The air was thick with ash and the stench of blood. 

 Kale Voss staggered through the crumbling ruins of the city he had once sworn to protect. His legs wobbled with each step, his body a patchwork of wounds. His once-bright armor, a symbol of hope, was shattered and tarnished, hanging off his battered body like a cruel mockery of its former glory. 

Somewhere in the distance, a monstrous roar pierced the chaos, followed by a deafening explosion that shook the ground beneath him, but they didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. His vision blurred, his breaths came in ragged gasps, and his limbs trembled as if they no longer belonged to him.

"Thud!"

Kale collapsed to his knees in the desolate square. Pain jolted through his body, but he couldn't muster the strength to stand. Around him were the corpses of those he had trusted—the comrades, friends, and loved ones he had fought to save. Their lifeless eyes seemed to stare back at him, accusing, questioning, condemning. His hand tightened around the hilt of his broken blade, its once-glorious edge now dulled and useless.

"Why…?" he whispered hoarsely, his voice drowned by the crackling flames consuming the city.

"Why did it all end like this?"

 "I did everything for them. I gave everything… Why did they betray me?"

Standing before him was a man he once trusted above all—a brother-in-arms who had fought at his side countless times. The man's grin was sharp, almost cruel, and the blade in his hand gleamed with malice. With grinning with smug satisfaction.

"You were too naive, Kale," the man sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. 

"Always playing the hero. Always trusting. Always believing." He took a step closer, his boots crunching over debris. 

"But in a world like this, there's no room for fools like you. You don't protect others—you use them before they use you."

Kale's vision blurred with pain. He tried to rise, but his body wouldn't respond. 

"You..." he growled, his voice weak yet seething with rage.

The traitor chuckled, raising his blade. "Goodbye, old friend."

For a fleeting moment, he wished he could turn back in time—not to save the world, but to destroy those who had used, betrayed, and discarded him.

As the weapon descended, Kale forced out one final, venomous vow. 

"I'll remember this," Kale vowed in a rasping breath, his blood pooling beneath him.

 "If I ever get another chance… I'll show you what a real monster looks like."

The blade descended, and darkness claimed him.

But death was not the end.

Kale awoke gasping, his hands clutching at his throat. Panic surged through him as his eyes darted around, For a moment, the phantom sensation of cold steel lingered on his skin, but then it was gone. His chest heaved as he dragged in deep breaths.

Expecting fire and ruins. Instead, the air was stale but clean.

Looking at A small room with dim lighting The faint hum of a ceiling fan that reached his ears. His head snapped to the side, eyes darting across the room. A cluttered desk sat in one corner, papers scattered across its surface. A baseball bat leaned against the wall, unused.

"Where..." Kale muttered, his voice cracking. He stumbled to his feet, his legs still unsteady.

The calendar on the wall caught his eye. The date read 31/12/2024. His breath hitched. 

"No... That's impossible."

He stumbled to the mirror on the opposite wall, his trembling hands gripping the edges of the frame. The face staring back at him was youthful, unmarred by years of hardship. The scars were gone, the exhaustion engraved into his skin—they were all gone.

"I'm... alive?" he whispered, disbelief flooding his voice. His hands moved to his face, touching his cheeks, his jawline.

"No... I'm not just alive. I'm back."

The memories of his previous life burned in his mind like a brand, a constant reminder of the price of kindness and trust. His once-naive eyes now glinted with a cold, calculating resolve.

He turned to the window, his pulse pounding. The city outside still thrived, its streets bustling with life. Cars honked in the distance, neon lights blinked from every corner, and crowds moved with carefree purpose.

But he knew better.

"This place will soon turn into a living hell." He could already see it—the sky choked with ash, the streets littered with bodies, and people tearing each other apart over a slice of bread. 

In the past, he had tried to save them. He had fought for them, trusted them, and believed in them. And what had it gotten him? Betrayal. Death.

"Never again," he said, his tone as sharp as a blade

"This time,...."

 "no more playing the hero. No more being the fool. This world doesn't need saving"

"What this world needs is ruling."

 A cruel smirk spread across his face as he turned to the window, gazing out at the city that still bustled with life. It was a city filled with opportunity, wealth, and beauty.

Ding!

The sharp sound echoed in his head, making him stop his thoughts.

"Host detected. System loading..."

Ding …... system is bound. 

"Congratulations host for getting a villain system"

Kale froze. "What...?"

"System bound successfully. Congratulations, host, on acquiring the ultimate Villain System."

Kale's eyes widened, and then a slow, dangerous grin spread across his face. 

"Villain System?" he repeated, his voice tinged with curiosity and amusement.

He sat back on the edge of his bed, leaning forward, his eyes glinting with anticipation. "Alright, System. Show me what you've got."

As an old otaku and returner, he naturally knows what system means this is his cheat.

Suddenly a stream of information came to his mind.

A sudden, sharp pain shot through his skull, like a million needles piercing his brain. His vision blurred, and he staggered back, clutching his head as the throbbing intensified.

"Ouch… my head hurts!" Kale gasped, the sharp sting making his breath hitch. He felt as though something was forcing its way into his mind, pushing thoughts and information like a flood through his consciousness. His eyes squeezed shut, trying to steady himself.

The pain eventually subsided, and Kale took a deep breath, blinking a few times to clear his vision. 

"system"

When he opened his eyes again, a translucent panel appeared in front of him, floating in the air like a sleek, glowing screen. It was oddly futuristic, faintly illuminated in the dimly lit room.

His gaze shifted to the details on the panel, the information seemingly custom-built for him.

Name : kale Voss

Age : 18 years 

Talent : unawakened

Strength :10

Int :15

Agility :10

Looking at familiar interference which showed his data Kale sighed remembering the past. When Cataclysm descended on Earth everyone had a system panel that showed their attribute and combat strength but Kale keenly noticed that his interference seemed to little different from the past 

there was an icon of a floating gift box wrapped in glowing ribbons. Kale raised an eyebrow, his expression calm,

"A gift package? That's it?" he muttered, his voice a little thoughtful.

Still, with a hint of curiosity. His finger hovered over the box for a moment before he clicked it.

The system's voice echoed again, without a trace of emotion.

Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the Omniscient Eye.

Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a Photographic Memory.

Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a Storage Space.

Congratulations, Host, for obtaining 10 Attribute Points.

Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the lucky card 

A flood of notifications filled his mind, one after another, but Kale didn't pay them any attention.

His gaze was fixed on the screen in front of him, watching as the numbers and details of his system panel shifted and evolved before his eyes. His strength, agility, intelligence and constitution remained the same, but something else had changed—