I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

"They should have been back by now," Minerva said, worried.

Reynold, who had been nervously fidgeting, abruptly stood. "I'll go check on them."

"I'm coming with you!" Lua said, stepping up beside him.

Before leaving, Reynold turned toward King, hesitating. "Aren't you coming?"

"Should I?" King arched a brow, his tone indifferent.

Lua shot King a sharp glare before grabbing Reynold's arm and pulling him forward. "Let's go. They might be in danger."

"R-Right!" Reynold stuttered, hurrying ahead.

Minerva rose from her seat, preparing to follow, but King's voice stopped her.

"Lady Minerva, I don't believe it's necessary to intervene just yet," he said.

Minerva frowned, her gaze narrowing in confusion. "They're clearly at risk."

"I'm aware," King replied calmly. "And that's exactly the point. They're too naive. A little shock might do them good."

The last time something like this had happened, King had stepped in to save them. But this time, he was curious. He wanted to see how they'd handle being surrounded by predators without his intervention.

"And if something happens to them?" Diana asked sternly. Her piercing gaze bore into King. "Are you ready to take responsibility?"

Diana had thought they were friends, but King's cold detachment made her question that assumption. To him, it seemed, none of them were friends.

King viewed Reynold as nothing more than a tool—a diamond in the rough that he could shape for his own purposes. Training Reynold to become a high-ranked Hunter aligned perfectly with the young man's aspirations, and King saw no reason not to exploit that potential.

"Nothing will happen to them," King shook his head. "Their captors won't kill them. That would be wasteful."

But even as he spoke, King knew he was lying—to himself and to them. He couldn't be certain Reynold would survive, nor could he guarantee that the women wouldn't face... other dangers.

The truth was, he didn't care. Regardless of what happened in the moment, he intended to obliterate the scums responsible. Every last one of them.

"Just give it a few minutes," King added. "I have a plan to save all of them with no risks taken."

Minerva's hand tightened around her bow, her knuckles whitening. "I'm sorry, but I can't take that chance. If they're in danger—or worse—I refuse to stand by and do nothing."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and strode forward.

Diana followed close behind. Their three bodyguards fell into step, silent and ready taking out their weapons.

King sighed and leaned back against the tree, tilting his head toward the sky. "Suit yourselves," he muttered.

He couldn't understand what he said wrong.

That was for their own sake he was doing that.

"I suppose that makes your charm," King smiled lightly.

In that aspect she was similar to Luna-Evelyn though Luna might have rushed and dealt alone with her strength without dragging anyone in it.

Unfortunately, King wasn't as altruist as them. He was an assassin and he knew better than anyone altruism would kill, even more in such a dangerous world.

He glanced at the man who had brought them this far trembling all over his body while covering his bloodied mouth.

King smirked before taking a rubble and aiming at him.

"Mrghh!!" The man started running but it was useless.

-Spurt!

***

"Boss! We caught two more! These idiots walked right into our traps!" One of the men called out with a wicked laugh, dragging Reynold and Lua across the dirt. Both were bound, their hands tied tightly, and blood streaked down from gashes on their heads.

"Y-You bastard…" Reynold growled, glaring up at their captors through a haze of pain.

"Hunters, hunters… How utterly pathetic." A smooth chuckle echoed as a figure emerged from the largest tent.

The speaker was a strikingly handsome man, his unkempt black hair falling messily around his sharp features. Despite his youthful appearance—no older than his early twenties—there was a cold menace in his eyes. This was Davon Crook.

"R-Rey!"

"Lua!"

Reynold and Lua turned their heads at the familiar voices, their gazes locking onto Saya and Mona. The two women were imprisoned in a crude iron cage, their bodies stripped bare, their expressions hollow with terror. Around them, other cages held frightened, battered children, their eyes wide with unspeakable fear.

The sight was too much. Rage boiled within Reynold, his breath turning ragged as mana surged violently from his body. His vision blurred with rage, his eyes burning red.

"You bastard!" Reynold roared, snapping the ropes binding his wrists as if they were paper. With an enraged cry, he lunged at Davon, his fist drawn back to deliver a devastating blow.

But Davon was quicker. Easily sidestepping the attack, he brought his fist down hard against the back of Reynold's head. The impact was brutal, sending Reynold crumpling to the ground.

"Rey!" Lua screamed. She bolted toward him, but a burly man intercepted her, gripping her arm tightly.

"Well, well, another beauty," Davon said, his smirk widening as his gaze swept over Lua. "Throw her in the cage. She'll fetch us a fine price."

"D-Don't touch me!" Lua snarled, but despite her resistance, she was shoved roughly into the cage with Saya and Mona.

"Boss, should we recall the rest of the men?" One of Davon's underlings asked.

"No need," Davon replied dismissively. "I don't think these fools are the ones responsible for taking out thirty of our guys. If there are more, they'll come to us. Let them walk straight into the traps."

Just as he predicted, only minutes later, Minerva, Diana, and their three guards arrived on the outskirts of the camp. They kept to the shadows, observing the scene carefully.

Minerva's grey eyes darkened as she took in the horrifying sight—the caged children, the beaten captives, and the sadistic men who lounged around the campfire as if their actions were nothing more than sport.

The camp was dimly lit by the flickering flames of the central fire and a few scattered torches. The air was heavy with the oppressive miasma that clung to the night like a suffocating fog yet strangely they didn't seem affected by it much.

