Only I Am A Reader



'I can't believe one of my selves would choose jail as a resting place, but I definitely felt the connection.'

Stretching out his new body to get used to it, Leo looked around in the dark cell as he tried to organize his thoughts.

Many things were different about this book, but the biggest one for Leo was still the character that he integrated with. It was still a bit shocking even after he mentally prepared for everything.

'Even if he isn't a truly evil character, he is quite unhinged.'

Not unlike the majority of the dynamic characters within this novel, the current Leo was undeniably a villain.

Of course, in this world based on modern Earth, the definition of villains was Awakened who used their special abilities outside the boundaries of the law.

They weren't just those that attacked civilians for no reason or those that used their powers to steal and pillage. As long as you refused to follow the governmental authority as an Awakened, you were treated as an outlaw.

'There really are too many similar aspects.'

In that sense, this contrast between black and white was almost the same as the scene on Leo's Earth.

The World Reservation Council that wanted to keep everything under its control and the World Reformation Front that wanted to do whatever they desired weren't that much different in comparison.

'Cassian…'

He didn't have a last name, but just his first name was already enough to strike fear into the hearts of many when he was active.

'The retired villain'

However, Cassian had already done all that he wanted to do and more. This was the third different aspect of this character. Cassian was older than his other characters, even at their peak form.

This time around, Leo wasn't starting as a child who couldn't handle the only power source in the world, nor was he just on the first step of his training as a Martial Artist.

He was already a fully-developed character that had already reached its peak!

'Of course, this isn't set in stone yet, but it's a new feeling.'

Was it disorientation? If Leo put together the number of years he had experienced as a whole, he would be over twice as old as Cassian. Still, something was different about passing the age of 25 in one single life.

Specifically, in Cassian's case, he was someone who had become a villain for a certain purpose and had already achieved that purpose. After he went past that point, Leo wasn't sure what to make of his mental state.

'Is this what mid-life crisis feels like?'

Personally, before his life got completely changed by awakening his Role, Leo had always believed that he would be alright as long as he had enough books to read for the rest of his life, but Cassian was like a black hole full of dark thoughts.

His villain backstory was very simple. He was also an orphan like both Arthur and Baekho, he also got a chance at a happy life after getting taken in by one family.

Unlike them, however, his chance was destroyed far too early!

Just like many things solved through corruption, those that ruined his life got away with it while only he had to suffer. Naturally, all of that changed once he awakened his abilities.

His abilities were weak, pathetic even, or so many people described it. In this part of his story, Cassian was no different from the underdog protagonists who overcame all odds to achieve their revenge.

Nonetheless, while those protagonists usually danced along the border of the law to do so, Cassian only bided his time before straightforwardly destroying everyone involved in his matter.

This one incident terrified everyone as he held back nothing, spreading his name left and right.

He didn't care that he was added to the top ranks of the villain bounty list due to that, because…

He had nothing left to live a normal life for anyway.

'Being aimless is tougher than it sounds.'

After his striking debut, Cassian tried to do a few harmless villain attacks to see if this was what his heart desired. However, he quickly gave up once he confirmed that he felt nothing from them.

The thrill he felt the first time was obviously due to his attachment to the matter. Deep down, he wasn't a person that lived to create mischief just as he had expected.

Still, Cassian didn't want to end his life. He just had no desire to keep putting out effort. His life as a villain had to reach its end, but he wasn't just going to stop it like that.

'He had to go out with a bang.'

While he was unable to find a purpose for his life for a while now, surely he had to be capable of finding a purpose for his swansong?

And it was when he was searching that he found her, the only person who could catch the slightest bit of his interest.

'At least he had good taste.'

At that moment, the screen that had lit up a little while ago brightened up even more, revealing a beautiful blonde who didn't lose out to Yulia in looks.

[Hello everyone! We are back here today with the audience's beloved Hero, Aurora Dawnbringer!]

Even though the sound transmitted through the screen was suppressed, the claps resounded throughout the whole cell.

This was the person who not only caught the interest of the whole world but also that of Cassian. The one and only protagonist of City of Villain.

Having found someone who had the exact opposite personality, Cassian finally made his decision.

[There are many exciting events that you have gone through lately. Your Gate Clearing spree has been especially praised by all. However, I would like to talk about one of the highlights of your career. Everyone wants to hear about how you managed to subdue the terrifying villain Cassian!]

If he was going to disappear anyway, then shouldn't he serve as a growth promoter to someone this interesting?

He truly wanted to see how she would end up after climbing up. Would she stay the same? Or would she end up corrupted by the true darkness of this insidious society?