The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

(Raye’s POV)

-Looks like this will be your final fight.

Hearing Zephyrus’ words...

"..."

I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands into fists.

Then, I looked at Ivan.

And after taking a proper look...

-Grrrr!!

I noticed that he wasn’t there anymore.

What I was seeing now was just a ghoul with Ivan’s body.

And realizing that...

"..."

I became silent.

This situation...

’Fuck.’

It was so frustrating...

He didn’t even hear yet that I avenged his family...

He didn’t even know that I killed the traitorous bastard—the final boss!

We haven’t had our celebration yet!

"Why?"

I mumbled to myself.

"Why now?"

I asked, my body shaking.

-Meep...

Pyro was conflicted by the situation.

And even though he wasn’t showing it...

-...

Zephyrus was the same.

It was to be expected, after all...

He was the closest to Ivan out of us three.

But still, even with that...

-Raise your sword, human.

Zephyrus said that to me.

"..."

I didn’t respond to him.

-You’re basically his disciple. It’s your responsibility to let your master rest easy.

He added.

And hearing that...

"Fucking hell."

I cursed.

No matter how angry or frustrated I was feeling at that moment...

"Fine."

Fwip—

I still raised my sword and prepared myself.

"I’ll end your suffering."

I said it with resolve.

And after that...

Bam!

I lunged forward, ready to put Ivan to rest.

*****

CLANG!

Raye’s sword clashed with Ivan’s.

And after that...

THANG—!

CLANK!

TING—

They continued to exchange attacks.

"..."

And amidst this...

"Ivan would have defeated me by now."

Raye went and said that.

TANG—!

Then, he deflected Ivan’s sword upward!

The ghoul Ivan and Raye were similar in strength.

The only reason Raye couldn’t defeat him before...

Was because Ivan was superior when it came to technique!

But now that he’d become a mindless monster...

CLANG—!

Raye was destroying him!

Swoosh—

Ivan swung his sword down.

And as a response...

Fwip—

Raye raised his sword, slightly tilting it to the left!

TING—

Their weapons collided.

Swwwip—

Then Ivan’s sword slid down Raye’s blade!

Swish—

Making it hit nothing but air!

And following that...

BAM!

-Grargh?!

Raye kicked Ivan away from him!

"..."

-Take this seriously.

Zephyrus said.

-I know you’re holding back.

Then he added, his tone strict.

Slightly nodding his head...

"Don’t worry, I’m done now."

Raye replied.

’He’s really not there anymore.’

He thought.

He had been hoping for Ivan to suddenly regain his sanity.

That’s why he hadn’t finished the ghoul immediately earlier.

But now, Raye had accepted that Ivan was really gone.

"Tsk."

Frustrated, Raye clicked his tongue.

And with a frown on his face...

"[Blaze]"

SWAAAAA—

Raye activated his skill.

And immediately after that...

"[Flash]"

He activated another one.

BAM!

Raye disappeared from where he was standing...

Swish—

And then he reappeared in front of Ivan.

-Graah?!

And heavily...

SWOOSH—

Raye swung his sword horizontally.

TING—

Ivan blocked his attack.

-GAAARGH?!

But his weapon was flung away from his hand by the swing’s force, exposing his defenseless body.

And swiftly, not missing that opportunity...

"I win."

Fwish—

Phuck-

Raye went and immediately stabbed Ivan through his heart.

-GRAAAAAHHH—!

Ivan let out an ear-deafening cry.

"..."

But Raye just watched him, unflinching.

-...

Zephyrus, on top of Raye’s head, remained silent.

-Meep...

Pyro, unable to bear the sight, looked away.

Slash—!

As a last effort, Ivan tried swinging his overgrown claws at Raye.

"..."

Raye made no effort to dodge these desperate attacks of his.

SLASH—

He just stood there, even as small wounds began covering his body.

Then finally, after a few minutes...

...

-...

Ivan stopped moving.

And seeing that...

Fwish-

Raye pulled out his weapon from Ivan’s body.

Immediately after doing so...

Thud—

Ivan’s body fell to the ground. He was dead.

And knowing he was responsible for this...

"Rest in peace."

Raye mumbled that under his breath.

-Goodbye, Ivan.

-Meep meep...

Zephyrus and Pyro followed, sounding really sad.

*****

"This should be enough."

Raye said, looking at the makeshift grave outside the mansion.

There was even a cross marking on it made from wood that was still in good condition.

Raye had made all of this for Ivan..

-Thank you for doing this.

Zephyrus said as he watched Raye put Ivan’s body into the grave.

And simply...

"There’s no need for thanks. Ivan at least deserves this."

Raye replied with a forced smile.

Seeing his expression...

-Meep...

Pyro became worried about Raye.

He knew that neither Raye nor Zephyrus was okay with Ivan dying, and he felt the same way.

