I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 321  [Event] [Dolphian Kingdom Under Ruins] [7] Alicia's Scorching Blood

"Could we wrap this up already?" I muttered under my breath.

The trio remaining from our group seemed utterly engrossed in the exam, deploying defensive mana circles to fend off the relentless onslaught from Alicia, Leire, and Martin.

Alicia, in particular, appeared to be holding back. It was unclear whether she was consciously abstaining from relying on her vampiric prowess or simply allowing Leire and Martin to navigate the challenge independently, perhaps as preparation for future rounds.

As for myself, my reluctance to actively engage in the skirmish stemmed from a dual motive. Firstly, I relished the idea of frustrating Alvara and Adrian, who undoubtedly anticipated my participation as a gauge of my abilities. Secondly, I found the current conflict futile. With Leire and Martin effectively supported by Alicia, my involvement seemed superfluous.

"Ah!" Leire exclaimed, her fist enveloped in prana as she launched a swift strike towards the two werewolves. Surprisingly, she exhibited greater strength than his werewolves counterparts, though contending with both simultaneously proved challenging. Fortunately, Martin provided a stalwart shield with his Earth attribute.

Meanwhile, the lone elf among them valiantly attempted to hold his ground against the opposing forces, only to find each of his attacks deftly parried by Alicia's rapier.

It was unmistakable now.

She was using him as a sparring partner to refine her rapier technique.

Despite her unassuming facade, Alicia possessed a ruthless edge. Yet, given her lineage—being of the same bloodline as Cyril Raven—such traits hardly came as a surprise.

From an external perspective, it appeared as though our group had reached a stalemate. However, I knew very well that this futile skirmish could have been resolved in mere moments had Alicia and I desired it.

"Junior Alicia, toying with your opponent in such a manner is disrespectful. It's time to conclude this," I uttered wearily, casting a glance toward Alicia.

For a fleeting instant, Alicia's gaze shifted, her ponytail swaying as she rooted herself firmly on the ground, her rapier poised towards the elf. The salamander, previously at rest nearby, dissolved into a swirling pool of blood around Alicia's blade.

"Pierce through Salamander," she commanded.

With a deafening BOOM, a jet of blood shot forth from Alicia's weapon, striking the elf square in the stomach in the blink of an eye.

"Take fire," Alicia added, and a crimson flame ignited at the tip of her rapier, tracing the path of the blood jet and engulfing the elf in fiery agony. Alicia's restraint was evident, preventing the elf from being left stark naked and grievously injured.

"Good job," I remarked with a smirk as I strolled past Alicia, who lowered her rapier with calm precision.

Approaching the groaning elf, I swiftly removed his bracelet and hoisted him up by his shirt collar.

"No more grimaces from you, I trust?" I muttered loudly, observing his frail, wounded form. "Tell me, what becomes of Elves once they've shed their pride?" I asked, not expecting an answer from him but aiming for the attention of all present, particularly the elves.

Ensuring that all eyes, especially those of the elves, were fixed on me, I offered a gentle smile before callously discarding him like refuse. "Nothing. A prideless Elf amounts to nothing but trash," I concluded, my gaze settling on Allen.

"Discrimination is strictly prohibited within the Academy, Amael Falkrona," James Raven interjected sternly, signaling for the staff to attend to the injured elf.

"My apologies, Professor. I endeavor to conceal my disdain, but it proves challenging whenever I meet these pointed ears," I replied with a polite smile.

"Ahahahaha! Good one!" A raucous laughter erupted from the stands, emanating from Rodolf.

My words only served to stoke the animosity of the elves toward me. Even Cylien regarded me with a complex expression, while Sephira, being a Half-Elf, remained somewhat neutral on the matter.

However, one individual's hostility burned like molten lava within a volcanic core—Lykhor Elaryon.

Much like Alvara, he was an Elf supremacist, so his reaction was hardly surprising.

Conversely, two races seemed to find favor in my remarks: the High Humans and the Werewolves, both of whom had suffered discrimination at the hands of elves, with the former bearing the brunt of it.

"Are you finished, Senior?" Alicia's voice cut through my satisfied smile.

"Hm?"

"I've fulfilled my role, but you've contributed nothing to the team so far," Alicia stated firmly, her gaze unwavering.

"Because I haven't needed to. Just look at how well they're handling things. It would be a waste to—" My words trailed off as I noticed something in the hands of the two werewolves. A sense of unease settled in my gut.

They exchanged nods before darting towards Leire.

"Wall!" Martin erected a barrier, but it was obliterated, though he managed to extricate Leire from their grasp.

Amidst the ensuing smoke, I could faintly discern their figures, consuming something.

A surge of prana enveloped their bodies before erupting outward. The wave of energy sent Leire and Martin skidding several meters back.

Alicia and I shielded our eyes from the gust as we beheld the transformed werewolves. Their stature had increased, grey fur now covering their limbs and even their cheeks. Long claws replaced their nails, and an intense aura of prana radiated from their entire beings.

"What in the world..." I muttered, taken aback.

This was one of the Awakened Forms of the werewolves—a feat incredibly challenging to master and execute in actual combat. In essence, only exceptionally talented werewolves could manifest such a transformation.

I stole a glance at Roda and Rodolf, noting their contrasting expressions. Roda stood, her features etched with shock, while Rodolf, though still seated, wore a cold frown rather than his usual grin.

"What... is this?" Alicia's voice trembled with disbelief.

Ah, it was her first encounter with this form.

While I had witnessed it in the Game, this was my first experience of it in reality.

"Wha—" Alicia's sentence was cut short as I shoved her aside and crossed my arms defensively.

-BAM!

In an instant, both werewolves vanished, and one of them swung his fist towards me.

-Crack!

I felt my bones strain under the impact, resisting with all my strength as dust rose and wind howled from the shockwave of prana.

"Raaahg!" Up close, I could see the fiery slits in his eyes and drool trickling from his mouth.

"Disgusting—ugh!" I struggled to maintain my footing as I slid backward, the werewolf relentless in his assault, aiming to shatter my arms.

Fortunately, my arms were shielded by Ruah, but their strength surpassed my expectations. What level of power was this? While I knew werewolves were the pinnacle of physical prowess, experiencing it firsthand was a sobering confirmation.

-BAM!

My back collided with the wall, embedding into its surface.

The werewolf jumped away, and I noticed his partner in front of me with his jaws wide open, identical to Rodolf's previous attitude. Prana condensed inside his mouth, resulting in a dark yellowish glow. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"A—Amael!" I was taken aback as I turned to face the tribunes and saw Elizabeth standing with her hands on the guardrails. She stared at me with a frightened face. Was she worried?

Does this imply it's a bad thing?

"GRAAAH!"

-BOOOOM!