I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

"Travis!"

Theresa's voice rang out as she spotted him, a bright smile lighting up her face. She waved enthusiastically. It was rare to stumble upon a friend in such an pretty large forest.

"Oh, Theresa."

Travis acknowledged her with his usual lack of enthusiasm. His expression remained calm contrary to Theresa's happiness.

Theresa sulked at his lack of good answer but she quickly shrugged it off. She was used to this side of him—his tsundere tendencies, as she had come to call them over the years. Knowing better than to take it personally, she pressed on with her cheerful energy.

"How are you doing?" She asked, curiously about the exam obviously. It had been a few hours after all.

In response, Travis silently raised his Bracer. The glowing display flickered to life.

[207 Points]

Rank: 4

"Wow! As expected of you! You're in fourth place!" Theresa's eyes widened. She was genuinely impressed and also happy for him.

She already knew Travis was extraordinary. Memories of a fateful day flashed in her mind—the day he had saved her life. A possessed stranger had attacked her, and she had been paralyzed with fear, unable to move. But Travis, only ten years old at the time, had charged in without hesitation. Despite his small stature and lack of formal training, he had protected her, enduring grave injuries in the process.

Even now, years later, she couldn't forget the courage he had shown that day. It was no surprise to her that he was one of the top students at the academy, but seeing it displayed so plainly before her eyes still left her in awe.

Travis, however, remained silent. He didn't acknowledge her praise, his gaze distant as he stared at the Bracer's display.

For him, the rank wasn't worth celebrating. Fourth place—among hundreds of students—was impressive to most. But to Travis, it was a bitter reminder that he wasn't at the top. It wasn't enough. He had made a promise to himself, to his adoptive sister Erika, to repay her for everything she had done for him. She had raised him, sacrificed for him, believed in him. He wanted to make her proud, to stand at the very summit.

And fourth place? It wasn't the summit.

Theresa watched him carefully, her bright eyes softening. She knew him too well. She could see the frustration simmering beneath his calm facade. He always acted indifferent, but she had learned to read the subtle cues—his clenched fists, the slight furrow of his brow. Travis was fiercely competitive, even if he rarely admitted it.

"Come on, Travis," she said gently, hoping to lift his spirits. "You should be proud. Being in the top four is amazing! My brother is basically unbeatable, so first place is a given for him. And then there's Cattleya and Lucas—oh, wait, or is it Ludivine now? They're all incredibly strong too. You're right there with them."

"Erion is second. Cattleya is third," Travis replied.

"Hm?" Theresa's eyes widened in surprise.

Her brother, Erion, in second place? That alone was shocking enough. If he wasn't first, it could only mean Lucas or Ludivine had taken the top spot. The idea felt almost absurd. While both were undeniably strong, she had always believed her brother was untouchable—in Exorcism. Even Cattleya, as strong as she was, had never quite reached his level. The same was for Lucas Whiteford who was still behind Erion and Cattleya.

Her thoughts must have been written plainly on her face, because Travis, watching her closely, seemed to read her mind.

"Lucas is fifth. Ludivine is sixth," he said abruptly, cutting through her swirling speculations like a blade.

Theresa blinked. "Eh? Then... who's first?" She asked, the words tumbling out of her in disbelief. For a moment, she considered checking her Bracer herself, but something about Travis's demeanor made her pause.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

His jaw tightened, teeth clenched beneath his expressionless exterior. Even his hands curled into fists, betraying his usual composure. When he finally spoke, his voice was laced with barely restrained annoyance.

"It's… that bastard," he said, spitting the words as though they burned his tongue.

Theresa was taken aback. Travis rarely expressed outright animosity toward anyone. Even when provoked by Lucas' taunts, he would brush them off with calm indifference. Whoever had claimed the top rank must be someone Travis deeply despised—a rare addition to the very short list of people who could truly rile him.

As expected, Theresa couldn't wait any longer. Ignoring Travis's brooding mood, Theresa tapped her Bracer to check the rankings for herself. Her own position would have to wait; she scrolled straight to the top, starting from the sixth place.

Rank 6: Ludivine Richmont

Points: 188

Rank 5: Lucas Whiteford

Points: 202

Rank 4: Travis Rivers

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Points: 207

Rank 3: Cattleya Starlight

Points: 279

Rank 2: Erion Mistral

Points: 303

Theresa's fingers hesitated as she processed the numbers. The points alone were staggering—far beyond anything she could have imagined. Her brother's total was really astounding. Cattleya's achievement, nearly on par with Erion, was especially impressive. Only twenty or so points separated them.

Theresa felt as though she had swallowed a bitter pill as her eyes lingered on the rankings. Cattleya, ranked so high—third, just below her brother—was a fellow girl in their class. It stung. Theresa wanted to feel proud, but instead, envy gnawed at her. If Cattleya could reach such heights, what excuse did she have? Even Ludivine, at sixth, was far above her. The gap between them felt insurmountable.

Shaking her head, Theresa forced herself to move on. She couldn't dwell on this—not now. Taking a deep breath, she scrolled upward, preparing herself for what she might find at the top.

"Eh?" The sound slipped out before she could stop it, her surprise completely genuine this time.

Her gaze locked on the screen, her mind scrambling to process what she saw.

Rank 1: Leon Cromwell

Points: 466

"Eeeeh?!" Theresa blurted, louder this time. Her shock echoed through the quiet forest.

Disbelieving, she closed her eyes, rubbed them vigorously, and checked again. But the name and numbers remained unchanged, unyielding.

Leon Cromwell.

The name was all too familiar now. How could she forget? That man—no, that bully—had tormented the poor Karna, forcing him into a contract against his will. Then, as if that weren't enough, he had tossed Aaron onto her like a sack of garbage, knocking her over in front of everyone. She still remembered the mortifying moment she'd hit the ground, letting out an uncharacteristic girly yelp. Her noble pride had never recovered from the embarrassment.

"H–How… is that possible?" She muttered, her voice trembling with disbelief. Her wide eyes darted toward Travis, as if seeking answers.

"..." Travis said nothing.

But deep inside, he understood. He had suspected this for some time now. From the very first day he had seen Leon, something had felt off. There was an aura about him—a subtle yet undeniable sense that he was hiding something. That suspicion had only grown stronger during the sparring match between Leon and Aaron. Travis had been a silent observer, analyzing every move Leon made. There was no mistaking it—Leon had been holding back. The precision, the speed, the sheer confidence of his movements... It was too deliberate. Too controlled.

And now, this exam.

Travis wasn't as shocked as he should have been. Perhaps because he had seen it coming. Still, the confirmation left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"There must be some bugs or something…" Theresa mumbled, shaking her head as though trying to rationalize the impossible. Her fingers fidgeted nervously with her Bracer. "That's the only explanation. I mean, he was ranked 77th overall! How could someone like that jump to first place in the first practical exam of the Ocryphia Exam?"

Travis let out a dry, humorless scoff. "A device from Ocryphia with bugs? That's what you're going with?"

"..." Theresa fell silent, her words dying in her throat.

She knew he was right. There were no bugs. The devices from Ocryphia were flawless, unerring. The reality of Leon's rise to first place wasn't a glitch—it was the truth.