Death was surprisingly uneventful.
Kael’s final thought wasn’t profound.
It wasn’t about his family.
It wasn’t about unfinished dreams.
It wasn’t even about regretting his life.
His final thought was—
This novel has the stupidest villain I’ve ever seen.
Then everything went black.
[Ding!]
[Soul transfer detected.]
[Searching for compatible vessel…]
[Compatibility: 99.7%]
[Transfer commencing.]
Kael’s eyes snapped open.
“—What?”
His vision was blurry.
Something cold pressed against the back of his head.
He tried to move.
Pain immediately exploded through his skull.
“AH!”
Kael grabbed his forehead and rolled onto his side.
For several seconds, he simply lay there, breathing heavily.
“What the hell happened?”
He slowly opened his eyes.
A massive four-poster bed stood beneath him.
Dark wooden furniture surrounded the room.
A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, its pale blue flames floating without any visible fuel.
There were expensive paintings on the walls.
A gigantic mirror stood near the opposite side of the room.
Kael stared at it.
Then froze.
The person staring back wasn’t him.
Black hair.
Pale skin.
Sharp crimson eyes.
A face that looked far too handsome for someone who had spent most of his previous life looking like an exhausted college student.
Kael slowly touched his cheek.
The reflection did the same.
“No…”
His heart began pounding.
He stumbled toward the mirror.
“No, no, no, no…”
He remembered that face.
He remembered it very well.
Kael Veyron.
The son of Duke Veyron.
A minor villain from the fantasy novel Chronicles of the Fallen World.
A character whose entire purpose seemed to be making the protagonist’s life slightly more annoying before being crushed beneath the protagonist’s foot.
Kael’s expression became increasingly pale.
“You’re kidding me.”
He looked around the room.
The luxurious furniture.
The Veyron family crest.
The unfamiliar magical artifacts.
Everything matched his memories.
Then—
[Ding!]
A translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Welcome, Host.]
Kael stared.
“…System?”
[Correct.]
[You have successfully entered the world of Chronicles of the Fallen World.]
Kael’s mouth twitched.
“So I’m really inside the novel.”
[Affirmative.]
“And I’m Kael Veyron.”
[Affirmative.]
“The villain.”
[Affirmative.]
Kael closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath.
Then opened them again.
“Can I go back?”
[No.]
“Can I choose another body?”
[No.]
“Can I at least become the protagonist?”
There was a brief pause.
[Host’s luck stat is insufficient.]
“…You could’ve just said no.”
[The System prefers honesty.]
Kael stared at the screen.
For some reason, he already hated it.
“Fine.
Then tell me something important.”
[Please ask.]
“When does Kael Veyron die?”
The system went silent.
A second later—
[Approximately 47 days from now.]
Kael’s face went blank.
“Forty-seven?”
[Yes.]
“That’s it?”
[Yes.]
Kael slowly sat on the edge of the bed.
Forty-seven days.
He had reincarnated into a character who was scheduled to die in less than two months.
And the worst part?
He knew exactly how.
The academy entrance examination.
A confrontation with the novel’s protagonist.
A duel.
Kael’s defeat.
Then the protagonist’s revenge against the Veyron family would begin.
Kael remembered the scene because it had been one of the most satisfying moments in the original story.
The arrogant young master finally received what he deserved.
At the time, Kael had laughed.
Now he wanted to punch his past self.
“Why did I ever enjoy reading this?”
[Ding!]
Another notification appeared.
[Emergency Mission Activated.]
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“Already?”
[Mission: Escape Your Original Fate.]
[Objective: Survive beyond the original death point.]
[Time Limit: 47 days.]
[Reward: Karma Points ×1,000.]
[Failure Penalty: Death.]
Kael stared at the final line.
“…That’s not much of a penalty.”
[Would Host prefer something more creative?]
“No.”
[Understood.]
Kael rubbed his temples.
“Okay.
What exactly are Karma Points?”
A new screen appeared.
[Karma Points are the fundamental currency of the Karma System.]
[They can be exchanged for attributes, skills, items, bloodlines, techniques, knowledge, and other rewards.]
Kael’s eyes widened.
“Other rewards?”
[Yes.]
“How do I earn them?”
[By influencing Karma.]
“That’s vague.”
[The System enjoys being vague.]
“…I really hate you.”
[Affection level unchanged.]
Kael almost fell off the bed.
Before he could argue, another notification appeared.
[Tutorial Mission.]
[Mission: Ruin Someone’s Morning.]
[Description: The Host must negatively influence another person’s morning.]
[Reward: 50 Karma Points.]
[Failure Penalty: None.]
Kael blinked.
“…What?”
[Mission clarification: The System does not require physical harm.]
Kael stared at the screen.
“So I just have to ruin someone’s morning?”
[Correct.]
“And I’ll get stronger?”
[Correct.]
A strange smile slowly appeared on Kael’s face.
For the first time since waking up, he felt hopeful.
Perhaps this wasn’t so bad.
Perhaps becoming the villain wasn’t a death sentence.
Perhaps—
A loud knock interrupted his thoughts.
“Young Master Kael!”
A woman’s voice came from outside.
“His Grace has ordered you to come downstairs immediately!”
Kael’s smile vanished.
He suddenly remembered something else.
The original Kael had been summoned by his father on this exact morning.
And that meeting was the reason he had been expelled from the family mansion.
Kael looked toward the door.
Then toward the system.
“System.”
[Yes?]
“Does insulting my father count as ruining someone’s morning?”
[Potentially.]
Kael’s grin returned.
“Excellent.”
He stood up.
He had forty-seven days to survive.
He had a mysterious system.
He had knowledge of the future.
And, most importantly—
He had absolutely no intention of following the original plot.
Kael walked toward the door.
Just before opening it, another notification appeared.
[Hidden Trait discovered.]
[Villain’s Instinct.]
[Description: The Host possesses an inexplicable talent for making situations considerably worse.]
Kael’s expression twitched.
“…Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
[The System considers it a gift.]
Kael sighed.
“Whatever.”
He opened the door.
The maid standing outside immediately stiffened.
Kael looked at her.
She looked at him.
Then she lowered her head.
“Young Master.”
Kael smiled politely.
“Good morning.”
The maid blinked.
The original Kael had apparently never greeted her politely before.
Kael walked past her.
Then the system chimed.
[Ding!]
[Potential Karma Event detected.]
Kael stopped.
A small smile appeared on his face.
“Interesting.”
Perhaps his new life wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Perhaps the villain wasn’t destined to lose.
Perhaps—
[Karma Event: The Host has successfully confused a servant by behaving normally.]
[Reward: 1 Karma Point.]
Kael’s eye twitched.
“One point?”
[Yes.]
“…I’m going back to bed.”
[Mission failure imminent.]
“Forget it.”
Kael continued walking.
The moment he entered the corridor, he heard several servants whispering behind him.
“Did Young Master just smile?”
“Maybe he hit his head.”
“Should we call the physician?”
Kael stopped.
The system appeared again.
[Karma Points +3.]
Kael covered his face.
“This system is going to drive me insane.”
And somewhere beyond the mansion walls, fate quietly began to change.