It started with a lie.
A stupid, bitter whisper muttered in a dorm hallway at midnight.
"That guy's a sociopath. Probably blackmailing someone already."
A throwaway insult. A joke. A grudge spat out by a jealous classmate whose girlfriend had smiled at the wrong guy.
But something changed.
The next morning, the entire class looked at him differently.
Whispers trailed him. Eyes avoided his. Even the professor paused when taking attendance, swallowing her words before calling his name.
[Falsehood Detected: "You are a manipulative villain."]
[System Awakening… Complete.]
[Lie Level: 1 → Manifesting: Basic Manipulation Skill, Increased Charisma, Intimidation Aura I]
He blinked as the message floated across his vision like an illusion.
Then smiled.
His name was Ren Kaito. Nineteen. University freshman. Dirt poor, barely scraping by. An orphan with no friends, no backing, and no future.
Until now.
The whispers multiplied by the day.
"He's probably scamming someone."
"I heard he made that guy drop out."
"I think he blackmailed a professor into changing his grade."
"They say he's a villain in disguise, hiding behind that fake smile."
Each word fed the system.
Each lie became reality.
And Ren fed them—gently, carefully—never speaking a word himself, but always offering just enough to keep the fires burning.
By the end of the semester, he owned a private apartment.
He had three girls obsessed with him—each believing they were the only one.
He'd failed three classes… yet passed with perfect scores.
[Falsehood Detected: "You control the dean's decisions." → Partial Manifestation: Local Influence I]
[Falsehood Detected: "You seduce women like a demon." → Manifesting: Charm Passive Skill I]
He became a villain because they made him one.
But he thrived because he learned to weaponize perception.
It wasn't long before real power came knocking.
A hidden investor offered him a business deal based on rumor alone.
A gang leader approached him with fear in his eyes, saying, "You don't need to say anything. I'll give you a cut. Just don't mess with my people."
All because someone whispered:
"He has ties to the underground."
[Falsehood Detected: "You are a hidden enforcer of the Black Serpent Gang." → Manifesting: Criminal Network I]
Ren didn't flinch. He smiled. He nodded.
And the system obeyed.
He was no hero. He never wanted to be one.
Villains rise faster. Villains take what others hesitate to reach for.
He used everyone: jealous classmates to fuel rumors, rich girls to fund him, enemies to make him infamous.
The stronger the lie, the stronger he became.
And the world kept talking.
One night, under a blood-red sky during a thunderstorm, Ren walked alone near the coast. A strange lightning bolt crashed into the sea—and reality bent. A ripple tore across the world, and time froze.
A voice—ancient, genderless, and heavy with karmic law—echoed in his mind:
"You are the one whispered into power. The Heir of Falsehood. The Seed of Ascension. From this moment forth, what they speak becomes your path…"
[System Expansion Unlocked: Interdimensional Karmic Lie Recognition]
[Access to Higher Realms granted upon Cultivation Activation.]
He looked into the sky as a faint star pulsed above him—unseen by mortals.
And Ren Kaito smiled like the villain they had always feared.
End of Chapter 1