A Psychopath Reborn as a Third-rate Villain

Andras waited outside the combat hall for Seraphina.

The students had already begun dispersing across the academy grounds, their conversations carrying faintly through the afternoon air. Some were still discussing Professor Draven’s assessments, while others compared their performances and complained about how quickly she had exposed their weaknesses.

Andras paid little attention to them.

A short while later, Seraphina appeared.

”There you are.”

Andras nodded.

”Let’s get something to eat.”

The two headed toward the cafeteria together.

They found a relatively quiet table and sat down with their meals. As they ate, their conversation naturally turned toward the day’s classes.

”Professor Alaric’s lesson was interesting,” Seraphina said. ”I didn’t expect him to focus so much on understanding the structure of spells.”

Andras nodded.

”He wants us to understand why magic works instead of simply memorizing how to cast it.”

Seraphina smiled faintly.

”I think I’ll enjoy his class.”

”And Professor Draven?”

Seraphina hesitated for a moment.

”She’s terrifying.”

Andras glanced at her.

”She is.”

A small smile appeared on Seraphina’s lips.

”But I think her class will be useful.”

Andras agreed.

”She doesn’t care about talent or status. She only cares whether you can actually fight.”

Their conversation continued for a while, covering the other students and their first impressions of the academy.

Once they finished eating, Andras returned directly to his room.

When he reached his residence, Lyra opened the door.

”Young Master, you’re back.”

She stepped aside to let him enter.

”Have you eaten lunch?”

”Yes.”

Andras removed his outer coat and placed it aside.

”I’m going to meditate for a while. Don’t disturb me unless something important happens.”

Lyra nodded obediently.

”Understood, Young Master.”

Andras entered his room and closed the door behind him.

He sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed and slowly closed his eyes.

Before beginning his meditation, however, he replayed the combat assessment in his mind.

Professor Valeria Draven.

The exchange had lasted only a short time, yet Andras had learned more from those few moments than he had expected.

He went through every movement again, recalling her opening attack, the way she controlled the distance, the pressure she maintained without wasting unnecessary movement, and the moment he had attempted to use Flowing Transition.

Finally, his thoughts settled on the hesitation that had cost him the exchange.

Andras frowned slightly.

He had recognized the opening and understood what he needed to do, but he had hesitated. That hesitation had been the difference between creating an opportunity and actually taking it.

Against an ordinary opponent, that mistake might have been harmless. Against someone like Valeria, it had been enough to decide the outcome.

He continued analyzing the fight from different angles, examining not only his mistakes but also the decisions that had worked.

Valeria’s combat style was fundamentally different from Selene’s. Selene had pushed him toward refinement and adaptation through repeated practice, while Valeria had exposed the weaknesses that remained beneath those techniques.

Both approaches were valuable.

Andras slowly exhaled.

He would have to correct that hesitation.

Once he had finished reviewing the battle, he cleared his mind and began meditating.

Time passed quietly.

His breathing settled into a steady rhythm as mana gradually circulated through his body. The noise of the academy beyond his room faded from his awareness until there was nothing left but the flow of mana and the silence of his thoughts.

He remained like that for a long time.

When Andras finally opened his eyes, the room had grown noticeably darker.

Evening had arrived.

He glanced toward the window.

The last traces of sunlight had disappeared beyond the academy walls.

Andras rose from the bed and left his room.

He found Lyra sitting in the common area with a book open in her hands.

She looked up when she heard his footsteps.

”Young Master?”

Andras walked toward her.

”Lyra.”

She closed the book.

”Yes?”

Andras looked at her for a moment before speaking.

”After dinner, I’m going to begin teaching you.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

Then her expression brightened.

”Really?”

Andras nodded.

”Yes. Starting tonight.”

A genuine smile appeared on Lyra’s face.

”Okay, Young Master. I’ll prepare dinner first.”

She quickly stood and headed toward the kitchen.

Andras watched her go before returning to his room.

He took a quick bath and changed into fresh clothes.

By the time he returned, Lyra had already prepared dinner.

They ate together, discussing little beyond the ordinary events of the day.

Afterward, Lyra cleared the table before following Andras into his room.

They sat together on the edge of the bed.

Lyra looked at him expectantly.

