The Holy Sword Aurelius didn't break when it pierced my heart. It hummed.
"Don't look at me like that, Han-Seol," Princess Elara whispered, her eyes shimmering with faux tears that would look beautiful on the front page of tomorrow's kingdom gazettes. "The world doesn't need a God-Slayer anymore. It needs a Martyr."
I coughed, gold-flecked blood splattering my shattered armor. Around me, the "Hero's Party"—the brothers-in-arms I had bled with for ten years—stood in a silent circle of betrayal. We had just slain the Demon King. The air in the throne room was still thick with the scent of sulfur and victory.
My victory. Their glory.
[Warning: Heart Rate Critical.] [The 'Holy Savior System' is disconnecting from Host: Han-Seol.] [Reason: Mission Complete. Hero Utility: 0%.]
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in my mind. The system I had served, the one that forced me to be "pure" and "selfless" for a decade, was discarding me like a broken tool.
"You're... all... snakes," I wheezed.
Elara twisted the blade. "No, Han-Seol. We're politicians. Goodbye."
Darkness rushed in. My vision blurred into a sea of red system notifications.
[Forced Disconnect Initiated...] [Error! Soul bound too tightly to System Logic.] [Searching for available vessel for Soul Re-allocation...] [Vessel Found: Thug #412 — 'Drake Vance'.] [Compatibility: 0.01% (Villain Alignment).] [Emergency Protocol: Initializing The 'Malfunction Refund' System.]
I bolted upright with a gasp that felt like swallowing glass.
The scent of sulfur was gone, replaced by the overwhelming stench of stale beer, cheap cigarettes, and overflowing trash. I wasn't in a palace. I was in a cramped, windowless studio apartment with peeling wallpaper and a flickering neon sign outside humming a rhythmic, buzzing tune.
"What..." I looked at my hands. They weren't calloused from the sword. They were thin, shaky, and covered in cheap tattoos of snakes and daggers.
I staggered to a cracked mirror in the corner.
The face staring back wasn't the "Radiant Hero of Light." It was a pale, sunken-eyed youth with greasy black hair and a permanent scowl.
Drake Vance.
The memory hit me like a physical blow. Ten years ago, during my first week as the Hero, I had cleared out a local gang called the Steel Rats. Drake Vance was a low-level thug I had personally kicked through a brick wall. He died instantly.
I was now the very first "trash" I had ever cleared.
[Ding! System Synchronization Complete.] [Current Status: Petty Villain.] [Current Wealth: 12 Credits (Beggarly).]
"You've got to be kidding me," I croaked. My voice was raspy, nothing like the melodic tone the Holy System had gifted me. "I saved the world, and I get reincarnated as a footnote?"
I balled my fist and swung at the mirror in a fit of rage. I wanted to smash the reflection of this loser.
Whiff.
Because of my lingering dizziness, my fist sailed three inches past the mirror and hit the soft, moldy pillow on the unmade bed instead.
[Warning: Villainous Intent Detected.] [Action: Attempted Property Damage (Mirror).] [Result: FAILED. (Target missed.)]
I froze. A golden screen, vastly different from the blue "Holy" screens I was used to, shimmered in the air.
[Calculating Refund...] [Since your Villainous Act failed miserably, the 'Malfunction Refund System' has triggered a 100x Compensation!] [Refund Issued: 'Shattering Strike' (Passive Skill) x 100 Power Magnitude.] [Permanent Stat Gain: Strength +50]
Suddenly, my right arm didn't feel weak anymore. It felt like it was packed with pressurized hydraulic fluid. The air around my fist began to vibrate.
"A refund... for failing?" I whispered.
Before I could process the insanity, the thin plywood door to the apartment was kicked open. Three men in leather jackets, carrying spiked bats, stepped in. The leader, a massive man with a scarred lip, sneered at me.
"Drake, you rat. You owe the Boss five thousand credits for the 'protection' you didn't pay. Since you're broke, we're taking your fingers as interest."
In my past life, I would have tried to negotiate or offer a heroic speech about redemption. But as I looked at the man's smug face, I felt a dark, surging impulse.
I didn't want to be a Hero anymore. Heroes get stabbed in the back.
I raised my fist—the one that had just received a 100x refund.
"I don't have the money," I said, a slow, predatory grin spreading across Drake's pale face. "But I can give you a different kind of interest."
I swung.
[Notice: If you miss this punch, the 100x Refund will trigger 'Divine Obliteration'.]
I purposely closed my eyes and aimed two feet to the left.