Chương 1: Chapter 0- Death and rebirth

[46.28]

I looked at my stopwatch which I started just right after I knew I was bitten. My eyes watered but I fought my tears. My body burned but I held it inside. I had a far greater source of attention and I can't miss these last few moments I got with her.

"Bella, you need to go!"

"I won't! I will become a zombie like you! I can't live without you!" My sister had shed more tears than this pain could have ever caused me. And truth be told, far greater than this wound, I was suffering from seeing her like this right now.

I have always protected my sister from every danger, especially when our parents left us. And even after this disease scattered across the globe, I have been shielding her from most of the threats for the past three years. But now, our journey has to be separated here.

We were betrayed by our crew with whom we have been living for the past six months and they left us with no ration and vehicles. All the weapons and supplies were gone when we woke up and since we were somewhere in the townside, there weren't any tall buildings to take cover as well.

Amidst the chaos, after I fired the flare gun to call for help, I got bitten by one of the zombies because of a lack of equipment.

Fortunately, the helicopter arrived and took care of the rest of the inhumane, and they were signalling to Bella to take the rope and fly along with them to some safe place.

But here, this stupid girl...

[32.29]

I glanced at the stopwatch and found I had only half a minute's worth of humanity left.

I held her cheeks and while looking into her warm blue eyes, I said, "Bella, you have to go since it would be worse than death for me to know that I possibly infected my sister."

"But br-" I covered her mouth and shook my head.

In these last moments, every memory I have spent with her flashed across my eyes as I whispered in the softest tone I could produce,

"Bella....you always....always have been my hope to live....so please...I beg you, for me you have to live..." I could feel my throat burning and my eyes turning blurry.

I pushed her away and started to run toward the other side.

"Brother!! No, don't leave me!!!!"

I could hear her cry but more than ever I ran as fast as I could.

"Haaaaa...." My breath became choked and ragged, my lungs struggling to release air in desperate gasps. Darkness crept into my vision, and a numbing void swallowed my mind.

It was a helpless feeling.

I numbly turned around and found my sister being carried away by one of the soldiers.

I found my lips stretching in a smile....at least she would be safe now....and I...I can now die in peace...

*DHAK*

********

.....

...

"Ah?!" Inside a spacious room, far too expansive for a single occupant, a boy with striking crimson hair abruptly rose from his bed, startling the nearby maid who had been quietly attending to her duties.

"Y-Young master?" The said maid stuttered while calling to the young man as she checked his complexion which seemed to be paler than a sheet.

The golden orbs of the boy stared blankly at the wall in front like he was awake but not. Sweat trickled down non-stop and the breathing of the boy suggested he was in pain.

The maid, upon not receiving any response from her master, turned on her heels and dashed out of the room as fast as she could—intending to call the healer.

"What...." The boy spoke up for the first time after waking up. His voice was slightly rough given his dry throat and his eyes were now burning which urged him to finally blink.

Because of the sudden change in scenery the boy, who a moment ago was a twenty-two-year-old man, didn't notice the long red locks covering his eyes and the fact that his voice sounded a lot softer than it should have.

He slowly got up from the excessively comfortable bed and analysed himself—his wrist to be more precise where a large wound should have been visible.

However, there was no doubt that he was in a far better condition and there were no abnormalities to signify that he had turned into a zombie.

The surroundings suggested he was in some kind of expensive hotel room(?) and was wearing clothes which could not have been factory-made.

*Clank*

The doors of the room were nearly shot out of their hinges because of the force being utilised behind the push. From outside entered a crimson-haired woman with tears staining her cheeks and following her, there were two men. But the boy recognised none of them.

"Richie, my baby! You are finally awake!" The woman didn't let the boy—now named Richie—even utter a word before she embraced him with such force that nearly hurt him.

"Madame Duchess, that might not be advisable. Please release young master before he suffocates." One of the two white robe-wearing men asked the lady and the said young master inwardly agreed to the thought.

The lady realised her mistake and immediately let him go, "Did I hurt you, Richie? Does it hurt anywhere?"

The boy scrutinized the woman intently, a nagging sense of familiarity tugging at his thoughts. However, amidst his chaotic state of mind, he couldn't quite place where he had seen her before.

"Sorry, but do I know you?"

The lady froze and so did the two men.

The smile on the lady's face broke, as she asked, "....you don't know me?"

The redhead boy slowly shook his head—and instantly widened his eyes as suddenly the lady began to fall to her knees.

"Careful!" Richie formally known as Richard, helped the lady before she could hurt her knees and the two men also came forward to help.

