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Chapter 1 — The Ultimate Death Flag

Arthur Pierce had transmigrated.
Staring at the golden bull emblem on the steering wheel and the surrounding carbon fiber interior, he fell into deep thought.
It was a Lamborghini sports car, something he had only ever seen on his phone.
"I'm not even dead, so how did I transmigrate?"
Just seconds ago, Arthur had clocked out of work, listening to an urban web novel through his earphones.
He had just opened the door of his cheap sedan and sat inside, only to find the interior completely transformed.
Unfamiliar memories flooded his mind.
Slumping against the leather seat, he felt absolutely sick to his stomach.
As it turned out, he had crossed over into the exact novel he was just listening to.
That wasn't the main issue; the kicker was that he became the villain.
The protagonist was the Supreme Warlord, who returned with an army of three thousand mercenaries only to find his little sister sleeping in a doghouse.
The culprit behind this was none other than Arthur, and his fate in the book was a gruesome death.
"You've gotta be kidding me with this cliché bullsh*t."
Arthur cursed under his breath.
To force the protagonist's badass moments, the author severely dumbed down all the supporting characters.
Sure, that made sense for a cheap read.
But wasn't his own character nerfed a bit too much?
The protagonist's little sister was a high school senior—sweet, adorable, a straight-A student, and the undisputed prom queen.
And this villainous scum actually made a girl like that sleep in a literal doghouse?
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Arthur quickly reviewed his current situation.
He was Arthur Pierce.
The second son of Richard Pierce, Chairman of the Pierce Group.
He had a gorgeous older sister, one year his senior, who served as the company's CEO.
As per standard trope, a beautiful CEO was destined to join the protagonist's harem, and this novel was no exception.
His sister was, in fact, the Warlord's woman.
However, from the plotline, Arthur knew she was adopted.
She was the orphaned daughter of Richard's deceased best friend, taken in and raised as his own flesh and blood.
As for Arthur, he had a newlywed wife—Chloe Hayes, the eldest daughter of the fallen Hayes family.
And she was the Warlord's older sister.
The protagonist's last name was also Hayes. Makes perfect sense.
According to the plot, both Chloe and her younger sister Mia were destined to be the Warlord's women.
Because the Warlord was actually an adopted son of the Hayes family, possessing a ridiculously overpowered secret background.
That... also made total sense in this genre.
Bankrupt and desperate for backing, the Hayes family naturally sought out Oakhaven's top enterprise, the Pierce Group.
When Chloe married into the family, she brought her little sister along—the very one Arthur banished to the doghouse.
But the crux of the matter was that the original Arthur loathed them, viewing them as parasitic leeches.
When the Hayes family hit rock bottom, Richard had invested heavily out of old friendship, only for all the money to go down the drain.
Instead of his wife, the original Arthur was obsessed with a hot teacher from Oakhaven High, sending her flowers every single day after work.
Yep, you guessed it.
This hot teacher was also one of the protagonist's women.
Arthur had essentially maxed out his death flags: stealing the protagonist's girl, abusing his older sister, and making his little sister sleep in a doghouse.
When the Warlord returned, there was no way he'd let this slide.
The Warlord was insanely overpowered. After stepping on Arthur like a bug, his three-thousand-strong army would surround the Pierce Group.
Even Richard would have to swallow his pride and accept total defeat.
As for his adopted sister, she'd probably celebrate, considering she hated his guts.
Honestly, Arthur couldn't blame her; this villain was genuinely braindead.
He was dealt a winning hand and played it like an absolute idiot.
Panic set in. The protagonist was invincible; was he just supposed to sit around waiting to die?
Once the protagonist targeted him, his sister, his wife, and his sister-in-law definitely wouldn't help him.
He'd be lucky if they didn't add fuel to the fire themselves.
Fixing their deeply ingrained hatred for him in just a few days seemed impossible.
Just as Arthur felt utterly hopeless, a line of black text materialized in front of him.
"Detected that host possesses the Ultimate Villain Persona, posing a severe threat to host's safety."
Seeing the floating text, Arthur's face lit up. As an avid web novel reader, he knew exactly what this was.
His cheat code had arrived.
"System, what should I do?" Arthur asked immediately.
Instead of answering, more black text appeared in his vision.
"Host must perform righteous acts to earn Justice Points and counteract the persona."
"Rewarding host with the Eye of Revelation."
Arthur narrowed his eyes as fresh knowledge bloomed in his mind, feeling as natural as instinct.
