Chapter 1 The Day the Villain Woke Up
Lucien Blackwood died once.
At least, that was what the memories in his head kept telling him.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a ceiling of dark oak beams carved with ancient runes. A faint blue glow pulsed through the engravings like veins of light.
He blinked slowly.
Where… am I?
The room smelled faintly of parchment and old magic. A tall bookshelf stood beside the bed, filled with thick spellbooks bound in leather. A silver mirror hung on the opposite wall.
Lucien pushed himself up.
His head throbbed violently.
Fragments of memories flooded his mind like a broken dam.
Magic academies. Noble houses. Mana cores. Dueling arenas.
And a name.
Lucien Blackwood.
His breathing stopped.
That name… he knew it.
Because Lucien Blackwood was not a hero.
He was a villain.
Lucien staggered to the mirror.
The reflection staring back at him was a young man around seventeen. Pale skin, sharp jawline, and dark silver hair that fell slightly over cold gray eyes.
A face that looked calm.
Arrogant.
Dangerous.
He knew this character very well.
Because this world…
was the world of a web novel he had read before dying.
The novel's title appeared clearly in his mind.
"The Rise of the Archmage."
And Lucien Blackwood?
He was one of the early antagonists.
A proud noble from the powerful Blackwood family. A genius in dark magic. Cruel, arrogant, and obsessed with crushing anyone who dared challenge his status.
But most importantly—
He was destined to die.
A slow, humiliating death.
Lucien gripped the edge of the mirror.
His knuckles turned white.
"...No way."
More memories surged into his mind.
The timeline.
The academy.
The protagonist.
And the future.
In the original story, Lucien would enter the Royal Arcane Academy this year.
At first, he would bully a poor scholarship student.
That student would later become the main character of the story.
Adrian Vale.
The future Archmage.
Lucien laughed quietly.
A cold laugh.
Because he remembered exactly what happened later.
During their second year at the academy, Adrian would expose Lucien's illegal experiments with forbidden magic.
The entire academy would turn against him.
His noble title would be stripped away.
His family would abandon him.
And in the end…
Lucien Blackwood would die alone in a dungeon cell.
Executed as a criminal.
Lucien slowly exhaled.
"So that's my future?"
His gaze hardened.
"No."
That future belonged to the original Lucien.
Not him.
He turned back to the mirror.
His reflection stared silently.
The villain.
The doomed character.
But Lucien's mind was already racing.
Because he knew something extremely important.
The story… had not started yet.
Which meant—
The protagonist had not risen.
The great opportunities in the story had not been taken.
The hidden treasures.
The legendary spells.
The secret dungeons.
All of them still existed.
Waiting.
Lucien's lips slowly curled upward.
"If I remember correctly…"
He walked toward the bookshelf and pulled out a calendar hanging on the wall.
The date was clear.
Three days before the Royal Arcane Academy entrance ceremony.
Exactly the moment the story began.
Lucien's eyes darkened with excitement.
Perfect timing.
In the original story, the protagonist would obtain his first major opportunity during the academy's first week.
A forgotten spellbook hidden deep inside the academy library.
That spellbook contained a rare technique.
Mana Compression.
A method that allowed a mage to store and control mana far more efficiently than normal students.
It was the first step that helped Adrian become unstoppable.
Lucien remembered the scene very clearly.
The protagonist had discovered it by accident while cleaning the old archive rooms as punishment.
But now…
Lucien smiled faintly.
"I know where it is."
Which meant—
He could take it first.
Footsteps suddenly echoed outside the door.
Lucien turned his head.
The door opened slowly.
A middle-aged butler stepped inside, bowing politely.
"Young Master Lucien, the carriage has been prepared."
Lucien stared at him.
More memories surfaced.
This was Alfred, the Blackwood family's loyal steward.
"The academy entrance ceremony will begin tomorrow morning," Alfred continued calmly. "Your father has asked me to remind you to represent the Blackwood name with dignity."
Lucien remained silent for a moment.
Then he nodded slightly.
"I understand."
Alfred hesitated.
"Young Master… is something troubling you?"
Lucien smiled.
But the smile carried a faint chill.
"No."
"Nothing at all."
Because something inside him was slowly awakening.
Not fear.
Not panic.
But ambition.
If this world followed the story he knew…
Then the protagonist's rise was built on countless opportunities.
But what if—
Someone else took them first?
Lucien walked toward the window and pushed it open.
Outside, the capital city stretched toward the horizon.
Towering spires of the Royal Academy stood proudly in the distance.
The center of the entire story.
The place where heroes were born.
And villains were destroyed.
Lucien rested his arms on the window frame.
A quiet smile appeared on his lips.
"In the original story…"
"I was destined to fall."
"But now…"
His gray eyes glinted sharply.
"I know the future."
The wind moved gently through the room.
Turning the pages of an open book on the desk.
Lucien whispered softly.
"So tell me…"
"Adrian Vale."
The future Archmage.
The chosen hero.
Lucien's voice carried a dangerous calm.
"What happens…"
"When the villain arrives first?"
The academy bell rang faintly in the distance.
A new story…
had just begun.