A Villain Who Wanted to Be a Hero

[Earth-199999ba]

At the summit of the Himalayas.

A blizzard raged, and the freezing wind cut like blades.

Upon a snow peak thousands of meters above sea level, a figure clad in dark green armor stood motionless amid the storm.

His cloak whipped wildly in the wind, frost crusted over his mask, and his eyes gazed through the snowstorm at the churning sky.

"It has finally begun."

A low voice emerged from beneath the mask, carrying a hint of amusement.

His thoughts drifted back to a year ago, when he had still sat upon the throne, reveling in the thrill of ruling.

Ben could have become the god of this world, its eternal ruler.

But those insects who called themselves righteous, those foolish superheroes, had joined forces to resist him.

They thought they could stop me.

His fingers slowly clenched, and his armor let out a deep hum.

That final battle had nearly destroyed the entire kingdom.

Ben had thought he would fail completely, but at the final moment, he had wagered everything.

Using forbidden magic, he had exchanged souls with that self-proclaimed genius scientist.

In the end, he had traded half his face burned away for a new life.

He had survived under another person's identity.

No one knew that the former genius scientist was no longer Ben himself.

No one knew that his soul had long since been replaced.

He had lain low, learned, and used that man's technology in combination with his own magic.

At the very moment everyone lowered their guard, he had completed his revenge.

The superheroes had lost.

He had won.

He had returned to his kingdom and placed the crown upon his head once more.

But the fruits of victory had not been as sweet as he had imagined.

Because his soul would forever