Taking a deep breath, he fully understood how his cheat worked.
In plain English: do good deeds and make people like him.
Positive feedback and increased affection would grant him Justice Points, which he could use for a lottery.
However, regular NPCs provided a pitiful amount of points.
Only characters closely tied to the protagonist could yield massive payouts.
His new visual ability allowed him to identify these key characters.
Squeezing positive reactions out of them would skyrocket his points.
Arthur mentally summoned the interface, and a holographic panel popped up.
His stats were on the left, and a currently obscured roulette wheel sat on the right.
He checked his profile first.
Name: Arthur Pierce
Status: Ultimate Villain Persona, HR Manager of Pierce Group.
Strength: 9
Speed: 11
Stamina: 6
Defense: 7
Skills: None
Note: Based on system scans, the average stat for adult males in this age group is 10.
...
Looking at his numbers, Arthur felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment.
His stamina, in particular, was an absolute joke.
But given the original Arthur's lifestyle of all-night clubbing and binge drinking, it wasn't surprising.
Thankfully, with this cheat, he wouldn't be a sitting duck against the protagonist.
Suddenly turning his head, Arthur noticed an eighteen-year-old kid snapping photos of his Lamborghini.
He activated his visual skill to check the kid's info.
Name: Toby
Status: Student
Affection: -3
Destiny Level: 1 (Max 10)
Arthur was speechless. I don't even know you, why is your affection negative?
But on second thought, it made sense.
There were plenty of haters in the world who instinctively despised the rich.
Unbothered, Arthur popped the door open and stepped out.
Spotting the owner, Toby hurriedly pocketed his phone.
Knowing better than to piss off a wealthy heir, he stammered, "I'm sorry, man. The ride's just too sick. I had to snap a pic. I'll delete it right now if you want."
"Why delete it? Wanna hop in and get a feel for it?"
Arthur flashed a warm, gentlemanly smile.
"Are... are you sure?"
Toby was utterly stunned.
In his mind, young guys driving supercars were usually arrogant pricks who looked down on everyone.
He never expected this handsome dude to be so chill.
"Affection +5"
Seeing the floating text, Arthur checked the stats again.
The affection had shifted from negative to a positive two points.
And Arthur himself gained 5 Justice Points.
"Why not? Sitting in it won't break anything."
Arthur patted Toby on the shoulder.
"For real? Thanks, bro!"
Ecstatic, Toby carefully slid into the driver's seat and went crazy snapping selfies.
"Flip the red cover on the center console. The start button's underneath. Give it a few revs."
Arthur reminded him with a smile from outside.
"You're a legend, man! Thanks!"
Toby felt so blessed he could pass out. He fired up the engine.
Vroom! The deafening roar of the exhaust ripped through the air.
Stomping the gas pedal a few times, the beastly growl made Toby tremble with pure adrenaline.
"Affection +8"
Arthur smirked, surprised at how easily he had just milked a dozen points.
Right then, his gaze drifted toward the school gates in the distance.
Two women entered his line of sight.
One of them was his obsessive crush, the hot teacher Elena Croft.
Elena was wearing a sharp black suit, the buttons straining against her chest.
Her hair was tied in a sleek ponytail, framing her perfect oval face and striking features. She put A-list celebrities to shame.
Searching his memories, Arthur recalled she was packing a solid DDD cup.
On that front, he fully approved.
To be completely fair, the original villain had excellent taste in women.
"Elena! Look, he's back again. Rain or shine, he never quits."
A short-haired woman beside Elena looked visibly envious.
"Ugh! He's a total creep!"
Elena marched over with an icy glare. "Arthur! How many times do I have to tell you? It's never going to happen between us!"
Toby, still enjoying the driver's seat, panicked at the hostility and scrambled out.
"Bro, I gotta bounce."
"Alright."
Ignoring Elena completely, Arthur casually waved the kid off.
"I'm talking to you, Arthur. Take your stupid flowers and get the hell out of here!"
Reaching the car, Elena noticed the bouquet in the passenger seat and spat venomously.
"Who said these were for you?"
Arthur looked at her with deadpan calmness. "Don't flatter yourself."

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Chapter 2 — Changing the Narrative

If you can't manage your own household, how can you conquer the world?
Arthur's current priority was sorting out his domestic mess.
After all, today was Friday—the day his sister-in-law, Mia, came home for the weekend.
And naturally, the day she slept in the doghouse.
