The Villain Professor's Second Chance

Chapter 196: Armandra's Misconception

As I reached for the door, Elandris spoke one final time, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Let's make this quick, Draven. I have a feeling things are about to get much more complicated."

I paused for a moment, the weight of her words hanging in the air between us. Complicated was an understatement. The dungeonification of the Magic Tower University had already pushed the limits of what we could manage, and now, with Armandra lurking just beyond this door, the real threat would finally reveal itself. This wasn't just a simple power struggle.

No, it was something deeper, something older—like a game of chess that had been played long before I had stepped onto the board.

I pushed the door open, and the first thing that hit me was the suffocating aura of dark magic. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light being the faint glow of arcane runes scattered across the floor in a complex web of sigils. The air was thick with the scent of burnt mana, the kind that lingered after powerful rituals had been performed.

And there, standing at the center of it all, was Armandra.

Her presence was striking, not just in the way she held herself but in the subtle traces of her true nature that had begun to leak through her disguise. Where she had once appeared as a simple professor of magical studies, now her form flickered, almost as if the illusion of her human appearance was struggling to maintain itself.

Her hair, once a soft chestnut brown, had begun to shimmer with an otherworldly silver, much like Elandris's. But where Elandris's transformation had been graceful, controlled, Armandra's was chaotic, unbalanced.

She was struggling to maintain her façade, but there was no mistaking what she truly was—a half-elf, like Elandris, but with a far more dangerous agenda.

Her eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, there was silence. Then, a slow smile crept across her lips, and she straightened, her posture shifting from one of tension to one of confidence.

"Ah, Draven," Armandra purred, her voice dripping with amusement. "I was wondering when you'd find me. And it seems you've brought… company."

Her gaze flicked toward Elandris, and something unreadable passed between them. It wasn't just recognition—it was something more. A history, perhaps. Old wounds that had never quite healed.

"Armandra," Elandris said, her voice steady but laced with an edge of cold fury. "I should have known you'd be behind this."

Armandra's smile widened. "Behind this? Oh, Elandris, you give me too much credit. I'm merely the catalyst. The real power, the real force driving this dungeonification, comes from forces far beyond your understanding."

I stepped forward, my pens hovering around me in a protective formation, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. "Enough games, Armandra," I said, my voice calm but firm. "You've been manipulating this entire situation from the start. Training students in forbidden magic, guiding them toward this ritual, and now, this dungeonification. It all leads back to you."

Armandra's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "Oh, Draven, you're so quick to accuse. But tell me, have you truly considered the bigger picture? The forces at play here are far older than you or I. What's happening in this tower—it's only the beginning."

Elandris's patience snapped. "Beginning? You've endangered the lives of hundreds of students, corrupted the very foundation of this tower, and for what? To play with forces you can't control?"

Armandra's smile faltered for a fraction of a second, and I caught the briefest glimpse of something—fear, maybe. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by her usual mask of amusement.

"You still don't understand, do you?" Armandra said softly, her voice almost pitying. "This isn't about power. It's about survival. The magic in this world is dying, Elandris. You know it as well as I do. The old ways, the ancient spells—they're fading.

Dungeonification, dark magic, forbidden rituals—these are the only tools we have left to cling to what little magic remains."

I narrowed my eyes, sensing the truth hidden within her words. There was desperation there, a need to justify her actions, to make them seem necessary. But I wasn't fooled.

"And you think destroying the tower is the solution?" I asked, my tone sharp. "You think unleashing demonic forces will save magic?"

Armandra's expression darkened. "No, Draven. I think it's the only way to force the world to acknowledge what's happening. The Magic Tower University, this symbol of magical supremacy, it's a relic. A monument to a world that no longer exists. If it falls, people will finally wake up.

They'll see that the old ways are failing. And they'll seek out new solutions. Dark magic, forbidden rituals—they're not the problem. They're the future."

The room was thick with tension, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air. I could see Elandris bristling beside me, her hands clenched into fists as she struggled to contain her rage. But I knew we couldn't let this conversation devolve into a fight just yet. There was more at play here, and I needed to understand exactly what Armandra was planning.

"You're wrong," I said, my voice cutting through the silence. "This isn't about saving magic. It's about control. You're using the dungeonification as a means to destabilize the university, to take power for yourself."

Armandra's eyes flashed with anger, but she didn't deny it. Instead, she took a step forward, her body crackling with barely contained magic. "You think you know everything, don't you, Draven? You think you can just waltz in here and stop what's already been set in motion."

Elandris stepped forward, her voice low and dangerous. "We can. And we will."

The atmosphere in the room shifted, the tension reaching a boiling point. I could feel the magic building in the air, the power radiating from both Elandris and Armandra as they prepared for a confrontation.

But before anything could happen, Armandra's smile returned, sharp and deadly. "You're too late," she said softly, almost gleefully. "The ritual is already complete. The dungeonification is irreversible now. Soon, the entire tower will be consumed, and with it, everything you hold dear."

Elandris's eyes widened, and I felt a cold knot of dread form in my stomach. Armandra's confidence, her certainty—it wasn't just arrogance. She truly believed the tower was lost.

But I wasn't about to give up that easily.

I stepped forward, my pens glowing with a faint light as I summoned my mana, preparing for whatever came next. "You've underestimated me, Armandra. You may have started this, but I will end it."

"Arrogant as always, Draven, Armandra replied as her magic gleam following her warming up her mana.

The tension in the air was palpable, the weight of Armandra's final words hanging over us like a dark cloud. My mind raced, processing everything as the reality of the situation settled in. Dungeonification. An irreversible process, or so she claimed. But I wasn't convinced. Not yet.

"Draven," Elandris's voice broke through the silence, calm but laced with urgency. "Whatever we do, we have to stop her before the corruption spreads any further. If the dungeonification is truly complete, then every moment we waste is another step closer to losing this tower."

I nodded, my eyes fixed on Armandra. She stood tall, her posture almost regal despite the madness that crackled in the air around her. Her mana swirled with the chaotic remnants of the dark ritual she had initiated, and I could sense the raw power within her, dangerous and untamed. But power alone wasn't enough to stop us.

"Ready?" I asked, my voice low but steady.

Elandris didn't answer with words. Instead, the ground beneath her shifted, stone and earth rising as ancient magic stirred to life. Her connection to nature was undeniable, and as the magic flowed from her, I could feel the weight of centuries behind her movements.

The room trembled slightly as stones rearranged themselves into a protective barrier, a silent declaration of the battle that was about to unfold.

I summoned my pens, each one humming with energy as they floated beside me. The elven-runed water pen glowed with a soft blue light, its magic calm yet potent, ready to counter anything Armandra might throw at us. The devil pen pulsed with dark energy, coiling around me like a serpent, hungry for the battle ahead.

The psychokinesis pen hovered just above my shoulder, ready to strike with precision, and the fire pen flared to life, its flames casting a warm glow in the otherwise dim chamber.

The first move was mine. With a flick of my wrist, I sent the psychokinesis pen flying forward, its path swift and deadly. It sliced through the air, aimed directly at Armandra's heart. But she was fast, faster than I expected. With a sharp movement, she conjured a barrier of shimmering dark magic, deflecting the pen's attack effortlessly.

"You'll have to do better than that," Armandra taunted, her voice smooth and confident.