"M-My lady?!" Suddenly the same maid who rushed away from the room earlier rushed back in and checked on the lady.

Richard was more than just shocked to see that the lady had fainted—just because he didn't recognise her. It shows how much Richard mattered to her.

'But still....why does this feel so familiar....yet I can't seem to remember anything?' Richard frowned and, with the maid's assistance, carefully moved the woman to the bed where he had been lying just moments earlier.

"Uuu....Richie's smell...." The lady mumbled in her sleep before, with a smile, hugging the pillow on which Richard rested his head earlier.

....the way she sniffed it sent a shiver down his spine but he decided to not focus on it for now.

"Young master, do you really don't remember her?" The robe-wearing man who looked like a priest and had a long white beard, stepped forward and asked Richard with a frown.

Richard didn't have any collection of how he ended up here...or whether this was all true or not. In such a situation all he could ask for was,

"Can you give me some time to think in peace? I think I have amnesia."

"Amibia?...what is that?"

Richard raised his brows, but before he could explain them, someone voiced up a command, "Since the young master said he needs some time, I think we should respect his wish and leave him alone?"

It was a man whom Richard utterly failed to notice until now.

Long legs, sharp eyes and by looks one could tell that this middle-aged man has a stern personality.

The two priests gulped at the sight of the man. After exchanging a quick glance with each other, they swiftly departed.

"This way, young master. I will escort you to the guest room." The man spoke after he took a glance at the lady who was still having her time of life on the bed.

Richard had a bad feeling following the man so he said, "Umm, it's okay. I want to stay here for now. You can go."

Richard discerned much that he was the master here and could command whatever he deems right. And thankfully, the lanky man didn't insist and after saying, 'As you wish' he walked out of the room.

Richard looked around the room and found it

was huge and had some doors.

He decided to rely on his luck and opened one of those doors,

"Ah, nice." Mumbling to himself, Richard stepped inside the spacious bathroom.

There was a small pool created on the floor which was sufficient for four to five people to accommodate. However, Richard wasn't in the right mind to think about a bath for now.

He walked toward the sink placed just opposite the entrance and stared at the mirror reflection of himself.

Those golden eyes, that flame-like hair and this charismatic face...

'Have I reincarnated as a fucking mid-rank villain?!'

The surprise from his identity didn't last long before Richard found something more shocking,

[Initializing....]

[Memories retrieved...]

[Loading up the data....]

[Ding!]

[Do you accept the System to be integrated with your soul?]

[Y/N]

*******

A/N:- Nooooooo

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Chương 2: Chapter 1- Sudden request

Richard Scarlette was frozen in shock at his place as he stared at the golden screen floating in front of his eyes.

When he raised his hand, his hand went past through the screen—further confirming that he wasn't hallucinating right now. A system, just like those novels he used to read, awakened just after Richard realized his identity.

'What a cliche set-up....' Richard frowned as he looked at the system message again and contemplated.

If this all is true, which seemed to be most likely, then accepting the system seemed to be disadvantageous for him. He has seen many systems in those novels imposing tasks and inflicting severe punishment upon failures. One of those systems directly states 'Finish the task or die like a dog'.

Richard doesn't know how people liked such novels.

[Before the Host decides whether to accept the System or not, the System would like to list some features and advantages.]

Richard raised his brows. What was this? Marketing?

[The world the Host is aware of, isn't the same as this one. In the final battle against the King of Dead, the Protagonist had to sacrifice his life.]

Richard frowned deeply at that. This wasn't something he expected.

The novel he read in his last life, clearly stated that after a lot of struggle and sacrifice, the King of the Dead was finally eradicated from the world, and no one from the main cast died.

And in the end, they lived a happy life. The end.

Then....how come this System was stating something differently?

[The Host must be confused but this is how the world works. The King of the Dead was too strong to be defeated by some mortal beings. And as a repercussion of sealing the Demon Lord, the Protagonist died.]

Richard interjected, "Then...how does this world still exist? Sealing that deity-class demon wouldn't do any good. Wait...are we in the past and the story hasn't begun?"

Richard suddenly came to a conclusion which sounded absurd to his ears. However, his speculation was on point,

[Indeed, host. After the Emissary of Light—the Protagonist—was defeated the God of Fortune mourned as their last hope to save this world and disaster befell the heavens with the downfall of the Protagonist. That's why, the Goddess of Fate allowed this time reversal.]

