Under the midnight curtain, darkness both suffocating and boundless engulfed the world. Accompanying it were howling winds and distant thunder that rumbled in sinister harmony, while rain poured without mercy.
Click, click, click!
In a dark room, the sound of a person typing on a keyboard was audible.
Click-!
The typing halted. A young man leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms with a soft groan. He muttered, "Finally finished my character design. Now, it's time to choose my path."
This young man was an avid reader of xianxia novels, a part-time third rate author, and a full-time connoisseur of wasting time. Recently, his online Daoist friend, Elder Chumu, had messaged him about a new idle cultivation game.
"Brother you must try this! Every time I open this game, the Great Dao gives me euphoric backshots!"
Even though he wasn't particularly into cultivation games, those words of cosmic truth uttered by his Daoist friend still echoed in his mind.
Wanting to give face to his Daoist friend, the young man went ahead and installed the game—
Immortality: The Path of Supremacy.
With yet another casual click, the computer screen underwent a dramatic transformation and a new set of words manifested with style.
[Since ancient times, the cultivators of the True Martial World have harnessed the ability to connect with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, using it to pursue immortality. This has created a land of magic and wonder.
However, hidden behind its enchanting facade lies a harsh and unforgiving reality, where only the fittest survive and strongest rule.
Whether they are the majestic Immortal Saints or the revered Demon Emperors, all of them rise and fall in the vast river of time. Only the will of heaven remains constant and boundless.
So in this lifetime, what do you aspire to be?
The choice is yours to make! ]
After reading the passage, the first thought that crossed the boy's mind was, 'Damn, should I use this for my novel's synopsis...?'
Without wasting much time, he retrieved his phone from his pocket and snapped a picture of the passage.
'Inspiration is meant to be taken,' he thought. 'Why let some cheap game hoard all the good lines? Hehe, if my book blows up, I'll be sure to credit them… in my heart.'
Afterward, he promptly returned to the game and clicked on the "Next" button.
The screen changed once more, revealing various options accompanied by jade beauties playfully dancing in the background.
Their robes fluttered like celestial clouds, and their gazes were like those of immortal fairies descending into the mortal realm.
The young man observed the jade beauties with great interest, he couldn't help but comment, "Tsk, here come these kingdom-toppling bitches. Eyes so pure they resemble celestial jewels, and her jade skin so immaculate, you'd swear she pisses liquid moonlight. Haha, I dare not forget those massive juggernauts which could cast shadows over Mt.Tai itself!"
He chuckled to himself before finally looking at the options.
[Fellow cultivatior, choose your fate:
•Lin Fan: Heaven grade aptitude, Peach Blossom Luck inheritance, Heaven Defying God Sword (Innate sword skill).
•Feng Yuan: Yellow grade aptitude, Principle of souls, Deceiving Buddha Physique (Otherworldly Physique).
•Zhou Fan: Immortal grade aptitude, Nine reincarnation sword art, Heaven and earth warship(Sacred treasure).
•Wang Sheng: Earth grade aptitude, Heaven Devouring Cultivation Tactic, Virtuous Heart Physique (Worldly Physique)
•Heavenly Decree: Random fate+Grade 5 storage ring+Mystery gift ]
"Blah, blah.." The boy yawned sleepily and clicked on the last option.
He didn't really care about the game but instinctively chose the one that seemed to offer the highest amount of benefits. It was just his nature. To pick anything but the option with the greatest benefits was utterly beneath his consideration.
[Loading... the heavens are deciphering your karma...
In your initial reincarnation, you stood as a mortal emperor, raising a mountain of corpses... in your third life, you were a mad scholar who devoured the flesh of innocent children to preserve his youth... And in this final reincarnation you persist as ascourge upon the world, an unrepentant villain! ]
He raised an eyebrow, "Huh, it seems I'll be taking on the role of the bad guy. Well.. that's actually interesting."
A smirk tugged at his lips.
Something about it resonated with him. Villains were always the most entertaining. But heroes? Boring and predictable. Always tied down by their stupid morals, their dumbass ideals, their need to be the "good guy."
As for villains, they made their own rules. They weren't bound by morals, weren't constrained by honor, and weren't the ones to uphold the so-called justice of the world. They did as they pleased, unapologetically so.
And this was also where his journey as a third-rate author began. He deeply lamented the lack of true villain stories. People were ignorant of what a truly evil main character was.
Most stories got them so damn wrong. Why were villains always arrogant morons? Always giving dumb speeches, always leaving loose ends, always walking straight into their own deaths because they thought they were invincible? That wasn't a villain. That was an idiot wearing black.
But you know what pissed him off the most? Those half-assed "villain" protagonists. The ones who claimed to be evil but suddenly grew a conscience when it actually mattered. Oh, you can slaughter thousands, but harming one innocent girl is where you draw the line? Bullshit!
If you were truly a villain, there'd be no hesitation. Kill the men, the women, the old, the children, even the dogs and cats if it came down to it. There would be no real friends, only associates, discarded the moment they ceased to be useful. No second chances, no loose ends, no stupid emotional baggage. A proper villain was ten steps ahead, gripping heaven and earth in his grasp.
A sudden thought struck him. 'What if I ended up in a world like that? What kind of person would I be? Would I hesitate? Would I cling to my old morals, or would I adapt? Would I become the kind of villain I always wanted to read about?'
He leaned back, hands behind his head, letting the thought settle.
The pragmatic part of his brain whispered.
'If the world is cruel, then sentimentality is a liability.'
He wasn't naive. Even here, in the so-called civilized world, the rich stepped on the poor. Laws, ethics, and morality were nothing more than tools wielded by the powerful to maintain control.
Of course, he'd met good people. Seen kindness. Even admired it in a detached way. But had he ever really felt connected to that? No. Pragmatism made sense. Rationality made sense. That was what was real.
His eyes flicked back to the screen. Unrepentant Villain. The words stared at him, almost mocking.
'If I were really in that kind of world… would I be any different from how I am now?'
There was a long silence before a chuckle escaped his lips. "Hah. I'm overthinking nonsense again."
The boy wiped the sweat from his forehead, his palm coming away damp. Shifting in his chair, he pushed himself up slightly, feeling his shirt cling uncomfortably to his back. He reached out to open the window for some relief from the heat in the room.
Swoosh~!
What greeted him was a powerful gust of cool wind that carried the freshest scents of the world. For a moment, the stifling heat of the room felt like a distant memory.
However, before the boy could fully savor it, a tingling sensation coursed through his body, causing every hair on his body to stand on end like needles.
For a second, his body locked up.
Then a deep sense of unease swept into the boy's heart as he leaped to close the window. But he was a step too late!
An earth-shattering boom erupted in the sky as a pillar of lightning came crashing down and struck the boy at devastating force!
The world went white as the lightning bolt engulfed the young man, his entire body convulsed violently as searing pain tore through every nerve. He let out heart-wrenching screams of agony, but they were swallowed by the prideful roar of thunder.
Then the light slowly vanished, leaving only an abyss of absolute darkness in its absence.