Chapter 1: The Villain’s Unwelcome Rebirth

The body, known as Xiluo, opened its eyes.

At that moment, she had yet to notice the subtle changes in her own form.

Her body began to register the surroundings. The scent of dust filled her nostrils, the frantic whinnying of horses assaulted her ears, and before her eyes… were high-raised hooves?

‘Oh, damn it.’

Before she could even react, her frail body was struck by the runaway carriage, sent soaring through the air like a kite with a snapped string.

After the world spun violently, a searing pain instantly shot through her arm. Yet, this agony served to sharpen Xiluo’s mind, bringing her to full awareness.

‘Is this… the world after transmigration?’

Indeed, Xiluo had transmigrated, finding herself inside an adventure game renowned for its intricate storyline.

When he first learned of his impending transmigration, Xiluo had been quite pleased. After all, a dramatic rebirth via a truck accident was a popular trope for a fresh start.

However, his joy quickly evaporated the moment that arrogant deity revealed the character he was destined to become.

For the character he was to inhabit was not only a male villain, but also a treacherous mole!

In the grand adventure game, *Chronicles of the Valiant Hero*, Xiluo was far from a beloved character.

In the game’s early stages, he had been a constant companion to the protagonist, joining her on countless perilous adventures. Yet, after the protagonist endured a myriad of agonizing trials, and on the very eve of her climactic battle with the Demon King, this so-called adventuring partner, Xiluo, finally unveiled his true, sinister nature.

He was, in fact, a mole, meticulously placed by a malevolent cult to infiltrate the protagonist’s inner circle!

Most of the protagonist’s agonizing experiences throughout her journey had been orchestrated by him from the shadows.

Subsequently, the protagonist, upon discovering the truth, underwent a complete transformation, descending into darkness. After brutally dispatching Xiluo, she embarked alone on her quest to confront the Demon King. Following her victory, the protagonist tragically took her own life.

This particular segment of the plot garnered the most intense discussions among players, and Xiluo, as a character, naturally became the subject of widespread condemnation.

Naturally, upon learning he was to be reborn as this very character, ‘Xiluo’ found himself unable to join the chorus of condemnation. His only desire was to protest, but alas, the deity overseeing transmigration was utterly indifferent to his objections.

****

The distinct sound of the carriage door opening and closing abruptly yanked Xiluo’s thoughts back to the present.

Instinctively, she lifted her head, her gaze falling upon a young girl with an utterly blank expression.

The girl possessed striking white hair and grey eyes. Her long, white tresses cascaded down like a waterfall, framing a delicate face devoid of any emotion as she simply stared at Xiluo.

Xiluo instantly recognized the person standing before him.

With her iconic white hair and the distinctive mage’s robe of the Adventurer’s Guild, there was no doubt: the girl before him was Eve, the protagonist of the game.

Eve, the valiant mage, destined to embark on a quest to vanquish the Demon King.

‘So, this current scene must be… the part where Xiluo and Eve first meet, isn’t it?’

Xiluo remembered distinctly that in the game, the mole also named ‘Xiluo’ had orchestrated a myriad of ‘accidents’ to successfully embed himself by the protagonist’s side.

Their acquaintance began with Xiluo ‘accidentally’ being struck by Eve’s carriage—a scene she was now reliving.

“Are you alright?”

A clear, cool voice broke the silence. Though the words were meant to convey concern, Xiluo detected little genuine warmth in the emotionless girl’s tone.

‘Damn it!’

Xiluo felt an overwhelming urge to weep, yet no tears would come.

‘To transmigrate as a villain was one thing, but why, of all moments, did it have to be *this* exact point in the timeline?’

‘No, absolutely not. Under no circumstances can I get entangled with the protagonist!’

Xiluo vividly recalled the game’s brutal scene where Eve annihilated the mole. He had no desire to meet such a grim end.

‘Given the circumstances, the best course of action now is…’

“Y-yes, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to block your path. I’ll leave right away. Please, please don’t be angry…”

The words tumbled from Xiluo’s lips, laced with a tremor of fear.

‘Exactly!’

‘Forget about nurturing the protagonist or building favorability to avert a bad ending… none of that is reliable!’

‘The simplest method is surely to stay as far away as possible. Wouldn’t it be better to just avoid getting involved with the protagonist altogether?’

Xiluo clearly recalled the original trajectory of this scene in the game. After being struck by the carriage, Xiluo would immediately cling to Eve’s leg and, once a crowd had gathered, loudly demand compensation in front of everyone.

And indeed, he would get his wish, being sent to a hospital by Eve. While it didn’t instantly forge a deep connection with the protagonist, it was nevertheless the pivotal scene of their first encounter!

‘So, I’ll just do the exact opposite now.’

Xiluo was quite pleased with her performance; her feigned trembling tone was utterly convincing.

Yet… why did the voice emanating from her own mouth sound so soft and docile? Was this truly Xiluo’s voice?

Disregarding the excruciating pain in her arm and all other distractions, Xiluo immediately began to scramble up from the ground with a grunt.

‘This should be enough! As long as I don’t get involved with the protagonist, everything will be fine, right?’

Xiluo’s reaction clearly caught Eve by surprise. Watching her painstakingly crawl towards a nearby alley, a distinct look of bewilderment crossed her features.

‘What is wrong with this child? Doesn’t she feel pain?’

In truth, Xiluo was far from immune to pain. However, the immediate crisis far outweighed the indignity of clutching her arm and shedding tears on the ground.

As she crawled, her tattered hood fell back, revealing a cascade of long black hair and a small, smudged face. On her somewhat childish features, delicate contours twisted in a grimace of pain.

Upon seeing such a small girl, a flicker of genuine pity softened Eve’s gaze.

“I’ll take you to a doctor. You appear to be badly hurt.”

‘Sigh… I’m already trying to crawl away. Wouldn’t it be better if we just pretended nothing happened?’

“No, it’s fine, I’m alright. Sorry to have caused you trouble…”

Xiluo managed to force a faint smile onto her face, then resumed her determined crawl towards the alley.

‘As long as… as long as I can just reach that place…’

Eve found herself perplexed. Why was this girl, clearly injured, so insistent on refusing her help?

After glancing down at her own mage’s robe, Eve suddenly had a thought.

‘Is it because of my attire?’

This was, after all, a border town, often frequented by vagrants. Judging by the girl’s tattered clothes, she likely fled here from elsewhere.

‘Could it be that this mage’s robe, a symbol of status, is what frightens her?’

‘Such a small child, why is she wandering? Where are her family?’

The questions swirling in Eve’s mind only deepened her pity for the frail girl.

Before Xiluo could refuse again, Eve bent down and scooped her up in a princess carry.

“No, you need to see a doctor.”

Eve, her face still impassive, offered no further explanation. Carrying Xiluo, she boarded the carriage.

‘Huh?!?’

Her body was gently lifted, and a faint, clean scent reached her nostrils. Xiluo felt her head rest against Eve’s chest, hearing the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.

‘Seriously, what are you after, big sister?’

‘I deliberately acted differently from the game’s plot, so why are you still insisting on helping me?’

‘Don’t you understand the concept of letting go of the urge to help and respecting others’ fate?’

Full of indignant despair, Xiluo looked up, only to meet Eve’s pale grey eyes, which were fixed upon her.

Consequently, Xiluo naturally and slowly averted her gaze.

‘Oh, well, I’m still a coward after all!’