Inside a crumbling, dusty old building, the stench of blood still lingered in the air.
Golden rays of the setting sun poured through the holes in the ceiling, illuminating a handsome young man slumped against the bloodstained wall.
His white shirt was torn, his chest impaled, his breaths shallow and labored.
That man was Ling Yu—a rich second-generation heir, now only one step away from death in this strange world.
Standing before him was a young man, his face filled with arrogance and triumph.
Behind that man stood several stunningly beautiful women, each with their own unique style and aura.
All of them stared at the dying Ling Yu with disgust, hatred, and... a hint of complicated emotions.
But among them, one woman stood out—dressed sharply in a fitted blazer, her eyes filled with conflict and sorrow as she looked at Ling Yu.
Then, the plain-faced but overly arrogant man took a step forward. His voice dripped with mockery as he spoke:
"Ha! Ling Yu, bet you never thought you'd end up like this, huh? That's what you get for messing with me—Ye Chen!"
Ling Yu said nothing. He simply stared back at Ye Chen with a lifeless gaze.
Seeing this, Ye Chen didn't hesitate. He stabbed Ling Yu directly in the heart.
Ling Yu coughed up blood, his body stiffened slightly… then fell limp.
The woman in the blazer clenched her fists, her eyes glistening with tears.
Beside her, a gentle-faced girl tried to comfort her, her voice trembling.
"Don't cry… he deserved it, right…?"
Another cold-faced woman added with a snort, "Hmph. Trash like him should've died long ago."
Everyone tried to console the woman in the blazer—even Ye Chen, though his awkward expression said he wasn't used to doing it.
But unknown to them, the "dead" Ling Yu was very much alive, silently grumbling in his heart.
"Damn it… my back is killing me. If it wasn't for this stupid system, I'd be relaxing in my villa watching dramas right now. But hey… anything for freedom."
[System: Host, please don't actually die. You're too deep into character.]
"Shut up, you holographic bastard! I will die of boredom here!"
You see, Ling Yu was a transmigrator from modern Earth, who somehow reincarnated into this parallel world as a rich young master.
At first, he was thrilled—money, girls, and the life of luxury? Sign him up!
But just as he was enjoying himself, a screen popped up in front of him.
[System: You've been assigned the role of the main villain. Your fate is to be defeated by the hero of this world.]
Ling Yu was furious. He tried to fight against destiny, to become a good guy.
But no matter what he did, no one really noticed or cared. Everything he tried was pointless.
Eventually, he gave up and accepted his fate—choosing instead to act out his villain role like a master actor on stage.
Thankfully, the system gave him a condition:
[System: Once the script ends and you "die," your villain status will be erased. You'll be free.]
From that day on, Ling Yu embraced his role wholeheartedly. He played the villain to perfection.
[System: The world has acknowledged your "death." Villain status removed. Host is now free.]
And just like that… he was finally free.
Without even glancing at Ye Chen and the others, Ling Yu slowly got up, stretched his back, and shouted joyfully:
"YEEES! Daddy's finally free!"
Ye Chen and the women froze in place, their mouths agape.
Ling Yu casually wiped the fake blood from his face with a look of mild disgust.
None of it was real. The "blood" was nothing more than blendered tomatoes. The stab? Just stage props.
Ye Chen stuttered in disbelief, "W-wait… weren't you dead? I stabbed you… with a knife!"
Ling Yu rolled his eyes, grabbed the now-bent knife, and tossed it lazily toward Ye Chen.
Then, without caring about anyone's reaction, he bent down to pick up the car keys from the floor, whistling as he turned to the woman in the blazer.
With a playful grin, he asked, "Sis, mind if I borrow your car for a bit?"
Just as he turned to leave, Ye Chen—the so-called protagonist—shouted angrily:
"Ling Yu! What the hell is the meaning of this?! Are you messing with me?!"
Ling Yu paused, silent. He slowly turned back around.
His once-playful eyes turned cold and sharp, filled with murderous intent.
The air itself seemed to freeze.
Even Ye Chen took a step back in shock, his body trembling. The women behind him screamed in fear and nearly collapsed under the weight of Ling Yu's aura.
And then—whoosh—
In a blink, Ling Yu vanished… and reappeared directly in front of Ye Chen, landing a clean punch to the gut.
"BOOM!"
Ye Chen spat out blood and was sent flying across the room, slamming into the wall like a ragdoll.
Ling Yu didn't even look impressed.
It was like swatting a fly.
He glanced at the terrified women for a moment, then turned and walked away without a word.
Author's Note:
I'm a new author and always open to feedback and suggestions. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment—your support means everything for the growth of this story!