The Novel’s Antagonist: I walk the path of a Villain - Chapter 60

Chapter 60: RUN, JUST RUN!

“RUN!”

The panicked shout jolted me, and I turned to see Elena and Leon sprinting toward us, terror etched across their faces. Behind them was a scene ripped straight out of an apocalyptic nightmare.

At least fifteen vampires were charging after them, their predatory speed making the idea of escape laughable. Normal humans couldn’t outrun them.

“Riley!” Shelly’s frantic voice broke through my thoughts. She grabbed my arm, trying to pull me into a run. Her wide, terrified eyes pleaded with me.

But I didn’t budge.

I knew what running would lead to—a desperate, futile chase that would end with all of us dead.

“GO! GET OUT OF HERE WITHOUT ME!” I shouted, wrenching free of Shelly’s grip.

‘What are you doing? You’ll die!’ Neia’s voice screamed in my mind, but I shoved her protests aside. My focus was fixed on the advancing monsters.

“What do you mean go?!” Shelly screamed, refusing to move.

I let go of her trembling hand and pointed upward. “Trust me. Just run!”

Without waiting for her response, I stretched out my palm, drawing deeply on my mana reserves. The surge of energy coursed through me, stronger now that my mana pool had expanded. Even my mana valves were broader, allowing for a far greater output than before.

“Elemental magic,” I murmured, concentrating as mana gathered at my palm. A glowing sphere of fire began to form, its heat intensifying.

“Flames of Ephynia!” I invoked, the magic snapping into place as the ball of fire roared to life.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU IDIOT?! RUN!” Elena’s voice reached me, frantic and shrill. She had stopped running, realizing I wasn’t following.

‘RYAN!’ Neia’s voice surged again, but I cut her off with a sharp mental retort.

‘Stop yelling, for fuck’s sake! I might lose control!’

I held my focus as tightly as I could. The vampires crossed the threshold I had been waiting for.

“NOW!”

BOOM!

The explosion was deafening, a firestorm tearing through the air with a violent roar. Flames engulfed the vampires, consuming them in a fiery inferno. The sheer force of the blast sent a shockwave rippling through the corridor.

“W-what…?” Shelly stammered, her voice trembling as she stared at the devastation. The flickering mana bulbs above us blinked erratically, some shattering under the strain of the explosion.

“Move!” I grabbed her hand and pulled her forward, sprinting toward the rooftop. It might seem like a death trap, but trust me—it’s the only safe place left.

“START RUNNING, YOU FOOLS!” I yelled as I dashed past the stunned forms of Elena and Leon, snapping them out of their daze.

“W-what did you just call me?!” Elena shrieked.

“Go ask your uncle!” I shot back without sparing her a glance.

“The exit’s the other way, dumbass!” Leon yelled, pointing in the opposite direction.

I ignored him, my steps never faltering. They’d figure it out soon enough.

BOOM!

A distant explosion rattled the walls. From the sound of it, one of our other teams was engaged in a fight outside.

“Leon! Look out!” Shelly’s voice cut through the chaos.

I turned just in time to see a vampire lunging for Leon’s neck, its jagged fangs glinting in the dim light.

Leon swung his scythe in a desperate arc, narrowly slicing through the creature before it could reach him.

“GROSS!” he shrieked, recoiling like a kid who’d just stepped in mud. Without another word, he bolted in my direction, finally deciding to follow.

Elena, meanwhile, was locked in combat with two more vampires that had appeared from seemingly nowhere.

The mana bulbs flickered erratically, their dimming glow doing little to improve the dire situation. Any moment now, they were bound to give out entirely.

“Kyaa!”

A sharp yelp cut through the tense air, and I turned to see Shelly stumbling. Her leg was trapped—no, held—by something as we began ascending the stairs.

“Damn it!” I cursed internally. My sword burst into purple flames as I reacted without hesitation, driving the blade straight through the head of the vampire that had grabbed her.

“GREEEEEEEEE!”

The creature shrieked in agony, thrashing wildly. I didn’t stop. Pouring more mana into the blade, I watched as its hand combusted, flames consuming its wretched existence.

“Kyaaaa!” Shelly let out a squeal, almost endearing, as the murky blood of the vampire splattered across her clothes.

“Move it!” I shouted, already hearing the ominous cacophony of footsteps echoing from the supermarket entrance.

Then came another scream, this one louder and far more grating.

“AHHHHHH!”

It wasn’t a vampire this time. No, this voice was irritatingly familiar. My stomach twisted with frustration.

‘How the hell did that idiot screw up so badly?!’

Spinning around, I spotted him—Elena’s sword was already cleaving through a vampire’s neck. She’d managed to decapitate it, but the damage had been done. The bastard had been bitten.

From the scene, it wasn’t hard to piece together what had happened. He’d rushed to help Elena, but one of the vampires had blindsided him, sinking its venomous fangs into his neck.

BOOM!

My attention snapped back as Shelly launched an explosive attack to cover them, even from this distance.

“Ugh,” I growled under my breath. Elena was supporting him now, both of them running desperately for the stairs, but the horde of vampires pouring through the supermarket entrance was gaining on them fast.

They wouldn’t make it.

“Tsk.” I clicked my tongue, glancing at Shelly. Her wide, pleading eyes met mine, silently begging me to act.

“Damn it all,” I muttered.

As much as I wanted to conserve my mana, we’d never survive the exam without those two. Extending my hand, I closed my right eye to focus. Precision was everything now.

“Elemental magic,” I chanted, channeling every last ounce of my mana. “Flames of Ephynia.”

This time, I decided to test a theory. Instead of allowing the flames to coalesce into their usual fireball form, I concentrated all my mana onto a single point—the tip of my right index finger.

A thin, brilliant line of purple fire shot forth in a continuous stream.

“Shit!”

BOOOOOM!

The blast was far more powerful than I had anticipated. Though I managed to carve a straight line of destruction behind Elena and the idiot, the explosion spiraled out of control.

Like… waaaaay, out of control.

“FUCK YOU, EL!”

…

I need goldentickets, Let’s rank this book, come on!