I'm a Villain in My Own Game?

[3rd PoV]

Elsewhere in the forest, three instructors were pursuing a woman. She was one of the four assassins who had infiltrated the exam to eliminate Brian.

The woman leapt from tree to tree with astonishing speed.

"Flame Shoot!"

A bolt of fire magic streaked toward her, but she dodged it easily by leaping sideways. However, Instructor Torun was already waiting directly in her path, ready to strike. He'd been waiting for Foxy to jump into the air, where it would be harder for her to evade his attack.

"Stone Cold!"

Torun's right hand became encased in earth as he drove a punch toward Foxy.

"Shove!"

But Foxy dodged his blow. She kicked at the air, and the pressure it generated pushed her body aside, letting her slip past his attack.

—Bam!

Foxy countered with a kick aimed at Torun, but the instructor blocked it with both hands. Still, the force of her kick was strong enough to send him flying into a tree.

"Got you! Crescent Slash!"

Foxy spun around and saw another instructor closing in, swinging a sword at her. But the instructor felt something strange—a slippery sensation—the moment his blade made contact with her skin.

His sword couldn't cut her at all.

—Bam!

Foxy kicked the instructor square in the face with brutal force, sending him crashing into a tree, which toppled over from the impact.

"Fire Pillar!"

Foxy glanced down and saw a column of flame surging upward, trying to consume her body. She activated Shove again to dodge while still airborne.

But Foxy's expression turned to shock when she saw Erina—the female mage—closing in on her at incredible speed, flames erupting from the soles of her feet, propelling her upward to reach Foxy in midair.

The two women faced off. At this range, Foxy would find it extremely difficult to dodge.

"Fire Damnation!"

"Unreality Field!"

Both women activated their spells at once—Foxy deployed a defensive mechanism while Erina unleashed a fourth-tier fire spell.

—Boom!

An explosion erupted, sending both women flying before they crashed to the ground.

Pain shot through Foxy's entire body. She struggled to her feet and hurried to flee before the three instructors could resume their pursuit.

"Tch, those instructors aren't half bad," Foxy muttered. "Especially that female mage. That's the first time I've met a mage willing to close the distance just to make sure her spell lands."

Every assassin from Ouroboros possessed combat capabilities on par with an instructor. Foxy was one of Ouroboros's finest killers—she could take on two or three instructors at once without much trouble.

"I wonder if the other three have finished off our target yet."

***

[Raul PoV]

I'd arrived a little too late—three students had already died in this exam because of outside interference.

"Ariel, get out of here," I ordered her. "I'll hold them off."

"Eh, how... do you know my name?" Ariel asked, sounding confused.

"No time to explain. Go, now!"

At my command, Ariel got to her feet and began running away from the scene.

My focus returned to the three assassins standing before me. One was likely a Sword Dancer; the muscular man beside him was clearly a Brawler; and the last was unmistakably a mage.

"Well, well, well... looks like we've got ourselves a little hero," the Sword Dancer said mockingly.

"He's wearing an academy uniform—means he's just a kid taking this exam," the Brawler said, sounding relaxed.

"Hmm... that mask... I feel like I've seen it somewhere, but I can't place it..." the mage murmured. "I think I'll take it once you're dead, kid."

They readied themselves for battle.

These three Ouroboros assassins operated at the same level as the instructors within the game. That meant all three of them were far stronger than me.

Facing such experienced enemies at my current level was going to be tough.

They made their move—the Sword Dancer lunged at me first, unleashing a horizontal slash.

I dodged it easily, but he didn't stop there, launching a relentless barrage of strikes that forced me to focus entirely on tracking his movements.

Refusing to keep being pushed back, I tried to counterattack.

—Bzzt...

Sparks of electricity crackled as our swords clashed. My right hand went numb, and the shock nearly knocked the sword right out of my grip.

That sword of his... it's no ordinary blade. Might it be augmented with lightning magic?

"Oraaa!"

From my left, the Brawler threw a punch, which I managed to block with my left hand.

The blow was incredibly powerful—my body was pushed back even though I'd blocked it.

Giving me no time to think, the Sword Dancer lunged again with a thrust.

I dodged sideways and countered with a slash to his stomach. But my strike had no effect on him whatsoever—I felt a strange, slippery sensation the instant my blade made contact with his body.

—Bam!

The Sword Dancer kicked me, sending me flying quite a distance.

Twisting my body midair, I landed on both feet. Glancing up at the sky, I saw the Brawler descending toward me, his right hand beginning to glow—a sign he was about to unleash a devastating punch.

