My quest to become the worlds most hated villain!

I was walking home, just like any other day, when a flash of movement caught the corner of my eye. It was Jackson—my crush. My heart skipped a beat, and I thought about surprising him. Quietly, I crept closer, trying my best not to make a sound. But then, I saw her. Emily. What was she doing here? And why was she talking to Jackson?

My curiosity piqued, I continued to sneak closer, trying to catch their conversation. But what I saw stopped me in my tracks. Emily was crying. Jackson stood next to her, his face twisted in a fury I had never seen before. Jackson was always the epitome of elegance and composure—never losing his cool. In fact, I had always wondered if he was the rich kid, not me. But now, seeing him this angry… it was almost unrecognizable. Emily, on the other hand, was always so cheerful and full of life. I couldn't understand what could have happened to make her cry like this.

Worried, I stepped forward, trying to be the supportive friend. "Hey, guys, what's the matter?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.

They didn't respond, and as I opened my mouth to ask again, Jackson turned toward me. His eyes were seething with rage, and before I could react, his fist collided with my face. The force of the punch sent me staggering back, my cheek throbbing in pain. Tears filled my eyes as I stared up at him, still trying to comprehend what was happening. "Did I do something wrong?"

His voice was like a storm, loud and full of venom. "Don't act like the victim! You know exactly what you did to Emily!"

Confusion clouded my mind. "What? I would never hurt her. She's my best—"

Before I could finish, Jackson interrupted, his anger boiling over. "Don't play dumb! How dare you threaten Emily out of your jealousy?!"

Threaten? I froze, my heart pounding. What was he talking about? Had he mistaken me for someone else?

Emily, her sobs barely contained, spoke up. "Romeo, it's okay, don't be upset. I know you love Jackson, it's fine."

Wait… what? Was she saying she knew I loved Jackson? And was she... comforting me? But the way she said it, so calm and composed, felt like a knife twisting in my chest. Was she trying to steal Jackson away from me?

No. That couldn't be. But as I looked up at her, I saw a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, and something inside me snapped. My jealousy, my heartbreak, everything boiled over. Without thinking, I launched myself at her, desperate to do something—anything—to make her feel the same pain I was feeling. Her scream pierced the air as Jackson rushed to shield her, pushing me away with enough force to send me crashing into a lamppost.

But none of that mattered. Jackson didn't even look at me. His attention was solely on her.

And just like that, without anyone noticing, I was gone.

I watched as Jackson gazed into another girl's eyes, his mouth curving into a smile that should have been mine. My chest tightened with unbearable ache. Why was he smiling at her? Why wasn't it me? I had been there for him, I had cared for him, and now he was holding someone else? She was my friend—the one I trusted, the one who knew my deepest secrets, the one who advised me on how to win his heart.

But she had betrayed me. She used my trust against me, took everything I had shared with her, and turned it into a weapon. She told him everything. She revealed my feelings, my desires, and it made him look at me with disgust. I had given her everything, and now I saw the truth—I had been foolish to trust anyone.

I had tried so hard to create a perfect world where there was no hatred, no betrayal, no pain. But life had proven that those ideals were nothing but a naive fantasy. Everything I did for others, they took for granted. I had buried that realization deep inside my mind, unwilling to face it. But now, I was awake. The world wasn't perfect. It wasn't a paradise.

To survive in this cruel world, I needed to fight. I needed to grow stronger, to make my enemies fear me. To engrave my name into their minds, to show them that I would not be forgotten.

I had all the resources anyone could want—world-class tutors at my disposal, a photographic memory, a loving family—but I never used them. I didn't need to. But now, I understood. If there was an afterlife, I would not be the innocent, naïve boy I once was. I would be their worst nightmare.

Suddenly, a sharp pain surged through my mind, and I gasped. Wait... I woke up? But how? Wasn't I dead? How could a dead person wake up? Could it be that the zombie apocalypse hit Earth, and now I was one of them?

That would be great. I could make Emily suffer, torture her until she begged for mercy. Or better yet, let her get eaten alive.

But as I looked around, all I saw was a vast, swirling black vortex. No zombies, no apocalypse. So, if I wasn't a zombie… what was going on?

"Host, you have quite the imagination!" a voice echoed in my mind.

I blinked. "Huh? Who's talking?"

"Hi! I'm System 289, the 'Let's Be the Hero' system!"

"Hero?" I scoffed. "Why would I want to be a hero? I want to be a villain. Why is life still so unfair, even after I've died?"

The voice responded with indignation. "Hey! How dare you! I am the greatest hero system!"

Another voice, darker and more menacing, spoke up. "Looks like he can read your mind too," it said, before something stabbed at the orb in front of me.

I looked up to see a black orb with gold engravings, jabbing at the other system. Wow, I guess systems can be stabbed too. But did he really need to be so rude?

"Hey, how dare you stab me?" the hero system shouted.

"And how dare you steal my host?" the villain system shot back, turning toward me. "Hello, will you be my host? I'm the villain system, also known as the world's most hated system."

I glanced between the two orbs, contemplating my options. The villain system seemed more interesting—so I chose it. The hero system shook and flew away in a huff.

"Hello, host! Please sign this contract, and we can get started!" The villain system's voice was eager, but as I looked through the terms and conditions, I groaned. It was so long. Who would actually read all of this?

I didn't care. I wasn't going to read it.

I signed the contract. After all, the villain system had warned me—it was the most hated system.

Let's see what happens now.