Kaede Renji squinted against the blood-red sky, his breath slow and steady, his mind quietly racing to catch up. The last thing he remembered was crossing the street—no, more like stepping directly into the path of an oncoming truck. The kind of freak accident that you wouldn't believe unless it happened to you.
And now, here he was, standing in the middle of what looked like a fantasy nightmare. Jagged mountains in the distance, a dark, brooding castle looming like a bad joke, and a deathly quiet forest stretching out to the horizon. If someone had told him he'd wake up inside a game world, he'd have laughed. But this wasn't some gamer's dream.
It was more of a problem.
"Okay, truck-kun, I get it," Kaede muttered, his voice dry, deadpan, "I died. But why stick me in the body of a nobody?"
His head throbbed, memories that weren't his own flooding in—memories of Xalor, the character whose body he now inhabited. Xalor was a third-rate villain, practically irrelevant, destined to be crushed by the game's hero. The villain whose sole purpose was to lose. But Kaede wasn't interested in being anyone's stepping stone.
As the information about this world rushed into his brain, Kaede sighed. "Of course. I get to play the part of the loser."
The voice in his head, which had welcomed him as "Xalor, the Third-Rate Villain," still echoed faintly. He dismissed it for now and focused on the surroundings. This wasn't just some random fantasy world. He knew this game. He'd played it before, and it had a notoriously predictable plot. He knew how it ended.
"You've got to be kidding me," he whispered to himself, a faint grin creeping onto his face. "I know the entire story?"
That was a huge advantage, but it was also a curse. He knew how weak Xalor was in the game. The original character was defeated with embarrassing ease by the hero. But Kaede had no intention of following that script. He wasn't going to die a joke.
**Level 2. Third-rate. Weak stats.** The system window floated in front of his eyes, and Kaede mentally scrolled through the character's dismal stats and abilities.
"At least give me something to work with," he muttered, shaking his head. A rogue class, with basic skills like *Weak Poison Blade* and *Sneak.* It was a bad setup for a survival run.
But the thing was, no one knew that Xalor—Kaede, now—was supposed to be weak. The world only saw him as the villain, which in their minds, meant he was powerful, dangerous, and skilled.
A twisted grin played on Kaede's lips. "They think I'm strong."
For once, misunderstanding worked in his favor. If they thought he was powerful, he could use that. He didn't have to be strong, just smart enough to make everyone believe it. With the entire plot of the game embedded in his mind, Kaede could plan ahead, prepare traps, outsmart enemies, and dodge the hero when necessary.
But first, he needed to survive.
He looked toward the towering castle in the distance. That was his base—Xalor's fortress. He remembered how the game positioned it: dark, ominous, crawling with lesser monsters. It was a dangerous place, but also his best bet for regrouping and figuring out his next move.
**The Forest of Nocurn**, he thought, recalling the area from the game. This forest was a danger zone in the early stages, crawling with low-level monsters. But to Kaede, it wasn't the monsters that concerned him. It was the game's main cast—the hero and his party. They'd be after him soon enough.
Kaede had a slight advantage, knowing how they'd approach. The hero, as typical as they came, was the "Chosen One" type, armed with divine weapons, and followed by loyal companions. And as for Xalor, he was meant to be their first major obstacle, the villain they'd beat without breaking a sweat.
Not this time.
Kaede started walking toward the castle, muttering to himself. "All I need to do is stay one step ahead."
His mind raced through possible scenarios. The hero was supposed to arrive at Xalor's castle in three days. That meant Kaede had just enough time to prepare. He could lay traps, strengthen defenses, and use his knowledge of the game's plot to manipulate events to his favor.
As he trekked through the forest, he heard a rustling behind him. A low growl followed, and Kaede froze. Slowly, he turned to see a wolf-like creature, fangs bared and eyes glowing with malice.
"Right," he whispered, sarcasm coating his words, "forgot about the low-level monsters."
The creature lunged, but Kaede barely moved, using *Sneak* to dodge to the side. The system alerted him to his new position as his ability activated, though his heart raced. The reality of fighting was much more terrifying than in the game. The wolf was faster, deadlier, and hungrier than any virtual creature he'd faced.
"Nope, not dying to some low-level mob," Kaede said to himself, reaching for a nearby rock and chucking it at the wolf. It wasn't heroic, but it was effective enough to stun the beast long enough for Kaede to scramble up a tree.
From his safe perch, he watched the creature prowl beneath, growling in frustration. Kaede breathed out, trying to calm his nerves. This world wasn't a game—it was real. The pain, the danger—it all hit different when it was happening to you.
