The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

FWISH—

A bluish glow flickered into existence.

A system window appeared right in front of Raye.

"..."

His eyes narrowed.

He was confused.

But ignoring that for now—

'What's this...?'

His gaze locked onto the glowing system window, reading what was written on it.

=====

[Against All Odds – Survivor of the Demon's Onslaught!]

[Rewards]:

* +10 to All Stats

* +50% Exp Boost for half a year

{Title: Demon Slayer} (Acquired)

* When fighting a demon, your stats increase by 10%

=====

Raye stared at the screen.

His mind, still sluggish from waking up, tried to make sense of it.

"..."

He remained silent.

Even with the rewards in front of him—Raye couldn't bring himself to feel happy.

Not after everything that had happened.

The invasion.

The aftermath.

"..."

Raye's fingers twitched in annoyance.

His body was still weak.

His heart, still heavy.

But then—

"Hm?"

His gaze landed on the last reward.

The title, [Demon Slayer].

He probably got it from killing Rowan.

And reading its effect—

"Hah."

A dry, hollow laugh escaped Raye's mouth.

"..."

His eyes, void of warmth, grew cold.

"It's clear now."

Raye muttered.

And then, continuing—

'Whoever is behind this system is really pushing me to get involved in the game scenarios.'

He declared that in his head.

This wasn't just a coincidence.

It wasn't luck.

The system—whatever or whoever controlled it—was deliberately shaping Raye into a weapon.

Pushing him.

Guiding him.

Forcing him toward one outcome.

"..."

Raye sat in silence, staring at the glowing window.

Seconds passed.

Then—

After a while—

"Fine..."

His voice, quiet at first, hardened into something resolute.

Something serious.

"...I'll get involved and kill those fucking demons for you."

He mumbled that.

Not to anyone in particular.

Not even to the system.

But to himself.

His fury had not faded.

Instead—

Fwoosh~

It was growing.

Fwip-

Raye's nails dug into his palm, his breathing slow yet deep...

*****

Anyway...

As he was waiting for Jerusha to come back—

"..."

Raye closed his eyes.

He had nothing to do anyway.

And so—

"Huuuuuuuu..."

He took a slow, deep breath—

SWOOSH—

And began to meditate.

Mana, the energy coursing through his body, had become stagnant after a month of unconsciousness.

Raye could feel it—sluggish, heavy, unresponsive.

Which is obviously not good.

He needed to get stronger. Faster.

And the first step to that is to regain full control of his mana.

Fwoom—

"Fuuuu...!"

Raye exhaled.

Then—gently and steadily...

F W O O O S H~!!

He started circulating the mana inside him.

It was like stirring still water, ripples gradually spreading outward.

"Urgh..."

Slowly, the dormant energy inside him began to flow.

"..."

Raye guided it through his veins, through his core, letting it pulse with each controlled breath.

Fwooo~!!

It was warm. Familiar.

A power that belonged to him.

And in doing this meditation—

"Haaaa…"

Raye's mind began to clear up.

The weight in his chest didn't disappear, nor did the fire in his heart, but—

This… helped.

"..."

It kept him grounded.

His anger—still there, still burning—became something more controlled. Sharper. Refined.

His rage was no longer an uncontrollable storm.

But instead a blade.

'I'll kill them.'

A blade he would use to get stronger.

"Fuuuuuu..."

Fwoosh—

Raye kept going, his breathing deep, steady, as his body gradually adapted to the mana flow.

He could feel it.

His recovery accelerating.

His mana growing more responsive.

This was only the beginning.

Raye was going to get well soon.

And once he did—

His promise would begin.

The promise to slay every demon...

'This would've been more effective if I had drugs on me.'

Raye thought.

(He's talking about drugs like enhancement pills... He wants to make use of his talent.)

...

...

*****

Not long after that, about half an hour later—

Click-

Creak—

The door opened.

"...?"

Raye didn't stop meditating—his mana continued to circulate within him—but he slowly opened his eyes.

And there—

Tap-

"I'm back, sorry for taking so long!"

Jerusha stepped inside, holding a simple packed lunch in her hands.

And beside her—

"Hello, kid. I'm here to check on your condition."

A calm, familiar voice reached Raye's ears.

It was Raphael.

The elderly healer.

Tap- tap- tap—

He walked in with his usual composed demeanor, a small frown on his face.

Despite his age, his posture was straight, his presence firm.

Swish~

His long white coat swayed slightly as he stepped closer to Raye's bed.

Jerusha, on the other hand—

Pat-

"..."

She just placed the food on the bedside table and glanced at Raye with a slightly furrowed brow.

"Are you meditating right now?"

She asked, feeling the mana from Raye.

"..."

Raye didn't answer immediately.

Instead—

Fwoosh—

He let out one final deep breath, stabilizing his mana flow before finally responding.

"Yeah."

His voice was calm.

"It helps me recover faster."

Raye said.

"Remember your condition. Don't overwork yourself."

