A Villain's POV
Chapter 33: Threatening Joel.

Chapter 33: Threatening Joel.

Raze started giving Joel some distance due to the fact that Joel was bigger and slower. Joel panicked because of this, and this caused him to trip on a rock and fall to the ground. His face hit the ground very hard, and he passed out for a second before coming back.

The monkeys all saw Joel on the ground and saw this as their opportunity. From all angles, they came in, their four arms bared at him.

Joel yelled in panic, his hands over his face, trying to protect himself. At that moment, several spatial blades flew into the group of monkeys, slashing into them.

The sudden attack out of nowhere hit and injured a dozen or so monkeys and caused the rest to scatter. Raze ran to Joel and picked him up.

"I guess you can actually be very useful, as a distraction," Raze said as he picked up Joel. "I was thinking of a way to get rid of them, and you gave me the answer." Raze said. He tapped on Joel’s shoulder and started jogging away.

"What the hell do you mean a distraction? I nearly died here, Raze," Joel screamed, making Raze stop. Raze turned around and looked at Joel with cold, empty eyes.

"Is that somehow my fault? Why are you telling me you almost died? Wasn’t that an effect of your incompetence? You seem to forget that I am in no way in charge of your safety.

All I have promised you is that I’ll get you through the tournament if you manage to keep yourself alive. If you choose to die, then die," Raze said, his tone monotone and cold.

Joel froze at the realization that Raze didn’t have a shred of care for what happened to him. Raze was only using him and offering him bits to get him to move along.

"I don’t want to do this anymore," Joel said, looking Raze in the eye.

"Huh? Wearing our big boy pants now, are we? You really feel like you have a choice? Do you not understand that I don’t care what you think? You do what I say," Raze said and started walking toward Joel.

Joel subconsciously stepped back as Raze approached, his hands shivering as he struggled to force himself to be brave.

"Look at you, shivering in fear, trying to show that you are brave when you know very well what would happen if you choose to be brave.

Is it worth it? Is standing up against me really that worth it?" Raze asked and flashed a smile.

"I’d rather allow what wants to happen to happen than to allow you to use me as a tool," Joel said and pulled out his ID card, threatening to use it to call for a surrender on the survival.

Raze squinted his eyes. Joel took that as Raze finally understanding his stance, but then, the next second, a spatial blade flew past his side and ripped some of his hair.

Joel watched as his hair fell to the ground, his eyes quivering in fright. He tripped on air and fell on his bum, the ID card in his hand falling to the ground.

He stared at Raze with so much fear in his eyes. Raze started approaching, and Joel raised his hands and started yelling.

"Stay away from me, please! I’m sorry!"

Raze came close and bent down right in front of Joel. "You see how easy it would have been to kill you now? You would have died, and I would have handed your body to the monkeys. That would have been the end of you.

So be grateful that rather than use you as the piece of large meat that you are, I actually have some good in me, it seems.

Also, I think I need to remind you that your family, your academy, and everything you love is on the line, so buckle up, boy. I will not have this conversation with you again.

You will do what I want or end your life with me, and you know what happens when you leave this academy. After I hunt your family, you’ll become a traumatized boy looking over his shoulder at every turn, scared that the demon of your nightmares would come and finally take you.

Don’t ever mistake it—my words are not negotiable. They are do or die," Raze said and stood up.

"We have to move fast. Those monkeys will be back to check for certain, and the same thing will probably not help to keep them away," Raze said and started walking.

Joel stared at Raze’s back. He watched him walk further and further. He finally realized it. This Raze was not the same person that he had helped in the past.

Back then, Raze was impulsive and didn’t care about the repercussions of what he did. He made wrong decisions, very reckless ones, and Joel helped him as a partner then.

But now, it was like Raze was a different being—cold-hearted, plotting, and pure evil.

Joel got up from the ground. He dusted himself off as best as he could and started following Raze, who had already moved a good distance away.

He sped up and finally caught up to Raze, who was busy humming a happy tune like he had not just tried to kill him.

Raze turned and looked at Joel. "I’m guessing you are pissed at me for actually being happy and humming a tune after threatening you, but you shouldn’t.

I didn’t get mad when I was talking to you. I was simply in a normal state, so I could switch back to happy easily.

If I had been really angry with you, I would have outright killed you, Joel," Raze said.

Joel didn’t answer, though. He followed behind quietly. Raze saw that and shrugged. He never saw Joel as a friend, just a pawn, so if Joel decided to shut up and only follow behind, that would be really good.

"The stream should be up ahead. When we get there, we will make camp," Raze said.