I Am the Villain

The world had decided it. Everyone believed it. My opinion had never mattered, but I didn't particularly care. After all, I was nothing more than a stranger here. In the end, I was just someone who would leave this world and return to the one I originally belonged to.

Scenario Progress: 0%

'This is ridiculous no matter how many times I see it.'

A translucent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠system window floating in midair. The world of a mobile game I'd been playing obsessively until just days before my military discharge. Not only had it thrown me into the body of its sole villain, but now it was outright telling me to die like one.

At first, I thought it was some kind of sick joke. But I couldn't simply ignore that damned quest. The reason was simple.

That cursed quest was the only way for me to return to my original world. Not as this unfamiliar game villain, but in my real body—the one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd lived in my entire life.

'I want gamjatang…'

Not the bland medieval food here, but proper Korean cuisine loaded with seasoning. I missed my friends who used to help me without expecting anything in return. The smiles of my parents, rough around the edges but warm, still lingered in my mind. And above all…

'Dopamine. I need dopamine.'

This world was unbearably dull for someone like me from the modern era. The only form of entertainment was some crude, poorly made play. Did that even make sense?

So I made a decision. I would embrace the role of the villain no matter what, and return to my real body. Years passed as I rolled and tumbled through this world. I lived as the game's sole villain, enduring the resentment and hatred of countless people. Even so, I ran around desperately, supporting the protagonist's party to advance the scenario.

The result:

Finally, I had reached the end of this long, long story.

"What are you thinking about?"

A cool, gentle voice drifted down. I slowly turned my head toward the sound. In that moment, I met the harsh gaze of a woman staring at me. Hair like molten gold. Glacier-cold blue eyes. Skin white as snow. Her beauty was so unreal that I frowned for a moment. As expected, it was a face I could never get used to, no matter how many times I saw it.

"Can you not hear me?"

Isabelle Ustia. Daughter of Count Ustia. The only woman capable of purifying the Black Fog that devoured the continent. And one of the main heroine candidates in the original story.

I didn't bother responding to Isabelle's question. No matter what answer came out of my mouth, her gaze toward me would never soften into anything warm. Staying silent with my mouth shut tight was the best option.

"It's not as if you've suddenly developed aphasia… Well, do as you please."

Her tone was quite aggressive despite the gentle voice. But I didn't care. Whatever she had to say was of no importance to me.

"Fortunately, the tea hasn't gone cold yet. Please, have a seat."

A familiar place. Familiar lines. There was no doubt about it. She intended to kill me right here, using poison subtly mixed into the teacup.

The progress bar updated at the perfect moment. It didn't take long for suspicion to turn into certainty.

'Stay sharp.'

My head felt like it was about to explode, but what I had to do was clear. I would drink the poisoned tea without suspicion. That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was how I would be poisoned to death by Isabelle. I didn't know what kind of poison it was, but since the system had announced the ending, it was surely a potent one. The plan was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flawless.

The system seemed to recognize this as well, as a loud notification sounded and the text began to update.

Everything was perfect. Except for one thing.

'Settlement…?'

The appearance of an unfamiliar word made me blink stupidly. The incomprehensible phrase about settling Kyle Winfred was driven into my mind like a stake. Regardless, Isabelle, unaware of my inner thoughts, continued in a voice dripping with coldness.

"Shall I refill your cup?"

"Please do."

I sat down as requested. Moments later, Isabelle carefully poured steaming tea into my cup. And then—

"The tea is quite good."

I emptied the cup in one go. As I downed the hot tea in a single gulp, Isabelle's lips twisted violently.

"Truly, you haven't changed at all, Kyle Winfred."

Isabelle ground her teeth. Her voice, squeezed through clenched jaws, was thick with rage.

"I heard Ludwig died."

It was a story I already knew. Of course I did. I had killed him with my own hands.

"They say his body was completely mutilated. My longtime friend."

Well, that bastard was a spy for the Republic. With treason, kidnapping, and hostage-taking on his record… there was no reason to let someone who would soon lay waste to the empire live.

"You executed the nanny for blasphemy."

Right. I remembered. She was the woman who had been secretly poisoning Isabelle's food. It had been an unavoidable action to advance the scenario.

"You spread vile rumors in high society and tarnished my honor."

Shit. That wasn't me.

"Blinded by jealousy, you repeatedly drove my friends into danger."

That was unfair too. I hadn't driven them into danger. They had walked into it themselves, and I had simply gotten caught up in it by chance.

"I used to wonder why God allowed someone like you to live."

Every word she spoke was soaked in deep loathing. I didn't respond to a single thing she said. I simply drank the tea she had poured, calmly and deliberately. And then—

"Cough…!"

It didn't take long for the poison to take effect. Soon, every cell in my body began to twist, and black blood trickled from the corners of my mouth. Isabelle looked at me and laughed through her tears.

The end was drawing near.

"Urgh…!"

Eventually, I vomited the blood pooling in my mouth. For the first time in my life, I experienced such excruciating pain, and my muscles began to convulse uncontrollably.

"…I curse you."

Isabelle clenched her teeth, her trembling hands balling into fists as she stared at my writhing form until the very end. As if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

My breathing grew shallow rapidly. The vivid pain gradually dulled. And then—

Ah. It was all over. As I turned my head one last time to meet Isabelle's eyes, her startled face wavered. Her trembling hands clutched at her chest, and her voice, laced with heavy breaths, shook pitifully.

—………I'll go with you……

Her lips moved as she muttered something.

'What's wrong with her?'

Curiosity flickered for a moment before I dismissed the thought. After all, I would soon return to my real body. Not as Kyle Winfred, the game's sole villain, but as Lee Seung-jun, the university student.

That was when it happened.

The system window updated abruptly. My mind, flashing white, began to work sluggishly.

'It just said insufficient…?'

Why? Why was it spouting nonsense about being insufficient now, when the scenario was about to be completed? Had I missed something? I had replicated every single one of Kyle's trashy actions without exception. And just minutes ago, it had clearly said ending scenario…!

I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even let out a proper breath. My body was growing cold, as if bound by ropes. In my gradually fading consciousness, the sporadically updating system window came into view.

'…Huh?'

Wait, a penalty? What the hell kind of situation was this…!

The word "regression" crashed through my mind. For a moment, I gritted my teeth at the unfairness of it all. Then—

A distant ringing sound filled my ears as my vision narrowed. An overwhelming sense of exhaustion washed over my entire body. Moments later—

The ceiling grew distant. And just like that, I lost consciousness.