The Villain Professor's Second Chance

The surreal plane stretched endlessly before me, a twisted and chaotic expanse where time and space seemed to lose all meaning. Shards of rock floated aimlessly, suspended in the dark void, a constant reminder of the uncharted and unpredictable nature of this realm. The sky above was an inky black canvas, dotted with the faint glimmers of shattered stars, adding to the eerie and surreal quality of this place. Tiamat's alter ego stood a few paces away, her form twisted and monstrous, her eyes glinting with a dangerous, almost predatory light. She grinned, a cold and sinister smile that bore no warmth, only mockery and malice.

"You still think you can stand against me, Draven?" she taunted, her voice echoing through the emptiness, carrying with it the sound of a thousand whispers. Her laughter followed, harsh and biting, a sharp contrast to the cold silence that surrounded us, like the void itself was laughing along with her.

I kept my gaze fixed on her, unyielding, unflinching. There was no need to answer, no need to waste words on her goading. Instead, I raised my hand, the chill of the void brushing against my fingertips. The ground beneath us, if you could call it ground, shifted and twisted as if reacting to my will. A shiver passed through the plane, and dark forms began to rise from the abyssal depths—skeletons, zombies, liches—all part of my undead army, each one imbued with the dark magic that had brought them back from the void.

Their forms solidified, bones rattling as they climbed from the depths, a twisted array of macabre beings. They stood between Tiamat and me, forming a barrier of death. The void seemed to respond to their presence, the dark energy of the undead feeding into the chaotic atmosphere around us. I could see Tiamat's expression twist in mild amusement, her lips curving into a mocking grin.

"Undead? Again?" she chuckled, her eyes glinting with a wicked light. "You really think these pathetic creatures will stop me?" She moved forward, her form gliding over the chaotic terrain, her right hand beginning to shift and writhe, transforming into a swirling mass of abyssal energy that seemed to pulse with malevolence.

"You never learn," she sneered, her arm lashing out, the dark energy surging forward in a massive wave. It tore through the ranks of the undead like they were nothing, disintegrating them in an instant. Bones turned to ash, flesh evaporated into the ether, and within seconds, my army was gone, reduced to nothingness, scattered in the wind.

Tiamat laughed, a triumphant sound that echoed through the void. She looked at me, her eyes filled with glee, expecting to see frustration, fear, something—anything that would betray a sense of defeat.

But I remained still, my gaze fixed on her, cold, indifferent. I didn't flinch, didn't even blink. My expression remained unreadable, a mask of calm in the face of her overwhelming display of power.

The laughter slowly died on her lips, replaced by a frown. Her eyes narrowed, and I could see the spark of irritation flaring within them. "Nothing? Not even a hint of fear?" she hissed, her voice dripping with annoyance. She took a step forward, the darkness around her swirling in response to her growing anger.

"Why do you always make it so difficult, Draven?" she continued, her voice rising, the air around us crackling with her energy. "Why do you keep fighting when you know it's pointless? You could just give in, and save yourself the pain."

I stayed silent, my eyes never leaving hers. Words were meaningless here. Tiamat wanted to see me break, to see me falter. And that was precisely why I couldn't afford to give her anything—no fear, no frustration. Only cold determination.

She let out a snarl of frustration, her form shifting, the darkness growing denser around her. "Fine," she spat, her voice low, dangerous. "If you won't give in, I'll make you."

The void seemed to pulse with her rage, the dark energy intensifying, the oppressive weight pressing down on me. I could feel the tendrils of abyssal magic swirling around her, growing longer, sharper, ready to strike. She charged at me, the tendrils lashing out, each one a weapon of pure darkness, aimed directly at my heart.

But I was ready. The pens hovered around me, four tools of power, each one holding a specific type of magic—a psychokinesis pen, a fire pen, an elven water pen, and a devil pen. They pulsed with energy, responding to my will, moving in perfect synchronization.

I focused, my mind sharp, my gaze unyielding. The psychokinesis pen glowed faintly, the air around us shifting as I manipulated the floating shards of rock, using them as shields, barriers that intercepted the tendrils, blocking their advance. The shards shattered on impact, but they served their purpose, giving me time to counter.

