Chapter 1: Extremely Evil

Chapter 1: Extremely Evil

He heard words that seemed to strain his ears. It felt like a shitty, unfair reality.

He was someone who had always held onto positivity, believing that even if his current life was miserable, his perseverance would eventually allow him to achieve the things he had always dreamed of.

But that belief was shattered by the words of this entity.

He asked desperately, “H-Huh? M-Me… d-dead?”

At first, he tried to tell himself he was just dreaming or hallucinating.

He scratched his face and pinched his fingers, desperate to wake up from this nightmare. But when he looked up, the same woman, the one who had just spoken those impossible words, was still sitting right in front of him.

Reality crashed down on him.

“Fuck… is this real? Am I hallucinating?”

He stared at the angel, thoroughly shocked by the monotone way she had delivered the news. His death was far too sudden.

His brain couldn't process it, nor could his emotions keep up with it.“Me? F-Fucking d-dead?”

After all the grueling labor he had endured to buy that setup… even starving himself to save enough money. He had finally bought the game. He had been ready to enjoy his hard-earned reward in the form of a VR device and Nevestria.

And then he had somehow fucking died for some unknown, bullshit reason?

Was this some kind of sick joke?

Was fate playing with him?

Was life just screwing him over?

None of it made sense. It was far too sudden.

He felt like he was losing his mind.

He stammered again, “M-Me? F-fucking d-dead?”

He couldn't comprehend how unfair life could be. After all his hard work, sacrifices, and the pain of living in extreme poverty... after years and months of saving... he just died? For what?

For some stupid reason?

His chest tightened. He struggled to process his thoughts as his eyes welled up with tears.

His mind felt like it was fracturing under the weight of the devastation.

He looked at the woman and asked, his voice trembling with desperation, “Is it really true that I'm dead?”

The woman, who had been gazing up at the starlit background, slowly shifted her gaze down to him. Their eyes met for a brief second.

“Hmm… well… hehehehe.”

He heard a soft chuckle as she answered in that same flat, monotonous tone, the same voice she had used to announce his death earlier.

To her, this matter seemed entirely trivial.

“Yes, you are dead… Keizen.”

She slowly rose from her marble seat and glided toward him, her eyes lingering on his face. “You died... for reasons unknown.”

She spoke casually, as if delivering trivial idle banter. To an entity like her, the death of a lowly mortal was just another mundane daily event.

Desperate for closure, he pressed her, “H-How?”

In contrast to his crumbling state of mind, he needed a concrete reason for his passing.

“T-Then how the f-fuck did I die? What was the reason? Did I d-die the moment I entered the game? What h-happened? Was all the pain I s-suffered entirely in v-vain?” he continued, his tone thick with desperation.

He fired off questions so frantically that his voice cracked. His mind edged closer to a breakdown, yet the beautiful creature continued to look down at him with quiet detachment.

Then, she smiled sweetly and answered,

“Hmm, I can't tell you that…”

Her reply brought far more questions than answers.

However, he noticed a subtle shift in her tone.

Despite her monotonous delivery, a slight change crept into her voice. “Well, I'll give you a hint. How does that sound?”

A flicker of genuine excitement entered her voice as she spoke. It was as if she found him and his tragic situation suddenly entertaining.

She looked at him with visible amusement, her eyes glinting.

A hint?

That was a crucial lifeline right now, a hint that might lead him to the truth behind his death.

“A h-hint? What kind of hint?”

His hyperactive mind and body began to settle as he stared at the woman in front of him, filled with intense expectation.

He waited for her to speak.

“Ehem... even within our system, it couldn't predict that someone like... you... would die upon entering Nevestria. You’re the sole individual who died for an undisclosed reason, making you quite the anomaly to the rule.”

She chuckled before continuing, “It’s a first for our system, you know?”

A system of what? he thought, unable to make sense of it. As a simple human, he couldn't grasp the angel’s logic.

He asked, “An anomaly? What do you mean?”

The woman laughed softly, as though he had asked something utterly hilarious.

“Hehe… I can't say much more. You’ll have to find those answers yourself…”

Find the answers myself? He had suddenly woken up in this surreal place, and she expected him to go investigate his own death?

What a joke.

She continued, “However, we’ve decided to grant you compensation for your untimely passing, hehehe. Therefore... Well, we've decided to offer you two choices.”

Two choices? What did that mean? He began running through every possible scenario this entity might present, questioning whether any of it was even genuine. He couldn't help but remain suspicious of her.

“Hmm…”

Still, a strange sense of relief washed through him. A fresh starting line. If he really had a choice, he needed to make the absolute most of it. A new start in life, a chance to live again as a human.

