The Villain Professor's Second Chance

Chapter 185: The Professor's Live Lesson

Professor Ardan's light magic fizzled in the air, the sharp spears of luminescence dissolving into harmless sparks as they collided with Draven's psychokinetic barrier. He stood at the center of the room, calm and composed, his pens hovering in perfect balance around him—each a silent sentinel of the immense power he wielded.

Amberine, Elara, and Maris watched in a mix of awe and disbelief as the battle unfolded before them. The three professors they had once feared—masters of their respective arts—seemed powerless against Draven's unyielding control. And Draven, ever the strategist, turned the battle into a lesson.

His keen eyes flicked to Professor Selric, who was still recovering from the illusion that had shattered his confidence. Draven's voice, though quiet, carried a commanding weight as he began, "Amberine, Elara, Maris, pay close attention. This is how you dismantle an illusionist."

With a flick of his hand, the devil pen surged forward, leaving a trail of dark energy in its wake. It struck at the remnants of Selric's magic, dispersing the illusion like smoke in the wind. "Illusion Magic: Layered Constructs. This spell works by embedding multiple realities into a single plane, distorting the target's perception of time and space."

Draven's eyes narrowed as he observed the weave of magic still clinging to the room, unraveling it with ease. "The trick, however, is in the core thread—the focal point of the illusion. Disrupt that, and the entire construct collapses."

He spoke as if delivering a lecture, his tone clinical, detached, even as Selric scrambled to regroup. The illusionist professor wove his hands in a complex pattern, attempting to summon another spell, but Draven had already finished analyzing it.

"Ah, Illusion Veil," Draven said with a faint smile, recognizing the new pattern. His pens glowed in response, circling around him in a perfect formation. "A more advanced variant, but no more effective. It bends light and sound to create a cloak of invisibility, but it's fragile."

He flicked his psychokinesis pen forward, sending a precise blast of telekinetic energy that tore through the air. It didn't strike Selric directly but hit the magical threads around him, shredding the veil as though it were made of delicate silk.

Selric staggered back, eyes wide with disbelief. Draven tilted his head slightly, his gaze never leaving the professor. "Lesson one: Never assume your opponent is blind to your tricks."

Before Selric could recover, Draven's fire pen shot forward, trailing flames in an elegant arc. The heat surged through the chamber, roaring to life as it ignited a wall of flame between Selric and his retreat. "Fire Magic: Focused Flame Arc. Simple, but effective."

The air shimmered with heat, the flames forming a barrier that pushed Selric back toward the center of the room. The illusionist was trapped, his hands trembling as he tried to conjure yet another spell.

But Draven was already moving on.

His attention shifted to Professor Ardan, whose light magic was beginning to build again. Draven's expression remained impassive, his voice steady as he analyzed the next move. "Light Magic: Photon Cascade. A powerful, multi-stage attack that overwhelms the senses with sheer intensity."

The room suddenly brightened as Ardan released his magic, spears of radiant energy hurtling toward Draven. But the summoner didn't flinch. Instead, he raised his water pen, its tip glowing with a cool blue light. With a single motion, a wave of water surged forth, intercepting the light spears with pinpoint accuracy.

"Countering light magic with water may seem counterintuitive," Draven remarked, his tone calm as the water deflected each spear with precision. "But light refracts through water, dispersing its energy. The key is control—directing the water with enough precision to diffuse the attack without losing form."

Amberine's eyes widened as she watched the elegant interplay of magic. The water moved as if alive, flowing and twisting in perfect harmony with Draven's will. The light spears dissolved harmlessly within the wave, leaving nothing but faint ripples in their wake.

"Ardan relies too much on brute force," Draven continued, his pens circling around him as he spoke. "His light magic is powerful but lacks subtlety. It's predictable."

Ardan growled in frustration, his hands glowing with renewed intensity as he prepared another assault. But Draven was already a step ahead. His psychokinesis pen darted forward, weaving through the air with lethal precision. It sliced through the threads of Ardan's magic before the professor could release it, severing the connection between spell and caster.

