"Hello there, Host! Welcome to the Villain System!"

The voice was cheerful, bright—and shockingly coming from a black bunny. It grinned at me with a toothy smile—or as toothy as a bunny could get, anyway.

I blinked, taking in the endless void around me. Darkness stretched in every direction, so deep it felt like it could swallow me whole.

The bunny's faint glow was the only thing keeping me tethered. "Uh . . . where am I?" I asked, keeping my voice calm despite the sheer weirdness of the situation.

"You're in the Void," the bunny announced proudly, puffing out its little chest like it was delivering some grand revelation. "A place far, far away from reality."

"So, basically nowhere?" I squinted at it, crossing my arms.

The bunny faltered for a second. "Er . . . sure. Let's go with that. Anyway!" It perked up again. "You can call me System. And you've been chosen to represent the villains!"

"The villains?" My brow arched. I wasn't shocked so much as curious.

"That's right!" The bunny gave a dramatic flourish with its tiny paws. "Allow me to explain. There are countless dimensions, each with its own story—like fairy tales, you could say. But in every single one, the villains are doomed to fail. They die, lose, or get humiliated. Over and over and over. It's tragic! So, at the Villain System Agency, we've decided enough is enough. It's time for the villains to win!"

"Huh," I said, tilting my head. "But isn't the whole point of villains to . . . y'know, lose? Like, doesn't that ruin the story?"

The bunny practically hopped in outrage. "Not on our watch! We're rewriting the rules. And you, Host, will help us do it. You'll travel to these dimensions and ensure the villains get their happy endings."

"Ah, I see now." I nodded, smacking my fist into my palm. "Like a game?"

The bunny froze mid-hop, its jaw dropping. "A . . . game? Well, I guess you could think of it that way—"

"Perfect!" I cut it off, grinning. "Where do I sign up?"

It blinked, utterly baffled. "Wait. Just like that? You're agreeing?"

"Of course," I said with a shrug. "You probably already know I'm a proud NEET. I've conquered every game, read every manga, binged every webtoon, and lived through every otome trope out there. Frankly? I'm bored. If this is a chance to dive into new worlds and mess around with villains? I'm in."

"Must be nice to have that much free time," the bunny muttered under its breath.

"Exactly!" I chirped, completely ignoring the sarcasm. "So, what's the next step?"

The bunny slumped, looking both relieved and exasperated. "You're taking this way too well. Most Hosts freak out or ask a million questions."

I cracked my knuckles. "I don't do tutorials. In games, I skip instructions and figure things out as I go. Way more fun that way."

The bunny sighed like it was already tired of me. "Fine. If you're so eager, let's get started. Time for your first mission!"

"Bring it on." I rolled my shoulders and stretched my neck like an athlete prepping for a match.

The darkness swallowed me whole without warning.

The last thing I saw was the bunny waving a tiny paw. "Good luck!" it shouted.

When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in the Void anymore.

Instead, I was standing in what looked like an ancient Chinese courtyard, complete with towering pagodas and intricate carvings.

Before I could take it all in, a flood of information slammed into my mind. It was like someone had dumped a bucket of knowledge directly into my brain.

I staggered, clutching my head as dizziness washed over me.

"Okay," I muttered. "Maybe I should've asked a few questions after all."