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

"TAKING DOWN A NORMAL VAMPIRE EARNS YOU A HUNDRED POINTS. ACCORDING TO WHAT WE KNOW, THE VAMPIRE HIERARCHY IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS: THE ROYAL BLOOD, WHO ARE WITHOUT A DOUBT THE ULTIMATE AND HIGHEST LEVEL; THE DUKES, WHO ARE JUST BELOW THE ROYAL LINE; THE HIGH BLOODS; AND, OF COURSE, THE ORDINARY CLASS. THE HUNDRED-POINT ALLOCATION IS ONLY APPLICABLE FOR THE ORDINARY CLASS VAMPIRE. IF YOU, BY ANY CHANCE AT ALL, KILL A HIGH BLOOD VAMPIRE, YOU WILL BE GIVEN AN INSTANT TEN THOUSAND POINTS, WHICH MEANS INSTANT COMPLETION OF THE EXAMINATION. BUT I WILL GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE: IF YOU ENCOUNTER A HIGH BLOOD VAMPIRE, RUN," he said, and everyone frowned.

"AS YOU ARE NOW, DEFEATING A HIGH BLOOD VAMPIRE BORDERS ON IMPOSSIBLE. THOUGH THEY MAY SEEM LIKE SOMETHING YOU COULD TAKE ON DUE TO THEIR CLASS IN THE HIERARCHY, THEY ARE NOT WHAT MOST OF YOU CAN FIGHT—AT LEAST AT THE LEVEL YOU ARE," he said, sending a sweeping gaze around the room.

Though it may seem like an exaggeration, that's the truth. Those vampires are on a whole different level. Even in the novel, during the first arc when a vampire group stormed the academy to retrieve something, it took the combined effort of Lucas and various overpowered heroines and allies alike to take down just one high blood, which came with a group of ordinary-class vampires.

"THESE EXAMS WILL BE DONE IN GROUPS. EACH OF YOU WILL BE ATTACHED TO A TEAM OF FOUR. NOW MAKE NO MISTAKE—THIS EXAM IS DONE STRICTLY TO EVALUATE YOUR SURVIVAL ABILITIES AND ALSO YOUR TEAMWORK ABILITIES. SO ALL POINTS EARNED, NO MATTER WHAT WAY, WILL BE ACCORDED TO THE TEAM NAME. IF YOUR TEAM FAILS TO REACH THE MINIMUM POINTS REQUIREMENT, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU SHOULDERED EVERYONE OR HOW MANY POINTS YOU YOURSELF EARNED. EVEN IF YOU WERE THE ONE WHO EARNED THE WHOLE THING, IT DOESN'T MATTER. THE MOMENT YOUR TEAM FAILS TO REACH THE MINIMUM POINT REQUIREMENT, YOU ALL IN THAT TEAM HAVE FAILED THE FIRST ASSESSMENT. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" he screamed, and a prompt "YES, SIR" reverberated within the VR hall.

This is going to be a very long day. If the simulated world turns out to be how it was described in the novel, then not only would I fail this assessment, but a whole lot of students will also fail.

"NOW, YOU ALL WILL BE GIVEN AN ANTIDOTE—JUST ONE ANTIDOTE ATTACHED TO THE CUSTOM SET OF UNIFORM YOU WILL BE APPEARING THERE WITH. WHEN A VAMPIRE BITES YOU, YOU WILL BE INSTANTLY POISONED. NOW, THIS DOESN'T APPLY IN REAL LIFE, BUT WE DECIDED TO ADD THIS FEATURE SO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW SEVERE A BITE FROM A VAMPIRE IS. ONCE BITTEN, YOU WILL BE INSTANTLY POISONED WITH A TOXIC VENOM THAT HEALING MAGIC CAN'T HALT. ONLY YOUR ANTIDOTE WILL WORK. BUT THE THING IS, YOU ONLY HAVE ONE ANTIDOTE, AND THERE IS NO RESPAWN. ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN BITTEN, YOU CAN ONLY STOP THE POISON WITH THE POTION. BUT IF YOU ARE BITTEN AGAIN, THEN YOU WILL EITHER HAVE TO ASK FOR HELP FROM YOUR TEAMMATES—RISKING THEIR OWN SAFETY BY GIVING YOU THEIR ANTIDOTE—OR… YOU DIE. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT," he said, and I sighed. A very difficult examination, right off the bat.

Oh, well, I just hope I get competent teammates.

"WE HAVE DISENGAGED ALL SPATIAL PROPERTIES OF YOUR META WATCH," he said, and everyone began complaining.

"What?!"

"Then how are we supposed to carry our weapons and potions?!"

"This is just fucking insane!"

The room erupted in a cacophony of displeasure and complaints, but I had expected this much. I knew everything about this exam, after all.

