Villain: The Creator's Revolt

Chapter 4: This World Has No Need for a Bottom Line

For the first time in his life, Sean found himself wanting to describe the taste of a girl—despite the fact that just moments ago, she had been killing people like it was nothing and had even attempted to decapitate him.

It was like freshly peeled lotus seeds after a rain—subtly bitter, yet strangely pure.

This probably shouldn't have lasted long, yet for some reason, the flickering firelight made their shadows dance endlessly on the wall.

But Sean quickly lost his initial surprise—and any vague sense of enjoyment.

It was too stiff.

He felt like he was chewing on flavorless jelly.

Instinctively, he leaned back, trying to escape, but Amanda grabbed the back of his head with force, clearly displeased with his retreat. There was an anxious intensity in her eyes.

Just as Sean was about to protest, a sudden, warm, and sweet sensation caught him off guard. His brows shot up in surprise.

Amanda finally pulled away.

"You actually stretched..." Sean began, but his words died mid-sentence as he met her gaze.

Her crimson eyes were cold.

Only the hand gripping the hilt of her sword trembled slightly.

She had confirmed it—everything he said was true.

Amanda's hands trembled violently for a moment, but soon, she regained her composure.

She wiped her mouth indifferently, her voice flat. "She's in your darkroom, isn't she?"

Sean leaned back on his hands, mimicking her nonchalant gesture as he wiped his own mouth. "Do you believe me now?"

Amanda nodded without hesitation. Ever since her sister's fall, her perceptive abilities had been the strongest among the Rainbow Nest clan. To verify Sean's words, she had resorted to the most reliable method she knew.

She didn't care who Sean was. She only cared about one thing—whether her own people had truly betrayed their clan.

And now, she had her answer.

The entire tribe had sacrificed almost everything to send them down the mountain—and yet they had dared to betray their own.

For Amanda, this was more than treachery. It was unforgivable.

A crime worthy of death.

Yet, despite the fury coiling inside her, she held onto one last sliver of hope—she needed to hear it from the traitor's own lips.

Sean knew Amanda too well. He could read her thoughts as if they were printed on a page.

"You want to ask them yourself," he said. "Even though I told the truth, you want to confirm it firsthand, don't you?"

Amanda nodded again.

"I'll take you back," Sean said. "But not yet. Give it two days."

"Why?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm. "If what you're saying is true, and you really want to work with me, then why wait? Wouldn't it be smarter to act now?"

Sean shrugged. "Our boss hasn't woken up yet, and until he does, it's not safe for me to return."

He was awake now, but just moments ago, when he had regained consciousness, he had missed something crucial—something that sent a chill down his spine.

Before Cheryl broke through, the gunfire outside hadn't just been coming from the enemy. Some bullets had been aimed directly at Sean.

Which meant there was a traitor in the [Golden Ghost].

If it weren't for Amanda's energy shield, he would've been shot the moment he stepped outside.

Amanda studied him for a moment before speaking, her tone noticeably softer. "I see…"

Sean smirked. "You should know by now—there are a lot of people in Paradise City who want me dead. And not just my enemies. My so-called 'allies' aren't too fond of me either."

Amanda was silent.

She had not only confirmed the truth about her people's betrayal but had also verified that Sean wasn't the monster the city had made him out to be.

So then, why?

She hadn't been in Paradise City for long, but the name "Golden Ghost" was already infamous. A lowly street gang had somehow risen to become a behemoth, monopolizing nearly all resources.

But when the gang's leader, Jin Kui, fell ill, the man he had appointed as his second-in-command had been described as a reckless, arrogant fool.

A villain who had personally sabotaged the "Golden Ghost," reducing its power by a quarter through meaningless conflicts, shameless power grabs, and outright foolishness.

Yet, standing before her now, Amanda could see that Sean was far from the incompetent fool the rumors made him out to be.

Why?

Sean could practically hear her thoughts. He flashed a crooked grin.

"Don't overthink it," he said. "Sometimes, I just do things for the hell of it."

"Including sleeping with a senior executive's fiancée on your first day in power?" Amanda asked, her tone neutral.

Sean licked his lips shamelessly. "That girl—she was very soft."

Amanda turned away, completely expressionless. "Good. Then I don't have to feel responsible."

Sean nearly burst out laughing.

It was almost adorable, watching this wild girl pretend she was a hardened veteran.

Still, the situation wasn't funny.

Had he done terrible things?

In the version of Sean from the original plot—absolutely.

But if you asked him right now?

Of course not.

(And no, blowing up his neighbor's toilet when he was seven didn't count.)

More importantly, all the "bad things" Sean had done in the past…

Had been intentional.

Memories of the early and mid-game plot flashed through his mind, and he found himself studying Amanda's face as she stared into the fire, absentmindedly poking at the flames.

She had left behind her once-pure world, stepping alone into a cruel wasteland. She had tried to make herself cold, ruthless, and mature.

But she was still just eighteen.

Sean recalled the various endings she had met in the original plot.

In most of them, the Rainbow Nest clan never made it off the mountain.

The only two instances where they did?

In one, Amanda was killed, and her people became nothing more than research specimens for the Academy.

In the other, her clan settled in a new land—only to be nearly wiped out.

Amanda survived just long enough to take revenge on her enemies, then spent the remainder of her days helping other oppressed tribes.

Until, eventually, she died fighting in the darkness.

That was why she had been so beloved in the forums—despite never being a love interest.

But…

A flicker of guilt crossed Sean's eyes.

For a moment, he hesitated.

Then, his gaze hardened.

He had to play his role well.

Because as one of this world's creators, he knew—better than anyone—just how hopeless it truly was.

Those who had a bottom line never survived.

And so, he would do what needed to be done.

Even if it meant dragging Amanda down with him.

"Come on, princess," he thought. "Let's take a leap into the abyss together."