Chapter 2
I was just an ordinary, law-abiding citizen who went to work like everyone else.
No, to be more honest, I was the kind of corporate slave that’s practically extinct in modern society.
Working weekends at a small company was my norm, and the only rebellion I ever allowed myself was playing through a villainess-raising simulation game—over a thousand times.
Even that came to a screeching halt once the onslaught of overtime kicked in. I could barely remember the last time I even turned on my computer.
Meanwhile, the energy-sucking higher-ups never gave me a break.
“Young people these days have no drive to achieve greatness! No passion to burn themselves out for success! Am I right, Miss Daeun?”
“Ah… yes, you’re right.”
“Back in my day, we asked for nothing more than to contribute to the company. But now it’s all about bonuses, benefits… such shallow vanity.”
Looking back, I think choosing the wrong first job was what sealed my fate as a lifelong pushover.
I left for work at the crack of dawn and came home under the stars. Seeing daylight a couple of times a week was a luxury.
But then, my long-awaited day of sunshine finally arrived.
“A five-day weekend, huh? No wonder the MZ Generation is so lazy. Anyway, enjoy the rare break while it lasts! Because come the second week, we’ll be working our fingers to the bone!”
Children’s Day, Buddha’s Birthday, and Election Day all landed in the same week—giving us a miraculous five-day break.
The moment I got home, the first thing I did was boot up Adelheid Chronicle.
Four days in, I was deep in the game. And just as I was about to unlock the final piece of the ending album…
The screen went black.
And then the game started patching itself.
“What the…?”
Surely it didn’t delete everything?!
Heart pounding, I reopened the updated game.
And then—
Pop!
A blinding light burst from my monitor.
It was so dazzling I couldn’t see a thing.
“Ah…!”
That’s the last thing I remember.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw a message floating in the air.
[SYSTEM] Welcome, Player! You have been invited to the dimension of Orteira for collecting all ending pieces in Adelheid Chronicle!
You have transmigrated into the body of ‘Adelheid Ulmer,’ the Empire of Bregenz’s most infamous villainess. Complete your final mission to return to your original world!
It was the exact system window I’d seen a thousand times in-game.
But the message made no sense.
‘I transmigrated…? Just like that?’
[SYSTEM] Would you like to make a contract with the system to ensure a smooth tutorial experience?
Was this real? Was I still sane?
I didn’t have the luxury of saying no. I had no choice but to accept.
I tapped “Yes” with a trembling finger, and the message updated again.
[SYSTEM] Loading tutorial…
…3
…2
…1
As the countdown ended, I blacked out again.
When I came to—
“Oh, my lady! You’re awake! I’ll fetch some water right away!”
I had completely transmigrated.
I was now Adelheid Ulmer, the main character in the villainess simulation game I had played over a thousand times: Counterforce of Fate: Adelheid Chronicle.
In other words, I, the ultimate corporate pushover of South Korea, was now the daughter I had raised in a game notorious for its motto: “Life is easier when you have a rotten personality.”
While I had been unconscious, it seemed a bunch of notifications had queued up. Now, they were flooding my view.
‘Seriously, what the hell is going on? Did I really transmigrate?’
I was still in shock.
I never imagined that reaching every ending in the game would lead to this.
And yet…
‘It does kind of make sense.’
I’d seen web novels and webtoons where people got hit by trucks and reincarnated into novels, or beat a game only to be sucked into it.
Ridiculous, yes—but not unheard of.
Still, I didn’t have time to lose my grip on reality.
Because if this wasn’t a dream, then I’d just been dropped into a brutally hard game—where over 90% of players met execution endings.
I began reading through the stacked messages.
And one, in particular, caught my eye.
[SYSTEM] Due to the unusual nature of your situation, “Hard Mode” has been activated.
Your original self’s stats will influence your in-game attributes.
‘Hard mode? Now?!’
Hard mode meant permadeath. No saves. No do-overs.
It made sense, though—this was a full-blown transmigration. It would be weird to have multiple lives.
‘But this game is insane!’
Adelheid Chronicle was a villainess-raising sim.
But success required mastering a fine line: gain people’s awe through dignified villainy or go too far and end up executed.
That’s why the game had such a notorious reputation.
Even as a veteran player, I felt like they could’ve at least given me a backup life or two!
But before I could dwell on it further, another system message appeared.
[SYSTEM] Synchronization with “Adelheid Ulmer” complete! Unlocking “Synchronization Bonus”! Would you like to receive your reward?
Accept Decline
Well, duh. Of course, I’d accept.
I didn’t understand everything yet, but one thing was clear:
You always take the free stuff.
I hovered my finger over “Accept.” A small pop sounded, and a new message appeared.
[SYSTEM]
▷ You’ve received a “Special Ability Reroll Ticket”!
※ Once only: One chosen ability will be randomly adjusted.
Notoriety
Persuasion
???
“Oh.”
Not bad at all.
In fact, I might be lucky.
I wanted to choose immediately, but in this game, character stats could be the difference between life and death.
So I took my time.
First, Notoriety.
In a villainess simulation, notoriety was a game-changer. High notoriety let you override some of the other characters’ traits, making it easier to manipulate events.
Next, Persuasion.
As the game progressed, it got harder. And persuasion was the clutch skill for getting out of critical situations—or even reversing bad decisions.
Then there was the third one…
‘Suspicious…’
Just three question marks.
It looked like a secret or special stat, but as someone who’d played Adelheid Chronicle—or Ark, as the veterans called it—a thousand times, I wasn’t buying it.
Why?
Because this game loved to screw over players.
It was infamous for luring in bright-eyed newcomers with its pretty villainesses and then slapping them with death flags.
Even veteran players were constantly surprised by curveballs. One wrong move, and your entire playthrough unraveled like a stack of dominoes.
And don’t even get me started on the execution endings.
Still, despite all that, I’d beaten this insane game 1,000 times, uncovering every hidden quest and secret route…