"Lesson two," Draven said, his voice carrying across the room, "understand the mechanics of the spell before it's cast. Disrupt it at the source, and your opponent is left powerless."

Ardan stumbled back, his confidence shattered. The glowing runes on his hands flickered and died, leaving him standing defenseless before Draven's relentless advance.

But it was Professor Ciril, the master of crystal magic, who posed the greatest threat. His crystalline barriers had already begun to form, jagged shards of gleaming rock rising from the ground to encircle him. His eyes gleamed with cold determination as he prepared his next move.

Draven's gaze shifted to Ciril, and he spoke with the same calm authority as before. "Crystal Magic: Convergence Barrier. A defensive technique that channels energy into solid, impenetrable formations."

Ciril smirked, his hands glowing with the pale light of crystal magic. The shards around him grew larger, forming a formidable fortress of glittering stone. "You won't break through this, Draven," he said, his voice full of confidence.

Draven's pens hovered in place, awaiting his command. He studied the barrier for a moment, his eyes narrowing as his mind processed the intricacies of the spell. Then, without warning, his devil pen shot forward, dark tendrils of energy wrapping around the crystalline structure.

"Crystal Magic is powerful, but rigid," Draven said, his voice calm and analytical. "It lacks adaptability, making it vulnerable to entropy-based magic."

The dark energy from the devil pen pulsed, spreading through the crystal like a sickness. Cracks began to form along the surface, spiderwebbing across the once-impenetrable barrier. Ciril's eyes widened in shock as he watched his defenses crumble.

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"Lesson three," Draven continued, "no defense is perfect. Every barrier has a weakness—find it, and exploit it."

The crystal barrier shattered with a deafening crash, the shards dissolving into dust as the dark magic consumed them. Ciril staggered back, his face pale with disbelief. The ground beneath him shook as the remnants of his magic dissipated into the air.

Draven didn't stop. His fire pen darted forward, unleashing a wave of searing heat that engulfed Ciril in an instant. The professor barely managed to raise his hands in defense, conjuring a hasty shield of crystal to block the flames. But it wasn't enough.

"Fire Magic: Flame Surge," Draven said, his voice steady. "A focused attack that overwhelms physical defenses. Crystal may withstand direct force, but it's brittle under sustained heat."

The flames roared to life, melting through Ciril's hastily conjured shield. The professor let out a cry of pain as the heat seared his skin, forcing him to retreat.

Amberine, Elara, and Maris watched in stunned silence as Draven dismantled the professors with surgical precision. Each spell was met with perfect counters, every move calculated and executed with flawless timing. It wasn't just a battle—it was a masterclass in magic.

Draven's pens hovered around him, their energy humming with anticipation as the professors regrouped. Selric, Ardan, and Ciril stood together, their faces twisted with frustration and desperation.

"Do you see now?" Draven asked, his voice carrying across the chamber. "Magic isn't about raw power. It's about understanding, comprehension. Every spell has a structure, a pattern. Once you learn to see it, you can dismantle it."

He glanced at Amberine, who was still watching with wide eyes, her body tense with the weight of the battle. "You have the potential, Amberine. Don't let emotion blind you. Magic is knowledge, and knowledge is power."

Ardan, his pride wounded, let out a furious roar and charged forward, his hands glowing with blinding light. "Enough of your lectures, Draven!"

But Draven remained unfazed. His psychokinesis pen darted forward once more, meeting Ardan's charge with a burst of telekinetic force. The professor was thrown back, crashing into the wall with a dull thud.

Draven turned to the remaining two professors, his eyes cold and unyielding. "You've lost."

Ciril gritted his teeth, his hands trembling as he prepared one final spell. But Draven had already analyzed it. "Crystal Magic: Resonance Spear. A high-density projectile designed to pierce even the strongest barriers."

Before Ciril could release the spear, Draven's devil pen surged forward, wrapping around his arm with dark tendrils of magic. The spell fizzled, collapsing in on itself as the professor fell to his knees.