A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 70: Summary (3)

Half an hour earlier, in the Symposium judges' waiting room.

"Is this solution wicked legit, sis Lou?" Rogerio asked, an Ethereal-ranked mage, with a hint of skepticism.

Louina shrugged and replied, "What do you mean by legit?"

"I mean, did Deculein really write this solushun, or what?"

Rogerio, notable for her pink bobbed hair, was a young prodigy who had reached Ethereal rank at twenty-five for her mastery in Ductility and Support category magic. Despite her impressive status, she called Louina as sis, reflecting their close relationship.

"Yes, Deculein wrote it himself," Louina confirmed, but Rogerio still looked skeptical.

Gindalf, now in his seventies, with white hair, a beard, and round glasses, sat quietly in another chair before finally speaking up. With a skeptical tone, he said, "Really? Knowing Deculein's nature, I find that hard to believe."

"What bothahs me is this paht," Rogerio said, pointing to the final section of the document, Deculein's Summary.

... Additionally, I have successfully translated and cataloged forty-eight runic letters. However, they were excluded from this document as they are not directly relevant to the current topic.

"Is this true? Did he really translate multiple roonic letters?" Rogerio questioned.

Louina chuckled softly and said, "I've seen his rune translations. He showed me part of his work."

Deculein had shown her some of his runic letter translations. While it was easy to doubt their accuracy, verifying them was surprisingly straightforward. One simply needed to recite the runic letters. Since they inherently contained mana, properly pronouncing the words required mana.

"Deculein is exceptionally skilled with languages. He knows around ten of them," Louina added.

"Hmm, really? Still, I find it hahd to believe," Rogerio replied, her skepticism evident.

Gindalf chuckled as he stroked his beard.

"Think whatever you like, Roge," Louina said.

For Louina, runic letters were a secondary concern. She was fixated on the five-year timeframe Deculein had proposed. She repeatedly told herself it was impossible—there couldn't be a disease that even the vast resources of Yukline couldn't cure. However, despite her persistent denials, she couldn't think of any other explanation.

“... I promise, in five years, neither of us will be a hindrance to the other.”

Louina pondered the reason behind his five-year promise.

“You're four years younger than me, so you have plenty of time to grow. Time is on your side.”

She pondered the reasons behind his words.

“... It makes no sense.”

Normally, an arrogant person like Deculein, or anyone for that matter, wouldn't say that time was on her side after solving a Symposium problem. The honor and achievements from translating the runic letters would only shine brighter as time passed. However, Louina soon shook her head.

"... Whatever," Louina muttered with a sigh.

Reflecting on what she had endured at Deculein's hands still made her shudder. A part of her heart still burned with a smoldering hatred for him. However, Louina was, above all, a pragmatic mage. She was accustomed to the law of the jungle and remained highly rational.

Rather than being consumed by passion, she set her priorities with cold logic—focusing on the family’s magical legacy and her title as head professor. Everything else, including personal grudges and family vendettas, could be set aside. Besides, Deculein had said it would only be five years.

"Will he present these 48 Runic Letters: A Summary of Comprehensive Translation today?" Rogerio inquired.

Louina sighed before responding, "By the way, please, it's time to come out now."

She waved her hand, drawing back the curtain to reveal the petite Chairwoman standing still like a statue.

"... Heehee," the Chairwoman chuckled upon seeing Rogerio and Gindalf. "Did Deculein really translate forty-eight runic letters? If he reveals that today, it will cause a sensation?!"

"We'll have to ask him if he plans to, Chairwoman," Louina replied.

“Hold on, I have no time for this!” the Chairwoman exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

She looked eager to spread the news. As she bounced out of the room, Rogerio couldn't help but laugh.

"She hasn’t changed a bit, huh? Still the same old gal," Rogerio remarked.

"Your accent hasn't changed either," Louina replied.

"... Me? I'm speaking in standard language, y'know?"

Rogerio hailed from Rococo, a remote rural region in the Empire famous for its strong accent.

"Well, compared to most from Rococo, you sound quite refined. The first time I visited, I thought it was a different country," Louina teased.

“What? You got some serious regional bias, yah know. We’re really not that different, huh?”

"Try saying Harvard. Har-vard."

Rogerio fell silent, unwilling to embarrass herself further.

***

The Grand Hall of the Floating Island of Megiseon could hold 400 people. Despite its grand name, the venue was relatively small but more than sufficient for presenting the Symposium solution.

The name Grand wasn't entirely misleading. Three hundred years ago, the architect and great mage of the Floating Island, Loflang, had constructed this hall as the largest on Megiseon, establishing a tradition that had endured since the island's inception.

"How, h-h-how, h-how..." Allen stuttered, his anxiety palpable.

"Calm down," I said.

"Y-yes, yes, sir," Allen stammered, unable to sit still.

