The Villain Professor's Second Chance

Aurelia, sensing the rising tension, let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. "Alright, enough of your depressing Earth stories, you bastards." She leaned forward on her elbows, her fiery red hair catching the low light of the inn, glowing like embers in the dark. Her eyes flicked between Lyan and me, and she narrowed them with an edge of playful annoyance. "I've got my own mission, remember?"

Her tone dropped, the levity disappearing as her voice turned serious. "The system gave me a quest—'Protect the City of Peace from a coming threat.'"

That statement hit me like a cold splash of water. My gaze snapped to her, the realization sinking in. My quest had always been simple: Protect the Queen. It was straightforward, clear, and I'd never questioned it beyond what I had to. But Aurelia—she had her own system, her own quest board, and it wasn't just about her survival. It was about protecting this entire city.

I felt a pang of irritation at myself. How had I missed that? I was too used to trusting my instincts, assuming I knew where the danger would come from and what it meant for my mission. I'd always guessed the source of the threat without ever thinking to ask Aurelia about her quest, about the details she had access to. The truth was right there, and I hadn't seen it.

I glanced at her, trying not to let the frustration show on my face. It wasn't like I could simply ask her about every detail. After all, she still didn't know that I wasn't just some wandering adventurer. She didn't know that Dravis was really me—Draven, a professor from another world entirely.

And more than that, she didn't know that every quest I'd been drawn into alongside her had been a result of my own system. I'd always assumed our goals aligned perfectly, but that was naive.

I leaned back in my chair, eyes narrowing as I ran through the possibilities. Protecting her was still my primary objective, but if her quest was about safeguarding the city, then that changed things. The threat wasn't just to her life. It was broader, more complicated. Protecting the city meant securing her future. But if the city fell, then her life was in jeopardy as well.

It was all connected, and I'd been too focused on her to see the bigger picture.

Aurelia, oblivious to my inner calculations, continued. "The threat is real, Dravis. And I don't think it's just some small-time raid. The system doesn't hand out warnings like this unless things are going to get really ugly."

I nodded slowly, keeping my thoughts to myself. Of course, it was bigger than we realized. That was how it always went.

Before I could respond, Lyan spoke up. His tone was measured, careful, like a man delivering a report. "The city of peace isn't just any hub," he said, his dark eyes watching the room as if he expected trouble at any moment. "It's a crucial point in the demon realm. Various tribes and races gather here under a strict pact—no fighting, no wars.

It's the only place where demons aren't tearing each other apart." He paused, glancing at me and Aurelia before continuing. "But there are rumors. Whispers about an alliance of certain demonic tribes who want to break the peace by resurrecting the demonic dragon god, Tiamat."

The name hung in the air like a shadow. Tiamat. The very sound of it carried weight. I didn't need Lyan to explain why the resurrection of a dragon god would destabilize everything. A creature like that would shatter the fragile peace this city relied on. More than that, it would tear through the fabric of any stability in the entire demon realm.

I turned my gaze to Aurelia. Her quest was about protecting the city from this threat. If the city fell, so did her mission. I clenched my fists under the table, the cold truth sinking in deeper. My quest to protect her was now intricately tied to ensuring this city survived. If the city fell, so would she.

And if Tiamat was the ultimate threat, then we weren't just dealing with a simple invasion. We were fighting against the resurrection of a force capable of ending entire worlds.

Lyan's mention of Tiamat lingered, but as I processed it, something else clicked in my mind. I turned toward him, my gaze sharp, questioning. If Lyan's mission was to kill Tiamat, then our quests were tied together. His journey didn't end here with the protection of this city—he was the one who would finish it, to fight Tiamat directly. The pieces fell into place.

I studied Lyan carefully. Could he defeat a demonic dragon god alone? The idea gnawed at me. We were tasked with protecting this city, but what would happen once that was done? Aurelia and I would likely return to our own world, our quests completed. But Lyan—he would remain here, facing a battle against a dragon god, with or without us.