"This is going to be harder than I thought."
Once the wolf wandered off, Kaede climbed down and continued his path toward the castle. He needed a plan, and fast. But if everyone thought he was strong, he could use that. He could fake his way through this. Bluffing his way through life had worked for him before—why not here?
By the time Kaede reached the castle gates, he had a rough idea of what to do next. He'd use the game's mechanics to his advantage. He knew when and where the hero would attack, and he could make sure to always stay one step ahead.
As he stepped into the darkened halls of Xalor's castle, the guards stiffened at his presence. The look in their eyes said it all—they feared him. Kaede, or Xalor, was their lord, their master. And as far as they knew, he was powerful.
Kaede met their gazes with his signature deadpan stare. He couldn't let them see through the façade.
"Prepare the defenses," he said in a calm, commanding tone that belied the panic bubbling under his surface. "We have… visitors coming soon."
The guards nodded and scattered, ready to follow his orders without question. Kaede breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Okay," he whispered to himself. "I can do this."
For now, he'd survive by bluffing, making everyone think he was the dangerous villain they feared. And in time, maybe he'd actually become strong enough to live up to the lie.
But for now, all he needed was to make it through tomorrow.
Kaede leaned back against the cold stone walls of the castle, a smirk curling on his lips. This game had a script, but he was going to rewrite it, page by page.
As long as no one figured out the truth, he'd be just fine.
Or so he hoped.
Kaede Renji stood in the vast, dimly lit hall of the castle, the walls adorned with faded tapestries and worn stone floors. The place exuded an ancient power that the former Xalor had likely inherited but never fully grasped. It was the kind of gloomy, atmospheric castle that screamed 'evil lair,' but Kaede didn't care for the theatrics.
His deadpan expression remained as cold as ever as he surveyed the room. From his memories of the game, this castle was meant to be more than just a hideout for a low-tier villain. Xalor had been meant to be more powerful, but the game had nerfed him, leaving him nothing more than a joke of a boss encounter. That was something Kaede wouldn't let happen now.
The reality of his situation was still surreal—he'd been reincarnated into a world he only knew from playing the game, stuck as the underdog villain who was supposed to fail. And yet, here he was, plotting his next move like a seasoned strategist, knowing that any misstep could get him killed. But that didn't mean he was scared. If anything, Kaede was intrigued by the challenge.
"I can't rely on strength," he mused quietly to himself, his eyes narrowing as his thoughts raced. "But that's not the point. If they think I'm strong, I can use that. It's all about perception."
He knew the mechanics of the game inside and out. The hero would arrive soon, thinking that Kaede—Xalor—was a significant threat. But what the hero didn't know was that Kaede had no intention of fighting fair. Why would he? Fair fights were for people who didn't mind losing. Kaede had never been that kind of person.
As he leaned back against one of the castle's stone pillars, he closed his eyes for a moment and mentally retraced his steps from the game's plot. He knew what was coming: the hero's party would storm the castle, thinking they could take him down like a classic RPG boss battle. They'd expect a straightforward fight, relying on their overpowered abilities and weapons. But Kaede had no interest in playing along.
He couldn't just brute force his way through this, but he had something more valuable: the knowledge of what was coming and the advantage of surprise. He could manipulate the system, lay traps, misdirect the hero's party, and ultimately stay ahead of them—if only just.
"Right," he muttered, pushing off the pillar and making his way toward the castle's war room, a place where Xalor had supposedly plotted his futile schemes against the hero. It wasn't far, just a short walk down a long corridor lined with stone gargoyles and dim torchlight flickering along the walls. The aesthetics of the place were pure dark fantasy—exactly the kind of setting you'd expect for a villain's lair. Too bad it was just for show.
When he arrived at the war room, Kaede paused. The heavy wooden door creaked open slowly, revealing a large chamber dominated by a stone table and a dusty old map of the surrounding region. It was outdated, clearly unused, and likely ignored by Xalor during his brief and tragic existence in the game. But for Kaede, it was perfect.
He strode up to the table, wiping a layer of dust off the map, his fingers tracing the paths and roads leading to and from the castle. It was an old map, but he could work with it. More importantly, it helped him visualize the upcoming events.
The hero's party would take the main road, approaching the castle head-on. That meant Kaede had two days to prepare before they arrived. Two days to figure out a way to stall them, outwit them, and keep them at bay without actually fighting.
He glanced at the skill window that hovered in his peripheral vision.
