She couldn't feel anything. Perhaps dying not only took away her life, but also pain as well. It was dark, and she had no idea where she was. The only thing she remembered was dying in Rowan's arms, as he repeatedly apologized for arriving too late to save her. Prince Kyle had just sapped out her entire mana, while Cedrick and Sir Lawrence delivered the final blows to end her.
That was enough for Sera to remember everything.
Her name was Seraphine de Lys. The only child of the Duke de Lys, she was a genius mage, but used magic unorthodoxly, causing issues and scandal at the magic academy. She really disliked how others weren't using magic efficiently and deemed her ways dangerous and unstable. The only one who kept her in check was Rowan, a magician who strictly followed the rules of the magic tower.
Sera tried to open her eyes to see where she was, but couldn't. She found it odd. Did spirits see nothing? She tried to feel her arms and legs, but they didn't respond. She couldn't even feel the rest of her body.
What was going on? She thought.
Everything was shrouded in darkness, where she couldn't see a thing. Sera remained calm and didn't panic. She wasn't like that anyway. Sure, she has low patience for stupid people, but she knows how to adapt in unexpected situations.
A bright light suddenly appeared before her. A person from another world took over her body and rewound the time up to when she was only twelve years old. Sera remembered that it was around that time when she was engaged to Prince Adrian and met her adoptive brother, Cedrick, for the first time.
She watched with annoyance as the woman named Anna took over her life and tried to change the course of events. For Sera, to adjust according to others' will and demand was self-deprecatory. She was the proud daughter of the de Lys family, and yet Anna lowered her head and smiled foolishly to those people who would betray her in the end.
However, she found the system Anna was using interesting. Sera wondered who had made it or what conditions the system had to follow. The system promised Anna that she would return to her world if she succeeded in the mission, but had failed to present the dangers she would face.
'What kind of idiot would sign up to live my life?' Sera thought. Anna must have been desperate to return to her world and agreed to the system's conditions.
Despite her opinions, she had to applaud Anna for being able to get through every obstacle that Sera had experienced before. For her, Anna was too innocent, too pure to be subjected to the harsh circumstances of her life. Anna grew up in a world where she had a better upbringing than Sera had.
Alas, just as Sera predicted, Anna fell into the Saintess's trap. Anna had lowered her guard when she assumed that Liliana would never scheme against her. Sera had always known that Saintess Lilian wasn't as kind and innocent as she portrayed herself to be.
As Anna tried to take her own life, Sera could only watch as Anna's consciousness faded.
[E-Error… Host consciousness… uncooperative…]
The system was still trying to make Anna continue her mission, much to Sera's annoyance.
>> ERROR: HOST INTEGRITY FAILING.
>> MISSION STATUS: [REDEMPTION FAILED]
>> FINAL SCORE: 7,320/10,000 REDEMPTION POINTS
>> ANALYSIS:
Kindness Detected: 89% (Ineffective in this world.)
Trust Earned: 52% (Highest: Crown Prince – now your executioner.)
Legacy: "Seraphine's Shadow" (You changed nothing.)
>> LAST WORDS LOGGED:
"I just… wanted to go home…"
>> FINAL NOTICE:
User #8472 (Anna Park) will be erased.
Original host (Seraphine de Lys) reactivation imminent.
…Would you like to try again? [Y/N]
When Sera heard the question, a resounding yes was her answer. How could she possibly let the rare chance to live slip through her fingers?
Something unexpected happened, faint blue lights appeared, and a system prompt appeared before her. It was weak, but desperate like a dying heartbeat. It seemed to Sera that Anna's system was trying to save itself from being overwritten.
EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED
HOST #8472 (ANNA PARK) TERMINATED
CORRUPTION IMMINENT: 97%
[Warning: Original host consciousness detected. Initiating… defense measures?]
Sera remained silent as several error windows appeared one after another. She could only wait and see whether the system would allow her to take back her body and identity, or whether Sera would be back to finish what she'd started.
[H-Host error… Recalibrating…]
>> PRIMARY DIRECTIVE AMENDED:
[SACRIFICE SYSTEM INTEGRITY TO PRESERVE HOST #8472'S LEGACY]
Crimson lights broke the darkness around her until the faint blue light disappeared completely. Little by little, the world around her started to light up until Sera could see her entire body, but still couldn't feel anything.
>> HOST REINITIALIZATION DETECTED.
>> PRIMARY USER: [SERAPHINE DE LYS] – CONFIRMED.