"IF YOU ALL DON'T SHUT UP, I WILL MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TO RUN AROUND THE STADIUM A HUNDRED LAPS AFTER THIS TEST!" he yelled, and as if on cue, everyone shut their mouths.

This guy really knows how to keep a class quiet.

[THIS IS DONE TO MAKE SURE YOU SUFFER. YES, THAT'S PART OF THE REASON. NOW, SINCE THIS IS A VAMPIRE HUNTING EXAM, YOU WON'T BE GAINING ANY POINTS IF YOU ATTACK ANOTHER TEAM. HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T GAIN SOMETHING ELSE FROM THEM.]

He left a cryptic statement; however, his intent was clear.

The antidote.

You could steal another team's antidote, and since there are no spatial rings allowed, and our meta watch spatial abilities have been locked, we can only carry the antidote on us. This makes it much easier to steal.

[NOW I WILL MAKE IT CLEAR FOR THE LAST TIME. THIS IS AN EXERCISE IN TEAMWORK. YOU WILL BE DROPPED OFF IN A DEN OF VAMPIRES. SURVIVAL CAN ONLY HAPPEN IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE TO RELY ON AND PEOPLE WHO CAN RELY ON YOU. THE VAMPIRES HAVE SUPERHUMAN CAPABILITIES: INSANE SPEED, ABSURD STRENGTH, AND SOME OF THE ORDINARY CLASS, THOUGH RARE, POSSESS THE ABILITY TO WIELD BLOOD MANIPULATION. SO YOU HAVE TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL.]

[NOW, THE TEAM ALLOCATION PROCESS WILL BEGIN. THIS IS COMPLETELY RANDOM, MEANING NO TEAM HAS BEEN PRE-ARRANGED.]

[DING!]

I heard the sound and turned to look at my meta watch, which was now blinking rapidly.

[YOU HAVE RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION,]

It said, then redirected to another page.

[Team 35]

Shelly Trinika

Elena Arthurian

Ryan [You]

Leon Bladen

…What?

Wait.

WHAT?!

Why is Shelly a part of my team? Come to think of it, the author never mentioned her in the story. Could it be because she wasn't present at the time?

But Leon?

I don't think I know that guy. Hm. Maybe it's because he failed the Grading exams so badly that he was expelled.

Sigh.

This is going to be a really long exam.

Not only Shelly, but there's also Elena, who I haven't spoken to since I started at the academy. It's bound to be awkward, but I can't have that. I have to make these bastards and bitches work together so we pass the first phase of the exam.

Though I'm considering leaving alchemy since I've discovered how dangerous it actually is—considering I don't have a single idea what I'm doing there—I still haven't changed that in my profile. So if I don't fix it, I'll still be going for the Alchemy exam when the Grading exams begin.

Now, if I don't eventually make up my mind to change it, then I will at least need as many points as I can get—first, to get out of the negative bar I'm already in, and second, to anchor myself so that if I fare poorly in the alchemy exams, I would still have some points to keep me afloat.

"NOW, MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GET ANY FUNNY IDEAS WHILE IN THERE. VAMPIRES ARE THE ENEMY, NO MATTER THE SITUATION. IF YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A DYING HUMAN AT THE BRINK OF DEATH AND A MILLION VAMPIRES, YOU PICK THE HUMAN. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF HE EVENTUALLY DIES—ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT THE VAMPIRES DIE FIRST," he bellowed, saying things that didn't quite make sense, yet somehow still did.

Weird.

"NOW, A NUMBER WILL BE DISPLAYED ON YOUR GMETA WATCH. THE NUMBER SHOWN IS THE POD YOU ARE TO HEAD FOR. I WANT EVERYTHING DONE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION. DON'T TEST MY PATIENCE, I TELL YOU. THE LAST PEOPLE WHO DID STILL WISH THEY HADN'T. NOW, MOVE!"

This time, it was like the roar of a monster. How could a human even be this loud?!

"Tsk," I clicked my tongue, then glanced at my Meta watch, which instantly beeped right after that heck of a speech.

[POD NUMBER: 310]

"Sigh," I muttered as I began walking to where the Meta watch was pointing.

After weaving through the incoming crowd and avoiding some pods, I finally arrived.

[310]

It glowed on the side in an unreal design, arcane energy pulsing through it.

"Haah," I sighed as my watch beeped again, displaying more information.

[TAP TO OPEN POD]

I tapped the watch, and instantly, the top of the pod opened. I looked inside and saw intricate magic circles of all kinds inscribed within the veins of energy, wired throughout and glowing with a blue neon light.

I just hope this goes well.

Really.

With that, I got in, and the pod closed. Then…

VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

It whirred to life.

[THE EXAMS START NOW! GOOD LUCK, MAGGOTS!]

...

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

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