The Novel’s Antagonist: I walk the path of a Villain - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: A Diffcult Situation

“So, let me get this straight,” I said, looking at the group of guys standing before me. “You’re here to… cripple me?” I muttered, barely able to believe it myself.

After stepping out of the vice principal’s office, I had half-expected to see Selena sneaking up on me.

But no.

There was no sign of her, which left me a bit worried.

I don’t know why, but I had this uneasy feeling that something was wrong.

Deciding to head to the lower-floor cafeteria for some food, I was interrupted by…

…these guys.

“Don’t take it personally. We’re just hired hands,” said the guy in the center. Like the rest of them, he wore a strange mask that hid all discernible features except for his brown hair.

Right now, we were in an alleyway—specifically, the narrow alley between the dorm building, where the vice principal’s office was located, and the main building, where the cafeteria was.

There were five of them, and they all looked strong, which only made the situation more troublesome.

“Who sent you?” I asked, manifesting my sword. This was actually the first time I’d be using it in a real fight.

“Heh… You already know what my answer’s going to be,” the leader said, his tone mocking. “Take my advice: don’t resist. It’ll only make things worse for you.”

I narrowed my eyes, contemplating his words.

I had plenty of enemies, which made it hard to pinpoint who might’ve sent these bastards. It was obvious their employer wanted to remain in the shadows, which only made things more confusing. Who, among all my enemies, would stoop this low just to send a message?

Swoosh!

One of the guys rushed forward, appearing before me in mere seconds. Given the difference in our levels, I couldn’t even react fast enough as the dagger sliced through the air, aimed straight for my shoulder.

But instinctively, I leaped back, the dagger missing me by a hair’s breadth.

“Hm. You’re pretty nimble for a Level 1,” the leader noted, not moving an inch from where he stood.

The way I saw it, he was likely the strongest of the group. But now that I think about it, someone who can afford to hire these goons must earn a ridiculous amount of points monthly—a high-ranker, no doubt.

Still, that didn’t narrow down my list of suspects, since most of the people I knew were high-rankers.

“At least tell me what they want,” I demanded. Whoever hired these guys definitely had a motive beyond a simple threat.

“Oh, right. They did leave a message: ‘Know your place. Stick to your place. Stick to your role.'”

His words made my mind race as I tried to piece together what it all meant. The possibilities that formed didn’t sit well with me.

I could only hope it wasn’t what I was thinking.

But…

What if it was?

What if there were other reincarnators in this damn place?

JUST FUCKING GREAT!

That might actually be a possibility. The woman said Renay would be here, but she never mentioned that she’d be the only one.

If that’s the case, who else might it be?

From their words, it seems I’m not the only one with knowledge of the future.

‘Stick to your role?’

Who the hell does that bastard think they are? They want me to keep playing the villain just to keep the story on track?

Tsk.

“Why are you spacing out?”

I snapped out of my thoughts just in time to realize I’d been cornered.

BAM!

A devastating punch landed squarely on my abdomen. Before I could react, my attacker moved his dagger with such speed that my eyes couldn’t follow—he stabbed me cleanly in the stomach.

“Nelia!”

I screamed internally, and suddenly a surge of wind roared around me, flinging the attackers across the narrow alley. Damn, that took a considerable amount of mana.

“What… How did you…?”

The leader, caught off guard and thrown back with his lackeys, was the first to regain his footing. But before he could steady himself, I was already upon him. Given my current state, I can’t afford to miss a single opportunity to deal critical damage.

The back of my sword lashed out, striking him squarely at the back of the neck. He collapsed but wasn’t entirely unconscious.

Suddenly, the air began to heat up. I knew exactly what was about to happen.

I leaped back just as a dagger sailed towards my abdomen again. A quick glance revealed the same lackey who had managed to wound me earlier. He was already on his feet, aiming to strike.

Before he could fully recover, I rushed forward.

Blades of wind—small, precise, like sniper bullets—materialized around me.

“Nelia,” I muttered, “minimize mana usage. We can’t afford to run dry now.”

