Becoming The Villain Is My Dream-Chapter 41: Feeds On Energy

"Fine by me," Derek said, smirking a little. "I’ll sit back and watch."

Soon, the waiter returned with their food. The smell was mouthwatering—freshly cooked meat, warm bread, and spiced stew. Derek immediately started eating, muttering between bites, "Now this is good food."

Alex glanced at him, then quietly began to eat too. Raphael followed suit, though his mind was elsewhere, wondering just how Alex planned to "handle" the boys outside.

When they finished, Derek paid and they got up to leave.

The moment they stepped outside, the four boys reappeared, circling them with smug grins.

"Well, look who’s finally done eating," the leader sneered. "Hope your meal was filling. We’d hate for you to fight on an empty stomach."

Derek took a step back. "Not interested," he said casually.

"Same here," Raphael added, retreating beside him.

Now only Alex remained in the middle of the street, the four of them closing in on him.

The leader grinned. "Looks like your friends ditched you, kid. Guess it’s just us now."

Alex tilted his head slightly, an almost bored expression on his face. "You’re wrong," he said. "They didn’t ditch me. They just know I don’t need help."

The four exchanged confused glances.

The leader snorted. "We’ll see about that."

He cracked his knuckles and lunged forward.

Alex smiled faintly, his fingers wrapping around the old sword’s hilt. "Please," he said softly, "I love it the hard way."

He unsheathed the blade.

Though dull and ancient, a faint dark light pulsed along its edge—like something long asleep had just opened one eye.

And the air around him... changed.

"We won’t go easy on you," the leader said, leveling his blade at Alex. His friends stood behind him, smirking, eager for the spectacle.

Alex’s lips curved into a small, sharp smile. "I don’t like going easy either," he said, eyes narrowing. "Come at me with everything you’ve got."

"Fine then!" the leader shouted and dashed forward, his sword whistling through the air.

’I might as well use this opportunity to test this sword,’ Alex thought, steadying his stance as the boy charged.

Blue flames erupted around the leader’s sword, spiraling in arcs of light as he swung. The fire rushed toward Alex like serpents of heat. Alex lifted his old, rusted blade instinctively—and to everyone’s surprise, the ancient sword didn’t break. It absorbed the flames instead, sending faint red sparks flickering along its edge.

"Hmmm... not as bad as I thought," Alex murmured, eyes glinting.

The leader gritted his teeth. "Don’t think that’s all I can do!" He lunged again, this time faster, spinning into a series of slashes. Alex parried once, twice—but the pressure grew intense. He was forced backward, his boots scraping across the ground.

Then—

A sharp sting.

"Tsk!" Alex hissed. He turned in time to see another boy behind him, his sword buried deep into Alex’s side. The steel sank until the hilt touched flesh.

The boy twisted the sword cruelly before letting go and retreating out of reach, eyes wide with satisfaction.

"Got you!" the attacker shouted.

Alex looked down at the blade sticking from his body, blood slowly dripping onto the ground. Then he looked up, his gaze calm—too calm. ’You shouldn’t have done that.’

He ignored the sword in his body, gripping his own weapon tighter as the leader charged again. This time, Alex ducked low, sliding beneath the swing, the whoosh of steel barely grazing his hair.

"Damn it!" the leader cursed, spinning back around—only to see Alex already in motion.

With one fluid motion, Alex slashed horizontally. The blade cut through the air, and pain exploded across the leader’s thigh.

"Argh!" the boy cried, stumbling backward.

Alex didn’t stop. His movements were deliberate, precise—almost predatory. He drove his sword forward, stabbing into the leader’s chest.

The boy gasped, eyes wide, expecting death—but nothing happened except the gush of blood and searing pain. He fell to the ground, clutching his wound, trembling.

Alex stared down at him and smirked faintly. He reached back, gripping the hilt of the sword still lodged in his own side, and pulled it out in one smooth motion.

Blood trickled down his waist, but he didn’t even flinch.

"Damn," he muttered. "I missed the right spot. Maybe I should try again."

The boy’s eyes widened in horror. "No—please! I don’t want to die!" he cried, voice cracking. His gaze darted around and froze. His three friends were sprawled across the ground, groaning or unconscious, their bodies marked by blood.

"Please!" he sobbed. "Have mercy. We won’t do it again! I swear!"

Alex stared at him for a long, cold moment, then scoffed. He flipped the sword in his hand and tossed it. The blade stabbed into the dirt beside the boy’s head with a thud.

"Keep your life," Alex said flatly and turned away. "You won’t get a second chance."

He walked toward Derek and Raphael, who had been watching from the shadows. The few onlookers nearby couldn’t take their eyes off the blood-smeared boy holding that ancient, glowing blade.

"I’m done," Alex said simply.

Derek smirked. "Thought you were going to finish them off, huh?"