His right hand trembled uncontrollably, and when he tried to steady it with his left, his whole body began to shake like he was standing on a power plate.

“Brrrrrrrr...”

Watching him, I sometimes marveled at Allen's resilience. This wasn't his true nature; his performance was remarkably convincing.

"Ha... ha... hic! Hic! Oh no, now I've got the hiccups..."

I silently reviewed the Summary of Runic Letters Translations. This document included forty-eight additional runes translated beyond the fourteen already translated from the Magical Realm.

Initially, I had considered revealing them but ultimately decided against it due to the potential for unpredictable repercussions. Keeping them to myself seemed safer, preventing any disasters akin to the Manhattan Project.

I chuckled to myself, finding an odd comfort in the fonts for the runic letters. Perhaps it was the memories they evoked, like an old film reel playing in my mind.

"Kim Woo-Jin, look at this," a voice from the past echoed.

Memories from the past replayed like an old, faded film.

"Our design team is creating this runic language. They said it’s a mix of Hebrew and Latin."

She said it while cupping her chin in her hands like a flower—a cute gesture she often used.

"All you need to do is refine it, Woo-Jin. Experiment with different fonts to give it an ancient look."

Her eyes sparkled with clarity as she talked about the settings and looked at me.

"Woo-Jin, you look especially handsome when you're focused."

Her name was Yoo Ah-Ra.

“Hmm~”

The lingering memories of Kim Woo-Jin within me.

“What are you talking about? If anything, I'm the one who’s got more to lose—”

However, her voice gradually faded, likely due to the passage of time. Now, it seemed I could finally let go.

... Brrrrrrr.

Allen's trembling brought me back to the present. He shook so violently, it was as if he were vibrating like an alarm clock.

"Allen, where's the slate?" I asked.

"H-here, right here!" Allen stammered as he handed over the slate, a large processed magic stone as medium inscribed with runic letters.

Knock, knock—

Just then, a knock on the door signaled it was time.

"Let's go."

Allen, still trembling, stood up, and we left the waiting room together.

"Follow me," the guiding mage instructed, leading us to the stage hidden behind a curtain. "We will begin shortly. Are you both ready, Professors?"

"Indeed," I responded calmly.

"Y-yes, absolutely," Allen stammered, his nervousness evident.

Behind us was a large blackboard and chalk, classic tools suited to this hall's thirty-year history.

— Now, Head Professor Deculein from the Mage Tower of the Imperial University will present the solution to Symposium’s sixth problem.

The host's voice echoed through the hall. Unlike the typical chaos of the Floating Island, the atmosphere remained calm. As the curtain quietly drew back, the packed Grand Hall came into view.

Yet, amidst the crowd, Yulie stood out immediately. Regardless of where she was or how many people surrounded her, she was always easy to find. My affection for her had become second nature.

— Today's judges for the verification are Ethereal-ranked Rogerio, Ethereal-ranked Gindalf, Monarch-ranked Louina, and the Addict Astal.

I felt no nervousness. As I once said, the attention and focus on me felt natural. It was an inherent sense of elitism.

"It is an honor to meet you all," I said confidently. "I am Head Professor Deculein. Let us begin the demonstration of the solution to Symposium’s sixth problem with the verification of the comprehensive translation of the runic letters."

***

Deculein's presentation proceeded methodically, and the Grand Hall watched in a calm atmosphere. Each attendee had a copy of Deculein’s Summary.

"The translation of the sixth problem’s inscription, the runic letters, results in the following sentences," Deculein explained.

Where there is light and purpose, there too shall God be found.

God, in fear of human worship, veiled Himself.

The Monarch-ranked mage, Rotane, and the linguist Frainze had previously translated half of this inscription. While this was not particularly noteworthy, the main point came afterward.

"We will disregard the second sentence as it is irrelevant," Deculein declared, erasing the line without hesitation.

"Yes, sir!" Allen responded promptly.

"The runic letters for light, purpose, and God form the core of the magical circuit; the remaining runes are simply supplementary elements."

Where there is light and purpose, there too shall God be found.

??Θ ?? ??φ? ??? ??? ? ζ, ??

The first sentence floated in the air, the runic letters seeming to resist translation.

"The initial step in translating these runic letters is segmentation," Deculein stated.

He proceeded to break down the sentence, scattering its parts into multiple segments.

"Although the sentence consists of thirteen syllables, there are forty-five subdivisions within those syllables."

Deculein explained that, just as the English word, cat, can be divided into the phonemes c, a, and t, the runic letters also had their subdivisions.

"Combining these forty-five segments in different ways yields an astronomical number of possibilities—at least 3,923,023,104,000 combinations."

Three trillion, nine hundred twenty-three billion, twenty-three million, one hundred four thousand combinations. Though this was the technical figure, the actual magnitude was almost beyond calculation.

