I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

"You saw me?"

The words sent a shiver down her spine as a cloaked figure, clad entirely in black, stepped into view.

He was neither a student nor a member of the Ocryphia Academy staff—of that, Ludivine was certain. His presence was oppressive and didn't seem human. Her instincts screamed in alarm: this man was no ordinary intruder. He was possessed. The sinister aura of dark mana coiled around him like a living thing was quite a giveaway.

"I'm impressed. You noticed me?" The man said. His eyes flicked briefly to Ivan. Despite the concealment spell he'd woven, Ivan's gaze tracked him with quite the precision, as though he could see straight through the illusion.

Ivan didn't bother to answer.

The man chuckled before shifting his focus to his true target: Ludivine Richmont.

"Who are you?" Ludivine asked wariy as she tightened her grip on her bow.

"You may call me Haine. It's an honor, Lady Richmont," he replied with a mocking tone, dipping into an exaggerated bow.

"This area is restricted to Ocryphia Academy members. We're in the middle of an exam," Ludivine said.

Haine laughed, a hollow sound devoid of humor, and pulled back his hood. Ludivine's breath hitched at the sight of his face. His features were sunken and discolored. It was clear that his body was deteriorating under the strain of the possession. The dark mana swirling around him had taken its toll.

She had seen cases like this before. Possession by a demon was rarely sustainable, as their hosts' bodies often withered under the strain of housing such an entity. Within months, the flesh would rot away entirely, forcing the demon to abandon its vessel and seek a new one. By then, the former host would already be dead, their body nothing but a broken husk.

It was a deathly cycle, but one with clear stakes for the demons as well. If the host's body died too quickly—before they could transfer to another—the demon would be dragged to its own destruction. That's why most demons sought powerful and resilient hosts, individuals strong enough to endure their influence yet susceptible enough to be controlled.

Whatever this man had been before, it no longer mattered. He was now something else entirely—an enemy. The mortal enemy of everything Ocryphia Academy's students, including Ludivine, aspired to become.

"I'm here for you, Ludivine Richmont," Haine said. "You'd be wise to surrender yourself peacefully."

Ludivine's expression hardened, her grip tightening on her bow. "The exam is being monitored by our professors. They'll be here soon," she warned.

Haine merely chuckled. "And why do you think I chose this spot to reveal myself? There are no cameras here, and escape is futile—I've already erected a barrier around us."

Ivan's gaze swept their surroundings, confirming Haine's claim. The shimmering edges of a magical barrier encased the area, its energy disturbingly familiar. It resembled the barriers used by the rogue Hunters who had attacked Ivan and his group not long ago.

"No cameras…?" Ludivine murmured, glancing around. Her eyes darted to the trees, scanning desperately for the hidden surveillance systems she had relied on. Nothing. This area was a blind spot. But how had this man wandered so freely without being detected by the academy's vigilant security?

Perhaps he was using an artifact capable of bypassing Ocryphia's surveillance enchantments….

Ludivine bit her lips.

It wouldn't have come to this if she hadn't foolishly followed Ivan. Now they were trapped in the worst possible situation.

"What do you want?" She asked, steadying her breathing. Panic would only weaken her, and she needed her wits about her.

"I've already told you," Haine sneered.

And then he vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared directly in front of Ludivine. Acting on pure instinct, she flung herself backward, narrowly avoiding his grasp. As she twisted midair, her fingers found her bowstring, and she fired a hasty shot.

The arrow shot forward but lacked the strength to pose any real threat. Haine caught it effortlessly, the projectile splintering in his hand. Before Ludivine could retreat further, she collided hard with the invisible barrier surrounding them.

"There's no escape!" Haine laughed as he charged toward her again.

Ludivine spun around, quickly notching two arrows. She imbued them with her Wind affinity and released them in rapid succession. The arrows sliced through the air with deadly precision, forcing Haine to dodge to avoid being struck. But then his eyes widened in surprise as a third arrow hurtled toward him, hidden in the wake of the others.

He hadn't even seen her draw it.

Reacting on instinct, Haine raised his arm to shield himself. The arrow struck true, piercing his forearm with a fleshy sound. The impact sent him hurtling backward, slamming into a tree with enough force to splinter the bark.

"Ugh!" Haine growled, clutching his arm but he was still smirking.

Dark mana crackled and sputtered around Haine's wound, devouring the blood that seeped from it as if consuming it for sustenance. In moments, his arm was fully restored, functional as if nothing had happened. Worse yet, his strength seemed to grow.

Ludivine drew new arrows, as she braced herself for the next attack.

