The Villain Professor's Second Chance

The air in the chamber seemed to grow even colder as the figure approached. Its colossal form slowly coalesced from the shadows, revealing the nightmarish being in all its horror. Lyan and I exchanged a look as the inscriptions near us glowed brighter, revealing the name written upon the stone—"Zhaegor, the Abyssal Maw." I felt the weight of the name settle heavily upon us.

It was a name spoken of in fearful whispers, a legend that warned of the Abyss' most dangerous creatures. The sheer tension in the chamber felt like a living entity, wrapping itself around our throats as Zhaegor's full form finally emerged.

The flickering orange glow of Aurelia's flames cast long shadows across the room, illuminating the nightmarish form before us. Zhaegor was a leviathan, its serpentine body covered in dark, shimmering scales that reflected the dim light. Its maw stretched impossibly wide, revealing multiple rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth.

Tentacles sprouted from its back, each one tipped with barbed hooks dripping with corrosive acid that sizzled as it dripped onto the stone floor. The air seemed to hum with power, vibrating with the dark energy that poured from the creature—a power unlike anything I had ever faced.

I thought back to the Ebon Devourer I fought alongside Chancellor Elandris during the dungeonification incident at Magic Tower University. That monstrosity was nothing compared to what stood before us now. This was something far worse—the embodiment of abyssal malice, pulsing with an energy that thrummed in the marrow of my bones.

Aurelia, predictably, reacted first. Her fiery temper flared as she took a step forward, her hands already engulfed in golden flames. "Bastard's gonna burn!" she snarled, her eyes narrowing, ready to attack. I stepped forward, putting myself between her and Zhaegor. I grabbed her wrist, feeling the heat of her magic searing against my glove.

"Wait." My voice was calm, but there was an edge to it—one that promised there would be consequences if she didn't listen.

She turned her head to glare at me, her red hair framing her scowl. "Don't tell me you're scared of this thing, Dravis. I thought you were supposed to be the fearless one."

"Fearless doesn't mean stupid," I replied coolly, my gaze locked on Zhaegor. "Charging in without a plan will get us all killed. This isn't some mindless beast. It's aware, and it's dangerous. If we're not smart, we'll lose."

Lyan, who had been watching from behind us, nodded. His expression remained unreadable, but his body tensed, ready for action. "He's right. We need to assess its abilities before making a move."

"Assess?" Aurelia repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Sure, let's just stand here and 'assess' while it tries to eat us alive."

"It's either that or risk summoning more of its kind if we're reckless," I shot back. "Your impatience will be our end if you don't reign it in."

She glared at me for a long moment before clicking her tongue and stepping back. "Fine. But if this thing starts making a move, I'm torching it."

I allowed myself the smallest of smirks, hidden beneath my mask. "As expected of you," I turned my attention back to Zhaegor. "Lyan, we're going to need a diversion."

"Understood," Lyan replied, his hands already moving, fingers twisting into complex signs as he muttered the incantation aloud. "Tenebrae Manipulum: Exercitus Phantasmatis!" Shadows began to shift around us, coalescing into illusionary figures—knights wielding swords of darkened steel, each one identical to the last.

They moved with a fluid grace, circling around Zhaegor, keeping its many eyes focused on them.

"Aurelia, Anastasia, range. Lyan and I will engage in melee," I said, issuing the command with the authority I knew Aurelia hated but never resisted. "Your magic will do more damage from a distance, and I don't want you in close quarters against those tentacles."

"Bossy bastard," she muttered, but there was a flicker of something behind her eyes—a grudging acceptance. She knew I was right.

Zhaegor moved first, its massive body undulating as it lashed out with its tentacles, the air splitting with a sharp crack as they struck toward us. I dashed forward, feeling the impact as one of its tentacles struck the stone where I had been standing a moment before.

Anastasia conjured a golden flame shield, her voice a soft chant as she wove her magic, but the tentacles crashed into it, and I could see the cracks spreading through her barrier.

"Flammae Aurum: Protectio Invictus!" she intoned, her voice resonating as the golden shield surged with new energy. But it wouldn't hold for long. The power behind Zhaegor's strikes was too great.

Aurelia's impatience got the better of her. She unleashed her magic, her flames roaring to life. "Ignis Regalia: Excidium!" The flames shot forward, golden and fierce, severing one of Zhaegor's tentacles in a burst of fire. But the severed limb only regenerated, the dark energy in the chamber feeding it, knitting the flesh back together as though nothing had happened.

"Tch. That's annoying," she muttered, frustration evident in her voice.

