THE VILLAIN'S POV

-Frey Starlight's POV-

Bounty on your head: 200 Points

"Haa…"

I took a deep breath, gripping my sword tightly.

A pounding headache had followed me for the past two days.

I wasn't alone.

All around me—dozens of them.

And they weren't just regular third-years.

Many were from the elite.

I'd been hunted down relentlessly for two whole days.

Magnus wasn't among them this time… but what I got instead was just as troublesome.

I looked at her—that filthy woman—and then at the army surrounding me.

The rain hadn't stopped for even a second.

I stuck out my tongue, letting the droplets moisten my dry throat.

After such an intense chase, I was reaching my limit.

"You sure run well, Frey Starlight. I've never met anyone so stubborn."

It was Missandei who spoke, Egon's subordinate, looking down on me with disdain while I gave her a tired smile.

"I think you guys are more stubborn than me."

Even after defeating so many of them… they just kept coming.

"Let's end this farce."

Missandei—second strongest among the third-years—and with this many on her side…

Fighting them in my current state would be tough.

Sure, I could win… but it would cost me far too much. I had no intention of fighting in the first place.

Missandei began to manipulate the threads between her fingers.

Those steel nails… the spool wrapped around her arms…

She controlled the threads with the wind—her combat style was truly one of a kind.

She wove a giant spider cocoon around us, attempting to seal off any chance of escape.

From all sides, the other students began slowly advancing toward me.

"Looks like you've finally accepted your fate… Frey."

"Yeah, I accepted it… a long time ago."

I raised both hands in surrender.

"I've got no desire to fight."

Missandei frowned.

She clearly hadn't expected this response after two full days of chasing me.

"Take him out."

She didn't want to prolong things. Something about this situation clearly made her uneasy.

One of the students stepped forward and attacked me—his sword slashed clean through, cutting me in half…

But what he struck wasn't me to begin with.

"Huh?"

Missandei was stunned.

Because what appeared in my place… was only an illusion.

"La~ la~ la~…"

The singing began.

Those creatures… sang gleefully.

Night had fallen, and the melody grew stronger.

From those brains… the eyeballs emerged.

"La~ la~ la~…"

The third-years' expressions darkened as they saw the dozens—no, hundreds—of Mensis Nightmare creatures surrounding them.

This was their nest.

And now, the illusion had fully taken hold.

Perched atop a tree in the distance,

I watched it all unfold.

Missandei had woven the trap herself.

Trapped inside her own spider cocoon—surrounded by hundreds of Mensis Nightmares.

Above them, my eyes shimmered with a faint glow.

"Skill: Ascension."

That skill rendered me completely immune… to all forms of mental attacks.

During the early days of the exam, I'd discovered this place… the lair of those creatures.

"La~ la~ la~…"

A single Mensis Nightmare's illusion can be resisted.

Maybe even two… or three.

But when illusions come at you from this many, it's nearly on par with the Mist stalker itself.

Unless you're prepared in advance and have strong resistance, you won't even realize you've been trapped.

"Frey Starlight! You bastard! What did you do!!!"

Missandei screamed, as the nightmares lunged to attack.

"What did I do, you ask?"

Simple…

"I led you, step by step—straight into their nest.

Without you even noticing… your intense focus on me made it all too easy for the Mensis Nightmares to pull you into their illusion."

"Damn it… damn it…damn it!!"

Missandei cursed fiercely, as if her mind was being stabbed by a filthy blade.

"You're going to get us killed! There's no way we're getting out of this alive!"

She screamed, lashing out wildly.

She had already fallen victim to the nightmare's delusions...

These mental attacks—might even leave her mentally crippled in the future… a fate worse than death.

"Complaining now, after all that chasing earlier? Your hypocrisy isn't even funny…"

One by one...

They all fell prey to the Menses Nightmare.

"La~ la~ la~"

The melody of death played on, relentless…

Missandei, of all people, screamed the most… the exact opposite of her usual calm.

Now, only one thing remained: to be devoured by the ravenous minds...

But their armor would protect them.

And sure enough—

Critical hit!

Critical hit!

Critical hit!

They were saved… but—

"They didn't get teleported…"

Some of them were already being devoured by the Menses Nightmares.

"What's going on?"

Confused beyond belief, I watched as the temple disciples were wiped out…

The teleportation spell had failed.

After observing for a while, I finally realized what was happening.

"The Nest of the Menses Nightmares…"

The illusion cast by those creatures… it was like magic.

It was overwhelmingly dense—because this was their den. And so…

"It blocked the signal…"

They couldn't be transported. The power of the Menses Nightmares was interfering with spatial magic.

In other words…

"They're going to die…"

"La~ la~ la~"

I watched with a bitter expression.

They… were going to die because of me.

Many had already begun to be consumed.

The Menses Nightmares devoured their victims slowly… forcing me to witness every moment as limbs were torn apart, and bright red blood spilled endlessly.

I remained silent as I watched.

"Sadly… I won't be able to save you…"

In truth… I could've, if I had used Balerion.

But if I did… I would be disqualified.

Between their lives… and the Victoriade…

The scale was unfair.

I wasn't a hero… nor a noble man… I was just—

"Someone trying to return to his world…"

With a grim face, I turned away.

I had already given up on them.

And then—

BOOOOM!

An overwhelming force surged from the distance.

It was fire.

A fire greater than anything I had ever seen.

It swept across me, the Menses Nightmares, the students, the trees… the rocks… the ground… everything within a kilometer radius.

But it—

"It wasn't hot…"

I didn't feel a thing.

It was so cold, I felt like I was dreaming… or maybe I had fallen into another of the Menses illusions…

But no. That wasn't it. Down below…

The Menses Nightmares burned to death.

That same fire… didn't touch the students.

That level of control—

"What's going on…"

A flame that burns what it wants… and spares what it wants.

But thanks to it… many of the students were saved.

The fire only lasted a moment before it vanished—

I stared in awe at the scorched land around me.

The tree I had been standing on moments ago was completely gone.

And the one responsible… stood before me.

His presence was overwhelming… it reminded me of my time with Ivar Valerion.

His brown hair and that elegant black cloak…

Those burning crimson eyes lighting up his youthful face…

"At last we meet… son of Abraham…"

The man spoke with a radiant smile as the void erupted around him.

It was Phoenix.

Phoenix Sunlight.