If he had to rank the things that would trigger the Warlord's apocalyptic rage...
His little sister sleeping in a kennel would absolutely be number one.
He desperately needed to grind Mia's affection points.
Arthur used his visual skill to scan Elena.
Name: Elena Croft
Status: Teacher at Oakhaven High, Female Lead in "The Warlord's Descent".
Affection: -80
Destiny Level: 8 (Max 10)
Seeing that abysmal score, Arthur was thoroughly speechless.
Was the original villain completely braindead? Couldn't he tell she was repulsed by him?
Not to mention he already had a legal wife at home. If he really wanted to play the field, he should have gotten a divorce first.
"Cut the crap, Arthur! I'm warning you, pull this stunt again and I'm calling the cops for harassment!"
Elena snapped viciously.
Others might fear him, but she certainly didn't.
While the Croft family wasn't as powerful as the Pierces, they were still heavyweights in Oakhaven.
If the Pierce Group tried to crush them, it would be mutual destruction.
A line of black text hovered above Elena's head.
"Affection -4"
Arthur quickly checked his own balance and sighed in relief when he realized his points didn't drop.
He ignored Elena, his eyes locking onto his real target.
Opening the passenger door, he grabbed the bouquet and strode past her toward the school gates.
Standing there was a slender, graceful girl in a school uniform.
She had shoulder-length hair, a lithe figure, and flawless porcelain skin.
She was laughing with a classmate, adorable dimples showing on her cheeks.
According to the plot, Mia was far from simple.
She was much more cunning than her older sister, and would later ruthlessly assist the protagonist in assassinating his enemies.
The fact that she slept in a doghouse on weekends but acted completely normal at school proved her terrifying mental fortitude.
"Mia, classes over?"
Arthur called out from a distance.
Hearing his voice, Mia's smile vanished instantly.
It was replaced by sheer, unadulterated terror.
Why is he calling me out at school? Is he going to humiliate me in front of everyone?
Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought.
She had constantly fantasized about a hero dropping from the sky to murder Arthur.
But dreams were just dreams. Who would dare touch the young master of Oakhaven's top syndicate?
"Affection -7"
"F*ck!"
Arthur cursed inwardly as he saw the floating penalty.
How deeply did this girl hate the original villain? Just saying her name nuked his score.
He activated his visual skill on her.
Name: Mia Hayes
Status: Student, Female Lead in "The Warlord's Descent".
Affection: -160
Destiny Level: 9 (Max 10)
Arthur couldn't even fathom the depths of her hatred.
Elena loathed him to her core at negative eighty, but Mia's score was literally double that.
"A-Arthur."
Mia's knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists, her entire body trembling.
If it weren't for her sister, she would never go home on weekends to face this vile bastard.
School was her only sanctuary, yet he had tracked her down to torment her here too.
Why won't he just die?!
"Here. I'm taking you home."
Arthur handed her the bouquet and offered a warm smile.
Disgust churned in Mia's stomach, but she didn't dare refuse.
Disobeying him usually resulted in a backhand to the face.
"T-thank you."
She nervously hugged the flowers to her chest.
"Whoa! Mia, you never told me you knew such a hottie!"
The plain-looking, long-haired classmate beside her squealed.
Clinging to Mia's arm, she practically drooled.
Arthur mused that his physical appearance hadn't changed; he still looked exactly like his past self.
Standing at six-foot-one with clean, sharp features, he was undeniably handsome.
But in his previous life, no woman had ever looked at him with such thirsty desperation.
Maybe it was the seven-thousand-dollar Zegna suit and the twenty-grand Rolex doing the heavy lifting.
Being tall and handsome was just the icing on the cake; money was the actual cake.
Good looks alone couldn't pay a massive wedding gift or buy a million-dollar mansion.
"H-he's my brother-in-law, my sister just got married recently."
Glancing at Elena in the distance, Mia figured out the truth.
He obviously bought them for the teacher, got rejected, and dumped them on her to save face.
"Let's go. Time to head home."
Arthur prompted.
"Okay..."
Mia nodded meekly, forcing a smile for her friend. "I'm heading out."
"See ya Monday!"
The girl waved enthusiastically.
Arthur held the passenger door open, and Mia gingerly slid in.
She moved stiffly, terrified that dirtying the pristine leather would earn her another beating.
Arthur jogged around to the driver's side, not sparing Elena a single glance.
Door shut, engine fired, and he launched the car down the street in one fluid motion.
