I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

The Whispering Woods lay about an hour from the Ocryphia Guild if one took a vehicle. Though Reynold and his friends were reluctant to pay for a taxi—prices in Ocryphia were notoriously high—Rex volunteered to cover the cost.

Of course, his motives were anything but generous; he was simply eager to carry out his plans as quickly as possible. But to Reynold, Rex's gesture painted him as a surprisingly good guy. King's endless praise for Rex only reinforced that impression, to the point that even Rex started to feel slightly uncomfortable.

'How could anyone be so easily swayed?'

But he quickly dismissed as just King being dumb.

Once the taxi dropped them off near the forest's edge, the group walked toward the forest's main gates, where Hunters were required to show their ID badges to gain entry. After a brief inspection, they were granted access to the Whispering Woods.

"So many people…" King noted, watching the throngs of Hunters gathered at the entrance, some heading in, others just returning.

"Seems like more people than usual," Reynold observed, scanning the crowd.

"Yeah, I wonder why?" Mona murmured.

Rex, on the other hand, frowned, displeased. The woods were unusually crowded, especially for this early hour. Fortunately, with several entry points scattered around, he had a plan.

"I know a quieter entry," Rex offered. "One where we won't be interrupted by other Hunters. Come on, everyone." He motioned for them to follow.

"Quite the guide, aren't you, Rex?" King said, sounding impressed.

"Well, I've been in this business for ten years now," Rex replied with a laugh.

Reynold saw no reason to be suspicious; it was common enough for Hunters to choose paths with less traffic to avoid unwanted encounters or conflicts. But the three girls, walking close behind, were less convinced. While Rex's explanation made sense, his eagerness felt off. Still, since nothing had seemed overtly dangerous so far, they brushed aside their unease, hoping it was just nerves.

The group's journey from a distant village had lulled them into a false sense of security. Their path had been surprisingly easy until now, and this lack of adversity left them somewhat naive, their judgment clouded by inexperience.

Eventually, they entered the forest through a quiet, less-traveled entrance.

Finally, they reached the outskirts.

At first glance, the forest appeared unremarkable, though a dark green hue tinged everything down to the leaves, lending the place an eerie, unnatural feel.

"There don't seem to be any Demonic Beasts around here," King noted after they had walked for nearly twenty minutes.

"Most of the beasts near the outskirts are occasionally cleared by government patrols," Lua explained, "to prevent any from escaping into nearby areas. Hunters also take them down if they're spotted close to the edge."

"But we'll encounter them deeper in," Mona added. "The forest grows denser, wilder the further we go."

"Interesting." King was quite curious; he had an insatiable fascination for all forms of life—a curiosity inherited directly from Adam Crane. Though he remembered reading about these creatures as Yvan, he now felt compelled to observe them up close, to 'study' them in person.

"Stop," Rex said, extending an arm to halt the group.

"What is it?" Reynold asked, alert.

"Do you hear that? A Demonic Beast is close," Rex replied, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings.

The group quickly followed suit, eyes darting through the trees, searching for any signs of movement.

King's gaze, however, was already locked to the left, watching something only he could see.

After a moment, Rex detected it too, directing everyone's attention to the same spot King had been watching. The quiet rustling of bushes grew louder until a creature leapt into view.

It looked like a rabbit at first glance, but its eyes glowed with a vacant, yellow stare, a sign it was fully possessed by a low-tier Demonic Entity—one without intelligence. Likely once an ordinary rabbit, it had transformed into a Demonic Beast, its form now twisted with protruding horns and skin laced with spikes.

Its physical abilities had been enhanced well beyond what it had once possessed.

"Krriii!" The Demonic Rabbit lunged at Rex, but one of his comrades was quick to intercept, raising a sturdy shield in its path.

The rabbit collided with it but rebounded swiftly, springing away before anyone could grab it.

"A Demon Rabbit? Easy!" Reynold grinned with confidence. He'd faced these creatures often over the past months. Although they'd been quite strong to him initially, he had since become skilled at taking them down.

With a sigh, Lua raised her bow, aiming carefully.

-Thud!

Her arrow struck the spot where the rabbit had been just a moment before, but it had already darted away—this time heading straight for Mona, the physically weakest in the group.

But Mona's strength lay elsewhere; she specialized in spellcasting.

"Third Tier Fire Spell!" she chanted, pointing her staff, which unleashed a concentrated beam of flame. The spell hit the rabbit squarely in its stomach, scorching its dark fur.

