The Return Of The Exiled Villain

When the light faded, the corridor was a mess.

The walls were scorched and cracked.

The floor had deep claw-shaped gouges carved into it.

Several students who had been caught near the edge of the attack were groaning on the ground, their bodies crackling with residual lightning.

Two of them had already been eliminated, their figures glowing faintly before vanishing as the island’s magic registered their defeat.

Adrian landed in a crouch, breathing heavily. His sword was still in his hand, but his clothes were slightly singed.

He looked at Gray with a mix of shock and frustration.

’That one technique... it broke through everything at once... besides, isn’t that the technique that from Curry? Did he... copy it after seeing it once in the colosseum?!’ his eyes widened in realization and horror.

’If he did... he even improved it... fuck.’

Maelis stood nearby, her gravity magic flickering as she tried to stabilize herself. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the destruction.

”That power...” she muttered under her breath.

’...He didn’t have that kind of power around this time during the first life...’

Selene lowered her sword slightly, her cyan aura dimming. She looked shaken but still determined.

”He didn’t even use his rapier...” she said quietly.

Selina gripped her staff tightly, her expression tense. Claire was still recovering from the earlier kick, rubbing her backside with a flushed face while glaring at Gray.

Ronan was on one knee, the gauntlets sparking wildly as he tried to shake off the numbness in his arms.

”Damn... that hurt like hell...” he groaned.

”But it was kinda cool too...”

Lira landed silently, her long black hair slightly messy. She stared at Gray with her usual blank expression, but even she seemed more cautious now.

Katia closed her curse book for a moment, breathing hard.

”...That technique ignored my curses completely,” she muttered.

Swiish...

Gray, standing in the middle of the destruction, adjusted his sleeves once again.

He looked completely relaxed, as if he had only stretched a little. His black eyes swept over the group calmly.

The remaining students who hadn’t been eliminated yet were clearly shaken.

The coordinated attack they had just thrown at him had been completely dismantled by a single technique.

No one moved forward immediately.

Adrian slowly stood up straight again, raising his sword once more. His breathing was heavier, but his eyes were still sharp.

”...We’re not done yet.”

Gray tilted his head slightly.

”Save it,” he yawned.

”In that state, even if you brought out the guy behind you, you wouldn’t have a chance to beat me,” Gray smirked.

Adrian froze.

His eyes widened in pure shock as he stared at Gray. For a moment, he completely forgot about the fight. His grip on his sword tightened unconsciously.

”What guy...?” Adrian muttered, his voice low and tense.

Gray’s smirk deepened slightly.

”You know who I’m talking about.”

Adrian’s heart skipped a beat. A cold chill ran down his spine. Inside his mind, he could feel Zeups suddenly become alert.

’...He knows?’

Adrian’s thoughts spiraled into chaos.

’How...? How does he know about Zeups? I’ve never told anyone. Not even the professors. Not even Maelis. The only ones who should know are the ones who also have God’s Descent...’

Zeups’ voice echoed inside Adrian’s head, unusually serious and tense.

{Adrian... be careful. This boy... he can sense me. That shouldn’t be possible unless he has something similar... or something stronger.}

Adrian’s breathing grew slightly heavier.

’Zeups... you’re nervous?’

{I am. If he can detect me this clearly while I’m sealed inside you, then either his perception is monstrous... or he also has a god residing within him. And if that’s the case... we might be in real danger.}

Adrian’s mind raced.

’But how? Gray was exiled. He shouldn’t have had access to anything like a god! Unless... he obtained it after leaving the academy. Or worse... he already had it and was hiding it all along.’

Gray stood there calmly, watching Adrian’s expression with quiet amusement, as if he could read every thought running through his head.

Adrian clenched his jaw.

’...Just how much does he know?’

Gray ignored the panicked Adrian completely. Instead, he turned his head and looked over at Ronan, who was still wearing the stolen gauntlets and breathing heavily.

