"Why Am I dying?"
This question was reverberating in my head ever since I was shot and left to die in the middle of the road.
Maybe this was retribution from God for taking the wrong choices in my life. Maybe this was for ruining many lives and killing innocents.
Hell No! There are no innocents in this world. I killed those who are just like me, bathing in an aura of corruption and debauchery. I ruined those people who climbed to the top by destroying others' life.
They weren't innocent, then why?
Is this regret? No, I never regret for what I did in my life. I'm just sad that what I dreamed for won't be completed, now that I'm about to die.
My eyes can't stop tearing, is this because of pain? No, the pain has become numb. Maybe this is my end.
William finally lost his consciousness. His breathing ceased and his heart stopped working for the first time since he had stepped in this dirty world. but it seems this isn't end of his story.
Somewhere in the void. A mystical being looked at a particular soul, its eyes widening. "Here comes the another one." The being sighed, pulling the soul from Karma evaluation line.
"Huh, Am I not dead?" William muttered when he felt himself moving but the moment he opened his eyes; he was shocked to find himself before a bright figure he couldn't see, yet he could feel it's gaze upon him.
"You are indeed dead!" the being in bright light spoke.
"Who are you a God? and why are you shinning so bright? I can't even see how a God looks like." William asks, thinking he is already dead, what more there to left to be afraid?
God in return answer, "You are too weak to see my current self. As for your first question, maybe yes." Its answers were vague just like its figure.
"So, what we are here for? Are you going to recite my crimes before judging me? You don't have to do that; I already found myself guilty. You can send me to hell directly." William as always direct but God sighed.
"Unfortunately, that's not my duty. We are here because our Ai system made another wrong choice and killed you before your actual time." It paused to let William digest this news but William in shock spoke, "Do God also use Ai?"
"Huh! You are not surprised that you died untimely but rather if we Gods use Ai? Indeed, we use it. Do You think only humans have brains?"
William sighed this time. "What's there to be surprised? Now that I'm dead. Not that you are going to give me another chance or something."
"I can indeed give you another chance to rectify my mistake, but whether you want it or not, it's up to you." The being let William decide his own fate.
"Yes, if you can, then yes, but what and where? I don't want to go back to my own world." William gave his choice which the being accepted.
The being spoke, "even if I wanted to, I can't send you to your original world and right now, the only place I can send you is another world, a world vastly different from yours. I can give you two choices as a gift from my side."
"First is to be reborn as a child of a wealthy family, with the Hero system-the gift I was talking about. Or, To be transmigrated into the body of a boy from a villainous family, a life filled with hardship and uncertainty of death with choice-based system, now it's your call?"
Guess what I chose!
You guessed it wrong. I didn't choose the life of the hero because there is no joy in it. Saving the world, Killing villain, and happy ending-we all are bored with the same repeating clichés.
Instead, I choose, the life filled with thrills, uncertainties, debauchery and death. The perfect life for a villain with my Choice Based Villain System.
"What a strange mortal!" The being thought but then shrugged, "Who cares, with living such a life, he won't survive long."
I had made my choice and I wouldn't regret it. Though the God looked surprised, but who cares? This is my life, and only I get to choose how I want to live it.
With flick of his finger, I was sent flying in a void and like that, who knows how many days, night, months or even years went by but for me, I just lost consciousness.
Just like before, everything went silent, but then a jolted pain in my head forced me to open my eyes.
"This fucking!"
I stopped mid-sentence when I saw myself surrounded by group of people who were menacingly laughing at me.
"So, he is the weakest Eden, huh! Truly the weakest; with one kick, he flew over to the tree and hit his head." The men with strange clothes laughed at me. He was huge like a giant, wearing warrior's clothes.
There was even a big hammer in his possession but he wasn't alone. There were dozens of them, not everyone big like him but they seemed to be mocking someone called Eden.
Wait! Am I bleeding? And their laugh is pointed towards me, this means…
Memory of the body began filling his mind. William holds his head as if it was about to explode.
It came. The previous owner of this body was so pathetic. His family was considered as the villainous family, and here the previous owner was trying to run away from his family. He considered himself righteous and different from his family but did their enemies care about his feeling?
"No!" William scoffed, even he feels mocking such a pathetic guy. He really was different, the weakest of them all, Will Eden, the weakest member of the Eden family.
"Will Eden, So you really were hiding inside the tower. Do you know how much bounty is on you head?" Giant man spoke, still taking his time to enjoy playing with his prey.
This world has a tower, and right now I'm on its first floor. Though it didn't felt like a tower, but a world of its own. From my memories I found out that the Tower is the gateway of connecting two worlds.
This world, which is considered as the small world and another, which is known as mother world. As for the rest, I don't think I have leisure of thinking about it as the giant man had begun gripping his hammer, preparing for the last strike.
[Ding]
[System has been activated]
Well here comes my life saving system. Just in time. I think I still have two minutes before the giant man will smash that hammer on my head so system show me a way to save my life.
[Ding]
[Real time choice-based system]
CRITICAL PREDICAMENT: SURVIVAL. CHOOSE YOUR FOUNDATIONAL SKILL.
SKILL 1: DEAD SERVANT
Effect: Revive a recently deceased individual within a 100-meter radius. The revived entity will serve you.
Outcome: Unpredictable. The nature and capabilities of the servant are unknown.
SKILL 2: ECHOING INSIGHT
Effect: Gain a fleeting, critical insight into the weakest point or most guarded secret of one target within your line of sight.
Outcome: Provides crucial information for strategic advantage. One-time use per target.
TIME REMAINING: 01:30
TIME REMAINING: 01:05
With that limited time. I didn't even think twice. I choose what I believe is the best skill for my survival.
System! I choose Skill: DEAD SERVANT.
[Ding]
[Skill: DEAD SERVANT has been granted]
[Scanning for deceased individual within a 100-meter radius.]
[Failed]
[Failed]
[Failed]
TIME REMAINING: 00:40
Do it fast before my head gets busted into pieces by that big hammer.
[Ding]
[Match found]
[Reviving the dead within …10]
[Reviving the dead within …09]
TIME REMAINING: 00:08
Both the time were tickling together and I was just hoping for a single chance. But I wasn't sure if I can survive this or die without even living my second life.
The giant was close. His grip on his hammer tightened as he was blabbering about the bounty on my head. Then with a full swing he mocked, "Ten thousand magic stones for this weakling's head."
TIME REMAINING: 00:00
His words ended and as a giant hammer came towards my head, ending my breathing once again.
[Reviving complete! SummoningDEAD SERVANT.]