The fire pen moved next, releasing bursts of searing flame that collided with the dark energy, the two forces clashing in a chaotic display of power. The flames roared, engulfing the tendrils, burning away the darkness, but Tiamat's energy was relentless, pushing back against the fire, overpowering it with sheer force.

The elven water pen hummed to life, the air around us growing colder, moisture gathering and condensing into walls of water. The barriers surged up, absorbing the abyssal strikes, the water rippling with each impact, but holding strong. I could feel the strain, the weight of the abyss pressing against the barriers, but I didn't let it falter. I pushed back, my focus unwavering.

The devil pen glowed with a dark light, runes forming in the air, each one pulsing with power. They acted as a counter, neutralizing the abyssal magic, turning Tiamat's power against her. The runes shimmered, the dark energy dissipating as they absorbed and redirected it, forcing Tiamat to pull back, her form flickering with irritation.

Despite my efforts, I wasn't unscathed. The tendrils managed to break through at times, striking at me, the abyssal energy searing my skin, burning through my defenses. Pain flared, sharp and blinding, but I didn't let it show. I remained composed, my expression cold, unyielding. Pain was irrelevant. As long as I stood, as long as I continued to fight, there was still a chance.

Tiamat's frustration grew with every moment. I could see it in her eyes, the way her movements became more erratic, less controlled. She was expecting fear, expecting panic—but I gave her none. Only cold, calculated resistance. It was driving her mad.

"Why won't you break!?" she screamed, her voice echoing through the void, her energy flaring wildly, the darkness around us growing even more oppressive. The ground beneath us shuddered, the twisted shards of rock vibrating, the entire plane seeming to respond to her fury.

I didn't answer. I didn't need to. The pens moved with precision, each one playing its part, countering, attacking, defending. The psychokinesis pen manipulated the terrain, using the shards of rock as weapons, hurling them at Tiamat with lethal force. The fire pen unleashed streams of flame, forcing her back, keeping her at bay. The elven water pen maintained the barriers, absorbing her attacks, while the devil pen created runic spells that disrupted her energy, destabilizing her magic.

But even as I fought, I could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on me. Tiamat was powerful—more powerful than any enemy I had faced before. Her energy was relentless, her attacks unending, each one more devastating than the last. The void around us twisted and contorted, the oppressive darkness growing thicker, the very air seeming to vibrate with her power.

And yet, amidst the chaos, I noticed something. The talismans—they were finally scattered across the battlefield, glowing faintly amidst the swirling energy. I could see them, their light barely visible, but there. They were exactly where they needed to be. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

Tiamat's eyes narrowed, her gaze flicking to the glowing talismans, suspicion growing in her eyes. Her movements faltered, her attacks slowing as she realized something was wrong.

I allowed myself a small smile, my eyes locking onto hers, my voice cutting through the chaos. "You forgot, didn't you?" I said, my tone calm, almost mocking. "These talismans were always meant for you."

Her eyes widened, her confident demeanor faltering for the first time. "D-Don't tell me... you bastard—" she stammered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and rage.

With a flick of my hand, the talismans ignited, their light spreading across the battlefield, the runes glowing with an ethereal light that pulsed with power. The energy from the talismans surged, creating massive magic circles beneath us, each one pulsing with a different kind of magic, each one connected, forming a web of power.

Tiamat's form flickered, her eyes widening in shock, her gaze darting between the magic circles. "No..." she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief. She could feel it—the pull, the energy being siphoned from her. Her body writhed, the dark energy around her flickering, unstable.

I stepped forward, my gaze cold, unyielding. "Ever since I noticed you were there, I've been planning this," I said, my voice calm, commanding. "From the moment you decided to possess Anastasia, you had already lost."

The magic circles grew brighter, their energy intensifying, the light spreading, enveloping the battlefield. The talismans pulsed with power, the runes glowing as they drew energy from Tiamat, siphoning her strength, her power. She let out a scream of fury, her body writhing, her form flickering, unstable.

"You think this will stop me?" she snarled, her voice filled with rage, her eyes blazing with hatred. She tried to move, to break free, but the magic held her in place, the circles glowing brighter, the energy pulling at her, draining her power.

"It's already over," I said, my voice cold, final. The magic circles pulsed one final time, the energy surging, the light enveloping Tiamat, her form flickering, fading as her power was drained away, her strength absorbed into the magic circles.

"It's a checkmate."