The Villain Professor's Second Chance-Chapter 388: Retreat From The Atlar

The sun was just a pale glow filtering through the dense canopy as I led our group deeper into the forest. The cold, dew-laden air wrapped around us, the quiet rustle of leaves underfoot the only sound that accompanied our cautious steps. We were still too close to the altar for comfort, and I intended to put as much distance between us and that damned place as possible.

The eerie whispers that had chased us from the clearing had begun to fade, but a tension lingered, settling between us like a thick fog. Each step felt heavy, the memory of the altar’s power pressing down on my thoughts. I glanced over my shoulder, watching the others as they followed. Lyan was focused, his eyes scanning the surroundings, every movement deliberate. Anastasia’s face was pale beneath her hood, her eyes flicking nervously from one shadow to another. Aurelia, for once, had fallen silent, her expression unreadable under the dim light, her fiery hair tucked beneath her cloak. But even in the early morning gloom, she exuded an aura of defiance—a sharp edge to the quiet fear.

"Keep up," I murmured, my voice barely more than a breath. I didn’t need to turn around to know they heard me. They knew better than to fall behind. We couldn’t afford it. Not now.

The forest grew denser as we moved, the tall trees rising like skeletal sentinels around us, their branches clawing at the sky. The deeper we went, the more the air seemed to shift, growing colder, sharper. I felt it pricking at my senses, a reminder that while we had left the altar behind, we were far from safe.

Each step I took was calculated, each turn deliberate. The map of this forest was imprinted in my mind, etched there from countless loops. I knew every path, every shortcut, every hiding place. And still, it wasn’t enough. The abyss had a way of twisting the familiar into something alien—something dangerous.

The sounds of the forest began to filter back in as we distanced ourselves from the altar. The rustle of small animals in the underbrush, the distant call of a bird. It was almost comforting, almost enough to make me believe we were safe. But I knew better. I had seen this place fall too many times to be lulled into a false sense of security. Safety was an illusion—one that shattered all too easily. Continue your adventure at novelbuddy

A few paces ahead, Lyan raised a hand, signaling us to stop. His gaze was fixed on something in the shadows ahead, his body tensed. I followed his line of sight, my eyes narrowing as I caught the movement—dark, shifting shapes that slithered between the trees, barely visible against the shadows. Abyss spawns.

My hand moved to my belt, fingers brushing the hilt of the short blade I kept there. I turned to the others, my gaze meeting each of theirs in turn. A nod to Lyan, a quick signal to Anastasia. Split up, prepare to attack. Silence was key. If we were noticed, if the guardians or any of the other creatures sensed us, we’d be overwhelmed. And I wasn’t ready to let this loop end like that.

Lyan moved first, slipping into the shadows like a ghost, his footsteps nearly soundless. He had a talent for this kind of work—a natural stealth that let him move without a trace. I watched as he disappeared into the underbrush, his form blending seamlessly with the darkness.

Anastasia followed, her eyes wide but determined. She whispered something under her breath, the faint glow of magic shimmering around her fingertips before fading into nothing. She was ready, holding the spell just at the edge, waiting for the moment to unleash it. A silencing charm—simple, but effective. We couldn’t afford noise, not here.

Aurelia, of course, was the last to move. Her gaze met mine, her lips twitching in a barely-contained scowl. "You owe me a drink if this goes to shit," she muttered, her voice so low it was almost lost in the rustle of the forest.

"Noted," I replied, my tone flat. I watched as she shifted into position, her hand resting on the hilt of her weapon, her body coiled, ready to strike. For all her complaints, she knew how to follow orders when it mattered. She might have been crude, reckless even, but she wasn’t stupid.

I waited, my eyes scanning the shadows, watching the abyss spawns as they moved. They were humanoid in shape, their bodies cloaked in dark, shifting energy that seemed to writhe and pulse, their forms barely solid. They moved with a strange, disjointed grace, their heads turning as if searching for something—or someone.

I raised a hand, a small gesture, barely perceptible. The signal to move.

Lyan was the first to strike. He moved like a shadow, his blade flashing in the dim light as he slipped behind one of the creatures. A swift, precise stab through the neck, severing whatever counted as its spinal cord. The abyss spawn crumpled, its body dissolving into a dark mist before it even hit the ground.

I moved in tandem, my blade slicing through the air, cutting through the tendrils of dark energy that seemed to anchor the creature to the abyssal plane. The spawn let out a sound—a low, guttural hiss—before collapsing, its body dissipating into nothingness.