At this distance, I could dodge before he reached me.

—Grrrurr...

Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet trembled and surged upward, carrying my body closer to the Brawler.

"Now, Ape! Finish the kid off!" the mage shouted.

"You got it! Take this—Kong Gun!"

—BAAMM!

The Brawler unleashed a devastating punch. I blocked it with both hands, but the momentum sent me flying a great distance.

Both my hands felt like they'd been crushed from taking that blow head-on.

Ughh... even with Repel activated, the impact felt almost as strong as if I hadn't used any defensive magic at all. I suppose that's to be expected, given how low-tier my spell is.

"You didn't hit him hard enough, Ape," the Sword Dancer said.

"Hee~ Relax, that was just a warm-up," the Brawler replied.

Earlier, my strike hadn't affected the Sword Dancer at all. I remembered now—Ouroboros assassins all shared the same Profound Codex: Slippery Skin. It made their bodies immune to sharp weapons. I'd need to break through their special skin with blunt attacks first.

I sheathed my sword. Time to beat them senseless with my bare hands.

"Hoo~ Sheathing your sword and switching to bare fists?" the Sword Dancer said. "Turns out you've got a good head on your shoulders after all."

"Seems like he's figured out our special ability," the Brawler said, resetting into a combat stance.

"Let's teach him a lesson, Ape!" the Sword Dancer called out.

"You bet!"

The two of them lunged at me again while the mage behind them began murmuring an incantation.

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The Sword Dancer swung a diagonal slash toward my left; I tried to dodge sideways, but the Brawler was already there, throwing a punch at me.

—Bam!

I blocked it again with both hands while activating Repel, but I was still pushed backward from the force of the blow.

Glancing to the side, I saw the mage fire off five Earth Missiles heading straight for me.

This time, I fixed my gaze on the mage's shadow. Time to show them the Nature Mana I'd been holding in reserve.

The five massive stones were about to slam into me, but my vision blurred and my body suddenly felt weightless. I blinked, and in an instant I was standing right in front of the mage, whose face went slack with shock at my sudden appearance.

"Radical Blow!"

I immediately unleashed an eight-hit combo on him, leaving him badly battered. For the final blow, I slammed a right hook straight into his face with everything I had.

—Crack!

A sound like shattering glass echoed as his body flew backward from the force of my punch.

Looks like his special skin had finally broken.

"Zed! Are you alright!?"

"How did he suddenly appear there!?"

His two companions looked panicked and scrambled to close the distance.

"Shadow Link..."

I vanished into my own shadow and reappeared instantly, emerging from the Sword Dancer's shadow.

"..."

He was startled to see me suddenly appear before him and swung his sword horizontally to cut me down.

I ducked to dodge, then drove a punch reinforced with Temper magic straight into his solar plexus.

"Bughhh!"

He dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach. I followed up with a combo that ended in an uppercut to his jaw.

—Crack!

He was sent flying, and I heard another crack—a sign that his special skin had shattered too.

"Damn it! Don't get cocky, kid!"

Turns out one of them was foolish enough to attack me from behind while shouting like that. I easily sidestepped his blow.

Turning around, I saw him come at me again, but I dodged by ducking low. Then I slammed a hard punch into his right ribs, making him scream in pain.

That wasn't the end of it—I hit him with a six-punch combo to his stomach, chest, and head until his special skin gave way.

Just as I was about to finish him off with my sword, the Brawler suddenly smiled. I quickly leapt backward using Axio magic to put distance between us.

—Clap!

My instincts were right—the ground I'd been standing on folded up, trying to trap me there.

"Damn it! I wasn't fast enough with the spell!" the mage cursed.

"Tch, he got away!" the Brawler said, spitting out blood after the beating I'd given him.

My breathing was ragged. Just using these two spells had already exhausted me. I really need to work on expanding my mana capacity after this. Still, I think that was enough to break through their special skin.

"Watch yourselves, you two! He's got some kind of unique magic!" the Sword Dancer shouted. "He's using our own shadows to appear wherever he wants!"

So they weren't as dumb as I'd hoped.

He was right—Shadow Link let me link to any shadow within a certain radius around me. As long as there was enough shadow nearby, I could appear and disappear as I pleased.

"Zed, use your magic to deal with that kid's annoying ability!" the Sword Dancer ordered.

"Alright—Dome of Darkness!"

The mage activated his spell immediately. The ground around us began rising upward, sealing this place shut like we were trapped inside a massive dome.

