The Black Villain Rewrites Fate

"Still unwilling to hand over your heart, Mordain? Then we will tear out your organs one by one until nothing remains!" ​ A cry of terror echoed through the ancient altar hall. The voice belonged to Valerius, the Hero of Light revered by millions. Mordain Veyl was severely bound atop a stone altar carved with alchemical symbols. His body was pinned by ten Stakes of Punishment piercing his shoulders, elbows, and knees. Thick, dark blood flowed heavily, soaking the floor in the heart of the floating city of Ather-Astra. ​In this Eclipse Core era, ancient magical civilization had been destroyed, replaced by a synthesis of forbidden alchemy and quicksilver technology. Mordain stared at the faces of the Holy Heroes with cold, fearless eyes. Though his body could not move, he did not show the slightest hint of defeat. For a Dark King, physical suffering was no reason to submit. ​ "We got you now, you bastard!" ​Valerius stepped closer with a satisfied smile on his face. In his right hand, he held a massive iron syringe filled with a shiny grey liquid. That liquid was liquid quicksilver mixed with high-tier alchemical quicksilver crystals. ​ "Do you know why we chose this place?" Valerius asked, pressing the tip of the needle against Mordain's neck. "Ather-Astra is the pinnacle of civilization. It's truly fitting to be the place of your death, Dark King." ​"Get away from me, damn it!" Mordain growled, thrashing against his chains. ​ Valerius did not care. He thrust the giant needle into Mordain's neck until it punctured his airway, then pressed the plunger down. The freezing liquid quicksilver burst directly into Mordain's lungs. ​ "ARGHH!" ​The impact was immediate and agonizing. Mordain's lungs felt as though they had been doused in ice water that instantly froze solid. An excruciating cold sensation burned the inside of his chest, turning his respiratory organs as hard as crystal. Mordain coughed violently, but what came out of his mouth was not air, but chunks of frozen blood and icy quicksilver vapor. ​"Damn it! Bastard!" Mordain yelled in frustration. ​ Mordain's breathing naturally stopped. Every time he tried to draw a breath, the inside of his chest felt like it was cracking and about to shatter. The agonizing pain made the nerves throughout his body rage. Yet, Mordain kept his sharp gaze fixed on Valerius, eyes radiating a murderous intent. ​"This isn't over yet," Valerius said coldly. He picked up a pair of large iron pliers from the ritual table. "The Hero Alliance desperately needs the Dark Overlord Core inside your heart. They need it to activate the God Gate. But before I take it, I have to clear away the flesh and bones in the way." ​"You better not try anything funny!" Mordain snarled, glaring in anger. ​"I'm not scared of your threats at all!" ​Valerius jammed the iron pliers directly into the space between Mordain's ribs. Without warning, he twisted the tool and pulled, snapping one of Mordain's rib bones with a loud crack. Flesh and muscle were forcibly torn from their place. ​"ARGHHH!" ​Mordain let out a low groan, biting his lower lip until it split and poured thick blood. Experiencing this torture was far more painful than simply being discarded in a dumping ground. Every tug of those iron pliers ripped his life away bit by bit. Valerius plucked Mordain's ribs one by one, like snapping dry branches off a tree. ​"How is it? Enjoyable?" Valerius mocked, plucking Mordain's ribs one by one as if breaking dry twigs. ​"You bastard!" growled Mordain, who was already weak and helpless. ​"What did you say? You want more?" Valerius smirked, enjoying every bit of the torture he inflicted. ​The second bone was forcibly ripped out, leaving a gaping hole in the left side of his chest. Blood spurted out, ruining the black robe Mordain wore. This gruesome torture lasted for ten full minutes in front of the seven members of the Hero Alliance. ​"Look, how pitiful is the fate of the ruler of darkness," ridiculed a female hero standing behind Valerius. "Did he really think he could rule this world forever?" ​ "This world needs a new order," Valerius replied coldly, throwing the fifth rib bone onto the stone floor. "And that order is built on your bones, Mordain." ​ The left side of Mordain's chest now lay wide open, revealing his slowly beating heart. The heart emitted a deep black light, showcasing the Dark Overlord Core perfectly embedded within it. Valerius smiled broadly upon seeing the core of power he had lusted after for so long. ​ "Here it is! Finally, I get to see this fascinating thing!" Valerius said excitedly. ​Valerius then raised his left hand into the air. Golden-white fire materialized on his palm. It was Soul Fire, a holy power created specifically to obliterate an enemy's soul until nothing remained. ​"This fire will burn your soul to ash," Valerius said, bringing his hand closer to Mordain's chest. "You will never open your eyes again, nor