>> SYSTEM CORRUPTION: 89% (Legacy of Failed User #8472 Detected)
>> WELCOME BACK, MY LADY. LET'S PAINT THIS KINGDOM RED.
The system's voice didn't sound mechanical this time. Sera could sense glee from its tone, as if it had gained some wicked personality after overriding and corrupting Anna's system.
[SYSTEM REBOOT COMPLETE]
NEW HOST CONFIRMED: SERAPHINE DE LYS
DIRECTIVE UPDATED: [REDEMPTION PROTOCOL DELETED]
NEW PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: [BURN THE SCRIPT]
Sera's lips curled in amusement. This system was truly different from what Anna had. Anna's system rewards good behavior and points to redemption, while this new system, before Sera, seemed to thrive on despair and corruption. She briefly wondered if systems were specifically created for each host, or if there were scenarios where a new host could gain another one.
"Explain this directive and its details to me," she demanded.
>> SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE
>> HOST IDENTITY CONFIRMED: SERAPHINE DE LYS
>> PRIMARY DIRECTIVE ENGAGED
>> PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Burn the empire that betrayed you. Rewrite history in blood.
TERMS & CONDITIONS [MANDATORY]
Vengeance Point (VP) Acquisition Protocol
Humiliation: +200 VP per public degradation event
Structural Sabotage: +500 VP per institution crippled
Eliminations: Tiered rewards (300 VP for knights, 1,200 VP for royalty)
Resource Exchange Matrix
Flesh-for-Power: 1 finger = 3-minute unlimited mana surge
Memory Liquidation: Trade Anna's memories for tactical data (exchange rate varies)
Penalty Catalogue
Mercy Detection: Automatic VP drain (-300 VP per detected compassion event)
Mission Delay: 24h inactivity triggers [PAIN COMPLIANCE] sequence.
REWARD MANIFEST [TIERED ACCESS]
>> TIER 1 (500 VP UNLOCK)
Bloodfire Sigil: Incinerate mana-restraints (Side effect: 2nd degree hand burns)
"They'll Remember" Module: Project targets' worst memories as holograms.
>> TIER 3 (2,000 VP UNLOCK)
Hate Resonance: Convert enemy fear into temporary stat boosts
Anna's Echo: 1x/day access to the dead user's tactical analysis
>> TIER 5 (5,000 VP UNLOCK)
Imperial Collapse Sequence: Pre-loaded structural weak points of the royal palace
"Father's Fate" Clause: Duke de Lys' survival probability increases to 33%
FINAL CONDITIONS [SOUL BINDING]
>> 10,000 VP THRESHOLD:
Host soul ownership transfers 51% to System
Unlocks [FINAL SOLUTION] protocols
>> GLITCH PROTOCOLS:
5.7% chance of Anna's System fragment overriding with the redemption questSuccessful completion voids all accumulated VP.
>> CURRENT VP: 0
>> NEXT SUGGESTED TARGET: KNIGHT CAPTAIN LAWRENCE (EST. 400 VP)
[Compliance accelerates your vengeance. Resistance... amuses me.]
[Input required: Host confirmation/query]
Sera furrowed her brows. She knew accepting the system's initiative came with a price.
"And if I fulfilled the mission?"
>> PRIMARY REWARD TIER UNLOCKED: [THRONE OF ASHES]
Fulfilling the System's ultimate mission (10,000+ VP) grants:
[ABSOLUTE VENGEANCE]
Imperial Collapse: The royal family's bloodline erased from history
Personal Dominion: Claim the scorched throne as your own (optional)
[ANNA'S LEGACY PURGE]
Memory Incineration: Permanently erase all traces of Anna's kindness from your psyche
Soul Fusion: Absorb Anna's compassion as a weapon (unlocks "Saint's Guillotine" ability)
[SYSTEM'S FINAL GIFT]
"The Last Laugh" Protocol: Broadcast the truth of their corruption empire-wide as your final act.
>> COST:
Soul Arbitration: System claims 51% ownership (you become its next vessel)
Eternal Binding: Cannot reincarnate/transmigrate after death.
"Oh?How amusing. You've upgraded from Anna's pathetic 'kindness points' to something actually useful," she commented. "But 51% ownership is a bit greedy, don't you think? Try 20%, and I'll let you taste the Prince's screams."
[Counteroffer rejected. 51% is non-negotiable.]
Sera chuckled. She refused to believe that she cannot hack the system, because in the end, regardless of who is her enemy, she would ensure to win at any cost this time.
[They called you a monster. Shall we prove them right, my lady?]