Aurelia followed, her movements swift and brutal. She swung her weapon, a curved blade that glinted faintly in the low light, cleaving through one of the creatures before it could react. Her attack was precise, efficient—no wasted movement, no hesitation. She might have had a fiery temper, but in moments like this, she was all business.

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Anastasia moved her hands, her spell activating with a soft pulse of light. A silencing charm spread over the clearing, muffling the sounds of our attack, preventing any noise from escaping. It was a simple spell, but one that required control, focus. She held it steady, her eyes darting between the rest of us, her breath coming in short, controlled bursts.

The abyss spawns were strong—stronger than most creatures we faced. But they weren’t intelligent, not in the way that mattered. They moved on instinct, driven by the dark energy that animated them, and they were slow to react when taken by surprise. We used that to our advantage, striking quickly, efficiently, before they could mount a defense.

Lyan darted between them, his movements fluid, his strikes aimed at their weak points—the neck, the joints, anywhere the dark energy seemed to concentrate. He moved like a ghost, barely visible even to me, his blade flashing in and out of the shadows as he took down one spawn after another.

I kept my focus on the surroundings, my eyes scanning for any sign of movement, any hint that we had been noticed. The forest was still, the oppressive energy from the altar a distant memory, but I could feel the tension, the weight of the dark magic that hung in the air. The abyss was close, too close, and every instinct screamed at me to move, to leave this place before it was too late.

Aurelia moved with purpose, her swings calculated, her strikes brutal. She wasn’t like Lyan—she didn’t move silently, didn’t slip between the shadows. She was a force of nature, her blade cutting through the creatures with a strength that was almost frightening. But she was efficient, her movements controlled, each attack aimed to kill.

Anastasia stayed behind, her focus on maintaining the spell, her magic keeping the clearing silent, preventing the creatures from calling out, from alerting others to our presence. It was a delicate balance, one that required concentration, and I could see the strain on her face, the way her hands trembled as she held the magic in place.

We worked together, our movements coordinated, each of us playing to our strengths. Lyan’s stealth, Anastasia’s magic, Aurelia’s strength. And me—I watched, I calculated, I directed. I saw the openings, the weaknesses, and I guided them, my signals quick, precise. We didn’t need words. We had done this enough times to know what needed to be done.

One by one, the abyss spawns fell, their bodies dissolving into mist, the dark energy that animated them dissipating into the air. We moved quickly, efficiently, taking them down before they had a chance to react, before they could call for help. The clearing was littered with the remains of the creatures, their forms fading into nothingness, the oppressive energy in the air slowly beginning to lift.

I gave a final signal, and the group regathered, moving back to the center of the clearing. Lyan wiped his blade on the grass, his eyes flicking up to meet mine, a hint of a grin on his lips. "Not bad," he said, his voice low, barely audible over the rustle of the forest.

I nodded, my gaze sweeping over the group. Anastasia was breathing heavily, her hands still trembling slightly, but she looked up at me, her eyes filled with determination. Aurelia sheathed her weapon, her eyes meeting mine, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Guess we survived," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "For now."

I gave her a curt nod, my expression unreadable. "Let’s keep moving," I said, my voice cold, detached. We couldn’t afford to linger. Not here, not now. We had what we needed—the data, the information. Now we just needed to stay alive long enough to use it.

The forest closed in around us as we moved, the shadows growing deeper, the air colder. I led the way, my eyes scanning the surroundings, every sense on high alert. We were far from safe, but we had a plan, and we had each other. For now, that was enough.

Aurelia walked beside me, her steps deliberate, her eyes sharp. She glanced at me, her expression softening for just a moment. "You think this’ll work?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, the question laced with a vulnerability she rarely showed.

I didn’t look at her, my gaze fixed ahead, my expression hard. "It has to," I said, my voice cold. There was no room for doubt, no room for fear. Not now.

She nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Guess that’s all I needed to hear," she said, her voice steady.

We moved in silence, the tension slowly beginning to ease as the sounds of the forest returned. The distant calls of birds, the rustle of the wind through the leaves. It was almost peaceful, almost enough to make me believe we were safe. But I knew better.

We reached the safehouse as the sun began to dip below the horizon, the sky painted in hues of orange and purple. It was a small, abandoned cabin, hidden deep within the forest, far from any roads or trails. I had scouted it in a previous loop, its location etched into my memory. It was secluded, defensible. It would do for now.

Lyan pushed open the door, his eyes scanning the dark interior before he stepped inside. "Guess we’re safe for now," he said, his voice echoing in the empty space.

I followed him in, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. The others filed in behind me, the door closing with a soft thud. The cabin was old, the wood creaking underfoot, but it was dry, warm. Safe.

For now, that was all that mattered.