Chapter 3

Of course, anyone could claim to be the evilest being in the universe, not realizing that such a declaration would simply reveal them to be an edgelord with severe mental problems. Darius understood that.

His last moments on Earth played through his mind as he relaxed in the chair he had sat down in. He had been surrounded by his family, all of them lamenting his impending death and gazing at him with desperation as well as love.

It was only around his family that Darius had behaved as his true self. For he had strongly believed that nothing was more important than family. A good family could ensure 1,000 generations of success while a bad one would only enjoy about 3 generations before the board was reset.

When he had closed his eyes for the final time, he had felt his mind slip into the embrace of darkness and Darius had at most expected to wake up in the midst of an inferno. He had never been much of a believer, but anyone would subconsciously consider such things when they were about to die.

However, as someone who liked to be on top of things, Darius had drafted a plan in the unlikely situation that Hell existed. If he entered Hell, he would scrape, beg, and worm his way in the rankings of the Devil's trusted confidantes before swindling him out of his position.

It certainly wouldn't have been the first time for him to wrongfully take the wealth and possession of others, as he had frequently done on Earth before disposing of them in ways that would never lead back to him.

On the other hand, if he entered Heaven, then he would lock his thoughts in the depths of his mind and remain pious to God. Should there ever come a time when he reached a pre-determined situation, his mind would have unlocked his memories as well as his true intentions, where he would next attempt to usurp the position of God.

Despite all his plans, he had never accounted for the possibility that someone would make him reincarnate into some fantasy world where - as the notifications had put it - there were dragons, dainty maidens, and quite likely whatever else the addled mind of a lonely author could think up from behind the darkness of their screen.

That was why he had laughed so uncontrollably after assessing his general environment. A vile person like him, someone who objectively deserved eternal damnation and had even planned to swindle the Devil or betray God, was actually given a second chance at life?

Not only that, but in the fabled fantasy world where one could live out their dreams by swinging swords, shooting fireballs, or building harems that would never make sense on Earth as well as becoming a ruler over a territory? Too funny.

Of all the people, why him? There had to be uncountable NEETs, saints, and samaritans from Earth who deserved this chance far more than he did. To re-do their lives in this world, possibly bringing peace, prosperity, and justice to this world, compared to him who would bring chaos, dismay, and suffering.

The irony was painful. Why even bother to live a good life on Earth, following the law and being morally clean, if being evil would grant one a better ending than most good guys?

The more one pondered this scenario, the funnier it became.

However, Darius was done with his playful reminiscing. Now, it was time to find out more about what this world was and how he would move forward. He was a person who liked to move according to an overarching plan. He had always hated going with the flow like some brainless dolt.

'Always be proactive, never reactive!', was what Darius had taught his children from an early age.

So, after he had assessed his body and his surroundings, it was now time to perform the final check, which was the reason for his existence.

"Alright, Goddess Vena. Please inform me of my objectives and roles while in your world called Faust. Please let me know what strengths I have and what weaknesses too if possible." Darius requested respectfully.

{Hello Darius Stone! I am the Central Assistant Entity for Slaves Acting in Roles. You can call me CAESAR. I am what you would call an Artificial Intelligence, and my duty is to function as your handler in the world of Faust!}

{Since this is your first day in the world of Faust, you've been granted the privilege to ask me any question and I shall furnish you with the relevant answers if I am allowed to do so by the Goddess! After today, the only time you will be able to contact me will be on extremely special occasions! It is far likelier that I will be contacting you instead.}

{To answer your question, your objective in this world is to become a so-called Supreme. To summarize and cut out unnecessary information, there are 5 stages in this world, Amateur, Journeyman, Adept, Master, and Grandmaster for any and all fields. Above the pinnacle of Grandmaster lies the Supreme Rank, its existence being treated as a myth by the denizens of Faust.}

{Your role will be whatever you want it to be. You will be given a list of choices and paths to take once I am done explaining and you should understand more when the time comes.}

{Your strengths are your intellectual superiority and the bestowment of what you know as a 'system' by Goddess Vena. This will guide you on your path throughout Faust, allowing you to surpass all the living beings if used wisely!}

{Your weaknesses are your lack of combat skill, experience, and knowledge. You were a businessman, not a soldier or superhero. You will likely struggle to become truly combat-capable against the adept residents of this danger-filled world, so good luck!}

{Also, I am obligated to stress one critically important fact. You, Darius Stone, have been brought here to live out the life of a typical protagonist with game-like attributes to amuse Goddess Vena, or as you have put it yourself you've been 'reincarnated to be her pet monkey and provide entertainment'.}

{As such, I will have to torture your soul for a thousand years and cast away what might remain to the edges of oblivion, erasing you from existence, if you ever dare to directly call out for the esteemed Goddess with that vile mortal mouth of yours again!}

{… but I digress. Have a wonderful time exploring the world of Faust that was built by the Goddess! Forge relationships, create guilds, capture pets, or fling potent spells to your heart's desire! The world of Faust exists for YOU to conquer!}