But he was just a kid and didn’t know what to do.

He was clueless about stuff like this.

And so...

-Meep.

All Pyro could do was be with them.

"..."

Anyway, moving on...

Raye put Ivan’s body into the grave.

Though...

"I’ll bring this with me."

He decided to take Ivan’s sword for himself.

’It’ll be my remembrance of you.’

Raye said in his head.

And after that...

Swish—

He started burying Ivan’s body.

Raye was using a wooden plank, one side of which he had cut sharp to make it effective for digging. Find more chapters on empire

...

It didn’t take long for Raye to bury Ivan.

After doing so...

"..."

He closed his eyes and slightly bowed his head.

And with that...

Raye prayed for Ivan’s soul.

-...

-...

Pyro and Zephyrus did the same.

...

*****

After giving Ivan a simple but proper burial...

Raye immediately headed back inside the mansion with Pyro and Zephyrus.

He went to the second floor, to the library room, and started stuffing useful books into his spatial storage.

Most of them were blueprints for artifacts and magic books.

He also found some enhancement pills on the third floor.

Zephyrus led him to them.

And after that...

"This is a lot."

They got into the mansion’s secret treasury!

And there...

"Holy shit."

Raye found roughly 100 gold coins along with some jewelry made from gold and rare gemstones!

He immediately stuffed them in his spatial bag.

Raye and Zephyrus made sure to milk the mansion dry of any useful items that could help Raye.

They went from room to room to find anything with worth....

"This will take a while."

Raye said.

And he was absolutely right about that.

*****

After a few hours...

-That’s all of it.

Zephyrus said that.

And in response...

"Got it."

Raye nodded, more than satisfied with what they had gathered.

And if you asked him what’s his biggest catch...

’It’s a no-brainer that it’s these two.’

Raye thought, looking at the silver ring on his left hand and Ivan’s sword in his right hand.

He was excited to use them.

Though, before that...

"I should probably leave this place first."

Raye said.

And hearing his words...

-It’s about time.

-Meep.

Zephyrus and Pyro responded.

They were still not over Ivan’s death, but the idea of leaving this hell excited them.

And it was the same for Raye.

’I can’t wait to see everyone back at the academy.’

He thought.

And so, with that in mind...

Tap- tap- tap—

He started walking back to the room where he had been resting on the second floor.

...

It didn’t take long for Raye to reach the room.

Creak—

Tap—

He immediately opened the door and entered.

And there...

Fwip—

Raye went through Ivan’s wardrobe.

He was planning to change his clothes.

’I need to look presentable. It’s been about a month since I saw them, after all.’

Raye thought.

He was trying Ivan’s outfit on him one by one.

...

...

After a few minutes of searching for clothes...

"Hmm, I’ll go with this."

Raye decided on a simple but elegant white top with loose black pants.

-Looks good on you.

Zephyrus said, flying around Raye to check him out.

-Meep!

Pyro, of course, agreed.

"Thanks."

Raye replied simply.

And after that...

"Let’s go."

Tap- tap- tap—

Creak—

Thud—

They left the room.

*****

Back on the third floor, in the boss monster’s room...

"..."

Raye stood in front of the magic formula etched into the floor.

He stared at it.

-This is it...

-Meep...

Zephyrus and Pyro mumbled as they gazed at the magic formula too.

And so, without further ado...

"Let’s get out of this place."

Tap—

Raye stepped onto it.

And immediately after doing so...

SWOOSH—

A strong wave of mana surrounded him and the others!

And the next thing they knew...

Fwip—

"..."

-...

-...

They were already in the Misty Forest, in front of the hole where Raye and Pyro had fallen!

"Haha..."

Raye chuckled, realizing that.

And with a crazed expression on his face...

"COME OUT, YOU FUCKING ORC!!!"

He exclaimed that!

-Wha?!

-Meep?!

Zephyrus and Pyro were taken aback by that.

But nevertheless...

"SHOW YOURSELF!!!"

Raye continued shouting!

And soon enough...

Rustle- rustle—

Raye heard movement.

"?!"

He immediately turned to look in the direction of the sound.

And only a few seconds later...

-Graah...?

An orc entered his sight!

It was the same orc that had attacked Raye’s group about a month ago!

Realizing this...

"I’m glad to still see you alive."

Raye said.

And following that...

"[Blaze]"

SWAAAAA—

He activated his skill.

"[Flash]"

And then Raye immediately rushed at the orc!

BAM!

-Graaa?!

The orc was surprised seeing Raye immediately appear in front of him!

And not missing that opportunity...

SWOOSH—

Raye swung down his sword vertically with both hands!

SLASH—!

And it cut the orc in its right arm when it tried to use it as a shield!

-GAAAAH??!

The orc screamed in pain.

And with a devilish smirk on his face...

"I’m here for my revenge."

Raye declared that to the orc!