Aryan's last memory was of a blinding headlight and screeching tires. When he opened his eyes, he thought he was dead. But the unbearable pain in his body told him he was very much alive. He was lying on the side of a dusty road. His clothes were torn, and they were weird by this world's standards (jeans and a t-shirt).
"Where am I? This isn't a hospital..." He stumbled, looking at his hands. Same old scars, same body. He was in his original body.
Suddenly, a sharp buzzing hit his mind, like a drill machine.
[Ding! Unknown soul-signal detected...]
[New host accepted. 'Path of the Villain' system synchronizing...]
Aryan was shocked. "System? Am I in some crappy novel?" he joked, but his voice trembled.
A semi-transparent red screen flickered in front of him.
[Host: Aryan]
[Cultivation: Zero (Ordinary Human)]
[Status: Severely injured and starving]
[Warning: In this world, being 'weak' is a death sentence. You have no 'Spiritual Root'. You'll never cultivate.]
"What? So I'll just die like a beggar here?" Aryan's face sweated. In this world, mighty warriors could shake mountains, and he couldn't even lift a stone.
The System's voice sounded like a cold smile: [Correction: You can't gain power through 'hard work', but you can 'steal' others' hard work.]
[First Mission: Need 'Essence' to survive. A 'Sacred Couple' lives in the nearby village. Their happiness is your biggest energy source.]
New Twist: Aryan becomes a villain out of desperation, not choice. He learns that if he doesn't obey the System, his body will explode from this world's heavy Qi.
Kingshan Village Scene: Aryan enters the village, starving. His eyes land on Su Yan. She's so beautiful he stops breathing. Then he sees her husband, Zhao, offering him a piece of bread with kindness. "Young man, you look terrible. Stay in our courtyard tonight."
Aryan's Internal Struggle: Zhao helped him. His conscience stops him. But the System notifies: [Ding! Zhao's 'Luck' is very high. If you don't make Su Yan think of you, you'll have a heart failure within 24 hours.]
"Damn this fate!" Aryan screams internally. He doesn't want to be a villain, but this world won't let him.
In the night's silence, as Zhao meditates, Aryan looks at Su Yan. His eyes now hold not pity, but a survival fire.