Blood pooled beneath him.
His breaths came shallow and sharp, each one tasting of iron. The skies above, once blue, now burned red as the capital crumbled in fire and betrayal.
At the edge of his blurred vision stood the man Kairen once called brother.
General Ardyn Valen — a hero to the people, a traitor to Kairen.
"You should've seen this coming, old friend," Ardyn whispered, pulling his blade from Kairen's chest with a sickening squelch. "You were always too dangerous to keep around."
Kairen wanted to speak — to curse, to laugh, to cry — but all that came out was a gurgle of blood.
He closed his eyes.
And then...
He opened them again.
---
> [System Booting...]
[Loading: Villain Core System v1.0]
[Synching host consciousness... Success.]
[Welcome, Kairen Volk. Reboot complete.]
A sharp gasp tore from his lungs as he bolted upright.
His fingers gripped the bed beneath him — silk sheets. Not the cold, iron battlefield. Not the ruins. Not death.
His heart pounded wildly as he staggered to a nearby mirror.
He was... seventeen again.
Shorter, leaner, softer in the face — no scars, no blood-red tattoos from the Demon Pact, no aura of dread that once made kingdoms kneel.
Just… a boy. A boy who hadn't yet become the villain.
> [You have been granted a second chance.]
[Objectives: Rewrite your fate. Conquer your enemies. Defy destiny.]
[System Guide: Online]
[Introducing Assistant AI: ZERO.]
A cold, emotionless voice echoed in his mind.
> ["Good morning, User. I am ZERO, your personalized Villain Core Assistant. Time remaining until your first major betrayal: 5 years. Would you like to begin your upgrade path?"]
Kairen stared into the mirror. His younger eyes glowed faintly — a sign of the system's integration.
"Betrayal…" he whispered, memories crashing into his skull. "Five years until they stab me again. I remember now..."
The Academy.
The dungeon raid.
The awakening of the Demon King.
His fall into madness.
The day the heroes branded him a monster.
Not this time.
This time, he would be the monster they feared — on his terms.
"Activate the system," he said.
---
> [Skill Tree Unlocked.]
[Starter Class: Anti-Hero (Tier 0)]
Choose your first cheat skill:
1. Sin Reap – Absorb power from any sin committed (yours or others).
2. Mindbreak Protocol – Subtly control others through fear, desire, or guilt.
3. Shadow Tyrant's Aura – Instantly suppress those weaker than you with overwhelming dread.
Kairen smiled, darkly amused.
"Let's start small... and end with the world burning."
> [Skill Selected: Sin Reap]
[Title Gained: Fledgling Villain]
[First Mission: Corrupt a Pure Soul (Reward: 500 EXP + Bonus Trait Unlock)]
He turned from the mirror, walking to the window.
The Academy's tower gleamed in the distance — a beacon of justice, of hope… and of lies.
"Five years, huh?" he murmured.
"No," he corrected, eyes narrowing.
"