The room felt like it was shrinking. As I sat on the edge of the bed, the "game lore" didn't just return to me as dry data; it hit me like a series of visceral, nauseating visions. It was as if a dam had burst in my mind, flooding my consciousness with the tragic, pathetic life of Ray Aldihard.
It was baffling to think that while I was now inhabiting the body of this so-called villain, the original Ray had never truly embraced the role of a malefactor by choice. He wasn't a mastermind or a cold-blooded killer. His character design was a casualty of the game's cruel plot—a woeful soul, lacking the inherent strength to challenge the "destined" main character. He was a man who had spiraled into a cycle of despair and depression, and in the intricate, rigged web of the game's narrative, that despair was twisted by the world into the shape of a villain.
Yet, in reality, he was simply a pawn in a much larger, uglier game. He was unfortunate, misunderstood, and utterly alone in his struggle.
Then, there was Jack.
The central character of this game—the "Protagonist" the players were supposed to root for—was not a hero in any sense of the word. He was a notorious scoundrel, a man who wore a mask of virtue while his soul rotted underneath. Ray, the unsuspecting friend, was the primary target of Jack's malice. In the game's original timeline, Ray's life was systematically unraveled by Jack with the precision of a butcher.
Ray's misfortune had taken root the moment he enrolled in the Academy. He had gone there with high hopes, forming a friendship with Jack that he believed would last a lifetime. It turned out to be the greatest blunder of his existence. They found themselves fighting side-by-side in training and quests, but a cruel pattern emerged: every time Ray developed genuine feelings for a girl, he discovered that they would invariably gravitate toward Jack. It was as if Jack were a black hole, sucking away every ounce of happiness or affection meant for Ray. In his pursuit of love, all Ray ever received was the unwavering, pure affection of his family—his older sister Riya and his devoted mother Alena. They showered him with the warmth of a typical, loving home, blissfully unaware of the predator standing at their doorstep.
The root of Jack's hatred was petty and ancient. They had crossed paths long before the Academy, at a forest camp organized by the kingdom back in the fifth grade. The camp was a grand event, designed to immerse children from various schools in the wonders of nature. It was there that Ray—brilliant, capable, and confident—had decisively defeated Jack in an inter-school quiz competition.
Infuriated by the public loss, Jack had attempted to retaliate physically behind the tents. But to his eternal chagrin, Ray had fought back, beating him into the dirt. That humiliating defeat fueled a seething resentment in Jack's heart. Years passed, and though their paths diverged and Jack's appearance changed, he never forgot the sting of that loss. When they reunited at the Academy, Jack initially failed to recognize his former rival, but once the realization hit, the "hero" decided that an apology wasn't enough.
Jack played the part of the benevolent friend perfectly. He offered a sincere, fake apology for his childhood behavior. Ray, being a person of character, found it in his heart to forgive him. They returned to the Academy as "brothers," but beneath Jack's composed, smiling facade, a dark anger simmered. He was determined to turn Ray's life into a living hell before the final confrontation.
One day, the mask began to slip in private. Jack visited Ray's house under the guise of friendship and was greeted by Alena and Riya. This was the moment the trap was set. Jack began frequenting the residence, weaving a web of secrecy around Riya. He manipulated her emotions, eventually proposing to her but imposing a troubling stipulation: she had to remain silent about their engagement, especially to Ray. He created a world of secrets that isolated her from her own brother.
Then, the "hero" took it further. He stole her virginity, an act that changed their dynamic into something transactional and dark. He began using aphrodisiacs in excessively high doses, manipulating Riya's body and mind until her autonomy was completely compromised. She descended into a state of dependency that bordered on addiction—she was being transformed into a sex slave in the very home Ray felt safe in. To seal the nightmare, Jack recorded their encounters, using the footage to blackmail Alena. By the end of the game's first act, both mother and daughter were reduced to Jack's playthings.
'Well, this person's life is completely fucked up,' I thought, my heart thundering against my ribs. 'That protagonist is a monster. But I'm no better than him if I let this happen. If this world wants a villain, then I will be the villain Jack never expected.'
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my shaking hands. "Well, all that aside," I whispered to the dim room, "enlighten me. What is this new system capable of? I'm eager to learn how these features operate. If I'm going to take down a 'Hero,' I need more than just memories."
[At this moment, the only functionality available to you includes 'Status Insight': the ability to view your own status or the status of others.]
My jaw dropped. "Wait... what?"
[The remaining features—the Shop, the Skill Evolution, the Quest Rewards—those that you'll find truly transformative, will only become accessible after a full year has elapsed.]
"Are you serious?" I stood up, pacing the floor with frantic energy. "I have to wait an entire year? I have to sit here and watch Jack start his games while I can do nothing but look at a stat screen? That's insane! It's a waste of a precious year!"
The frustration gnawed at me. I had expected a "cheat" to fix this broken life, not a timer.
[I fully understand your frustration, Host,] the System replied, its voice vibrating with an eerie, mechanical calm. [But believe me, this is structured with your best interests in mind. Look at it this way: during this year, you have a unique opportunity to grow mentally and strategically. You must build your own foundation. If I gave you god-tier power now, you would attract the attention of the World's Will. You would be erased before you could even level up.]
I stopped pacing, staring at the translucent blue text floating in the air.
[One year may seem daunting now, but once that time lapses, the impact of your growth will be monumental. In this period, your greatest weapon is the knowledge you possess about the game's plot. But be warned: if you change the storyline too drastically before the 'official' start, you will face enemies far stranger and more powerful than anything you can imagine... and it could lead to your untimely demise.]
The weight of the reality hung heavy on my shoulders. It was a portentous whisper, a reminder that every choice I made now would ripple forward into an unknown, dangerous future. I wasn't just a player anymore. I was the variable that could break the world.
"One year," I muttered, looking at the door where Riya had stood just moments ago. "I'll wait. I'll plan. And when that year is up, Jack won't just lose the game. He'll lose everything."
"Well," I mused aloud, the sound of my own voice echoing strangely in the quiet room as I grappled with the crushing gravity of the System's ultimatum. "I think you're right. If I truly want to cultivate my strength, practice is crucial. But if I become too powerful too quickly because of this system, people will simply chalk it up to my innate talent. In this world, that kind of attention is a double-edged sword. It could draw the eyes of the high nobility, or worse, the cults. It could very well throw the entire fabric of destiny into a disarray I'm not ready to manage yet."
To Be Continue...
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