The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

(Zephyrus' POV)

-...

I stared at Raye inside the tent. He was still sitting in a lotus position, three monster cores on his lap—raging with mana.

SWOOOSH~!

His face was all twisted up, pain clear on his expression.

Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead, and blood was dripping down from his nose, ears, and tightly shut eyes.

"Urgh...!"

He would groan from time to time, even spit would fly from his mouth because of the strain.

-'Kinda disgusting, not going to lie.'

I thought with a slight frown on my face.

Anyway...

Raye—

-'He's been like this for over a week now.'

Or more precisely, ten days, ever since he started this.

In the first few days, he struggled—badly. He was screaming nonstop, even after his voice was completely gone!

His whole body was shaking violently too!

I was ready to stop him, to snap him out of meditation if things got any worse.

But on the fourth day—

The screaming lessened. The shaking calmed.

He was still clearly suffering, but he was holding on. Enduring.

And seeing that...

I decided then to just keep watch and stay on guard.

By the sixth day, his condition improved further.

Though he hadn't eaten in days, and the constant sweating made him thinner, weaker—

He was still going.

And just yesterday...

Raye got quiet. Really quiet.

Now he only groans from time to time.

I don't know if he's simply enduring better, or if he's just too drained to even cry out anymore.

His lips are cracked and dry. Every time they twitch, they tear and bleed.

But his breathing...

"…"

It was steady.

So once again—

I chose to stand guard and keep watch.

And today...

Raye still shows no signs of anything going wrong.

-'Well, he's still suffering—'

But compared to the first few days, this was a huge improvement.

Back then, I honestly thought he was going to die.

Now, I'm sure he'll successfully absorb those cores and wake up much stronger.

-'I should train later too to recover my strength, I feel like I'm close to evolving once more.'

I mumbled internally.

Anyway, while I watched from just outside the tent—

Fwoosh—

-meep...

Pyro flew slowly around Raye, circling him quietly.

His small flames barely made a sound, his gaze locked on Raye the entire time.

Sometimes he would hover above his head, other times he'd land softly on the ground beside him, eyes scanning every inch of his body for danger or sudden change.

-meep...

He let out a soft chirp—low, concerned, and careful not to disturb Raye's concentration.

-…

I watched him in silence.

He's been like that since day one.

Ever since Raye started absorbing the cores, Pyro hadn't left his side. Not even once.

He didn't talk much. He didn't sleep much either.

Just quietly guarding.

He still trains though.

Always alert. Always flying. Always watching.

-'He may be small and cheery most of the time… but when it comes to Raye, he's serious, huh.'

And honestly—

I admire the relationship between the two.

*****

(Time Skip – Days Passing…)

The tent remained silent, save for the occasional rustle of wind or the faint hum of mana.

Every second dragged by in quiet tension.

Every hour ticked past like the slow drip of water echoing through a cave.

And as the days stacked one over another, the world around the campsite seemed to hold its breath.

[Day 11]

Zephyrus soared into the skies.

His wings glided above the treetops as he scanned the forest edge. They'd run out of the food they packed days ago, and hunting had become a daily necessity.

He dived.

FWOOSH—!

A wild yellow rabbit never saw it coming.

And later, he returned with two more.

Meanwhile, Pyro waited patiently near the tent. And as soon as Zephyrus dropped the prey, Pyro got to work.

Swaaa—

A small ember formed at the tip of his head, and soon after—

CRACKLE—!

A gentle fire lit up.

He cooked in silence, occasionally glancing toward the tent where Raye remained unmoving, meditating with the three cores resting in his lap.

They didn't speak much. Just worked. Trained. Guarded.

[Day 14]

Pyro spent the morning flying faster than usual, trying to increase his flight time and agility. Zephyrus meditated, sharpening his control of winds.

Still—they never wandered far from the tent.

Raye, inside, had changed.

His skin had grown pale, his frame thinner. The sweat had stopped, but his body had weakened visibly. His lips were cracked, his clothes soaked and dried multiple times with blood and sweat.

But his breathing… steady.

His aura… stronger.

And the mana swirling around the tent…

Swooosh~

It grew thicker by the day.

[Day 19]

Zephyrus had to fight off a mid-tier beast who had strayed too close. He won, but the wound on his side took a full day to heal.

Pyro helped by roasting the beast, turning the threat into a meal.

They shared the food quietly, never losing focus on the one they were guarding.

Inside the tent—

Raye's hands had become steady.

His brows no longer furrowed.

The cores, still resting on his lap, now pulsed in unison with his own heart.

[Day 23]

The sky had turned purple with the evening hue.

Pyro flew low and gently brushed a leaf off Raye's shoulder, then returned to his post beside the tent flap.

Zephyrus had just finished another meditation session. His wind pressure had gotten stronger. More precise.

They had grown too.

Together.

[Day 25]

No more groaning.

No more pain showing on Raye's face.

Just calm.

He sat there in complete stillness—like a statue carved from quiet resolve.

The three monster cores still on his lap, now glowing faintly.

His aura no longer clashed with the wild energy of the cores. It embraced them—slowly pulling them in.

The storm was over.

What remained was focus.

Discipline.

Growth.

And the beginning of something stronger.

...

...

...

[Day 29]

The morning sun filtered softly through the dense forest. The air was thick with moisture and the scent of dew-covered grass.

Outside the tent—

FWOOSH—!

FWIP—!

Zephyrus sliced through the air in a series of tight spins, practicing precision control with his wind blades.

Just nearby, Pyro meditated in silence.

They'd gotten used to this routine.

Train. Hunt. Guard.

Day by day.

And then—

Fwoosh~

"..."

A silence—heavy, unfamiliar—fell.

-Hm...?

-meep?

Both Zephyrus and Pyro paused their training.

Meanwhile, inside the tent…

"..." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Raye's eyelids twitched once.

Then slowly—

Fwip-

He opened his eyes.

And in that exact moment—

F W O O O S H—!!!

A deafening wave of pressure exploded outward, pure mana bursting like a tidal wave across the clearing!

B O O M—!

The tent tore apart instantly—shredded into pieces midair!

B A M!!

The ground cracked beneath Raye, forming a shallow crater where he sat!

-UGH?!!

-MEEEP?!!

Zephyrus and Pyro were thrown back several feet!

Their eyes wide, both turned toward the source of the explosion.

Mana still rippled from the spot—hot and heavy like the air before a storm.

But then—

-It's Raye...!

-Meep...!

Recognition struck them!

And from the dust, surrounded by torn canvas and broken wooden stakes—

Fwish~

A figure slowly stood up.

Hair a bit longer. Skin pale but his body radiating mana, pulsing softly from within.

"..."

It was Raye!

His eyes half-lidded, expression blank.

Then—

Grrrrrr—!

A loud growl escaped his stomach.

And with that—

"...I'm hungry..."

He muttered with a tired voice.