"However, within that vast number lies the second step, which involves discovering and selecting the most significant rune combinations. The process is as follows..."

From that point, Deculein's presentation ventured into realms beyond the average person's understanding. For nearly two hours, countless runic letter combinations unfolded like waves, transforming into various shapes that eventually became spells.

This process demanded immense effort and time. It was the outcome of the Comprehension attribute combined with the game designer Kim Woo-Jin’s extensive knowledge of game settings, breaking through previous limits.

"... is as shown. In summary," Deculein concluded, "the runic letters were deconstructed and recombined into a magic circle, although it deviates significantly from modern conventions."

Rogerio questioned, with her thick accent clear as day, “Is this comb’nation certain? With so many possibilities, couldn’t there be othah valid comb’nations?”

"Runic letters are a form of magic created from language itself, much like Draconic, which is infused with power," Deculein explained, hiding his irritation. "Since they are articulated using the mouth rather than the diaphragm, abdomen, or brain, I have selected only the combinations that humans can easily pronounce."

Just as some sounds were difficult for Rogerio to pronounce, there were structures that were impossible for humans to vocalize. Deculein had utilized this limitation to his advantage. Rogerio seemed satisfied, and Deculein signaled to Allen, who handed him the runestone.

"Now, I will demonstrate the solution," Deculein announced, placing his hands on the runestone.

The quiet excitement in the Grand Hall became palpable as everyone watched him intently. Deculein closed his eyes and meticulously repeated the verification process. First, he deconstructed the runic letters, then extracted the combinatorial runic letter combinations, reconstructed them into a magic circle, and finally recited the enigmatic runic letters.

"Where there is light and purpose, there too shall God be found," Deculein intoned, articulating the runic letters.

Sssssssh...

A blue light emanated from the runestone, and swirling winds created a vision that filled the Grand Hall.

The vision depicted a scene from ancient times when runic letters were part of everyday life. It moved as if through a person’s eyes, revealing a pristine marble floor, exquisite sculptures, and simple glass. In the center of the temple, a priest knelt in prayer.

With hands clasped, the priest opened their mouth, releasing a beautiful sound. The pure resonance filled the hall, causing everyone to close their eyes and listen.

Unfortunately, the divine melody fleeted, flaring up like a matchstick before quickly fading away.

The sound that had surged in like an ebb tide now receded into silence as still as a calm sea.

"This inscription was a hymn dedicated to God," Deculein declared.

It was an ancient magic, a fragment from the distant Age of God. While some might dismiss it as merely a hymn, its archaeological value was immense. The ideas derived from this solution held the potential to inspire new magical inventions.

"The verification is now complete," Deculein concluded.

The hall remained quiet, the lingering resonance of the runic letters settling like a gentle rain. One of the judges, Gindalf, finally broke the silence.

"Impressive. But is that all?"

"The final paragraph mentions that you’ve translated and compiled additional runic lettahs into a summ’ry," Rogerio added. Gindalf’s tone was mild, but Rogerio was more direct.

Understanding their intent, Deculein shook his head and stated firmly, "I will not disclose the translations."

"Hmm. Is it that yuh can’t disclose ’em, or do they simply not exist?" Rogerio challenged.

Deculein met her gaze calmly, pulling a document from his inner pocket.

"This is the translation. It includes the translation of forty-eight runic letters. This is the only existing copy," Deculein declared.

The Grand Hall stirred with a low murmur of excitement.

Deculein glanced at the translation and intoned softly, "??? ──???──??──"

His words in runic letters resonated through the hall. Though reciting just three words had drained much of his mana, it was enough for verification.

"... I have translated numerous runic letters that remain unpublished in the Magical Realm," Deculein continued, pausing to contemplate the document in his hand. "However, they are not relevant to today's topic, and revealing them could lead to misuse."

In an instant, flames erupted. Deculein had summoned them, and his magical fire consumed the Summary of Runic Letters Translations in his hand.

"I will destroy it now," Deculein declared.

The translation writhed in the flames, emitting strange cries as the recorded runic letters resonated with the mana. In an instant, three years of Deculein's painstaking research turned to mere ash.

The hall fell into a profound silence, quieter than any commotion the astonished mages could have made.

Unfazed, Deculein casually swept away the ashes of the translation and announced, "We will now begin the question and answer session."

No one came forward with a question.

***

───────

[Player: Yuria]

Level:

7

Mana Point:

4,507

Talent Grade:

Grade 4

Talent Type:

Origin

Attributes:

3

Personality Traits:

7

───────

Yoo Ah-Ra lay in the empty bed, pondering her identity. Blue characters floated in the air, showing levels, attributes, and other character information—visible only to her, Ria. She had no idea why she had been brought into this world. The process, the suspects, and the motives were all beyond her understanding. It was impossible for her to know any of it.

