The Survival of the Third-rate Villain - Chapter 263

Chapter 263: 263 – Current Party

In the game, instead of joining Leon and the other protagonists to venture the empire and save villages from the demons— Lana remained in the academy.

It was a twist in the [Brave Hearts] that had many players frowning. After all, Lana was the second most used character just after Leon.

She was one of the strongest and her fire power was nothing to scoff at! And her being a mage is just a big plus!

So a lot of players complained… They got annoyed that the game became much harder because they can’t use Lana anymore.

Especially at the part when Leon left the empire’s border and went to the Demon Territory.

Lana’s absence in the [Hero Party] was shown there… Players died just within minutes after entering…

Mid to High level demons were all over the place, and low ranking demons along with contractors were everywhere!

Players were destroyed by High Demon Shamans that use Demonic Spells. Which they insist wouldn’t have happened if Lana was still in the game.

Anyway, this forced most players to do all the side quests and train for a long time before trying to enter the Demon Territory again. Then some just gave up and never came back to the game.

And one of those people who gave up—

“…”

Was Raye.

As a matter of fact, it was just at that part of the game when he accidentally slammed his head on the monitor, and when he woke up— he was already in this world as the bastard, Raye!

He was drinking a little bit at that time while gaming to ease up some of his stress… Then he got annoyed after dying not even five minutes of entering the Demon Territory.

Raye immediately paused the game and raged a bit, he wanted to punch the monitor in frustration, but he didn’t because he doesn’t have money to replace it.

So instead, he swallowed up his anger and just stood up to get more beer. Though, he was more intoxicated than he thought, his stomach was also empty, and he had been sitting for a really long time.

So when he suddenly stood up…

His knees gave up!

Then—

BAM!

He hit his head on the monitor and lost consciousness!

…

…

“Thinking about it, the way I ended up here was fucking stupid… I can’t believe that happened.”

Raye mumbled to himself as he remembered that. His lips twisted into an awkward smile, but at the same time, he felt like burying his face into the ground just from the embarrassment of recalling it.

That was how his new life started… not with some grand ritual, not from an epic death, but from a drunk idiot falling and smashing his head against a monitor.

He exhaled and shook his head slightly, forcing the thought away.

Oh, and by the way— He really has no idea why Lana decided to not join any of the [Hero Party]. He didn’t make it that far in the game.

That was one of the most frustrating parts. If he knew her reasoning, he could have used it. Maybe convinced her to think differently, maybe pulled a few strings. But no—he never got that far. His knowledge was limited, his memories from the game were patchy, and the routes he skipped all stayed locked to him.

It annoyed him, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Anyway… Raye was now on his way back to the cabin.

Tap—Tap—Tap—

His boots hit the paved path quietly, the library slowly shrinking behind him. His hands rested lazily at his sides, but his mind was still moving.

In the past years he was here in this world, he really didn’t try to meet other people.

He just stuck with everyone that tried to approach and understand him. Raye didn’t even meet some of the minor characters because he didn’t find the need to.

In short— Raye has no more people to invite in his party.

He knew that well.

‘Leon is the leader of his own team… And it’s sure that Allen and Aria will join him.’

He recalled the protagonists. Their growth. Their paths. He knew them better than anyone else—at least, better than any ordinary student here. And because of that… he also knew that taking them away was pointless.

Also, Raye feels like trying to recruit the two is just an ass move from him, so he didn’t think about it.

That wasn’t his way. He didn’t want to break bonds that were already meant to be.

Then the other people he knows are non combatants. Talented, yes. Intelligent, yes. But when it comes to surviving what’s waiting in the Demon Territory…

No.

They wouldn’t last.

‘Anyway… I had Jerusha and Lycus join me. I asked Lycus to extend my invitation to Sofia too, and seeing how inseparable the two are— it’s sure that she’ll be joining me as well.’

The thought of it gave him a little peace. Sofia was reliable, and having her by their team was more than just a bonus. It was security.

She’s really great at potion making now. Healing and stuffs.

A prodigy spirit mage, a sharp dual daggers user, and a genius alchemist.

These were Raye’s current teammates excluding Pyro and Zephyrus.

“Not bad… We’re already a super strong party.”

He mumbled to himself. His voice was flat, but it carried a faint trace of satisfaction.

But immediately after—

“But it’s still not enough… I don’t think we’ll last that long in the Demon Territory.”

Then he added that, a blank expression on his face.

His honesty stabbed deeper than any blade. It wasn’t pessimism— it was realism.

He knew the difficulty spike. He remembered the endless forums where players screamed at developers. He remembered the videos where parties were wiped out in seconds, the hopelessness that spread like wildfire.

That was without stakes. Without real lives on the line.

Now…

Failure wasn’t just a [Game Over] screen. Failure was death.

‘Moreover… I don’t really have any information about the Demon Territory…’

He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing as his thoughts drifted further.

He doesn’t know the map of it, the monsters dwelling in it, or even if there are safe zones in it… Nothing.

And even if he does know that—

‘The Demon Territory wasn’t a place that could be beaten just with preparation.’

Raye dragged his hand across his face, letting out another long breath. His steps didn’t stop. His body kept moving forward, but his mind stayed heavy.

…

And yet—

That was exactly why he couldn’t afford to slow down now.

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