Rain Holmes was not a man easily shaken.But as he stood before the mirror, staring into the eyes of a stranger, even he had to admit—
This was insane.
The face staring back was his... and yet not his. The person in the mirror was far too handsome, too flawless. Aristocratic, lean, tall—probably 180 centimeters—and blessed with hair so silky and dark it looked like it had been kissed by moonlight. His skin was porcelain smooth. His jawline could slice bread. And his eyes—
Void-black, bottomless, quietly terrifying.
He slowly raised a hand to his face. The reflection copied him. Warm skin met cool fingers.
"This is... me?" he whispered.
The absurdity of it all finally began to sink in.He had died. He remembered it clearly—office, truck, death. A brutal yet unceremonious end.And now?
Now he looked like the protagonist of a fantasy otome game designed by a fangirl with too much time and too many forbidden desires.
"…No wonder I slept half the day," he muttered. "Reality had to take a minute to load."
He took a long, steadying breath and closed his eyes.Okay. Let's take stock.
'I've reincarnated. That's obvious. But into what? A noble's son? A prince? A cursed orphan with hidden bloodlines?'
He began pacing.
'Why does this body feel unfamiliar, yet… mine? Did I steal it? Did the previous owner die? Was this a swap? Possession? Soul fusion? ...Please don't let it be a soul fusion. That trope always sucks.'
But there was one constant in every transmigration story he'd read.
"If I've really been isekai'd," he muttered, "there's gotta be a system."
He sat cross-legged on the luxurious bed and closed his eyes, focusing inward. Nothing fancy—just the good old-fashioned "meditate and hope for a menu" routine.
Silence.
Still silence.
More silence.
'...Figures.'
And then—
► [Appropriate Host Found.]► [Beginning System Binding…]
His eyes snapped open.
'Called it.'
Excitement flared in his chest. The kind he hadn't felt in years.
► [35% System Binding…]
'Thirty-five percent? That's slow. Is this system running on dial-up?'
► [The Host is advised not to insult the System.]
He blinked. 'Oh? You can hear my thoughts?'
► [Correct. All mental processes are monitored for optimal synergy.]
Rain smirked. 'So... if I say you're a glorified Excel sheet with delusions of grandeur?'
► [The Host is warned. Continued provocation will result in corrective action.]
'What're you gonna do? Error message me to death?'
BZZZT.
Pain. Sharp, sizzling, white-hot pain.Like being tasered by a lightning god with a grudge.
Rain let out a strangled scream and collapsed onto the bed, limbs twitching.
"GAAAH—WHAT THE—!?"
His body spasmed, every nerve set alight. His vision blurred, mouth dry.
► [Correction Administered.]
'C-Correction!? That was TORTURE, you glorified—!'
BZZZT.
Another jolt. He bit his lip to muffle the scream.
After a few more seconds of electro-hell, the pain ceased.
Rain lay there panting, hair sticking up in all directions, looking like a fried chicken nugget.
"…Noted," he croaked. "Don't mess with the system…"
► [System Binding Complete.]
'Finally.'
With what little strength he had left, he whispered the sacred command:
╠═⌠ Status ⌡═╣
A glowing blue window blinked into existence before his eyes:
► Name: Rain / Leon Smith► Age: 19► Rank: –F► Strength: –F (You get winded lifting a spoon.)► Health: –F (A sneeze could kill you.)► Stamina: –F (Let's not talk about endurance.)► Charm: A+ (Looks like an angel, acts like a gremlin.)► Intelligence: C+ (Not dumb. Not a genius. Functioning.)► Mana: N/A (Too pathetic to measure.)
► Evaluation:A soft, pretty boy with the combat power of a dying kitten and just enough brains not to eat glue. Good luck.
Rain stared.
Then stared some more.
"…This is a status window or a roast session?"
► [All metrics reflect objective truth.]
He groaned and flopped backward onto the bed. "I'm a walking marshmallow."
► [Correct.]
'Strength and stamina are garbage... no surprise. I sat at a desk 24/7. But –F? Seriously?'
► [Stats inherited from previous life. You are, quite literally, still you.]
He sighed. 'Okay. Fine. At least I have charm.'
A smirk twitched on his lips. 'A+ Charm? Eat your heart out, fantasy world.'
His eyes dropped to the mana section.Empty. Broken. Worthless.
"…Really? Even here I can't catch a break."
And then—his name began to flicker.
► Updating identity…► New Name: Leon Smith► Title Assigned: Newborn Villain
He sat bolt upright.
"Leon Smith…?"
It wasn't just a name. It felt powerful. Noble. Like something ripped straight from a legendary family line.
Villain.
There it was.
The role he'd been assigned.
No chosen hero. No hidden dragon bloodline. Just a side character fated to fall. A future antagonist waiting to be crushed.
He exhaled slowly. Then, a small, cold smile spread across his lips.
"…A villain, huh?"
He stood up, his body still sore, but his steps firmer. He faced the mirror once more, studying his new form. He could already feel it—the stirrings of change. Of power waiting to be earned.
"If I've been thrown into this world to lose..."
His hand clenched into a fist.
"…Then I'll make sure I lose on my terms."
He would survive. He would climb. He would bend the world to his will.
Villain or not—this time, he would be the one writing the story.