It was a phenomenon that defied scientific explanation. One moment, a powerful lightning bolt struck the company building late at night; the next, she blinked and found herself as a character in a game.

Unlike the typical novel protagonists who struggled to adapt, she embraced her new reality with ease. Naturally adaptable, she quickly mastered the game’s mechanics and retained her original appearance—though slightly more attractive.

The real challenge was her starting point and age; she began far from the main quest in the archipelago and was thirteen years younger, only fourteen. Fortunately, her body grew quickly, and her innate survival instincts and ambition soon elevated her to grade 4 in mana grade.

"Reconciliation? That’s impossible!" Ria exclaimed.

Deculein, the villain she couldn’t face in her current state, had somehow reconciled with Yulie. The thought made Ria bite her nails in disbelief. Reconciliation with Deculein wasn’t just surprising; it was impossible. Deculein and Yulie were fundamentally incompatible.

Yulie’s ultimate challenge was always tied to Deculein, as he was her final piece of the puzzle. The game system was designed that way. The core storyline of Yulie, a named character, revolved around enduring his torment, which pushed her to bloom fiercely as the eternal flower of winter.

Therefore, it was only through their conflict that Yulie could rise above and fully realize her potential. Reconciliation was never part of the plan.

"Oh... this isn't just confusing, it's absolute chaos," Ria muttered.

Of course, she had her doubts, wondering if Deculein could also be a player like herself, transported into this world. After all, many novels featured characters who ended up in the bodies of hooligan-like members of a noble family.

"... No way," she muttered, dismissing the thought.

The actions of Deculein she glimpsed in the newspapers were far beyond what any player could achieve. Deculein's difficulty level was simply too high for that.

Yet, thinking of Deculein inevitably brought her mind to Kim Woo-Jin, the person Deculein was modeled after. When the writer first mentioned it, she felt a pang of jealousy and frustration, wondering why the writer had used Woo-Jin's likeness without his permission. The photos she saw bore a striking resemblance to him, at least in appearance.

"... I hope he's doing well," Ria mused with a faint smile.

Woo-Jin was fragile, indecisive, and weak, but he was also delicate and gentle. Although their relationship had ended, he remained a dear friend.

"On the off chance... I really hope you're not here."

Even though she missed him, she knew this world wasn't meant for him. He had already endured enough pain; these hardships should be hers alone to bear.

"Sometimes, I really miss you," Ria said as she gazed out the window at the bustling life in the Principality of Yuren. "But it's not so bad."

As days passed, she found herself drifting further from both Kim Woo-Jin and Deculein. However, her Adventurer attribute continued to guide her.

───────

[Adventurer]

◆ Grade:

Unique

◆ Description:

Innate adventurer qualities. Growth rate improves with continental exploration. Unlocking new regions boosts mana and stamina.

───────

As a result, her growth had been swift, and more importantly, the Princess ★Maho★, a named character, lived in Yuren. Her main objective was to obtain a quest from her.

"Phew," Ria sighed, clearing her mind and glancing around.

Soon, she retrieved a wooden container hidden beneath her desk. Money always lifted her spirits. The container held her savings from the allowances Ganesha occasionally gave her, as well as the money she earned from various odd jobs. Since moving from the archipelago to the continent, she had managed to earn about 5,000 elne each month.

However, she couldn't save all of it, often losing control and splurging on jelly and chocolate—a personality trait of her character. Despite these high expenses, she had still managed to save a substantial amount.

"Heeheehee," Ria giggled as she opened the container and inspected the money inside.

The container held ten bundles of fifty 10-elne bills, one bundle of fifty 100-elne bills, three silver coins, and five copper coins she had found on the streets. Altogether, she had 10,035 elne, which was roughly equivalent to ten million won.

"I'll invest this wisely and watch it grow, no doubt about it."

First, she planned to save 30,000 elne to invest in Yuren's redevelopment. Then, she would use the profits to further invest in real estate and gambling. A sly grin spread across her face at the thought, but she quickly blinked and her expression returned to one of innocent simplicity.

"... Maybe I should buy some snacks. I think I have enough money for it," Ria mused, holding the three silver coins. Then, shaking her head quickly, she exclaimed, "N-no!"

She quickly regained her composure and put the coins back. Moments like these always startled her. Whether it was a quirk of her personality or just a lapse in self-control, she often found herself absentmindedly reaching for a bill.

The cycle was predictable: she would save money, admire her growing savings, let her guard down, realize she had plenty, and convince herself it was fine to buy a small snack. This often escalated into purchasing chocolate and ice cream as well. Chocolate was especially problematic since it was an incredibly expensive treat in this world.

Knock, knock—

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she quickly hid the money box. The Red Garnet Adventure Team had enormous debts, and if they discovered her money, they would probably take it, pretending it was for safekeeping.

"Who is it?" Ria asked as cheerfully as possible, opening the door.