But now that it was his turn to be the villain, Alex was not happy about it.
Not even slightly.
Because villains in this world did not simply die.
They were erased.
Not only would he perish, but the entire Hale family would be slaughtered, root and branch.
Elders who had guarded the family for generations, disciples who had sworn loyalty with blood oaths, servants who had never even cultivated a strand of spiritual energy. Even newborn babies, still wrapped in swaddling cloth, would be killed without mercy.
And the world would applaud.
No... there was one exception.
Alex's gaze slowly shifted downward, landing on the woman kneeling in front of him.
Isolde.
She knelt there with her head lowered, shoulders trembling, looking as pitiful and resolute as a tragic heroine from a storybook. Tears clung to her lashes, yet her posture carried defiance rather than remorse.
A cold glint flashed through Alex's eyes.
That was right.
When the Hale family was exterminated to the last drop of blood, only one person survived.
This woman.
The so-called female lead.
One of the male protagonist's harem members.
In the original story, Isolde had been one of Alex's most beloved woman.
Pampered since childhood.
Sheltered under Alex's protection.
She lacked nothing.
Rare and precious heavenly materials were piled before her like trash
cultivation techniques were personally chosen by Alex and tailored to her weak constitution.
Spiritual delicacies that even Mahayana Realm cultivators struggled to obtain were served to her daily.
Even the cheapest piece of jewelry she wore was priceless.
Because of Alex's doting affection, Isolde, a woman of merely ordinary talent, was forcibly elevated into brilliance.
Her cultivation rose through mountains of resources.
Her foundation was reinforced again and again with rare treasures.
She gained strength far beyond what her talent should have allowed, enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with true martial prodigies born with extraordinary physiques.
She became famous.
A jade fairy of the Hale family.
A shining star of the new generation.
Countless people praised her.
But how did she repay Alex?
Alex remembered the plot clearly.
She was injured once during training.
Just once.
And Knox, the protagonist, happened to give her a bowl of plain porridge.
No rare herbs.
No spiritual nourishment.
Just ordinary food.
And that was enough.
Enough for her to fall madly in love.
Enough to discard decades of care.
Enough to betray the family that raised her.
For Knox, she turned her back on the Hale family.
For Knox, she leaked secrets and sabotaged defenses.
For Knox, she personally helped wipe out the family members she had lived with for decades.
Not even infants were spared.
After the Hale family was completely annihilated, she still followed Knox without hesitation, entering his harem and becoming just another woman among many.
Gradually, she lost her brilliance.
Thinking of what this ungrateful wretch would do in the future, Alex let out a quiet laugh.
It was filled with exasperation rather than humor.
Now, what are you after?
The Hale family let you live like an emperor.
They gave you power, status, and luxury beyond imagination.
And yet, you felt no gratitude.
One bowl of plain porridge was enough to buy your loyalty.
Enough to make you butcher your own family.
"How can a person stoop to such a level?" Alex thought coldly.
If not for the circumstances, he would have already slapped this woman to death on the spot.
But right now, the person who truly stirred Alex's killing intent was not Isolde.
It was the young man standing beside her.
The one speaking passionately and righteously.
The one radiating moral superiority.
Who else could it be but Knox?
The protagonist.
The man who would one day destroy Alex and the Hale family.
At this moment, it was still the early stage of the novel.
The scene where Knox came to the Hale family and took Isolde away.
In the original storyline, Alex doted on Isolde to a ridiculous degree.
Even when she openly declared betrayal, he did not interfere.
Even when Knox insulted him in front of everyone, he held back.
He allowed the two adulterers to leave the Hale family safely.
Again and again.
Why?
Because he loved Isolde too much.
Because he hesitated at every crucial moment.
Because he indulged her repeatedly.
And it was precisely this indulgence that allowed Knox, an ant, to survive.
To grow.
To rise.
Until one day, Knox returned wielding terrifying power, bringing destruction to the Hale family.
Countless readers cursed the villain.
"Why didn't he kill the protagonist early?"
"Is the villain brainless?"
"This makes no sense!"
But the author insisted on writing it that way.
And the readers could only accept it.
But now, Alex was no longer that villain.
He no longer felt affection—only disgust.
Looking at these two despicable people playing the roles of tragic lovers, a thought surfaced in Alex's mind.
"Wouldn't it be perfect… if I strangled this couple right here, right now?"
He had complained about it more than once while reading the novel.
Now that he was the villain, he would not make the same mistake.
Knowing full well that the other party was destined to become strong, and still letting him grow unchecked—
That was stupidity.
Alex's gaze locked onto Knox.
His cultivation was weak.
His foundation shallow.
To Alex, he was nothing more than an ant.
If Alex made a move, Knox would have no chance of survival.
A murderous glint flashed in Alex's eyes.
He did not shout.
He did not threaten.
He simply decided.
Knox would die.
Here.
Now.
Just as Alex was about to act.
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Warning: Host, do not act impulsively.]
[Knox is the Chosen One, protected by destiny and the Heavenly Dao.]
[If the host attempts to forcibly kill Knox, he will suffer a backlash from fate and will undoubtedly perish.]
The words struck like thunder.
Alex's hand froze midair.
The murderous intent that had been about to erupt was forcibly suppressed.
His pupils shrank sharply.
Alex was stunned.