**Xalor, The Third-Rate Villain**
Level: 2
Class: Rogue
Skills: Weak Poison Blade, Sneak, Trip
HP: 400
MP: 100
It wasn't much, but it would have to do for now. Kaede had to be creative with what he had. As a rogue, his strength lay not in direct combat but in deception, stealth, and sabotage. If he could avoid confrontation long enough, he could build up more power, figure out the intricacies of the game world, and maybe, just maybe, become something more than a throwaway villain.
The key to survival wasn't being stronger than the hero—it was being smarter.
"All right, Kaede," he muttered to himself, a faint smirk pulling at his lips. "Let's rewrite the rules."
---
The next two days passed in a blur of frantic preparation. Kaede, using his knowledge of the game's mechanics, set about preparing his defenses. He had no delusions of grandeur—he wasn't going to defeat the hero's party outright. But if he could just stall them long enough, make them question their assumptions about Xalor's strength, he could buy himself time.
He'd spent hours scouting the forest surrounding the castle, using his *Sneak* ability to slip through the shadows unnoticed by the low-level monsters that roamed the area. Most of them weren't much of a threat—wild wolves, goblins, and a few stray undead creatures. But they were enough to cause trouble for any unprepared travelers. Kaede had no problem using them to his advantage.
He used his limited rogue skills to set traps along the main road, rigging tripwires and poison darts in the forest's denser areas. He'd even managed to lure a pack of wolves closer to the castle, setting them up as an added layer of defense. If the hero's party thought they could just walk right in, they were in for a surprise.
Of course, Kaede's real advantage wasn't the traps or the monsters—it was the fact that the hero's party had no idea what they were walking into. They believed Xalor to be a powerful, evil sorcerer of sorts. They didn't know that he was really just a weakling with a few dirty tricks up his sleeve.
Kaede's goal wasn't to defeat them. It was to keep them guessing, make them think twice, make them hesitate. If they believed he was more dangerous than he really was, it would give him the edge he needed to survive. Every hesitation, every moment of doubt, would buy him more time to strengthen his position.
---
On the morning of the third day, Kaede stood atop the castle's outer wall, watching the distant road that led to the castle gates. The sun hung low in the blood-red sky, casting long shadows across the landscape. In the distance, he saw the faint glimmer of movement—the hero's party was approaching.
They were a classic adventuring troupe. At the front was the hero—young, handsome, sword glowing with holy light. Beside him was a sorceress, staff in hand, ready to cast powerful spells. There was also an archer and a heavily armored knight, all of them perfectly designed for a balanced RPG party.
Kaede stared at them for a moment, his expression as stoic as ever. He could practically hear the game's heroic music swelling in the background, like some dramatic cutscene.
"This is going to be fun," Kaede said to himself, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
He knew exactly how the game was supposed to play out. The hero would storm the castle, face Xalor in a climactic battle, and emerge victorious. But this time, things were going to be different.
Kaede descended from the wall and headed back into the castle. The traps were set, the monsters were in position, and the hero's party had no idea what they were walking into.
The battle was about to begin—but not the one they expected.
---
As the hero's party approached the castle gates, Kaede watched from the shadows. He'd used his *Sneak* ability to stay hidden, positioning himself near one of the traps he'd set earlier.
The hero, as confident as ever, led the charge. His glowing sword sliced through the first wave of monsters with ease, cutting down wolves and goblins alike. The sorceress cast fireballs that lit up the sky, while the knight deflected attacks with his shield.
Kaede stayed calm, watching them closely. They were strong, no doubt about it. But they were also predictable. They were playing by the game's rules, and that was their weakness.
Just as the hero reached the castle gates, Kaede activated one of his traps. A series of poison darts shot out from the walls, catching the hero's party off guard. The knight raised his shield in time to deflect most of the darts, but a few hit their mark, slowing their advance.
"That should slow them down," Kaede muttered to himself.
He didn't wait for them to recover. Instead, he slipped deeper into the castle, heading for the next phase of his plan. The longer he kept them guessing, the more time he had to prepare.
The hero's party, meanwhile, hesitated. They'd expected a straightforward battle, not a series of traps and misdirection. They didn't know what they were up against—and that was exactly what Kaede wanted.
He wasn't the strongest, but he didn't need to be. As long as they believed he was dangerous, he could stay one step ahead.
And in the end, that was all that mattered.
---
As night fell over the castle, Kaede sat alone in the war room, his back against the cold stone wall. He was tired, but his mind was still racing. The hero's party was still out there, somewhere in the forest,