A blinding light surged across the street.
Priyanshu Yadav had only taken one step off the curb when the sound of screeching tires filled his ears. Pain erupted—his body frozen mid-motion. The last thing he saw before everything went dark was the neon glow of a truck's headlights and the manga panel he was reading on his phone: "The villain never dies... he simply hides."
Then—nothing.
Until now.
He awoke, gasping.
The air was warm, fragrant with spiritual herbs and incense. He sat upright on a velvet mattress under a canopy of silver-embroidered silks. Intricately carved phoenixes and dragons adorned the furniture, and the walls glowed with floating runes pulsing with faint magical light.
"This... isn't Earth," he muttered.
As if to confirm it, his body felt different. His limbs were stronger, his skin smooth yet calloused like a seasoned martial artist. His heart pounded not with fear, but an overwhelming clarity.
Suddenly, memories that didn't belong to him surged into his mind—memories of a young noble of the "Sunshadow Empire," also named Priyanshu Yadav. Weak, mocked, a disgrace to his family.
Until he died.
That soul had collapsed under humiliation and betrayal... and Priyanshu from Earth had taken his place.
"I've transmigrated... just like in the novels."
And as if answering his thought—
DING!
A soft chime rang in his mind. A blue window appeared in front of him.
Welcome, Host. You have activated the Hidden Villain System.
Objective: Control everything from the shadows. You are forbidden from public fame. Every action you take must be indirect, manipulative, and strategic.
Condition: Maintain the illusion of weakness.
Reward for First Hidden Villain Path Completion:• [Skill]: Shadow Sovereign's Insight• [Artifact]: Mask of Ten Thousand Faces• [Cultivation Boost]: From Early Qi Condensation → Late Foundation Establishment
Priyanshu blinked.
"So... I can't be a hero. I must be... the one pulling the strings behind them?"
Correction: You are not a villain to be hated. You are the villain history will thank in silence. The one who burns quietly so others may shine blindly.
He smirked. "Now that's my kind of system."
He opened the Status Panel.
Name: Priyanshu Yadav
Race: Human (??? Origin)
Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment
Traits: Schemer, Charmer, Overthinker, Regressed Strategist
Skills: Beginner Swordsmanship, Alchemy Knowledge, Shadow Sovereign's Insight (Locked)
Artifacts: Mask of Ten Thousand Faces
Affinities: Shadow, Space, Fire
He exhaled slowly.
In his past life, he was a failed startup founder—smart, underestimated, and eventually buried by bigger names. This time, he'd be the one pulling all the strings. Not as a warrior. Not as a prince.
But as a shadow no one dared chase.