The Narrow-Eyed Villain of the Demon Academy

"...There we go."

I looked back with a satisfied smile.

I had successfully escaped the cramped barrier.

I felt an inexplicable sense of liberation even though I had only left the room.

However, that feeling did not last long.

‘Killing intent?’

I quickly looked back.

Something much larger than I had expected was lurking right before my eyes.

A wolf statue made of rock.

I did not notice it when I was inside the room, but its outline became clear when I saw it up close.

It seemed to be dozens of times larger than my body.

I could also tell who would win or lose.

‘This is definitely…….’

A win.

Not for me, but for that thing.

I swallowed dry saliva and moved the dagger repeatedly.

- Intruder…….

The stone wolf bared its teeth, dropping stones from its mouth.

……Is that saliva?

It was made of stone, yet it was trying to act like a real wolf for no reason.

Its appearance was rather creepy.

Should I say that it was similar to the Uncanny Valley?

- I will kill you…….

The stone wolf made a murderous sound and opened its mouth wide.

I was terrified and distanced myself from it.

It seemed like it was about to tear me apart with its fangs and chew me to death with its molars.

My prediction was correct.

Thud-. Thud-.

As soon as I stepped back, the stone wolf tore the ground where I had been standing and chewed it up.

It was the first time I realized that something made of stone could be so ferocious.

Can I win…….

I had a brief moment of doubt.

‘I have to try.’

I cannot cower in fear.

Shouldn’t I try everything I can?

”Designation.”

The stones that fell every time it moved.

I targeted the stone that was closest to it.

When the arrow shot out and finally made contact.

“Move.”

In an instant-.

The world was turned upside down.

“Whew.”

I took a short breath.

I could see the stone wolf’s abdomen.

I flinched for a moment at its size, but I quickly came to my senses and grabbed the dagger.

“Die!”

I thrust the dagger towards the wolf’s stomach, which had not yet dodged.

Clang.

However, the dagger bounced off without piercing the wolf’s skin.

I had guessed as much, but I did not expect it to not even leave a scratch.

I give up on attacking it with force.

“Whew…….”

There was no time to hesitate.

The rock wolf that started to move its body glared at me and exuded a ferocious aura.

I quickly turned my thoughts.

“Designate-.”

I designated the rock inside the barrier as the target and initiated the Position Exchange.

“Move.”

The positions of the rock and my body were reversed.

Thud-.

And the wolf’s huge front paw slammed down on that spot.

Crash…….

The rock turned into dust and scattered.

……If I had been hit by that attack, I would have been turned into human jerky.

*Rumble-! Rumble-*

The rock wolf became enraged when I disappeared from its sight.

It slammed its huge paws on the ground and let out a roar.

I carefully observed the rock wolf from inside the barrier.

‘As expected, I can’t even slightly wound that guy with a dagger.’

It’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality.

My attacks don’t deal any significant damage to it.

I can’t even inflict minor damage with the Killing Intent or Darkness trait.

Those attributes were only supplementary roles after all.

Interest and Absorption also reflect personality, and they have nothing to do with attack skills.

“A rock is such a pain…….”

It would have been better to face a human instead.

Humans have weaknesses, but what weakness does a statue have?

Wait.

Human?

“……It might work.”

A good plan flashed through my mind.

I immediately summoned the status window.

【 Arsene Adel 】

: Race - [ Half-Demon ]

: Disposition - [ Chaos ]

: Talent - [ Position Exchange ‘Ⅰ’ ]

: Attribute - [ Interest ] [ Absorption ] [ Killing Intent ] [ Darkness ] [ Mana Manipulation ]

: Mana - [ 341 ]

[Position Exchange] is an ability that swaps the positions of objects that the arrow touches.

In other words, it can’t be used on living beings, but it can swap the positions of any inanimate object.

And that Guardian…….

‘There’s a high probability that it’s inanimate.’

The Guardians of the Secret Realm include monsters like Orcs and Goblins, as well as Guardians that move with magical devices.

The rock wolf was more likely to be the latter. My intuition as a writer is telling me that.

Let’s do an experiment just in case.

“Designate.”

I spread out an arrow towards the Rock Wolf.

If the arrow doesn’t connect to him, the Rock Wolf is a living creature.

If it connects, it proves that the Rock Wolf is an inanimate object.

Time passed like that and the result appeared.

“Done.”

A faint smile was drawn on my lips.

A huge arrow clearly existed between the Rock Wolf and me.

It was confirmed that the Rock Wolf was an inanimate object.

As soon as I confirmed the fact-.

“Move.”

I used the Position Exchange.

“Did it work?”

Before I knew it, my body had escaped outside the barrier.

On the other hand, the Rock Wolf, whose position was reversed with mine, was struggling inside the barrier.

*Rumble-! Rumble-*

The Rock Wolf pounded the barrier without rest.

However, the barrier absorbed the shock and returned it as it was.

*Rumble-*

The Rock Wolf didn’t stop even though it knew that its body was breaking apart every time it slammed the barrier.

Its appearance looked pathetic, but it reminded me of the Berserker and gave me goosebumps.

'Let's hurry.'

I hurriedly moved my steps.

It was definitely not because I was scared of the stone wolf or anything.

About ten minutes passed.

‘Is it a barrier this time too?’

The blue barrier was blocking me again.

Surely, I didn’t come back the way I came like a maze, did I?

I looked back just in case, and I saw the Rock Wolf pounding the barrier.

Over there, very far away.

It seemed I had guessed wrong.

‘Then…….’

It was likely the barrier that divided the current room and the next room.

This barrier would have disappeared if the Rock Wolf had died, but since I didn’t kill it and only neutralized it, it still remained.

A structure where the next stage is connected after clearing the stage.

However, I have the ability to skip stages.

‘I should just break through.’

To me, the barrier is not an obstacle, but a solid defense.

If I drag out more time, the Rock Wolf might end up dying after throwing its body at the barrier.

Then the barrier in front of me will disappear.

I had to move before that happened.

I turned my gaze and looked inside the barrier.

Another monster was lurking inside the barrier.

*Click- Click-*

At first glance, a stone statue that looked like a mantis clicking its two legs together.

As the second guardian, it would be stronger than the rock wolf, but I don’t need to face it directly, do I?

That mantis is also likely to be inanimate like the rock wolf.

“Designate.”

I stretched an arrow towards the mantis.

And the result appeared.

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