will you be able to rise after you die." ​ The holy fire instantly surged into the hole in Mordain's chest. Extreme heat scorched the remaining internal organs that had previously been frozen by the liquid quicksilver. The combination of the quicksilver's extreme cold and the burning heat of the Soul Fire created a terrifying shockwave inside Mordain's chest. ​"ARGHHH! YOU DEMON, VALERIUS!" Mordain screamed, unable to endure the pain. ​ Mordain's soul began to crack and shatter into pieces under the pressure of the holy fire. His vision gradually darkened as his consciousness began to sink. The pain he experienced went far beyond the limits of an ordinary human. The only thing on his mind was death. ​[Warning! Vessel soul has suffered total damage!] ​[Hidden activation requirement has been met!] ​[Activating Undead Overlord System...] ​ An emotionless voice suddenly sounded inside Mordain's head just as he was on the verge of losing consciousness. That voice halted the destruction of his soul at the very last second. ​[Extinction-level threat detected. Initiating time rewind procedure.] ​[Absorbing remaining energy of the Dark Overlord Core...] ​[Rewinding world time by 10 years...] ​ Time and space around the Ather-Astra altar abruptly came to a standstill. Valerius's holy fire froze mid-air, and a massive dark shadow took over all of Mordain's consciousness. His awareness was forcibly dragged through a very long and dark time corridor. ​The pain from his frozen lungs and torn ribs slowly faded, replaced by a severe sense of dizziness. Mordain felt his body crash down onto an extremely soft surface. ​The freezing sensation of the liquid quicksilver in his chest suddenly vanished, replaced by the familiar scent of rose oil. Mordain snapped his eyes open and sat up on a large bed with carved wooden posts. ​ Where is this? What happened to me? Mordain thought in confusion. ​He touched his chest, which was now completely intact without a single wound. No broken bones, no gaping hole, and no liquid quicksilver freezing his airway. Yet, the lingering memory of that excruciating pain felt overwhelmingly real in his mind. ​Mordain looked around the room. Massive walls covered in black silk fabric, large glass windows displaying the night view of Ather-Astra city, and a gold-plated work desk. This was his private bedroom in the Obsidian Palace, ten years before the day of his execution. ​[System successfully activated.] ​[Welcome back, Dark King Mordain Veyl.] ​[Body condition: Normal. Current time: Eclipse Core Era, Year 12.] ​Oh, so I returned to ten years ago? Can I really turn back time? Mordain thought, still a bit dazed. ​His deep curiosity prompted Mordain to pinch his arm lightly. It hurt, making him fully believe in the reality of this moment. ​A cold smile broke across Mordain's handsome face. His second life had just begun, and this time, he would be the one setting the rules of the game. Knowledge of the future and the power of the System were now within his hands. ​"Fate wants me to take revenge, huh? Fine, this revenge starts right now!" Mordain muttered softly. ​Suddenly, the sound of a knock echoed from outside his bedroom door. The knocking sounded hurried and somewhat hesitant. ​"Prince Mordain, apologies for interrupting your rest," a male servant's voice called out from behind the thick wooden door. "There is an important letter from the Main Residence of the Veyl Clan that you must read tonight." ​ Mordain remembered the events of this night with absolute clarity from his past life. That letter was the start of an internal betrayal that gradually eroded his strength from within through his own relative. ​ "Yes, I remember this event!" he whispered softly. ​He got out of bed, grabbed a black robe hanging near the wardrobe, and walked calmly toward the door. His footsteps sounded steady without a trace of hesitation. ​Mordain opened the door slowly. Standing in front of it was a young servant dressed neatly, holding an envelope sealed with red wax. The servant's eyes showed a hint of uneasiness as he looked directly into Mordain's eyes. ​ "Hand the letter over so I can read it," Mordain said, his tone icy cold and pressing. ​ The servant trembled upon hearing Mordain's voice, then handed the envelope over with slightly shaking hands. Mordain took it without shifting his gaze from the servant's face. ​ "Is there any other message from that master of yours?" Mordain asked, narrowing his eyes. ​The servant lowered his head, trying to hide the fear that was beginning to overcome him. ​"Nothing else, Prince. Young Master only asked that you read the contents yourself and tell no one." ​ Mordain smiled sneeringly at the deception before him. He knew very well that the servant in front of him had already accepted a bribe from his enemy to put a slow-acting poison on that letter. ​"Heh, bastard! Did you really think you could lie to me?" Mordain asked in a flat, piercing tone.