A Villain's Survival Guide

The Endbringer loomed over every building in the distance, and its movement alone had most of them collapsing as it passed.

It resembled a praying mantis draped in human skin, only far bigger. Its appearance was weathered and furious, black eyes that unsettled the gut, dry black blood caked around its mouth. Cuts riddled its body, and one limb was gone entirely. The kind of thing you couldn’t look at too long before your mind started to slip.

Leomaris stared at it from where they hid, his face pulled into something close to disgust. Their hiding spot wasn’t the sort of place anyone wandered into by accident, not even the Endbringer. That said, if it got close enough, its sheer size could collapse the building and bury them both.

"By the look of it, I believe all those who attempted to raid it have been killed."

Leomaris said and turned to find Lucius already stretched out on the hard mattress.

"I believe so, but at least they’ve made the job easier for us by taking one of its limbs."

Rune Realms couldn’t be raided by just anyone. Entry meant being trapped until the Endbringer was dead, and anyone who went in below the portal’s class would be eaten up by malevolent energy and come out the other side a monster.

Most people steered well clear of Rune Realms for it, despite the fortune and glory that came with raiding one. This city had once been home to humans, and these buildings were loaded with relics and artifacts that didn’t exist anywhere in the real world.

Terror Rune Realms were the lowest of the lot, mind you. The Endbringer was weaker compared to the others, and the relics and artifacts weren’t worth getting excited over, only so much riches on offer.

"How about we gather everything we need for today? We will require food: fruit or meat would be sufficient. Potatoes would also be acceptable, and since meat is unlikely, we can collect mushrooms instead."

Lucius said, with considerably more enthusiasm than someone living in a ruined city had any right to.

’He has not reached that point yet. His first Citadel raid was meant to be undertaken alongside the entire first-year cadets, but I believe that has changed. Nevertheless, he will still raid it in the future.’

Soon enough, Leomaris pulled on a cool expression. He could die without Lucius’s help, just as Instructor Moon intended. But he reckoned he could use their alliance to his advantage.

Lucius would become an unstoppable menace after the first semester. Once he realized that Captain Andy, the man he’d looked up to as a father, was an Unholy Priest and the very same person who’d killed his parents.

Once Captain Andy was dead, Lucius would go after everyone with a hand in his parents’ death, and Leomaris was on that list.

’I need to make him see me differently before that happens.’

Replying to Lucius’s question, he spoke:

"Animals would be difficult to find here. Unlike the Void Rune Realms, we cannot move about freely, and humans are scarce as well. We should rely on potatoes and mushrooms instead."

His gaze drifted slowly, taking in the ceiling thick with spiderwebs and the damp walls, before he added.

"We should pick a few flowers too to get rid of the rotten smell in the room. I bet the others are planning the same thing."

—

Lucius’s POV:

A few minutes later, the Endbringer was still trudging through the far end of the city. Its massive weight announced chaos wherever it went, drawing everything’s attention and leaving destruction in its wake.

Neither of them cared much. Within a lowly Rune Realm like a Terror Rune Realm, the Endbringer was the only thing worth worrying about. It would take a few days to put down, no question, but they had the privilege of one danger and all the time they needed.

Lucius’s eyes were mostly on Leomaris. In truth, he felt nothing particular toward him as a person. He admired his reputation, strength, and intelligence, but nothing worth writing home about.

’The only person I’ve ever seen survive death. That alone is worthy of praise.’

But something concerning Leomaris sat with Lucius in a way he couldn’t quite shake. He hadn’t made up his mind whether to bring it up or leave well enough alone.

Watching Leomaris lead the way, that welcoming presence about him, Lucius clutched his chest.

As someone who lacked emotions, he could only act as he once would have before losing them, and that put him in a very dire situation. It made him underplay the weight of what loomed over him.

Soon enough, Leomaris paused, his expression darkening. Lucius traced his gaze to a building in the distance.

One building was shorter than the others, and judging by the structure, it was either a bakery or something along those lines.

’What’s he planning? To jump over it...?’

Lucius blinked in shock.

Something white moved that way. At first glance, he thought it was Raine, what with her white hair, but that thought didn’t hold.

He studied the movement, how quickly it appeared and disappeared. Bouncy and four-limbed, whatever it was, it wasn’t Raine.

"There is indeed an animal here after all. It appears to be a rabbit."

Leomaris said with a smile, and Lucius smiled as well.

"Well, what do you think? Let’s go after it!"

His words had hardly settled before Lucius’s expression darkened. He’d caught sight of something moving toward the roof of the building.

He furrowed his brow. It was Raine. Close behind her, Charlotte.

Lucius scratched the back of his head, an awkward smile working its way onto his lips. "I take it this won’t be easy."

The sight of them made Raine frown. Lucius looking back at her with a smile only made it worse. Not that it was anything new for him, it had been like this for a while now.

"Did you really think we’d just let you take the only animal around?"

When Raine spoke, Leomaris turned toward Lucius with a knowing expression.

"How about we split up? That would give us a better chance of catching it. What do you think?"

Lucius matched his positive energy. One more chance he’d let slip, he failed to tell Leomaris what was on his mind. But even if the hunt wasn’t going to be enjoyable, he’d treat it as something worth doing. He’d tell Leomaris whatever it was down the line.