Not a single ray of light could get through, plunging the area into total darkness. With no light, there would be no shadows for me to use here.

"Now you won't be able to use your shadow trick anymore, kid!" the Sword Dancer shouted.

"Let's show him what we're really capable of, Marlin!" the Brawler said.

"Get ready!"

This was bad—it looked like the three of them were about to get serious. Their eyes began to glow, a sign they'd all activated Night Vision. I did the same so I could see clearly in the darkness.

The Brawler had already settled into a striking stance. But wasn't the distance between us still too far? Was he planning to punch thin air?

"..."

I got my answer when I saw his arm stretch out, extending toward me at incredible speed. I sidestepped to dodge, then swung my sword vertically to sever the limb, but it had no effect at all.

I guess this stretched-out new arm is still protected by Slippery Skin. Maybe I need to strike at the base of his arm to cut through it.

But the Brawler didn't give me time to think it through further—he swung his other arm, stretching it out and sending it hurtling toward me too.

I ran to dodge again.

"It's pointless! My arms move even faster once they're stretched out!"

Glancing back, I realized both of the Brawler's arms were now chasing me, and they seemed capable of curving and changing direction at will. Could he have a Profound Codex related to Transfiguration?

I spun around and dodged both arms with barely an inch to spare.

But the Sword Dancer suddenly appeared right in front of me. This time, he was faster than before.

—Clang!

Our swords clashed. I had no choice but to block his strike.

My hand went numb again from the contact between our blades. I leapt backward using Axio to create distance. But a dozen or so rock projectiles were already streaking toward the spot where I was about to land.

The moment my feet touched the ground, I quickly cut through the incoming projectiles. Still, a few of the stones struck me, and one sent me flying backward.

Landing on both feet again, I sensed something approaching from behind.

I dodged the Brawler's arms once more. But the Sword Dancer appeared in front of me again, just like before.

Damn it, this is just going to keep repeating if I don't do something!

—Clang!

Our swords clashed again. This time, the shock from his blade was even stronger, leaving me briefly stunned.

The Sword Dancer followed up with a kick straight to my head.

My brain rattled violently, and I staggered sideways. But that wasn't all—I saw both of the Brawler's arms rushing toward me from the front.

There was no way I could dodge in time.

—BAMMM!

Both his arms slammed into my head with full force. My body was thrown backward, my vision blurring. I couldn't afford to lose consciousness now.

Once my sight recovered, I suddenly found the mage standing right in front of me. He raised his palm toward me.

"Fire Blast!"

My body was blasted backward as her fire spell struck me directly. Burns covered my body—I could see my blistered hand still smoking.

"Are you done yet, kid?"

The right side of my head was bleeding, leaving me with a splitting headache. Still, I forced myself to slowly rise.

"You've got real talent," the Sword Dancer said. "It'd be a real shame if you died here just to protect a bunch of worthless students."

"Join us," the mage said. "You could reach your full potential in our organization."

"That's right, kid. Is your life really worth throwing away for these idiot students?" the Brawler asked.

Idiot students, you say? All of them—Ariel, Brian, Valeria, Elena, Geralt, and the rest—will surpass your strength before long. They're the most talented young prodigies of this generation. Give them two or three years, and even I might struggle to stand against them.

Hearing their words made me want to laugh. "Hahaha! You three? Recruit me? Why would I ever join a weak organization like Ouroboros!"

At my words, their expressions changed. It seemed my insult had struck a nerve.

"Tch, still able to talk that kind of nonsense in the state you're in," said the Sword Dancer, readying his blade again. "I offered you mercy, kid. Don't regret it when death finally comes for you."

My breathing had grown ragged—it seemed the mage's fire spell had scorched my lungs a little. I need to activate it now.

I removed my mask and began gathering what remained of my mana to activate one of my Profound Codexes.

"Hoo~ A mask to disguise your identity, huh?" the mage murmured. "Quite the decent artifact."

It seemed my hair had returned to its original color.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, I began chanting the incantation to activate my ability.

"I am the bone of my sword ..."

My body began to react the instant I spoke the first line of the chant.

"He's about to use his Profound Codex! Finish him now!" the mage ordered.

"Embrace the darkness... become death... destroyer of the world..."

A black aura began to emerge, wrapping around my body. The Sword Dancer was already right in front of me, swinging his blade down.

"Villain's Destiny—Prince of Darkness..."

The Sword Dancer swung horizontally, but I dodged with ease and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying back toward his two companions.

"Tch, he actually activated it!" the mage cursed.