”Keep those gauntlets for yourself,” Gray said lazily.

”They’re useless to me.”

Ronan blinked in surprise, then quickly nodded with a grin.

”R-Really? Thanks, man! I’ll make good use of them!”

Mariinne, who was still sitting on the ground nearby, instantly perked up when she heard Gray speak.

Her greed flared up the moment she realized he was giving away the gauntlets so easily.

She pouted and opened her mouth to say something, clearly about to ask if she could have them instead.

But before she could get a word out, Gray’s cold gaze landed on her.

”Do you have anything to say?” he asked sharply.

Mariinne instantly shut her mouth. She looked up at him with wide eyes, then quickly shook her head like a scolded child.

Gray nodded lightly.

”Good.”

He then looked around the ancient corridor they were in, his black eyes calmly scanning the old stone walls and the faint glowing runes.

From what he remembered in the novel, these ruins had five layers in total. They had only just reached the second layer.

The third layer contained a Gravity Staff.

The fifth layer held a Saint-Grade Sword.

But none of those interested him.

What Gray truly wanted was in the fourth layer.

A necklace.

A very special necklace.

That necklace wasn’t just any ordinary artifact.

Its effect was extremely rare and powerful, something that could change the flow of battle in ways most people couldn’t even imagine.

He had no interest in wasting time with the current fight.

Without another word, Gray turned around and began walking deeper into the ruin, completely ignoring Adrian and the others.

Mariinne quickly scrambled to her feet and hurried after him.

”My prince! Wait for me~!”

The Gloria Academy students stood frozen for a few seconds, still processing what had just happened.

Adrian’s expression remained dark as he watched Gray’s retreating figure.

After walking for a short while, Gray suddenly stopped in front of a large stone wall that marked the end of the second layer.

He looked at it for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

”Too lazy to go down one layer at a time...”

Without any warning, Gray raised his right hand and pointed his palm at the thick stone wall in front of him.

A surge of black and golden mana gathered in his hand before he released it in a single, concentrated blast.

BOOOOOOM!

A massive hole was instantly carved through the wall.

The explosion was controlled but powerful, blowing through the stone, the third layer, and even part of the fourth layer in one go.

Dust and debris flew everywhere as a straight vertical tunnel was created, connecting the second layer directly to the fourth.

Mariinne’s eyes widened in shock and awe as she watched the destruction.

”W-Wow...” she muttered, her voice full of admiration.

”My prince is so strong... and lazy at the same time. That’s kind of hot.”

Gray didn’t respond to her.

He simply stepped into the newly created hole and began descending through the tunnel he had just made.

Mariinne quickly followed after him, using her shadow affinity to move faster.

As they dropped down, they passed through the third layer in an instant.

Gray didn’t even spare a glance at the Gravity Staff that was supposed to be hidden there. His only target was the fourth layer.

After a few seconds, they landed on the fourth floor of the ancient ruin.

The atmosphere here was different, with a faint pressure in the air.

The walls were covered in more intricate and ancient runes than the upper layers.

In the center of the large chamber stood a single stone pedestal, and resting on top of it was a simple-looking necklace.

It was made of dark silver metal with a small, glowing blue gem embedded in the center. It didn’t look particularly flashy, but the aura it gave off was extremely dense and powerful.

Gray walked toward it calmly.

Mariinne followed behind him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

”Is that what you wanted, my prince?” she asked excitedly.

”It looks kinda plain... but it feels really strong!”

Gray stopped in front of the pedestal and stared at the necklace for a moment.

’...This doesn’t seem to be the real treasure,’ he thought.

’In the novel, the necklace was described as exquisite, and not plain-looking like this one. Is this one a trap...?’

He looked at it for a long moment...

”My prince...?” Mariinne called out to him, but he ignored her.

Then, he finally moved.

”Well... if it’s a trap or not... there’s only one way to fight out.”

Gray directly grabbed the necklace in front of him, without a single shred of hesitation.

Creaaak...