The Villain Professor's Second Chance

We had dropped at least a hundred meters, far too deep for an easy escape. The chamber was massive, with walls etched in pulsing, ancient runes that thrummed with an ominous energy. The runes were far more intricate than what we saw above, but the same dark magic was woven into every line. This was no ordinary summoning altar.

I glanced over at the others. Aurelia was already back on her feet, dusting off her cloak, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene. Her fiery red hair glowed faintly in the dim light of the chamber, making her look as dangerous as the magic that surrounded us. She muttered under her breath, a string of expletives that ended with a sharp, "What the hell is this place?"
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Aurelia was always quick to anger, but beneath the sharp words and fiery temper was a mind as sharp as her flames. I knew her irritation wasn't just from the fall—it was from the sheer unpredictability of the situation. She hated walking into something blind, and this altar was an enigma. But that didn't mean she wasn't already calculating her next move.

"This place reeks of abyssal magic," she said, stepping closer to the walls. "Those runes... they're ancient, but they're not just demonic. There's something else mixed in. If we don't figure this out, we're gonna end up releasing something worse than we bargained for."

She wasn't wrong. The runes weren't just containment spells; they were something more, something older. They told a story—a story I wasn't sure I wanted to hear.

Lyan, standing a few feet away, broke his silence. "This is... different from anything I've ever seen." His voice was calm, but there was a note of uncertainty there. Lyan was the expert when it came to demon lore. If he was confused, it was bad news.

I studied the distance above us again. One hundred meters up. There was no jumping out of here. The walls themselves seemed alive, pulsating with the same twisted magic as the altar above. Climbing wasn't an option.

"We're stuck down here unless we figure out what this place is," I said, my voice cold and pragmatic. "No rash moves."

Aurelia rolled her eyes, still pacing, her frustration mounting. "You always say that, Dravis. It's like your catchphrase now. No rash moves." She mimicked my tone, her eyes glinting. But then she sighed, her voice lowering. "But yeah, you're probably right.

We can't blow the place up until we know what we're dealing with."

Anastasia, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward and examined the walls, her gaze thoughtful. "These runes... they're connected to something. I can feel it. They're not just here to imprison; they're summoning something."

Her voice was calm, measured. Anastasia was always the quiet one, but she had a way of picking up on the things the rest of us missed. She was right, of course. The magic here was alive, feeding off something far darker than we had encountered before.

Lyan stepped closer to the inscriptions, his eyes narrowing as he studied the ancient text. "This isn't just a prison," he said slowly, tracing the runes with his finger. "It's a story. These inscriptions... they're telling the tale of a war between the demons and the Abyss."

"The Abyss?" Aurelia asked, her interest piqued despite herself. "That can't be good."

Lyan nodded grimly. "It's not. The war wasn't just fought here; it was sealed here. This chamber... it's meant to contain something. Something powerful.

And the altar above is acting as a beacon. Destroying it might release whatever's trapped down here."

Aurelia clenched her fists, her flames flickering around her fingers. "So, let me get this straight. We can't destroy the altar, or we risk letting out some kind of abyssal nightmare?"

Lyan nodded. "Exactly."

She scoffed, though there was a glimmer of understanding in her eyes. "Great. We're trapped in a cursed demon prison with no way out. Just another day in hell."

Aurelia might not have liked the situation, but she wasn't stupid. She knew we needed to think this through. Her mind was already calculating the possibilities, the risks, and the best way out. That's what made her dangerous—not just her power, but her ability to adapt. Even if her language was crude, her mind was always sharp.

"We need to figure out a way to stop the beacon without setting this thing loose," I said, keeping my voice steady. "If we leave it unchecked, it's going to summon something far worse than anything we've dealt with."

Anastasia, her expression calm but focused, stepped forward again. "We could try containing the energy. It won't be easy, but if we create a barrier strong enough to hold the magic in place, it might buy us some time."

I nodded. "A temporary barrier could work, but it needs to hold long enough for us to figure out how to disable the altar. If we rush this, we're done."

Aurelia snorted, though I could tell she was already considering the plan. "Fine. No explosions. But if this thing starts crawling out, I'm torching it."

"I'd expect nothing less," I replied, keeping my tone neutral. "Lyan, can you decipher the rest of the runes?"

Lyan glanced at me, his eyes shadowed with thought. "I can try, but we're running out of time. Whatever's sealed here... it's waking up."

The ground beneath us rumbled, as if to punctuate his words. The runes on the walls flared brighter, pulsing in time with some unseen force. Whatever was down here, it was coming. Fast.

"We need to set up the barrier," I said, my voice cutting through the tension. "Anastasia, you focus on the containment. Lyan, keep working on the runes. Aurelia, be ready."

Aurelia grinned, though there was a flicker of nervous energy beneath it. "Always."

As we moved into position, the air around us grew colder. The magic in the chamber pulsed, a deep, dark rhythm that echoed through my bones. Whatever was trapped here was stirring, and it wasn't going to stay quiet for long.

Anastasia's shadows wrapped around the altar, weaving a web of dark energy that shimmered in the dim light. The runes flickered, fighting against her magic, but she held firm. The barrier was strong, but I could feel the strain in the air. We didn't have much time.

Lyan muttered something under his breath, his fingers tracing the runes faster now. "I've almost got it," he said, though I could hear the urgency in his voice. "But this thing is older than anything I've dealt with. If we break the wrong seal..."

"We're not breaking anything," I replied coldly. "We're containing it. Focus."

The ground shook again, harder this time. The shadows around the altar flickered, and I saw Anastasia's expression tighten with concentration. She was struggling to hold the barrier in place. Whatever was inside was fighting back, and it was getting stronger.

Then, without warning, the runes on the walls flared brighter than before, and the air in the chamber seemed to twist. A low, guttural growl echoed from the darkness, sending a chill down my spine.

"It's coming," Aurelia muttered, her flames flaring to life around her hands. "Whatever it is, it's big."

The shadows in the chamber shifted, and a massive figure began to emerge from the darkness. Its form was grotesque, twisted, and pulsing with the same dark energy that had filled the room. Its eyes glowed with a sickly green light, locking onto us with a hunger that sent a shiver through the air.

Aurelia's flames roared to life, casting a golden glow across the chamber. "Time to burn something," she muttered, though her voice was laced with more caution than bravado.

I stood my ground, my sword at the ready.

This was it.

Whatever was sealed here, it was coming.

An abyssal monster, then I believe it should be even stronger than the Ebon Devourer I fought together with Chancellor Elandris at the MTU.

Then of course.

It means that if I could subdue it and bring it to the real world, it could give me an even greater pawn to use.

Now let's see what is coming.