Then Zhaegor opened its maw, and I could feel the pull—a sickening tug that seemed to latch onto my very soul, trying to draw it from my body. The entire group felt it. Lyan stumbled, his eyes widening as the color drained from his face. Anastasia gritted her teeth, her shadows flickering as she struggled to maintain her focus.

"It's trying to pull our souls!" Lyan shouted, panic in his usually calm voice.

I took a deep breath, letting the cold settle over me, my mind sharpening as I focused my mana. "Stay together!" I roared, gathering my energy into my blade. With a powerful slash, I sent a shockwave of dark mana toward Zhaegor's open maw, the force of the strike cutting through the field of energy that was pulling at our life force.

The pull weakened, and I could feel the strength return to my limbs.

Lyan quickly regained his composure, his hands moving once more as he summoned an army of illusionary knights. "Tenebrae Manipulum: Exercitus Phantasmatis!" The illusionary figures charged forward, their weapons raised, swarming around Zhaegor, distracting it as it turned its attention to them. The knights struck at its body, their swords glancing off its dark scales, but they were just illusions.

Their real purpose was to buy us time.

I moved in, my blade aimed at the beast's exposed flank. Lyan joined me, his own sword glowing faintly with magic. We moved in unison, striking at Zhaegor's massive form. My blade cut deep, dark energy radiating from the wound, but it wasn't enough. The beast was too strong, its hide too thick. Lyan managed to land a hit as well, but it was shallow, barely leaving a scratch on its scales.

"This isn't working," Lyan muttered, frustration evident in his voice. "Its regeneration is too fast."

Aurelia clicked her tongue, her eyes narrowing as she watched the battle. I could see the determination in her eyes, the fire that burned within her—both literally and figuratively. "Fine," she muttered, stepping forward. "Time to stop playing around."

She raised her hands, her voice echoing through the chamber as she began her incantation.

"Ignis Regalia: Flamma Aurea Dominantium, lux caelestis congere, cor ardens exurens omnem umbram. Corona Solis, manifestare! O magna vis ignis, fer te ad gloriam et consume malum in splendore tuo!"

The flames around her roared to life, forming a massive vortex of golden fire. The heat was intense, even from where I stood, and I could see the determination etched on her face as she poured every ounce of her power into the spell. The flames surged forward, engulfing Zhaegor, the light blinding in its intensity.

For a moment, I dared to hope. The golden fire engulfed the beast, its tentacles writhing in agony as the flames consumed it. The roar of the fire echoed through the chamber, drowning out everything else. But then—just as quickly as the hope had come—it was dashed.

Zhaegor's form shimmered, the dark energy within it surging, pushing back against the flames. The shadows seemed to swallow the fire, absorbing it, and I watched in disbelief as the wounds began to heal. The beast was regenerating, the dark magic of the altar feeding it, knitting its body back together even as Aurelia's flames tried to tear it apart.
Stay connected through empire

"Impossible," Aurelia breathed, her voice a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "It's just… it's absorbing everything."

"The altar," I said, the realization hitting me. "It's drawing power from the altar. As long as that connection remains, we can't destroy it."

Anastasia, her face set in concentration, moved her hands, her voice barely a whisper as she began her incantation.

"Umbrae Tenebrae: Vinculum Noctis." Golden flame coiled around Zhaegor, weaving themselves into a complex net that wrapped around its tentacles, binding them in place. The flames held for a moment, and I could see the strain on Anastasia's face, the effort it took to hold the creature.

But then the acid on Zhaegor's tentacles began to eat through the flames, dissolving them, breaking free from her hold.

I gritted my teeth, my mind racing. We couldn't keep this up. Zhaegor was too strong, its regeneration too fast. We needed to sever its connection to the altar, but we needed time—time we didn't have.

"We need to sever its link to the altar," I said, my voice calm but firm. "We're wasting energy trying to destroy it without cutting off its source of power."

Aurelia turned to me, her eyes blazing. "And how exactly do you propose we do that, genius?"

"We stall it," I replied. "Anastasia, Lyan—create a diversion. Aurelia, you're with me. We're going to find a way to sever that connection."

Anastasia nodded, her shadows already moving, weaving around Zhaegor, distracting it as Lyan summoned more illusionary knights. The chamber filled with the sounds of battle—the clash of swords, the roar of flames, the growl of the abyssal creature.

Aurelia shot me a look, her expression a mixture of frustration and determination. "You better know what you're doing, Dravis."

"I always do," I replied, my voice cold and steady. "Now move."