The Villain's Story

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***

"Hmm, hmmm hmm."

Arken hummed to himself while silently going around all the first five floors.

He was like a bolt of lightning, shattering the sound barrier as he traveled to all of the floors again and again.

He observed the students of Shield during his multiple trips along the floors.

He discovered many things along the way.

Students were huddled together even though they belonged to other teams in some areas, and some student teams even fought with each other.

He first considered if the former was against the rules, but dismissed it later.

And it was then, that Arken felt a very very slight tremor followed by a slight wave of mana coming from deep within the labyrinth.

He stopped suddenly and his eyes glowed golden yellow as he stared at the ground and started investigating whatever had happened.

[Skill Piercing Eyes has been activated]

His skill was activated and He soon saw the reason for the slight tremor and mana fluctuations.

And as he saw what the reason was, his face scrunched up and he muttered two words.

"...fucking hell."

And immediately after, He darted towards the upper floors towards the entrance of the Labyrinth.

He needed to inform Oliver...and he needed to do it fast and immediately go back to fight the disturbances off.

He would be able to fight every last one of them off himself, but he was not arrogant enough to think he could do so by protecting the students as well.

'Of course, this happens the one time I volunteer to help! Of course!'

He yelled to himself in his mind and began to make his way towards the entrance.

***

"Hmm?"

"What's wrong?"

I suddenly stopped as I experienced a slight chilly feeling for a second.

And this was surprising because considering my [Supreme] ranked affinity to the Ice Element, I don't think the cold should affect me.

It...was odd, to say the least. As if there was something wrong and... I just felt it.

A goosebump, I think.

"You okay?"

I heard Alex again and dismissed the thought as I felt the ground beneath the layers of snow become firm.

I could see a cliff in the distance with a few people huddled close to a large fire.

The ground in this area was extremely firm and steady, which I considered a bonus because it was hard to find stable footing on this floor.

"Nothing just felt a slight shiver."

I said to Alex and continued walking towards our campsite.

"Ice Affinity awakened can feel shivers?"

He asked, a good question if I must say so myself.

The element you had an affinity to would change you, whether it be demeanor or resistance to certain things.

Among Ice Awakened, Dulled emotions and increased resistance to the cold were the most prominent.

On the Contrary, the Fire element awakened would have fiery tempers more often than not and increased resistance to heat.

Every element had its strength and weaknesses.

"You learn something new every day."

I replied to Alex, whose expression I couldn't see because of the wolf mask.

(A/N:Changed fox mask to wolf mask, it has some importance in the story later.)

He pondered for a while, then shrugged it off and we both eventually reached the campsite and were greeted by the funny sight of 8 students from mine and Elijah's team huddled together in a large bonfire.

They all looked at us for a second and didn't speak. Elijah only waved his hand towards me while showing a smile

and then focused them on the fire immediately after.

Alex got close to the fire like the others and similarly positioned his hands closer to the fire.

'... it's a wonder how they're so carefree.'

I thought to myself.

This was a labyrinth, a place where normally death was at every corner.

Even though the suits provided a decent amount of armor for the first ten floors, their every action was probably being monitored by the Shield Staff.

These idiots were still forgetting they were in one of the most dangerous places on Earth.

I sighed to myself inwardly and made my way towards my tent.

Unlike the others, I preferred to be away from the fire.

The cold didn't bother me, it helped me calm down and I didn't need the mushrooms on this floor.

I made my way towards my tent, which was located a bit far away from the area of the fire.

I entered my tent and sat down straight in the middle, put my bag away, and started to do something simple to pass the time.

And that was clean my spear.

***

"... he's gone."

Mila muttered as she watched Alan enter his tent.

The others in her team, especially Elaine, nodded furiously and then started to relax.

When he suddenly appeared, they all tensed up as the 'aura' he just released subconsciously made others tense up in his presence.

Yet, it also provided some sort of warmth, as if the one releasing the aura was someone they could trust, someone who would protect them.

However, to them, it just appeared to be someone who was in a bad mood constantly.

"...yeah, he's gone."

Elaine muttered while she turned to Sabrina and asked her the question she was going to ask previously before someone else butted in with their mere presence alone.

"So, how did you guys end up here?"

Their own experience was getting flung towards the snow and being separated by the sand tornado of the previous floor.

She expected Her story to be similar, only to be surprised when Sabrina began to tell her how her team got there.

And it was entirely different.

***

"WHAT?!"

Elena screamed in the control room as she was shocked beyond belief by the report she had just received from her master, Oliver.

[Evacuate the students and don't worry about the incoming calamity. I repeat, Evacuating the students take top priority

Do not try to engage.]

As she heard her master voice in her ear through the earpiece, she couldn't help but question.

"Headmaster, I believe it will be appropriate if I and the other S-rank teachers go and stop it, We can leave the evacuation to the lower-ranked teachers!"

And yet, Oliver denied it again and said

[Elena, you don't have to worry about the stampede,' I' will take care of it. I want you and every instructor to focus on evacuating the students!]

*Bip*.

And with that, the transmission ended and Elena was left to wonder.

'Headmaster Oliver is acting himself?!

No...he should be able to do it by himself.'

She thought to herself completely unaware that it wasn't going to Be Oliver acting, it was someone else who was rushing towards it now.

Nevertheless, She thought Oliver Olsfer, the Sage himself was acting on it.

"All Instructors, No matter what rank you are, are to focus on the evacuation of the students, The headmaster himself will take care of 'it'."

She voiced out into the intercom and ran towards the exit of the control room which was empty except for her as all staff available had immediately gone to do their duties upon learning the news.

And she needed to hurry.

She left the control room ignoring the bewildered responses from her colleagues being transmitted to her through her earpiece.

She just uttered the same words again and again to them, And...silently prayed in her mind.

'We need to make sure no student is severely harmed.'

Otherwise....the backlash would be tremendous.