Alan sighed.
He had been invincible for nearly a thousand years.
Now, temporarily suppressing himself to human strength, he found it intriguing.
He then began to analyze in detail the information provided by the system.
According to the system's description...
Antagonists typically start with a prominent status and stronger abilities than protagonists.
They are more dominant in the early stages but struggle to win in the later phases.
Of course, there might be exceptional antagonists who remain powerful throughout the game.
This was Alan's ambition.
In other words, protagonists likely don't start off very strong, but their growth rate is usually astonishing.
Of course, there might be protagonists who choose to bide their time and grow in secret. Still, their potential for growth remains remarkable.
They rely not only on the protection of Fate but may also possess some "cheat" abilities.
For example, they might begin with extraordinary perception, the ability to hear others' thoughts, or possess a simulator to replay life scenarios, selecting the most suitable path.
These are common "cheats" for righteous protagonists!
As for antagonists...
Despite their formidable backgrounds and initial ability to easily crush protagonists, they often let protagonists escape due to certain circumstances.
Afterward, under the protection of Fate, protagonists encounter serendipitous opportunities, meet benefactors, receive blessings, and defy the odds!
From a mere underdog to a soaring eagle, they rise from the ashes like a phoenix, achieving greatness against all odds.
Inevitably, they seek out the antagonist, ultimately triumphing over them in a widely anticipated showdown!
By that time, the once glorious antagonist will have lost their luster, scorned by all, left in a state of utter disarray, harshly disciplined by the protagonist, or even killed outright.
At that juncture, everyone will side with the protagonist, assisting them, and even turning against the antagonist, subjecting them to the bitter taste of betrayal and abandonment.
Such is the way of the righteous protagonist.
And now, as Alan finds himself in the role of the antagonist, his immediate task is generally to find the protagonist before their rise to power and eliminate them while they are still nascent, in their cradle, so to speak.
This approach is the most prudent and likely what other antagonist players aspire to achieve.
Of course, other strategies are not out of the question. Alan continued to ponder.
Being an "antagonist" himself, he seems to be an atypical one, more inclined towards unique methods of gameplay.
For instance...
He could attempt to make the protagonist be forsaken by Fate.
After all, what is perceived as defying the odds by most people, including other antagonists, is actually a manifestation of extraordinary luck, marking the protagonist as one in a million.
The so-called "defying the heavens" of the righteous protagonist isn't truly against the heavens.
It's just perceived as such by ordinary people.
In reality, the path to ascendancy is rarely straightforward.
Out of 99,999 paths that common folks attempt, nearly all lead to dead ends.
However, the protagonist, unique and innovative, finds the one viable path to ascend.
Then, as an antagonist, is there a way to strip away the protagonist's fortune?
After all, history is written by the victors, and most righteous protagonists still prevail by wielding righteousness and the greater good as their weapons, or at least to avenge personal wrongs.
These grievances might be as deep as stolen love or the annihilation of one's family.
It could even be resentment over losing a childhood sweetheart.
While these reasons appear justified, they're not easy to assess.
Perhaps it's simply because the protagonist is deemed righteous, making any action by the antagonist against them unjust.
In essence, the righteous gain more support.
The actions of protagonists are often backed by Fate under such circumstances.
If one could completely eliminate their "reason" for revenge, is there a chance they would lose divine protection?
Alan doesn't want to try this.
After all, it would require being excessively cautious and submissive in every action.
Even if one managed to do so, fate has a way of intervening.
If destiny intends to protect or toy with someone, simply hiding is not an effective strategy.
Additionally, protagonists can more easily discern antagonists.
Although Alan doesn't yet know the specifics, this also implies that trying to avoid conflict with the protagonist by evasion is impractical.
As for how these righteous protagonists perceive antagonists…
Could it be that they can directly observe a person's fortune or aura?
Alan pondered.
If a person has a darkened fate but a significant reputation, then in the eyes of the righteous, the likelihood of them being an antagonist is high.
Perhaps this is the case.
Conversely, it's harder for antagonists to identify protagonists.
Fortunately, antagonists are not entirely without chances of victory.
A protagonist's rise is unlikely to occur without any indications.
Moreover, there is usually some form of enmity between antagonists and protagonists, or at least some conflicts between their supporting factions or powers.
Using this, an antagonist can somewhat deduce the identity of a protagonist.
[Please submit an Antagonist Codename for identification.]
[Note: Once you have killed more than three protagonists, your Antagonist level will rise, and your name, among other details, will be made known to the remaining protagonists.]
"Codename?" Alan mused, "Light."
He spoke with a slight smile.
As the Almighty God, his divine power wasn't limited to "Light"; it also included Wisdom and more.
Yet, an antagonist named "Light" seemed almost ironically amusing.
Furthermore… would this make his identity easier to guess?
Alan continued his thoughts.
[Codename registered! Automatically applied to the current host's Antagonist chat channel by the system.]
[Antagonist chat channel loading...]
[Loading successful!]
...
[Darn, why am I an antagonist? My ancestors for three generations have been paragons of virtue, I swear! I have no experience in this!]
[Yeah, I wanted to be a protagonist too. I was looking forward to playing a character with dramatic contrasts, stylishly outsmarting others!]
[Being an antagonist is not too bad, considering my background and status. Here come the beauties... wait, why do I suddenly remember sending a pregnant maid away from the palace?]
...
In the [Antagonist Communication Group], various antagonists were exchanging their experiences.
As the game had just begun, their reactions were mostly of novelty, excitement, and complaints.
It seemed that most of them, like Alan, were transmigrants.
However, the difference was that Alan had been in this world for two thousand years, while these individuals had just arrived.
At that moment, Alan, in the Abyss of the Demon World, had confirmed the last demon king's tomb with recent disturbances.
The power of the demon king's remains seemed to have indeed been absorbed by some entity.
Moreover, if this entity was one of the Ancient Ones, it had likely already left.
Alan returned to the surface and entered Beaconburg.
Suddenly, he felt an odd sensation, as if something intangible was prompting him.
He realized it was probably his "Wisdom" giving him a hint.
In his divine form, "Wisdom" could interpret anomalies in nature, but now, it was more akin to an eighth sense.
After all, humans have five senses, with the sixth being intuition.
The seventh, in Buddhist terms, is 'Manas', a sense of time perception, understanding past, present, and future.
The eighth sense relates to cosmic consciousness or collective natural awareness.
If Alan felt something was amiss, it likely indicated the proximity of a "protagonist."
He pondered for a moment, then quickly summoned Vina, the female paladin general of Beaconburg.
Even operating at lord-tier capabilities, he could still use [Light Summoning] to call upon a paladin.
"Vina, tell me, have there been any recent developments in Beaconburg that might be linked to enmity against us, or any unusual activities?"
The blonde female paladin general paused, "Unusual?"
"There has been something. Previously, a paladin's widow in Beaconburg, defying city rules, left the city to see her husband's remains. She accidentally came into contact with the abyssal demonic mist. The child she later bore carried a hint of demonic nature and was expelled from Beaconburg... Now in the care of Stin Empire's Holy Academy, under watch."