Awakening: Starting With The Villain System

The black fog that was surrounding the core didn't dissipate into the air.

It smoothly flowed into my hand. The feeling was cold, a chilling rush that spread up my arm and straight into my core, but it wasn't a good cold.

It was the kind that wakes you up completely, that makes every nerve ending stand at attention.

The moment the last wisp of fog disappeared through my skin, a familiar chime sounded.

Ding!

[You have absorbed an ability core!]

The message was stark and simple, but it sent a thrill through me.

It had worked.

The system's plan had actually paid off.

[You have acquired the ability 'Simple Domain'!]

Simple domain?

I turned the phrase over in my mind. It sounded… foundational. Basic.

But sometimes the most basic things were the most powerful.

A foundation could hold up a skyscraper, so...

[Due to your mastery of sword, you have been rewarded a technique!]

A technique? Now that was more like it.

Getting both an ability and a technique at the same time felt like winning the lottery after surviving a plane crash.

Was this real?

It didn't seem real at all, but the pain fading from my body confirmed that it was.

[You have been rewarded the technique 'No—Pass'!]

No—Pass?

The notifications didn't stop. They began to pour in, more.

[You have leveled up!]

[You have reached level 10!]

[Congratulations! Your villain rank is now displaying!]

[You are now a ranked villain!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have reached level 15!]

[Due to your progression, most stats are increased!]

[Strength has been increased to 20]

[Vitality has been increased to 20]

[Dexterity has been increased to 20]

....

I watched, mesmerized, as the blue screens flickered in my vision.

A warmth spread through me, a feeling of relief and pure, unadulterated power.

I felt good. Getting stronger was a good feeling. It was a deep, strong satisfaction.

At some point, It felt like I was getting stronger without doing anything...

Actually, I did a lot tho. I'd earned this. With headache, blood and broken bones.

I looked down at my body, observing it.

The ugly, mottled bruises that had painted my skin were fading, the yellow and purple leaching away to leave unmarked skin underneath.

The sharp, grating pain in my ribs softened into a dull ache, then into nothing at all as my bones fixed back to normal with a series of faint, internal clicks.

So the system wasn't lying.

I almost laughed.

This was the only thing it did well.

Curiosity got the better of me. I pulled up my status screen, eager to see the new numbers attached to this feeling.

------------------

Status

[Name: Ryan Nether]

[Level: 15]

[Race: Human]

[Profession: Villain]

→[Villain Rank: — (#48,550)]

[Titles: Villain, Mystery, Weird, Greatest Villain]

Stats

[Strength: 20]

[Vitality: 20]

[Dexterity: 20]

[Perception: 3]

[Magic Power: 6]

[Stamina: 20]

[Luck: 2.1]

[Intelligence: 5]

[Charm: 1.4]

Abilities

[Simple Domain: The lesser version of domain]

Technique

[No—Pass: A technique powered by simple domain, which allows its user to counter, and cancel anything which enters the range of the user's domain.]

Inventory

[Wooden Katana], [Katana], Bomb (×2)

------------------

I studied my new status, each line item feeding a growing sense of triumph.

But then a single word in the Titles section caught my attention, standing out than the rest.

Well because it was new obviously.

Greatest villain.

A slow grin spread across my face.

So system, it looks like you are a 'whatever' of your words.

[What do you mean?]

You actually added 'Greatest Villain' to my title. You didn't just say it. You made it official. You wrote it down.

[...]

I did my part in the deal by staying alive, and you did your own part of the deal by adding greatest villain to my title.

You aren't that bad actually. And don't forget, it isn't only for the title, you would have to be calling me that. That was what we agreed on.

[I don't remember actually making a deal with you consigning that]

My face dropped. It was actually true. We'd never formally shaken on it. It had been a battle of wills, a spoken challenge.

But you did it, meaning that you did say it out, but you silently agreed.

[No, I just felt like doing it]

Idiot.

Well anyways, you are almost doing things well, expect for one thing. Get those two useless titles off.

[Which two?]

You know it. So just get it off. 'Weird'? 'Mystery'? They're insults... Well except 'Mystery' tho.

[They are the ones that suit you the most, especially the one that starts with 'W']

I would just try my best to ignore that, due to the good work you did. For now, I am generous.

So what's next.

I knew what to do next, get the hell out of this building, but I wanted to hear what the system had in mind.

[Run]

Well it looks like you don't have to say it the second time.

