I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

King stood before her his hand gripping Davon's blade.

Barehanded.

Blood dripped from his palm where the sword's edge had cut into his skin, but King didn't flinch. He held the blade aloft, stopping it mere inches from Diana's head.

Davon narrowed his eyes, his muscles straining as he poured every ounce of strength into driving his sword down. Yet, the blade refused to budge, locked firmly in King's grip. The only progress it made was drawing another droplet of blood, which trickled down and splattered onto the ground.

Davon looked at him.

He knew this man, the one who shattered the barrier.

But hadn't the Demonic Beast been handling him? Turning, his gaze landed on the monstrous creature writhing in agony, an ice spear impaling its stomach and anchoring it to the earth.

"Who the hell are you?" Davon asked warily turning back toward King.

King didn't answer. Instead, his hand tightened around the sword's blade. Ice exploded outward from his grip, snaking up the weapon in an instant. The frost spread like a living thing, consuming the blade and racing toward Davon's hand.

"What—?!" Davon yelped, leaping back in shock as he released the sword. His eyes widened in horror as frost rapidly encased his right hand, spreading up his arm like a curse.

-BAM!

He didn't even have time to process what was happening before King's boot connected with his stomach in a brutal front kick. The air was driven from Davon's lungs as his body folded into a harsh '>' shape. A ragged gasp escaped his lips as the force of the blow sent him hurtling through the air.

His flight came to an abrupt and violent halt as he slammed into a tree. But the punishment didn't end there. Before he could even slump to the ground, his own frozen sword followed, streaking through the air.

-Spurt!

"A–Argh!"

It pierced his stomach with frightening precision without killing him, pinning him against the tree.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, leaving the onlookers stunned into silence, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

Unbothered by their reactions, King turned his attention to Diana, who lay sprawled on the ground nearby.

"A lady shouldn't remain seated so unceremoniously on the ground," he said. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he extended a hand to her.

Diana's gaze flicked to his bloodied hand, and she hesitated. "Your hand..."

King glanced down, noticing the crimson staining his palm. "Ah, my apologies. Of course, you wouldn't want to soil yourself. Perfectly understandable," he said, retracting his hand as though embarrassed.

"It's not that..." Diana trailed, guilt tightening her chest. She wanted to protest, to tell him to tend to his wound, but the words stuck in her throat. She wasn't skilled at expressing herself, even more so after how she had treated him.

He had deserved her ire—his flirtatious antics, especially given their precarious situation, were infuriating. Yet, as she looked at him now, she couldn't help but feel gratitude but also guilt. He had saved her.

"Ah…!"
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But Diana's eyes widened in horror as the Demonic Beast, having freed itself from King's ice spear, launched itself toward his unguarded back.

King began to turn, sensing the threat, but before the Beast could strike, a shining blade pierced through its stomach from behind.

Minerva stood there, gripping Diana's sword tightly. She had arrived just in time.

But even that wasn't enough. The monstrous creature twisted its head around unnaturally, its glowing eyes locking onto Minerva in a horrifying display. It began to lurch toward her, not bothered by the blade embedded in its flesh.

Gritting her teeth, Minerva drove the sword deeper, causing more of the foul black blood to spill forth. Yet the creature barely faltered. Its claws rose high, ready to slash her apart.

Before the strike could land though, its entire body froze in place, encased in a solid sheath of glistening ice.

Minerva blinked in shock, stepping back as the sound of cracking frost filled the air. From the other side of the beast's frozen body, King leaned out, tilting his head with an easy smile. "Thank you, Lady Minerva."

Breaking free from her stupor, Minerva released the hilt of Diana's sword and rushed toward her sister, who was still sitting on the ground. Wrapping Diana in a tight embrace, she asked breathlessly, "Are you alright, Diana?"

"I'm fine, sister," Diana reassured her, smiling softly as she patted Minerva's back.

Minerva clung to her, guilt etched across her face. "I'm so sorry… I dragged you into this." Her voice trembled, heavy with regret. She hadn't anticipated things becoming so dangerous, so quickly. If anything had happened to Diana—if she had truly died—Minerva would never have forgiven herself.

Her gaze shifted to King, the man who had saved her sister's life. She opened her mouth to offer him her heartfelt thanks, but he was already walking away, his attention elsewhere.

King strode toward the cages where the imprisoned children were kept. As he passed another cage, where Lua stood alongside a naked and blushing Saya and Mona, he offered them a casual wave. This earned him sharp glares, though he seemed completely unbothered.

Reaching the children's cage, the King gripped the metal bars with his bare hands. The steel groaned and twisted under his strength before snapping apart like twigs.

