The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro continued their routine of daily training.

Raye focused on building his physical strength through rigorous workouts.

He studied magical engineering, expanding his understanding of enchantments, circuits, and arcane tools like artifacts.

He honed his control over spirit magic—pushing his limits, refining his mana flow, and testing new techniques.

He did all of this in a single day—

And repeated it again the next.

Zephyrus and Pyro trained together as well.

They sparred relentlessly, each clash sharpening their instincts.

They meditated side by side, stabilizing their mana cores and enhancing their spiritual connection.

They tested their abilities, explored new ways to combine attacks, and worked on increasing the potency of their skills.

They were all serious.

Every day, they gave it their all.

None of them strayed far from the base camp they had set up.

They didn't go out looking for monsters to fight.

Because that wasn't their goal!

They weren't here to gain combat experience or prove their strength!

They were here to grow.

To train.

To prepare.

They didn't need to hunt for food either.

Raye's spatial ring was stocked with preserved meat and supplies—gifts from Kyle before their departure!

So, they stayed within their territory.

Resting only when needed.

Eating only when hungry.

Their focus was simple and absolute—

Make use of the rift's time dilation—where one day inside was twelve times slower than the outside world—and use that advantage to train in peace.

And so, the three of them did exactly that.

Day after day—

In silence.

In repetition.

In growth.

They trained...

And trained...

And trained...

Until finally—

...

...

A full month had passed.

*****

Thirty long days of relentless, disciplined training.

The three didn't take breaks.

They didn't complain.

They pushed themselves without pause.

And now—

"We're out of food."

Raye's voice broke the quiet as he looked at the now-empty storage in his spatial ring.

The meat and supplies Kyle had given them had all been consumed.

In short—

"We need to hunt."

Swoosh~

Raye stood up, cracking his knuckles as he declared it.

It was time to step out of the quiet—

And into the wild.

*****

(Raye's POV)

Tap- tap- tap—

Swoosh~

"..."

The three of us left the safety of our camp.

We ventured out into the colorful forest dungeon, hoping to find something to eat.

We searched for a while…

Carefully weaving between trees that shimmered with unnatural hues.

Leaves glowing purple with mana, flowers pulsing like veins, and vines that moved ever so slightly when you weren't looking.

The deeper we went—

The louder the sounds of the forest became.

Though, no monster was in sight.

We need to search manually because Zephyrus can't spread out his wind detection magic, it might scare the preys that we are looking for.

So we just walked and walked... I mean, I was walking, but the two were flying.

And then—

As we were getting deeper into the forest dungeon—

RUSTLE—

SNAP—

RUSTLE—!

We heard something moving not far away!

The three of us immediately turned toward where the sound came from and approached in that direction slowly.

And soon—

"Found them."

I muttered, narrowing my eyes toward the clearing up ahead.

There, just behind the weirdly colored bushes—

-SssSSsstTttT...!

-TssssSSsss...

-Sssssssshhh`

A pack of monsters slowly walked in a single file, their lean bodies brushing against the glowing grass.

There were five in total.

Their bodies were lanky and covered in scales that shimmered like glass.

Their legs were long and slender, each step they took oddly quiet.

A thin membrane stretched from their arms like wings, but they weren't flying.

Their heads were triangular, with long tongues flicking out to taste the air.

I know what monsters they are—

[Prismstalk Lizards]

A native monster just in this certain dungeon.

They blend into vibrant trees and bushes, lying in ambush.

In the game, they were mostly passive and stupid unless provoked—

But more importantly...

"They're edible."

I said, keeping my voice low.

Fwish—

-huh?

-meep?

Zephyrus and Pyro immediately turned to me.

And opening my mouth—

"They're called Prismstalk Lizards. Their meat's safe to eat once cooked properly."

I explained that.

The two just looked at me for half a second.

Then—

Without a word—

FWOOSH—!!

They blasted forward in a sudden gust of wind!

Zephyrus soared with glowing white energy trailing behind him, eyes cold and locked onto the center lizard!

Pyro zipped in from the side, a blur of flickering flames—his small body brimming with focus!

Their eyes—

Calm.

Sharp.

Unwavering.

They trusted me.

They didn't need confirmation.

They didn't need questions answered.

They just moved.

'They're so fast.'

I thought, watching the two rush in like twin comets.

I felt like doing something in this too.

And so—

Fwoosh~

[Celestria] quickly turned into a white, elegant gun.

Fwip—

I held it with my left hand.

And after raising it—

PSH! PSH! PSH!

I shot three times without stop.

And after that, with a light sound—

Thud—

Three bodies of the Prismstalk Lizards fell onto the ground.

"..."

Fwip~

I quickly turned back [Celestria] into a ring and wore it on my left hand, ring finger.

Then, at the corner of my eyes—

FWOOOOOM—!!!

I saw a blazing torrent of fire erupted from Pyro's tiny body!

-SssSSTTT?!!

His target had barely turned its head before—

BOOM!

It was hit by Pyro's attack and was engulfed by fire.

-SHIIIIEEEKKK!!!

The Prismstalk Lizard let out a shrill screech—

But it didn't last long.

THUD!

The creature collapsed, its scales glowing orange from the heat, smoke rising as embers danced in the air.

Then, at the same time—

SHHHHHHK—!!

A sharp blast of wind tore through the air like a blade—

SLASH—!!!

Zephyrus's spell hit cleanly.

The Prismstalk Lizard he aimed for was split from shoulder to gut in a single strike!

Blood splattered onto the grass, and the creature dropped with a lifeless thud.

We killed all of our preys in a matter of seconds.

It was indeed a fast time.

Though...

Pyro's kill was half-charred.

Zephyrus's had lost so much blood the grass beneath it was soaked red.

We kind of failed our goal.

But still—

"Pfft…"

I let out a short laugh.

Zephyrus turned to me, flicking a bit of blood off his feathers.

-Too much?

"Haha, maybe."

-Meep!

Pyro spun midair with pride, clearly unbothered by the overkill.

We all just laughed it off.

No need to stress about it.

In the end, we gathered all the corpses—burnt, bloody, and intact alike—

And brought everything back to the camp.

*****

Later—

SWISH—

I unsheathed a short field knife and began preparing the meat.

I skinned what I could, separated the charred and bloody parts, and salvaged the best chunks.

Zephyrus helped keep the fire steady with his wind, while Pyro lit the flames with his natural sparks.

Before long—

Bubble- bubble-

A simple pot of broth simmered quietly over the fire.

Chunks of Prismstalk Lizard meat bobbed inside.

The smell was surprisingly good—like rich chicken mixed with herbal notes from the forest flora I threw in.

"Alright… It's ready."

I muttered, wiping sweat from my brow and handing out portions.

-Meep!

-Ah...

They took their bowls, eyes sparkling like I just gave them treasure.

Sitting on the grass, the three of us dug in.

The warmth of the broth hit instantly.

Simple.

Savory.

Satisfying.

After all the training, all the silence, all the battle—

This small moment of rest…

Felt like a reward.

And for now—

That was enough.