The Novel’s Antagonist: I walk the path of a Villain - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Just another day

“Wait… WHAT?!” Elena shouted, her voice practically cracking as she stared at me like I had just grown a second head.

Well, I couldn’t really blame her.

The plan I’d just laid out probably sounded completely idiotic. No, scratch that—it was idiotic. But that didn’t change the fact that we were going through with it.

This was precisely why I made them agree to the plan before I explained it.

“It’s simple,” I said, my tone calm as I repeated myself. “We trap sunlight in ice balls.”

Elena’s eyes twitched, and for a moment, I thought she might snap and throttle me on the spot.

“Listen. It’s possible, okay? So stop looking at me like I’ve lost my mind,” I said, shifting my gaze to Leon.

Leon, standing off to the side, shook his head slowly, the expression on his face making it clear he now had undeniable proof I was a complete idiot.

“How? HOW do you even plan to pull that off?” Elena demanded, practically screaming now, her voice echoing off the walls.

I clicked my tongue in irritation.

“Shelly,” I said, turning to the one person who hadn’t yet declared me insane. Even she looked confused, her eyebrows knit together in uncertainty.

“How good are you with ice magic?” I asked.

Shelly hesitated, her lips pursed as she thought it over. “I’m not an expert since I don’t have a strong affinity for it, but I can manage to a degree,” she said cautiously.

“Good enough,” I said with a nod.

“But—wait—how are you even going to get sunlight into the ice in the first place?” Elena pressed, rubbing her temples in frustration like I was giving her a migraine.

“Just shut up and watch,” I snapped, waving her off as I focused back on Shelly. “Alright, I need you to create a small hollow sphere—an ice ball that can act as a container. Can you do that?”

“I can try,” Shelly replied, stretching her hands out in front of her. She began murmuring softly under her breath, and the air around her hands started to chill.

Slowly, the moisture in the air began to crystalize. The faint shimmer of forming ice appeared before her outstretched palms. Bit by bit, the shape of a small orb began to take form.

“Good. Slow down your mana flow and don’t seal it yet,” I instructed.

She nodded, her focus unwavering.

Alright.

“Elemental magic,” I muttered as my mana surged to life, coursing through me like a raging current. “Naria’s Seal.”

A faint glow appeared within the orb as a magic circle formed inside it.

“That’s a weak-ass sealing spell. How’s that supposed to work?” Leon interjected.

“CAN YOU BE QUIET FOR FUCK’S SAKE?!” I retorted without looking at him, focusing entirely on the orb.

Returning my attention to the orb, I positioned my sword just right, angling it to reflect sunlight into the opening of the hollow ice sphere.

The light hit the inside of the orb, scattering and amplifying. It began to glow faintly, the brightness intensifying with each passing second.

Almost there.

“Shelly, seal it,” I commanded.

Without hesitation, she increased the flow of her mana, and the opening of the orb sealed shut with a faint click of frozen air.

“…Did it work?” Shelly asked hesitantly, her eyes fluttering open.

I grinned, holding up the now radiant ice ball. “Of course it did.”

Elena and Leon stared at me, their jaws practically on the floor.

“Now,” I said, tossing the glowing orb from one hand to the other, “make as many as you can. Let’s go fry some vampires.”

…

…

“What now?” asked a young man with hazel-brown hair and eyes, his face marred by an exasperated expression as he placed the book he had been reading down.

“I want… I… I want… Hmm…” replied a girl with lustrous black hair and striking bluish-green eyes. Her voice trailed off, filled with feigned indecision.

“Urgh! For fuck’s sake, Renay, why are you here?” he asked, rubbing his forehead in visible frustration.

“What do you mean, why am I here? This is a supermarket—why can’t I be here?” she said, though the mischievous grin on her face betrayed her true intention: she was here to annoy him, like always.

“Let me get this straight,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “You drove all the way from your place—probably hundreds of miles away—just to irritate me?”

“Heh,” she grinned, clearly pleased with herself. “What’s that novel you’re always reading?” she asked, craning her neck to peek at the book he was trying to hide.

“If you’re not buying anything, get out,” he replied curtly, leaning back to continue reading.

“Hero’s Quest? Never knew you liked those types of books,” she remarked. Her voice came from behind the counter.

“What the fuck?!” Ryan yelped, jolting upright as he turned to see her standing there, somehow having bypassed the counter entirely. He was seconds away from tossing her out when she suddenly asked, “Ryan, do you know why you got this job?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” he snapped, his annoyance boiling over.

“I own this place,” she said with a sly grin.

Ryan opened his mouth to retort—but no words came out.

And then it all started to make sense.

…

“ARIANA!”

The sharp call jolted me awake, my eyes snapping open.

“Huh? W-what happened?” I muttered, groggily rubbing my eyes.

“It’s almost sunset. We need to go,” Cain said, his voice steady but urgent.

“Where are the others?” I asked, turning to face him.

“Gone to survey. They’ll probably be back in a minute or two,” he replied.

I sighed, leaning back against the wall and letting my head rest. ‘What was that about?’

…

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!