Chapter one: glitch
The last thing I remember from my old world was the truck.
Cliché, I know. But there I was, pushing a kid out of the way of an oncoming semi, and then darkness. When I opened my eyes, I was staring at a stone ceiling carved with glowing runes, lying on what felt like a marble altar.
Great. I'm either dead or I've been isekai'd.
"Arise, chosen one," came a voice that sounded like it belonged in a Sunday morning cartoon. "You have been summoned to save the Kingdom of Aethermoor from the rising darkness!"
Oh shit i've been isekai'd…
I sat up slowly, my head spinning. Around me stood five figures in elaborate robes—clearly some kind of summoning circle situation. The speaker was an elderly man with a beard so white and fluffy it looked like he'd stolen it from a cloud.
"I am Archmage Thaddeus," he continued, spreading his arms wide. "And you, brave soul, have been chosen by the Hero System to—"
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
Blue text appeared in my vision, translucent but clearly readable. My heart actually skipped a beat.
[WELCOME TO THE HERO SYSTEM!][SCANNING USER SOUL...][ANALYZING MORAL ALIGNMENT...][CALCULATING COMPATIBILITY...]
I held my breath. This was it. My chance to be the protagonist, to save people, to matter. Back in my world, I'd been nobody just another orphan who aged out of the system, working dead-end jobs and reading web novels to escape the monotony. But here? Here I could be something more.
[SCAN COMPLETE][USER PROFILE: LUCIEN MALHART][MORAL ALIGNMENT: PACIFIST/SELFLESS][COMPATIBILITY: 97%][PREPARING HERO ABILITIES...]
The archmage was still talking about ancient prophecies and chosen destinies, but I was too focused on the system messages to listen. Ninety-seven percent compatibility! That was incredible. I was going to be amazing at this hero thing.
[ERROR][ERROR][CRITICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DETECTED]
My stomach dropped. The blue text flickered, turning red for a moment before stabilizing.
[ATTEMPTING SYSTEM REPAIR...][REPAIR FAILED][ATTEMPTING ALTERNATIVE INITIALIZATION...]
"Uh," I said, raising my hand to interrupt the archmage's speech. "I think there might be a prob—"
[SYSTEM REBOOT COMPLETE][WELCOME TO THE VILLAIN SYSTEM!]
The text was no longer blue. It was a deep, ominous red that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy.
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS THIS WORLD'S PRIMARY ANTAGONIST!][YOUR MISSION: ACCUMULATE EVIL POINTS THROUGH ACTS OF CRUELTY, MANIPULATION, AND GENERAL VILLAINY!][CURRENT EVIL POINTS: 0][CURRENT THREAT LEVEL: HARMLESS PUPPY]
"What the hell?" I whispered.
[LANGUAGE! THAT'S 5 EVIL POINTS FOR PROFANITY IN A HOLY PLACE!][CURRENT EVIL POINTS: 5][CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST EVIL ACT!]
The archmage was looking at me expectantly. "Hero? Are you receiving the System's guidance?"
I stared at him, my mind racing. This had to be some kind of mistake. I was supposed to be the hero! I'd spent my entire life helping people, never even killing a spider if I could avoid it. I was the guy who gave his lunch money to homeless people and volunteered at animal shelters.
"I..." I started, then stopped. What was I supposed to say? Sorry, but apparently I'm meant to be the bad guy now?
[TUTORIAL QUEST ACTIVATED!][QUEST: FIRST IMPRESSIONS][OBJECTIVE: MAKE A MEMORABLE VILLAINOUS ENTRANCE][SUGGESTED ACTIONS: THREATEN THE SUMMONERS, DESTROY SOMETHING VALUABLE, OR MAKE AN OMINOUS DECLARATION][REWARD: 100 EVIL POINTS + BASIC VILLAIN STARTER PACK][FAILURE PENALTY: SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH]
My blood turned to ice. Failure penalty: slow and painful death.
The system wasn't joking around.
I looked at the five robed figures surrounding me. They were all smiling hopefully, clearly expecting me to accept some noble quest to save their kingdom. The archmage held an ornate staff that was probably worth more than I'd made in my entire previous life. Behind him, a young woman in pristine white robes clutched a holy symbol that practically radiated purity.
These were good people. People who'd summoned what they thought was a hero to help them.
And I was supposed to threaten them.
[TIMER STARTED: 60 SECONDS TO COMPLETE TUTORIAL QUEST][59...][58...]
"Hero?" the archmage asked again, concern creeping into his voice. "You seem... troubled."
I don't want to hurt them, I thought desperately. There has to be another way.
[SYSTEM TIP: RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! THE MORE YOU FIGHT YOUR NATURE, THE MORE PAINFUL YOUR EVENTUAL CORRUPTION WILL BE!][47...][46...]
