I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

Chapter 45 Adam Crane [2]

Adam Crane was born in the shadows of the slums, a place where poverty and despair filled the streets, where hope rarely dared to venture. His entry into this world came with a tragedy: his mother, frail and worn by hardship, died giving birth to him. He never knew if she had loved him, never knew if she had wanted him at all. And he had no idea who his father was.

For the first five years of his life, Adam survived alone, a child in a cruel world. Then, everything changed the day he was discovered by Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but unique scientist. Victor took Adam in, becoming not only his mentor but the father figure he'd never known.

Over the years, Victor raised Adam, teaching him everything he knew: the mechanisms of the human body, the profound mysteries of the natural world, and secrets that bordered on the forbidden. It was Victor who gave him his name and his very identity—Adam Crane.

For thirteen years, Adam worked alongside Victor, a devoted apprentice and son in all but blood. Together, they embarked on experiments that sought to transcend the limits of human existence. Victor dreamed of reshaping humanity, of unlocking a new level of existence, and Adam was his closest confidant. But their work did not go unnoticed, nor without consequence.

Their pursuits attracted the attention—and ultimately the wrath—of another: the protagonist of the novelm, once a friend, maybe more than that, and another of Victor's experiments. This protagonist, who was both Adam's dearest companion and his rival, saw humanity differently. Though they shared a profound bond, a deep love even, their visions of the world diverged.

Where Adam became increasingly extreme, believing that only drastic measures could save humanity, the protagonist grew tempered, less merciless.

It was an inevitable collision. Years passed, and their ideological divide became an unbridgeable chasm. Adam grew ruthless, feared by the world itself. The protagonist, unable to turn a blind eye, confronted him. In the end, it was she who drove the blade into his heart, her eyes filled with tears even as she ended his life.

And for Adam, there was darkness... until suddenly, there wasn't.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in another body, memories flooding him in fragments, like pieces of a shattered mirror slowly coming together. He felt no panic, only an overwhelming sense of exhilaration, for he had touched something beyond life and death, something beyond the boundaries Victor had shown him. Immortality. Soul transmigration.

Concepts that Victor had theorized, but Adam had now experienced.

What was this new world he found himself in? Had he truly been a character in a novel? Or was there something even more mysterious at play?

For Adam Crane, this was not an ending. It was only the beginning of a new chapter—a second life, and perhaps, a chance to explore the very forces that had torn his life apart.

In the third layer, Adam stood there.

Any sane, weak man—lacking strength or even the slightest trace of courage—would have fled in the opposite direction, hoping to stumble out of the forest or into the path of a Hunter who could save him. But Adam pressed forward, heading deeper toward the next layer. He wasn't driven by the instinct to survive; he was fueled by curiosity, a thirst for knowledge.

He wanted to understand more about this strange, dark world he now inhabited—a trait perhaps inherited from his adopted parent, Victor Frankenstein.

Now, Adam found himself face-to-face with another Demonic Beast. It resembled the wolf he had encountered in the second layer, only this one was much larger—towering at nearly three meters. Its maw hung open, drool pooling on the ground beneath it as it watched Adam with a ravenous gleam in its eyes.

Adam, barely a meter away, looked up into its yellow, wild gaze. The beast's eyes were clouded, the mark of a creature fully possessed, unmistakably driven by something darker. Yet, despite the hulking figure looming over him—ready to tear him apart—Adam's face showed no trace of fear. His expression was calm much like Ivan's cold apathy.

But while Ivan would dismiss the creature as a mere obstacle, Adam looked on with focused curiosity.

The beast, clearly taken aback, hesitated, as it cautiously assessed Adam.

"Are you here to eat me?" Adam asked, reaching a hand toward the creature, his light brown eyes fixed unblinkingly on its own.

"Grrr..."

"All done," Ophelia said, finishing the last bandage on Adam's arm.

Adam had shed his coat, now standing in just his white shirt, its sleeves slightly stained from his injury. "Thank you," he said, gratefully.

"You're welcome," Ophelia replied with a grin, though she soon felt Adam's gaze lingering on her, making her feel slightly self-conscious.

"Is something on my face?" She asked, puzzled.

Adam shook his head. "No, it's just...you're a good person."

"Oh?" Ophelia replied, caught off guard by his sincerity. "Well, thank you." His observation struck her as oddly endearing, especially considering the situation.

Though he was regarded as the Main Antagonist in the story of this world, Adam's thoughts and actions seemed surprisingly free of malice.

"What's your name, and what are you doing all the way out here?" Julius asked, eyeing the lab coat draped over Adam's arm.

Then, a thought struck him. "Wait, are you one of the scientists from [Horizon]?"

The distinctive white coat all but confirmed it, and Julius's eyes narrowed, certain that only those eccentric scientists would wander alone through dangerous places like this.

Adam had no idea what 'Horizon' was, but he answered smoothly. "I'm Adam. I came here for research purposes."

"Tch, so you really are from Horizon," Stephen muttered, clicking his tongue. "I figured you people had a few screws loose, but this? This is another level."

Julius and Ophelia exchanged an awkward smile, silently admitting that Adam's decision to come alone did seem more than a little foolish.

"But...how did you even make it to the third layer by yourself?" Ophelia asked, glancing at him in genuine curiosity. It was no small feat; Adam didn't look strong, nor did he seem like a Hunter.

"I just followed other Hunters' trails and let them clear the way," Adam replied calmly, as if it were the most sensible thing in the world.

"And how exactly are you planning to head back?" Luna asked, speaking up for the first time.

Adam turned toward her. "I'll wait to find another group of Hunters and follow them back."

"But you'll be in danger again after we leave," Ophelia said, a hint of concern in her voice. "We're headed to the deeper layers."

Adam's brow raised slightly at the mention of deeper layers.

"Then take me with you."

The group fell silent, each glancing at him in surprise.