Jerusha followed.

"I know, don't worry."

Then Raye responded.

"..."

Raphael just looked at them in silence, before stepping closer to Raye.

Tap-

"Well, at least you're aware of your own body's condition."

Raphael said, adjusting the small bag slung over his shoulder.

"But let me do my job, alright?"

He added.

And with that—

Fwip—

He pulled out a small wooden cane, tapping it lightly against the floor.

TAP-

SWOOOSH~

A faint greenish glow enveloped his hand as he reached out toward Raye.

"Now, let's see how badly you're holding up."

Raphael muttered to himself.

And then—

Fwip—

His glowing hand hovered over Raye's chest.

"Huh?"

A faint warmth spreading through Raye's body.

The healer's magic gently flowed into him, examining his condition from the inside out.

"..."

Raye remained silent, his body still as the energy coursed through his veins.

He could feel it—his muscles, his bones, his mana pathways—everything was being checked.

"Hmm... "

Raphael's brows furrowed slightly in concentration.

"...Not bad."

His hand moved slightly, shifting from Raye's chest to his arms, then to his legs, ensuring everything was in place.

And after a few moments later.

Fwish—

The healer withdrew his hand, the glow fading.

"You're good now."

Raphael stated as he straightened his posture, dusting off his coat too.

"You just need to rest and recover your strength, especially since you've been asleep for months."

He followed.

And hearing that—

Raye bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you."

His tone was polite, appreciative.

For a moment...

"..."

Raphael just looked at him. Then, with a small smile on his face—

"I'm glad you survived."

He said that.

There was warmth in his voice.

After all, every life that Raphael had saved meant something to him. It was why he did this in the first place.

And hearing his kind words—

"Thank you."

Raye repeated, sincerity in his voice.

"Mhm."

Swoosh~

Raphael simply nodded before turning away.

Fwip-

Tap-

He grabbed his cane, tapped it lightly against the floor, and walked toward the door.

But just as he was about to leave—

Fwish-

"..."

Raphael stopped on his track and glanced back, his gaze shifting between Raye and Jerusha.

And then—

With a teasing smirk—

"I'll leave you two lovebirds be. Just don't disturb others if you're going to do some exercise."

Raphael said that.

And looking specifically at Jerusha—

"Also, remember that he's not fully recovered yet."

He added that.

"...?"

Jerusha blinked.

"...HUH?!"

Her face turned red instantly.

"HEY—!"

Raye, on the other hand—

His entire body stiffened.

Embarrassment flooded him so fast that he nearly forgot how to breathe.

His mouth opened—

But before either of them could protest—

"Meh, whatever."

THUD—

Raphael just casually shrugged, stepped out, and shut the door behind him.

Leaving—

"..."

"..."

Silence.

Raye and Jerusha alone in the room.

'That damn old man…'

Raye cursed Raphael internally, his face still burning from embarrassment.

He gritted his teeth. His fists clenched the sheets beneath him.

'He's a healer! Shouldn't he be more professional?!'

His thoughts were fuming, but on the outside—

"...Tch."

Raye clicked his tongue and looked away, refusing to meet Jerusha's gaze.

And Jerusha—

"...Ugh."

She groaned, rubbing her forehead.

Her face was still red.

"...That stupid old man."

She muttered under her breath, clearly just as flustered as Raye.

Neither of them spoke for a while. The air in the room felt awkward.

And so—

"...Forget about it."

Raye mumbled that, trying to shake off the embarrassment.

"Yeah. I will."

Jerusha quickly agreed.

But even as she said that—

Her face remained flushed.

...

...

*****

As the awkwardness faded—

"Here. Eat up."

Jerusha handed Raye the lunch she brought.

"Thanks."

Raye took it without hesitation.

A small smile flashed on his face before immediately tearing into the food.

And the packed lunch—

Inside of it were fried chickens!

And after not eating for over a month—

Crunch—!

"Nom...! Nom!!"

GULP—!

Raye devoured it like it was his last meal on earth.

He didn't care about manners. He didn't care how messy he looked.

He was starving.

And Jerusha—

"...Hehe."

She just chuckled softly.

Watching Raye eat like this, like a man fresh out of the battlefield, it was almost funny.

But more than that—

"...Good."

She mumbled under her breath, a sweet smile forming on her lips.

Seeing him eat, seeing him regain his strength—

It reassured her.

At least now, he was here. Awake. Alive.

That was all that mattered.

"...Thanks."

Raye spoke between bites, glancing at her with a small, genuine smile.

And Jerusha—

"Welcome."

She replied with a sweet smile on her face.

"Just hurry up and finish eating already."

Her tone was casual, but the warmth in her voice was unmistakable.

"...Yeah, yeah."

Raye chuckled, continuing his meal.

Jerusha stayed by his side, resting her chin on her hand as she quietly watched over him.

Neither of them spoke much after that.

But even in the silence—

There was comfort around them.