I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

"Then take me with you."

Adam's words left the four of them momentarily speechless. Luna-Evelyn, however, merely fixed him with an impassive stare, her expression conveying a silent message: if this was a joke, it wasn't a funny one.

Though one would wonder if Luna-Evelyn could even laugh.

But in any case Adam wasn't joking.

Ophelia broke the silence with a soft chuckle, shaking her head as if humoring a child. "I'm sorry, Adam, but we can't. It's too dangerous, and this mission is confidential." She said gently. She didn't need to elaborate; the unspoken message was clear: the task at hand was far too dangerous, especially for someone in Adam's fragile state.

He had barely survived in the third layer of the Whispering Woods as it was.

"Confidential mission, huh?" Adam repeated, studying them.

"Yeah, weirdo. Can't you see we're with the World Order?" Stephen snapped, clearly running low on patience.

"World Order…" Adam muttere, his gaze drifting over their uniforms as if seeing them for the first time.

Truthfully, he hadn't cared much about who they were—only that they were headed deeper into the forest. Now, for the first time, he paid closer attention, scrutinizing the insignias and emblems on their clothing. Stephen frowned, noticing Adam's sudden realization. It was as if he hadn't even registered who they represented all this time which was quite true.

Of course, Adam himself knew little about the World Order, but Yvan, whose memories now pulsed within him, had read plenty. He knew, then, just how influential this group was.

Ophelia offered him a small, conflicted smile. "Then you understand why you can't come with us?"

But there was a hint of hesitation in her tone.

Adam's presence posed a problem; she knew that leaving him alone in the woods would almost certainly spell his doom. The demonic beasts that prowled these layers would make short work of him without a Hunter nearby to protect him.

"You don't have a single shred of mana, do you?" Luna-Evelyn observed, stepping closer to Adam.

Though she was older, Adam stood just slightly taller, and she had to look up to meet his gaze. Her piercing red eyes bore into him, assessing.

"Huh? Really?" Julius spoke up, looking equally surprised, as did Ophelia and Stephen. They'd guessed he wasn't a trained fighter—he had that air of inexperience—but to lack mana altogether? It was nearly unheard of.

Rare, but not impossible. And in this world, where mana determined one's worth and abilities, such a revelation was practically a sentence to a life of mockery and struggle. For people without mana, there were few respectable options. Yet, as they observed Adam, they felt an odd mix of pity and empathy.

At least, they thought, he had managed to secure a position with [Horizon], a rare accomplishment for someone with no mana at all.

"But…this is even more troubling. If we leave him here, he won't survive for long," Ophelia said, concerned.

"Oi. Don't forget we're on an S-Rank mission," Stephen replied, a hard edge in his tone. "That takes priority."

"So, you're suggesting we just leave him to die?" Julius asked, chuckling. "You really are as cold-hearted as they say, Stephen."

"Say that again!" Stephen's eyes flashed in anger.

"Enough, both of you!" Ophelia snapped, clearly exasperated.

Meanwhile, Luna-Evelyn wrestled with the dilemma unfolding before her. She knew their mission was vital, but her conscience rebelled at the thought of abandoning someone in need. They could wait until another group of Hunters came by, but that would cost precious time.

No, a compromise presented itself: they could bring him along, and if they encountered any Hunters on the way, they'd leave him in their care. After all, as representatives of the World Order, no Hunter would dare refuse them.

Settling on this plan, Luna opened her mouth to share her decision—but Adam spoke up first.

"You're here for Krainel Salvador."

"...!" All four of them stared at him, stunned into silence by his words.

"Y–You!" Stephen was the first to react, seizing Adam by the shirt and slamming him back against a tree.

"Stephen?!" Ophelia gasped, bewildered.

"You're with Krainel, aren't you?!" Stephen asked, his grip tightening as he glared at Adam, who met his gaze calmly.

"What are you doing, Stephen?" Julius asked, frowning.

"Think about it—how else would this guy know about Krainel?" Stephen countered.

Julius and Ophelia fell silent, exchanging uneasy glances. It was true: how could this manaless stranger, found inexplicably unscathed in the third layer, know about Krainel Salvador?

"Answer me!" Stephen growled, pressing his forearm against Adam's throat.

Adam's brow twitched, more in irritation than pain as he struggled to breathe. Still, he kept his silence; he knew he couldn't match Stephen's strength and was determined not to give anything away in this position.

"Leave him," Luna-Evelyn finally intervened.

"What?" Stephen looked at her, incredulous.

"I said, leave him." She fixed him with a hard stare.

"Tch!" Stephen clicked his tongue in irritation but released Adam, who staggered, clutching his throat as he struggled to breathe. He rubbed at his neck, massaging the soreness, and within moments his breath steadied.

Luna-Evelyn stepped forward. "Tell us—how did you learn about Krainel Salvador?" Her tone was less aggressive than Stephen's, but it was colder than before. She was wary; this could easily be a trap.

Adam hesitated, sorting through his options. Of course, he knew about Krainel from the novel, and he knew exactly who Luna-Evelyn was—also nicknamed as Moon Goddess, known more familiarly to those close to her as 'Lunevy', a name Mordred Pendragon would call her in the future.