He locked his focus onto what she was about to offer.

“Option one… You can accept your permanent death and pass on to heaven, living like a monk or a speck of light staring into the sun for all eternity.”

The angel chuckled, presenting the scenario as a matter-of-fact detail.

“You’d just stare into the sun forever. No food to taste, no scents to smell, no sights to behold... and certainly no intimate relations with anyone. Sounds pretty dull, doesn't it?”

It did sound dull. He was already sick of a boring, painful existence… endlessly working just to buy bland food, returning to a foul-smelling room, and never having the time or money to enjoy life. He had never even had a girlfriend or a real friend.

He had slaved away every single day just to survive and afford the VR device he hoped would change his life, only for that very device to end him the moment he put it on.

It was an ironic, miserable life.

He answered sternly, “Yes. That sounds... extremely boring.”

His voice carried absolute honesty. He was dead anyway; he had nothing left to lose by speaking frankly.

“Yes, exactly… That’s why she proposed an alternative…”

She? Who was 'she'? Some kind of deity wanting to give him a second chance?

So much information was being withheld from him. He didn't even know his own cause of death, let alone the true identity of the beautiful entity standing before him or who this mysterious "she" was.

His life was so thoroughly ruined that he wasn't even allowed to know how he had died.

“Ehem! The alternative is to give you a new life inside Nevestria… Now, doesn't that sound exciting?”

A new life? The very thing he had dreamed of ever since he was a child?

“A new life? What do you mean by that?”

He swallowed hard. If what he was thinking was correct... he might actually have a chance to rewrite his fate.

“Yes... a new life. A life where you can truly live. We’ll also provide you with a safety net: you’ll be born into a fairly wealthy family so your life won't be as miserable as your previous one.”

A new starting line, a life where he could pursue his dreams and live to the fullest.

No more drowning in grief and poverty. This was an opportunity to experience what it meant to truly be alive, rather than rotting on a moldy mattress.

“Ehem… However, we must implement a balancing coefficient specifically for you.”

A balanced implementation? Was this an update to keep him from becoming overpowered?

As an experienced gamer, he possessed deep knowledge of MMORPGs and RPGs… especially those requiring strategy and critical thinking.

That knowledge was precisely why he had been so eager to start playing Nevestria. He knew he was skilled enough to make a living through the game, which would have allowed him to quit his exhausting physical labor.

Because of his background, he was thoroughly familiar with game updates and balance patches designed to prevent certain classes or mechanics from breaking the game.

“I see. And what is this balancing coefficient you're placing on me?” he asked.

The angel replied cheerfully, “Well, the family you're placed into will be entirely randomized.”

Randomized? He quickly calculated the odds. If he landed in a good family, his life would be set. If he landed in a bad one, he was screwed.

It was a high-stakes gamble, a game of Russian Roulette with only two outcomes.

“And furthermore…”

She began walking slowly, her hands folded behind her back as she paced in a circle around him.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

The sharp clicking of her heels echoed in the quiet space. Her scent was otherworldly, but her deep golden eyes held a subtle, unsettling thrill as she observed him.

“As an added adaptation for your insertion into this world, we’ve decided to adjust your structural status. You will exist as a hybrid entity: you’ll be a Semi-player, Semi-NPC.”

She chuckled softly as she looked at him.

“Huh? Semi-player, Semi-NPC?” He stared at her, flabbergasted. Instinct warned him that this condition carried a hidden catch.

Her smile stretched wider, turning almost predatory as if she were relishing the prospect of his upcoming struggles. “Yes… As a semi-player, you will retain access to your status window and your questline…”

She continued, that creepy smile transforming her angelic face into something far more demonic. “However... your inventory storage, crafting system, skill menu, and several other standard features will be locked.”

Of course they're locked, he thought. It was already an immense privilege just to be granted a second life. He remained wary, but he had no leverage to bargain. He had to accept it.

“Additionally, per the regulations set by the Divine Council, 'they' have permitted you to retain your past memories in this new world.”

That's a huge advantage, he realized. With his extensive knowledge of MMORPG mechanics, if he played his cards right, he could carve out a great life for himself.

“So I get to keep my memories and knowledge from my previous world? I suppose that’s a valuable gift...”

Closing the distance, she stepped right up beside him. Her warm breath brushed against the back of his neck as she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in to whisper:

“Just remember... despite these perks, if you die in that world, you die for real. You only get one life.”

He glanced back at her. She drew an index finger horizontally across her neck in a chilling gesture.

One life. One death. This was his real existence now.