Nelia followed my instructions, her attacks calibrated to conserve energy. I still had stored mana in the trinket, but even that could run out. Every strike had to count.

PUUUUUUUM!

The wind bullets tore through the air, targeting the three men who had regained their footing and were charging at me with enraged expressions. They had abandoned their daggers, opting for heavier weapons.

My sword slashed downward, pinning the leg of the man who had stabbed me into the ground.

“AHHHH!”

His scream echoed, but I silenced him with a kick to the face. The force of the blow, enhanced by Nelia’s mana, knocked him unconscious instantly.

“Ryan, you need to end this now. Your mana is almost depleted,” Nelia’s voice echoed in my mind.

I glanced at the other two attackers. They were struggling, clearly injured. It seemed they’d underestimated the power of Nelia’s wind bullets, dismissing them as weak attacks from a low-level opponent.

I wasted no time. My sword swung swiftly at the masked attacker, now unconscious on the ground. The blade cut through the mask with a single, fluid motion.

And then I froze.

This face…

No way.

“No!”

This time, it was the leader. He had already regained his composure, a spear gripped tightly in his right hand. In an instant, he appeared before me.

WHOOSH!

The spear’s blade tore through the air. Still connected to Nelia, I managed a quick leap backward, narrowly evading the strike.

“I knew it,” I said, grinning as I locked eyes with the leader. “You bastards aren’t from here, are you? You’re second-years, aren’t you?”

His expression faltered for a moment, but he recovered quickly, glaring at me with narrowed eyes.

“Isn’t it against the academy’s Induction rules for second-years to show themselves to first-years before the grading exams?” I added, my grin widening.

The leader’s jaw tightened, his lips curling in frustration. I could see the realization dawning on him—he was in a tight spot.

Wait a minute.

If they’re second-years, doesn’t that mean someone higher up sent them? Maybe even a third-year?

Tsk. That makes things a lot more problematic.

Why? Because second and third-years are bound to be stronger. Way stronger. Stronger than even some of the main characters in the novel.

The Induction rule of the academy had been mentioned once in the novel. Before the grading exams, first-years were treated like outsiders. We weren’t supposed to interact with any upperclassmen. The reason wasn’t made entirely clear, but it seemed to be tied to maintaining order.

From what I remembered, until the grading exams began, second and third-years—except for the fourth-years on their final assignments—were confined to the main academy building. That explained why we hadn’t encountered anyone older since the semester started. The first-years were stuck here in the Induction Zone, completely cut off.

No clubs. No festivals. Nothing.

But that would only last until the grading exams, which were scheduled to begin in about three weeks.

These guys must’ve thought they were clever, wearing their old first-year uniforms to blend in. No wonder they looked so worn out.

But still…

“How do you know we’re second-years?” the leader asked suddenly, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “You shouldn’t have seen any of us. No one is allowed to leave the main building for the commercial districts or the Induction Zone.”

I smirked. “I have my ways.”

His gaze hardened, but I pressed on.

“The vice-principal’s office is temporarily stationed here in the Induction Zone,” I said, my tone cold and measured. “If I were to report you to him—or, say, to any of the academy’s authorities—you’d be in a world of trouble. You know just as well as I do that stepping foot here is a serious offense.”

The others shifted uncomfortably.

I could see the frustration in their faces, the tension in their stances. They knew I wasn’t bluffing.

The leader’s level, 6, was the key giveaway. A main character at level 6 wouldn’t have surprised me. But this guy? He looked like an average nobody. None of the descriptions from the novel matched his appearance, which meant only one thing: he wasn’t supposed to be here.

Right now, they were cornered. Running wouldn’t solve their problem—if I reported them, the investigation would trace them back in no time.

“But then again…” the leader said, his voice low and threatening, “who’s going to tell them?”

The injured members of his group chugged potions. In the blink of an eye, they were back at full strength.

“Kill him,” the leader commanded.

And just like that, they charged forward.

Tsk. There’s always that choice.

JUST FUCK ME SIDEWAYS!