"Left to me, I would," Alex replied, his tone calm but eyes dark. "But I’d rather not create a bad impression. I’ll keep my bad side hidden for now."

"You care too much about appearances," Derek said. "If it makes you happy, do it. We only live once."

Alex’s gaze flickered with something strange. "That’s why I want to live forever," he said quietly.

Derek turned toward him, eyebrows raised. "Immortality? Never heard of a human achieving that."

"Well," Alex said, smirking faintly, "then I’ll be the first."

Derek chuckled, shaking his head. "Enough of your wild talk. Let’s get back to the inn."

---

Night in Fallen Tower

The night stretched cold and silent across the ruins of Fallen Tower. The streets, usually filled with merchants by day, were now ghostly and still.

Because of their agreement to clear out the monstrous threat, Derek and the boys had to stay one more night.

Before midnight, Derek instructed the innkeeper, Lisa, to gather all the guests and hide them in the underground chamber. "Don’t come out until sunrise," he ordered firmly. When everyone was safe, the three of them remained in the dimly lit hall.

With nothing else to do, Derek fetched a bottle of ale from the counter and began drinking.

"Teacher," Raphael said with a frown, "shouldn’t you stay alert?"

"I am alert," Derek slurred, raising his cup again.

Alex leaned against the window, watching him with an amused smirk. "Let him be," he said. "’He thinks better when he’s drunk.’"

Raphael sighed. "You’re just saying that because you’re used to him being like this."

Alex chuckled under his breath. In truth, he also felt a faint itch for alcohol. But he restrained himself. ’Not tonight. Not when something’s coming.’

Hours passed. Midnight crept closer. The room was eerily silent except for the flickering of a lone candle.

Raphael stretched, yawning. "Seems like the monsters aren’t coming tonight."

"I doubt that," Alex replied quietly.

"It’s already midnight, and nothing," Raphael insisted.

"They’ll come," Alex said with certainty, eyes locked on the dark entrance. "They always do."

Moments later, a sound echoed through the night—dull, heavy thuds.

Footsteps.

The two boys exchanged glances and immediately crouched low. They dragged Derek behind the counter, making sure he was hidden. The sound grew louder, closer, until it reached the door.

The hinges creaked.

The door opened slowly, revealing five figures stepping into the inn.

They looked almost human, but not quite. Their limbs were slightly too long, their eyes too pale, and their skin carried a faint grey hue. Their teeth gleamed sharp under the moonlight.

Alex’s eyes narrowed. ’So it begins.’

The monsters sniffed the air, their nostrils twitching. They moved through the inn, overturning tables and sniffing for prey.

Then one of them froze—its head turning sharply toward the boys’ hiding spot.

"Damn," Alex whispered.

It lunged.

Without hesitation, Alex jumped out to meet it head-on, drawing his sword in one smooth motion. He swung, but the monster was fast—too fast. It twisted aside, and Alex’s blade stabbed deep into the wooden floor instead.

Before he could recover, the monster’s foot crashed into his back.

BOOM!

Alex flew across the room, slamming into the wall hard enough to crack the boards.

Raphael gasped. "Alex!"

But Alex only growled, pulling himself from the debris. "What power..." he muttered, touching his lip where a trickle of blood ran down. His eyes flared crimson. He gripped his sword. "You’re finished." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

He charged forward, this time faster.

The monster raised its claws, ready to strike—but Alex abruptly sidestepped, disappearing from its direct line. In a blink, he was behind it.

"You’re not the only one with speed," he whispered.

The sword plunged into the creature’s back. The monster screamed—a guttural, unearthly sound—as the blade began to glow faintly red. Its body trembled violently, and before Raphael’s eyes, the monster’s flesh began to dry and sink inward.

In seconds, it crumbled to dust.

Alex stood still, staring at the sword now shining with a renewed, sinister glow. The rust was gone. The blade was clean, smooth, and razor-sharp.

He exhaled slowly. "Don’t tell me it feeds on energy..."

Before he could think further, another monster lunged at him. Alex smiled darkly. "Perfect."

He met it head-on, dodging its claws with inhuman reflexes and stabbing it straight through the chest. Again, the sword glowed—and the monster shriveled into nothingness.

The remaining three monsters froze, realization dawning. They began to back away, eyes wide with fear.

"Alex—they’re trying to escape!" Raphael shouted.

"Not on my watch," Alex growled, yanking the blade free. He dashed forward, his body blurring. In one swift motion, he drove his sword into the nearest monster’s throat.

The others screamed, but Alex’s movements were relentless. The more he fought, the more his blade pulsed—feeding once more.

By the time the last monster fell, the inn was silent again. Only the sound of Alex’s breathing remained.

He stood there, surrounded by ash, his sword gleaming faintly in the dark.