Leaving a utterly bewildered Elena eating his dust.
...
Listening to the roaring V12, Arthur marveled at the system's magic.
Back in his old life, he wouldn't have dared set foot in a dealership, let alone buy a beast like this.
Yet, somehow, he handled the supercar like a seasoned pro.
Clutching the bouquet, Mia remained dead silent for the entire ride.
She had no idea what sick game he was playing.
Maybe getting rejected by the teacher put him in a foul mood.
Once they got home, he'd probably find some bullsh*t excuse to beat her and her sister.
"Affection -5"
Spotting the floating text, Arthur was dumbfounded. I didn't even say anything!
...
The East End was Oakhaven's premium luxury district.
Private security patrolled the spotless streets 24/7.
Arthur's current residence was in Riverfront Estates.
He used to live in the main family manor.
But since he was married now, his father bought him this standalone mansion to give him independence.
Pulling into the underground garage, Arthur noted two other rides parked alongside his spot.
A Porsche 911 and a Cadillac Escalade.
Stepping out, Arthur held out his hand. "Those aren't for you."
Mia hastily shoved the bouquet back at him. Of course she knew they weren't for her.
They were Elena's sloppy seconds.
"They're for your sister," Arthur stated calmly.
"Huh?"
Mia blinked, convinced she'd misheard. For her sister?
The two walked out of the garage and into the sprawling backyard.
Off to the side, sitting on the manicured lawn, was a doghouse.
To be fair, it wasn't a literal plastic kennel; it was a reinforced wooden structure.
It was decently sized, fitting a twin mattress and a tiny desk.
In any metropolis, a micro-studio like this would run you at least three hundred bucks a month.
But forcing a teenage girl to sleep in it was purely psychological torture.
Like clockwork, Mia deadpanned and headed straight for the doghouse.
Arthur had explicitly banned her from stepping foot inside the main house, enforcing it with security cameras.
Once, her sister sneaked her into the dining room. When Arthur checked the tapes, he beat Chloe mercilessly.
Since then, whenever Arthur was out, Chloe would cook and bring the food outside to eat in the dirt with her.
Grab!
Arthur's hand clamped firmly onto Mia's shoulder. "Let's go. We're going inside."
Mia froze solid.

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Chapter 3 — The Demolition

Trembling with terror, Mia whispered, "I don't wanna go in. You said it yourself... the doghouse is my home."
Mentally, she was cursing him in every language she knew.
He'd definitely drag her inside, pretend he never invited her, and scream, "Who the hell let you in?!"
And then he'd beat her half to death. She wasn't falling for this trap.
"I said, we're going inside."
Arthur repeated, his tone calm but brokering absolutely no argument.
Hearing that tone, Mia knew her fate was sealed. The beating was inevitable.
She nodded in numb defeat.
Pushing open the massive front doors, Arthur took in the ostentatious, hyper-luxurious decor. Everything screamed "f*ck-you money."
Honestly, he hated it. It was gaudy and completely lacked taste.
The sizzling sound of frying came from the kitchen.
Hearing the door, a stunning woman in an apron hurried out, gripping a spatula.
"Mia, what are you doing in here? The cameras are on..."
Chloe trailed off as she locked eyes with Arthur. She stood paralyzed.
Arthur studied her. Chloe had an inherent, tragic "damsel-in-distress" vibe.
Her hair was tied in a messy bun, highlighting her delicate, flawless features.
Her endlessly long, toned legs could put runway models to shame.
But it was her eyes—wide, innocent, and deeply sorrowful—that triggered an intense protective instinct in men.
If there was one flaw, it was that she wasn't as stacked as Elena.
But she certainly wasn't flat, rocking a solid D-cup that gave her a gorgeous hourglass figure.
Arthur was utterly baffled. How could the original villain look at this goddess and decide to use her as a punching bag?
And more importantly, they had been married for almost a month.
The original bastard hadn't laid a single finger on her.
He spent every night partying at high-end clubs and only came back at dawn to sleep it off.
Arthur knew exactly why the author wrote it this way.
She was the Warlord's premium harem member. A low-tier villain wasn't allowed to defile her.
But he wasn't that scripted villain anymore.
Looking at his stunning, legally married wife... he'd have to be clinically insane not to touch her.
"W-why are you home?" Chloe asked nervously.
Arthur could see raw panic etched across her face.
He checked her stats with his skill.
Name: Chloe Hayes
Status: Housewife, Female Lead in "The Warlord's Descent".