Without even wasting anymore time, I ran. My legs, now whole and strong, propelled me forward with a speed and grace I'd never known.

The air whipped past my face. It felt like someone who was running after a heist, the prize clutched tight, the alarms blaring somewhere in the distance.

While I was running, my mind already working on the next problem, I brought out a grenade from my inventory.

I wasn't about to leave here and have people pursuing me before I even got anywhere.

I needed a door, temporarily closed.

I pulled the pin, didn't even break stride, and threw the grenade backwards over my shoulder at the passage entrance.

I continued running forward, not looking back.

A few seconds later, the bomb exploded. The sound was a satisfying 'CRUMP' that was instantly followed by the roar of collapsing blocks.

I glanced back once to see the ceiling blocks crash down, completely blocking the entrance with a mountain of rubble.

This was kind of fun.

Breaking into an organization and robbing it, leaving a calling card of destruction.

It made me look like I was in some kind of criminal movie.

---------

A figure moved with an unnerving, deliberate grace.

This was a man in his late 40s, his lean, sharp face a mask of cold calculation.

His hair was a sweep of dark grey, matched by a severe, close-cropped beard that was flecked with silver.

Cold blue eyes, the color of a winter sky, scanned his surroundings, missing nothing.

He wore an impeccably tailored charcoal waistcoat over a crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled precisely to his forearms.

A heavy, antique pocket watch chain swung from a buttonhole, its steady tick a silent metronome to his measured steps.

His presence was not merely intimidating; it was cold, like a force of nature contained within the confines of a gentleman's attire.

On his right arm, he held the broken body of another man.

It was the very same man Ryan had fought earlier.

The man now looked like he was on the verge of death, which he was.

His suit was torn and stained, his breathing was shallow and wet, and everything about him was almost stiff with trauma and defeat.

He was not carried with care, but held by the scruff of his suit jacket and dragged unceremoniously along the smooth floor.

Behind this imposing figure, three individuals followed closely, their postures rigid with a mixture of fear and deference.

Their eyes were fixed on their leader's back, careful not to meet his gaze or draw his attention.

One of them, a younger man with a nervous twitch in his jaw, finally mustered his courage.

He rushed forward, falling into a deep bow beside the walking man without actually touching him.

"Lord Vex," he breathed, his voice barely a whisper.

The man, Vex, slowed his pace before stopping entirely. He did not turn his head.

"The passage ahead," the young man stammered, "it is destroyed, and blocked."

Vex finally turned to look at him. His gaze was not angry; it was empty, like a predator considering its next move.

"Did you do anything about it?" he asked. His voice was quiet, devoid of inflection, yet it seemed to suck the warmth from the air.

The young man gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously.

"I thought it was necessary to inform you first about it before doing something about it." He believed he was showing proper respect.

Vex's expression did not change. He simply raised his left hand, his movements economical and smooth. He moved his index finger back, then flicked it forward.

The motion was casual, almost dismissive. But the moment he moved his finger forward, a thick, invisible wave of compressed air shot forth.

It struck the young man in the chest with the force of a battering ram, lifting him off his feet and smashing him against the wall.

There was a sickening crunch of bone, and the man slid to the floor, lifeless.

"Useless," Vex muttered, the word a sigh of profound disappointment.

He turned his wintery gaze towards the remaining two people behind him. They stood frozen, their faces pale.

"Are you waiting for me to do something about it," he asked, the quiet question hanging in the air like a threat, "or are you going to do it?"

"No, my Lord!" they replied in panicked unison, their voices overlapping.

One of them broke into a frantic run, scrambling towards the pile of rubble to begin the arduous task of clearing the blocked passage.

Left with the other for a moment, Vex's attention returned to the broken man he held.

A flicker of pure irritation passed over his sharp features. In a gesture of supreme disdain, he threw the man casually to the ground.

But there was nothing casual about Vex's strength. The man landed hard on the ground, the impact jarring his already shattered body.

A fresh, sickening crack sounded as some of his bones practically broke anew.

The man let out a short, choked groan of agony.

He managed to lift his head, his eyes blazing with a mixture of pain and hatred, and he glared at Vex.

Vex showed no reaction to his glare. It was like being stared down by a bug.

Vex cracked the knuckles of his right hand, the sound sharp and precise in the tense silence.

He looked down at the broken form at his feet.

"I think we would have some things to discuss about, don't you think?"