The Villainess Should NOT Outshine the Main Protagonist!

Chapter 12: Training Day Part 2

Leveling up and grinding had always brought me joy—not in a weird masochistic way, but as a fulfilling sense of accomplishment and growth.

But now, as I stood there, watching the fear and horror from everyone's faces I realized not everyone felt the same about it.

I ignored it, however.

"Evelyn what are you doing??? We are all going to die!" Ethan shouted, his grip firm and his eyes wide with panic.

"Listen it's going to be fine. I'm not a monster... I'll at least use my magic to bind the biggest threats so that way you guys can focus on the smaller ones."

"That's not the issue here..." Ethan continued, his voice laced with urgency as he glanced at the other students, who were huddled together, some with tears streaming down their faces, others with expressions of sheer terror.

With a flick of my hands, I summoned dark tendrils of energy from the ground, focusing on the most immediate and sizeable threats. "Shadow Bind," I murmured, a spell not of destruction but of restraint. The shadows lengthened, thickened, and shot forward, targeting the larger creatures that loomed over us.

Ethan's panic momentarily gave way to surprise as he watched the spell take effect. The enormous bears and lead dire wolves, the foremost dangers among the monsters, suddenly found themselves entangled in dark, unyielding bands of shadow. Their roars and snarls filled the air, but they were rooted to the spot, unable to advance.

"Feel free to attack, everyone!" I shouted, hoping to encourage the students.

No one seemed to move though.

After a moment of silence, one student finally spoke up, "Umm, those dark tendrils..." Their voice trailed off, unsure how to process it.

"Oh that's my magic, it's safe, I promise," I reassured them quickly, realizing the sight of my magic might have added to their fear rather than alleviating it. "It only holds them in place. They can't hurt us now."

I guess if I saw Shadow Bind for the first time I'd be taken aback too, considering it's not the most common spell, and its appearance is rather... ominous.

But there was no time to delve into explanations or the intricacies of dark magic. We were in the middle of a battlefield, and every moment of hesitation could mean the difference between survival and disaster.

Understanding the urgency, Ethan nodded, pushing past his initial shock. "Alright, let's do this again. Attack the bound monsters first!" His voice, now steadier, carried a newfound authority that seemed to resonate with the other students.

Maybe it was seeing my magic in action, or the dawning awareness that inaction spelled doom. Either way, hesitation gave way to action. Students found their footing, turning around their efforts into a seamless, forceful assault on the now vulnerable monsters.

When the last of the monsters were finally defeated, the monster carcasses soon dissipated, turning into soul gems. The students, initially hesitant, began to collect them.

They were rich already, what could they possibly gain from these gems? Even more money? Maybe keep them as a souvenir?

Ethan, holding a gem up to the light, mused aloud, "You're not interested? These could be sold for quite some money."

"Money isn't exactly what I'm into," I replied, picking up a soul gem of my own. Its inner light danced in my palm, a captivating spectacle of power and potential.

I dedicated most of my childhood to grinding out these soul gems. Perhaps that's why I didn't feel the same level of excitement as the others. To me, these gems were nothing more than shiny paperweights.

"Listen, Evelyn, I really glad—"

Ethan's words were abruptly cut off as a low growl echoed through the clearing. In an instant, a dire wolf, previously unnoticed, sprang from the underbrush, its fangs biting deep into his shoulder.

Without a moment's hesitation, my instincts took over. "Shadow Bolt." Instantly a shadowy bolt hit the dire wolf, its form disintegrating into shadows that evaporated into the air, leaving no trace behind except for Ethan, clutching his shoulder in pain.

"Ughh... I need a healer..." Ethan's words trailed off as he grimaced.

I stepped closer to him, inspecting the wound with a critical eye. "This will need immediate attention, I'll cast a healing spell."

"You know how to heal? I thought only those of the holy affinity could..."

"Shhh, close your eyes," I whispered, laying him down against a tree.

Ethan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and a hint of fear as he watched me prepare the spell. The shadows around my fingers twisted into more complex, eldritch symbols, unlike any healing magic he—or anyone else present—had ever seen. As the dark energy enveloped his wound, it didn't just close; it knit together in a way that seemed to warp the very air around it, the flesh mending with a visible shudder that made some of the onlookers avert their eyes.

The spell was completed, and Ethan opened his eyes to find his shoulder fully healed, no sign of the bite except for the blood on his clothes. He looked up at me, gratitude and apprehension in his eyes.

"That was... What kind of healing was that?" he asked, his voice tinged with awe and a slight tremor of fear.

I shrugged nonchalantly, the corners of my mouth tilting up in a half-smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "Oh, just a little trick I picked up. You might want to avoid getting injured too often, though," I added in a tone as dry as the desert wind.

"Why's that?" Ethan's curiosity overcame his initial shock.

"Well," I continued, maintaining the same stoic demeanor, "let's just say it's an eldritch contract of sorts. It heals, yes, but the fine print's a bit...vague on the cost. Could be a few years off your lifespan, or could be nothing. Who knows?"

Ethan's eyes widened, and for a moment, he seemed to contemplate whether to laugh or to be genuinely concerned. "You're joking, right?"

My expression was unchanging, I simply shrugged again. "Am I?"

The air around us filled with an uneasy blend of nervous laughter and silent questions about the true nature of my powers. The truth was the contract was as mysterious to me as it was to them. An arcane agreement, with whatever eldritch horrors of this world, its terms were not written in any language known to the mortal realm. It was an understanding beyond words, a balance of give and take that the universe itself seemed to oversee.

He probably lost ten years of his life at best.

*A/N: This chapter is unfinished... I'll come back later to complete it tho.