Chapter 1 - Evil System

[ Good morning, Li YueYing! (*´▽`*) ]

YueYing's eyes darted to the holographic screen with a start.

Before 'God' sent him to this place, he'd given YueYing a task…

[ You who have never lived a life of toiling labour, yet had a kind heart and never doubted, hear my decree! Become the 'Villain' of this story. Shine in the spotlight of extroverted attention. Work your new moving body to its limits! Find the Protagonist and bully him through and through! Once you have exhausted yourself, mentally in the last life and physically in this, you will be free! :D ]

…which the interface before him paraphrased, with lots of exclamation marks and a smiley face.

The introverted YueYing's face dulled to the point where he almost became a Moyai stone. He clenched his fist—a feeling he missed, as he couldn't move his own body at all starting a month before his passing—and stared at the holograph System with large incredulous eyes.

"If I have to go out and bully someone, won't that make me evil?" He tried to tap the screen, and flinched when his finger passed through the System's electronic lavender.

[ The 'Protagonist's status is currently 'pure evil,' Mr. Li! Please help him to understand what he shouldn't become by setting an example as the Big Evil Senior Boss! ]

YueYing heard a 'ding' as a white package wrapped in baby pink ribbons landed next to him on the bed. He ignored it.

"I don't want to be a bad person."

[ If your heart is pure, and you work with the goal of Justice in mind, you will be forgiven! This is Bentham's philosophy of Hedonistic Calculus! ദ്ദി ( ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ ) ]

The System gave YueYing a cheery thumbs up.

"So…." YueYing attempted to make sense of the situation. "I should act as a greater evil to bring the Protagonist to the light, while working behind-the-scenes as a harbinger of justice? I'm not a hypocrite. I won't do it."

[ … ]

"I'm sorry." YueYing looked down at his hands, flexing them, feeling each tiny movement, his resigned magenta eyes covered by his messy shoulder-length hair. "Because I've already accepted my death…."

[ But what about your family? (⊙＿⊙) ]

"Even if I do go back, the most I'll do is give my parents a heart attack. Then they'd be in Heaven, and I'd be alone on Earth…." He sighed. The image 'God' had shown him couldn't become his reality.

A suspicion grew in his heart.

[ Mr. Li, this is Earth! ( ◜◡༎ຶ)⟡ ]

YueYing's finger twitched.

[ Every░hing will be perfect! Y▌can ask G▀d to rewind time! Go b▄ck to your f▒mily with▀ut any illne░s at all▓! ༼༭ຶཬ༤ຶ ༽ ]

The boy froze. He closed his eyes, breathed in, out.

"You know, I've never been religious." YueYing's eyes snapped open, and he glared at the screen. "The more you talk, the more certain I am. The grandfather I met in that void after my death; that was not God. The way you're trying to tempt me to do your bidding: you must be the devil!" With a swish, he threw his velvet blankets at the holograph—it passed right through—and forced himself out of the bed, falling to the floor with a thud.

His legs wouldn't support him.

"Take me out of this illusion! Let me at least rest in peace! Please…" He brought his hands to his face and choked out a single sob.

[ Mr. Li… ]

YueYing trembled.

[ How did you know? ]

As if a switch had flipped, the System dimmed. It glitched, pixels of red, green, and blue mottling the screen. Growing bigger and bigger, taking on a human shape. Until at last, the darkness solidified into a charcoal-black person-shaped mass, which reached out, still glitching all over, to the quivering YueYing.

[ I'm not going to hurt you if you do as I say. ]

The System's cheery voice had taken on a deep, threatening tone. YueYing kicked his legs out, stumbling backwards until he hit his back against the beige wall.

"D-don't come near me."

[ I gave you that body. I can take it away. ]

"Do it if you dare!"

[ You should cower before the form of your Creator. ]

"I don't take orders from anyone." YueYing gritted his teeth. He glared at the glitchy System with resolute eyes and staggered to his feet.

With all of his willpower he charged at the human mass, intending to hit it square on the throat with his elbow. Sprinting as fast as he could. Closing the distance. And, at the final stretch,

[ Stupid boy. ]

The System kicked his stomach. His world went black as he felt his organs shift. Catching the boy in its arms, the human-like mass expanded and enveloped him in darkness.

—

YueYing's stomach throbbed in pain, and he jolted awake. The same velvet curtains he'd seen before swayed to his left, and to his right the mirror fastened to the white dresser reflected his sullen expression and abused body. With a depressed sigh, he dropped back to the soft bed, clutching his hand to the blue-rimmed red bruise staining his pale skin like a bloody tattoo.

When he tried to get up, he found both of his legs bound to either side of the bed frame.

[ Feel like listening now? ]

YueYing tugged at the leather straps shackling his thighs and glowered at the lavender screen. A sharp pain cracked his scowling expression and he cried out, his leg spasming as he jerked back in agony.

[ I'd advise you not to move, I broke both of your legs so you wouldn't try to run away! Don't worry, they'll heal well (˵ •̀ ᴗ •́ ˵ ) ✧ ]

Vision blurred, head ringing, YueYing didn't have the capacity to listen to the System ramble. He shut his eyes, letting a tear fall onto the satin pillow.

[ And by the way, you did nothing wrong… that's the problem, Mr. Li. (´-ω-`) ]

[ If you listen to me, I can heal all of your wounds right now! I can make your pain go away! ]

[ You can move again! ]

[ Just… in return, I really need the 'Protagonist'. Alright? ˙ᵕ˙ ]

YueYing shuddered, holding his arms to his chest like a pained infant.

[ Say yes. You want to live, right? •ᴗ• ]

"Why me..." His lips parted, silent words trembling, pouring out.

[ I'll give you three seconds. Threeee… ]

What would happen if he said 'no'? Could he even refuse? YueYing knew deep in his heart that the System wouldn't let him die. He'd face an eternity of torture. Gritting his teeth, YueYing forced his eyes open. He stared straight at the System, which had taken on its human shape at some point.

"Why do you need the 'Protagonist' so desperately? You have a human form, can't you just find him yourself…"

[ I can't. ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ]

"Can I refuse?"

[ No. ]

YueYing prayed for the first time in his life.

[ Twooooooo. ]

"You said that once you find the 'Protagonist,' you'll leave me… right?"

[ … ]

[ Ooonnneeee! ]

"I need a guarantee before I say yes."

[ Tch. Fine. ]

A slight, hesitant nod from YueYing gave the System all of the confirmation it needed.

Confetti rained down onto the bed.

[ I look forward to working with you, Mr. Li! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡ ]

The kaomoji of an empty heart. How fitting.

With a snap of the black mass's fingers, YueYing's legs twisted themselves back into place. He convulsed as the horrifying sensation crept up his spine, squeezing his eyes shut so that he wouldn't see his bones spinning 180 degrees and snapping like kindergarten plastic toys upon connecting with each other.

A few minutes later, YueYing knelt on the bed, holding the big white box the System had presented him earlier, his stressed face as white as limestone.

[ Open the package! It's a gift for you! My new host~ (〃´𓎟`〃) ]

His fingers shook as he tugged at the pink ribbon. It landed in a trail at his feet.

Pop~!

The lid flew off, and YueYing recoiled in shock, dropping the box.