Despite the hit, the rabbit rolled to the side and stood on its claws, its eyes flashing as it glared at the group, more aggressive than ever.

"My turn!" Reynold shouted, dashing toward the rabbit with his sword raised. His movements were swift and precise. Though it was a bit rough, he was clearly not just a random brat who chose a sword to show off.

The rabbit, sensing the threat, leapt aside, only to find itself within arm's reach of King.

"Hey, King!" Saya called, alarmed, as King appeared oblivious to the danger, his focus fixed elsewhere.

Seeing an easy target, the rabbit sprang at him.

Saya clicked her tongue, unsheathed her sword, and dashed in front of King, slashing as she moved.

"Kriii!" The rabbit screeched as her blade cut deep into its chest, forcing it back. Injured, it scrambled away, but Rex and his team moved quickly, surrounding and finishing it off.

Saya exhaled in relief, then turned to King, her expression twisting in anger. "You! What were you daydreaming about? You'd be dead if I hadn't stepped in!"

"..." King stayed silent, still looking off in the distance.

"Hey!" Saya snapped again, breaking his trance. King finally turned his gaze to her, his calm, striking eyes catching her off guard.

Trying to keep her composure, Saya kept her scolding expression.

King gave a faint smile and pointed to their right. "There's something else coming."

"Eh?!"

They all followed his gesture, turning in the direction he'd indicated.

Rex narrowed his eyes, straining to see. A moment later, his expression shifted to alarm.

"Stay sharp—it's an E+ Rank rabbit!" Rex barked.

"E+?!" Lua was quite surprised as until now they had fought a lot of E Ranked monsters but the E+ monsters were quite rare.

Reynold chuckled nervously, gripping his sword tightly as he prepared himself for what lay ahead.

Unfortunately for them, there wasn't just one rabbit.

"It's a pack! We need to retreat!" Rex shouted.

But instead of heading back toward the outskirts, he veered deeper, running straight toward the Shadowed Trees.

Caught up in the moment, Reynold and the others followed without hesitation.

"That was close! I can't believe it was a whole pack!" Mona gasped, trying to steady her breath.

"You're telling me. Two or three would've been manageable, but an entire pack of E+ ranked Demonic Beasts? That's rare," Lua agreed, her face flushed with adrenaline.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Reynold stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the ground ahead.

A faint line marked a boundary, with weathered signs hanging from the trees.

The Shadowed Trees—the Second Layer of the Whispering Woods.

"It really does look…different," Saya murmured, eyeing the area beyond the line.

The trees and grass on the other side were visibly darker, and the air itself seemed to carry an oppressive weight, tinged with an eerie shadow. It was as if they were staring into an entirely different forest.

Until now, they had all been careful not to cross this line, feeling they were unprepared. Yet, each of them knew that if they truly wanted to grow as Hunters, they had to push beyond the Outskirts, facing whatever dangers lay within.

"Let's go," Reynold said, stepping forward into the Shadowed Trees.

"It's…a little scary," Mona admitted, gripping her staff tightly as they crossed the threshold.

The atmosphere changed immediately, feeling heavier, darker, and more sinister than the familiar Outskirts.

"You'll get used to it. Every Hunter feels this way the first time they enter a new layer," Rex reassured her, though his gaze shifted toward King, who strolled calmly through both the Outskirts and now the Shadowed Trees, as if he were merely out for a walk.

"Fascinating," King murmured, scanning the surroundings. "This forest is truly drawing me in."

The ambiance resembled something straight out of a horror film set in a dense, haunted forest. Though it was morning, the towering trees cast shadows so deep it felt as if the light itself had been swallowed, leaving everything dark and concealed beneath layers of shadow.

Lua and her two friends exchanged weird glances as they watched King, who appeared far too captivated by their surroundings. Unlike the others, he didn't seem nervous or even slightly unsettled.

They wanted to ask him directly if he had any previous experience as a Hunter. But from the way he reacted with wide-eyed curiosity to the Demonic Beasts, he seemed like a complete rookie.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Rex and his companions gradually slowed, eventually falling back, allowing Reynold to take the lead.

'Already?' King sighed inwardly. He had been hoping to gather a bit more information from Rex, who, though unwittingly, had been offering useful insights. King's intentions were simple—gaining their trust, but it had also given him valuable knowledge.

Suddenly, a burst of light erupted before them, blinding Reynold and the others. In an instant, a shimmering barrier materialized around them, sealing them off from escape.

Rex stepped forward with a smirk, his sword gleaming in the dim light.

"It's over."