But Adam saw her mostly as the woman who would, in one of the final arcs, kill Ludmila, a moment Zenon had already spoiled for him as one of the novel's defining battles.

Although the thought of Ludmila's death grated on him, he felt no real anger toward Luna-Evelyn herself. He could see at a glance that she was a 'good person' almost selfless, through and through. While some of his other personas might be less forgiving, Adam had his own code: protect the good, and discard anyone who fell below his standard.

But now, he had to answer. He couldn't exactly admit he'd read it in a book.

"Confidential," he replied shortly, deciding in less than a second that this was the most effective response.

"You—this bastard!" Stephen seethed, on the verge of snapping again, but Julius put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait. If he's with [Horizon], this could be part of some covert mission. So, you're saying you didn't come here just for research, right?" Julius pressed, studying Adam's expression. "It's confidential because they assigned you something specific, didn't they?"

Julius glanced at Adam, already forming his own theory about the newcomer's presence. It was a convenient misunderstanding, so Adam simply neither confirmed nor denied it.

Julius took Adam's silence as a tacit agreement. "I see," he said, nodding with satisfaction. "Seems Horizon's reach is just as impressive as always—they've uncovered this information almost as quickly as we have."

Ophelia, less easily convinced, furrowed her brows. "But why would Horizon send someone who's manaless... and alone? If this was critical, wouldn't they dispatch a team of specialists?"

"And why would they care about Krainel Salvador at all?" She pressed, skeptical.

"Isn't it obvious?" Julius's mouth curved into a knowing smirk.

"The Book of Asmodeus…" Stephen muttered, as if the final piece of a puzzle had clicked into place.

Ophelia's eyes widened, but she glanced back at Adam, visibly unsettled. "But… why would they send him alone?" She was still skeptical, her gaze now lingering on Adam, who observed with faint amusement as they constructed a backstory for him without his input. But he knew he couldn't remain silent much longer; now, all eyes were trained on him.

"I was… separated from my group," Adam said, choosing his words carefully. Technically, it was true—he'd left Reynold and his harem trio behind and struck out on his own.

"Separated? What are you, a lost kid?" Stephen asked, half incredulous.

"I wanted to see it all with my own eyes," Adam replied simply.

"Ah, chasing personal glory, then?" Julius shook his head, looking unsurprised. "Typical of Horizon's scientists, I hear. They're all scrambling for that next breakthrough, aren't they?"

"What? So he's just another glory-hungry scientist?" Stephen sneered.

"Oh, stop it," Ophelia chided, suppressing a laugh. "He's just passionate about his work, like you are about yours."

Stephen scoffed but didn't argue further, and Adam hid a small smile. They'd filled in the blanks for him quite neatly.

As if Adam had somehow dispelled their doubts, the four companions relaxed, though he could still feel Luna-Evelyn's wary gaze lingering on him.

"So, what's the plan now, Leader?" Julius asked, looking to Luna-Evelyn for the final call.

Luna-Evelyn studied Adam, silent and thoughtful.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I can help you. Bring me along," Adam offered without hesitation.

"Horizon helping the World Order? Now that's a joke," Stephen laughed.

The rivalry between Horizon and the World Order was notorious, a near-constant clash between the two factions. While the World Order functioned like a governing body, Horizon was more like a loose collective of treasure hunters—each vying for the rights to any discovery. Over the years, skirmishes between their agents had become almost routine.

"You're here to kill Krainel Salvador, right?" Adam asked, watching their reactions.

"That—and to secure the book," Luna-Evelyn clarified. It was clear she wouldn't hand over the book if that was Horizon's aim.

Adam, however, had a different agenda. Although his scientist's curiosity burned for a closer look at the Book of Asmodeus, he had no intention of making demands about it—at least, not yet. "If I join you, I won't interfere with the book. I'm after… other things."

The group exchanged glances, interpreting his words as a request to observe any relics they might uncover along with Krainel.

Stephen crossed his arms, scoffing. "And why would we give you that privilege? Saving you and bringing you along is already doing you a favor."

"Isn't it your job to save lives?" Adam replied dryly.

"You little—" Stephen muttered, clenching his fists.

Ophelia stifled a laugh, amused by Adam's boldness.

"I'm serious. I can help you if I come along," Adam repeated.

"Help us how, exactly?" Stephen sneered. "You'd be useless as a meat shield, let alone backup."

"Stephen…" Ophelia scolded, shooting him a glare.

Ignoring the barb, Adam pressed on. "But if you decide to leave me with other Hunters, I'll just find my own way to Krainel's trail. It doesn't change my plan."

At this, Luna-Evelyn's gaze sharpened. Adam was counting on her compassion, using it as leverage to force their cooperation. Her kind nature was well-known, and he sensed that she wouldn't leave him behind knowing he'd simply throw himself into danger again.

After a small silence, Luna finally turned away. "Fine. You can come. But your life is your responsibility."

Adam nodded, a flicker of satisfaction crossing his face.