Andras remained quiet for a moment, considering where to begin.

He knew Lyra had spent a considerable amount of time reading the books available to her. She possessed plenty of theoretical knowledge, but knowledge gained from books was different from true understanding.

He decided to begin with something simple.

”Since you’ve read so many books, let me ask you something.”

Lyra straightened slightly.

”I’m listening, Young Master.”

Andras looked directly at her.

”What is the difference between a mage and a warrior?”

Lyra thought for a moment before answering.

”The difference is simple. A mage uses mana to influence the world through spells, while a warrior uses mana to strengthen their own body.”

She spoke with the confidence of someone reciting knowledge she had encountered many times before.

”Mages focus on spellcasting, magic circles, elemental manipulation, and controlling mana outside their bodies. Warriors focus on strengthening their physical abilities, reinforcing their bodies, and channeling mana through their weapons.”

She paused briefly.

”In simple terms, a mage makes the world fight for them, while a warrior makes themselves into the weapon.”

Andras listened without interrupting.

It was a perfectly reasonable answer.

It was also exactly what he had expected.

”That’s the answer you’ll find in most books,” Andras said calmly. ”But it’s incomplete.”

Lyra blinked.

Andras leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful.

”The real difference isn’t where they use mana. It’s how they develop it.”

”A mage expands their understanding of mana and uses that understanding to construct increasingly complex spells. Their strength comes from control, versatility, and the ability to manipulate mana beyond their bodies.”

He paused before continuing.

”A warrior does the opposite. They turn mana inward, using it to strengthen their body, senses, reflexes, and weapon techniques. Their strength comes from physical refinement and combat instinct.”

Lyra listened carefully, her expression becoming more serious.

Andras continued.

”A mage controls mana to change the battlefield.”

”A warrior controls mana to change themselves.”

The room fell quiet.

Lyra lowered her gaze for a moment, clearly thinking about his words.

Andras gave her enough time to process them before continuing.

”Neither path is inherently superior.”

His eyes sharpened slightly.

”A master mage can kill a warrior before they get close, while a master warrior can kill a mage before they finish casting.”

Lyra nodded slowly.

She had understood the basic distinction before, but Andras’s explanation made the difference feel much more practical.

It wasn’t simply a matter of two different ways to use mana.

The two paths demanded completely different forms of mastery.

Andras’s voice became quieter.

”The real difference is simple.”

He looked directly at her.

”A mage fights through understanding.”

He paused.

”A warrior fights through execution.”

Lyra remained silent.

The words lingered between them.

For the first time, she seemed to be looking at the distinction between mages and warriors not as something written in a book, but as a principle she could actually understand.

Andras watched her reaction.

This was only the beginning.

He had asked her a simple question, but tonight, he intended to teach her much more than the answer.

”All right. Let’s start.”

Lyra immediately straightened.

Andras continued before she could speak.

”I’m a mage, so I can explain the cultivation process of mages from my own understanding. However, most of that information won’t be particularly useful to you because you’re a warrior.”

He considered his next words carefully.

”I possess extensive theoretical knowledge, but I don’t have practical experience with warrior cultivation. I can explain the principles and the knowledge I’ve knows, but I can’t teach you through personal experience.”

Lyra nodded attentively.

”So I’ll give you the theory. You’ll have to develop the practical side yourself through training and experience.”

”I understand, Young Master.”

Andras nodded.

”Good. Then listen carefully.”

His expression became more serious.

”Warriors follow a different path from mages. Although they are born with a Battle Heart and possess the same ability to absorb mana from the world, they do not use mana in its raw form.”

Lyra’s eyes remained fixed on him.

”Instead, the Battle Heart transforms the absorbed mana into a more specialized form of energy.”

He paused briefly.

”Battle Energy.”

The words settled quietly between them.

Andras continued.

”That transformation is the foundation of warrior cultivation. While a mage refines mana and learns to manipulate it directly, a warrior’s Battle Heart processes the mana they absorb and converts it into energy specifically suited for strengthening the body and enhancing combat ability.”

”That is why warriors don’t simply circulate ordinary mana through their bodies in the same way mages do. Their entire cultivation system revolves around the Battle Heart and the Battle Energy it produces.”

Lyra listened without interrupting, carefully absorbing every word.