But I paid him no mind—an overwhelming killing intent suddenly flooded my mind.

Kill! Kill!

Destroy! Annihilate!

Seize it! Sate your hunger with blood!

I heard those terrifying voices echoing inside my head.

So this is what the real Raul feels when he activates one of the skills from his Bloodlust Profound Codex? A monstrous killing intent that's difficult to suppress even with my own willpower.

Prince of Darkness was one of the Profound Codexes tied to the Bloodlust theme. This skill worked such that the darker the area the user was in, the stronger the speed buff it granted.

"Doesn't matter," the Brawler said. "We'll kill him regardless, even with that Profound Codex active."

Hearing him say that made me want to laugh. "Is that so? Is that really so? Ghahahahaha!"

The mage appeared to be murmuring something—likely preparing to cast another spell.

Moments later, five magic circles formed around his body.

"Meteor Rain!"

Massive fireballs began emerging from the circles, streaking toward where I stood.

He can use magic from a different element that easily? Is that another one of her Profound Codexes?

I broke into a run toward the three of them.

Watching the three fireballs close in, I zigzagged to dodge them. A massive explosion erupted behind me as they slammed into the ground.

Seeing me evade his three fireballs, the mage fired off two more massive fireballs at me.

I quickly leapt into the air using Axio to dodge. But the Sword Dancer had already jumped up to meet me there.

"Eat this! Electro Cut!"

He swung a diagonal slash at my body. I twisted in midair to dodge, then kicked him hard in the chest, sending him crashing down to the ground.

Landing on both feet, I saw the Brawler's stretched-out arm rushing toward me. But with the speed buff from Prince of Darkness, I dodged it easily.

I planted my foot and launched myself toward the Brawler at full speed. He looked shocked at my sudden burst of speed and scrambled to pull his arm back.

He yanked both arms behind him, then thrust them forward at me.

"Hadron Cannon!"

Both his stretching arms became wrapped in a purple glow. The ground tore up in their wake as they shot toward me like missiles.

But his effort was wasted—I dodged again with ease.

Using the Charging technique, I boosted my speed to close the distance to him instantly.

He looked startled to see me suddenly appear right in front of him. The Brawler tried to pull his arms back, but I was faster, slashing through both of them before he could react.

"Uaaghhh! My arms!" he screamed, collapsing in agony.

I leapt aside the instant I felt the ground beneath me tremble. A stone cage burst upward, trying to trap me.

"Damn it! He dodged that too!" the mage cursed in frustration.

Switching my target to him, I charged straight at the mage.

She began chanting again, thrusting his palm toward me. The ground around her began to lift and shatter into thousands of tiny fragments.

"Million Rain!"

The shattered earth fragments then shot toward me at incredible speed, like a hail of bullets from a gatling gun.

I changed direction, veering to the right to dodge the thousands of projectile-like fragments streaking toward me.

With the speed from Prince of Darkness, his spell had no chance of hitting me this time.

Once his spell subsided, I charged toward her once more.

The mage began chanting again, and three magic circles formed around his body.

"Maximize Triplet Magic: Full Power Earth Missile!"

Three massive bullet-shaped chunks of earth emerged from the circles and hurtled toward me.

I slid beneath the first boulder, passing through the gap underneath it. Then I used Axio to leap over the second. For the last one, I raised my left palm toward the boulder as it flew at me through the air.

"Reject Impact..."

—Boom!

The massive boulder shattered into pieces.

I landed right in front of the mage, his face frozen in disbelief at what had just happened.

"T-this can't be..."

Before he could finish her sentence, I drove my sword into his throat and split his head in two.

The instant the mage died, the massive earthen dome sealing us in finally collapsed. Moonlight poured back into the place where we'd been fighting.

"No, Zed!" the Sword Dancer cried out, unable to believe his companion had been killed by an academy student like me.

"..."

Without wasting a moment, I activated Shadow Link and appeared right in front of the Sword Dancer.

We drove our swords into each other at the same time.

His blade pierced my left shoulder, leaving that entire side of my body numb. But I managed to plunge my sword straight through his heart, forcing him to release his grip on his blade before he died instantly.

With two of the Ouroboros agents dead, only one remained.

"Th-this can't be..."

I turned around and saw the Brawler on his knees, looking like he couldn't believe the three of them had been defeated by a mere academy student.

I approached the armless man.

"Wh-who are you, really...?"

I looked into his eyes, clearly filled with fear as death approached him.

"I am... the god who created this world..."

—Slash!

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