The Villain's Story

Chapter 839: James Smith: Origin.

It was the start of the three hundred and first iteration, where James had been born, and evaded the contract of the Abyss. Alan vaguely remembered it... but this was how the Abyss had approached the soul of James Smith.

It was the very moment where James had been brought into the universe in Aranus’s body. He hadn’t woken up in the hospital like Alan had, where he awakened as a human able to use mana... but in the darkness before it.

The Abyss had acted the moment Aranus performed the desperate act of calling another soul to reside in his body. He had been too tired and exhausted at that point to do anything else.

He was tired of everything at that point.

In the perspective of James, he had died in his original world after accomplish everything he had wanted to do, and all of a sudden, he was falling in darkness. During that time, he was going through every decision he had made in his life with not a single regret in his eyes.

And during this process, a voice called out to him.

Do you want power? A new life where everything will go as you wish?

It wasn’t a malicious voice, nor did it sound like that belonging to a devil or any bad man. It was just a voice as regular as any other voice.

’Hmmm?’

James Smith, falling into the darkness, reacted to this voice.

Yes, power and a new life. Do you want it?

The man didn’t respond, merely searching through the darkness to find the origin of the voice. He didn’t think it was God, nor an angel of Death, or the devil himself.

He was still curious, though.

Enough power to rend worlds apart, enough life to witness the birth and death of a star. Do you want it?

’Is this a fantasy novel or something?’

His very first reply, one echoing in his mind.

Something like that.

’Ohhhh.’

A faint gasp escaped as a small smile appeared on his face.

’Then what are you?’

He asked the voice in the darkness, the Abyss smiled.

The one able to grant such a wish.

’And who is that?’

A being of untold power, coming here to give you a chance at a new life.

’And why?’

Why not?

’Oh, I can think of a lot of reasons why not. Nothing is free after all.’

The voice, the Abyssal Conscience, laughed.

Indeed, will you listen to me?

’Yeah, sure, go on.’

James obliged, as a businessman, he had to listen to the terms of the deal first, didn’t he? It was still up to him to accept or not.

After all, did he have anything better to do in this darkness? He didn’t, and that was precisely why he was willing to listen.

I will grant you the power as I said before, along with everlasting life... However, in return, I want you to help me with something.

James smirked, asking.

’What is this something?’

I cannot say exactly who or what, but I can tell you this. It is erasing the existence of something I despise.

’Oh? There is something stronger than the being capable of giving me so much power and everlasting life?’

A hollow laugh echoed out, and James reciprocated in his own maniacal way. He was getting interested in this offer.

Not stronger, not anymore at the very least. But it is something excruciatingly difficult to kill. To... erase.

’And what makes you, I can make this possible?’

That isn’t for you to know, now, is it?

’Won’t tell me if I don’t agree, huh?’

Let’s just say you have a unique skill at your disposal which makes it possible.

’Oh, now, do I? Haha.’

He laughed, as the Abyssal conscience continued.

Offer me this opportunity, and I will grant you those two things. This journey will have its hardships, but I can guarantee what I promised will come.

’Hmm.’

As James pondered over the deal, the unseen smile of the Abyssal Conscience widened. But in the end.

’Nah, I’m good.’

What? Why?

There wasn’t a response from James for a while, but in the end, to get rid of the incessant questions, he had to respond.

’First rule of negotiation... if the offer is too good to be true, it is definitely not. Why are you buying? If you’re not telling me, why would I sell?’

The Abyssal conscience remained silent for a while, but it tried to convince James again, and every time he was rejected. It wasn’t as if the offers were bad, over time, they got better and better.

But no matter how the Abyssal conscience tried to twist its word, James could see through it all... and even if he couldn’t. He had no reason to agree to the deal. He was planning to say on the moment he heard the voice.

Furthermore, he had merely been humoring himself and the Abyss by letting it speak the terms of the deal, from the very start, he had no intention of agreeing to anything.

After all, why would he? James hated his life, so why would he wish for everlasting life? Even if it was another body, another universe that was closely related to the novels he liked to read... He didn’t want it.

He liked reading them, but he wasn’t obsessed over them to the point he wanted to be in them, and the thing about power wasn’t interesting to him at all.

Because he just didn’t care. Quite literally.

He was a man of special needs... but disregarding all of that. He had done everything he had wanted to do. He did regret some things in his life, but he didn’t regret the decisions he had made to do what he wanted to do.

James Smith was a man who had a goal, and he had achieved it. Regardless of how it ended, he did it. He had done everything he had wanted to do. He had achieved all that he had set out to achieve. He had done... what he wanted to do.

Was it morally incorrect? Hell, it was morally wrong to an extreme point... Did he ruin a lot of lives to make it happen? Oh yes, yes he did. But in the end... all that mattered to him was that he had done it.

After all.

’Who gives a fuck what someone else thinks?’

He did what he had set out to do, and when he was done, he had no qualms about rotting in hell for it. He didn’t care for a new life, for everlasting life and infinite power.

He had gotten the revenge he wanted. That was it, that was all that concerned him.

He didn’t give a flying fuck what this voice was going to propose, even if it was the best deal... he didn’t care.

’So hey, magical Jesus in the darkness, stop pestering me and fuck off. Pretty please?’

...

But in the end he still woke up in that other universe, as Aranus intended. Even if he didn’t accept the deal.

”... Haaa...”

With a heavy sigh as well.