Reborn as a Side Villain in an Otome Game

The room was dark, the only source of light coming from the glowing screen of a TV. Ken Ryle sat on the couch, gripping his game controller tightly, his face illuminated by the colors flashing from his favorite otome dating game. He was yelling and screaming with excitement, completely engrossed in the game. 

"Come on, Jaxon! Don't let them take you down!" he shouted, leaning forward as if the closer proximity would somehow influence the outcome. "Heroines! Stay strong! Don't let that slimy villain win!"

Ken had been playing for hours, lost in the intricate storyline. On the screen, the villain and his minions had cornered the protagonist, Jaxon Hale. The heroine, Jaxon's best friend and future lover, was held back by one of the minions, crying and pleading for them to stop. 

Villain: "You really thought you could steal her away from me, Jaxon? Look at you now. Helpless, pathetic."

Jaxon: "You're delusional! She'll never be yours! Let her go, now!"

Heroine: "Please, stop this! This isn't about me! Don't hurt him anymore!" Her voice trembled with desperation, but the villain, obsessed with her, ignored her pleas. 

Minion 1: "Boss, should I rough him up some more?"

Villain: "Hold him down. I want him to suffer."

Minion 2: "Heh, you're really gonna regret crossing us, Jaxon."

Ken muttered under his breath, "This guy… He's too much. Someone needs to teach him a lesson." His fingers danced over the controller as he navigated the fight sequence. Jaxon was struggling to break free while the villain taunted him. 

Ken yelled at the screen, "Come on, Jaxon! Fight back already! You're stronger than this! Don't let those goons win!"

The game dialogue intensified:

Jaxon: "You've made a mistake coming after me. I'm not done yet!"

Villain: "Oh? Then show me what you've got, hero. Let's see if you're as brave as you pretend to be."

Heroine: "Jaxon, no! Stop provoking him! You're going to get hurt even more!"

Minion 1: "Boss, this guy's getting feisty. Should we put him in his place?"

Villain: "Not yet. Let him struggle. Let him see how powerless he really is."

Ken was practically bouncing in his seat. "Yes! Yes! That's it, Jaxon! Show them what you're made of! Don't give up!"

The tension escalated as Jaxon finally managed to land a solid punch on one of the minions, sending him sprawling. 

Ken jumped up and down on the couch, yelling in triumph. "Ha! Take that, loser! You messed with the wrong guy!"

Villain: "You're going to regret that, Jaxon. I'll make sure of it."

Jaxon: "You're the one who's going to regret ever crossing me!"

Minion 2: "Boss, he's tougher than we thought!"

Villain: "Shut up and hold him down! I'll deal with him myself."

The heroine continued to cry, her voice breaking. "Jaxon, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault!"

Ken yelled at the screen again. "It's not your fault! Stop blaming yourself! Jaxon's got this! He's going to win!"

The game became more intense as the protagonist struggled against the odds. Ken could feel his heart racing, completely immersed in the battle. His shouts and cheers filled the room as Jaxon continued to fight back.

As the game progressed, Ken called out the names of each heroine he had encountered, marveling at how Jaxon was winning them over. However, fatigue began to creep in. He yawned, his eyes drooping. Reluctantly, he saved the game, turned off the console, and made his way to bed.

"What a wild ride," he said to himself, lying down. His body relaxed, and his eyes grew heavy. In minutes, he was asleep.

Darkness surrounded him. Suddenly, he heard a voice call out, "Victor Hale…"

Ken stirred in the void. "Huh? Who's there?" he asked, his voice echoing. The name was repeated, louder this time. "Victor Hale!" The sound jolted him. 

Then, a shout: "Victor Hale, wake up!"

Ken's eyes snapped open. He was no longer in his room. He looked around, disoriented, and found himself standing amidst a crowd of people. "What… What is this?" he thought, his heart racing. His eyes scanned the crowd frantically, and then they widened as he saw him—the antagonist from the game. "No way… that's the villain, Kieran Malchior," Ken whispered to himself, his breath catching. His gaze then darted to the figure on the ground, held down by two men. His heart sank. "Jaxon Hale… it's him," Ken muttered, barely believing the sight before him. Finally, his eyes shifted to the sobbing girl to his left, restrained and crying. "That's her… that's Celeste Draven."

Ken could feel his mind spiraling. "This is insane. How is this even possible? That's Jaxon, the protagonist! And Celeste, the heroine! And Kieran… I know him—I've been yelling at him for hours. This can't be real." 

The voice in front of him called again, louder this time. "Victor!"

Ken's head shot up, and his eyes locked on someone he recognized immediately. It was the antagonist from the game. He mumbled the villain's name, his mind reeling. 

The villain sneered. "Victor, I said hit the pretty boy, now!"

Ken blinked in confusion. "Who?" he stammered, turning his head to where the villain was pointing. His stomach dropped. Two men were holding down Jaxon Hale, the protagonist. Ken mumbled his name, his voice barely audible.