Our eyes met across the table, a silent understanding passing between us. He knew what I was thinking, and I could see the same thought reflected in his gaze. Could he take on Tiamat alone? He didn't say anything, but his jaw tightened, his determination clear. There was no need for words. We both had our own missions, our own paths to follow.

But one thing was certain—we would finish our respective quests, no matter the cost.

I gave him a small nod, and he returned it, the silent agreement made between us. No hesitation, no doubts. We would see this through, even if our paths diverged in the end.

Before the moment could stretch on too long, Anastasia suddenly spoke up, her voice breaking the tension. "Actually," she began, her tone hesitant but insistent, "I think my quest is tied to this as well." She shifted in her seat, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "It's strange, though… my system only gave me a single word. Protect. That's all it said." Discover exclusive tales on empire

I frowned, processing her words. Protect. A vague directive, lacking any specifics. Unlike Aurelia, who had a clear goal to protect the city from a threat, Anastasia's quest seemed to leave her blind to the specifics. That was dangerous. Not knowing exactly what or who you were protecting was a nasty trick, and the system wasn't known for making things easy.

"Just that? No details at all?" I asked, my voice colder than I intended.

She shook her head. "No details. Just… protect. I don't even know what I'm supposed to protect, only that something is coming. And there's a countdown. 21 hours..."

21 hours...

I leaned back, thinking quickly. The system was always deliberate, never random. Anastasia's quest was tied to the same threat we faced, but without the specifics, she was flying blind. Worse, she had a countdown hanging over her. We didn't have the luxury of waiting around.

Lyan and I stood up at the same time, our movements in sync. "It's time to gather information," Lyan said flatly.

I nodded, already forming a plan. "The more we know, the better."

Aurelia rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with our sudden burst of coordination. "And how do you bastards plan on doing that? You think the demons are just going to hand over information like a gift?"

I ignored her sarcasm and moved toward the bar. The inn was bustling with demons of various races, each engaged in their own activities. The bar master, a grizzled-looking demon with a scar running down his face, stood behind the counter, watching everything with a wary eye.

Lyan and I approached him, though I could already sense our different methods clashing. I stepped up, my presence cold and commanding. I didn't need to threaten him, not outright. People responded to control, to authority. I could get what I needed with a few well-placed questions.

But before I could speak, Lyan grabbed the bar master by the front of his tunic, pulling him close with a growl. "Tell me everything you know about the cultists in this city."

I shot Lyan a sharp look. This wasn't going to work. Demons weren't like humans—fear tactics didn't always yield the best results. Besides, the bar master was no fool. He wasn't going to crack under brute force, not here.

"Let go of him," I said, my voice icy. Lyan glared at me, but reluctantly released the demon, who straightened his tunic with a grumble.

I leaned forward, my tone low but sharp. "We're looking for information," I said calmly. "We know there are cultists in the city, and we know they're planning something big. If you have any details, it's in your best interest to share them."

The bar master glanced between Lyan and me, clearly assessing the situation. His eyes narrowed, and I could see the wheels turning in his mind. "I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, though the way his eyes shifted told me otherwise.

Lyan, of course, didn't pick up on the subtleties. He reached for the bar master again, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You better start talking, or—"

I grabbed his arm, pulling him back before he could escalate the situation. "Enough," I said, my tone a warning. We weren't going to get anywhere with this approach.

Lyan yanked his arm free, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "Your way isn't working either."

We glared at each other, the tension between us rising again. It was clear we had different ideas on how to handle things, and neither of us was willing to back down.

Just as we were about to clash again, Aurelia stepped between us, her arms crossed and a smirk playing on her lips. "Stop fighting already, you idiots."

She glanced between us, her fiery eyes gleaming with amusement. "You both suck at this."

I let out a slow breath, stepping back and crossing my arms. She wasn't wrong. We needed a different approach. One that didn't involve tearing the place apart or intimidating every demon we came across.

Aurelia chuckled. "You're both supposed to be the smart ones, right?" She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Let's see how smart you can really be."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

And just like that, the tension between Lyan and I dissolved. For now.