I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

In the Sixth Layer of the Whispering Woods, four figures moved swiftly through the air, gliding above the dense, shadowed canopy of trees. This layer of the forest was even darker and more oppressive than the ones they'd passed before. The group looked like they were not running but flying, each of them harnessing their abilities to traverse the forest more efficiently. Julius held a fifth figure aloft, carrying him as he sped forward—Adam, relaxed in his grip, appearing completely unbothered by the unconventional mode of travel.

"Adam, your concoction is amazing!" Ophelia exclaimed, giving him an admiring gaze. "I feel like I'm back to one hundred percent, fully rested! I even slept better than I have in ages!"

She'd been completely drained from their grueling journey through the Outskirts, and even a standard rest wouldn't have rejuvenated her like this. She marveled at how refreshed she felt, her fatigue from days of nonstop exertion gone as though it had never been.

"Agreed, it's incredible," Julius added, nodding appreciatively. "Honestly, if you weren't already tied to Horizon, I'd recommend you straight to the Order's research division. They could use someone with your skills."

Julius genuinely regretted that Adam was affiliated with Horizon. He could already imagine the research department clamoring for someone capable of crafting such potent, effective formulas.

Of course, Adam wasn't actually bound to any organization—not to Horizon, nor to anyone else. He was independent, crafting his mixtures and remedies solely of his own volition. He had no intention of working under anyone's authority or selling his products, either. The only reason they'd benefited from his expertise was because he had chosen to share it with them.

"I mixed in a stamina-recovery formula with a mild sedative effect," Adam explained calmly, "to help promote deeper rest and faster recovery."

At this, his companions exchanged stunned glances, their expressions shifting to disbelief.

"Hold on!" Stephen shouted, brows furrowing with irritation. "Are you saying you slipped us a sleeping pill without telling us?!"

"If I'd told you, you wouldn't have drunk it," Adam replied, entirely unfazed.

"But what if we hadn't woken up in time?" Stephen asked, angrily. "This is a classified mission! We're supposed to be on high alert!"

"I calculated it to wear off in two hours, precisely when you'd need to be alert again. There was no risk whatsoever."

Stephen could only gape at Adam, astonished by his calm assurance, while Julius shook his head with a chuckle. Adam's unshakable confidence bordered on arrogance.

"Is that confidence or just pure arrogance?" Julius teased, though there was admiration in his gaze.

Ophelia, meanwhile, was smiling, amused by Adam's unruffled demeanor. She appreciated that he'd gone out of his way to ensure they were well-rested, even if his methods were unconventional. But as she considered it further, a thought came to mind that made her pause.

"What about Miss Luna-Evelyn?" She asked, raising a brow in mild surprise. "She stayed fully awake with you, didn't she? Even though she drink it like us…"

Adam's gaze lingered thoughtfully on Luna-Evelyn's back, his mind churning over the unexpected result. It hadn't been his plan to exclude her from the sedative's effect, yet she'd remained unaffected, fully awake and alert even after the others had succumbed to deep sleep.

"Yes," he finally said, "she wasn't affected at all. If I had to guess, it's likely because of her Phantasma—specifically, her spirit." He paused, considering. "Either she has a natural immunity to substances like this, or her spirit sensed the sedative and neutralized it before it could take effect."

He wished hopefully an answer from Luna-Evelyn but obviously she wasn't going to reveal anything.

The implications weren't lost on him. If he had been an enemy—a spy with malicious intent—he could have easily sedated the entire team, incapacitating them at a critical moment. Luna-Evelyn's immunity would have thwarted him, or at the very least, alerted the others to the danger. He could see the suspicion flickering in Stephen's and Julius's eyes, while Ophelia regarded him with her usual trust. Luna-Evelyn, however, was a different story.

Even without seeing her expression, Adam could feel her watchfulness, the quiet wariness she had carried since the day they met. She'd never completely let her guard down around him, a fact he could respect. She was sharp, observant, and unafraid to wait and analyze before making a judgment. He wondered if her spirit had sensed the sedative or if she'd perceived it through her own intuition. Either way, she hadn't called him out on it—perhaps because she, too, was waiting to see what he would do next.

Julius broke the silence with a chuckle. "As expected of our leader," he said with a grin, trying to ease the tension.

