The sudden notification echoed in Damien's mind like a whisper behind the curtain of reality.
It was the first alert he'd received since the day the Super Villain System had bound itself to him.
A glowing panel appeared in his mental space, crisp and futuristic. He focused, and the system interface opened.
[Host: Damien Westbrook]
[Combat Power: 89]
[Charm: 198]
(Note: Average for adult males is 100)
[Villain Aura: 99]
*[Villain Points: 100]
*[Skills: None]
It was a clean, no-nonsense display—his personal stats laid bare.
The low Combat Power made sense. After all, Damien's pastimes included luxury brunches, tailored suits, and arriving at school in a Bentley—not exactly a recipe for athleticism.
But the Charm score?
Almost double the national average. And it showed.
Perfect bone structure. Peerless style. Elite grades. And a surname worth more than some countries' GDP.
At Silvercrest Academy, Damien was a walking heartthrob—the crown prince of the schoolyard. Girls giggled in the hallways. Teachers smiled a little too fondly. Even Aria Lane, the so-called queen of cold elegance, occasionally looked his way.
"System," Damien asked mentally, "what exactly does Villain Aura mean? Is 99 high or low?"
[Response: Villain Aura is exclusive to the host. It serves a role equivalent to the Protagonist Aura possessed by the main character. Protagonist Aura never falls below 300. Your current score of 99 is considered low—leaving you vulnerable to early narrative elimination.]
Damien's eye twitched.
Narrative elimination?
He cursed under his breath. "How do I increase my Villain Aura?"
[Villain Aura increases through actions such as suppressing the protagonist, stealing his fated opportunities, or winning over female leads—either emotionally or physically.]
Winning over female leads?
Now that sounded like a plan.
Damien's mood lifted ever so slightly. "So if my Villain Aura matches or exceeds the protagonist's, I can avoid a doomed ending, right?"
[Clarification: Equal Villain and Protagonist Aura will elevate your narrative role to the Final Boss archetype—surviving until the climax, but still fated for defeat. Only by surpassing the protagonist significantly can you alter the ending. Even then, 'alter' may simply mean avoiding death—not ruin.]
"So I survive the wreckage, but still lose everything? Great."
He scowled. It wasn't enough to just live.
He wanted to win.
His eyes narrowed. "Can I kill the protagonist?"
[Congratulations, Host. You are finally thinking like a proper villain. The greater your Aura advantage, the higher the likelihood of eliminating the protagonist entirely.]
Damien exhaled slowly. It was clear now—he wasn't just a stepping stone. Not anymore.
He was going to flip the script.
"Alright, what can I do with Villain Points?"
[Villain Points can be used in the Super Villain Mall to draw items or purchase tools for countering the protagonist. They can also unlock detailed character scans, revealing stats and hidden traits of the protagonist, female leads, and other plot-relevant figures.]
"Open the mall."
[The Super Villain Mall is currently locked. It will become accessible when Villain Points reach 500.]
Damien clicked his tongue. "And how do I earn more Villain Points?"
[Altering the original storyline, defeating or delaying the protagonist's rise, and achieving advantages through villainous success will all contribute to Villain Point gain.]
The moment the system quieted, Damien stood still for a few seconds, deep in thought. His mind was already drawing strategies like chess pieces across an invisible board.
He had time. The story hadn't reached its first major arc.
Which meant he had chances. And leverage.
He turned to Colt Jensen.
"Call the other two idiots. Tell them to drag their swollen faces to school."
Colt blinked. "Uh…"
"What do you mean 'uh'? Don't ask. Just do it."
"Yes! Right away." Colt scrambled for his phone, fumbled it once, then tapped in the numbers.
After a few moments, he turned back. "Mick and Reed are on their way."
Damien gave a satisfied nod.
The game was on.
—
Damien and Colt strolled down the polished stone path that led toward Silvercrest Academy's main building.
"Hey—ain't that our sister-in-law? Morning, sis!" Colt suddenly shouted, grinning like a fool.
Damien turned to follow his line of sight.
There she was.
Walking gracefully under the morning light, Aria Lane looked every bit the goddess people whispered about.
Tall and elegant, with raven-black hair cascading past her shoulders, and skin that practically glowed against the navy-and-gold school uniform. Her features were delicate yet refined—oval face, sculpted nose, rosebud lips, and deep hazel eyes that held both intelligence and mystery.
Even in a crowd, she was the kind of girl you couldn't miss.
Aria Lane—the school's academic committee vice president and indisputable Queen Bee.
And, of course, one of the story's main heroines.
Yes, one of.
Because in a world like this, no self-respecting protagonist ever ended up with just one love interest.
Aria was smart, beautiful, and refined—on paper, a perfect match for Damien Westbrook.
By all logical standards, no guy in the entire school came close to his level.
If this were the real world, the two of them would've been dating already. Engaged, even.
But no—thanks to the brain-dead author of this reality, Aria had been written to feel zero attraction toward Damien. In fact, she was mildly repulsed by him.
Meanwhile, his original self had been scripted as head-over-heels obsessed with her. The ultimate simp. Blind to every other girl throwing themselves at him.
And the worst part?
Later in the original storyline, Aria would fall hard for the protagonist. Hopelessly. She'd even use Damien's love for her to help bring him down.
He'd die because of her.
And even then, he wouldn't hate her.
Pathetic.
Not this time, Damien thought bitterly. There's no way I'm walking into that ending again.
It was still early in the plot. Aria hadn't developed feelings for the protagonist yet. Right now, she saw him as just another classmate.
As for Damien?
She found him annoying. Maybe even a little creepy.
Right on schedule.
As soon as Aria heard Colt yell "sister-in-law," her face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
A few students turned to look, whispering to each other. Some pulled out their phones, smirking.
Aria gritted her teeth.
She knew Damien's lackeys had a habit of jokingly calling her that in class.
But out here? In front of the whole school?
While their classmates were used to the running gag, students from other grades might not know the context. Which meant only one thing—
Rumors.
"Colt Jensen!" Aria snapped. "Cut it out! There's nothing going on between me and Damien. Don't call me that again."
"Aww, c'mon," Colt grinned. "It's only a matter of time, right? Might as well get used to it."
"What do you mean 'your boss'?" she said, glaring. "Quit spouting nonsense! And don't call me that again!"
Aria's foot stomped hard against the concrete.
"Sister-in-law~ Sister-in-law~ Siiiiiister-in-laaaaw!"
Colt doubled down, chanting louder with each step, like a drunk cheerleader with no shame. More students started watching. Even a few teachers nearby turned their heads.
Aria's ears turned crimson.
That was enough.
"Shut your mouth." Damien's voice was sharp and ice-cold.
Colt froze mid-chant, mouth snapping shut.
Damien walked forward, calm and poised, stopping about a meter in front of Aria.
Her heart skipped a beat.
What is he doing? Hug me? Try to kiss me? In front of everyone?!
A wave of panic rose in her chest. She instinctively took a step back.
But Colt, unprompted, stepped behind her like a wall, cutting off her retreat.
Aria's jaw clenched. Her pride wouldn't let her just stand there and play the victim.
They wouldn't dare… would they?
She narrowed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for a scene.
If they try anything stupid… I'll scream. I'll fight. I'd rather die than let them humiliate me.