It was yet another day.
"Wake up before I punch you again!"
My older sister nagged me for wasting my life away.
Unlike her I was the useless child in my parents' eyes—and honestly, I couldn't deny it.
Afterall, I have been living off my sister for who knows how long.
"Five minutes... just five more minutes."
She frowned at my words.
"Seriously, what am I supposed to do with you.
When will you ever grow up and find a job?"
'Easy for you to say, sister.
Unlike you I am an utter waste of space after all.'
I recalled my childhood memories, the same ones that seemingly followed me even now.
As if I am possessed by them.
"I will eventually.
Don't worry, I won't keep bothering you for much longer."
I said as I woke up from my sleep.
I had no energy, no determination—not in my speech nor in my movements.
It was as if I was simply alive not by choice but by force.
Seeing me in such a state, she darted off.
Soon after, I heard the sound of the door banging shut.
It was time for her work, after all.
I couldn't have her worrying about me twenty-four seven, right?
Moving sluggishly, I made my way to my headquarters.
A corner of the room where my computer was set up.
Yes, this was my headquarters where I spent most of my time of the day.
Without much else to do, I booted up the game that I recently got hooked in.
Games were the only thing that kept me from drowning in my past.
I could spend my time without worry and truly feel enjoyment in continuing on.
"False Hero."
A game I'd been playing for well over a month now.
Exploring all the possible routes and items that I could.
I had seen this same white loading bar span across more than a thousand times now.
Yet, I was still far from calling myself a veteran.
Sitting there waiting for this game to load, my heart stung from guilt.
Is it really okay to be doing this everyday even though I had told my sister that I would make an effort to better myself?
Oh well, that I'd leave to my future self.
For now, I just needed to pass time, occupied with this.
'Why is the loading taking so long?'
I sat there, lost in thought.
I blinked a few times, as if to avoid staring at the loading bar.
It created the illusion that it was loading faster.
As a daily gamer it had become second nature at that point.
After all, I wasn't someone who could handle waiting.
Between blinks, I was suddenly blinded by a bright light.
My posture had changed; I was now standing with a person Infront of me.
He had short black hair with crimson eyes.
Those eyes were set on me.
"Welcome back from the holiday trip, young master"
'Me? a young master?'
"What do you mean?"
I noticed my voice was rather different all of a sudden.
He looked at me as if confused by my question.
"Huh? Young master Vulkan, are you perhaps still not feeling well?"
That's when the realization had hit me.
I was in "False Hero"
'Ah, shit.'
And as none other than the bastard Vulkan.
A day had passed since I crossed over here.
Strangely enough, after a short while, everything felt unsettlingly natural.
To the extent that it felt like I had lived here my whole life.
Of course, adapting that fast left me queasy.
But even that feeling had faded.
Either way, I had come to terms with the fact that I was in a game—None less than one of the main antagonists of the game.
"Vulkan Ashborn."
A man that felt like a demon sheathed in human flesh.
The very incarnation of pure evil—Killing and torturing people for a mere laugh was his daily life.
He sought happiness in anything and everything that could make a person feel sad.
He went as far as to kill key characters across the routes just to make the main character feel even a little more depressed.
In the end, it was all futile, regardless of the route, Vulkan was a character destined to meet his demise by the hands of the main character—the hero.
While I was lost in thought, a servant had approached me.
While they may not show it on their faces, it was clear that I was an object of terror to them—their trembling fingers betraying their calm facade.
"Young master, are you feeling well now?"
"Don't worry, I am good"
To my answer, the servant froze, he didn't expect me to answer so reserved—A stark contrast from Vulkan's sadistic behavior.
I had no intention of wearing the same face as he did.
Although it is very regrettable that a semester passed since the start of the scenario.
'What would the main characters think if I suddenly changed?'
After all, through the encounters against me, the main character, Ignis.
'Will the main cast be able to survive the other villains if I stop meddling with them?'
I couldn't help but think about what I should do.
The choice was mine.
I either had to lead the scenario the same way I—Vulkan did in the past.
Or blindly jump into a web if not careful.
The consequences were dire.
Not only were there endings that endangered the whole race, but also endings that could potentially doom the whole world.
It looked like I had no other choice.
At least on the surface I had to maintain my demeanor the same as Vulkan had.
I couldn't risk losing my plot knowledge that I had.
I didn't know whether it was the effect of Vulkan's mentality but for the first time I had to lead my life to a better place.
After all, if I managed to graduate from this academy, my life would be set.
It was not called the most prestigious academy for nothing.
With my mind set, a few days had passed.
I had become accustomed to Vulkan's life, my movements had gotten refined to that of a noble.
In fact, Vulkan was the heir to one of the most politically involved dukes of the kingdom.
To him, my behavior right after possessing him would be considered more abnormal.
Adaptation as such really was a creepy feeling.
In the back of my mind, I still kept questioning my fast-paced understanding and change.
Nonetheless, it was about time regular classes started.
I found myself roaming the vast campus of the Salvania academy.
It was as if it were a kingdom the size of a modern-day city.
Simple buildings, like cafeterias, reaching unprecedented heights almost as if each individual facility were its own castle.
I swiftly made my way to class.
The layout was the exact same as the game.
It was practically second nature for me to know the whole map.
As I was in awe of the sheer scale of the hallway, I bumped into a petite figure carrying a pile of paper.
We both clashed and fell across from each other.
'Ah, shit.
Really?!
Her out of all people?!'
Sitting across me in a daze was a girl with long silky blue hair and radiant eyes that glowed as if they contained the light of the stars—Eyes of a type reserved for magical geniuses.
She looked at me with a disgusted face, as if she had seen a filthy stain—It was none other than the main heroine of the game.
The first friend of Ignis, Hania Emberthorn.
My hands moved before my thoughts; I had started gathering the pile she had dropped.
Even after she had given me such a look, I hurried to give her a hand.
That's when it struck me.
I was Vulkan, a guy that had spared no effort in humiliating her alongside Ignis.
Such dystopian actions from Vulkan would only warrant suspicion.
Before I could finish gathering, I abruptly stopped and handed her whatever I had piled up by that time.
It was not much but, it was something.
I quickly took off without making eye contact.
I am not as heartless as him to leave without helping.
It was a reflex edged into my soul from my past.
'I hope she doesn't sense anything odd about me'
As the boy left the girl in a hurry.
A flicker of something odd ran through her eyes.
She was frozen in place for a whole minute before she could regain her composure.
There was a small pile of papers placed on the ground right next to her.
The one who compiled them?
None other than the person who spared no effort in humiliating her.
There wasn't a day that went by without an attack from him.
This was the first time, her eyes sensed good in him.
Yet she couldn't believe it.
'There's no way that guy would ever be so kind.
If anything, it was probably another ploy to get me humiliated'
She thought.
After all, all that her eyes ever picked up was pure evil emanating out from him.
'There is really no way, right?'
She laughed bitterly waiting for the humiliation of the day to arrive.