The chattering voices of the assembled elite slowly stopped sounding like a distant, dull murmur inside Rio's ears.
What had previously blended together into a meaningless background hum suddenly sharpened into clear and distinct sounds.
Laughter, casual greetings, and the clinking of expensive glasses echoed through the enormous ballroom, breaking through the thick fog of alcohol that had clouded his mind only moments ago.
Only a few minutes earlier, his thoughts had been drifting lazily inside a haze of beer and frustration.
Now the noise of the luxurious gathering felt painfully real, like someone had violently shaken him awake from a dream.
Every sound seemed too sharp, too clear, forcing his mind to confront the impossible situation he had found himself in.
Rio stood stiffly in the center of a grand, unfamiliar ballroom.
Golden pillars stretched toward the ceiling while enormous crystal chandeliers cast dazzling light across the polished marble floor.
The walls were decorated with elaborate carvings and expensive artwork, displaying the wealth and status of the people gathered here.
Compared to the overwhelming opulence surrounding him, the coat he wore felt embarrassingly thin.
The lackey uniform hanging on his shoulders seemed cheap and ridiculous among the luxurious suits and elegant dresses worn by the elite guests.
The fabric scratched slightly against his neck, constantly reminding him that he did not belong here.
His entire world had been overturned in an instant.
Not by divine intervention.
Not by some mysterious cosmic destiny.
But by a single moment of drunken envy and frustration.
His stunned green eyes slowly fixed themselves on a man standing across the room.
Kael Arden.
The name alone made Rio's heart skip a beat.
Kael Arden was the central villain of the novel The Seven Pillars of the City, a character Rio had always believed existed only within the pages of fiction.
Just minutes earlier he had been thinking about the novel while complaining about his miserable life.
Yet now the man stood there in the flesh, alive and breathing, casually speaking with wealthy elites as if the entire world naturally revolved around him.
Rio had seen Kael before.
Not in person, of course.
But on the cover illustration of the novel.
The artwork had depicted Kael as a ruthless figure with cold eyes and overwhelming charisma, someone who commanded both fear and admiration.
The image alone had been enough to make readers understand that this man was dangerous.
But the illustration had not done him justice.
Seeing Kael in three dimensions was far more unsettling.
Kael's posture radiated absolute power. He stood with the relaxed confidence of someone who had never needed to prove his authority to anyone.
His shoulders were broad and his frame massive, giving him the presence of a towering wall among the elegantly dressed guests.
He wore a perfectly tailored dark suit that hugged his body with flawless precision.
The expensive fabric reflected the chandelier lights in subtle patterns, making his already imposing figure appear even more refined and intimidating.
Every movement he made was calm and deliberate.
Even when he simply shifted his weight slightly, the people around him seemed to instinctively give him more space.
It was as if an invisible aura surrounded him, forcing others to acknowledge his presence whether they wanted to or not.
In his hand, Kael held a thin-stemmed glass of wine.
Rio immediately recognized it.
The elegant curve of the glass, the deep ruby color of the liquid inside, and the delicate golden rim around its edge were all unmistakable details.
Even the way the wine slowly swirled inside the glass suggested it was something extremely rare and expensive.
It was a high-end vintage reserve known only within the circles of the extremely wealthy.
Rio had seen that exact brand before.
Frank the arrogant blonde womanizer who occasionally visited Rio's apartment had once brought the same wine while bragging about how expensive it was.
Frank had spent half the night explaining the flavor, the aging process, and how only rich collectors could afford such bottles.
Rio had barely listened at the time.
Now, however, the memory returned vividly.
Just one bottle of that wine had cost more than several months of Rio's rent.
Seeing Kael casually holding it like ordinary alcohol spoke volumes about the man's status.
The realization struck Rio like a hammer.
The violent displacement of space and time was real.
"I'm in the novel."
The thought screamed loudly inside his mind, echoing through the empty space behind his eyes.
His breathing slowed as the terrifying truth began settling into his consciousness.
The ballroom, the wealthy guests, the dangerous criminals hidden among them—everything matched the world he had read about in the novel.
Before the full weight of transmigration could crush his thoughts, a loud and coarse voice suddenly cut through the air directly behind him.
"Rio! What the hell happened to you?"
The sudden shout snapped him out of his frozen shock.
"Why are you yelling so loud like an idiot and staring like a country pumpkin?"
Rio flinched instinctively.
He slowly turned around, his stiff movements betraying his lingering confusion.
Standing behind him was a thick-necked man with a heavily scarred face.
Several old wounds crossed the man's cheeks and forehead, each one hinting at violent encounters in the past.