Richard was having a hard time believing in this all...however, for now, he didn't outrightly reject the system and further asked,

"Then...do I need to become stronger and support the Protagonist so he can defeat the final boss?" That seemed the most probable conclusion of all the explanations he had heard until now from the system.

However,

[Saving the world or not, is entirely in the hands of the Host. The System would be more focused on guiding a safe life for the Host.]

Richard asked in confusion, "But why do I need protection? I just won't be a little prick and stay away from the Protagonist's way?"

That was what Richard had decided the moment he realised where he was and what character he had become.

Being a mid-rank boss was cool and dope, but what benefit would it bring if the villain didn't get plot armour and the Protagonist, in one way or another, beat the crap out of every villain in the name of 'Power of Love'?

However, the next thing that appeared on the screen, nearly made his mind numb,

[...Host, if the Goddess of Fate has reversed the time then the deity must have some plan in my mind right? If everything happens in the same way as it had in the last timeline, then the result would remain the same.]

"Then...what changed?"

[The lovers of the Protagonist, retain their memories of the previous timeline.]

"..."

*********

It took some time for Richard to finally realise his current stance.

The fact is, in this world, not only Richard but four other people also know the future. And those four people are the four main heroines who would definitely get rid of any and every obstacle that could hurt their beloved.

'Fuck...I am screwed.' Exiting the bathroom, Richard walked outside the room without informing the maid and his mother, who both had fallen asleep.

He walked aimlessly into the mansion while being ignorant of the numerous looks he was receiving.

His current dilemma didn't allow him to be aware of the surroundings, as he asked the system,

'Is there any chance that if I act differently than how I was supposed to, then they wouldn't come for my life?'

[To provide you with the answer, the Host needs to be reminded of a certain Space-Time theory: In theory, reversing time creates several dimensional cracks which allow the passing souls to enter the world that they are not supposed to enter. And Host is one of those souls who entered the world when it was thrown back in time.]

[And this theory is known by the regressors as well; that's why, if the Host acts differently, the regressors would suspect that you must be someone else in the body of Richard—and on the orders of Goddess of Destiny and Fate the regressors would immediately get rid of you.]

Those words brought his feet to a gradual pause.

Wasn't he royally fucked?

'Wait...could it be that this System is toying with me so I can allow it to assimilate?' Richard had spent most of his previous life between people who could lie for a piece of bread. And if this system's existence depends on whether Richard accepts it or not, then spouting such a lengthy lie doesn't seem implausible.

"Young master!" Suddenly, his reverie was broken as a maid dashed in his direction with sweat trickling down her face.

She was holding someone in her hand which looked like a scroll.

As she reached him, Richard maintained a composed front and asked her, "What is it?"

Hearing his voice, the maid straightened her back and tried to stand properly but her rough breathing turned her attempt into an utter failure.

"Young master...and envoy arrived from Count Cravenford's family and delivered this letter for you. I asked them to stay a little but it seemed the envoy was told explicitly by their master to return immediately after delivering the letter."

Richard's brows knitted close. This was... somewhat rude. Thankfully, the Duchess didn't hear about it or this could have become problematic.

Count Cravenford is not only lower in rank, but also, Duchess Scarlette—Richard's mother—and Count William Cravenford were on good terms. Most prominently, Count William's daughter was one of the heroines and engaged to Richard.

"You may go." The maid bowed upon being commanded before she walked away.

Emily Cravenford—the main reason why Richard was so hateful toward the Protagonist. The reason why Richard always wanted to become better than the Protagonist. And also, she is the reason for his demise as well.

From what Richard remembered, Emily never had contacted him on her own initiative before and even in the novel he read, it was clearly stated that Emily kept her distance from Richard because of his rude personality.

Then how come this letter all of a sudden arrived from the same Emily?

'Does it mean...the System isn't lying?' Richard had woken up in this world just an hour ago so there was no chance his action could have altered the plot.

'No...I shouldn't land on a conclusion...' Deciding to check the content of the scroll first, Richard removed the seat and slowly unfolded the scroll.

[Sir Richard,

I trust this letter finds you in good health. I wish to invite you to a meeting over tea at my family's manor on the morrow, at the hour of three in the afternoon. There are matters regarding our engagement that require our discussion.

I look forward to your presence.

Emily Cravenford.]

Now...this was something unexpected.

In general, Emily is the type of person who follows her father's words as a command and does whatever he asks her to. However here, it was clearly stated that it was Emily who wanted to talk about engagement.

This was definitely something that shouldn't have been happening.

'So...should I accept the System?'

********

A/N:- Yeeeeees.

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