I closed my eyes, trying to think. Maybe I could find a loophole. Maybe I could be a different kind of villain—one who only targeted actual bad people. A sort of anti-hero who did dark things for good reasons.
[35...][34...]
But first, I had to survive this tutorial.
I opened my eyes and looked at the archmage. He was still smiling that grandfatherly smile, completely unaware that the person he'd summoned to save his world was about to become its greatest threat.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
Then I grabbed the ornate staff from his hands and snapped it over my knee.
The sound echoed through the chamber like a gunshot. The archmage's face went white with shock, and the other summoners gasped in horror. The young priestess actually stumbled backward, her holy symbol clattering to the floor.
[TUTORIAL QUEST COMPLETE!][EVIL POINTS GAINED: 100][BONUS POINTS: +50 FOR DESTROYING A SACRED ARTIFACT][CURRENT EVIL POINTS: 155][VILLAIN STARTER PACK UNLOCKED!]
New information flooded my mind. Basic dark magic spells, intimidation techniques, and something called "Aura of Menace." I could feel power flowing through me, different from what I'd expected hero magic to feel like. This was cold, hungry, and it shook me to my core like being outside in cold wind. "You..." the archmage breathed, staring at the broken pieces of his staff. "You're not the hero."
I stood up slowly, letting the new power settle around me like a dark cloak. The system was right about one thing I could feel my presence becoming more intimidating. The summoners were already backing away from me.
"No," I said, my voice coming out deeper and more menacing than I'd intended. "I'm really not."
[EXCELLENT WORK! YOUR VILLAIN ORIGIN STORY HAS BEGUN!][NEW QUEST AVAILABLE: ESCAPE THE HOLY CITADEL][WARNING: HERO REINFORCEMENTS INCOMING][ESTIMATED TIME UNTIL ARRIVAL: 3 MINUTES]
Hero reinforcements? My heart started pounding. I'd barely been evil for thirty seconds and they were already sending people to stop me?
[ADDITIONAL SYSTEM NOTIFICATION][CONGRATULATIONS! YOUR ACTIONS ARE BEING OBSERVED BY 47,832 READERS ACROSS THE DIMENSIONAL VIEWING NETWORK!][READER ENGAGEMENT BONUS: +25 EVIL POINTS][CURRENT EVIL POINTS: 180]
I froze. Readers? What did that mean?
The sound of armored footsteps echoed from the corridors outside. The archmage was already chanting something that sounded like a binding spell, while the other summoners scrambled to form some kind of magical circle.
I had three minutes to escape from what was probably the most heavily defended magical fortress in the kingdom.
I had no idea how to use most of my new abilities.
And apparently, somewhere out there, nearly fifty thousand people were watching me like I was some kind of entertainment.
[SYSTEM HINT: YOUR AUDIENCE LOVES A GOOD UNDERDOG STORY. MAKE IT DRAMATIC!]
The footsteps were getting closer. I could see the light of torches flickering in the doorway. In seconds, this place would be swarming with heroes, paladins, and probably a few more archmages.
I looked at the terrified summoners, then at the broken staff in my hands, then at the rapidly approaching lights in the corridor.
Well, I thought, at least my new life won't be boring.
I raised the broken staff above my head and channeled what I hoped was a menacing villain laugh.
"You want to see evil?" I called out, loud enough for the approaching reinforcements to hear. "Then let me show you what true darkness looks like!"
[EVIL POINTS GAINED: +50 FOR DRAMATIC VILLAIN DECLARATION][READER ENGAGEMENT SOARING! CURRENT VIEWERS: 52,107][WARNING: DIMENSIONAL VIEWING AUDIENCE GROWTH DETECTED][SOMETHING IS WATCHING THE WATCHERS...]
The last message made my blood run cold. Something was watching the watchers? What did that mean…?
The chamber doors exploded inward in a shower of blessed light and splintered wood. Through the radiance stepped a figure in gleaming armor, sword blazing with righteous fire.
"By the Seven Heavens, villain!" the paladin commanded. "Your evil ends here!"
I met the guy's gaze through the smoke and light. This was my first real confrontation. Honestly I'm not sure how I'm going to live. I've never been in a fight. He's going to beat my ass.
[EMERGENCY QUEST ACTIVATED: FIRST BOSS ENCOUNTER][OBJECTIVE: DEFEAT OR ESCAPE FROM PALADIN CAPTAIN ALDRIC][REWARD: 300 EVIL POINTS + COMBAT ABILITIES][FAILURE PENALTY: IMMEDIATE STORY TERMINATION]
The paladin's sword hummed with deadly energy. Behind him, more armored figures were filing into the chamber. I could feel their combined holy auras pressing against my newfound darkness like a physical weight.
[VIEWER COUNT: 63,891 AND RISING][NARRATIVE STRESS DETECTED][WARNING: THE STORY IS WATCHING YOU, LUCIEN MALHART]