Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 280: Chapter: 279 Seclusion.[2]

After finishing dinner, Kavin and Jasmine quietly made their way downstairs. Neither of them spoke as they descended the long staircase, their footsteps echoing softly through the silent house.

The atmosphere between them wasn’t awkward, nor was it particularly heavy. Both of them simply understood that words were no longer necessary. Everything that needed to be said had already been spoken upstairs.

The house they had purchased was considerably more expensive than most residences in the district, and a large part of that cost came from what lay beneath it.

Hidden below the living quarters was a vast underground dojo constructed specifically for spell casters.

Thick iron walls surrounded the entire chamber, while multiple layers of reinforced alloys had been embedded behind them, allowing the structure to withstand devastating magical impacts without collapsing.

For ordinary people, such a facility would have been an unnecessary luxury. For Kavin and Jasmine, however, it was worth every coin.

The dojo itself stretched roughly thirty meters in every direction, creating an enormous open training ground.

The floor was crafted entirely from reinforced Black Silver Wood, one of the rarest native tree species found throughout the Four Stationary Continents.

The timber possessed an almost contradictory nature. Its toughness exceeded even that of diamonds, yet it retained a surprising flexibility instead of becoming brittle.

Rather than shattering under overwhelming force, it absorbed and dispersed much of the impact.

Its appearance was equally distinctive. Rings of deep black blended naturally with soft shades of gray, creating beautiful layered patterns that shimmered faintly beneath the lantern light.

Because of that unique beauty, almost no one stained or painted the material, preferring to preserve its natural colors instead.

Even a material as extraordinary as Black Silver Wood could not completely erase the traces left behind by countless battles.

Thin sword marks crisscrossed. Hidden attacks, feints, traps, dirty tricks—everything became fair game the moment the battle began.

It hadn’t always been like that.

During their early days at the academy, Kavin instinctively hesitated whenever an opportunity arose to seriously injure Jasmine while Jasmine herself had considered deception beneath her dignity.

She preferred honest victories earned through skill alone.

Reality had slowly carved those ideals away.

Life-and-death battles had taught them lessons no academy instructor ever could.

The enemy never fought fairly.

Mercy was exploited. Honor became another weakness waiting to be used against you.

If a hidden blade guaranteed survival, then drawing it became the obvious choice. If deception secured victory, then deception was simply another weapon.

History itself had proven that lesson countless times.

Entire races had slaughtered cities, reduced nations to slaves, and stained generations with blood.

Centuries later, those same victors stood upon podiums preaching justice and humanity, while few remained willing, or alive, to question the stories they had written.

In the end, history belonged to whoever remained standing.

Whether someone was remembered as a hero, a coward, or a monster depended far less on what they had done than on who had survived to tell the tale.

Without exchanging another word, Kavin and Jasmine walked toward the exact center of the dojo.

Their footsteps eventually came to a stop side by side. For several quiet moments, both simply stared at the polished floor beneath them, each lost within their own thoughts before Kavin finally broke the silence.

"We have eight months."

His calm voice echoed gently throughout the enormous chamber.

"There is no chance we’ll defeat the top two with our current strength. The difference between our ranks is simply too great. Skill alone won’t bridge that gap anymore."

He lowered his gaze slightly, organizing his thoughts before continuing.

"Our objective during these eight months is simple. We’ll refine every spell we already possess and search for new insights hidden within them. Then..." His eyes gradually sharpened with determination. "...we’ll create a spell capable of crossing that difference in power."

Jasmine listened without interrupting, carefully considering every word before giving a slow nod.

"Do you really think eight months will be enough?" she asked quietly.

"Our spell arsenal already surpasses what most spell casters could ever hope to learn, and even with all of that, we still can’t compete against Rank One and Rank Two. They’ve both survived two Heavenly Trials. Their understanding of magic is on an entirely different level."

Her expression remained calm, but uncertainty lingered within her eyes.

"Can we really close that distance?"

Kavin remained silent for several seconds.

"No," he admitted honestly. "We can’t compete with the experience accumulated by the ancestors who originally created the spells we use. That’s impossible."

He slowly lifted his gaze toward her.

"But we don’t need to recreate their achievements."

"What we need to do... is remodel them."

His voice became increasingly steady as the idea took shape.

"There are countless high-level spells whose minimum requirement begins at the Infinite Core Realm. Their foundations are already complete. If we can break those foundations apart, understand every layer, then rebuild them to suit our current rank."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"...I’m confident we’ll be able to defeat Rank One and Rank Two."

He paused once more before adding quietly,

"And if you have any spare time... try manifesting your Domain."

His expression turned slightly apologetic.

"I know it’s asking too much. Neither of us has even passed a single Heavenly Trial, so attempting it now borders on impossible."

"But..."

"If anyone can accomplish the impossible..."

His eyes met hers.

"...it’s you."

Jasmine held his gaze for a few moments before giving another small nod.

"I’ll do my best."

Kavin released a slow breath, as though finally setting down the burden he had been carrying since their matches ended.

He stepped closer and gently wrapped his arms around her.

Jasmine leaned into the embrace without hesitation.

After several quiet seconds, Kavin lowered his head and softly kissed her forehead before reluctantly letting her go. Neither of them smiled.

He turned away and walked toward the very center of the dojo.

Kneeling on one knee, he pressed his palm firmly against the polished wooden floor.

The instant his hand made contact, a tiny metallic click echoed beneath him.

A thin silver needle suddenly emerged from the wood and pierced the tip of his finger.

A sharp sting shot through his hand.

Kavin’s brow twitched slightly as several drops of crimson blood rolled down onto the floor.

The blood spread across the strange wooden surface before disappearing almost immediately, as though the dojo itself had quietly swallowed the offering.

He slowly rose to his feet and turned back toward Jasmine.

"We’ll meet again after eight months."

His expression remained gentle despite the determination burning within his eyes.

"Make sure you don’t disappoint."

Jasmine smiled faintly before walking toward the center herself.

She stopped where he had been standing only moments earlier.

"I won’t," she replied softly.

Kavin looked at her one final time.

"See you soon."

The moment those words left his lips, the solid floor beneath him rippled like the surface of a still lake.

The polished Black Silver Wood lost all of its solidity, transforming into a dark liquid that silently engulfed his body.

Within seconds, he had completely disappeared beneath the surface, and the floor returned to its flawless, unmoving state as though nothing had happened.

Jasmine quietly stared at the spot where he had vanished.

This was one of the preservation methods developed by the Zlycons.

The chamber beyond the liquid floor placed its occupant into a perfectly preserved state, allowing years to pass without any physical deterioration.

Eight months inside would feel like uninterrupted seclusion, with nothing remaining except themselves and their pursuit of greater strength.

Taking a slow breath, Jasmine stepped forward and knelt where Kavin had stood.

She pressed her own hand against the floor.

The same needle emerged without delay, piercing her fingertip before drawing several drops of blood.

She watched them disappear into the wood.

A small, determined smile touched her lips.

"I hope..."

Her fingers curled slightly.

"...I won’t disappoint you."

The floor rippled beneath her feet.

Moments later, it swallowed her whole as well, leaving the underground dojo silent once again.