The pain was gone.
The severed arm had returned.
The wounds were healed.
Kyle stood up and looked at his restored body.
The entity appeared before him.
"Congratulations. You succeeded. I watched you die three times, yet you never gave up. You never broke."
It began clapping slowly.
"This trial made you mentally stronger. You learned the meaning of real combat—the meaning of a will that refuses to shatter."
Kyle looked at his hands. They trembled slightly.
The memories were carved into his soul—memories of death, of pain.
But something else had changed.
His eyes had grown colder, harsher.
"I… I'm different. This experience made me more mature."
"Exactly. And now, tell me—what do you want? What are the two special abilities you desire?"
Kyle didn't hesitate.
"First: the Devour skill."
"And second: the ability to resurrect the dead as my subordinates."
Silence fell.
Then the entity burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha! What ambition! What tremendous greed!"
"I would never have given such power to a human—never imagined I would. But since this is a vast world and you are alone… since I promised you… and since you have proven yourself worthy…"
It paused briefly.
"Very well. You shall have them."
Then it raised one finger.
[ Devour Skill ]
"Everyone you kill will automatically grant you three things:
1. One random skill from their abilities.
2. 3% of their mana.
3. 3% of their physical strength.
Power accumulates. Skills merge.
The more you kill, the stronger you become."
Then it raised its second finger.
[ Eternal Corpse Emperor ]
"This is the true name of your second ability.
Anyone you kill—or any corpse you find—you may resurrect as your subordinate. However, there are conditions."
First Condition:
You cannot resurrect someone stronger than you unless their soul willingly submits to you. You have only three attempts to persuade it.
Second Condition:
You may resurrect corpses even if you did not kill them yourself, but there is a time limit. Initially, only those who died within the past hour. As your level increases, this limit extends—up to a maximum of 24 hours.
Third Condition:
Subordinates begin with almost no consciousness—mere combat puppets at low levels. However, as they level up, their intelligence and awareness grow. At level nine, they become extremely intelligent, capable of fluent speech and commanding armies.
Fourth Condition:
Subordinates can never increase their mana through cultivation. However, they can learn new skills to grow stronger. The only way for them to level up is by absorbing the souls of enemies they kill.
Fifth Condition:
Each soul contains 15% of the deceased's mana, as mana dissipates after death.
Sixth Condition:
Subordinates are sustained by your mana. If your mana is depleted, they automatically return to the spiritual space within you, entering dormancy until your energy recovers. You may also store them there voluntarily at any time.
Seventh Condition:
You can see and hear everything your subordinates see and hear—a living surveillance network.
Alternative Option:
Instead of resurrecting a corpse as a subordinate, you may choose to absorb its soul and convert it into pure mana, gaining 15% of the deceased's mana directly to increase your own level.
Suddenly, Kyle felt something warm enter his chest, engraving itself into his soul.
"I have granted you both abilities—Eternal Corpse Emperor and Devour."
The sensation faded.
Kyle took a deep breath. Something new stirred within him.
"And there's more," the entity said.
"I will grant you the System. It will teach you the strongest cultivation techniques—swordsmanship, magic, aura. And since you possess Devour, you may merge acquired skills and use any type of magic: darkness, light, wind, fire, lightning, water, earth, ice, nature."
"And also—spirit summoning, even summoning creatures from the underworld."
Kyle nodded slowly. "Thank you."
"Good. You are now ready for me to send you to the world of Aetherion."
Excitement ignited in Kyle's chest, though his eyes remained cautiously fixed on the entity.
Then suddenly—
The entity laughed.
"What? Did you think it would be that easy?"
Kyle looked mildly surprised. "What do you mean? Is there another test?"
"No. The test was to determine whether you were qualified. Now, we will make an agreement."
Kyle sighed. "Damn it. I knew this wouldn't come for free. As they say—nothing is free in this world."
"So, what do you want?"
The space shifted, revealing a massive image—a terrifying creature. Its body was woven from chaos, countless eyes covering it, limbs moving in ways that defied logic. Power radiated from it, making reality itself tremble.
"You must kill a monster that will breach from the underworld in approximately eighteen years."
Kyle stared at the image intently.
"Alright. I'll do it."
"Are you sure? You might lose your life—and the lives of everyone you love! This is no ordinary monster. It is a catastrophe. A Chaos King—Level 12, Rank 9!"
Kyle let out a small, mocking laugh.
"And what's the point of surrender? Of fear? Of running away? We all die eventually. That's the law of life."
He looked directly at the entity.
"Besides, your damned test made me unafraid of death. I've already died three times. What can a creature do that I haven't already experienced?"
"As for those I love… I'll make sure that doesn't happen. I'll become strong enough to protect them. I'll kill it—and live."
The entity fell silent.
"That's good. But who said you had to accept this trial? You could have surrendered."
"You bastard!" Kyle exploded angrily. "If I had, I would've wasted tremendous power!"
Then he exhaled deeply.
"But still… thank you. Because of the trial, I became stronger."
"Anyway," the entity asked, "will you be evil or good?"
Kyle smiled faintly.
"Evil? Good? I don't care about that nonsense."
He walked slowly, speaking calmly.
"I'll simply walk my own path. Those who harm me, I'll repay them twice over. Those who treat me well, I'll return the favor. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—and the one who starts it is the true criminal."
The entity laughed. "Heh… what a unique boy. Very well. I wish you luck."
It raised its hand, and the space began to distort.
"I will send you now to Aetherion. You'll arrive near the weakest human kingdom—the Kingdom of Dawn. You'll receive a forged identity card and some starting money."
A small card and a leather pouch filled with coins appeared in the air, floating toward Kyle. He caught them.
"The money will last you a few weeks. After that—you're on your own."
"No problem." Kyle examined the card. It bore his name—Kyle, age nineteen, a citizen from a remote village in the Kingdom of Dawn.
"One last thing. When you arrive, you'll feel the System activate. It will explain everything—how to use your abilities, how to view your stats, how to learn skills."
"Understood."
"And remember—you are now in a world where power is everything. The weak are trampled. The strong rule. Betrayal, schemes, politics, war—everything is far more brutal than anything you knew on Earth."
Kyle smiled slightly. "That's exactly the kind of world I was looking for."
The entity began to fade.
"Very well, Kyle. I look forward to your journey. I'll be watching—eager to see how far you'll go."
"I won't fall," Kyle said with absolute confidence.
"I'll rise. I'll become the strongest. I'll build an empire. I'll make even dragons kneel before me."
"We shall see."
The entity vanished completely, and the white space began to collapse. The light grew blinding, overwhelming, until Kyle could no longer open his eyes.
He felt his body pulled, twisted, forced through something indescribable—like traveling through the very fabric of reality. The sensation was disturbing, nauseating—but brief.
Then suddenly, everything stopped.
The light vanished.
The motion ceased.
And when Kyle opened his eyes—
He was standing on real ground.
[ End of Chapter Four ]
Narrator's Note:
At that moment, Kyle's true journey began.
From an ordinary young man who died in his sleep—
to a warrior wielding powers no one else in this world possesses.
But power alone is not enough.
In a world where betrayal is currency, conspiracy is art,
and strength is the only law—
Will Kyle rise to the top?
Or will the darkness he seeks to rule ultimately crush him?