Could she even defeat him? No—she likely couldn't. Her best chance was to stall for time, hoping that other students or, better yet, the professors monitoring the exam would intervene.

Her eyes flicked briefly to the figure she'd nearly forgotten amidst the fight—the man who had been utterly useless since the fight began.

Leon Cromwell.

Ivan stood against a tree, arms folded across his chest. He watched the battle with an air of indifference, as though it were a dull performance he couldn't wait to end. His bored expression twisted Ludivine's mounting frustration into raw anger.

"Why aren't you helping me?!" She shouted, dodging another of Haine's attacks. She couldn't afford to let him get close enough to grab her.

Ivan's gaze didn't shift. "Why should I help you?"

He asked almost puzzled by her question.

"What—aghh!!" Ludivine's protest died in her throat as her brief lapse in focus left her vulnerable. Haine's kick connected with her side, sending her sprawling across the ground. Pain exploded through her body as she tumbled to a stop, her hands trembling as she struggled to push herself upright.

A sickly sweetness surged up her throat, and she clamped a hand over her mouth, coughing violently as a mouthful of blood splattered onto the ground. Breathing was agony; she'd likely broken several ribs. Never before had she experienced such raw strength in an attack.

This wasn't a mere man standing before her. This was a Demonic Entity, its strength beyond anything she had faced.

Eline Castell's lectures on Demonology flashed through her mind. Go for the head. Use exorcism spells. But if the demon had reached the final stage of possession, the only recourse was to kill it—strike directly at the head, no hesitation, and under no circumstances allow the possessed to touch you. Contact was almost always fatal.

By all accounts, Ludivine should have been dead already. She knew it. Haine could have ended her, but for some reason, he hadn't. He needed her alive, though the reasons were unclear.

Her face pale, Ludivine gritted her teeth and forced herself onto her knees, her arms clutching her battered side.

"It'll hurt even more if you keep resisting, little beauty," Haine sneered, as he walked toward Ludivine.

Struggling to catch her breath, Ludivine glanced at him briefly before shifting her gaze to Ivan. He remained as indifferent as ever, leaning casually against the tree, watching the scene unfold with an air of disinterest. She couldn't comprehend his inaction.

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Why wasn't he helping her?

Had she offended him somehow? No… he didn't seem the type to be that petty. It was something else. It felt as though he genuinely didn't care—not about her, not about the demonic entity standing mere feet away, and not even about the danger pressing down on them both. He showed no fear, no unease. Nothing.

Asking for his help again would be pointless then. She turned her focus back to Haine, resigning herself to whatever fate awaited her.

"Release the barrier. Now."

Ivan suddenly asked startling both Ludivine and Haine.

Haine froze, his smile faltering as his gaze snapped to Ivan.

Ivan had been watching this pathetic fight in silence, not out of indifference, but because of the barrier. He could have destroyed it and walked away at any time, but that would have risked exposing his true strength to two people—one of them a demon from Gehenna. The last thing he wanted was to end up on the radar of low-level demons or their petty blacklists. Ants didn't deserve his attention.

But Ivan's patience had limits. Haine's third-rate vilain acting had finally tested them.

"If only you'd kept your mouth shut…" Haine growled, as he turned toward Ivan.

He was Demon and he had pride which had been quite wounded by the Human.

"If only what?" Ivan asked raising a brow.

Ludivine stared at him in disbelief. Did Ivan have a death wish? Even if he was stronger than he let on, no one could possibly stand against a fully possessed entity of Haine's caliber. The demon clearly had no use for him—he'd surely be killed.

Haine's eyes narrowed, glowing faintly dark.

"W-Wait! Just take me! I'm the one you want, right?"

As much as Ivan's indifference infuriated her, she couldn't blame him for choosing to save his own life. It was her fault he was here at all—she had dragged him into this mess.

If someone had to pay the price, it should be her. The thought of someone dying because of her actions wasn't acceptable for her.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Ivan's gaze flickered toward her, and something unreadable passed across his face. He hadn't expected her to plead for him, not after how dismissive he'd been. It seemed she was more selfless than he'd assumed—a good person, perhaps. Useful, even.

But Ivan's moment of reflection was interrupted by Haine's voice.

"Unfortunate. He angered me. I'll kill him and use his blood to replenish myself. Maybe his body could do a good replacement—"

-SPURT!

Haine stopped mid-sentence, his body stiffening as he glanced down. His eyes widened in shock.

There was a gaping hole in his stomach.

He looked up, bewildered, to see Ivan standing a short distance away, his bow lowered. The faint hum of mana energy lingered in the air.

"A shame," Ivan muttered, shaking his head slightly. "I was aiming for the head. Guess I still need more practice with a bow."

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