Advent Of The True Villain

Alex always loved reading fantasy novels, immersing himself in worlds brimming with magic, danger, and adventure. The ordinary world around him felt dull and meaningless in comparison. If only, he often mused, he could be part of one of those fantastical worlds. Yet, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

One moment, Alex had been crossing the street, earbuds in, lost in his thoughts about the latest novel he had finished—Versatile Mage. The next, a blaring horn and the deafening roar of a truck snapped him out of his daydream, though far too late. Impact. Pain. Darkness.

When Alex opened his eyes, he wasn't in the hospital, nor was he floating off into some ethereal afterlife. Instead, he found himself in a bizarre limbo. The space around him shimmered like fractured glass, and his body was half-transparent, almost ghostly. Before him stood a giant roulette wheel, glowing faintly with an otherworldly aura. Floating in front of it was an elegant envelope, sealed with a wax stamp adorned with the image of a pair of dice.

Cautiously, Alex reached for the envelope, his translucent fingers trembling as he broke the seal and pulled out the letter inside. The elegant handwriting flowed across the page like something out of a storybook.

Hello there,

If you are reading this, then congratulations—you are going to be transmigrated to the last thing you read or played in your world. If you think this is unfair or want to go back, you have no choice. Your very existence has been removed from your original world, meaning no one remembers you, and in a way, it's as if you were never born in that world.

You were given this chance because my sister and I were playing a game of fate in which two dice were thrown. Whatever shows up on these dice happens to some random soul, and we watch them fight against their fate, which, most of the time, doesn't happen—most of the time, the dice win.

But you, my friend, were chosen by both of our dice. One showed Eternal Death and the other showed Long Life, creating a big contradiction. Since the rules can't be broken, we need to remove your existence from that world in the form of Eternal Death and give you a chance to live in another world to satisfy the Long Life condition. If we let you live in your original world, you would have become a Singularity, which might have caused a hole in the world's laws and ended it.

Well, anyway, that's why you were chosen. Now, let's talk about the important stuff—the roulette in front of you, which will decide the power you will get in your next life, meaning the cheat ability that will help you survive.

You just need to press the start button and then press the stop button when you feel ready, and boom, you have a cheat ability. But I can't guarantee that the ability will be good or bad.

As a last gift from us, we both will give you our blessings.

And you will be reborn or transmigrate to the thing you last read.

Well then, good luck in your next life, kiddo.

Alex lowered the letter slowly, his mind racing. "So, let me get this straight," he muttered, pacing back and forth. "I died because two cosmic dice rolled poorly? And now I'm being thrown into another world with... what? A spin of a roulette to decide my survival?" He ran a hand through his translucent hair, sighing heavily. "This is either the worst luck or the best thing that ever happened to me."

He glanced back at the roulette wheel, its colorful sections spinning slowly as though taunting him. Symbols and words flashed by, each representing potential powers or abilities. Some looked enticing—Supreme Elemental Mastery, Eternal Youth—while others were downright concerning—Snail Speed, Random Explosions.

"Alright then, let's see what fate has in store for me," Alex muttered, stepping up to the roulette. His mind was surprisingly calm, though his heart beat faster with anticipation. If this was his new reality, he would approach it with the pragmatism of the many protagonists he had read about. No panicking. No whining. He had to play the hand he was dealt.

With a deep breath, Alex pressed the "Start" button. The roulette began spinning rapidly, its hum filling the limbo with an almost hypnotic rhythm. Colors and symbols blurred together as Alex stood still, his sharp eyes tracking the wheel. He didn't leave it to chance entirely; he waited, analyzing the patterns. Then, with a calculated motion, he pressed "Stop."

The wheel came to a sudden halt, landing on a glowing segment labeled Plunder System. A chill ran down Alex's spine as a black light shot out from the roulette, slamming into his ghostly form. He winced, clenching his teeth as the energy coursed through him. The sensation wasn't painful, but it was overwhelming—like an entire galaxy of stars bursting within him.

"Plunder System?" he murmured, his voice laced with skepticism. "Sounds more like a curse than a blessing."

Before he could process further, the shimmering limbo began to dissolve. A white door materialized in front of him, glowing faintly. Alex squared his shoulders, determination hardening his features. He had no idea what lay ahead, but standing still wasn't an option.

As he stepped toward the door, two melodic voices echoed around him. "For cursing at us, we'll be taking some of your memories relating to the world you are being sent to. Bye!"

Alex froze, a flicker of panic breaking through his calm facade. "Wait—what?" he started, but the door swung open, sucking him in before he could protest further. The voices chuckled as the limbo vanished, and Alex's consciousness faded into darkness.

In his final moment of awareness, one thought pierced through the void: Never trust the gods.