I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist - Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Adam Being Bothered

“May I take a picture with you?” Agatha asked nervously, her hands clasped tightly together.

Lunevy, setting down her fork, gave a small nod.

“Thank you!” Agatha beamed as she hurried to Lunevy’s side. The latter made no effort to stand, so Agatha crouched slightly to frame them both in a selfie.

“Could I get one, too? Thank you!” Luke couldn’t help but join in dragged by Agatha’s excitation.

Irisdina, watching her friends, offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about them. It’s just that we’ve heard so much about you. You’re only a little older than us, and you’ve accomplished so much already. We can’t help but admire you.”

“That’s right!” Agatha added in, her excitement bubbling over. “You didn’t even attend an academy, right? And yet you made it to the Elite ranks of the Order on your own! That’s incredible. We’re students at Ocryphia, and, honestly, I’m a huge fan of you and the others in the World Order!”

“Ocryphia?” Lunevy repeated, the name sparking recognition. “The Academy of Exorcists?”

“Yes! You should visit someday!”

“For what? She’s got nothing left to learn,” Luke joked, eliciting a laugh from Irisdina.

“Hey! I’m trying to invite a star here!” Agatha protested.

Suddenly, Adam stood. “Let’s leave.”

His tone drew everyone’s attention. The growing number of people watching them—some even filming—was far from ideal.

“But I haven’t finished…” Lunevy muttered, eyeing her half-eaten plate longingly.

“…” Adam stared at her.

She really was a big eater.

“What about Krainel?” He asked pointedly.

Lunevy seemed to snap out of her reluctance at the mention of the name. Rising to her feet, she nodded. “Let’s go.”

She wasn’t hesitating anymore—focused on Krainel Salvador.

Before they could make their exit, an unwelcome interruption arrived.

“Oh, there you are!”

Adam narrowed his eyes as he recognized the newcomers—three individuals who had once been part of Lunevy’s team tasked with taking down Krainel.

A headache threatened to surface, though he knew better than to let it distract him. He hadn’t summoned them, which meant…

“Adam! Long time no see!” Ophelia greeted with her usual wide grin.

“Tch. Looks like you’re all eating well,” Stephen grumbled, his stomach growling audibly as if in protest.

“No way! Is this a date?” Julius asked, his exaggeratedly wide eyes drawing even more attention from onlookers. “Are you two dating already?”

The question only fueled the curiosity of the crowd. Thankfully, the three were in casual clothing, sparing them from being mobbed for autographs. Still, Adam’s irritation wasn’t diminishing at all.

“What is the meaning of this?” He asked Lunevy.

“They’re part of the task,” she replied. “I have to keep them updated on the search for Krainel Salvador.”

“I don’t recall asking you to bring them along,” Adam said coldly, his gaze fixed on Lunevy.

“You also didn’t say to come alone,” she replied.

Adam frowned, replaying his message in his mind. She was right—he hadn’t explicitly told her to come alone. Still, he had assumed it was obvious. Why would she bring along the very team that had barely survived the last mission?

“Fair enough. That’s on me,” Adam conceded, though his tone lacked warmth. Turning to the three, he said curtly, “You can leave. Miss Luna-Evelyn will keep you updated.”

“Hey!” Ophelia protested, her expression twisting into a sulk.

Stephen, however, exploded with irritation. “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?! We’re World Order members!” His voice rose, drawing curious stares from nearby tables. “You should be the one running off to safety—back to your mommy!”

“I don’t have a mother to run to,” Adam replied correcting the mistake.

The casual honesty of his reply hung awkwardly in the air. Even Ophelia shot a glare at Stephen, who now seemed to find the floor particularly interesting.

Nearby, Irisdina and her friends exchanged uneasy glances, clearly regretting their decision to linger.

“More importantly,” Adam continued, ignoring it, “I’m the one in possession of the information we need. That puts me in charge.”

Stephen’s face darkened, his temper boiling over once more. “You little bastard!” He lunged forward to grab Adam by the shirt.

But Julius intercepted him, gripping his shoulder. “Cool it, Stephen. Don’t make a scene.”

“Get off me!” Stephen growled, shaking Julius off. “Why should we take orders from Horizon?!”

“Horizon?” Irisdina whispered, her eyes widening as the name registered. All at once, the others turned their attention to Adam.

Adam, however, remained calm, fixing Stephen with his stare. “That remark just cost you a point.”

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

Ignoring him, Adam shifted his focus to Luna-Evelyn. “This is my condition for sharing my—”

Before he could finish, Lunevy’s hand came to rest lightly on his arm.