His rough features were twisted into an expression of irritation and confusion.
The moment Rio faced him, the small group of men surrounding them burst into loud laughter.
Deep, hearty laughs echoed through the area as several bodyguards and low-tier Syndicate enforcers watched the scene with amusement.
Their muscular frames and hardened expressions made it clear that these were not ordinary party guests.
Seeing their usually calm strategist standing wide-eyed like a stunned fool was simply too entertaining.
"Maybe he got drunk before coming here, boss," one of them joked with a grin.
Another man immediately elbowed him in the ribs.
"Idiot, keep your voice down," he muttered.
The group continued chuckling quietly among themselves.
Then a massive burly man stepped forward from the group.
His cheap black suit strained tightly against a body built entirely from thick muscle. The fabric looked as if it might tear apart if he flexed too hard.
Despite his intimidating appearance, the expression he gave Rio carried unexpected respect.
"Be quiet," the big man said firmly.
"Maybe Boss Axel is thinking about something important. You all know he's the strategist. He wouldn't shout for no reason."
Several other burly men nodded in agreement almost immediately.
Their sudden respect made Rio feel even more uncomfortable.
The way they looked at him was filled with expectation, as if they believed he was some brilliant mastermind silently planning complicated schemes.
Rio—or rather Axel, his new identity—was supposed to be the brain of the group.
Not a fighter.
Not a thug.
A strategist.
The problem was that Rio himself was none of those things.
He was just a broke university student who had spent most of his life struggling to survive.
Their blind confidence in him felt completely undeserved.
Rio rubbed his forehead slowly, trying to push back the chaotic thoughts swirling inside his mind.
"Excuse me," he said carefully.
His voice came out calmer than he expected.
"I… need a moment. I'll be in the restroom."
Without waiting for further questions, he quickly turned and walked away.
Rio moved quickly through the crowd, trying his best not to attract any more attention.
The ballroom was filled with unfamiliar faces, each dressed in expensive clothing that probably cost more than anything Rio had owned in his previous life.
The smell of expensive perfume and aged alcohol lingered in the air, mixing with quiet laughter and low conversations.
As he walked, he noticed several people glancing at him briefly.
Some recognized Axel and nodded politely, while others simply ignored him. It seemed that even among the villain's faction, Axel held a certain level of quiet authority.
Rio kept his head slightly lowered and continued walking until he spotted the restroom sign.
The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere changed completely.
The loud chatter of the ballroom faded behind the thick door, replaced by an almost unnatural silence.
The restroom itself was just as luxurious as the rest of the building.
Smooth white marble covered the walls and floor, reflecting the bright overhead lights with a soft glow.
Golden faucets and polished mirrors decorated the sink counters, making the entire room feel more like a private lounge than a simple restroom.
Rio quickly locked himself inside one of the stalls.
Not because he needed privacy.
But because he desperately needed a moment to breathe.
His heart was still racing from everything that had just happened.
The sudden realization that he had somehow entered the world of a novel still felt impossible to fully accept.
Instinctively, his hands searched through his pockets.
A moment later, his fingers touched something familiar.
Relief immediately spread through his chest when he pulled it out.
A pack of cigarettes.
"Looks like Axel shares my one bad habit," Rio muttered quietly.
He stepped out of the stall and walked toward the mirror above the sink.
The reflection staring back at him still felt strange.
Sharp green eyes.
Neatly styled black hair slicked back.
A calm and calculating expression that looked far more confident than he actually felt.
Rio stared at the unfamiliar face for several seconds, studying every detail carefully.
"Guess this is my face now," he whispered under his breath.
He placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it.
The small flame flickered briefly before disappearing as he inhaled.
The first puff of smoke spread through his lungs and immediately eased the tight tension coiled inside his chest.
The familiar sensation felt strangely comforting.
He slowly exhaled, watching the thin gray smoke curl upward toward the ceiling before dissolving into the clean air.
"Sure enough," he muttered.
"No matter where I go… cigarettes are still the only thing that calm me down."
Leaning against the cold marble sink, Rio began sorting through the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
The truth was unavoidable.
He had transmigrated.
Not only that, he had entered the world of an urban fantasy novel he had read before.
And worst of all—
He had become Axel.
A minor villain.
A strategist serving under Kael Arden.
And if his memory of the story was correct, Axel did not have a particularly pleasant ending.
Rio let out a short laugh.
"I was trash back there anyway," he murmured.
"I had nothing… no money… no future."
He remembered the miserable apartment he had lived in.
The constant arguments.
The humiliation of watching strangers treat his own room like a cheap motel.