"Wow…"

The children, who had been huddled in despair moments earlier, now stared at him with wide, admiring eyes. They had seen him defeat Davon, the terrifying figure who had haunted their nightmares and even a monster. To them, King was nothing short of a miracle, a Hero even came to save them.

"How are you kids?" King asked gently, resting a hand on the top of the cage and peering inside with a smile.

"M-Mister!"

"Thank you!"

"Are you a Hero?!"

Their tears of despair turned to tears of gratitude as they scrambled to their feet, rushing toward him. The children clung to him in a group hug, their small arms wrapping tightly around the man who had saved their lives.

"Alright, first, all of you drink this," King said, pulling out a dozen of Adam's concoctions from his bag. Then he handed them out to the children one by one.

"This will heal both your mind and body," he explained. "And it'll keep you hydrated too."

The children, still dazed but trusting, took the vials and drank eagerly. Relief began to wash over their tired faces as the potion worked its magic.

—Slap!

The sharp sound broke through the moment of calm. King turned his head, frowning as he glanced toward another cage that had just been freed by Reynold.

Reynold, overwhelmed with relief and emotion, had thrown his arms around a naked Saya and Mona in a tight embrace. Saya, her face flaming with embarrassment, had slapped him squarely across the cheek. Mona, however, didn't seem to mind and appeared to even lean into the hug, a faint smile playing on her lips.

King sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They really do look like a harem supporting the protagonist," he muttered to himself, shaking his head at the sight.

"Mr. King."

A familiar voice drew his attention from the spectacle. Turning, he saw Minerva standing behind him.

"How may I help you, Lady Minerva?" King asked with a wide smile.

Minerva hesitated briefly before speaking. "I wanted to express my gratitude for saving my sister and myself as well. Truly, thank you."

Diana, standing slightly behind her sister, added in a quieter voice, "Yes, thank you." Though her tone was a bit awkward, she was sincere.

King waved a hand dismissively. "I told you before, Lady Minerva. There was no need for recklessness. I had a plan." He sighed, his smile fading slightly.

"T–That's… my mistake," Minerva admitted, bowing her head. Guilt flickered across her face. She had doubted him earlier, and now, seeing how easily he had dismantled the barrier and handled the situation, she realized they would have been much safer had they trusted him from the start.

"If there's anything you need—" Minerva began.

"Your number," King interrupted smoothly, pulling out a sleek phone.

Minerva froze, taken aback by the sudden request. Diana grimaced beside her, already bristling at King's boldness. There wasn't even the slightest hesitation in his voice.

But Minerva had a conflicted expression. She was promised to another man after all. It wouldn't be right.

"Or perhaps Lady Diana's number?" King knowing this, added casually, tilting his phone toward Diana with an arched brow.

"Wha—!" Diana flinched.

"I'm merely asking for your number, Lady Diana," King said blinking. "I might have an idea for a reward I could request, but I'm not certain yet. This way, I can contact you later if something comes to mind."

"You could just ask one of the guards…" Diana grumbled, crossing her arms and avoiding his gaze.

"I see…" King lowered his phone, a faint air of disappointment settling around him. "I suppose I'm not worthy of even that much despite what I had done."

"A–Argh! Fine!" Diana finally caved, unable to resist his theatrics. Muttering under her breath, she retrieved her personal phone and pressed it against his. With a soft chime, their contacts were exchanged.

King glanced at his phone and grinned, his satisfaction barely concealed. As he scrolled through his contact list, he spotted Diana's name just below another entry: Celine.

"Second lady contact obtained," he murmured under his breath, a gleam in his eyes.

Diana noticed his grin and felt strangely embarrassed. "Don't get the wrong idea! This doesn't mean anything! And don't call me for nothing else than claim your reward. I don't have time to chat!"

"Of course, Lady Diana," King said with an innocent smile, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "But should you ever feel the need to share your worries, don't hesitate to call me. We can talk all night long, if that's what it takes."

"A–As if!" Diana retorted, her face heating up as she turned away.

With a laugh King then turned and strode toward Davon Crook, who remained pinned to the tree by his own frozen sword. Blood dripped steadily from the wound, pooling at the base of the trunk. Davon's breaths were shallow, on the verge of breathing his last.

"Look at you, Davon," King said, with a sadistic chuckle. Reaching out, he gripped the hilt of the sword pinning Davon and pulled it free.

With a thud, Davon collapsed forward, his head striking the ground. Blood seeped from his wounds, mixing with the dirt beneath him. His body trembled weakly, barely clinging to life.

King stood over him, his eyes staring down. "I hope you ate well today."

Davon's glassy eyes barely flickered in response.

"Because…" King's gaze hardened, his expression devoid of mercy. "This body won't belong to you anymore."