Villain: The Creator's Revolt

Chapter 2: Now That Things Have Come to This, Let's Just Fool Around for Now

The impact was brutal, rattling Sean's throat as he struggled to process the shock.

The last model he had worked on before his sudden death had been Cheryl—a secondary character who had undergone a redesign in later updates of the game. But now, the difference between the game world and reality, combined with variations in character appearance across versions, left him momentarily disoriented.

Then it hit him.

Cheryl... he was Cheryl.

No—wait. The memories flooding his mind made it clear.

Sean. He was Sean.

And not just any Sean—the Sean from the game.

Paradise City: The Hellish Metropolis

Paradise City. A sprawling dystopian metropolis with a population of 20 million, rebuilt from the ashes of the old world. A place that was both a sanctuary and a nightmare.

The city was controlled by four major factions:

[Golden Ghost] – The largest gang in the western district.

[Academy] – A faction focused on research and military advancement.

[Company] – The corporate overlords pulling unseen strings.

[Dusk Tower] – A shadowy, enigmatic force lurking in the background.

Sean, as one of the game's early-stage villains, was the second-in-command of [Golden Ghost].

A cruel twist of fate.

Sean let out a bitter chuckle.

The promotional trailer had painted him as a fan favorite—a stylish, cunning villain with a magnetic presence. Players, both men and women alike, had immediately labeled him "husband material."

But after the game's official release? His reputation plummeted.

The developers had botched his balance so severely that he became a laughingstock.

At first, he had been hyped as an intelligent villain, setting up intricate puzzles and forcing players to struggle through waves of brutal elite enemies before reaching him.

And then…

The moment they actually faced him, players quickly realized—he was pathetically weak.

His attacks were sluggish. His damage output? Minimal. His health bar? Even less than some of the elite mobs.

The game's strategy guides, filled with thousands of words detailing the challenges before his fight, all reduced his actual battle instructions to just two words:

"Stand and shoot."

To make things worse, Sean's fate in the story was doomed from the start.

If the player followed any plotline, he would die.

If they made a different choice? He would still die.

Even the final boss had a potential route for survival. But Sean? No chance.

The irony burned.

Why?

Because Sean himself had designed this character.

As a modeler at his company, he had been responsible for both his design and animations. Even the humiliating defeat CG had been his work.

Back then, it had been a fun little project.

Now? It was his reality.

A Deadly Encounter in the Rain

The cold rain continued to pour, toxic and unrelenting. The "Evil Dome" that loomed over Paradise City ensured that every drop was laced with hazardous chemicals from the Great Cracks below.

But the poisonous downpour was the least of his worries.

Because standing before him, bathed in the rain's eerie glow, was her.

A woman with silver-white hair and striking crimson eyes.

She strode forward with quiet confidence, her gaze locking onto his.

"Hello, Mr. Trophy—"

More memories resurfaced. Sean exhaled sharply.

I know this scene.

I know her.

He forced himself to stay calm, his mind racing through the possibilities.

"You just killed my confidant and my bed partner, and you're this calm? Someone who doesn't know better might think you came here to rescue me… Princess, Miss Amanda."

Before he could react, a powerful force slammed him into the nearest wall.

A metallic sphere in Amanda's hand transformed instantly into a glowing, double-headed energy blade, pressing against his throat.

Her crimson eyes flashed with lethal intent.

"How… do you know my identity?" she demanded.

Sean swallowed, his pulse steady despite the deadly threat.

She won't kill me. Not yet.

Amanda was ruthless, yes. But she never struck without reason.

And he knew exactly why she was here.

A Night of Chaos and Opportunity

The night's events were playing out just as he remembered from the game.

Sean had come here to "negotiate" with the leader of the [Fog Ghost] gang. Within [Golden Ghost] territory, "negotiation" was just a polite way of saying: "Submit, or I'll slaughter your entire family."

Somewhere along the way, however, the two had ended up in bed.

Then Amanda had burst in.

But she hadn't come to kill Sean.

She had come to capture him.

Her reasons were twofold:

1. One of her tribesmen was being held in Sean's underground prison, and only he could unlock it.

2. She needed Sean as a bargaining chip to steal an airship from the [Academy] and rescue more of her people.

But Sean knew how this story ended.

There were three possible ways he would die tonight:

1. Killed in the crossfire during a chase.

2. Executed by his own boss when the handover happened.

3. Torn apart when Amanda's latent genetic power awakened in desperation.

A villain's fate was never kind.

But this time…

He wasn't going to accept it.

A new thought took root in his mind.

On that airship, an extremely important item was waiting.

Something that could change everything.

Sean's lips curled into a slow, calculating smirk.

A Gamble Worth Taking

The rush of adrenaline drowned out any fear.

If there was a chance to fight back, to rewrite his fate, he would take it.

"Miss Amanda, since you knew I would be here tonight… isn't it only fair that I would know a thing or two as well?"

His voice was calm, almost amused.

Amanda studied him for a moment before withdrawing her blade, allowing it to collapse back into its spherical form.

Then, for the first time, she smiled.

A slow, knowing smile.

"So, the infamous villain Sean has been playing dumb all along…"

Sean exhaled through his nose.

This woman was dangerous. Sharp. Relentless. And suspicious as hell.

But that didn't matter.

Because in the end, this was his chance.

His chance to survive.

And from here on out…

He was going to change the game.