Compared to that life, this situation felt almost refreshing.
Instead of fear, a strange excitement slowly began growing inside him.
"This might actually be a blessing," he said quietly.
"I escaped that garbage life."
His reflection in the mirror slowly formed a crooked grin.
Every transmigrator in every story he had ever read always gained something special.
A cheat ability.
A system.
Some kind of advantage that allowed them to survive in their new world.
Rio straightened slightly and looked directly into the mirror.
"System," he called confidently.
"Are you there?"
The restroom remained silent.
Nothing appeared.
Rio frowned slightly and leaned closer to the mirror.
"System?" he repeated.
Still nothing.
Only his own hopeful reflection stared back at him.
Rio scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Come on… this is the part where something cool appears," he muttered.
Just as he was about to give up, a sudden sound broke the silence.
A loud splashing noise echoed from the urinals behind him.
Rio instinctively turned around.
Standing near the wall was an incredibly fat man.
The man's round body stretched his expensive suit to its limits while he relieved himself with great enthusiasm.
The aggressive stream echoed loudly inside the marble restroom.
Rio blinked slowly.
The fat man suddenly noticed Rio turning toward him.
The sound stopped immediately.
Looking embarrassed, the man quickly flushed the toilet with an unnecessarily loud bang.
He turned toward Rio with a red face and hurried forward.
"I didn't hear anything you were saying!" the man blurted nervously.
"And sorry for disturbing you, Boss Axel!"
Without waiting for a reply, the fat man rushed out of the restroom at an almost impressive speed.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Silence returned once again.
Rio stood there for several seconds.
His jaw slowly dropped.
"Did… did I just watch that guy panic while pissing?" he muttered.
He rubbed his forehead with visible frustration.
"What the hell am I doing…"
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
After a moment, he tried one more time.
"System."
Still nothing happened.
Rio sighed and leaned against the sink again.
Even if the system never appeared, his situation was still far better than before.
He had knowledge of the novel's story.
He knew the main characters.
He knew their weaknesses.
And he knew how many of them would eventually die.
A slow smile formed on his face.
"I can definitely survive here," he whispered.
"Maybe even do something big."
He straightened his clothes confidently.
[ "अग्निः शुद्धिमयः प्रकाशोः," ] he said softly.
[ "Fire purifies… and brings light." ]
Ambition burned quietly inside his chest.
Rio adjusted his tie carefully and smoothed out every wrinkle on his shirt.
Once satisfied with his appearance, he turned toward the restroom exit.
A small bounce appeared in his step.
But just as he reached the doorway—
His foot slipped.
The wet marble floor betrayed him.
Rio crashed down violently.
His head struck the floor with a loud THUD.
"FUCK!"
Pain exploded through his skull.
"Damn it! That hurts!"
He rolled on the floor clutching his head.
At that exact moment, the restroom door opened again.
A staff member entered, pushing a cleaning cart filled with mops and buckets.
The worker froze in place.
Before him was a sharply dressed Syndicate strategist rolling on the floor while screaming curses and holding his head.
The worker's face twisted into a strange mixture of confusion, pity, and disbelief.
Rio noticed the look immediately.
Embarrassment burned through him like fire.
The staff member quickly bowed respectfully before leaving the restroom.
Rio sat up slowly and rubbed his throbbing head.
"Why does bad luck always follow me?" he sighed.
Then
A soft electronic sound echoed in the air.
Ding.
Rio froze.
A red transparent screen suddenly flickered into existence before his eyes.
The glowing interface hovered above the marble floor.
Words began appearing across it.
[ 人為魚肉,我為刀俎 ]
[ Rén wéi yú ròu, wǒ wéi dāo zǔ ]
[ "Others are the fish and meat. I am the knife and the chopping block." ]
Rio's eyes widened, wasn't this words.
The screen flickered again.
✨ [ SYSTEM INITIALIZING ]
ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ [ Connecting to Host... ]
⚙️ Loading Process
🔹 [Progress: 10%]
🔹 [Progress: 25%]
🔹 [Progress: 50%]
🔹 [Progress: 75%]
◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜
[ Progress: 100% ]
◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜
[ System Activated Successfully ]
◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜
[ The Strongest System is now bound to Host ]
◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜
[ Did the host enjoy your restroom experience? ]
Rio's lips twitched slightly in irritation.
The system was clearly mocking him.
But the annoyance disappeared almost instantly.
Because overwhelming relief surged through his chest.
He had a System.
A real cheat ability.
Rio slowly began smiling.
Even if it was mocking him…
He was no longer trash.