Affection: -15
Destiny Level: 8 (Max 10)
Arthur sighed internally. The original villain abused her the most, yet her affection score was the least negative of the bunch.
He knew the lore behind it.
Chloe felt an overwhelming sense of guilt toward the Pierce family.
When her family's empire was collapsing, she begged Richard for a bailout, citing their grandfathers' blood brother pact.
Richard poured massive capital and resources into keeping the Hayes family afloat.
But it was a black hole. The Hayes syndicate went under, and Chloe's parents vanished without a trace.
Because of this catastrophic investment, the Pierce Group plummeted from a top-five state powerhouse to barely breaking the top twenty.
Though still kings of Oakhaven, their broader influence had taken a massive hit.
That was the canonical reason why the original Arthur despised them.
Before the crash, the villain was treated like royalty anywhere in Northridge State.
After the downgrade, former bootlickers started giving him attitude.
Of course, the new Arthur knew the real plot twist.
The Hayes family didn't just go bankrupt naturally; Logan, the protagonist, had pissed off an ancient shadow syndicate.
...
Looking at Chloe again, Arthur noted her affection was still in the red.
But deep down, her guilt toward the Pierces acted as a buffer.
In the novel, Mia had begged her to get a divorce a million times, but she always refused out of debt.
"This is my house. Why wouldn't I be here?"
Arthur walked up to her and handed over the bouquet. "Picked these up on the way back. For you."
Mia scoffed internally. Bullsh*t. You definitely bought those for Elena.
She rejected you, so you're recycling them on my sister.
"This..."
Chloe was bewildered. Did pigs suddenly start flying?
Why would he give her flowers?
Did he think up some twisted new psychological game to break me?
The moment she thought that, a text bubble popped up.
"Affection -1"
Arthur rubbed his temples. These girls had extreme PTSD.
"Just finish making dinner. We're eating together tonight."
Arthur waved her off, tossing the bouquet onto the glass coffee table.
"Okay. Give me twenty minutes."
Gripping the spatula, she scurried back to the kitchen.
Truthfully, the food was already done; she was just waiting for Mia.
But she hadn't cooked a portion for Arthur, since he never ate at home.
Terrified he'd beat her for "excluding" him, she bought herself twenty minutes to whip up another dish.
...
The massive living room was now dead silent, leaving only Arthur and Mia.
Mia felt like she had a knife to her throat. The silence was suffocating.
Desperate to escape, she murmured, "I'll... I'll head out to the doghouse now."
Arthur patted the leather sofa. "Sit down."
Mia was stunned. What kind of sick game was this?
But crushed under his oppressive aura, she gingerly perched on the very edge of the couch.
"There are plenty of empty rooms in this house. You're done sleeping outside."
Arthur stated flatly.
Sitting this close, a faint, sweet floral scent drifted from her.
Arthur inadvertently took a deep breath.
Ah, the scent of youth.
The original villain really was wasting prime resources.
Mia fidgeted anxiously. She wanted to just scream and ask what his endgame was.
If he wanted to beat her, he should just do it instead of playing mind games.
"I... I actually like the doghouse."
She stammered out the lie, her voice shaking.
Ignoring her, Arthur whipped out his phone and texted estate management to demolish the wooden shack out back.
With HOA fees costing a fortune here, the service was ultra-premium.
The staff were practically trained butlers compared to regular security.
Less than five minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Arthur strolled out to the front gate, where five uniformed guards were already lined up.
Their captain, a sturdy middle-aged man, stepped forward.
"How can we assist you, sir?"
The captain bowed respectfully.
He knew full well the owner of this mansion was untouchable royalty.
Even the estate developer had to kiss his *ss.
Arthur swung the gate open and pointed at the shack. "Tear that down. I don't want to see a single splinter left."
"Understood."
The captain barked at his squad. "Go grab the sledgehammers and chainsaws. Double time!"
"Yes, sir!"
The guards sprinted off to fetch their gear.
Arthur left them to it and sauntered back inside.
Seconds later, the chaotic sounds of demolition echoed from the backyard.
Watching through the floor-to-ceiling windows as men sledgehammered her only "safe space" into kindling, Mia felt a bitter lump in her throat.
A moment later, Chloe walked out carrying a tray of food.
Seeing the destruction outside, the color instantly drained from her face.
"What are you doing?! Are you going to throw her out on the street?! What did she do wrong to deserve this?!"
Tears streamed down her face as months of pent-up trauma exploded.

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