Though visibility was limited, Minerva's gaze counted at least twenty men moving about the camp.

"What do we do, sister?" Diana whispered.

Minerva's gaze lingered on the camp's center, locking onto the man who radiated abnormal mana. "You three will surround the camp from three sides. Diana and I will stay here to take down their leader."

The guards exchanged brief nods before melting into the shadows, each moving to their assigned position.

Minerva drew her bow, her fingers steady as she nocked an arrow. Her focus honed in on Davon, who moved with an air of arrogance amidst his men. She tracked his movements, her aim perfect despite the distance.

This should be easy. Perhaps too easy.

The thought unsettled her, but she brushed it aside, channeling her mana into the arrow. The projectile shimmered faintly, infused with energy that would increase its speed and piercing power. When the moment felt right, she loosed the arrow.

The arrow cut through the air with perfect accuracy, a silver streak against the darkened miasma. But just as it reached the camp's perimeter, it struck something unseen—a shimmering field cloaked in the swirling miasma.

A faint ripple spread outward repelling even her arrow.

"Oh?" Davon's smirk widened as he turned his gaze directly toward Minerva and Diana's position.

"Sister, let's go!" Diana said, surging forward without hesitation.

"Wait, Diana!" Minerva called, but it was too late.

Davon, unbothered, drew a sleek, cruelly crafted sword from his side. "Lower the barrier," he ordered.

His men obeyed, and the shimmering field dissipated, leaving the camp exposed. At the same time, Minerva's bodyguards appeared, clashing with Davon's men in a swift melee.

Minerva clenched her bow and followed after Diana.

As she stepped into the camp, Davon's expression twisted into something darker. "Raise the barrier," he barked.
Stay tuned to empire

The miasma shimmered and expanded once again, closing around the combatants and sealing them within its grasp.

Diana ignoring it swung her sword, her strikes pushing Davon back with each clash.

"You've got quite the swing for someone your age," Davon said with amusement. His gaze lingered on her features. "Ah, a high-ranking noble, aren't you? You'll fetch a handsome price."

"Shut up!"

With a fluid motion, Diana summoned a cyclone of mana, her sword's edge slicing through the air. The vortex slammed into Davon, propelling him backward into his own barrier.

But Davon quickly regained his footing, a grin spreading across his face. He raised his sword, pointing it toward the large tent at the camp's center. "Time to wake up, beast."

-Crack!

From within the tent came the sound of something shattering, followed by a guttural roar. A moment later, something leapt out—a creature.

It looked like a Demonic Beast.

The creature's mana was oppressive, marking it as a threat hovering between peak C-Rank and a dangerous B-Rank. Standing two meters tall, it wasn't particularly imposing in size, but its humanoid shape made it quite eerie. Its body was lithe yet muscular, with elongated, blade-like claws and glowing red eyes. It had no mouth, only a blank expanse of skin beneath those soulless eyes.

The beast's crimson gaze locked onto Diana, and in an instant, it vanished from sight.

-BAM!

The attack came out of nowhere. Diana barely managed to raise her sword, shielding herself just in time. The beast's claws raked across her arm, tearing through flesh like paper. The force of the blow was quite strong, and though Diana deflected the worst of it, the shockwave sent her flying backward into the shimmering barrier.

"Ugh!" Diana groaned, rebounding off the barrier before collapsing to the ground.

"D-Diana!" Minerva cried out, worry flashing across her face. But the sense of danger came too quickly for hesitation. On pure instinct, she raised her bow and released an arrow.

"Gruuuu!"

The humanoid beast snarled as the arrow struck its shoulder, forcing it back a step. Minerva wasted no time, her hand darting toward the quiver strapped to her back for another arrow.

But in her focus on the beast, she momentarily forgot about Davon.

He appeared behind her with his sword at end.

Minerva spun on instinct, bringing her bow between them just as his sword descended. The weapon struck the bow's sturdy frame, sparks flying from the impact.

"Impressive," Davon said, smirking as he leapt backward. But his gaze shifted behind Minerva, and his smirk deepened.

Minerva didn't need to look to understand the threat. Her fingers moved in a blur, nocking an arrow and pulling the string. Without turning, she aimed over her shoulder and released.

The arrow sliced through the air with a sharp whistle.

"GRUHHH!!"

The Demonic Beast roared in pain as the arrow embedded itself in its torso, forcing it back once more. But this time, it didn't fall. It remained standing, its red eyes burning with rage.

Minerva jumped back, her hand reaching for another arrow—only to freeze as her fingers met nothing but air. Her quiver was empty.

Her breath caught in her throat.

'I should still have arrows left…'

"Looking for these?" Davon's mocking voice rang in her ear.

She turned toward him, her eyes widening in disbelief. He stood a short distance away, holding a bundle of her arrows in one hand. With a cruel smile, he snapped them like twigs, letting the pieces fall to the ground.

Minerva bit her lip seeing that.

She hadn't prepared for this. She had been focused on meeting the man she was supposed to get engaged to, not expecting a battle of this scale so she hadn't thought of bringing more arrows in her Quiver Spatial Storage.

With no other choice, she slung her bow over her shoulder and drew the short sword strapped to her side, readying herself for the Demonic Beast's next attack.

But before the beast could move, a sudden chill swept through the air.

The temperature plummeted and an unnatural breeze stirred the miasma around them.