“Please,” she said, her voice soft but sincere.

Adam turned to her.

Her face, the way she said the word—it all blurred for a moment, melding with memories of Geneva.

Geneva.

The only woman Adam had ever loved.

He thought back to the moment she had made her own request, one he had refused. Refused to follow her. That decision had set him on the path that ultimately made him her enemy—the [Main Antagonist] of her story.

Adam blinked, grounding himself in the present. Lunevy’s earnest eyes brought him back, her expression pleading without a hint of manipulation.

“They barely survived last time,” Adam said, his tone turning uncharacteristically cold, startling the others. “If you choose to bring them, will you take responsibility for their deaths?”

Adam’s concern wasn’t born from sentimentality but a calculated perspective—he considered them Upper-Values, individuals whose lives were critical to the world’s flourishing. Losing them would be an irreversible mistake.

“They won’t die. I’ll make sure of it,” Lunevy replied. “Besides, if the situation were truly that dangerous, you would’ve asked me to bring reinforcements. The fact that you didn’t means it’s something manageable for the two of us.”

Her words carried a logic. If Adam was upset about the three being here, it was because their presence was unnecessary.

She had a point. However, Adam himself couldn’t be entirely sure how dangerous this mission might turn out to be.

“You shouldn’t underestimate us, Adam. That hurts, you know,” Julius said with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head.

“Exactly! Don’t worry about us—I’m much stronger than before!” Ophelia added.

Stephen, meanwhile, scoffed, crossing his arms. Despite his usual prickly demeanor, there was a faint blush of embarrassment on his face. It seemed he understood, in his own way, that Adam’s sternness was rooted in concern.

Adam’s gaze lingered on them for a moment before he finally gave a reluctant nod.

He wasn’t entirely convinced, but he knew they were right about one thing: they were still strong. The last time had been exceptional—they’d faced Krainel Salvador.

Still, he wasn’t taking any risks. If the situation turned dire, he could always ‘switch’. Yet that ability carried a critical weakness: the moment of switching. During that brief window, a powerful enough attack could kill him for good.

“Let’s not waste any more time. We’re heading to Long Street,” Adam said, naming a location within Ocryphia City.

“Why there?” Julius asked.

“I’ll explain later,” Adam replied, his sharp glance darting to the bystanders still snapping photos and videos of them. “For now, just know it’s currently a restricted area—they’re preparing to build an apartment complex there. I assume you can bypass security since you’re with the World Order.”

“Um… I don’t think we can actually do that, Adam,” Ophelia said hesitantly seeking confirmation from her mates.

“Yeah, we’d need authorization from whoever’s funding the construction,” Julius explained with a chuckle. “To be honest, the World Order doesn’t have much influence here in Arcadia. On New Earth, sure, but the governments here don’t exactly love us meddling in their affairs. In this World’s affairs.”

Adam furrowed his brows, the unexpected limitation irking him. How long would it take to track down the financier of the project? And even if they managed to contact them, would they agree to let them investigate the site?

“Um… excuse me, did you say Long Street?” Irisdina suddenly asked, her hand raised.

“Yes. Why?” Ophelia asked, turning to her.

“Well… my father is the one funding the apartment complex there,” she said hesitantly.

“What? Seriously?” Julius blinked, visibly surprised.

Irisdina nodded. “So… maybe I can help you?”

Adam stepped toward her. “Call your father and ask him to grant us permission to access the site.”

Irisdina’s expression faltered, her gaze dropping momentarily. “That… might not be the best idea,” she said hesitantly. Then, with renewed confidence, she added, “But I might be able to get you in. They know me there.”

“So we’re bringing these brats along now?” Stephen grumbled.

“What about him?” Luke countered, pointing at Adam. “He’s the same age as us—or maybe even younger.”

“Yeah, but he works for Horizon, idiot,” Stephen retorted.

Luke groaned, muttering something under his breath.

Adam turned his attention back to Irisdina, who seemed earnest in her offer to help. After a moment’s consideration, he nodded. “Fine. If you can get us in, the World Order will ensure you’re properly rewarded.”

“Huh? Really?” Irisdina’s eyes widened in surprise.

“This guy!” Stephen growled. “Why’s he making promises on behalf of the World Order?! You are from Horizon! Get them reward these guys yourself!”

“Ahaha, relax,” Julius said, laughing as he gave Stephen a gentle shove forward.

Without further delay, the group exited the café together, leaving behind the curious stares and whispers of onlookers.