Stephen, on the other hand, was still grumbling under his breath, his pride clearly bruised. Adam's concoction had knocked him out cold, as though he were a mere novice, not a seasoned A-rank Agent. Despite his irritation, none of them truly grasped the level of control Adam could exert with his skills. The fact that he could sedate someone of Stephen's caliber so effortlessly should have sounded more alarms.

Yet Adam sensed that only Luna-Evelyn fully understood the potential threat he posed. And strangely enough, even with that awareness, she seemed to have a hard time picturing him as someone who would use his abilities for malicious purposes. Perhaps it was his calm demeanor or the way he spoke so openly about his actions; maybe she was still weighing the full extent of his motives.

Meanwhile, Adam's mind was elsewhere. If he were to refine his sedative to evade even the keen senses of high-tier spirits, he would need a formula both precise and elusive. It would take time—and test subjects. Not innocent people, of course, but those he deemed Under-Value. In Adam's eyes, only those who contributed to the rot of this world would qualify for such experiments.

Adam had no idea what the future held. He had a good impression of Luna-Evelyn—she was a good person and, no question, deserved to live. But if the day ever came when she stood in his way, or worse, tried to harm Ludmila as she had in the novel, he wouldn't hesitate.

Yes, that was hypocritical, especially given his rigid code about protecting the Upper-Value and sacrificing the Under-Value—principles that had ultimately led to his own death. Toward the end, he'd found himself bending his own rules, justifying his actions even when Upper-Values stood between him and his vision for a pure, untainted world. He could still hear the voice of the only woman he had ever loved, calling out his hypocrisy, yet he hadn't wavered. He'd been true to himself, unflinchingly so.

After all, if he wasn't at least a little hypocritical, he wouldn't have been the Antagonist—no, the Main Antagonist.

"The next time, at least give us a heads-up, Adam," Ophelia said with a wry smile. "If you want us to trust you, that is."

"Oi, what do you mean, 'next time'?" Stephen interrupted, frowning at her words. "After this, it's over. We won't be seeing him again."

Ophelia chuckled. "My instincts say otherwise. I'd bet we'll be seeing Adam again after tonight."

Stephen groaned in frustration.

Adam glanced over at Julius almost curious. "Why does he hate me?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He wasn't offended by Stephen's dislike, only puzzled. He was fairly sure he hadn't done anything to deserve it—maybe his half-hearted threat about following them or the sedative he'd used? But the others hadn't held it against him and still treated him cordially.

Julius hesitated, studying Adam's inquisitive expression. He seemed sharp, certainly, yet in some ways, he was blind—like a brilliant scientist oblivious to the nuances of people's feelings and emotions.

"Well..." Julius trailed off, unsure how to explain something so inherently human to someone who seemed to lack the basic instincts for it.

It didn't help that even during the 'switches', Adam's personality was still unfluenced by Ivan, the original owner of his body. Adam was already naïve about human emotions, and Ivan, who barely cared about others' feelings outside of his own circle, only added to his detachment. With such a mix, it was no wonder Adam struggled to understand basic social cues.

In all honesty, even the other antagonists would have seen Stephen as little more than a nuisance—or perhaps even a source of amusement—rather than someone to take seriously.

"So, how did you people at Horizon learn about Krainel Salvador's location so quickly?" Julius asked, clearly curious. The rest of the group perked up, equally interested.

They'd assumed no one could have found Krainel faster than the World Order, given his history there. But Horizon had somehow managed to uncover the same information? Their source within the World Order, who was supposed to be handling the investigation, would either have had to leak the information to Horizon—or Horizon had an incredibly skilled informant of their own.

Adam, of course, had nothing of the sort. He wasn't even part of Horizon and barely understood what it was, though the name sounded vaguely familiar. Still, he chose to stay silent, inadvertently reinforcing Julius's mistaken assumption that Adam was operating in secret on Horizon's behalf.

In truth, Adam had learned everything from the novel. Luna-Evelyn's team's investigation in the Whispering Woods regarding Krainel Salvador hadn't been fully detailed in the story, though it was briefly referenced from Mordred's point of view. An investigation that, as Adam recalled, would tragically fail, with Krainel Salvador eliminating the entire team—Luna-Evelyn being the sole survivor which would cause a lot of ruckus within the Order.