She glided back toward the marble chair and took a seat.

“Hehe… that’s the gist of it! Now, as for the lore of the world... Do you want to hear it?”

He replied firmly, “Yes, please. Tell me the world's lore.”

He hadn't managed to read up on the story background before logging in. Exhausted from his daily shifts, he had spent what little free time he had reading low-level strategy guides rather than background lore.

Besides, the game had only launched a few days ago. Having a solid understanding of the world's history would give him a massive head start.

Right now, information is his most valuable asset.

“Well, the world was once brought to the brink of total collapse by a universal threat known as Chaos. It wiped out half of the planet's population and consumed half of the world's landmass.”

“Through an alliance between the surviving races known as the Alliance of Unified Races. They managed to push the conflict into a stalemate. Even now, the war rages on, with Chaos steadily encroaching on the Alliance's territory.”

“Various races inhabit the remaining safe half of the world: Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, Vampires, Giants, Sirens, and many others, all fighting against Chaos at the borders. These races have established their own sovereign nations across the safe continent.”

“Within the Human Nation where you will reside, a prestigious institution was established: Vonheim Academy, named after the legendary First Human Hero.”

“It was built to nurture young talents with immense potential, equipped with national-level resources and taught by the continent's elite instructors to bolster humanity's military strength.”

“You will be born into one of the noble houses within the Arkansas Empire, one of the primary empires ruling the Human Nation.”

“However, as I mentioned, your family assignment is completely randomized. You'd better pray for a good house, or you're in for a miserable time, hehehehe!”

She laughed, a mocking, spiteful laugh that openly relished his potential misfortune. She was looking down on him.

“So, do you fully understand the stakes of entering this new world?”

He understood completely. Good luck meant a smooth life; bad luck meant early death.

Russian Roulette, plain and simple.

“Yes,” he answered coldly. On the inside, he was fuming at her condescending attitude.

“Very well... then we have a deal.” She clasped her hands together, stood up, and looked at him with a soft murmur.

“Good luck... and try to have fun.”

She offered him a radiant, gorgeous smile, a stark contrast to her mocking remarks moments prior.

“As for your class, since you don't possess one, you'll have to acquire it on your own. In any case, this is goodbye... See you around.”

She clasped her hands once more.

Instantly, his vision snapped to black.

“Woah…”

When he opened his eyes, he was lying in an extraordinarily lavish room.

“What the hell? Is this real?”

He was resting on an impossibly plush mattress with pillows so soft they felt like clouds. A massive, intricately carved canopy draped in luxurious fabric framed the upper bedposts.

“It’s so soft… I’ve never felt anything like this in my entire life.”

He remembered the moldy mattress from his old apartment, paired with two rock-hard pillows that used to leave his neck sore.

Sleeping back then had been a battle against discomfort and the lingering smell of damp rot.

“Is this what luxury feels like?”

Beside the bed stood an ebony wood nightstand giving off a pleasant, soothing scent. On it sat a white marble vase filled with fresh, vibrant flowers.

“Is this how the rich live?”

Comparing this to his broken, termite-eaten table back home, this place felt like a palace.

“Shit... there's an entire wardrobe, a reading nook, and a chandelier.”

Near his bed stood a massive wardrobe filled with elegant attire for various occasions. A mini-chandelier cast a warm, golden glow across the room, and a small library filled with leather-bound books lined the far wall.

Opposite his bed, a set of glass doors led out to a balcony bathed in a soft blue light.

“This really is my new world…”

He threw off the covers and walked out onto the balcony to find the source of the light.

“A blue sun… flanked by two moons.”

It was a breathtaking fantasy landscape, surreal and majestic. But then again, he was no longer on Earth.

“This is where I get to live now… hehehe.”

A quiet sense of relief washed over him. The room was grand, comfortable, and peaceful. He felt a deep sense of gratitude knowing he would never have to return to endless physical labor just to survive.

“Hmm?”

Or so he thought.

“What’s this?”

A floating blue panel suddenly materialised in front of his eyes, flickering with strange symbols.

[Universal Language… Activated!]

“Are you kidding me?”

It was the exact same system interface he had seen in the cosmic void. But this time, a cascade of crimson notification warnings flooded the screen.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

[House Randomization Complete.]

[You are now an official member of House Zekenia.]

[House Zekenia Alignment: EXTREMELY EVIL.]

As more warning boxes popped up, a cold, suffocating dread seized his body. The entire interface turned a deep, blood-red hue as if warning him of the nightmare he had just been dropped into.

“Shit… I’m fucked. Completely fucked.”