To his left, he heard sobbing. He turned his head and saw the heroine, restrained and crying. Her tear-streaked face mirrored the anguish he had seen on his screen. He whispered her name, his voice cracking. "Celeste Draven..."

The villain's anger flared. "Victor! Stop standing there like an idiot and do what I said!"

Ken's mind raced. "Victor Hale… That's me? I'm one of the villain's minions? No way! This has to be a dream. But it doesn't feel like a dream. It's too vivid. I can hear them. I can see the sweat on Jaxon's face, the tears in Celeste's eyes. And Kieran… he's exactly as I imagined him, no, as I saw him in the game. What's going on here? Did I get sucked into the game? Is this some kind of twisted punishment for yelling at the screen?"

Freaking out internally, Ken tried to gather his thoughts. The situation was too surreal. "This can't be real… Can it? Maybe I fell asleep and my brain is just mixing up everything I played today. But this feels… too real. Am I supposed to just go along with this? Play the role of Victor Hale? No, that's crazy! I'm not a bad guy! I can't hurt Jaxon! But what if I don't? Will Kieran turn on me? Or worse… will he go after Celeste?"

The villain barked orders again, snapping Ken out of his daze. "Hit him, Victor!"

Ken's hands trembled as he stared at the scene, the weight of the moment sinking in. "What am I supposed to do now? How do I get out of this?"

Ken blinked as a glowing screen appeared before his eyes. He stared at it in disbelief. "A real status screen? This is just like in the game!" he muttered to himself, his voice trembling. His heart raced as he focused on the screen, reading the information displayed in crisp, glowing letters:

Status Screen:

Name: Victor Hale

Age: 21

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Class: Rogue

Occupation: Villain's Minion

Nicknames: "Shadow Fang," "The Silent Blade"

Health Points (HP): 150/150

Magic Points (MP): 120/120

Strength: 14

Agility: 18

Attack: 12

Intelligence: 10

Defense: 11

Luck: 7

Skills:

Stealth Mastery

Dual Wielding

Enhanced Reflexes

Martial Arts (Intermediate)

Magic Skills:

Shadow Cloak: Envelops the user in darkness, making them nearly invisible for a limited time.

Shadow Bind: Summons dark tendrils to immobilize enemies temporarily.

Shadow Surge: A rapid movement skill that uses shadows to teleport a short distance.

Fireball: Launches a concentrated orb of fire at the target, dealing high damage.

Flame Wall: Erects a barrier of fire that blocks and damages enemies trying to pass through.

Ember Cloak: Surrounds the user in a burning aura, damaging nearby enemies over time.

Inferno Blast: A powerful burst of fire magic that damages all enemies in a wide area.

Shadow Step: Combines agility and stealth, allowing the user to move quickly while avoiding detection.

Blazing Strike: A melee attack infused with fire magic, causing additional burn damage.

Dark Flare: A hybrid attack of fire and shadow magic, launching an explosive sphere that blinds and burns enemies.

Ash Veil: Shrouds the user in a mix of ash and shadow, reducing visibility to enemies while increasing evasion.

Unique Skills:

Phantom Step: Increases movement speed and grants temporary invisibility.

Burning Vengeance: Boosts fire-based magic damage when the user is critically injured.

Silent Dominance: Enhances success rates of stealth and assassination actions.

Shadow Resurgence: Regenerates a portion of MP when using shadow-based magic.

Fireborn Resilience: Reduces fire-based damage taken and increases fire resistance.

Umbra's Embrace: Heals a small amount of HP while hidden in shadows.

Molten Fury: Converts a portion of physical attacks into fire damage, amplifying overall damage output.

Items:

Basic Healing Potion x3

Smoke Bomb x2

Mana Recovery Elixir x2

Weapons:

Dual Daggers: "Night Fang" and "Silent Edge"

Titles:

"The Shadow's Apprentice"

Ken's jaw dropped. "This can't be real! This is insane!" he exclaimed, panic setting in as he scrolled through the list. His fingers moved instinctively in the air, just like he would when playing the game.

He took a step back, his mind reeling. "How am I supposed to deal with this? This world isn't just a game anymore—it's real! Modern buildings, cars, and smartphones, but they also have magic and swords!" His eyes darted around, realizing the setting. "Wait a second—this is a college! There are students here! How did I forget that? There are people watching all of this!"

The realization made him even more uneasy. He could see a few figures lingering in the background, students whispering nervously and backing away from the tense confrontation.

The villain's voice cut through his thoughts sharply, snapping him back to reality. "Victor! I've told you twice already! Hit him now, or you'll regret it!"

Ken froze, staring at the antagonist, Kieran Malchior. "What do I do?" he whispered to himself. His heart pounded as he glanced between Kieran, Jaxon Hale, and Celeste Draven. His mind raced, but his body remained paralyzed, overwhelmed by the surreal situation.

"Victor!" Kieran roared, his patience clearly at its end. "Are you deaf, or just useless? Hit him now!"

Ken gulped, sweat forming on his brow as the weight of the moment bore down on him. "This is too much," he muttered. "What have I gotten myself into?"

To be continued...