I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

Chapter 48 Adam And Luna-Evelyn

"I've lost my sense of taste."

"Huh?"

Ophelia and the other three froze mid-bite, turning their gazes toward Adam in shock.

"I mean, my taste buds are gone," he clarified, thinking maybe they hadn't understood. But their surprise had nothing to do with his wording.

"N–No, it's just..." Ophelia's voice trailed off, her mouth closing as if unsure how to respond.

She, like the others, found herself at a loss for words.

While Adam could still smell the food in front of him, the flavors and textures, the full experience of taste, were lost to him. It had been that way since childhood—a remnant of Ivan's early traumas. The sense of taste had slipped away completely, and no matter what molecular 'switches' he does with other Antagonists who didn't lose their taste buds.

Eating, for him, had become purely mechanical, a matter of survival rather than pleasure, though even survival wasn't a real necessity for Ivan especially. He held faint memories of enjoying food once, but those recollections seemed distant, as if behind a wall—one that now stood alongside other traumas shared between them all.

For Adam, though, the loss didn't sting. He'd long ago accepted it, losing taste in the course of experiments on himself, often with Victor Frankenstein's help. He hadn't regretted it. Or perhaps... only a little.

A flash of memory surfaced, of sharing meals with a girl he had once cared for deeply—a girl who'd eventually left him.

"Sorry about that..." Julius muttered awkwardly.

"No need to be. I'm not," Adam replied, genuinely not understanding Julius's apology.

Ophelia's eyes lingered on Adam, filled with sympathy. She was sure something painful had happened in his past, something that had hardened him this way.

From across the fire, Luna-Evelyn's red eyes studied Adam's face, watching him as he stared into the flames. There was something familiar about his look, a reflection of her own pain, yet she sensed his went even deeper. For a fleeting moment, a glimmer of loneliness passed over his features, as if he were lost in a memory of something—someone—long gone.

...

"I'll do the dishes."

"No, really, I can—"

"I said I'll do it!" Ophelia snapped, snatching the plate from Adam's hands before he could protest further and pile up even more guilt inside her.

A strange guilt had settled over her ever since learning he'd lost his sense of taste, and somehow that feeling had bloomed into a fierce, almost maternal protectiveness. She thought of Adam as a younger brother in need of looking after, and she was determined to do just that.

Adam, though puzzled by her insistence, stepped back without protest.

They still had two hours to rest.

After a moment, he worked up the nerve to ask, "May I see it up close?"

Luna-Evelyn noted the flicker of genuine curiosity breaking through his usual detached expression and allowed herself the faintest smile. Rising, she passed the sword to him.

"Thanks," Adam murmured, taking the blade in careful hands, admiring its craftsmanship with something close to reverence. His fingers trembled slightly, tracing along the metal's polished surface.

"Is this a Phantasma?" He asked, almost to himself.

He barely knew the basics about Phantasma, but he could feel an unique form of energy radiating from the sword—something extraordinary.

Luna-Evelyn gave a slight nod, curious why he, as a Horizon Scientist, would even need to ask.

As Adam's fingers glided over the blade, he felt the powerful presence within it, as though the spirit housed in the sword was radiating strength. Phantasma were ranked by their inner force, and whatever spirit had chosen Luna-Evelyn was undoubtedly strong—fitting for someone like her, whose strength bordered on the monstrous.

"It's a beautiful sword, and I can feel something truly good coming from it," Adam murmured, studying the blade with a thoughtful gaze. He shifted it gently in his hands, eyes tracing the elegant lines. "The spirit you've bonded with must be a remarkably kind one."

Luna-Evelyn blinked, slightly taken aback by the faint but genuine smile on Adam's face. Seeing him like this was unexpected, even a bit disarming. Unlike Ivan, who wore an almost impenetrable stoicism, Adam was capable of warmth and openness. But his genuine smiles were a rarity, treasured glimpses into a side of him seldom revealed.

Right now, his smile was unguarded, brought forth by the tranquil, pure energy radiating from Luna-Evelyn and her spirit. In a world filled by corruption, people like her were rare—like pools of clear water cleansing the mire that tainted so much. Adam's expression softened as he absorbed her aura, understanding on an instinctual level that she and her spirit were forces for good.

To Adam, purifying the world of its filth was more than just a calling; it was a necessity. And he shared this ideal fervently with Ivan. The world could only be cleansed through destruction, if that's what it took.

"It is," Luna-Evelyn replied. She glanced at him strangely. It was the first time anyone had complimented her spirit as anything other than a mere weapon. Most people saw spirits as tools, as entities with little purpose beyond combat. But Adam's perspective was different, refreshingly so.

Also it was also the first time a man was complimenting her spirit instead of her.

Adam nodded in agreement, his smile lingering as he returned the sword to her with a respectful gesture. She accepted it, settling it across her lap.

After a pause, Luna-Evelyn spoke. "Which country are you from?" It was a question she wouldn't normally ask, but there was something about Adam that puzzled her.

Adam's appearance was quite unique. His hair, an unusual shade of white, hung in slightly messy strands around his face, contrasting with his eyes—a light brown with a touch of hazel. Luna-Evelyn noted the uniqueness of it, though she herself wasn't exactly conventional, with her silver hair and red eyes. But her appearance had its reasons.

Adam hesitated, a flicker of thought passing through his eyes as he considered his response. He couldn't exactly say he was from another world, so he settled on something simpler yet truthful.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I'm an orphan, found and raised by a man who took me in."

At the word 'orphan', Luna-Evelyn felt a ripple of empathy. She, too, had grown up without parents, so she felt some kind of empathy toward Adam.

After that another comfortable silence fell between them and this one until the end of the pause.

The time to meet Krainel Salvador had come and Adam knew it won't be a cheerful encounter...