[A.N: English is not my first language. Be lenient on me.]
The first thing he felt was pain.
Not the dull kind you could ignore. This was sharp, cold, and wrong—like something was digging into him from the inside.
Ethan Black's eyes snapped open.
The ceiling above him was cracked and stained, barely holding together. He stared at it for a second, trying to make sense of anything.
"…where am I…?"
His voice sounded off.
Deeper. Heavier.
He frowned, then tried to sit up.
Big mistake.
"Ah—shit—!"
Pain exploded through his entire body. His muscles screamed, his bones felt like they were splitting apart, and even breathing hurt.
He froze, chest rising unevenly.
Something's wrong.
His breathing didn't feel natural. His body didn't feel like his.
Slowly, he raised his hand.
And paused.
"…what?"
That wasn't his hand.
The skin was rough, the fingers thinner, marked with small scars he didn't recognize.
A chill ran down his spine.
"No… this isn't…"
Panic hit him all at once.
He forced himself up anyway, arms trembling from the effort.
The room came into view.
Stone walls. Dust everywhere. A broken table leaning in the corner.
And blood.
A lot of it.
His gaze locked onto it.
"…that's not mine… right?"
He looked down.
His clothes were soaked. His hands were sticky with it—dark, half-dried, still fresh in places.
His breath caught.
This isn't real.
Then it hit.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
Memories slammed into his head all at once.
"—!"
He grabbed his head as images flooded in.
A name.
Ethan Black.
He stiffened.
"…that's me."
But it didn't feel completely right.
Like it belonged to someone else… and him at the same time.
The memories kept coming.
A boy.
Skinny. Weak. Always alone.
Getting shoved around, beaten for no reason, laughed at like he didn't matter.
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"…seriously…?"
Then the scene shifted.
A courtyard filled with people.
Watching. Laughing.
And her.
Standing at the front.
Beautiful, but cold enough to freeze the air.
"Kill him."
Just two words.
No hesitation.
A blade pierced his chest.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Ethan gasped and grabbed his shirt.
"…so I died."
His fingers pressed against his chest.
The wound was still there. Not fully healed. Still aching.
Someone had tried to erase him.
And almost succeeded.
He sat there for a moment, breathing slowly.
"…reincarnation, huh…"
No answer came.
He let out a dry laugh.
"Of all things…"
But something felt off.
His instincts were screaming.
Danger.
He looked around again, more carefully this time.
The room wasn't just damaged. It was abandoned, like someone had dumped him here and walked away.
Like trash.
"…same crap, different world."
The memories made it clear.
This wasn't Earth.
This was a cultivation world, where strength decided everything.
And him?
He was weak.
Again.
He rubbed his face, exhaling slowly.
"Unbelievable…"
Then—
A soft sound echoed.
Ding.
He froze.
"…what was that?"
A faint blue screen appeared in front of him, floating in the air.
He stared at it.
"…you've got to be kidding me."
[Villain System Activated]
His heart skipped.
"System…?"
His eyes widened slightly.
"This is actually happening…"
The screen flickered.
[Host detected: Ethan Black]
[Status: Weak. Near death.]
[Role Assignment Pending…]
Ethan swallowed hard.
This is real.
A system.
Just like the ones he used to read about late at night.
Hope flickered in his chest.
"If I have this… I can get stronger."
"I can survive."
"I can—"
[Role Assigned: FINAL BOSS]
"…what?"
He blinked, confused.
"Final boss?"
That didn't sound right at all.
"No, wait… that's not how this works."
"I'm supposed to be the main character. The hero."
"The one who wins."
Right?
The screen didn't react.
[You are destined to oppose the Protagonist.]
[You will become the final enemy.]
[Survival condition: Do not die before the final battle.]
A cold chill ran down his back.
"The final boss always dies…"
His breathing grew uneven.
"So this is just a delayed death sentence?"
[Correction: This is an opportunity.]
Ethan laughed, short and dry.
"Yeah? Opportunity to die later?"
"No thanks."
He forced himself to stand, legs shaky.
"I'll just leave. Stay out of everything."
[Warning: Deviation from role will result in punishment.]
He stopped.
"…punishment?"
[Penalty: Death.]
Silence.
"…you're serious."
[Yes.]
His chest tightened.
No way out.
"So either I become the final boss… or I die now."
[Correct.]
He closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, something had changed.
"…fine."
His voice was quieter now. Colder.
"If I have to be the villain… then I won't be a weak one."
His fists clenched.
"I'm not dying for someone else's story."
A pause.
"I'll just kill the hero first."
[Hidden Condition Triggered]
[Villain Mindset Detected]
[Reward Granted]
His eyes sharpened.
"…reward?"
[Skill Acquired: Blood Absorption]
He looked down at the blood.
At the memories.
The people who did this.
A faint grin formed.
"This might actually work."
Footsteps echoed outside.
Ethan turned toward the door, expression calm.
"Perfect."
"Let's start small."
The door creaked open.
And this time—
He wasn't scared.