The Villain Professor's Second Chance

Chapter 612: Necromancy’s Hidden Thread (1)

Chapter 612: Necromancy’s Hidden Thread (1)

The air remained dense with lingering tension, the chamber pulsing with a lingering hum of mana, as though the stone walls themselves were striving to contain all the energies we had unleashed. Our tentative alliance hung in the air just as tangibly as the arcane currents around us. Even with all my calculations, I could not shake the feeling of uncertainty that came from working alongside someone like Kyrion. Every sharp breath I took reminded me that I could not be entirely sure of the man's loyalty, no matter how logically I tried to weigh his words or measure his intentions.

And yet, necessity bound us like chains—cold, unyielding, and impossible to ignore. My mind, rarely ever at ease, was now in a constant state of overdrive. While I possessed a breadth of knowledge about this world's future, the presence of Kyrion introduced a new variable. His resurrection—if that's what it truly was—had already begun to distort the tapestry of events I thought I knew so well. My advantage, built upon foreknowledge, had taken on a precarious edge.

He stood there with that same calm demeanor. I had expected many things when he unmasked himself to me, but not this quiet confidence. Perhaps an arrogant smirk, or a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he cornered me into a cooperation. Instead, what I saw in him was something more akin to measured satisfaction, as though he'd been waiting patiently for this meeting to unfold.

"You're measuring me," Kyrion remarked, the amusement in his voice tempered by underlying caution. His stance was relaxed, but there was no doubt a coiled readiness in the way he held his shoulders—a readiness shared by the countless summoners, necromancers, and master mages I'd encountered in my time.

"Always," I replied without missing a beat. My voice felt unnervingly calm to my own ears, but then again, calmness came easily to me when analyzing a situation. "You'd be a fool not to assume the same of me."

His lips curved in a faint smile, and the subtle lines around his eyes suggested genuine appreciation. "I wouldn't expect anything less."