sorry?”

A gunship—by its very nature, a warship built for firepower.

"A rather bothersome invention has made its way here."

The demonic beast resembled a massive tortoise, its shell rising nearly thirteen feet high, with organic cannons fused into its hardened back—a grotesque blend of flesh and weaponry. Born from the Altar’s twisted experiments, this chimera could blast demonic energy like artillery, turning its own body into a living siege engine.

Boom—!

Boom—!

The ground trembled with each step as the massive tortoise pressed forward. As it neared its target, it turned its body, locking onto the mark before preparing to fire a deadly blast.

Whhhoooom...

As I watched the swirling demonic energy and howling winds gather in its cannon’s maw, I muttered, “Prepare for battle.”

“Prepare for battle—!”

My command carried to the other knights, echoing along the barrier and rising like a call to arms, rousing everyone from their sleep.

Booooom—!

At that moment, a bomb of demonic energy crashed down, aimed directly at the right side of the wall—the most battered and vulnerable point.

***

Booooooooom—!

A single blast of demonic energy struck the impenetrable wall, leaving a deep scar on its previously indestructible surface.

“... Ah.”

The crack on the right side of the wall was undeniable. Delic, the first to arrive, froze at the sight, his breath catching. The damage was minimal—a small crack—for now.

Boom—!

The second blast struck, and the crack branched out like a spiderweb. A grating creak echoed in his ears, clinging like a ghostly whisper. Delic feared the wall was on the brink of collapse.

Boom—!

The third bomb came, followed by continuous blasts raining down like a barrage, a storm of destruction from above.

“Knight Delic... what should we do now?”

For a brief moment, Delic and his knights thought of running, but the idea died just as quickly. More than the collapsing wall, more than the horde of demonic beasts waiting to tear them apart, what struck fear into them was the man watching from above—Deculein.

If we die fighting here, at least our families will live. But if we run, even if we survive, they’ll be slaughtered. ... No, Deculein would hunt us down and kill us just the same, Delic thought.

"Knight Delic! Is everything alright?!" Yulie said, her voice cutting through the chaos, snapping them back to their senses.

Delic turned and stiffened at the sight of Deculein standing beside Yulie. For a moment, he and his knights forgot the chaos around them and lowered their heads.

“Y-You are here, Professor,” Delic said.

"Have you not shaken off your fatigue yet?"

"No, Professor. It’s just that this wall—"

"I am aware," Deculein said as he stepped forward, his eyes locked on the wall, with Ihelm, a mage of the supportive category, standing beside him.

Boom—!

The fourth blast struck, and with a hissing crack, dust and rubble crumbled from the wall—a final warning of its impending collapse.

"Tsk, tsk," Ihelm murmured as he appeared behind Deculein, clicking his tongue. "This one's as good as gone, unless Rogerio herself shows up."

Delic quickly stepped in and said, “... Yes, Professor. It’s coming down. We need some kind of a plan—”

“The plan is already in place.”

Deculein had never attempted it before, but he saw no need to mention that.

Boom—!

By the fifth blast, a shadow fell across Ihelm’s face.

“Where’s that blast coming from? We need to take out that cannon before anything else.”

“Ganesha has already been sent.”

No named character was more skilled than Ganesha in special operations and maneuverability, and with Ria and Leo by her side, success was all but certain.

“I will accompany them as well!”

“You,” Deculein said, stopping Yulie before she could rush ahead, and she froze in her tracks. "Know your place. The sick one is nothing but a burden. The moment you step into the demonic energy, you will be of no use. Are you so eager to become a hindrance?"

As the demonic beast spewed demonic energy with explosive force, a tear in its belly would trigger a massive eruption of demonic energy—one that would be especially lethal to Yulie.

"Know your place and be gone. I won’t tolerate this madness with such stupidity."

The demonic energy spread across the wall, seeping into the air like a living shadow, stirring a quiet rage within Deculein, sharpening his words like a blade. The weight of his words sent a chill through Delic and Ihelm, startling even the onlookers who had merely come to watch.

"... Yes, Professor," Yulie said as she stepped aside and climbed onto the wall.

Deculein placed a hand on the wall and slowly closed his eyes.

"... Do you really think that will change anything?" Ihelm asked.

Deculein remained silent, offering no reply.

Booooooooom—!

With the sixth blast, the wall began to crumble, its upper sections already shattered and on the verge of collapse. Yet Deculein remained composed, standing still with his eyes closed, as if attuned to the final breaths of the dying stone.

With the seventh blast, a section of the wall gave way completely. As Delic and the knights stumbled back, Deculein murmured a single word.

"... Proof."

The essence of magic lay in proving the impossible—its conceptual foundation, the theories refined over time, the circuits carefully designed, the consistent mathematics, and its mastery tested by patience stretched to its very limit. After enduring this arduous process, Deculein spoke a final single word.

In response, nineteen blades of Wood Steel hovered toward the wall before anchoring themselves to its surface. From the steel latched into the stone, he initiated a protocol.

The Metal Enhancement attribute held the ability to strengthen the entire wall, restoring its dulled edges with energy that rivaled grand magic. Though still unfinished, it could be executed with almost perfect precision, its mastery hovering on the threshold of completion.

Whhhhhhh—

Drawn by the pull of Deculein’s mana, loose earth trembled before rising, weightless, into the air.

In the wake of the ceaseless eighth blast, the advance of ten thousand demonic beasts began. Beyond the wall, the mist thinned and unraveled, revealing an endless tide of advancing hordes.

Deculein opened his eyes, their depths glowing with a vivid blue light. The shattered wall was mirrored within them as he meticulously prepared, priming his entire body.

Mana surged in reverse, coursing violently through his body as the engraved magical circuits activated. The Iron Man circuit spared no energy, wringing out every last drop of residual mana and pouring it all into the wall and Wood Steel.

Zzzzzzt—!

In response, a brilliant metallic radiance rose, forming a distinct aura shaped by mana. The spell, formed from the last of his four thousand mana, condensed into a single, simple message.

[Extreme Mastery Achieved: Metal Enhancement Completed]

◆ Purification of Mana Quality

◆ Property Granted

Swoooooosh...

The wall and Wood Steel shimmered, bathed in radiant light. It was enough—a result worthy of satisfaction—and a faint smile touched Deculein’s lips.