Lucian stood over the broken body of the royal guard, blood dripping from his blade, the alley around him dead silent except for the ringing in his ears.
He had killed before in games. Pressed buttons. Watched numbers drop. But this was real — this man had begged, screamed, bled. The smell of copper and smoke clung to the night air.
[System Alert: First Kill Achieved.]+500 EXP+1 Dark Reputation+Skill Unlocked: Sin Sense+Title Unlocked: "First Blood"
"Congratulations, Villain."
The System's voice was still cold, smooth — but this time, it carried an edge of... satisfaction?
Lucian staggered back against the wall. His breath trembled. Not from fear. From something deeper — power. The kind of power only villains tasted.
"You murdered a guard of the crown.""You chose survival over morality.""You chose wrong... and won."
Lucian looked down at his hands — trembling, bloodied, alive.
"Maybe being the bad guy... is the only way to survive in this world."
He didn't have time to think.
Shouts echoed from the castle walls. Boots pounded down the stone streets.
"They're coming," the System warned. "Adapt, or perish."
Lucian grabbed the guard's dagger and sprinted into the shadows, the System's map flickering before his eyes, marking red zones like a video game gone rogue.
Fifteen minutes later...
He ducked into a candlelit tavern, face hooded, heart racing. He needed to hide, to plan. But the moment he stepped inside, every head turned.
Not because they recognized him. No — because he looked like prey.
This was The Black Cup, a den for mercenaries, assassins, and bounty hunters. The perfect place for a man with nothing to lose — or everything to learn.
Lucian walked up to the bar.
"Something strong," he said.
The barkeep snorted. "You look like you need something lethal."
"That's the point."
A tankard slammed in front of him. But before he could drink, a hulking man with a jagged scar stepped beside him.
"You killed a crown guard," the man whispered. "That takes balls... or stupidity."
Lucian didn't flinch. "Which one do you think I have?"
The man smirked. "Both. What's your name, stranger?"
Lucian glanced at the System prompt hovering before his eyes:
[Villain Identity: Choose an Alias]
He grinned.
"Call me... Ashen."
System Alert: New Identity Registered — Ashen the Rogue.
Hidden Class Branch: Shadow Tyrant (Unlocked)New Quest: Prove Yourself in the Underworld
"Kill or be killed," the System said. "You are now playing by villain rules."
Later that night...
Lucian sat alone in a rented room upstairs. His hand hovered over a candle flame. The burn hurt — but it grounded him.
He thought of the old Lucian. The gamer. The student. The innocent version of himself who would've reported a murder, not committed one.
He was dead now.
"If this world wants a villain… I'll give them one."
Suddenly, the System chimed again:
[Special Event Triggered: Dark Path Divergence]You have chosen the Villain Route.
"Warning: This choice is irreversible. You will lose access to all Heroic Paths.""Rewards will be greater… but so will the consequences."
Lucian pressed "Accept" without hesitation.
[Villain Route Activated.]
Outside, the capital was burning — riots, whispers, betrayals. A shadow war was brewing. And deep beneath it all, someone was watching Lucian closely...
A figure in a crimson cloak smirked from a rooftop nearby.
"So the Villain has awakened," she whispered. "Let's see if he can survive the game he just joined."
END OF CHAPTER 3